IELTS Energy English 7+

Get 7 easy ways to get a 7 or higher on the IELTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 7 easy steps to a 7 or higher on IELTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get the 7 easy steps to a 7 or higher on the IELTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get the 7 easy steps to a 7 or higher on IELTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what the examiner wants on the speaking test- get our free, downloadable cheat sheet here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the examiner want on the IELTS speaking test? Find out here for free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out EXACTLY what the examiner wants on the IELTS speaking test. Go right now to get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet to find out what the examiner wants on the speaking test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course now Are you stressed about vocabulary on the IELTS exam? You need a brain box to get a high score on the IELTS but do you feel that your brain box is empty? Do you feel that you don’t have enough vocabulary for the IELTS? Do you have a hard time coming up with words that relate to a specific topic in English? Today we are going to show you how to brainstorm for new vocabulary words based on the topic. You already have the words in your first language so you need to transfer the words into English. Come back to our site for the specific steps to create your brain tree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course You MUST use English idioms to get a 7 on the IELTS Speaking test and the IELTS Writing test. If you use these idioms you will get those extra points because the examiner will realize that you have skills beyond the textbooks. Today you’ll get four of them that you can “copy and paste” into your IELTS exam. Come back to the article to see the idioms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Taking IELTS? Get our free IELTS video training course now! Is this your first time taking the IELTS? If so, you are an “IELTS newbie” but don’t worry! In today’s episode we are going to show you exactly what to do if you are an IELTS newbie! We’ll give you three easy steps to follow. Check out today’s episode! We’ll show you what to do if you have a month to prepare or if you have a year to prepare. Come back to our site to see the steps written out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Get our free IELTS video training now Today you’ll find out exactly what happens on IELTS exam day. The Listening test is first. You listen for 30 minutes and then you have 10 minutes to transfer your answers. Next you start the Reading test. The Reading test has 3 passages, 40 questions, and you have to do it in 60 minutes. There is no extra time for transferring your answers. Next comes the Writing test. At this point you might be tired but you need to keep going. It’s important to eat a good breakfast before the test. The Writing test is 60 minutes, 20 minutes for Task 1, 40 minutes for Task 2. When you prepare, be sure to practice the timing for the Writing test. After Writing, find out when your Speaking test is. It’s usually that afternoon. Sometimes it’s at another time during the week. During the time between the Writing and the Speaking tests, you may have a huge amount of time. Have a plan for how you are going to fill those hours if you need to. You can listen to a podcast in English during that time but also get some fresh air, go outside and take a walk. Give your brain some down time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free IELTS video training course It can be stressful when you get started preparing for the IELTS exam. Maybe you don’t know where to start. Today we’ll show you what you are probably missing when you get started with your IELTS prep. Most students make this mistake. They do one of these things: 1- Only focus on test strategy and practice or 2- Only focus on general English skill building Doing only test prep or only general English and not both is a huge mistake. This is a test of your English skills and not just your ability to take the test. You need to get exposure in all different ways including speaking, reading, writing, listening. Also, you need to study the test and understand how to use strategies to get a high score. The way to make sure that you balance your practice is to have a daily study plan that helps you do both. What’s the problem with a lot of IELTS schools? At many IELTS schools you have young teachers who have online resources and fun activities but the teacher often does not know the test. On the other hand, you could get a teacher who knows the test and who has been teaching IELTS for many years and will only do test practice with you but is very inflexible and boring. These are the two types of teachers that you will find at many IELTS schools. Unfortunately both of these types of teachers won’t help you get the score you need. It’s possible to spend a lot of money and not get the skills that you need when you finish the course at an IELTS school. Don’t let this happen to you! If you really want to attend a traditional IELTS class, make sure you have the option to get your money back after your first class or if you are studying online, try to get some sample lessons before you have to buy the whole course. Come back to our site for more IELTS episodes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Get our free IELTS video training When it comes to the IELTS Speaking or Writing tests you may get a question about age groups. Do you have the right vocabulary to talk about age groups in English? Today you’ll get the vocabulary you need. Here are some terms that you need to know: Infant or baby: Under age 1 Toddler: Age 1-3 Child, kid: Age 3-12 Teen, teenager, adolescent: Age 13- 20 Young adult: age 18-30 Twenty-something: Someone who is in their twenties Thirty-something: Someone who is in their thirties Middle aged: 50’s/60’s Elderly, elders: Age 70/80/90/100 Come back to our website to learn more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free IELTS video training course now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free IELTS video training now Did you know that your cultural IQ can affect your Speaking score on the IELTS exam? It’s true! Today you’ll find out how. There are questions that can be traps on the IELTS exam. Examiners are human and when they hear your response to a question like “what’s the difference between activities that men and women do?” they will have a negative gut reaction to your answer if you respond in a way that shows a lack of cultural sensitivity. Come back to our site to get the phrases that you need to say this correctly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our FREE IELTS VIDEO TRAINING NOW Are you preparing for IELTS in a way that works with your personality? Do you assume that because you’re an introvert, you can’t succeed on the Speaking test? What’s the difference between an introvert and an extrovert: Introvert: You lose energy from being around people and stimulation Extrovert: You can get energy from outside stimulation like interaction with people, music, crowds, etc. Come back to our site to get more advice for IELTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a HOT new IELTS video training out! Get it here and learn how to get a 7 or higher on your IELS exam. This morning one of our listeners just took the Speaking test and we got a great question from her. She had two questions: 1- “Is it bad that the examiner asked me to speak louder?” 2- “Is it ok that I took a quick sip of water during the test?” Neither of these issues is a problem that will affect your grade. But you must speak loudly enough that the examiner can hear you of course. Come back to our site for more tips and advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our FREE IELTS VIDEO TRAINING HERE Are you using crutches when it comes to the IELTS Speaking test? Today you’ll find out why crutches can be deadly on the IELTS exam. Language crutches in English are “like,” “um,” “uh” and words like those. When you use those on the IELTS Speaking test you lose points for both fluency and vocabulary. You lose fluency points because you are repeating yourself and you lose vocabulary points because it sounds like you don’t have the vocabulary words that you need. You have to stop using them on the exam even though you hear native speakers using them all of the time and they are natural. Come back to our site to find out how to stop using these crutches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free 3-part IELTS video training course now! Do you ever run out of things to say on the IELTS Speaking test? What should you do in this situation? This happens a lot in Part 2 of the Speaking test. Follow two steps if your mind goes blank and you run out of ideas: Be honest. Say something like “That’s all I can think of to say on that topic.” “I can’t believe it’s not two minutes yet.” This will also help with your anxiety. If you say what you are experiencing, you will feel much more relaxed. Next, think of something else to say. Think of anything in your personal experience that connects to the topic in any way. Follow these two steps the next time you run out of ideas on the Speaking test and let us know how it goes. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our FREE IELTS Video Training Course Now Do you know what the biggest myth about writing and speaking on the IELTS is? What should you do if the questions that you get on the speaking test are too broad? You should talk about examples from your personal life. Tell your own stories. Think about your most recent experiences from the topic. For example: Q: Do you enjoy exercise? A: Yeah just yesterday I was going on a bike ride and I saw cherry blossoms. Don’t be afraid to “boast” about yourself. Also use linking phrases to get a higher fluency and coherence score. Examiners listen for them. Use linking words like: “In fact…” “Indeed” “Actually” What questions do you have about the IELTS exam? Let us know in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our FREE IELTS VIDEO TRAINING COURSE NOW! Did you know that you should spend LESS time on grammar when you prepare for the IELTS exam? Does that sound strange to you? If it does then you should listen to today’s episode. Why shouldn’t you focus on grammar? It’s not worth the time and it’s almost impossible to improve your grammar score for the speaking section quickly. Don’t waste your time on grammar textbooks. Instead of doing grammar exercises, you should try reading a newspaper to improve your reading score. In speaking, you are graded on 4 things: fluency and coherence- keep talking and don’t use “ums” and “uhs’ vocab- use exaggerated language, slangs, and idioms to get a 7 pronunciation- get a 7 by using intonation and emotions grammar- this will be much harder to improve Remember, your speaking score is an average. You can still get a speaking score of 7 without focusing on grammar. What do you think? Are you focusing a lot on grammar? Are you going to change your strategy after today’s episode? Let us know below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Get your FREE IELTS CHEAT SHEET NOW What is the IELTS? Who takes it, and why? Today, Lindsay and Jessica discuss all the basics of the IELTS exam! The IELTS is an exam that’s usually taken by non-native English speakers. The academic version of the exam is for students who want to study in a English-language university. A more general IELTS exam is taken by job candidates who want to work in English-speaking countries. The two versions are very similar – the only difference is that the academic test has more difficult reading and writing sections. IELTS is completed with pencil and paper, and by speaking with a real person. This is very different from something like TOEFL, which is computerized. However, the IELTS does have very specific rules. This means that knowing what to expect can help you get a better score. If you’re at intermediate level and you’re planning to take the exam, you should begin preparing for it least 3-6 months ahead. Also, be aware that the IELTS is very popular, so seats fill up fast. Ielts.org has a list of where and when you can take the exam. Many people who take the test don’t get the score they need the first time. Don’t worry, you can take it again! The best way to improve your chances is to know what to expect, and to prepare. More details are coming soon about our 3 Keys IELTS System! Stay tuned to learn more! Are you going to take the IELTS? Tell us why, and how you’re preparing for it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get your FREE IELTS CHEAT SHEET Do you want to impress the examiner in the IELTS speaking section? Today, find out why exaggerating will give you a better score! If you want to stand out in the IELTS speaking section, you need to energize the English you’re using. You can’t just say something boring like “I’m hungry” when you can get more attention by saying “I’m starving – if I don’t eat now, I’m gonna die!” Of course, you don’t need to exaggerate all the time when you speak English, but doing it during your speaking exam will definitely impress your teacher. Use adverbs to magnify your adjectives, and use idioms and metaphors to add color to what you’re saying. Also, use excited and dramatic intonation to show emotion. Doing these will make you a more interesting and natural-sounding speaker, and get you a better score. Here are some examples: “I totally love my bedroom. It’s by far the best room in my house!” “The couch is so soft it’s like sitting on a cloud.” “I like days when the sun’s beating down on me in total brilliance.” How can you talk like a drama king or queen? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get your FREE IELTS CHEAT SHEET: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Let's talk about it- leave us a question at http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-american-british-english/ Should you speak American English or British English on the IELTS? Today, Jessica and Lindsay talk about accents, and what you can expect on the exam! The IELTS was developed in Cambridge, United Kingdom. So does that mean you should speak English with a British accent when you take the exam? The answer is no. English is now a global language, and the IELTS is a global exam. On the listening section, you are likely to hear American, British, Indian and other kinds of English accents. And it doesn’t matter which you use when you speak – as long as your pronunciation is clear! It’s a good idea to get used to different accents so you don’t have trouble understanding them on test day. Consider listening to podcasts from the different places, and don’t be afraid to work with a teacher from anywhere. Which English accents are you used to hearing? Which ones are difficult for you to understand? Let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get your FREE IELTS CHEAT SHEET: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Come back to http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-examiner-stop-speaking-test/ and leave a comment Why does the IELTS examiner stop you in the speaking test? Today, Jessica and Lindsay talk about why this happens, and why you shouldn’t worry about it! It can be frustrating if the IELTS examiner asks you a question, and you begin answering it, and then they stop you while you’re speaking. You might think that you made an English mistake, or the examiner doesn’t like your answer. But that’s not what’s happening. Timing is the issue. The examiner has only a certain amount of time to ask you about specific things. As part of their job, they must stop you – and it has nothing to do with the quality of your English, or your answer. Don’t let an abrupt interruption like this cause you extra anxiety! Expect it to happen, and don’t take it personally. All tests have to follow their timing. Do you think being interrupted while you’re English speaking might cause you anxiety? What do you plan to do about it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Get a summary of today's episode: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-unfamilar-speaking-question-un-freeze-speaking-section/ What's your target score on the Speaking test? Come back to our site and let us know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nervous about the IELTS Speaking test? Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet and learn what the Examiner wants: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Get a summary of today's episode here: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-attack-writing-task-2/ Tell us what your target score is and when your next exam date is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Get a summary of today's episode: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-anxious-nervous-scared-go-happy-place-comes-ielts/ Come back to our site and leave a comment. Let's have a conversation about the IELTS! Let us know your next test date. We are here to support you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what the Examiner wants on the Speaking test: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Here is the summary of today's show: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-resources-like-preparation-need/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet! Find out what the examiner wants on the speaking test: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Get a summary of this episode here: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-ielts-how-to-beat-writing-task-1-on-the-ielts/ Come back to our site and ask us your IELTS question! We want to have a conversation with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back to our blog and have a conversation with us! http://allearsenglish.com/ielts-writing-time-strategy/ Also get our IELTS Cheat Sheet to find out what the Examiner wants on the Speaking test: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Are you getting ready for your IELTS exam? One big challenge on the IELTS is timing on the Writing test. Today we’ll help you with a great time-management strategy. You have a total of 60 minutes to do the whole Writing test. Task 2 is 250 words and Task 1 is 150 words so you need to spend more time on Writing Task 2. We recommend 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2. However, don’t start with Writing Task 2. Do Task 1 first. You also need to allow time for planning. It really depends on you and how you prefer to write but we recommend that you practice and see what’s right for you in terms of planning time. As a general guideline, you could spend 4 minutes planning and then spend a few minutes after to check your work. When you practice brainstorming and coming up with ideas in the planning step, don’t forget to write down everything you think of. In Task 2, spend 5 minutes planning, 30 minutes writing, 5 minutes to check. You need to practice the timing for all of these steps and adjust it based on what you need. Practice is the key with time management. The biggest mistakes that people make with time management on IELTS Writing is when they skip both planning and checking at the end. When you check, look for spelling, grammar, vocabulary, etc. Listen to this episode to learn more about how to check your own IELTS Writing test. What other questions do you have about IELTS Writing? Let us know in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know that being imaginative and creative can get you a 7 on the IELTS exam? This is especially true when it comes to the IELTS Speaking test. Your ideas don’t need to be 100% realistic. What’ more important is the way you deliver your ideas. You can make stuff up and have fun with it! Today we’ll show you how! What should you do when you get a Speaking question about the future and you don’t know how to answer the question? You need to open your mind and be willing to make up your own ideas quickly. In Part 3 of the Speaking test, they often ask you to guess or predict the future. For example, they might ask, “How might the way people travel change in the future?” With this question you need to make up a creative answer. A good response is this: “I predict that by 2025 we will all be riding in flying cars.” This is also useful because when you make up a funny idea, it makes you laugh, which makes you relax and makes you speak more like a real person. This will also help your vocabulary because you will end up using less common vocabulary when you make up ideas about the future. If you aren’t used to coming up with your own ideas or if you haven’t learned this in school you can train your mind to be creative. You already have the ability but you just need to practice it. Creativity is a muscle. Flex your imagination! Try this: Look at the news and look at the topics in the newspaper. Come up with a prediction for each article headline that you read. Predict what will happen with that specific topic in the future. Try to entertain the Examiner. The Examiner is going to give you your score right after Part 3 of the Speaking so it’s good to leave them on a funny and positive note because this could influence your overall Speaking score. If you are already a naturally funny person then you should amplify that in the Speaking test. Don’t be afraid of your own ideas and your own personality. If you are enjoying yourself during the test then your Examiner is probably having fun too. Do you have other questions about the Speaking test? Let us know in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you nervous about the IELTS Speaking test? Most people get super nervous about this part of the test! Part of why you are nervous is because you don’t know what kind of questions to expect from the Examiner. Today we’re going to show you what questions the Examiner is likely to ask on the Speaking test. We’re also going to show you how to prepare for these questions. On Part 1 of the Speaking test you will always have to talk about: Work Study Home Sample questions for Speaking Part 1: Do you like your apartment? Are there many shops near your apartment? What are you studying? Why did you choose this subject? What will you do when you finish? Clothes Driving a car Excercise Food Health School- what do you remember about your high school? Who was your favorite teacher? What do you like to read? Do you enjoy reading before you go to bed? ** Remember! You can’t give one-word answers. You must expand on your ideas. Give complete sentences or you will get marked down. When the Examiner asks, “What are you studying?” don’t say “English” instead you can say “At the moment I am studying English at the university downtown. You can practice Part 1 with a language exchange partner. Speaking Part 2 and Speaking Part 3: Questions in Part 2 and Part 3 will always be linked to each other. Topic: Movies Part 2: Describe your favorite movie (who, what, when, where, why). You can practice this part by yourself to get comfortable speaking for two minutes. Part 3: What makes a movie successful? Do you think the director or the actors are more important? For part 3, you should have 3 things in your answer: Give your opinion Give an example of your opinion Give a concluding sentence When you prepare for the test, you should write out your answers ahead of time. Later, when you get comfortable with that you can stop writing them out and get better at responding quickly. Remember, planning ahead and preparing is the key to getting more confidence. Final tip- check out the NY Times and look at the newspaper sections- those are typical IELTS Speaking topics. What other questions do you have for the Speaking test? Please ask us in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS Today find out how to get a 7 on all 4 sections of the IELTS! In the Speaking Section: The examiner looks for four things: Fluency and coherence: Use linking words, don’t pause, don’t repeat yourself Vocabulary: Use a few slang words, a few idioms, a few phrasal verbs- get away from the textbook Grammar: It’s hard to get a 7 in grammar. The only way you can do it is if most of your sentences don’t have mistakes but it’s ok not to get a 7 in grammar because the score is an average. Think about where your strengths are and if they are not in grammar then focus on other areas. Pronunciation: This is the easiest one to get a 7. You can do it! Show some personality. Use some intonation. Use drama! You don’t need “perfect English pronunciation.” The Writing Section: Task 1: Task achievement- you have to include all of the important numbers and you have to have an overall trend. For example, “Overall, numbers increase in this period.” Task 2: They grade you on task response. Did you answer the question? Answer every single part of the question. Also, cohesion and coherence are important. Use linking words and have clear paragraphs. Have an obvious main idea. Vocabulary: You need to use academic phrases and academic linking words. Grammar: It’s hard to get a 7 on this. You need a variety of sentence structures and not a lot of mistakes. The Reading and Listening Sections: At least 27 correct answers out of 40 will get you an “acceptable” score Now you know exactly what you need to do to get a 7 on all 4 sections of the IELTS. Now go get started on your preparation and you will be ready to get that 7! Let us know your questions in the comments section. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS Today you’ll get 3 sentence structures to improve your grammar grade on IELTS Writing Task 1. On IELTS Task 1 you are shown a graph, table, pie chart, or bar chart. They have numbers and you have to compare and contrast how they change. You will see a graph that shows “Change Over Time” The examiner wants you to use different sentence structures for this category. Here they are: 1) Subject + verb + adverb : “The numbers increased dramatically in 2008.” 2) There was + adjective + noun: “There was a dramatic increase in 2008.” 3) Before +verb-ing: “Before increasing in 2008, the number of surfers experienced a decline.” Where can you find graphs to use to practice these sentences? Find IELTS forums Go to IELTS.org Go to a bookstore and write down some sentences with your notebook New York Times and USA Today Google Images, type in “bar chart” or “pie chart” Where else have you found resources like pie charts or graphs to practice these sentence structures for Writing Task 1? Let us know your ideas below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS Are you nervous about your IELTS Speaking test? Did you know that there are some easy things that you can do to increase your chances of a higher score on the Speaking test? The IELTS exam is not completely objective because another person is giving you the score. Yes, they are trained and there are very specific requirements for each score but they are still human and you can influence the examiner in a positive way to increase your score. How to build a rapport with the examiner or get their attention: Don’t shake the examiner’s hand. This is not a business deal. Do follow their instructions about where to sit and be respectful. Don’t try to negotiate with the examiner to get a better score. Don’t ask the examiner how you did right after the speaking test is over. The final few minutes before you leave the room are very important so don’t make the examiner angry. Do use your personality. Do Tell personal stories. Don’t say what you think the examiner wants to hear. Do relax, smile, laugh a little bit. Do be polite. Do make eye contact if you can. If you can’t do that then you can look beyond the examiner. Approach the Speaking section like a formal interview but also show a positive attitude. It’s supposed to be formal but relaxed. Do you have any other questions about the Speaking test on the IELTS? Please ask your question below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS Are you nervous about talking for two minutes in speaking section 2 of the IELTS? Today, get some note taking strategies you can use to ace the IELTS speaking section! In the IELTS speaking part 1, the examiner asks you about three topics. But in part 2 you are given a single topic card. No matter what this topic is, you cannot change it. You have one minute to prepare to speak for two full minutes. How you spend that minute is important. Because you will have such a specific topic, and such a short amount of time, it’s probably best to write everything you can think of about the topic. You could do this in a bullet list, or as a mind map. But you need to have enough to say for those two minutes. If you do not have practice brainstorming like this, you may want to practice. Use a topic from a newspaper as an example. Give yourself a minute (or more) to make a list of notes on the topic. Then, see if you can use them to speak for two minutes. Other tips: Practice brainstorming/note-taking every day if possible. You’re training your brain for thinking, speaking and writing in English. Take all of these notes in English, not your native language! Ideally, your notes will provide you enough to tell a story. Telling a story will enable you to speak for the full two minutes, and help you remain coherent. Do you have much experience brainstorming? How do you think it would go for the IELTS speaking section part 2? Let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS What’s the difference between the IELTS and the TOEFL? Today, learn what makes these two tests distinct, and how to choose between the them! The IELTS and the TOEFL have some significant differences. But that doesn’t mean one is easier than the other. Many universities will accept either test, so you might be able to choose which one works best for you. That means it’s a good idea to know how each is unique. Here is are some points of difference between the two tests: The IELTS exam is completed on paper and by speaking to a person. The TOEFL is done entirely on a computer (even the speaking portion). For some people, IELTS might feel more “natural.” The listening section in TOEFL uses only North American accents. IELTS, on the other hand, uses a range of English accents from around the world. If you have trouble with accents, you might find IELTS more difficult. But IELTS is more predictable. For example, the test has three reading passages every time. TOEFL, on the other hand, always has a different number of reading passages. It also might have longer listening and reading sections. With TOEFL, on one section you have to listen to a conversation and give your opinion. This means it’s both a writing and speaking section. IELTS only has distinct listening and reading sections. Which exam sounds easier to you? Let us know why in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher How can you increase your IELTS vocabulary range? Today, learn 3 steps for building a more dynamic vocabulary for the IELTS exam! You need to have words that are useful for academia and formal situations, but also with your friends on the street. This is key to having a more natural sounding English. But how do you build this range of vocabulary? Jessica has three steps for building it. They include: Getting the vocabulary: Newspapers are a great resource for this. A newspaper like the USA Today is more understandable, while the New York Times is written at a higher level. A magazine like the Economist is even higher. Recording it: For every article you read, choose maybe five new words to learn. Keep them in context. Maybe write a summary of the article that uses these new words. Remembering it: Develop a system for studying these new vocabulary words. Try to review the words at least two or three times a week. Also, try to use these new words in conversation. What are you doing to build a range of vocabulary? Tell us what you’re doing in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS Today you’ll find out why some students lose focus and energy easily and quickly on the IELTS and why others are able to stay awake and energized throughout the entire exam. How to Keep Your Energy High for IELTS Day: Eat Breakfast: You need protein that will stick with you all day like eggs as well as carbohydrates that will give you the energy that you need like oatmeal. You can also try almond milk, nuts, fruit, etc. Bring Water to the Test: Remember that when you bring your water bottle into the IELTS exam, you cannot have a label on the bottle. Tear the label off before you go in. Prepare for this ahead of time. Get Fresh Air and Exercise: This is a great way to keep your focus alive and to keep your mind awake. Ty to get in a short, brisk walk before you check in and at noon after you finish the Writing section. This will help you be ready for the Speaking test in the afternoon. Do you have great strategies to maintain your energy on IELTS test day? Let us know your ideas in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS Today you’ll find out which accents will be on the listening section of the IELTS and where you can practice those accents for free. Are you confused about which English accents will be on the IELTS? There are a variety of accents on IELTS. If you buy books from a British publisher then you will hear mostly British accents. However, on the test you will hear a variety of accents from around the world. Still, you need to get used to British English and other accents. You can find British accents on Luke’s English Podcast. Here are a few other resources with a mix of accents but also a lot of videos from England: ESLvideo.com EnglishCentral.com ** You can also view transcripts and take quizzes on these sites. BBC Learning English Engvid More Hot Resources! Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals Real Life English Podcast Have you found any other great resources to prepare with a variety of accents? Please let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices