February 25, 2020
IELTS Listening: video lesson
Have you seen the video lesson that I published here a few years ago?
Check it out and feel free to ask any questions about the lesson in the comments area below.
February 18, 2020
IELTS Listening: how to use practice tests
It's a good idea to do practice tests (e.g. using the Cambridge IELTS books) in preparation for the listening exam. Here's some advice to help you benefit from doing practice tests:
1. Your score is not the most important thing
The important thing is what you have learnt by doing the test. Were there any new words or phrases that you can learn? What did you find difficult? Did any of the questions trick you? In other words, what do you need to do to improve your score?
2. Check how accurate your answers are
Be strict with yourself; every grammar or spelling mistake is important. For example, if the speaker says "The library has a collection of newspapers", you must not write "collection of newspaper".
3. Get into the habit of moving on
If you missed something, forget about it and move on. Always prepare for the next question rather than worrying about a previous question. When you are given 30 seconds to check your answers, use the time to look at the next section instead.
February 11, 2020
IELTS Listening: 'food and the brain' gap-fill
Watch the following short video, and fill the gaps in the summary below it.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Fill the gaps to complete these sentences:
- The weight of a dehydrated brain comes from from fats, proteins, amino acids, _____ _____ micronutrients, and glucose.
- Omega-rich foods, such as nuts, seeds and fatty fish, are _____ _____ the creation and maintenance of cell membranes.
- Proteins and amino acids affect the way we feel and behave. Neurotransmitters _____ _____ that affect mood, sleep, attentiveness and weight.
- A diet with a range of foods helps maintain a _____ _____ of brain messengers, and keeps your mood from getting skewed in one direction or the other.
- The human brain uses up to 20% of our _____ _____, even though it only accounts for around 2% of our body weight.
February 04, 2020
IELTS Listening: are you 'putting in the hours'?
If you want to get a better score in IELTS listening, the most important thing is to do lots of listening practice. You need to put in the hours!
To "put in the hours" means "to do the necessary amount of hard work". But let's use this phrase more literally by considering how many practice hours you are actually doing every day or every week. Do you know how many hours you spent listening to English yesterday, or last week?
Maybe you could keep a record of the time you spend listening to English this week, and maybe you can try to increase this listening time next week. A person who listens to 10 hours of English per week is probably going to improve much faster than a person who only manages 30 minutes.
January 28, 2020
IELTS Listening: 'oceans' gap-fill
Watch the following video and fill the gaps in the sentences below it.
If you can't see the video, here's an audio version:
Fill each gap with a maximum of two words and/or numbers:
- In reality, how many oceans are there? _____
-
What percentage of Earth’s surface is covered by water? _____
-
When viewed from space, the ocean is by far the planet’s _____.
-
What figure is given for the total volume of water in the ocean? _____
-
The ocean also contains over 99% of the world’s _____.
January 21, 2020
IELTS Listening: mastering part 1
Part 1 is supposed to be the easy part of the listening test. It is almost always a simple gap-fill exercise with basic information about some kind of booking or appointment.
But does this mean that you don't need to practise part 1? No.
I recommend doing lots of practice for part 1. You should be aiming for 10 out of 10 in this part of the listening test because you will probably lose points in parts 2, 3 and 4.
In fact, a good idea would be to focus only on part 1 until you regularly get 10 out of 10. Get as many of the official Cambridge books as you can, and do all of the part 1 questions.
Don't move on to parts 2, 3 and 4 until you master part 1.
Note: there are some official listening tests samples on this page.
January 14, 2020
IELTS Listening: small changes to the exam
Have you heard about the small changes that have been made to the listening test this year? There's no need to worry, but it's best to be informed!
Here's what the official IELTS website tells us:
..........
From 4 January 2020, some small changes are being introduced to the instructions and layout of the paper-based Listening test:
- We will be changing the word ‘Sections’ to ‘Parts’ – The paper-based test will now be divided into Part 1, 2, 3, 4.
- We will be removing the Part 1 example.
- We are also removing the page number references.
..........
Note: Perhaps the only change that may affect you is the second one. You'll need to be ready to start question 1 straight away.
January 07, 2020
IELTS Listening: synonyms and opposites
Often you don't hear the exact words given in the question. Instead, you hear a synonym, a similar word, or an opposite. For example, if the question contains the word difficult, you might hear too hard or not easy.
Try the following exercise (from Cambridge IELTS 4, page 85). The speaker explains the problems involved with 4 different school science experiments.
Listen and choose the correct problem for the 4 experiments.
A) too messy
B) too boring
C) too difficult
D) too much equipment
E) too long
F) too easy
G) too noisy
H) too dangerous
Experiment 1: ______
Experiment 2: ______
Experiment 3: ______
Experiment 4: ______
December 17, 2019
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about Isaac Newton
Watch the following short video and then fill the gaps in the summary below.
If you can't see the video, listen to this audio recording:
Summary:
Isaac Newton was renowned for his expertise in 1)_____, 2)_____, 3)_____ and theology. His Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy was published in 4)_____ .
Newton’s first law is named the law of 5)_____.
His second law relates to 6)_____.
His third law states that for every action there is an 7)_____ and 8)_____ reaction.
Newton also invented the first 9)_____ telescope, he devised the theory of 10)_____, and he is credited with the invention of the mathematical study known as 11)_____. He is considered to have had one of the greatest scientific 12)_____ in history.
December 10, 2019
IELTS Listening: 'cities' topic
Listen to the following recording and complete the summary below.
There are more people living in cities than in ______ areas. Urbanisation is the defining phenomenon of this century; half of the world’s population is urban. Many people are enticed from rural areas by the ______ of a better life. We need to improve living conditions for the urban poor by providing adequate ______, clean water and ______.
One key to making cities ______ better is good planning. Planners need to ______ cities to make them beneficial for all citizens. Cities need green transport and green ______; they need to be energy ______ and pedestrian- ______, with housing and jobs to ______ people to come to live there.
December 03, 2019
IELTS Listening: 'work experience' transcript
Here's the full transcript for the listening exercise in last Tuesday's lesson. The speaker talks quickly, so it's useful to see exactly what she says.
I wanted to spend a little bit of time today talking about the importance of work experience as you're considering different management programmes. Now this will vary a lot school by school. So some schools actually will have a minimum number of years of required work experience, so you should enquire with all the schools that you are interested in, sort of, what their recommendations are.
At Stanford specifically, we don't necessarily look at a certain number of years of work experience, but what we’re really looking for are your leadership examples that you’re able to draw from in your life. And as a result, some people actually come to us a little bit earlier on in their careers.
So, most years we might even have, you know, one or two students who come directly after university, but they’ve got incredibly strong leadership examples to draw from: maybe it is from being involved in student government, or clubs, or organisations, or starting a non-profit organisation, or having been involved in a family business growing up. So they’re able to draw and refer to those leadership experiences in the classroom.
November 26, 2019
IELTS Listening: 'work experience' gap-fill
Listen to the following talk by a director from Stanford Business School.
Fill the gaps in the sentences below:
- Some schools have a ______ number of years of required work experience.
- Stanford applicants should demonstrate examples of ______.
- Some students can ______ from their experiences in student politics, clubs, a non-______ organisation or a ______ business.
Tip: If you have more time, you could try to transcribe the whole recording.
November 18, 2019
IELTS Listening: listening as research
Here's a nice way to combine listening practice with topic research for the writing or speaking test:
- Choose a writing or speaking topic.
- Search for online videos on that topic.
- Note down any good vocabulary ideas that you see / hear in the videos.
For example, to get some ideas for the 'genetic engineering' writing topic, I watched a few videos on YouTube. Here's a link to a short, useful presentation about genetically modified food:
Click here to go to the video (it's only 3 minutes long).
If you watched the video, answer this question:
What is a transgenic organism?
November 11, 2019
IELTS Listening: singular or plural?
Students often tell me that they find it hard to decide whether an answer should be singular or plural, especially when they aren't sure whether or not they heard the "s" on the end of a word.
Try the quick exercise below. For each sentence, decide whether we need the singular or the plural, or whether you think both would be acceptable.
- Bring two forms of .......... (identification, identifications).
- You may use your own .......... (pen, pens) in the exam.
- Please park between the .......... (line, lines).
- Entry is only permitted to registered .......... (student, students).
- The lecturer will leave plenty of .......... (time, times) for questions.
November 04, 2019
IELTS Listening: are you doing these things?
Are you doing the following things in order to prepare and practise for the IELTS listening test?
- working through as many of the tests in the official Cambridge IELTS books as possible
- doing the listening test samples on the official IELTS website here
- analysing any mistakes that you make when doing the above tests
- listening to difficult parts of each test several times, until you hear and understand all of the correct answers
- checking the written transcripts (at the back of the Cambridge books) carefully for any questions that you found difficult
- noting new words and any spellings that you got wrong
- listening to as much English as possible to improve your ear (not just IELTS tests, but news reports, documentaries, talks, presentations, interviews, films, TV programmes etc. that you find on the Internet)
If you're doing all of these things, keep going! You might not notice it, but your listening will be improving gradually.
October 28, 2019
IELTS Listening: check your spelling
Here's an easy way to check your spelling for the IELTS listening test:
- Find the listening test answers at the back of one of the Cambridge IELTS books.
- Record yourself reading the answers aloud (e.g. read the list below).
- The next day, listen to the recording and try to write the words down, with correct spelling.
- Check your answers.
For example, here are some of the listening answers from Cambridge IELTS 14. Record yourself reading this list, and then test your spelling tomorrow.
- furniture
- museum
- direction
- floor
- predictable
- fuel
- shoulder
- festivals
- comets
- instruments
- thermometer
- telegraph
- microphone
- exhibition
- carnival
- parade
- opera
- clarinet
- Olympics
- speech
- cabins
- tools
- heavy
- marble
- camera
Out of 25, how many words did you spell correctly?
October 21, 2019
IELTS Listening: multiple choice exercise
Listen to the following talk about unemployment, then answer the multiple choice questions below. Make sure you read all 3 questions carefully before you start.
1. A year from now, the unemployment rate will be
A) fairly good
B) not as high in California
C) very high for the country as a whole
2. One problem is that
A) employees cannot work for more than 33 hours per week
B) employers will extend working hours instead of hiring new staff
C) there are too many part-time workers
3. If the economy begins to improve
A) more people will be discouraged from looking for work
B) people will think that there are more job opportunities
C) there will be an expansion of the workforce
October 14, 2019
IELTS Listening: underlining keywords
Here are the two questions (from Cambridge IELTS 14) that I showed you last week. This time I've underlined the keywords.
21. How will Rosie and Martin introduce their presentation?
A with a drawing of woolly mammoths in their natural habitat
B with a timeline showing when woolly mammoths lived
C with a video clip about woolly mammoths
22. What was surprising about the mammoth tooth found by Russell Graham?
A It was still embedded in the mammoth's jawbone.
B It was from an unknown species of mammoth.
C It was not as old as mammoth remains from elsewhere.
..........
Use the transcript below to answer the following questions:
- What are the answers to questions 21 and 22 above?
- Which keywords in the transcript give us the answers?
- Did my underlining in the question choices help?
Martin: We thought we needed something general about woolly mammoths in our introduction, to establish that they were related to our modern elephant, and they lived thousands of years ago in the last ice age.
Rosie: Maybe we could show a video clip of a cartoon about mammoths. But that’d be a bit childish. Or we could have a diagram, it could be a timeline to show when they lived, with illustrations?
Martin: Or we could just show a drawing of them walking in the ice? No, let’s go with your last suggestion.
Tutor: Good. Then you’re describing the discovery of the mammoth tooth on St Paul’s Island in Alaska, and why it was significant.
Rosie: Yes. The tooth was found by a man called Russell Graham. He picked it up from under a rock in a cave. He knew it was special — for a start it was in really good condition, as if it had been just extracted from the animal’s jawbone. Anyway, they found it was 6,500 years old.
Tutor: So why was that significant?
Rosie: Well the mammoth bones previously found on the North American mainland were much less recent than that. So this was really amazing.
October 07, 2019
IELTS Listening: reading and underlining
Before you hear the recording, you have some time to read the questions and underline key words (the words that you intend to listen for).
Which key words would you underline in the questions below?
(from Cambridge IELTS 14)
..........
21. How will Rosie and Martin introduce their presentation?
A with a drawing of woolly mammoths in their natural habitat
B with a timeline showing when woolly mammoths lived
C with a video clip about woolly mammoths
22. What was surprising about the mammoth tooth found by Russell Graham?
A It was still embedded in the mammoth's jawbone.
B It was from an unknown species of mammoth.
C It was not as old as mammoth remains from elsewhere.
..........
Tip: Don't underline words that are repeated in each choice (e.g. mammoth). Only underline the words that show you the specific differences between each answer choice.
September 30, 2019
IELTS Listening: tourism numbers
Tourism and tourist information are common topics in the listening test. Here's a short video that I found about the tourist centre in my own city, Manchester:
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
Quick exercise:
The speaker mentions the numbers below. What do they refer to?
- 77,000
- 5.5 billion
- over 1 million
- 3rd
- over 800,000
September 23, 2019
IELTS Listening: notice the 'keywords'
I've just been doing listening test 4 in Cambridge IELTS book 14.
As usual, I'm keeping a record of the 'keywords' that give us the correct answers. Here are some keywords from section 2, questions 11 to 16:
Note: Did you know that "have a dip" means "go for a swim"?
September 15, 2019
IELTS Listening: 'children' topic
Here's an interesting video that someone sent me the other day. I think we could get some good ideas and vocabulary from it, perhaps for topics related to children and education.
I haven't had time to pick out the good vocabulary from the presentation. Maybe you could help me to do that, by sharing your notes in the 'comments'.
September 08, 2019
IELTS Listening: the 'noticing' skill
Every time you listen to something in English, you have an opportunity to improve your vocabulary knowledge (or 'repertoire'). You might hear a new word or phrase, or you might learn something about how a word is used.
For example, I was pleased to see the following comment below last week's listening lesson:
"I didn't know the meaning of 'urge' before this video, thanks Simon!"
This is the kind of 'noticing' that leads to improvements when you're learning a language. Keep your ears and eyes open, and develop your noticing skills!
September 01, 2019
IELTS Listening: quick vocabulary exercise
Here's another short talk from ted.com. If you find it interesting, watch it through to the end. If not, just try the quick vocabulary exercise that I've made below.
...
...
Complete the phrases that the speaker uses in the first minute of the talk.
- pay _____ to something = take notice of something
- my mind _____ = I lost concentration
- take _____ = go to sleep for a short time
- drift off into a _____ = start thinking about something unrelated
- have the _____ to do something = feel a strong desire to do something
August 25, 2019
IELTS Listening: multiple choice difficulties
Multiple choice questions in the listening test are always difficult. I can think of four reasons for this:
- There's a lot of information in the question choices, so there's a lot to think about while you're listening.
- Some of the choices might be similar.
- All of the choices might be mentioned in some way.
- Synonyms or paraphrasing may be used instead of the words that you see in the choices.
Here's a good example from Cambridge IELTS book 10, page 12.
Which TWO facilities at the leisure club have recently been improved?
A) the gym
B) the tracks
C) the outdoor pool
D) the indoor pool
E) the sports training for children
Which two answers did you choose? Did you experience any of the four difficulties that I mentioned above?
August 18, 2019
IELTS Listening: multiple choice practice
Watch the first 3 minutes of the video and answer the questions below. Watch with subtitles if you find it difficult. You might also like to watch the rest of the presentation if you find the topic interesting.
1. The speaker states that
A) speaking a language is a critical skill
B) babies are language learning geniuses
C) adults cannot learn a new language
2. The speaker’s tests on babies involve
A) training them to respond to a sound change
B) training them to recognise the sounds of all languages
C) training them to respond to a panda bear
3. The speaker describes babies as 'citizens of the world' because
A) they understand everything they hear
B) they can recognise the difference between the sounds of any language
C) their listening skills are as good as adults’ listening skills
August 11, 2019
IELTS Listening: working on your mistakes
Are you really working on your mistakes and learning from them?
Whenever you make a mistake in a practice test, you have the opportunity to make a small improvement. But this will only happen if you analyse the mistake carefully, comparing your answer with the correct answer in order to understand what went wrong.
Perhaps you made the mistake because of a particular word or phrase. Perhaps you misunderstood something, or missed a key detail because you were stuck on a previous question. Or perhaps you couldn't keep up with the speed of the recording and the amount of information. If you want to make progress, you need to find out what the problem was.
Take the time to analyse your weaknesses and learn from them.
August 04, 2019
IELTS Listening: advice for section 4
Most students find section 4 of the listening test difficult, and people often ask me for advice about it.
The problem is that section 4 is supposed to be difficult: there is no break in the middle, the speaker usually talks quite quickly, and a wide range of vocabulary is used.
So, it might seem like strange advice, but I tell my students not to worry too much about section 4. Instead, we do more work on the other three sections. If you get high scores in sections 1 to 3, you don't need many points from section 4.
Here are the scores I tell my students to aim for:
- Section 1: 10 correct answers
- Section 2: 8 correct answers
- Section 3: 7 correct answers
- Section 4: 5 correct answers
As you can see, the total is 30 (band 7), but we only need 5 correct answers for section 4.
July 14, 2019
IELTS Listening: answers with dates
The following situation often confuses people:
- The question asks you for a date
- The speaker gives a day, month and year (e.g. 16th July 2019)
- But the instruction tells you to answer with one word and/or a number
I agree that this is confusing. However, my advice is simple: write 16th July as your answer, without the year. This is the answer that the IELTS people want.
So, make sure you write the day (number) and the month. Only put the year if the question asks for it (e.g. which year...?) or if the instruction allows you to include more than one number.
July 07, 2019
IELTS Listening: diagram gap-fill
Questions 23 to 25
Complete the notes on the diagram below. Write no more than three words and/or a number for each answer.
(Source: official IELTS DVD)
June 30, 2019
IELTS Listening: interesting lecture
I was searching for a video related to yesterday's reading passage, and I found the following lecture. It's a presentation about how to improve your English accent, so I'm sure that many of you will find it interesting and useful.
Tip: if you want to learn more about sentence stress in English, skip to minute 28.30 and you'll see a good illustration.
June 23, 2019
IELTS Listening Advice: just practise!
In my reading lessons I tend to give lots of advice about exam technique. By contrast, my main advice for the listening test is simple: just practise more!
For example, if you find listening section 4 difficult, I doubt that this is because of an 'exam technique' problem. It's probably because the speaker gives a lot of information quite quickly, and your brain isn't quick enough (yet) to keep up with what you hear. There's no technique that will help this "ear to brain" relationship. It's just a matter of practice and exposure to the language.
June 15, 2019
IELTS Listening: an alternative to doing tests
As an alternative to doing practice tests in the normal way, try this study technique:
- Choose one section from an official listening test, but don’t do it as a test.
- Instead, get the correct answers from the back of the book.
- Then listen to the recording with the aim of understanding why each answer is correct. Listen more than once if necessary.
- Write the key vocabulary in a table or in your notebook.
June 08, 2019
IELTS Listening: multiple choice exercise
Listen to the recording about study skills, and answer the questions below.
What are the TWO main reasons why students have trouble remembering information for tests?
A) stress
B) nerves
C) lack of time in the test
D) lack of planning
E) lack of preparation
Which TWO relaxation techniques are NOT recommended by the speaker?
A) breathing deeply
B) counting backwards
C) closing your eyes
D) visualising a relaxing image
E) counting slowly
Which TWO habits can parents help their children with?
A) eating properly and getting enough sleep
B) organising their study schedules
C) buying the right study guide
D) breaking the exam down
E) cramming
June 01, 2019
IELTS Listening: note the good vocabulary
When you listen to English, remember that it's a good opportunity to improve your vocabulary knowledge. For example, did you note down the following vocabulary from last week's exercise?
- apply for a PhD
(apply for a course, apply to a university) - curiosity, stamina and dedication
- academic credentials
- a passion for study
- independent work
- have expertise in something (= be an expert in)
- area of interest
- chosen field
- related to your field
- make contact with
- be involved in
May 25, 2019
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about PhD applications
Listen to the following short recording about PhD applications.
(Source: University of Kent on YouTube)
Fill each gap in the summary below with one word only.
If you’re thinking of applying for a PhD, you’ll need curiosity, ______ and dedication. You also need good academic ______, such as a first class or 2.1 honours degree. You need a ______ for study and for ______ work, and you need to be motivated.
It’s important that you find a ______ who has expertise in your area of interest, and so you should look at some of the key ______ in your chosen field. Find someone who is doing research related to your field, and make ______ with them. They will be involved in your ______ as it develops.
May 18, 2019
IELTS Listening: how much listening do you do?
How much time did you spend listening to English speakers today? What about yesterday, and the day before?
Maybe, starting tomorrow, you could increase the amount of time that you spend listening to English. Any type of listening practice will help, so I'm not suggesting that you do more IELTS tests. Just watch something interesting on YouTube or listen to a news broadcast - anything to increase your daily listening time.
May 11, 2019
IELTS Listening: listen for similar keywords
When listening to the recording, you won't always hear the exact words that you see in the questions. You'll need to listen for similar keywords.
For example, here's a table showing keywords for a multiple choice exercise (Cambridge IELTS 13, test 4, questions 11 to 16):
May 04, 2019
IELTS Listening: multiple choice 'tricks'
Here are two questions that confused some of my students (taken from Official IELTS Practice Materials 2). What are the answers? Can you see why some of my students were 'tricked' into putting the wrong answers?
1. Why does Marco's tutor advise him avoid the Team Management course?
A) It will repeat work that Marco has already done.
B) It is intended for students at a lower level than Marco.
C) It may take too much time to do well.
2. Why does Marco want to do a dissertation?
A) He thinks it will help his future career.
B) He would like to do a detailed study.
C) He has already done some work for it
This is what you hear on the recording:
Tutor: The trouble is that because of changes in the content of various courses, Team Management overlaps with the Introduction to Management course you took in your first year. So what you'd learn from it would be too little for the amount of time you'd have to spend on it.
Marco: I'll drop that idea then. Have you had a chance to look at the outline of my finance dissertation?
Tutor: Yes. Why exactly do you want to write a dissertation?
Marco: Well, I'm quite prepared to do the extra work, because I'm keen to investigate something in depth, instead of just skating across the surface. I realise that a broader knowledge base may be more useful to my career, but I'm really keen to do this.
April 27, 2019
IELTS Listening: gap-fill practice
Listen to the following introduction to a series of lectures about food.
Fill the gaps below with no more than TWO words.
April 20, 2019
IELTS Listening: difficult vocabulary
My students found the following two questions difficult, mainly because of some of the vocabulary used by the speaker.
1. Joanna concentrated on women performers because
A) women are more influenced by fashion.
B) women's dress has led to more controversy.
C) women's code of dress is less strict than men's.
2. Frost's article suggests that in popular music, women's dress is affected by
A) their wish to be taken seriously.
B) their tendency to copy each other.
C) their reaction to the masculine nature of the music.
Here's a transcript of the recording:
You only had women performers in your study. Was that because male musicians are less worried about fashion?
I think a lot of the men are very much influenced by fashion, but in social terms the choices they have are more limited... they'd really upset audiences if they strayed away from quite narrow boundaries.
Frost points out that a lot of female singers and musicians in popular music tend to dress down in performances, and wear less feminine clothes, like jeans instead of skirts, and he suggests this is because otherwise they'd just be discounted as trivial.
Tasks:
Which answer would you choose for each question? Can you explain the meaning of the words that I've underlined above?
April 13, 2019
IELTS Listening Advice: podcasts and audiobooks
Just a quick question today on the topic of study habits: Do you listen to podcasts and/or audiobooks in English? (I'm not asking about IELTS-specific materials)
Think about how much listening you do in your own language each day. Maybe podcasts, audiobooks and other online resources can help you to get closer to this amount of English listening practice.
April 06, 2019
IELTS Listening: gap-fill
Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in the summary below.
How to listen to people effectively
We can use the word listen to remind ourselves of the key skills of ______ listening.
‘L’ stands for ‘look’. Look at the person as they are speaking to you, and ______ them with good eye contact. ‘I’ stands for ‘inquire’. Use open, ______ questions to show interest in the person and what they are saying. ‘S’ reminds you to ‘______’ your understanding of what the other person is saying.
T’ means ‘take notes’, and ‘E’ means ‘encourage’: smile, ______ and use ______ to encourage them to say more. ‘N’ means ‘neutralise your feelings’: stay ______, avoid ______, and think about the content that the person is trying to ______ ______ to you.
March 30, 2019
IELTS Listening: example using audioscripts
How often do you use the 'audioscripts' at the back of the Cambridge IELTS books to analyse listening test answers in more detail?
Here's an example question from Cambridge IELTS 13:
Which TWO things surprised the students about the traffic-light system for nutritional labels?
A its widespread use
B the fact that it is voluntary for supermarkets
C how little research was done before its introduction
D its unpopularity with food manufacturers
E the way that certain colours are used
Here's the relevant section of the audioscript:
What do you think of the traffic-light system?
I think supermarkets like the idea of having a colour-coded system - red, orange or green - for levels of fat, sugar and salt in a product.
But it's not been adopted universally. And not on all products. Why do you suppose that is?
Pressure from the food manufacturers. Hardly surprising that some of them are opposed to flagging up how unhealthy their products are.
I'd have thought it would have been compulsory. It seems ridiculous it isn't.
I know. And what I couldn't get over is the fact that it was brought in without enough consultation - a lot of experts had deep reservations about it.
Tasks:
- Which two answers do you think are correct, and why?
- Which phrases show that the speakers are surprised?
March 23, 2019
IELTS Listening: the 'once only' problem
The most difficult thing about the IELTS listening test, in my opinion, is the fact that you only hear the recording once. With this problem in mind, here are some practice tips:
- Start by ignoring the "once only" problem: when doing practice tests, listen to the recordings twice, three times, or as many times as you need. Just focus on trying to get the right answers.
- The next step is to listen once only, but give yourself extra time in the breaks: take as much time as you want to read the questions carefully and underline keywords before you play the recording.
- Finally, try doing tests under the normal time constraints. But check your mistakes carefully (using the answers and the transcript) and listen to the recording again to make sure that you can hear the correct answers.
March 16, 2019
IELTS Listening: how to use the breaks
In the listening test it's important to use the breaks well. There are breaks between the four sections of the test, and there are breaks in the middle of sections 1, 2 and 3 (there is no break in the middle of section 4). You will hear instructions like this:
- First you have some time to read questions 1 to 5.
- That is the end of section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
1. 'Some time' means about 20 seconds, or up to 40 seconds before section 4. It's important to use this time to read the questions, make sure you understand them, underline key words, and think about what kind of answer is needed (e.g. number, name, noun, verb, singular, plural).
2. Ignore this instruction - don't check a section that you have just finished. It's much more important to be ready for the next section. If you're not ready when the recording starts, you will find it very difficult to read the questions and listen to the answers at the same time. So use this time to read ahead.
March 09, 2019
IELTS Listening and Writing: spelling tips
Spelling mistakes can affect your score in the listening and writing tests. If you have a problem with spelling, here are some tips:
- Type your essays: your computer will find your spelling mistakes.
- When writing by hand, use a dictionary to check difficult words.
- Keep a list: write down any mistakes your computer/teacher finds.
- Memorise: learn difficult words by heart.
- Test yourself on words you previously spelt wrongly.
- Never give your teacher an essay that you haven't checked.
If you find that spelling is a big problem, you should work on it every day. Keep a notebook or put posters on your walls. If you do nothing, you will not improve; there is no secret rule that will suddenly solve the problem!
March 02, 2019
IELTS Listening: how to use practice tests
Yesterday I suggested 9 different ways to use IELTS reading tests.
But what about the listening test? Can we do something similar? How many different ways of using listening tests can you think of?
February 23, 2019
IELTS Listening: language learning secrets!
A student recommended that I share the following video.
Can you summarise the speaker's advice?
What do you think of her ideas? Could you become a polyglot?
February 16, 2019
IELTS Listening: how to do multiple choice questions
Multiple choice questions are difficult because there is more to read, and the speaker often mentions more than one of the choices.
Here are a few tips:
- Try to read the questions and choices before the recording starts.
- Don't check your answers to the previous section; use the breaks to read ahead.
- Underline key words in each choice. The key words are those that make the difference in meaning between choices.
- When listening, only look at the words you underlined. Don't read everything again.
- Expect the trick! They often mention more than one choice, so be careful.
- If you're not sure, make a good guess, then move on to the next question.
- If you don't have time to read everything (tip 1), don't worry. Prepare as many questions as you can, then do your best on the others.
Remember that the best tip is this: do lots of practice!
February 09, 2019
IELTS Listening: how to test your spelling
Try this exercise to test your spelling for IELTS listening:
- Go to the back pages of one of the official Cambridge IELTS books, and find the answers to one of the listening tests.
- Record yourself (on your phone) reading the answers. Do this quickly, without trying to memorise any spellings.
- The next day, listen to the recording and write each word down.
- Check your spelling of each word.
- Pay attention to any spelling mistakes, and keep a list of words that caused you problems.
February 02, 2019
IELTS Listening: more multiple choice!
Listen to a swimming coach giving advice about how to breathe when swimming.
Which TWO of the following are menitoned as common mistakes?
A) Swimmers often roll their bodies too much when breathing.
B) Many beginners don't lift their heads high enough.
C) They look backwards when breathing.
D) They don't exhale sufficiently.
E) They need to be told when to inhale.
(Source: this video from U.S. Masters Swimming)
January 26, 2019
IELTS Listening: singular or plural?
Sometimes an answer in the listening test must be given as a plural, whereas on other occasions the answer can be given as a singular or plural. Let's have a look at two examples from Cambridge IELTS 13.
1) The underlined answer in the sentence below must be a plural
includes recipes to strengthen your bones (the singular 'bone' is not accepted)
2) The underlined answer below can be given as a singular or plural
Catarina Miranda focused on the behaviour of urban and rural blackbirds. ('behaviours' is also accepted)
Task:
Can you explain why the first answer must be a plural, whereas the second answer could be singular or plural?
January 19, 2019
IELTS Listening: use the 'audioscripts'
If you're practising with the Cambridge IELTS books, you'll find audioscripts (written versions) of the recordings at the back of the books. I recommend that you read and analyse these in order to gain a better understanding of what the speakers said.
Let's look at two example questions from Cambridge IELTS 12:
21. What will be the main topic of Trudie and Stewart's paper?
A) how public library services are organised in different countries
B) how changes in society are reflected in public libraries
C) how the funding of public libraries has changed
22. They agree that one disadvantage of free digitalised books is that
A) they may take a long time to read
B) they can be difficult to read
C) they are generally old
Here's the part of the audioscript that contains the answers:
(Trudie) Maybe we should concentrate on this country, and try to relate the changes in libraries to external developments, like the fact that more people can read than a century ago..... We're only supposed to write a short paper, so it's probably best if we don't go into funding in any detail.
(Stewart) But the digitalised books that are available online for free are mostly out of copyright, aren't they? And copyright in this country lasts for 70 years after the author dies. So you won't find the latest best-seller or up-to-date information..... (Trudie) That's an important point.
Task:
What are the correct answers to the two questions, and which 'keywords' gave you those answers?
January 12, 2019
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about money
Watch the following video or listen to the audio recording below it.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Fill the gaps in the following summary of the first 4 minutes of the video:
- Does the amount of ______ you have affect the kind of person you are?
- In a recent study, drivers of luxury cars were three to four times more ______ to break the law than drivers of less expensive, low ______ cars.
- The academic paper that resulted ______ ______ everywhere.
- It is very clear that this study of social class touched a ______.
- The results were ______ across thirty studies which were run on thousands of people all over the United States.
January 05, 2019
IELTS Listening: spelling, capitals and plurals
People often ask me about spelling, capital letters and plurals. Here's my advice:
- Correct spelling is very important. I know students who have lost up to 10 points in their IELTS listening tests because of spelling mistakes.
- Capital letters, on the other hand, are not important. You can write all of your answers in capitals or in lower case - it won't affect your score.
- Plurals are very important. e.g. If the question asks you to fill the gap "There are many ______", the answer could be "reasons" but not "reason".
Note: I don't recommend learning spelling rules. It's better to keep a list of your mistakes, and learn correct spellings by heart.
December 29, 2018
IELTS Listening: improve your luck this year!
Here's another interesting TED talk. The speaker gives us three tips on increasing our luck. What are they, and do you think we can apply them to our IELTS preparation?
Happy New Year!
December 15, 2018
IELTS Listening: multiple choice with transcript
For the questions below, I'm attaching the transcript instead of the audio recording. I think this type of multiple choice exercise is quite difficult, so see what you think!
What do the students decide about each topic for the presentation?
A) They will definitely include this topic.
B) They might include this topic.
C) They will not include this topic.
Choose A, B or C for the following questions.
1. Geographical Location
2. Economy
3. Overview of Education System
4. Role of English Language
Click here to see the script of the recording
What do you think the answers are? Do you find this type of question difficult?
December 08, 2018
IELTS Listening: improve your 'ear'
A good way to improve your 'ear' is to give yourself quick transcription tasks.
transcription (noun) = a written version of an audio recording
transcribe (verb) = create a written version e.g. of an audio recording
Try transcribing the first minute of the recording in last Tuesday's lesson.
Tip: The real learning happens when you find a difficult part. Perhaps the speaker suddenly goes too quickly, or seems to join a group of words together. You might need to listen several times; you might even need help to hear what the speaker is saying. This is the kind of hard work that you should be looking for!
December 01, 2018
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about PhD applications
Listen to the following advice about PhD applications (you'll hear several speakers), and fill the gaps in the summary below.
mm
Two types of PhD:
1. Develop a _____ _____ and look for a _____ .
2. Apply for a project that you have seen _____ .
Finding an academic to supervise your research proposal:
- Do a _____ _____ on the proposed topic.
- Or visit the university _____ and look at the research interests of staff members.
mm
(Source: University of Bath)
November 24, 2018
IELTS Listening: quick checklist
If you've watched my free video lessons for listening (here and here), you should be able to answer the following checklist of questions.
- How many questions and sections are there in the listening test?
- What are the three main types of question? Have you practised them?
- When are the breaks in the recording?
- What two things should you do during the breaks?
- Which section has no break in the middle?
- Are you working on your spelling?
- Should you spend more time practising section 1 or section 4?
- What similarities are there between IELTS listening and reading?
- What should you do if you find one question really difficult?
November 09, 2018
IELTS Listening: multiple choice and short answers
Listen to the recording and answer the questions below.
1. Which three things are affected by population growth?
A) environment, housing and architecture
B) jobs, housing and infrastructure
C) jobs, transport and culture
2. What happens every 3 minutes in Australia?
A) one person dies
B) one person is born
C) one person leaves the country
3. What proportion of Australians were born abroad?
4. From which two countries do most immigrants come?
November 02, 2018
IELTS Listening: 'multiple choice' advice
Most people find multiple choice sections difficult. If you want to improve your scores on these sections, here's the key skill that I think you should work on:
Identifying differences
If you can't see a clear difference in meaning between each of the choices (e.g. answers A, B and C), you'll be lost before the recording even starts.
Try this exercise:
- Take a multiple choice section from one of the listening tests in the official Cambridge IELTS books.
- Spend some time reading the answer choices for each question.
- Try to identify a clear difference between each choice.
- Underline one or two key words in each choice. Choose words that highlight the differences that you identified.
- Make sure that you have found and underlined clear differences, so that you know exactly what to listen for.
Note: The exercise above involves no listening practice. Identifying differences is about reading and understanding.
October 26, 2018
IELTS Listening: artificial intelligence
I asked you to think about the 'artificial intelligence' topic in last Wednesday's writing lesson. Here's a ted.com presentation that might give you some ideas.
The following sentence from the talk might get you interested:
"In about a couple of decades, but certainly within the lifetime of most of us here today, we're going to see an artificial general intelligence — one that has the capacity of all of us combined — and that will be like sharing the planet with a new life-form."
October 19, 2018
IELTS Listening: transcription exercise
Last week I asked you to try transcribing (writing down) what the speaker says in the 1-minute recording below. If you've done this, compare your transcription with mine below. Did you make any mistakes?
Transcript:
It is much easier for humans to understand information when it is structured. In fact, we remember information up to 40% better when it's structured.
I have lots of favourite structures. You see some of the structures up here behind me. The first structure is a chronological structure (past, present, future): Here’s how things used to be, here’s how they are today, here’s where they’re going in the future.
A chronological structure can really help you navigate your audience from one place to the next. Quite frankly structure sets expectations. You can't be lost if you have a map. Your structure provides a map, and the chronological structure is incredibly helpful for that.
The next structure happens to be the ‘problem, solution, benefit’ structure. This is one of the most persuasive structures out there. You start by explaining what the issue is, you talk about how to solve it, and then the benefits to the people.
Note:
You will never see a transcription exercise in an IELTS test. It's just a good way to work on your listening skill.
October 12, 2018
IELTS Listening: 1-minute transcription task
Here is just one minute of the presentation that I shared in last Tuesday's lesson.
Today's exercise is very simple: Can you transcribe what you hear? See if you can write down what the speaker says during this one minute.
October 05, 2018
IELTS Listening: presentation about 'better communication'
I've just watched the following presentation about better communication. I was planning to create a quick vocabulary exercise about it, but I've changed my mind. I think we can learn a lot more than just vocabulary from this speaker.
If you have time to do some 'real work', here's what I suggest you could do:
- Watch the video once, all the way through. What was the main message that you took from the presentation after listening once?
- Watch again, and take notes on the content of the talk. What does the speaker say about: 1) approach 2) audience 3) context 4) structure?
- What other communication techniques does the speaker use? For example, why does he begin the talk by saying "people hate me"?
- Focusing on the part about 'structure', do you notice any similarities with the 'structures' that I recommend for IELTS speaking and writing?
- Finally, perhaps you could compile a list of the good collocations and phrases that the speaker uses. His talk is full of good language.
The video is 16 minutes long, but I think you could spend hours studying it. I hope to read your ideas in the 'comments' below.
mm
September 27, 2018
IELTS Listening: 'map directions' task
There's a 'map' question in Cambridge IELTS book 11. Let's have a look at the words / phrases used to give directions on the map:
- to your right
- on your left
- in the corner
- beside
- ahead of you
- opposite
- the path that branches off to the right
- go towards
- turn right just before it
- walk along
- on the first bend
- take the side path
- where the path bends
- near
- just after
- cross the bridge
- walk through the field
To get the right answers, you need to be able to follow these directions quickly. Would you be able to do that?
September 21, 2018
IELTS Listening: preparing for multiple choice
Multiple choice sections are difficult because there's so much to read before you listen to the recording.
If you want to do well in the listening test, you need to use the breaks to prepare for the multiple choice sections as thoroughly (carefully and fully) as you can.
Here's an example of the kind of preparation that you could aim for:
mm
mm
(Questions from Cambridge IELTS 7, test 3, section 4)
September 14, 2018
IELTS Listening: you'll hear paraphrasing
The 'keyword' idea is important in the listening test too. You won't always hear the exact words that you see in the questions. Listen carefully to make sure that you don't miss the paraphrasing.
Here are some examples of paraphrasing from the last four or five listening exercises here on the blog:
September 07, 2018
IELTS Listening: examples and tips video
Have you seen the free video lesson linked below? It contains example questions for the four parts of the listening test, with my tips for tackling each one.
August 31, 2018
IELTS Listening: multiple choice keywords
The "keyword" idea is relevant to the listening test as well as the reading test. For example, try the question below and tell me which keywords gave you the answers.
Question:
Which TWO things can make the job of kitchen assistant stressful?
A They have to follow orders immediately
B The kitchen gets very hot
C They may not be able to take a break
D They have to do overtime
E The work is physically demanding
Part of the recording:
Now you may have heard that this can be a stressful job, and I have to say that can be true. You'll be working an eight-hour day for the first week, though you'll have the chance to do overtime after that as well if you want to. But however long the hours are, you'll get a break in the middle. What you will find is that you're on your feet all day long, lifting and carrying, so if you're not fit now you soon will be! You'll find you don't have much chance to take it easy - when someone tells you to do something, you need to do it straightaway - but at least we do have a very efficient air conditioning system compared with some kitchens.
(Source: Cambridge IELTS 12, test 5, section 2)
August 24, 2018
IELTS Listening: quick gap-fill exercise
Here's my transcription of the recording from last Tuesday's lesson. I've made it into a quick gap-fill exercise to highlight some useful vocabulary.
Fill each gap with a maximum of three words.
The libraries of the future are still about equitable __________ for our communities and our customers. However, what we do know is that we now have a 10% __________ from traditional print material into the electronic world. So we’ve got to move to more digital faster. But that requires a balance: we’re not throwing out the print, but we need to __________ to work within this __________. It’s a really exciting time to be a librarian, as we adapt to this changing way our customers are using information.
August 17, 2018
IELTS Listening: different accents
You'll hear a variety of accents in the IELTS listening test. Here's a quick task using a recording of a library worker from New Zealand.
Task: Can you transcribe (write what you hear) the full recording below? It lasts around 30 seconds.
Tip: If you struggle to understand a particular accent, just search for it on Youtube. Practise listening to examples of that accent until it becomes more familiar.
August 10, 2018
IELTS Listening: synonyms
In the listening test, synonyms or similar words are often the key to getting the answer. Try the following multiple choice questions from Cambridge IELTS 7.
1. The original buildings on the site were
A) houses
B) industrial buildings
C) shops
2. The local residents wanted to use the site for
A) leisure
B) apartment blocks
C) a sports centre
Note:
Which synonyms or similar words did you hear?
August 03, 2018
IELTS Listening: you don't need a teacher
It's difficult for teachers to help students with the listening test. The only 'technique' that students need to get used to is reading ahead: using the breaks to read the next section of questions before the recording starts.
Apart from that, it's a matter of practice. Listen to as much English as you can, do as many of the Cambridge past papers as possible, and analyse your mistakes carefully. You don't really need a teacher for this.
July 27, 2018
IELTS Listening: two tricky questions
Here are 2 tricky questions that often cause problems in the IELTS listening test:
1. The speaker says: "nearly everyone liked the conference".
Which answer is correct?
A) Everyone like the conference
B) Most people liked the conference
The correct answer is B, but many students put A because they hear the word "everyone".
2. The speaker says: "early afternoon".
If there is a gap-fill question, you must write "early afternoon". If you write "afternoon", your answer will be marked wrong.
July 20, 2018
IELTS Listening: one word or two?
People often ask me whether compound nouns should be written as one word or two. For example, do we write seafood or sea food and clubhouse or club house?
Before reading the article that I shared in yesterday's lesson, I didn't have a good way to answer the question above. I didn't know that an easy rule existed.
Look again at the following three rules for compound nouns:
- For nouns with two syllables, like break-up and set-to, the rule is easy: use a hyphen only when the second word has two letters.
- If the second part of the word has more than two letters, it should be spelled as a single word, like coastline or bedroom.
- if the noun has three or more syllables, it is two separate words e.g. bathing suit and washing machine.
These rules tell us that seafood and clubhouse should be written as one word (rule 2). Can you find any more examples in the IELTS listening tests that you have done?
July 13, 2018
IELTS Listening: quick 'keyword' exercise
I often talk about finding keywords in the reading test. It's the same in the listening test: first read the question, then listen for words with a similar meaning. As an example, try answering the following 2 questions by reading the transcript below them. Which 'keywords' gave you the answers?
1. The course takes place on
A) Monday, Wednesday and Friday
B) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
C) Monday, Thursday and Friday
2. Which argument was used against having a drama theatre?
A) It would be expensive and no students would use it
B) It would be a poor use of resources and only a minority would use it
C) It could not accommodate large productions of plays
Transcript from listening test:
The course is on three consecutive mornings starting on a Monday.
A largish minority were strongly against the drama theatre, claiming that it is elitist and a waste of funds.
(Cambridge IELTS 4, test 3)
July 06, 2018
IELTS Listening: TED videos
Here's another interesting video from ted.com. I haven't made an exercise to accompany it, but there are several things that you could do yourself:
- Watch the video for interest and to give your 'ear' some practice.
- Watch the video and note down any useful phrases.
- Turn the subtitles off, and try transcribing the first minute of the talk.
June 29, 2018
IELTS Listening: 'cover letter' gap-fill
Listen to the following tips about how to write a cover letter when applying for a job. Fill the gaps in the summary using no more than THREE words.
Tip 1
Address the cover letter to a ______ person, generally the person in charge of the department you’re applying to or the ______ in charge of the interview.
Tip 2
Avoid simply repeating the information in your résumé. Instead, use your cover letter to introduce and highlight your ______, curiosity, and your ______ in the field you’re applying to work in.
Tip 3
Keep it short, simple and ______, definitely no more than one page, and probably closer to half a page; three paragraphs should do the trick. Resist the ______ to ramble on, and instead ______ right into the interesting parts.
June 22, 2018
IELTS Listening: more tips!
Here's another list of tips for IELTS listening:
- Do lots of practice tests, and as much listening as possible to improve your "ear".
- In the test, use the breaks to read ahead. Never check what you’ve already done.
- Underline keywords during the breaks.
- Check your spelling in the 10 minutes at the end of the test.
- Be ready for tricks e.g. they say one answer but then change it.
- If you have to fill gaps on a picture or diagram, always follow the question numbers - they will show you where to look on the diagram.
- The answers are always in order.
- There are only 2 types of question: gap-fill and multiple choice.
- Section 1 is easy, section 4 is the hardest.
- But, you need a high score in section 1. Then you can lose points in later sections.
- Become really good at sections 1, 2 and 3 before you worry about section 4.
June 15, 2018
IELTS Listening: transcription and vocabulary
Here's my transcription of the recording from last week's listening lesson:
Critical thinking is all about asking questions, the right questions, questions that help you assess both the meaning and the significance of claims and arguments. Building these skills and applying them in your life makes it easier for you to assess evidence, evaluate arguments and adapt your thinking so you stay switched on and engaged in different situations.
Critical thinking involves stepping back from a situation to enable you to see all the angles before making judgements or taking decisions. It means identifying the key points, analysing the sources of information, weighing up different types of evidence - just as a judge and jury would do in a court of law - and putting it all together into your own independent thought-through point of view.
Tip: note down the following useful vocabulary:
- the meaning and significance of something
- assess / evaluate claims, arguments, evidence
- build skills, apply skills in your life
- adapt your thinking
- stay switched on
- stay engaged
- step back from a situation
- see all the angles
- make judgements
- make / take decisions
- identify key points
- weigh up the evidence
- an independent point of view
- a thought-through point of view*
*thought-through is an adjective here. It means that the person has thought carefully about his/her point of view. He/she has thought it through.
June 08, 2018
IELTS Listening: one-minute transcription
Last September I wrote a lesson in which I suggested doing quick transcriptions as a way to improve your listening skill. Let's try this today.
The recording below lasts 55 seconds. Can you transcribe (write) what you hear?
Critical thinking is all about asking questions...
(To see the full video recording, visit this page)
May 18, 2018
IELTS Listening: spelling practice
If you click on the recording below, you'll hear me read ten words from the listening tests in Cambridge IELTS book 12. Can you spell all ten words correctly?
May 11, 2018
IELTS Listening: 1882 or 1892?
Someone recently asked me about test 2, question 27 in Cambridge IELTS 7. The answer to this question is "1882 to 1883", but the student thought he heard "1892 to 1893". Students in my classes have often made the same mistake.
So, why do people hear 1892 when the speaker says 1882?
The reason is that you hear the letter 'n' at the end of '18' e.g. eightee-n-eighty-two. If the speaker is talking quickly, it might sound like the 'n' is the first letter of the number that comes after 18.
However, you should ignore this 'n' because it is simply the last letter in the word "eighteen". Instead, you need to hear the "ei" vowel sound in "eighty" instead of the "ai" sound in "ninety". For me, the difference between 1882 and 1892 is very clear, because I hear a completely different vowel sound.
May 04, 2018
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about writing
Listen to the following excerpt from a recording of a university professor who is speaking about the importance of learning to write well.
Fill the gaps to complete the summary below.
Teaching people to write is extremely _____ _____. Marking a good essay is easy, but in a bad essay, the words are wrong, the phrases are wrong, the sentences are wrong, the sentence _____ is wrong, the paragraphs aren’t _____, and the whole thing _____ no sense. Students should learn to write well because there is no _____ between writing and thinking. Thinking makes you _____ effectively in the world and win the battles you _____.
(If you would like to see the full video of the professor's speech, click here)
April 27, 2018
IELTS Listening: multiple choice practice
Last Tuesday I wrote a long list of tips for multiple choice questions. But the most important tip is this: do lots of practice. Here's a quick exercise:
Listen to the following short talk about cave paintings.
1. In which continent are the cave paintings that the speaker is describing?
A) Africa
B) Europe
C) Asia
2. How were the painted caves discovered?
A) By children
B) By artists
C) By tourists
3. How can visitors experience the cave paintings nowadays?
A) They can’t see any paintings because the caves are closed
B) They can go on a tour of the original cave
C) They can visit a reproduction of the original cave
April 20, 2018
IELTS Listening: multiple choice tips
Last Tuesday I asked you to think about how to deal with difficult multiple choice exercises, particularly in section 3 of the listening test. People shared some great tips in the comments area below the lesson, and I'll try to summarise their advice (and mine) here.
First, some general practice tips (when practising at home, not in the test)
- Do as much multiple choice practice as you can.
- Practise multiple choice questions in isolation. In other words, when you're working on multiple choice exercises, don't do any other type of question; work ONLY on multiple choice.
- Create your own collection of multiple choice exercises. For example, if you have several of the Cambridge IELTS books, you could photocopy all of the multiple choice sections and put them together in one document. This will make it easier to follow tip 2 above.
Analyse your performance very carefully
- Listening, understanding and following: Try listening to each multiple choice recording without looking at the questions. Stop the recording any time you don't understand something or feel that you're not really following what the speaker is saying. Before you worry about the questions, it's a good idea to assess your own listening ability in this way; perhaps your ability to understand and follow fast speech needs work.
- If you have problems when you listen without the questions (point 1 above), you need to increase the amount of general listening practice that you do. In other words, your brain needs more exposure to the English language.
- If you don't have a problem with understanding and following (point 1 above), you can start doing the practice exercises below.
Add variety to your practice. Here are some possible practice exercises:
- Do multiple choice sections without any preparation time at all, and see how well you do.
- Try the opposite of exercise 1: give yourself plenty of time to read and fully understand each question and all of the choices.
- Allow yourself to underline only one key word in each question and in each choice. See if you can get the answers by focusing on those key words only.
- Allow yourself to listen to the recording more than once. Did you get the right answers the second time or the third time?
- After each exercise, analyse any difficulties that you had, and identify the exact points where you went wrong.
Finally, here are some test tips (i.e. what to do during the exam)
- Try to get ahead of time. Several people commented that they start reading the section 3 multiple choice questions during the breaks in sections 1 and 2. If you're really confident with the first two sections, this is a good idea.
- Underline or circle just one or two key words in each question and in each choice. When listening, try to focus only on those key words.
- Remember to listen for synonyms and paraphrasing. You won't always hear the exact words from the questions or choices.
- Have the next question in mind. Keep an eye on the key words for the question below the one that you're trying to answer.
- Keep your mind on the task, and make sure you're following the recording.
- Touch your pen on any key words that you hear, and keep confirming that you are in the right place.
- If you miss something, move on and find your place as quickly as possible by listening for a key word.
Quick summary: do lots of practice, experiment with exam techniques, and analyse everything!
April 13, 2018
IELTS Listening: section 3, multiple choice
A couple of weeks ago, in this lesson, I said that section 4 was the most difficult part of the listening test. But several people wrote comments below the lesson telling me that they found section 3 to be the most difficult.
The problem with section 3 is that it often contains a big multiple choice exercise. Here are a few reasons why multiple choice questions are so tricky:
- There's so much information to read. You might not have time to read all of the questions and choices before the recording starts.
- It's easy to get 'lost' as you listen to the recording and try to assess the different choices for each question. Your brain is doing too much multitasking!
- Sometimes the choices are very similar, and you will probably hear at least one key word from each choice. Unless you listen very carefully, you might be 'tricked' into making the wrong choice.
- The speaker may say something but then contradict it in the next sentence (another type of 'trick').
So how can you deal with all of these problems? How can you train yourself to be better at the multiple choice questions in section 3?
Feel free to share ideas or ask questions in the comments area below this lesson. I'll read the comments, take the best tips, and add my own advice; I'll give you my multiple choice training tips next Tuesday.
April 06, 2018
IELTS Listening: multiple choice keywords
For multiple choice questions in the listening test, try to underline just one or two keywords in each choice before the recording starts. It's much easier to focus on the difference between each choice if you've underlined the right keywords. Here's an example (from Cambridge IELTS 10):
Question:
What helped Rob to prepare to play the character of a doctor?
A) the stories his grandfather told him
B) the times when he watched his grandfather working
C) the way he imagined his grandfather at work
Transcript of Rob speaking:
I have to write about the role I played, the doctor, how I developed the character. My grandfather was a doctor before he retired, and I just based it on him. He must have all sorts of stories, but he never says much about his work. I'd visualise what he must have been like in the past, when he was sitting in his consulting room listening to his patients.
Answer?
Notice that all three choices (A, B and C) are about the grandfather, so the keywords that I underlined are stories, watched and imagined. Which is the right answer?
March 30, 2018
IELTS Listening: section 4
Section 4 is the most difficult part of the listening test for the following reasons:
- There is no break in the middle of the 10 questions
- You hear one speaker giving a fairly long talk or lecture
- The speaker will speak quite quickly
- A wider range of vocabulary is used, compared to the other sections
Here's my tip: Don't worry too much about this section. Spend most of your time practising sections 1, 2 and 3.
Try to get as many points from the other three sections as you can, and this will allow you to lose points in section 4. Remember that you can make 10 mistakes and still get a band 7.
March 16, 2018
IELTS Listening: gap-fill practice
Listen to two students talking about lectures and seminars at university, and fill the gaps in the summaries below.
Note:
Don't worry if you have to listen several times to get the answers. This is an exercise that I made myself, not a real IELTS question.
Student A
University lectures involve everyone on a course ______ up and receiving information from one of the ______ about a particular topic. Seminars, on the other hand, are ______ group meetings in which students discuss in detail the ______ of ideas that they heard about in a lecture.
Student B
A university timetable will consist of a ______ of lectures and seminars. The number of people in lectures can ______ depending on the course. For my course we have about 400 people in a big lecture ______. The number of people attending a small-group seminar ______ between 10 and 20.
March 09, 2018
IELTS Listening: the best way to improve your score
The people who do well in the listening test are those who have a "good ear" for English. In other words, they are able to follow fast speech and distinguish individual words easily. How did they develop a good ear? They listened to a lot of English.
If you're trying to improve your listening score, stop searching for techniques! Spend your time listening to as much English as possible. Expose your ears to the language and they will gradually become better at hearing it.
March 02, 2018
IELTS Listening: choose from the list
Listen to the following excerpt from a lecture about effective teachers.
Choose three characteristics of effective teachers from the list below.
A) They use the largest number of exercises
B) They know how to choose examples
C) They pick the right technique at the right moment
D) Being older can be an advantage
E) They are chess players
F) They pay more attention to students
February 23, 2018
IELTS Listening: using tests to work on spelling
If you have any of the books that contain practice IELTS tests (e.g. the official Cambridge books), why not use the listening test answers to check your spelling? Here's what you could do:
- Ask a friend or family member to read the listening test answers (at the back of the book). Write each answer down, then check whether you made any spelling mistakes.
- Or, record yourself reading the answers aloud, then listen to the recording and try to spell each word correctly. To make this more difficult, test yourself with the recording a week later.
Imagine if you worked through all 11 Cambridge IELTS books in this way. I think you would feel much more confident about your spelling.
February 16, 2018
IELTS Listening: 'microplastics' transcription
Here's my full transcription of the 'microplastics' recording from this lesson:
What is a microplastic? It's the tiny particle created when larger plastic items - tooth brushes, bottles, bags - break down over decades. They float in the water and get eaten by sea life.
They cause two problems. First, the fragments act like a sponge to other toxins in the water - pesticides and flame retardants, for example - suctioning them up and concentrating them.
Secondly, they are themselves complex polymers - molecules the body can’t fully break down. When they get really tiny, into a billionth of a metre as a nano-plastic, scientists have shown they can cross tissue membranes into fish cells. They say that is harmful to fish, their reproduction, immunity, survival skills.
What we don't know is what happens when humans eat the fish or sea life. Is it harmful to us? It's already an urgent question. A leading US government scientist told CNN plastic is definitely in our food chain and drinking water. This isn’t something maybe happening to our children; it’s already here.
February 08, 2018
IELTS Listening: transcribe it
If you've done the gap-fill exercise in last week's lesson, you could try transcribing the whole recording. Try to write out the exact words that the speaker says.
A couple of students have already shared their transcriptions (see comments by Tae and asker below the lesson), so you could check theirs if you don't have time to do your own.
February 02, 2018
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about microplastics
Here's a short video and listening exercise on the same topic as yesterday's reading lesson.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Quick exercise: Fill the gaps in the sentences below.
The first problem is that micro-plastics act like a ______, attracting other ______ in the water, such as pesticides and ______ retardants.
The second problem is that micro-plastics are complex polymers that the body cannot fully ______ down.
Scientists have shown that the smallest particles, nano-plastics, can ______ tissue membranes into fish cells. This could damage fish reproduction, ______ and survival skills.
January 26, 2018
IELTS Listening: more multiple choice
Listen to the following advice about how to reduce your spending.
Which TWO of the following tips are NOT given by the speaker?
A) Don’t go shopping when you’ve had a bad day.
B) Don’t spend what you don’t have.
C) Pay off your debts first.
D) Look after what you own.
E) Replace your car every four years.
F) Buy things second-hand.
January 18, 2018
IELTS Listening: spelling (noticing and learning)
Many people lose easy marks in the IELTS listening test because they make spelling mistakes.
The good news is that making spelling mistakes is the first step to improving your spelling, as long as you notice those mistakes and learn from them. So, every time you make a spelling mistake, write the mistake and the correction in a notebook or on a piece of paper that you can pin up on your wall. Then learn the correct spellings by heart!
January 12, 2018
IELTS Listening: matching practice
Listen to the following information about the facilities provided by a holiday company called PS Camping (Cambridge IELTS 7, page 13).
What does the speaker say about the following items? Write the correct letter, A, B or C next to questions 1-4.
A. They are provided in all tents.
B. They are found in central areas of the campsite.
C. They are available on request.
- barbecues
- toys
- cool boxes
- mops and buckets
January 05, 2018
IELTS Listening: using online videos
In my opinion, online videos are a revolutionary tool for language learners and teachers. If you want to work on your listening, there's no end to the practice that you can do.
Here are three quick tips on using online videos:
1. What should you watch?
Almost any English listening practice is good because it all helps to improve your 'ear'. But I recommend that you choose videos on topics that you find interesting - you'll be more likely to keep watching and note down vocabulary if you enjoy what you're watching.
2. Short videos (under 5 minutes)
I often use short videos in my lessons. If the video is short, we can watch it several times and take all of the good language from it. If you watch a video that is under 1 minute long, try transcribing it and aim to understand every word.
3. Longer videos (over 5 minutes)
If you watch a longer video, don't worry too much about understanding every word or phrase; just try to follow the overall message. Note down only the most useful words or phrases that stand out.
December 29, 2017
IELTS Listening: more New Year's Resolutions
Watch the following video and try the quick gap-fill exercise below it.
Here's a recording in case you can't see the video:
Fill the gaps in the following summary.
The speaker ______ the lives of 5000 people as they attempted to achieve their New Year's resolutions. 10% of the people were successful, and they all followed five simple ______. First, they broke their goal into a ______ of smaller steps. Second, they told friends and family what they were trying to achieve. Third, they regularly ______ themselves about the benefits of obtaining their goal. Fourth, they gave themselves a small ______ each time they obtained one of their small steps. Finally, they ______ ______ their progress, so they knew exactly where they were.
December 14, 2017
IELTS Listening: keywords in multiple choice
Look at the following question from Cambridge IELTS 9, page 85:
The exact proportion of land devoted to private gardens was confirmed by
A) consulting some official documents
B) taking large-scale photos
C) discussions with town surveyors
Here's what the speaker says:
The first thing we did was to establish what proportion of the urban land is taken up by private gardens. We estimated that it was about one fifth, and this was endorsed by looking at large-scale usage maps in the town land survey office.
Here are the keywords that help you to get the correct answer (A):
proportion of land devoted to = proportion of land taken up by
confirmed by = endorsed by
consulting = looking at
official documents = maps in the town land survey office
Note:
Did you notice that answers B and C contain some keywords to trick you?
December 06, 2017
IELTS Listening: multiple choice about maps
Watch the following video, which shows a university lecturer (Professor Karen Wigen from Stanford University) talking about a series of classes.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Now try answering A, B or C for the questions below.
1. What subject does Professor Wigen usually teach?
A) Geography
B) Japanese history
C) Mapmaking
2. What will be covered in this particular class?
A) The history and variety of maps
B) A focus on the most unusual maps
C) The career of famous map-makers
3. Who will teach the course?
A) The lecturer alone
B) The lecturer and artists on the web
C) The lecturer and perhaps some other speakers
4. What does the final assignment involve?
A) Creating a series of questions about a selection of maps
B) Working with other students to collect interesting maps
C) Analysing maps that the lecturer has chosen
November 30, 2017
IELTS Listening: do you have a daily listening habit?
Of course, the advice that I gave in yesterday's reading lesson also applies to listening. If your only listening practice comes in the form of IELTS listening tests, or other listening exercises from English language courses, I don't think you'll progress as quickly as you could.
Your brain needs to hear a lot of English before it can comfortably process what native speakers are saying. This is why I felt like a beginner when I went to France, even though I had studied French at school for seven years.
Just imagine how many hours of listening practice you've had in your own language over the years!
If you're serious about learning English, creating a daily listening habit could be the most important thing that you do.
November 23, 2017
IELTS Listening: diagram gap-fill
Sometimes you have to label a diagram in the listening test. For example, the diagram below comes from Cambridge IELTS book 7.
Many students miss the answers for this type of question because they get "lost" on the diagram. They don't know where to look.
There is one simple technique to avoid this problem: whenever you see a diagram, look for the question numbers. You will always hear the answers in the correct order, so your eyes should go to the first question number first, then move around the diagram following the numbers.
For the question above, your eyes should be looking at the bottom of the picture (question 11) when the recording starts, and your ears should be listening for "stop B".
November 16, 2017
IELTS Listening: don't get stuck!
Perhaps the biggest danger in the listening test is that you get stuck on a difficult question, and consequently you miss some of the following questions too. In some cases, one question can cause people to lose their place completely and make a mess of the whole section.
Here are three tips that should help you to avoid this situation:
- Use the breaks to read ahead and underline keywords in each question.
- While you're listening for the answer to one question, try to keep an eye on a keyword from the next question too.
- If you miss an answer, forget about it and immediately move on to the next question. Don't guess the answer at this stage - you can guess any answers that you missed in the 10 minutes that you are given at the end of the test.
Remember: There will be some difficult 'band 8 and 9' questions in every listening test. It's not a problem if you miss these questions or get them wrong. But it is a problem if you get stuck and also miss some easy questions that followed the difficult ones.
November 08, 2017
IELTS Listening: how to speak well
Here's another great talk from ted.com. It gets more interesting and funnier towards the end; I especially like the part about warming up your voice.
Let me know if you decide to try out the speaker's advice!
October 22, 2017
IELTS Listening: listen again and again
Perhaps the hardest thing about the IELTS listening test is that you only hear the recordings once. If you miss something, there's no second chance.
However, when practising or when listening to anything in English at home, I recommend that you listen to the same thing several times. Every time you listen again, you'll probably hear something new, and your listening skills will improve more quickly than they would if you only listened to everything once.
Here's a good listening exercise:
- Listen to the same short recording several times.
- But each time you listen, focus on something different.
For example, first focus on the meaning or the overall message, then listen for the answers (if you're using an IELTS test), then listen to verb tenses, then listen to the speaker's pronunciation, then listen to the little words like articles and prepositions etc. etc.
Your "ear" will improve more quickly through repetition and through the kind of deep listening that the exercise above encourages. Try it yourself!
October 15, 2017
IELTS Listening: an interesting idea, with gap-fill
Watch the following talk about a very interesting idea, then fill the gaps in the summary below.
...
Fill each gap with just one word:
The large number of ______ places around the world hold huge economic ______. The speaker’s new addressing system doesn’t rely on GPS coordinates, which are too ______. Instead, it divides the world into around 57 trillion three-metre squares. Each square is named ______ with just three words. The system uses 40,000 words, and it is currently available in ______ different languages. Three-word addresses are now being used by hospitals, postal services, the UN, and even ______ delivery drivers.
October 01, 2017
IELTS Listening: tricks
In the IELTS listening test you need to be ready for 'tricks'. Sometimes more than one possible answer is mentioned, or the speaker gives an answer and then changes it.
Look at these questions (from Cambridge IELTS 5) then listen to the recording.
- Cost to join per year (without current student card): £ ....................
- Number of items allowed (members of public): ....................
- Creative Writing class: Held on .................... evenings
Can you hear the tricks? What are the correct answers?
September 24, 2017
IELTS Listening: multiple choice practice
Watch the video and answer the multiple choice questions below.
1. Many teachers believe that
A) plagiarism is not a big problem
B) too many students are guilty of plagiarism
C) many students copy each other's essays
2. Plagiarism is a problem because
A) a student's true level of ability will not be known
B) students have to rewrite their essays
C) many students do not get caught
3. Teachers can spot plagiarism by
A) using free software
B) comparing different students' writing styles
C) putting key words into a search engine
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
September 15, 2017
IELTS Listening: one-minute transcriptions
A good way to improve your listening skill is to transcribe short recordings. For example, I'm sure you could manage to transcribe one minute of English every day.
Here's what you could do:
- Take any recording of English speakers that you find on the Internet, or use an IELTS test. I recommend using news programmes, documentaries, or any part of an IELTS test (section 4 might be the best for this exercise).
- Listen to the first minute of the recording only. Listen to it once without writing anything.
- Listen to the first minute again, and try to transcribe (write down) everything that you hear. Listen as many times as you need to, until you have the full transcription on paper.
- Check your transcription by turning on the subtitles option on the video (most video websites now have this), or by checking at the back of the book, if you're using an IELTS test.
September 06, 2017
IELTS Listening: gap-fill summary
Listen to the following recording about the problem of melting Arctic ice.
Fill each gap in the summary below with ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.
Scientists in Alaska are sounding the ______ about rapidly melting polar ice. The Arctic sea ice is ______ at a rate never seen before, and this is expected to have an impact over the next ______.
The Arctic is warming ______ as fast as other parts of the planet. An organisation called NOAA is ______ the Arctic sea ice, and believes that it has thinned from ______ to only ______ in some areas.
August 31, 2017
IELTS Listening: 'no more than... words'
You'll often see instructions like this in the listening test:
- Write one word only for each answer.
- Write one word and / or a number for each answer.
- Write no more than two words and / or a number for each answer.
- Write no more than three words for each answer.
1) The first instruction is easy: make sure you only write one word. If you write two words (e.g. "a pen"), your answer will be wrong.
2) The second instruction means that your answer can be any of the following: one word, one number, a word and a number (e.g. 12th September).
3) The third instruction means that your answer can be any of the following: one word, one number, a word and number, two words, two words and a number (e.g. 15 Bank Road). If you see this instruction, it is likely that one of the answers in that section will require two words or two words and a number.
4) The fourth instruction means that your answer can be any of the following: one word, two words, three words. If you see this instruction, it is likely that one of the answers in that section will require three words.
Note:
- Hyphenated words (e.g. hard-working) are counted as one word.
- You won't be tested on contracted words (e.g. doesn't).
August 22, 2017
IELTS Listening: 'lecture' gap-fill
Listen to the following excerpt from a lecture about anthropologists and archaeologists, and fill the gaps in the summary below.
Both anthropologists and archaeologists study the way people live together. Anthropologists study humans’ physical, social and ______ development, and they ______ research by going to locations to ask questions and make ______.
Archaeologists study past societies through their material ______. They recover and examine evidence such as ruins, ______ and pottery in order to understand the history, customs and living ______ of earlier ______.
These scientists also examine aspects of living societies such as ______ differences, physical ______, music or religion. Their field is the wide ______ of human social experience.
August 10, 2017
IELTS Listening: 'health and old age' topic
Here's another TED talk that I found interesting. The presenter speaks very clearly, and she uses lots of good vocabulary about the topic of health and old age. Maybe you could make a vocabulary list as you watch.
August 02, 2017
IELTS Listening: another gap-fill
Listen to the recording and fill each gap in the summary with ONE word only.
Opening or switching a bank account can seem ______, so it’s important to start by thinking about why you need a bank account. You may need it in order to receive ______ or benefits, to pay ______ bills, to take money out of cash ______, or to make payments using a debit card.
Different types of accounts are available. Current accounts are good for ______ your day-to-day money. They allow you to go ______, so you’ll have to pass a credit check when you apply for one. If you go into the ______ you’ll have to pay fees and ______. Basic bank accounts are similar to current accounts, but they don’t let you go overdrawn.
July 20, 2017
IELTS Listening: 'seafood' or 'sea food'?
People often ask about compound words. For example, if the answer in the book is "seafood" or "clubhouse", would "sea food" and "club house" be accepted?
The answer is normally yes. As long as the question instruction doesn't say that answers must be one word only, "sea food" and "club house" would be fine.
Click here to see a useful list of compound words.
July 13, 2017
IELTS Listening: something interesting
The video that I have chosen for today doesn't come from an IELTS test, and I haven't made any questions about it. I just thought I would share something interesting that is related to yesterday's reading exercise. So, here's Bill Gates talking about the physicist Richard Feynman:
Note:
What do you think the title of the video (The Best Teacher I Never Had) means? Can you paraphrase it?
June 27, 2017
IELTS Listening: more from TED
Are you putting too much pressure on yourself to be successful in your career? If you're feeling anxious about the future, you might find the TED talk below useful.
Here are a few questions to help you follow some of the speaker's main points:
- How does the speaker define 'snobbery'?
- What problem does he link to the spirit of equality in many societies?
- What are the two types of self-help book?
- What is the negative side of the idea of 'meritocracy'?
June 11, 2017
IELTS Listening: keywords
Here's a table showing 'keywords' from some of the recent listening lessons here on the blog:
Note:
Did you know the phrases to be in line with and a technological marvel, and the words fortnight and refurbished?
May 27, 2017
IELTS Listening: 'translation tools' gap-fill
Listen to the following recording, and fill the gaps in the summary below it.
Online translation tools seem to be an ______ ______ to human translators. However, there are many instances of these tools causing unintended ______ and disasters. Currently, translation technology is not sophisticated enough to cope with the grammatical subtleties of complex technical, legal or ______ documents. Machine translation tools may work for tasks like translating ______ between friends, but when money or reputations are at ______, it is safer to rely on professional human translators.
Note:
The recording above was taken from this video that a student found. The ideas in the recording might also help us with the writing question in this lesson.
May 07, 2017
IELTS Listening: no homework!
As a teacher, I always find articles and documentaries about education interesting. Here's a short YouTube video that I watched yesterday. What do you think about the idea that school pupils shouldn't have to do homework?
April 29, 2017
IELTS Listening: TED talk about 'grit'
I've just watched the interesting TED talk below. The speaker explains that according to her research, the most significant predictor of success among students is "grit". So, what is "grit" and how can we build it?
April 06, 2017
IELTS Listening: smart fridge gap-fill
Listen again to the "smart fridge" recording that I used in last week's lesson. This time, see if you can fill the gaps in the transcript.
Fill each gap below with one word only.
South Korea's LG Electronics is _____ on its new smart fridge becoming an essential component of kitchens around the world.
The smart fridge is a technological _____ compared to fridges of the past. It _____ a food management system that maintains a list of the food it is storing. It also records the expiry dates of the foods and sends out an alert _____ Wi-Fi when that date has been reached.
The information can be accessed via a _____ by consumers as they shop in grocery stores, allowing them to make informed decisions about food purchases. LG adds that its fridge can also suggest healthy _____ based on what it knows is inside.
March 29, 2017
IELTS Listening: multiple choice exercise
Note: I used the following exercise on my blog a few years ago. If you've done it before, maybe you can help me to write the transcript of the full recording.
Listen to the following recording about a new “smart fridge”.
Which THREE of these statements are true?
A) The smart fridge is an essential component of kitchens.
B) It is technologically advanced in comparison with other fridges.
C) It alerts users when foods reach their expiry date.
D) It can help consumers when they are out shopping.
E) It is able to make decisions about food purchases.
F) It can tell users which foods are healthier.
March 24, 2017
IELTS Listening: try these techniques
Here are 4 techniques that you could experiment with when practising IELTS listening tests from the Cambridge books:
- Work on specific sections rather than doing full tests. For example, you could focus on section 1 this week, then do lots of examples of section 2 next week.
- Do a full test, but allow yourself to listen two or three times. See how many extra answers you get the second or third time you listen to the recording.
- Do a full test, but give yourself as much time as you want during the breaks (by stopping the recording). This takes away the problem of not having time to read the questions properly, and allows you to focus more on your listening skills.
- Change the listening test into a reading test. Instead of listening to the recording, use the transcript at the back of the book. Did you get a higher score than usual? If you did, your listening skills need more work. If you didn't, maybe your problem is related to vocabulary.
The suggestions above might help you to find where your weaknesses are. They might also make exam practice a bit more interesting!
March 19, 2017
IELTS Listening: another TED video
Here's another interesting video from the website ted.com. Before you watch it, here are some suggestions about how you could use this kind of video:
- Watch the full video once for some general English listening practice.
- Or watch short sections of the video (e.g. 1 or 2 minutes) and note down some good words and phrases. In other words, videos like this can be tools for vocabulary learning.
- Or do both of the above: watch the video all the way through without subtitles, then watch it again with the subtitles on and pause to note down the good vocabulary.
PS. Did you learn anything interesting from this talk?
March 11, 2017
IELTS Listening: interview tips transcript
Here's the full transcript for the listening exercise in last week's lesson:
Today I'm going to answer the question “Why should I hire you?”, exactly the way I do in my book ‘The Complete Interview Answer Guide’. Now, this is often the last question you will be asked in an interview. Prepare for it. I mean, this is your chance to restate the skills you possess that are most relevant to the position, and to summarise your other qualities that make you the perfect person for the job.
I want you to outline your answer before you go in, and so that you can answer clearly, concisely and with confidence. Your answer should be short, to the point; it should reflect your profession, your background as it relates to your current needs and the problems of the position. Review the job description and tell them how you are the right person for the job by matching up your skill set with each bullet point for the job description. In formulating your answer, be sure to address these areas:
Number 1: Determine their goals for the position. This should come up during your research into the company and the position. If possible talk to others who work for the company. If you're unclear on this point, include it in the questions you ask the interviewer, and be prepared to incorporate it into your answer.
Also, show them that you have the skills needed for the job. Based on the goals you've identified in step 1, determine how your skills and experience support these goals, and if necessary, you know, just refer back to your list of skills.
Thirdly, articulate shared values. Again, this should come up in your research. Look at the company's mission statement and regular business practices. Explain why these are in line with your own values and goals.
March 02, 2017
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about interview tips
Listen to the following talk by the writer of a book about job interviews.
(Source: video by Don Georgevich)
Fill the gaps below with one word only.
- The question "Why should I hire you?" gives you the opportunity to restate your _____ and summarise your other _____.
- Your answer should be clear, concise and confident, and it should show how your _____ relates to your current needs and the problems of the position.
- Make sure you address some key areas: First determine the company's _____. Next show how your skills and _____ support the company's needs. Finally, explain how your _____ match those given in the company's mission _____.
February 21, 2017
IELTS Listening: slow listening practice
Yesterday I found a website where they read news stories slowly. If you find fast English difficult to follow, this website could really help you. And even if your listening skills are excellent, listening to slow English can help you to work on your own pronunciation, intonation and clarity of speech.
Click here to visit the site and try listening to a slow news story.
February 14, 2017
IELTS Listening: more practice
Have you tried the official listening practice exercises on the British Council website? I've linked to this before but the site seems to have changed recently.
Click here to try an exercise from listening section 1, then move on to sections 2, 3 and 4.
January 31, 2017
IELTS Listening: gap-fill guessing
Try today's gap-fill task, but read the 4 steps below before you start.
- Read the transcript below and try to guess the missing words.
- Then open last week's lesson in a new window on your computer.
- Start the video, but hide the window so that you can't see it.
- Listen to the first minute of the talk and fill the gaps below.
For over a decade as a doctor, I've cared for homeless veterans, for working-class ___1___. I've cared for people who live and work in ___2___ that can be hard, if not harsh, and that work has led me to believe that we need a ___3___ different way of looking at healthcare. We simply need a healthcare system that moves beyond just looking at the ___4___ that bring people into clinics, but instead actually is able to look and improve health where it begins. And where health begins is not in the four ___5___ of a doctor's office, but where we live and where we work, where we eat, sleep, learn and play, where we spend the ___6___ of our lives.
When you guessed the missing words, how close were you to getting the correct answers?
January 24, 2017
IELTS Listening: another interesting talk
Here's another talk from the website ted.com. I'm sure you'll find it interesting, especially if you're a doctor, nurse or other medical professional.
Here are three easy questions about the talk:
1. Why does the speaker tell the story about Veronica?
2. What does the "parable of three friends" demonstrate?
3. In the field of health care, what is an "upstreamist"?
If you have more time, you could note down some of the good words and phrases that the speaker uses.
January 10, 2017
IELTS Listening: keywords
Here's a table showing keywords from the most recent listening lessons here on the blog. It's always a good idea to review keywords, even if they seem to be easy.
January 04, 2017
IELTS Listening: film course transcript
Here's the transcript for the recording from last week's lesson. Listen again, and fill the gaps that I've left.
Fill each gap with one word only.
Students, when they’re applying, really need to reflect, pause for a moment and think what it is that _____ bringing to the course, and _____ they want to go with it. We want to see evidence that they do have some experience of thinking of telling stories visually. We don’t need to see a great deal; they shouldn’t panic about quantity, but they should reflect on what they have got that can show _____ talent and _____ creative ability. Ideally we would like to see moving image work, but if an applicant has not had the chance to do that, then _____ welcome to show us drawings, photographs, animations - any work that is thinking about telling stories over time.
December 26, 2016
IELTS Listening: multiple choice about film course
Listen to a teacher's advice for students who are applying to a film-making course.
Which TWO things should students do when applying to the course?
A ... Understand what the course is about.
B ... Think carefully about what they can contribute to the course.
C ... Tell a story about an experience that they have had.
D ... Provide a large quantity of work that shows their ability.
E ... Show an example of their own film work if possible.
F ... Explain why they are interested in the course.
December 19, 2016
IELTS Listening: underlining
Last week I asked you which words you would underline in the questions below. Now let's see if we can get the correct answers, using only the underlined keywords.
Here are the questions again, with keywords underlined:
1. How might a guest feel when staying in a luxury hotel?
A impressed with the facilities
B depressed by the experience
C concerned at the high costs
2. According to recent research, luxury hotels overlook the need to
A provide for the demands of important guests
B create a comfortable environment
C offer an individual and personal welcome
3. What is the impact of the outside environment on a hotel guest?
A It has a considerable effect.
B It has a very limited effect.
C It has no effect whatsoever.
Now here's the transcript of the recording. Choose the correct answers and explain them by referring to keywords in the questions and transcript.
You wake up in the middle of the night in a strange hotel miles away from home, disoriented most probably from jet lag, when even the most expensive surroundings can seem empty and dispiriting. The research suggests that even the most opulent, luxurious hotels seem to have underestimated the most basic needs of their customers - be they travelling for work or pleasure: the need to feel at home in surroundings which are both familiar and inviting. And the research concluded that what was outside the hotel building simply didn’t matter.
December 09, 2016
IELTS Listening: minimal underlining
Before the recording starts, you should use the breaks to read through the questions and underline the key words that you'll need to listen for.
But don't underline too many words. For example, if I told you that you could underline only one or two key words in each of the choices (A, B and C) below, which words would you choose?
1. How might a guest feel when staying in a luxury hotel?
A impressed with the facilities
B depressed by the experience
C concerned at the high costs
2. According to recent research, luxury hotels overlook the need to
A provide for the demands of important guests
B create a comfortable environment
C offer an individual and personal welcome
3. What is the impact of the outside environment on a hotel guest?
A It has a considerable effect.
B It has a very limited effect.
C It has no effect whatsoever.
(Questions from Cambridge IELTS 7)
November 17, 2016
IELTS Listening: interesting videos
I haven't used a video from the website ted.com for a while, so here's an interesting one that I watched recently.
It's a good idea to note down any good vocabulary that you hear when watching online videos. For example, here are a few phrases from the video above:
- high-rise buildings
- urban life
- major cities
- achieve quality of life
- we came up with (= we invented / proposed)
- is under construction (= is being constructed)
- the public realm (= public areas / spaces)
- we are yet to understand (= we don’t understand yet)
November 09, 2016
IELTS Listening: multiple choice keywords
One reason why multiple choice questions are difficult is that you probably won't hear the exact words that are given in the answer choices. Instead, you'll hear similar words that have the same meaning (synonyms or paraphrasing).
For example, here are the 'keywords' for the multiple choice questions in section 3 of test 3 in Cambridge IELTS book 10:
November 02, 2016
IELTS Listening: lifespan transcript
Here's the full transcript of the recording in last week's lesson:
For centuries people have been able to improve their lifespans through dietary changes, public health policies and other factors. However, a recent study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has found that the limits of human longevity may have already been reached. In fact, researchers believe the maximum lifespan likely peaked decades ago, around 1995.
According to a news release issued by the school, the team used two different data sets, the ‘Human Mortality Database’ and the ‘International Database on Longevity’, as the basis for the study. Based on their calculations, they concluded that humans can typically live a maximum of 115 years, but the absolute upper limit is likely 125 years.
And while they acknowledge that medical breakthroughs could increase the average life expectancy, researchers believe the maximum will likely remain unchanged. As such, they suggest that efforts should focus on improving the health and quality of life, instead of trying to live longer.
October 24, 2016
IELTS Listening: lifespan gap-fill
Listen to the following recording, and fill the gaps in the summary below.
Fill the gaps with a maximum of TWO words and/or a number.
For centuries people have been able to improve their lifespans through _____ changes. However, a recent study has found that the limits of _____ may have already been reached. It is believed that the maximum lifespan may have peaked around the year _____. Researchers concluded that humans can typically live for a maximum of _____ years, and that the absolute upper age limit is _____. They recommend that we make efforts to improve the _____ of life, rather than to extend life expectancy.
October 16, 2016
IELTS Listening: transcript
Here's the full transcript of the recording in last week's lesson:
Photographic Film
The use of photographic film was pioneered by George Eastman, who started manufacturing paper film in 1885, before switching to celluloid in 1889. His first camera, which he called the Kodak, was offered for sale in 1888. It was a very simple and relatively low-priced box camera aimed at the average consumer. The Kodak came with enough film for a hundred exposures and needed to be sent back to the factory for processing when the roll was finished.
October 08, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'photographic film' gap-fill
Listen to the recording about the history of photographic film, and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
1. Eastman started manufacturing celluloid film in ______.
2. The "Kodak" was available to consumers from the year ______.
3. It was bought by normal people because it was ______ and ______.
4. The camera was able to take ______ pictures before a new film was needed.
September 18, 2016
IELTS Listening: free video
Click here to watch my latest video lesson. In this lesson I go through some basic information about the IELTS listening test, and I give a few key tips. Next week I'll add a video with some practice exercises.
September 10, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'handedness' transcript
Here's the transcript for the listening exercise from last week's lesson. I've left a few gaps for you to fill.
(It) turns out that more than 10% of people, or about 10%, are left-handed. If both parents are right-handed, there's about a 2% chance your child is going to be a _____. If one parent is left-handed, it's about 17%, and if both parents are lefties, there's about a 50% chance your child is also going to be left-handed, with guys _____ twice as often left-handed as girls.
So how do you tell what your child is going to be? (Well) when your baby is about six months of age, he or she may _____ to reach with their right hand, but very quickly will bring out their left hand, and it's not until a baby or a _____ is two years of age that we can really determine hand preference.
September 05, 2016
IELTS Listening: more multiple choice
Listen to the following recording about right and left-handedness.
What is the probability of right-handed parents having a left-handed child?
A) more than 10%.
B) about 2%.
C) about 17%.
What comparison is made between males and females?
A) 50% of left-handed people are male.
B) Males are less likely to be left-handed.
C) Males are twice as likely to be left-handed.
A child's handedness can be determined for certain
A) when the child reaches two years of age.
B) when the child is six months old.
C) according to which hand the child reaches with in the first year of life.
August 25, 2016
IELTS Listening: keywords from a matching task
There's a nice matching exercise in test 2 in Cambridge IELTS book 10 (questions 15 to 20). Here's a table showing the keywords that give us the answers:
Notice that synonyms or similar words are used in almost all of the questions. You need to be ready for this. You won't always hear the exact words from the question.
August 19, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'dolphin tagging' gap-fill
Watch the following video or listen to the recording, and complete the summary below.
Summary:
Scientists attach data logging tags to marine _____ to measure their movements and behaviour. However, they would like to know whether these tags affect the animals’ behaviour or _____ consumption.
A research group is currently investigating the effects of drag created by the data logging devices. Dolphins are trained to follow a _____ boat while wearing the data logger. The boat is fitted with a _____ which records the dolphin’s speed and the _____ of the session. A trainer then takes breath _____ from the dolphin and measures respiratory _____, as well as oxygen and carbon dioxide _____.
In this way, researchers can quantify differences in energy _____ when the dolphin is or isn’t wearing the data logger.
August 11, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'blue sky' transcript
Here's the full transcript for my most recent listening exercise:
Why is sky blue?
Well, first we need to understand a little bit about how light works. When light travels from the sun, it moves up and down like a wave, similar to the waves you see on the ocean. Some waves are close together and others are further apart. The distance between each bump in a wave is called wavelength, and when all of the different wavelengths travel together, light appears white to our eyes. But if you break up sunlight so that the waves are separated, you will see individual colours. In fact, every colour has its own unique wavelength. Bluish colours have a short wavelength and move up and down more often than a colour like red, which has a longer wavelength.
So if light from the sun contains all of these different colours, why does the sky appear blue? Well, it also has to do with the way these waves interact with the atmosphere. If there were nothing between the sun and our eyes, the sun would look like a white circle in a black sky. But the atmosphere gets in the way and changes the way the light behaves. While the atmosphere may seem like a large empty space, it is actually made up of a whole bunch of tiny little particles like air molecules, water, and dust. Light waves are tiny too, so when they finally reach the atmosphere they have a hard time dodging the small particles in the sky. The shorter wavelengths of light, like blue and violet, move up and down so much they tend to interact with the particles more often than other colours. These colours get bounced around so much they spread through the atmosphere and fill the sky. Even though purple light is also scattered out across the sky, our eyes are more sensitive to blue light, and so the sky appears more of a bluish colour. Red, yellow, and green coloured lightwaves bounce around too, but not as much, and more of this light passes through. When these colours are mixed together, they appear a yellowish-white, which is why the sun looks somewhat yellow to our eyes.
So now you know when you look at a blue sky you are actually looking at a portion of sunlight that has been broken up and scattered by billions of tiny particles.
July 31, 2016
IELTS Listening: why is the sky blue?
Watch the short presentation and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
Here's a recording in case you can't see the video:
Fill each gap with ONE word only.
- The distance between each _____ in a wave of light is called the wavelength.
- When all the different wavelengths travel together, light appears _____.
- _____ light waves have a longer wavelength than blue.
- The atmosphere is made up of _____ which change the way light behaves.
- Shorter blue light waves _____ with particles more often and spread throughout the atmosphere, filling the sky.
- Other colours pass through and appear _____-white when they mix together.
July 22, 2016
IELTS Listening: similar words
I often talk about the importance of looking for "keywords" or "similar words" in the reading test, but the same advice applies to many questions in the listening test.
Look at the following question from Cambridge IELTS 4:
Which argument was used against having a drama theatre?
A) It would be expensive and no students would use it.
B) It would be a poor use of resources because only a minority would use it.
C) It could not accommodate large productions of plays.
Find the answer by looking for the "similar words" in the transcript below.
There was, however, much disagreement about whether to build a drama theatre. Just over forty per cent of the respondents were in favour, but a largish minority were strongly against it, claiming that it is elitist and a waste of funds.
July 16, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'brain foods' transcript
Here's the full transcript for the 'brain foods' exercise that I put on the blog a few weeks ago.
A complete and balanced diet is probably the most sound advice. But some specific types of food are especially good for brain health. Here are a few of the best:
Fish: The original brain food contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids and fish oils, especially cold-water fish like salmon and cod. Omega-3s are beneficial in a number of ways, including promoting neuronal growth, improved cholesterol, and fortification of myelin sheaths which facilitate communication between neurons.
Vegetables: These are a great source of antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment by diminishing oxidative stress. Spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower are among the top candidates.
Fruits: Like vegetables, fruits are rich in antioxidants; however, fruit tastes better. Some of your healthiest options are blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, avocados, oranges, red grapes, red bell peppers, cherries and kiwi.
Water: Be sure to get enough to keep your body and brain hydrated. Dehydration can cause a headache now, and can lead to long term neuronal damage sustained from elevated stress hormones.
Chocolate: Last and arguably least beneficial are cocoa beans which contain the flavonol epicatechin and antioxidants. Dark chocolate is best, and avoid candy bars with lots of added sugars. Also, recent research suggests that chocolate can improve memory.
July 10, 2016
IELTS Listening: listen for interest
Sometimes it's best to watch or listen to something simply because it's interesting. It's still good practice for your ear.
Here's a YouTube video that I enjoyed watching this week:
June 27, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'foods for the brain' lecture
Listen to the following short lecture about foods that promote brain health.
Which 5 categories of food or drink are said to help the brain, and how?
If you have more time, try transcribing the whole lecture (less than 2 minutes).
June 13, 2016
IELTS Listening: one word or two?
People often ask me the following question:
Is it acceptable to write words like "bookshop" or "seafood" as two words (book shop, sea food)?
To answer this question, you need to look at the question instructions.
- If the instruction says that you can use more than one word, "book shop" and "sea food" would be accepted.
- However, if the instruction tells you to use only one word, you must write "bookshop" or "seafood". If you write two words, it's wrong!
Note: When doing practice tests, use a dictionary to find out whether we normally write one word or two.
May 28, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'smoking ban' gap-fill
Listen to the following news report about an outdoor smoking ban in New York.
Fill the gaps in the sentences below.
Over the last decade smokers across the country have been ______ ______ the defensive.
New York City is now taking the war against tobacco a ______ ______ with a new law that ______ ______ effect tomorrow, banning smoking outdoors.
The law aims to ______ ______, if not eliminate, exposure to ______-______ smoke.
Officials also hope to discourage a new generation from ______ ______ the habit, sending out the message that it is no longer acceptable to ______ ______ in family-friendly places.
May 19, 2016
IELTS Listening: quick spelling test
Here's a quick spelling test using 10 words from the listening tests in Cambridge IELTS book 11. See if you can write all 10 words with correct spelling.
May 13, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'happiness' topic
Here's another popular video from the website ted.com. I found the talk quite interesting, and I'm sure there's a possible IELTS writing question in there. Can you think how they might ask you about this topic in writing task 2?
April 24, 2016
IELTS Listening: summary gap-fill
Listen to the following short lecture about the issue of plagiarism in universities.
Now complete the summary below. Write one word in each space in the text.
Plagiarism refers to the copying of an author's language or ______. Teachers often find it easy to detect plagiarism because several students have copied a passage from the same ______. Also, students sometimes copy inappropriate information that is unrelated to the ______ of the assignment. Institutions may impose different ______ for plagiarism depending on how serious the case is. A student may be suspended or ______ if a whole piece of writing is found to be copied.
April 15, 2016
IELTS Listening: official practice exercises
The official IELTS website, ielts.org, has recently been redesigned. If you haven't tried the sample exercises on this site, you should.
Click here to access the practice listening exercises.
March 04, 2016
IELTS Listening: the origin of words
Following yesterday's reading passage about 'etymology', here's an interesting presentation about the origins of some English words.
If you do a YouTube search for "etymology of English", you'll find lots more videos like this. This could be a nice way to improve both your vocabulary knowledge and your spelling.
February 13, 2016
IELTS Listening: transcript for last week
A few people tried writing the transcript for the recording in last week's lesson. You can see my version of the transcript below.
I work in the healthcare field, and have always wanted to go abroad and offer my services.
I guess I just wanted to do volunteer work ‘cause* I wanted to do something different: travel around but, like, really see the people, you know, rather than just being a visitor.
Here you’re in a safe environment, where you’re looked after, and all the staff are really friendly.
They really want you to grasp the culture that you’re coming into, and the people that surround you, and just everything: the way that they live, their everyday lives.
If you’re willing to give the time and the energy, I think it can be an amazing opportunity, and you can learn so much.
There’s more than just, you know, reading a guide book and going to the tourist spots. It’s about sitting down and trying to communicate with people and trying to understand what their experiences are.
*Instead of because we often say ‘cause or cos in informal speech.
February 06, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'volunteering' gap-fill
Listen to six people talk about their experiences of doing volunteer work abroad.
Fill each gap in the summaries below with ONE word.
- She works in the ______ field, and she has always wanted to offer her ______ abroad.
- He wanted to do something ______, and not just be a ______.
- She says that she's in a safe ______ with friendly ______.
- She talks about the importance of grasping the ______ of the people.
- She thinks it's an amazing ______.
- He says it's about more than just reading a ______ book or visiting the tourist ______.
January 30, 2016
IELTS Listening: bilingualism
Here's an interesting video on the same topic as yesterday's reading lesson:
If you can't see the video, here's an audio recording:
Try to find the following information while watching the video:
- The active and passive parts of language ability.
- The three types of bilingual person.
- The name of a language learning hypothesis or theory.
- Some benefits for the brains of bilinguals.
January 06, 2016
IELTS Listening: 'agriculture' topic
Here's a listening exercise on the same topic as yesterday's reading lesson.
Answer the following questions:
1. When does the speaker say we will reach peak world population?
2. What number does he give for the current world population?
3. What does he say about organic farming?
4. What other solution does he suggest?
5. Which three cereal crops does he say are the most important?
December 17, 2015
IELTS Listening: multiple choice transcripts
It's always useful to check the transcripts at the back of the Cambridge IELTS books after you've done a practice test. This is especially helpful when you've done a multiple choice exercise.
Here's an example from Cambridge IELTS 10, page 35:
What decision has not yet been made about the pool?
A) whose statue will be at the door
B) the exact opening times
C) who will open it
Here's the relevant part of the transcript:
We're on schedule for a June 15th opening date and well within budget. We have engaged award-winning actress Coral White to declare the pool open and there'll be drinks and snacks available at the pool side. There'll also be a competition for the public to decide on the sculpture we plan to have at the entrance; you will decide which famous historical figure from the city we should have.
Task:
Can you see what the correct answer is, and explain why? Which 'keywords' gave you the answer? Also, can you see that all three choices are mentioned?
December 09, 2015
IELTS Listening: 'volcano' exercise
Fill the gaps in the following summary of a short video on the Economist website.
The eruption of Mount Tambora ______ years ago killed perhaps 100,000 people. However, the impact on the wider ______ was even greater; the eruption changed the ______ of the planet.
After a volcanic eruption, sulphate particles in the earth's atmosphere ______ some sunlight back into space, and also ______ some sunlight. Scientists estimate that Tambora's sulphate veil caused a ______ drop in rainfall and cooled the planet by ______.
Nobody can say when a similarly catastrophic eruption will happen next, but it is a ______ that one will happen.
November 25, 2015
IELTS Listening: fill the gaps
Listen to the following recording about John Dewey, who was also the subject of yesterday's reading lesson, and fill the gaps in the summary below.
John Dewey was America's _____ philosopher and philosopher of education. His ideas are important to education today because he recognised that each individual brings a certain _____ and _____ to his or her learning. He also understood the importance of learning in a group or _____, learning from others that are _____ you. The essence of a democracy is that you have different _____ and you learn from each of them, and Dewey celebrated that. He would probably be _____ of the current system of education because it ignores the teaching _____ and what each student brings to the classroom.
November 16, 2015
IELTS Listening: underline key words
Yesterday I talked about the importance of underlining in the reading test. Do you also underline key words in the listening test? I think you should.
During the breaks in the listening test, read ahead and underline the main words in each question.
Example: Which words would you underline when preparing for the following gap-fill exercise?
- According to the schedule, the meeting will take place at _____.
- The decision will mean that full-time employees are allowed to _____ for free.
Tip: Don't underline too many words. I would underline just 2 words in the first example above, and 6 words in the second example. Can you guess which?
November 09, 2015
IELTS Listening: last week's keywords
If you tried last week's listening exercise, did you also note the 'keywords' that you heard? Here's my keyword table for the exercise. Listen to the recording again, and check that you hear the phrases in the table.
October 25, 2015
IELTS Listening: test your spelling
Many IELTS candidates lose marks because of spelling mistakes.
Test your spelling by listening to the following recording and writing the words
(I've recorded the words quickly, so stop the recording after each word).
Remember, even one wrong letter means that your answer is wrong!
October 16, 2015
IELTS Listening: spelling
A good way to improve your spelling is by keeping a "mistakes and corrections" list. Here's an example with some real mistakes that one of my students made:
Every time you make a spelling mistake, write the word on your list, and learn the correct spellings by heart. Which words would be on your list?
October 09, 2015
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about happiness
Watch the presentation below, and fill the gaps in the following short summary of the first 2 minutes.
Aristotle called happiness the ______ ______, the end towards which all other things aim. The reason we want a big house, a nice car or a good job isn’t that these things are intrinsically ______, it’s that we expect them to bring us happiness. The paradox of happiness is that even though the ______ conditions in our lives have improved ______, we haven’t actually gotten any happier. In the last few years there’s been an ______ in research on happiness; we’ve learnt how things like income, education, ______ and ______ relate to it.
October 01, 2015
IELTS Listening: transcript for last week
Here's the transcript for the recording in last week's lesson. Listen again and try to fill the gaps.
The fact is, multitasking is a _____. Our brains can't do it. You simply become less efficient and more distracted, your error rate goes up 50 per cent, and it takes you twice as long to do the same task. Listen what Tim Jenkins has to say. He’s the co-_____ of Point B, a leading business consulting firm.
Well I think there’s a _____ out there, that folks that can multitask are more effective. There are times when it's just important to focus on one thing. I think we also need to give people permission to check out, to check out of the communications _____ temporarily to get things done; because when you're always on, when you're always online, you're always distracted, right, and the brain really is telling us that that is a very unproductive _____ to be in. So the always online organisation is actually the always unproductive organisation.
September 25, 2015
IELTS Listening: multiple choice practice
Listen to the following recording on the subject of multitasking.
1. How does the first speaker describe multitasking? Choose ONE answer.
A) it is a myth
B) it is efficient but distracting
C) it reduces the time that tasks take
2. Which TWO statements are true according to the second speaker?
A) people who can multitask are more effective
B) people should always focus on one thing only
C) we need permission to get things done
D) the brain is less productive when we are distracted
E) organisations are unproductive if they are constantly on-line
September 19, 2015
IELTS Listening: more keywords
Yesterday I wrote about the 'pattern' that we see in all IELTS reading tests. It's the same in the listening test.
For example, here are the 'keywords' from Cambridge IELTS book 10, page 82:
Remember: You need to be ready to listen for synonyms and paraphrasing. You might not hear the exact words that you see in the questions.
September 14, 2015
IELTS Listening: multiple choice difficulties (2)
In last week's lesson I mentioned four difficulties that we face when doing multiple choice questions in the listening test. Now let's analyse the example question that I used in that lesson, in terms of the four difficulties:
1) Lots of information
Yes. We had five choices to think about, and the relevant part of the recording was quite long.
2) Similar choices
Yes. The choices contained two types of swimming pool.
3) All of the choices mentioned
Yes. Both pools, the gym, and sports training for children were mentioned. "The tracks" (which usually means running tracks) were not really mentioned, but the word "lanes" may have confused some people.
4) Synonyms or paraphrasing
the gym = fitness suite
tracks = could be similar to "lanes"
indoor / outdoor pool = there isn't space for an outdoor pool
training for children = children benefit from tuition
September 12, 2015
IELTS Listening: transcript
Here's the full transcript of Tuesday's recording:
Before we start our tour of the club, I'll just run through some basic information about the facilities we have here, including recent improvements, and explain the types of membership available.
Our greatest asset is probably our swimming pool, which at 25 metres isn't Olympic-sized, but now we've expanded it to eight lanes, it's much wider. This means there are rarely more than a couple of people at a time in each lane. Unfortunately, there isn't space for an outdoor pool here, but the glass roof on the swimming pool is partly retractable, which means you can enjoy something of the open-air experience on warmer days.
Our recently refurbished fitness suite has all the latest exercise equipment, including ten new running machines and a wide range of weight-training machines. Each member is given full training in how to operate the equipment, and there is always a trainer on duty to offer help and advice. Although we do have adult-only times after 6 and at certain times at weekends, children are well catered for. Older children continue to benefit from a wide range of tuition: anything from trampolining to yoga.
Note: Did you notice any new or useful vocabulary?
September 11, 2015
IELTS Listening Advice: transcribing task
I often recommend transcribing as a good way to improve your listening (and your English in general).
As a quick task, can anyone transcribe the short recording in Tuesday's lesson? I'll show you the full, correct transript tomorrow.
August 28, 2015
IELTS Listening Advice: transcribing
A good way to work on your listening is by transcribing what you hear. Transcribing means writing down the full text of a recording. You might find it difficult and laborious, but this is the kind of hard work that pays off in the end.
Try transcribing one of the recordings on this website, an online video, or a section of a real test in one of the Cambridge books. Imagine how quickly your listening would improve if you did a short transcription every day!
August 23, 2015
IELTS Listening: very fast exercise!
Here's a quick exercise, featuring some very fast speech! But don't worry; most native speakers don't talk like this, and you'll never hear such fast speech in an IELTS test. I just thought you might like a challenge!
Fill the gaps in the transcript below.
The need to sleep is one of the strongest _____ _____ we have, one of the few that we really can't control; and the fact is, you can die faster from _____ _____ than _____ _____. So it is time to investigate the science behind this thing that we do for a _____ of our lives.
Even though the _____ _____ will spend 25 years of their life asleep, there's no scientific _____ as to why exactly we do it. One thing we know for sure: our _____ definitely think that sleep is important.
Note:
If you'd like to watch the whole video that I took this from, you can find it here.
August 10, 2015
IELTS Listening: TED videos
I haven't shared a TED video for a while, so here's one that I found interesting. The presenter speaks clearly, but you can add subtitles if you need them.
July 26, 2015
IELTS Listening: gap-fill summary
Listen to the recording about road safety and fill the gaps in the summary.
Summary:
Traffic in Europe is increasingly ______. The aim of the 'European Road Safety Day' is to reduce the ______ ______ from road accidents throughout the European Union.
The number of lives saved every year since 2001 has ______ ______ markedly in line with ______. However, there are still nearly ______ people killed on Europe's roads each year.
The big problems to address are speed, alcohol or drugs, and not wearing a ______. These are the ______ ______ of accidents.
Note:
If you would like to watch the full video about this topic, click here.
July 10, 2015
IELTS Listening: advice and techniques
Yesterday I repeated my overall advice for the reading test, so now here's my list of advice and techniques for IELTS listening:
- Concentrate - it's really easy to miss the answers if you lose concentration, even for a moment.
- Read ahead - it's more important to be ready for the next section than to check the questions you have already done (check them at the end when you have 10 minutes to transfer your answers).
- Highlight key words - when reading ahead, it's a good idea to underline words that you think you will need to listen for.
- Have the next question in mind - when you're listening for the answer to a question, be ready for the next question as well. It's easy to miss several answers if all of your focus is on one question.
- Expect 'tricks' - the speaker may try to confuse you - click here to see an example.
- Spelling - as well as testing your understanding and vocabulary, IELTS Listening is also a spelling test. You must work on your spelling if this is a weakness.
- Difficult questions - don't worry if some questions seem really difficult. The exam needs to have questions that separate band 8 from band 9. If you are worrying too much, you might miss the easier questions that could get you a band 7.
June 27, 2015
IELTS Listening: another interesting presentation
Here's another interesting talk from the website ted.com. Although the presenter isn't a native English speaker, his pronunciation is very clear and his grammar is perfect. Remember that you will hear different accents in the listening test, so it's useful to listen to a wide variety of speakers.
Here's some vocabulary from the first 5 minutes of the talk. If you have time to watch the rest, maybe you can add to the list.
- turn themselves from… into…
- minding their own business
- on the individual level
- on the collective level
- to struggle for survival
- cooperate flexibly
- reinvent their social system overnight
- based on intimate knowledge
- the huge achievements of humankind throughout history
- based not on… but on…
June 21, 2015
IELTS Listening: spelling mistakes
The table below shows spelling mistakes that my students made in their mock listening test. Notice in particular the mistakes related to double letters.
Tip: When you make spelling mistakes, write them on a list or in a table like the one above. Check your list every day or two.
June 14, 2015
IELTS Listening: a difficult type of question
When you hear the 'keywords' from the question, you can usually expect to hear the answer just after them. However, sometimes the speaker has already said the answer before you hear the 'keywords'. Here's an example to show you what I mean:
Question (from Cambridge IELTS 7):
Undiscovered material may be damaged by ______.
When listening to the recording, you are waiting to hear the keywords "undiscovered material" and "damaged by", and you are hoping to hear the answer after hearing those keywords.
This is what you hear:
Don't make fires, however romantic it may seem. It's really dangerous in dry areas, and you can easily burn priceless undiscovered material by doing so.
Can you see that the answer came before the keywords "undiscovered material"? What is the correct answer?
Note:
There isn't a special technique to help you with this type of question; you just need to be aware that you might have heard the answer before you hear the 'keywords'.
May 20, 2015
IELTS Listening: 'work' topic
Did you have a look through the videos on the School of Life channel that I mentioned last week? Here's another interesting video that I found on there:
If you can't see the video, listen to this audio recording:
Tasks:
- What were the six ideas that the speaker mentioned?
- Did you hear any useful vocabulary?
May 10, 2015
IELTS Listening: useful channel on YouTube
Today I found a great channel on YouTube called 'The School of Life'. Click here to visit it, and look through their videos to see what interests you.
Here's an example that might be useful for IELTS preparation:
If you can't see the video, here's an audio recording:
Try completing this summary of the first 2 minutes of the video:
There are six fundamental things that a city needs to get ______. The first is order. Order means balance, ______ and repetition. But too much regularity can be soul-destroying; too much order feels rigid and ______. It can be bleak, relentless and ______. The ideal we're ______ is variey and order.
April 20, 2015
IELTS Listening: study technique from yesterday
Yesterday I suggested a study technique for the IELTS reading test. Of course, you can use the same technique for listening practice:
- Choose one section from an official test.
- Get the correct answers from the back of the book.
- Listen to the recording with the aim of understanding why each answer is correct. Listen more than once if necessary.
- Write the key vocabulary in a table or in your notebook.
This technique is particularly useful for listening section 4. Give it a try!
April 01, 2015
IELTS Listening: gap-fill summary
Listen to the following excerpt from a talk about innovation, and fill the gaps in the summary below.
Are we getting overwhelmed with an always-connected, ______-______ lifestyle, and is that going to lead to less ______ thoughts as we move away from the slower, deeper, contemplative state of reading?
The great ______ of scientific and technological innovation has been the historic increase in ______, and our ability to reach out and exchange ideas with other people, and to borrow other people’s ______ and combine them with our ______ and turn them into something new. That has been the primary ______ of creativity and innovation over the last 600 or 700 years.
It’s true we’re more ______, but what has happened that is really miraculous and marvelous over the last 15 years is that we have so many new ways to ______ and find other people who have that ______ piece that will complete the idea we’re working on.
March 25, 2015
IELTS Listening: most livable cities
Watch the following video or listen to the recording below it.
Fill the gaps below. Which city does each phrase refer to?
- top-_____ education and welfare
- integration for immigrants to increase its _____
- greatly _____ public transportation
- innovative, mixed-use _____ incorporating cycling paths
- hidden under the _____ of a neon-lit mega city
- a small-town _____
- world-class shopping and business _____
- Australia’s cultural _____
- a big push to _____ traffic congestion
- integration between city life and the _____
March 15, 2015
IELTS Listening Advice: listen to 'real' things
When I was learning languages (French and German) at school, the only listening practice I got was when the teacher spoke or when she played short recordings on a tape recorder!
The current generation of language learners don't know how lucky they are! They have the Internet at their disposal, with access to millions of videos, podcasts, audiobooks etc. They have the chance to immerse themselves in the language for hours every day. Are you taking advantage of this?
February 27, 2015
IELTS Listening: students' questions
Here are some common questions that people ask me about the listening test, with my answers below each one.
1. What is the best way to write a date?
There is no best way, and all normal ways of writing dates are accepted e.g. 7th April, 7 April, April 7th etc.
2. What is the best way to write a time?
Again, as long as the time is correct, it shouldn't matter too much how you write it. You can write 9am, 9.00am, 9:00 am etc.
3. Do we need to include articles ('a' or 'the') before nouns?
Usually you don't need the article. If the answer is a noun, just write that word. However, if you need to fill a gap in a sentence, the grammar should be correct, so you may need an article. If you're unsure, write the article that you hear.
4. Are correct use of capital letters and singular/plural important?
I've answered that question in a previous lesson - click here.
5. Should we write "bookshop" or "book shop"?
I mentioned the problem of words like "bookshop" and "seafood" in this lesson.
February 20, 2015
IELTS Listening: transcript for last week's lesson
A few people asked me to write a transcript of the recording in last week's lesson about spending advice. The speaker talks very quickly and uses some colloquial expressions, so you might need to listen a few times.
Click here to download the transcript, then go back to last week's lesson and listen to the recording.
February 07, 2015
IELTS Listening: more 'section 4' keywords
In section 4 of the listening test, the speakers often use synonyms and paraphrasing, rather than the exact words from the questions.
Here's a keyword table for section 4 of test 4 in Cambridge book 5:
Note: Did you know the phrasal verb "phase out"? This verb is often used when products are gradually discontinued or replaced e.g. VHS videos were phased out as DVD became the standard format.
January 18, 2015
IELTS Listening: listen to 'real' things
The advice I gave yesterday about reading is also appropriate for listening. While it's important to do test practice, it's just as important to listen to as much 'real' English as possible. This is the only way to improve your ear.
For real listening practice, I recommend starting with news programmes, documentaries and presentations or 'talks'.
For example, here's a TED talk that I watched yesterday:
Have you watched or listened to anything interesting recently?
January 14, 2015
IELTS Listening: section 4 'keywords'
In the first 3 sections of the listening test, you will mostly hear the words that you see in each question. However, when you get to section 4, it becomes more difficult. The speakers will use more synonyms and paraphrasing, rather than the exact words from the questions.
Here's a keyword table for section 4 of test 2 in Cambridge book 8:
As you can see, the exact words from the questions aren't used by the speaker that you hear. You need to be ready for this!
December 31, 2014
IELTS Listening: transcription
Here's my transcription for the task in last week's lesson. If you tried the task, check to see if you have the same as me. Notice also the good vocabulary that the teacher uses.
My class consists of second and third graders who have a wide range of abilities and needs. I am always assessing my students by observing them in large groups, questioning them in their small groups, and looking closely at the work they record in their folders.
My method of teaching is called ‘Differentiated Instruction’ and it involves considering the needs of individual learners in my class, rather than targeting somewhere around the middle of the group.
Learning is an incredibly complex process, involving so many different factors for every individual; multiply that by 25 children in the class and it can feel like an overwhelming responsibility. But my goal is to teach every child, to get them to a common destination by whatever route they need to get there. I believe that by using the method of Differentiated Instruction, every child will get there.
December 24, 2014
IELTS Listening: transcribing task
Listen to the following short recording of a primary school teacher explaining how she teaches the children in her class.
Let's try working together to transcribe (= write the full text of) what the teacher says. You'll have to listen several times, and stop the recording after every short phrase, but I hope you'll find that this is a useful activity. Let's see if you can collaborate to produce an accurate transcription by next Tuesday. Good luck!
Note: You don't have to do this kind of task in the IELTS test. I'm just suggesting it as a good 'workout' for you ear.
December 15, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'biometrics' gap-fill
The following presentation is on the same topic as yesterday's reading lesson. Watch the video and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
1. In today’s society we rely on _____ and _____ to access information.
2. We have to trust that a passport or driver’s license has not been _____ with.
3. Fingerprint, facial, iris and _____ patterns are sources of biometric data.
4. We’re identifying people at _____ with facial recognition software.
5. As the technology _____, our identities will be better _____.
If you can't see the video, here's the recording:
December 08, 2014
IELTS Listening: keep a spelling list
Many of my students have problems with spelling. Simple spelling mistakes can lose you marks in the IELTS listening test, even if you have the right answer.
My advice is to keep a spelling list - a list of words that you have difficulty with. Forget about spelling rules; just learn the words by heart.
For example, are you sure you can spell the following words correctly?
1. quite and quiet
2. address
3. questionnaire
4. career
5. necessary
6. choose and choice
7. business
8. government
9. environment
December 01, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'cycling coach' gap-fill
Listen to the following talk by the cycling coach mentioned in yesterday's reading passage. He talks about his 'Core Principle' coaching philosophy.
'CORE Principle' coaching
- The ‘C’ stood for commitment. We ______ people for commitment: have they got an intrinsic ______ towards achieving a goal?
- The ‘O’ is ownership. We like people to have an opinion, and we ______ an environment where people don’t feel frightened or under ______ to speak their minds.
- The ‘R’ is ______ (and accountability). People need to understand what they are accountable for, as well as what they are not accountable for.
- If you take these elements together, that then ______ to the ‘E’, which is ______.
If you would like to see the full talk on YouTube, click here.
November 22, 2014
IELTS Listening: some inspiration for you!
Here's an interesting video that I've just found on ted.com. I recently read Professor Dweck's book 'Mindset', and I really like her ideas about 'believing that you can improve'. I hope you find some inspiration in what she says.
This should also be good listening practice, and you can turn subtitles on if you need them.
November 15, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'routines' multiple choice
Listen to the following advice about routines for toddlers (young children).
Which TWO of the statements below agree with the speaker's advice?
How to establish a routine for your toddler:
A) This is an easy task for most parents.
B) The parent must establish a routine before expecting the child to follow one.
C) Busy parents need help with their children.
D) Parents should include the child’s sleep times in their schedules.
E) Meal times don’t need to be included in parents’ plans.
November 08, 2014
IELTS Listening: what is blended learning?
Watch the following video or listen to the recording below it.
Fill each gap in the summary below using a maximum of 2 words.
People think that blended learning could be the next _____ in education. In a nutshell, blended learning is a mix of face-to-face learning and _____. A concrete example is a teacher who records maths videos and posts them onto her school’s _____. Students can watch the videos and take tests. A report tells the teacher how well her students understood the _____, and this means that she can plan her next lesson _____.
October 30, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'video games' topic
Listen to the following talk about the effect of video games, then fill the gaps in the summary below.
Video games are arguably the best technologically-based teaching ______. When playing a video game, you are an active player who drives the ______ and makes decisions that change the ______ of what is going on. Psychologists would say that you are learning behavioural ______.
Video games are ______ driven. The medium itself is ______; we give the valence of good or bad or ______ to it. Unfortunately, the most popular video games are the ones that reward you for doing ______ against others.
October 19, 2014
IELTS Listening: gap-fill summary
Listen to the recording about 'delayed language development' and fill the gaps in the summary below.
If a child turns two but is still ______ ______ ______, parents start to worry.
Parents often ______ this problem, hoping that their child will soon ______ ______.
One reason for late language development could be a delay in the child's ______ ______.
Delayed language development could also be caused by ______ or ______ problems.
October 12, 2014
IELTS Listening: sustainable tourism
Watch the video and fill the gaps in the summary below it. If you watch the whole film, note down any more good vocabulary that you find.
Summary of film up to 1min 10:
Sustainable tourism is about creating a balance so that the business ______ profits, the customer has a great ______, and the people and the environment in the destination continue to ______. If destinations are not protected, in environmental ______, people will not want to visit them. Equally, if the social and economic benefits are not there for the destination communities, then ______ will not be welcome.
If you can't see the video, listen to the audio recording below.
September 04, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'study abroad' topic
Watch the following short video, and fill the gaps in the summary below.
The 'study abroad' topic could also appear in the writing and speaking tests, so note the reasons why some students choose to study in a different country.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Amsterdam is one of the places that is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for a sort of ‘_____ _____’. Amsterdam University College offers courses in English in order to attract _____ from all over the world. The amount of British students has _____ over the last year, and they expect the numbers to increase considerably when tuition _____ in the UK rise next year.
August 27, 2014
IELTS Listening: CCTV topic
Watch the following news broadcast about CCTV (closed-circuit television). Do you think that having video cameras in public places is a good idea?
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Here are some of the points that were mentioned in the film. Try to organise them into arguments for and arguments against CCTV.
- invades privacy
- safety of the community
- invading every part of your life
- prosecutions with CCTV evidence
- crime prevention
- financial and privacy costs
- intrusion
- feel safer
- protection
- an excuse to have fewer police officers
August 04, 2014
IELTS Listening: useful language
There was some good language (vocabulary and grammar) in last week's listening exercise. Did you note it down?
- Notice that research is uncountable. You can't say "a research", so we use the phrase a piece of research.
- When you build upon what you've learned, you add to your knowledge.
- Instead of saying "learn skills" the speaker used the phrase acquire skills.
- The speaker also used the phrase in a proper academic fashion, meaning "in an academic style".
- To put forward is a phrasal verb that means to state, submit, suggest or offer e.g. put forward an argument.
July 23, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'dissertation' gap-fill
Listen to a lecturer explaining what a dissertation is.
Fill each gap in the following summary with ONE word.
A dissertation is piece of _____ research that you do at the end of your university life. It _____ upon everything that you have learned so far, and all the skills that you have _____ along the way.
These skills include: telling the audience what you have learned, writing in a proper academic _____, as well as putting forward, defending, discussing, _____ and concluding an _____.
A dissertation should focus on a _____ _____ that you select, and that you work on over your last year of study.
July 10, 2014
IELTS Listening: good vocabulary
Did you note down the good vocabulary from last week's listening lesson? Can you make your own sentences using the words and phrases below?
- can seem overwhelming
- receive wages
- pay household bills
- take money out
- day-to-day
- go overdrawn
- go into the red
- pay fees, pay interest
June 22, 2014
IELTS Listening: interesting videos
I haven't shared a video from ted.com for a while, so here's a short talk that you might find interesting. The presenter speaks very clearly and uses some useful vocabulary to explain his ideas.
June 16, 2014
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about 'sitting'
Listen to the following interview with a doctor about the risks of too much sitting, and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
- We spend about 10 hours a day sitting, which is an unprecedented _____ _____ activity.
- There are significant health risks _____ _____ sitting, for instance decreased life _____.
- Diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer are things that you wouldn’t intuitively associate with a sedentary _____.
- Our bodies _____ lack of movement as a _____.
June 06, 2014
IELTS Listening: capital letters and plurals
Here are two common questions about the IELTS listening test:
- Is it acceptable to use lower case instead of upper case e.g. "central station" when the answer is "Central Station"?
- Will you lose marks if you miss the "s" when the answer should be plural?
Here are my answers:
- Using lower case is fine, so "central station" would be correct. You can even write everything in capital letters if you want.
- Missing the "s" is sometimes acceptable and sometimes not. It's not acceptable when the grammar requires a plural e.g. "the journey takes three hour" would be wrong. Some answers can be singular or plural. Check the context of the question and the sentence grammar carefully.
May 28, 2014
IELTS Listening: listen for interest
As well as doing IELTS listening test practice, anything else that you listen to in English will help to improve your 'ear'. I recommend using websites like YouTube for daily listening practice: choose a topic that you find interesting, and search for videos about it.
For example, I'm interested in language learning (of course!). Here's a YouTube video that I found and watched yesterday:
If you found this video interesting, watch it a second time and note any new or useful phrases that you hear. If you didn't find it interesting, search for something different. As the speaker says at the start of the film, the key is to expose yourself to as much "comprehensible input" as possible!
May 19, 2014
IELTS Listening: gap-fill exercise
Listen to the information about a university visiting day.
Fill the gaps below using a maximum of three words and/or numbers.
1. The minimum notice period to arrange a visit is ______.
2. You may send your booking form by post, fax or ______.
3. If there are no places for your first choice, you will be offered an ______.
4. On arrival, you should go to the ______ between 9 and 9.15.
5. The maximum number of guests is ______.
May 12, 2014
IELTS Listening: transcript exercise
Here's the full transcript for last week's exercise about train tickets. Listen to the recording again, then fill the gaps in the transcript below.
The first thing any regular train user should do is to book their tickets in advance, _____ exactly 12 weeks in advance. Those £300 tickets to Manchester, you can get them for just £25 return if you go online. You go to a website called thetrainline.com, you fill in their ticket _____ system, and you’ll get an email telling you when those tickets are available. Because they often _____ _____ very quickly, so when you get that email, act straight away.
But, and I know this sounds a bit sneaky, don’t actually buy them on thetrainline.com, because you’ll have to pay a £1.50 booking fee, and if you’re using your credit card another £1.50. Instead, _____ over to the East Coast website - you’d think that’s only trains down the East coast from London up to Edinburgh - it’s not; they will sell tickets for any trains anywhere in the UK, and they don’t charge a booking fee, and they don’t charge for credit card. So that’s another two or three _____ saved.
If you haven’t been able to buy a ticket a long _____ in advance, it is still worth remembering that up until 6 o’clock on the night before, you can still get Advance tickets. They won’t be as cheap as the Super-Advance ones, 12 weeks in advance, but it’s still _____ trying to buy them the night before.
May 06, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'train tickets' exercise
Listen to the following advice about buying train tickets in the UK, and answer the questions below.
1. If you book 12 weeks in advance, you can get a return ticket to Manchester for £ ______.
2. Which website are you advised to use when paying for your ticket?
A) the East Coast website
B) thetrainline.com
C) the Ticket Alert website
3. Which TWO statements are true of the East Coast website?
A) You pay a £1.50 booking fee.
B) It can only be used for booking trains from London to Edinburgh.
C) You can use it to buy train tickets for anywhere in the UK.
D) You will not be charged for using a credit card.
E) You can buy a “Super Advance” ticket the night before your trip.
April 28, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'non-ielts' practice
As well as doing IELTS listening tests, it's important to do as much general listening practice as you can. My advice is to listen to things that you find interesting. The Internet is the best place to look for videos, radio broadcasts, podcasts, films and TV programmes.
Here's a suggestion for people following the World Cup:
If you're a football fan, why not listen to match commentary in English on an Internet radio station like this one? If you're watching a match on TV, turn the volume down and listen to the commentary in English (warning: commentators speak quickly!).
April 19, 2014
IELTS Listening: almost any listening is good practice!
It's important to practise real IELTS listening tests (use the Cambridge books for this), but that isn't the only type of listening practice you can do. I advise my students to watch TV, films and online videos - the more listening you do, the faster your 'ear' will improve!
If you find a good video on the Internet, please share it in the "comments" below.
April 05, 2014
IELTS Listening: gap-fill
Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in the summary below.
How to save money and stop spending
It's impossible to stop spending completely, but you can stop ______ spending, or ______ it. You really need to set up a ______; just take a look at how much money you bring home in your ______, and write down everything you spend on a piece of paper. The aim is to get a ______ on how much money you are bringing in and where it is going. Whether you use plastic or ______, record what you bought, where you bought it, and how much you ______. At the end of the month it's a real ______. You'll see a whole lot of ______ you can do.
March 31, 2014
IELTS Listening: keyword analysis
The table below shows 'keywords' from section 2 of listening test 3 in Cambridge IELTS book 5.
I think this table demonstrates that you need to be listening for 'similar words'. Also, I think the table shows how important it is to analyse the vocabulary in every practice test that you do. There are some great vocabulary items here: hold-up, the norm, demand exceeds supply, deal with, on your behalf.
March 24, 2014
IELTS Listening: ten tips
Here's a recording of my Ten tips for IELTS study video lesson. I made it primarily for people who can't see the video, but you might find it useful for listening practice even if you have seen the video.
March 12, 2014
IELTS Listening: more practice
Listen to the following recording and answer the questions below.
1. Which 3 things is the speaker going to talk about?
A) how to achieve your goals
B) how to waste time
C) how to deal with your boss
D) how to deal with your advisor
E) how to delegate
F) how to cope with stress
2. According to the speaker, Americans are good at ______ management, but bad at ______ management.
3. Almost nobody starts with the core ______ of "why am I doing this?"
Note:
If you would like to watch the rest of this presentation, click here.
March 05, 2014
IELTS Listening: another TED talk
Here's an interesting TED talk that I've just watched. The presenter speaks clearly, but you can turn the subtitles on if you need them.
Here's the first sentence of the talk. Fill the gaps!
A computer is an incredibly powerful _____ of creative expression, but for the _____ part, that expression is _____ to the screens of our laptops and mobile phones.
February 20, 2014
IELTS Listening: more keywords!
You can find 'keywords' in the listening test too. Here is some of the key vocabulary that helped my students to get the answers for test 1, section 4 in Cambridge IELTS book 5.
February 05, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'teleworking' topic
'Teleworking' means using telecommunications to enable people to work from outside the office (usually from home). Listen to the following recording, and note the benefits of teleworking from both a business and a personal perspective.
We'll look at the same topic in tomorrow's writing lesson.
January 26, 2014
IELTS Listening: multiple choice
My students found the following question quite difficult. It comes from Cambridge IELTS 6, page 14.
You will hear a conversation between Brian and his tutor.
What is Brian going to do before the course starts?
A) attend a class
B) write a report
C) read a book
Note:
In the recording I am reading both parts of the conversation (Brian / Tutor). In the real test, you will hear two different voices.
January 07, 2014
IELTS Listening: 'future jobs' lecture
Here's another interesting TED video. Please remember that this type of listening is more difficult than IELTS, so don't worry if you need to turn the subtitles on. Try to understand the overall message, and pick up some new phrases if you can.
January 01, 2014
IELTS Listening: gap-fill summary
Listen to the recording, then fill the gaps in the summary below.
Community service is the practice of ______ or ______ unpaid work. Examples of projects include cleaning a park, collecting items for ______ or cleaning ______ verges. Other examples include ______ children with learning disabilities or ______ money for the local area. Some students must do community service in order to receive their ______ ______ ______. 'Service learning' means that students have to show how their work has ______ to their education.
December 14, 2013
IELTS Listening: 3D printing lecture
Listen to the recording and answer the questions below.
1. Which 3D printed product can already be bought?
A) computers
B) glasses
C) mobile phones
2. Which THREE materials can be used in 3D printers?
A) paper
B) metal
C) wood
D) glass
E) concrete
3. Fill the gaps below with no more than TWO words.
Advantages of 3D printing:
As the technology develops, it will allow many products to be ______. Items will be delivered digitally, therefore reducing ______ and permitting more local manufacturing. The process will also lead to a reduction in ______ and a rise in ______.
November 12, 2013
IELTS Listening: 'litter' topic
Listen to the following interview about the problem of litter on a beach in England.
Fill the gaps in the summary below:
Over the _____ of the last weekend, the local authority collected 20 tonnes of rubbish from one beach. It costs the authority a great _____ of money to collect the rubbish, but they take _____ in their beach, and they want to _____ visitors. The leader of the local council would like people to take _____ for their rubbish and take it home.
He believes that there is an _____ of personal responsibility, but that suppliers should also think about how they _____ their goods. He says that the council needs to attack the problem at both _____.
October 30, 2013
IELTS Listening: keywords
I've talked about 'keywords' and keyword tables in many of my reading lessons (including yesterday's video lesson), but we haven't really looked at the same idea in the context of the listening test.
The table below shows the key vocabulary for test 4, section 3 in Cambridge IELTS book 5. Notice how the questions and answers contain similar words, just like those in the reading test.
Have you ever made a keyword table for a listening test? I think it's a really useful exercise, especially for sections 3 and 4.
October 09, 2013
IELTS Listening: improve your 'ear'
Improve your 'ear' was point 7 in the list of advice that I gave last week. Here's some more practice to help you with that.
I noted down some useful vocabulary while watching the video. Click here to download my notes.
September 14, 2013
IELTS Listening: more practice!
Here's another interesting TED presentation. The quick gap-fill exercise below comes from the start of the talk, but I'd recommend watching the whole thing if you have time. Turn the subtitles on if you need help.
mm
mm
We live in difficult and challenging ______ ______, of course. And one of the first ______ of difficult economic times, I think, is public spending of any kind, but certainly in the ______ ______ at the moment is public spending for science, and particularly curiosity-______ science and exploration. So I want to try and convince you in about 15 minutes that that's a ridiculous and ______ thing to do.
August 24, 2013
IELTS Listening: advertising
The following video is part of a documentary about the issue of advertising to children. As well as being good listening practice, the ideas in the video are really useful for IELTS writing and speaking.
Watch the video and fill the gaps in the summary below.
- Marketers have children in their sights because of their increasing ______ power.
- Children spend money on everything from clothes to music to ______.
- They directly influence the amount of adult ______.
- Marketers have studied the phenomenon of ______.
- Advertisers know that children have a lot of power in the ______.
- Children are bombarded with over 3000 ______ messages every day.
- Companies want to get brand ______ for life.
- They want to convince children that life is about ______.
- They want to turn children into ______ customers.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
August 15, 2013
IELTS Listening: 'money' topic
Here's an interesting presentation that millions of people have watched on YouTube. As well as making useful listening practice, it might help you with ideas for writing task 2 (money topic). The clear descriptions of graphs and bar charts are also useful for writing task 1.
Remember to note down any useful phrases that you hear.
August 08, 2013
IELTS Listening: gap-fill
Listen to the following talk about mistakes to avoid when writing a CV (curriculum vitae = a document that summarises your education and work experience).
Fill the gaps below with a MAXIMUM of THREE WORDS.
Common mistakes when writing a CV:
1. Having a ______ CV without a good structure.
2. Writing ______, with long paragraphs or sentences, will lose people's ______.
3. It's often hard to spot your own ______.
4. Unexplained gaps in the dates on your CV will raise questions about what you might be ______.
5. A gap in the dates could cause an employer to think ______.
July 10, 2013
IELTS Listening: multiple choice
Multiple choice questions can be difficult, especially when the speaker mentions all of the possible choices. Look at this example (Cambridge 7, page 15):
Janice thinks that employers should encourage workers who are
A) potential leaders.
B) open to new ideas.
C) good at teamwork.
This is what Janice says:
"Well, currently teamwork is in fashion in the workplace and in my opinion the importance of the individual is generally neglected. What managers should be targeting is those employees who can take the lead in a situation and are not afraid to accept the idea of responsibility."
As you can see, all three of the choices are mentioned. You really need to concentrate for this kind of question - don't just write the first thing you hear.
So, which answer is correct, and why?
June 28, 2013
IELTS Listening: gap-fill, multiple choice
Listen to the information about driving tests, and answer the questions below.
1. Fill the gaps below with no more than 3 words.
On the day of your test, you need to take the following with you:
- both parts of your ______
- theory test ______
- appointment letter or ______
2. What two things will the examiner do before the test?
A) Ask for a paper driving licence
B) Check your paperwork
C) Speak to your driving instructor
D) Give you the option of bringing your driving instructor with you
E) Give you and your instructor some feedback
3. Which two of the following statements are true of the test?
A) An eyesight check is not part of the test
B) You can ask the examiner questions about safety
C) You have to drive in a variety of traffic conditions
D) The test lasts about 10 minutes
E) You will be asked to follow signs or spoken instructions
June 19, 2013
IELTS Listening: nature or nurture?
The "nature or nurture" topic has appeared in different parts of the IELTS test. Do you know what "nature or nurture" means?
Watch the video and fill the gaps in the summary below.
We are all born with certain physical characteristics ______ by our genes. But does our DNA ______ how we act? Researchers say that genes help control how we ______ our environment, but can environment influence which genes are ______? That leads to debate over the role parents play in ______ their children. Some believe the stronger ______ influences happen outside the home. As scientists study DNA, they are starting to understand better what makes us ______.
If you can't see the video, here's an audio version:
June 12, 2013
IELTS Listening: real test samples
Yesterday I gave you a link to the reading test samples on ielts.org (the official IELTS website). Here's the link to the listening samples:
Click here for sample listening tests
Print the question sheets first. Don't try to do the tests on your computer.
May 03, 2013
IELTS Listening: great videos
One of my favourite sites for interesting videos is the RSA website. The short talks are great for listening practice, and the animation makes them easier to follow. Here's an example that I watched yesterday:
If you can't see YouTube videos, you might be able to download the original video on this page.
April 24, 2013
IELTS Listening: English as a global language
I occasionally re-post old lessons (to give the creative part of my brain a break!). Here's a lesson from 2010 that you might find interesting. I apologise if you've done the exercise before.
Fill the gaps in the sentences below.
- How many people are trying to learn English ______? Two billion of them.
- Learning English can give people the ______ for a better life, a job, to be able to pay for school, or ______ better food on the table.
- With English you can become part of a ______ conversation, a global conversation about global problems.
- English is becoming the language of ______ ______.
- English represents hope for a better future, where the world has a ______ language to solve its ______ problems.
March 09, 2013
IELTS Listening: education videos
I've used videos from ted.com in my lessons before, but did you know that there is a YouTube channel called TED-Ed which has some great education videos?
Here's one that I found interesting:
Can anyone summarise the content of this video?
January 23, 2013
IELTS Listening: another TED video
Here's another interesting video from the TED website. I haven't made an exercise for this one, but I'd like to suggest that you watch the talk 3 times:
1. Watch it once without subtitles - just enjoy the presentation.
2. Then watch it with subtitles so that you understand it fully.
3. Finally, watch again and write and new words or phrases in your notebook.
January 03, 2013
IELTS Listening: multiple choice
Watch the short video and answer the multiple choice questions below.
1. What is the speaker interested in?
A) only physics
B) many things, but not physics
C) physics and language groupings, among other things
D) long-distance relationships
2. How old does he think modern language is?
A) 20 to 25 thousand years old
B) not as old as cave paintings
C) as old as cave sculptures
D) at least 35 thousand years old
December 19, 2012
IELTS Listening: 'money' topic
I'd like to use the following video to get you thinking about the 'money' topic for writing task 2. We'll look at a task 2 question for this topic tomorrow.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
Questions:
Can you summarise the speaker's views? To what extent do you agree with him?
November 19, 2012
IELTS Listening: fill the gaps
Watch the video or listen to the recording below it.
Listen to the first speaker and fill the gaps in the following text.
The plane has been developed by lots of people ______ the years, but the Wright brothers certainly made it work and made it ______. Planes existed before, people had made aeroplanes fly before, but I always have a huge ______ for the inventor who really makes it work; Henry Ford I have the same admiration for because he made a car ______, and made it ______, and made it work. So the Wright brothers for me are probably the most - should be the most - ______ people when it comes to aeroplanes.
October 18, 2012
IELTS Listening: 'home' topic
Watch the following interesting video and answer the questions below.
- How many people live in Hong Kong?
- What commodity is lacking in Hong Kong?
- What nickname does the owner use for his home?
- How many different room combinations can he make?
- What two advantages do the mirrors have?
September 25, 2012
IELTS Listening: 'vegetarianism' topic
Do you have an opinion about vegetarianism? Could you write an essay about the arguments for and against a vegetarian diet? Today's video will give you some ideas.
Fill the gaps in the following summary.
The speaker states that eating a hamburger every day can ______ the ______ of dying by a third, and that the meat we eat comes from animals raised in ______ ______ ______. He argues that meat production causes more ______ than ______, and beef production uses ______ ______ the water that it takes to produce most vegetables.
August 26, 2012
IELTS Listening: great website
I've just watched a few videos on the RSA Animate website (there's an example below). I think these videos are a fantastic resource for English learners. If you can't watch the YouTube version, go to the RSA link above and choose the download option.
August 03, 2012
IELTS Listening: food documentary
The video below is part of a BBC documentary called "The Future of Food". I found it really interesting, and it's full of good IELTS vocabulary.
Fill the gaps in the sentences below (from the first 5 minutes of the film):
- The food we eat drains global water ______.
- Rising oil prices could lead to drastic ______ to our diet.
- Climate change ______ food production.
- Food production will have to ______ by the middle of this century.
- The ______ for food right across the world is rising.
July 21, 2012
IELTS Listening: 'food waste' topic
Here's another interesting video from ted.com. I've attached the full transcript of what the speaker says so that you can study it more carefully.
July 14, 2012
IELTS Listening: robots and jobs
Click on the link below and watch the YouTube video about robots and jobs.
Fill the gaps below to complete the list of jobs that robots can do:
- Filling syringes
- Sorting, dispensing and labelling ______
- Analysing ______
- Inventory management
- Picking up, ______ and delivering items
- Performing ______ work
- Reconnaissance and ______ missions in the battlefield
July 08, 2012
IELTS Listening: 3 useful websites
Here are 3 useful websites for IELTS listening practice. Click on the titles.
- Spelling Practice - If you have a problem with spelling, try this website. Choose a topic and take a spelling test. Part 3 of each test is probably the best (parts 1 and 2 might be too easy).
- Listening and Reading - This is not an IELTS website, but it's full of short texts that you can read and listen to at the same time. This could be a good way to work on your pronunciation (American English) and to extend your vocabulary.
- IELTS Tests - A website for test practice (click login as a guest to do the free tests).
June 28, 2012
IELTS Listening: interesting interview
In Sunday's lesson I suggested "reading around" topics to improve your language knowledge and your general knowledge.
I tried reading around last week's reading topic, the Eiger, and found this fascinating interview on YouTube:
Did you understand who the interviewee was, and what had happened to him?
June 13, 2012
IELTS Listening: multiple choice
Here is a tricky multiple-choice question (from Cambridge IELTS 5). The language is not too difficult; the problem is that all of the choices are mentioned, so you need to be really careful.
Try to get the answers by listening only once. Then listen a few more times to check - did you get the correct answer the first time?
You will hear information from a travel agent. Which TWO things are included in the price of the tour?
A) fishing trip
B) guided bushwalk
C) reptile park entry
D) table tennis
E) tennis
Tip: you will hear all of the choices, but only two of them are free (included in the price). You can share answers in the "comments" area below.
May 20, 2012
IELTS Listening: the future
Have a look at this interesting video about predictions for the year 2200. The speaker uses some useful vocabulary (don't forget you can "view subtitles").
Vocabulary from the video (look the words up if you don't know them):
scarcity
declining population
stagnation
have beneficial economic effects
the speculative value of property
lift a heavy burden off the world's poor
scarce labour drives wages
technological innovation
cultural heritage
we're in for another change
rash decisions
PS. You could look up 'Malthus' and 'The Enlightenment' on Wikipedia.
May 11, 2012
IELTS Listening: 'happiness' topic
Happiness, job satisfaction, and money are possible topics in both the writing test and the speaking test. The video below might help you with some ideas for the happiness topic. I've also made a quick listening exercise for you to try below the video.
Fill the gaps in the summary below with one word only.
I don’t think we have a great ______ idea of happiness. Many people imagine that happiness comes from something ______; if you get a new car, a better job, a bigger house, you’ll be happy. Whenever I hear the phrase ‘the ______ of happiness’, the image that comes to my mind is of racing dogs chasing a mechanical rabbit that’s always just out of ______. I think a much better goal of life is to be content. Contentment is an inner feeling of satisfaction that’s not dependent on external factors. I argue that the goal is to enhance contentment, comfort, serenity and ______ so that you can roll with the ups and ______ of life and not get thrown off too much. I think it is not realistic to try to be happy all the time; we’re ______ to be sad or blue some of the time; I think that’s part of the ______ experience.
March 14, 2012
IELTS Listening: 'effective teachers' transcript
Several people commented that they found last week's listening exercise useful, but that they would like to see the full transcript of what the speaker said.
Here's the recording again, with the full transcript and answers underlined:
There are several things that we know about really effective teachers. One of them is that the most effective teachers have the largest number of metaphors and the largest number of examples to choose from, and they’re the best at choosing the right ones, and techniques at the right moment. So, really expert teachers - I think it helps to be old in this, you know, or to learn from people who’ve been around for a while - really excellent teachers have a vast store of ‘moves’ (if we think of them as chess players) that they can go to in a given situation. And so the more moves you have, you know, the more arrows in your quiver, the more likely you are to be able to get through those sorts of moments. But again, just moving makes a difference for students in being able to pay attention, and it’s also a way of signalling when you’re going to change up.
February 26, 2012
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about consumerism
Listen to the recording about materialism (attaching importance to money and possessions). Then fill the gaps in the text below.
Beginning in the 1990s, the most ______ ______ given for attending college had changed from reasons such as becoming an ______ in a field or helping others to the ______ ______ ______ a lot of money. At the same time, compact disc players, ______ ______, personal computers, and cellular telephones all began to integrate into ______ ______. Madeline Levine criticised what she saw as a large change in American culture – “a shift away from ______ ______ ______, spirituality, and integrity, and toward competition, materialism and disconnection.”
February 20, 2012
IELTS Listening: older people are happier
Today's video is another one from ted.com. The topic of 'older people' has appeared several times in recent IELTS tests, so hopefully this video will give you some useful bits of vocabulary.
Try this quick gap-fill exercise from the first minute of the video:
People are living longer, and societies are getting ______. We’ve come to accept longer lives with a kind of ______. But longer lives can and will improve ______ ______ ______ at all ages. To put this into perspective: more years were added to average life ______ in the 20th century than all years added across all ______ millennia of human evolution ______. In the ______ of an eye, we nearly ______ the length of time that we’re living.
February 01, 2012
IELTS Listening: advice for section 4
Most students find section 4 of the listening test difficult, and people often ask me for advice about it.
The problem is that section 4 is supposed to be difficult: there is no break in the middle, the speaker usually talks quite quickly, and a wide range of vocabulary is used.
So, it might seem like strange advice, but I tell my students not to worry too much about section 4. Instead, we do more work on the other three sections. If you get high scores in sections 1 to 3, you don't need many points from section 4.
Here are the scores I tell my students to aim for:
- Section 1: 10 correct answers
- Section 2: 8 correct answers
- Section 3: 7 correct answers
- Section 4: 5 correct answers
As you can see, the total is 30 (band 7), but we only need 5 correct answers for section 4.
January 15, 2012
IELTS Listening: more numbers and letters!
Here are some examples from Cambridge IELTS book 7. Listen to the recording, and fill the gaps in the questions below.
- Surname: _____
- Flight number: _____
- Credit card number: _____
- Surname: _____
- Room number: _____
- Passport number: _____
January 06, 2012
IELTS Listening: numbers and letters
Today's exercise gives you some practice listening to numbers and letters. Listen to the recording, and fill the gaps in the questions below.
- Flight number: _____
- Flight number: _____
- Reference number: _____
- Reference number: _____
- Surname: _____
- Surname: _____
- Address: _____ _____
- Address: _____ _____
- Telephone number: _____
- Telephone number: _____
PS. Thanks to Mohamed Salamat for suggesting this exercise!
December 29, 2011
IELTS Listening: gap-fill
Today's video is about the same topic as yesterday's IELTS Reading text. The presenter gives some good tips on how to deliver a short sales presentation.
Fill the gaps in the following summary of the video:
A good elevator pitch is made up of two key ______. First, you have to lay out the "______ statement": What problem is it that you are trying to solve? Second, you must show the "______ proposition": How does your ______ solve that problem?
Every great elevator pitch must meet four key tests: First, it must be ______. Second, it must be easy to understand; there's no ______ for "tech-talk". Third, it must be greed-inducing; after all, ______ want to make money, and lots of it. Finally, it has to be irrefutable; if your elevator pitch leaves investors with more ______ than ______, you'd better go back to the ______ board.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
December 15, 2011
IELTS Listening: find the comparisons
Here's another short video from the Economist Multimedia website:
The speaker compares days off work in different countries. Can you find the 4 comparisons he makes using the words/phrases below?
- whereas
- but
- by contrast
- while
December 08, 2011
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about population
The following video comes from the Economist magazine's multimedia library (click here to watch and listen to some more useful videos and audio).
The gap-fill exercise comes from the introduction at the beginning of the video.
Fill the gaps:
In 1950, the world’s population was around ______ billion. It more than doubled ______ the next 50 years. In the mid-80’s, the ______ ______ slowed. By 2050, the world’s population is ______ to stabilise at around 9 billion. According to the UN’s population division, between 2010 and 2015, around half of the world’s people will live in countries with fertility ______ of no more than 2.1, the replacement ______ of fertility.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.
December 01, 2011
IELTS Listening: globalisation
Several students have asked me about globalisation recently. Here's a video I put on the site nearly 2 years ago. I think the speaker presents some useful ideas about the positives of globalisation.
I've summarised some of the benefits of globalisation below. Use the video to help you fill the gaps.
1. Globalisation extends cooperation across ______ boundaries.
2. Trade increases, and growth can extend to all ______ of the world.
3. People are raised out of ______.
4. Larger markets increase the ______ to produce new ideas.
5. There is a greater ______ for new ideas.
6. Investments in education are increasing the ______ of new ideas.
7. Education systems are open to students from ______ ______ the world.
Note:
The speaker says that "walls have come tumbling down". This phrase is fine for speaking, but I wouldn't use it in the writing test. 'Tumbling' means 'falling'.
November 22, 2011
IELTS Listening: test your spelling
An easy way to test your spelling is to use the answers at the back of the Cambridge IELTS books. Ask a friend to read the answers, and try to write them down. Then check to see if you made any spelling mistakes.
Here's an example using some answers from Cambridge book 7:
Note: you might need to stop the recording after each word.
November 03, 2011
IELTS Listening: multiple choice practice
Here's a multiple choice question from the official IELTS website, ielts.org. The transcript and correct answers are below the questions.
October 29, 2011
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about goals
Many people set themselves goals at the beginning of a new year. Watch the video about this topic then fill the gaps in the summary below.
Summary:
When you talk to others about a goal, you already feel one step ______ to achieving it. However, that good feeling actually makes you less ______ to achieve the goal. Telling someone your goals makes them ______ likely to happen because the mind is ______ into feeling that the goal has already been achieved. This goes against conventional ______. In one study, people who announced their commitment to a goal tended to ______ earlier than those who kept their mouths ______.
Note:
I thought this was quite interesting. Do you agree with the speaker?
October 24, 2011
IELTS Listening: nuclear power debate
Watch this interesting debate about nuclear power. It's good listening practice, and the arguments are really useful for IELTS writing and speaking. Use the subtitles and note down the vocabulary for each opinion.
September 28, 2011
IELTS Listening: watch short videos
If you watch a 2-hour film in English, your aim should be to understand the general idea or the story. Don't worry about understanding every word!
However, if you watch a 2-minute online video, your aim should be different. Watch the video several times, look up new words or phrases, and take notes. You could even try to write your own subtitles for the whole video.
The Economist website has a great selection of short videos that you could study in this way. Click here to go to the site, or watch the example below.
September 05, 2011
IELTS Listening: 'mathematics' topic
Watch the following presentation by a mathematics professor, and answer the questions below.
1. Which verbs does the speaker use with the following nouns?
- suggestion
- trends
- the future
2. What words or phrases does he use to express the following ideas?
- improve a lot
- put into effect
- cheap
- every day
August 10, 2011
IELTS Listening: the effects of inequality
Last week's writing task 2 question was about equality. I'll share my full essay about that topic tomorrow, but first you might be interested to watch the following video about the effects of inequality.
Feel free to discuss any ideas or opinions you have in the "comments" area below this lesson.
July 09, 2011
IELTS Listening: tips to improve your spelling
Many students get low scores in IELTS listening because they make spelling mistakes. Here are some tips to improve your spelling:
1. Make a spelling list
Every time you make a spelling mistake, write the correct spelling of the word on a list. Hopefully the list of words that you can spell correctly will grow and grow.
2. Learn by heart
The only way to make sure that your spelling improves is to learn words by heart. Learn the words on your spelling list, and test yourself once a week.
3. Rules don't help very much
You could easily get lost in the labyrinth of English spelling rules. It's easier to remember the spelling of individual words than it is to remember all the rules.
4. Get a dictionary 'app' for your phone
Do you look up words in a dictionary at least once a day? Having a dictionary application on your phone makes it easy. The Merriam-Webster dictionary app for the iPhone is a good one (and it's free).
July 05, 2011
IELTS Listening: obesity problem
Today's video contains some useful ideas for the 'health' topic. The presenter speaks passionately about the obesity problem and how to solve it.
Fill the gaps in this summary of the first 5 minutes of the talk:
The speaker claims that many American children will have a ______ ______ than their parents. Two thirds of Americans are statistically ______ or obese, and ______-______ disease is now the biggest ______ in the United States. Obesity costs the country 10% of ______ ______ bills, or $150 dollars a year.
June 29, 2011
IELTS Listening: job satisfaction
Watch the video and fill the gaps in the summary below.
Americans are apparently becoming more dissatisfied with the daily ______. A survey has found that worker dissatisfaction has been ______ ______ ______ for more than two decades. In 1987, about 60% of workers said they were satisfied, but today the figure is ______ to 45%.
Dissatisfaction is growing in relation to all aspects of jobs, including job security, ______, ______, bonuses and potential for growth. Some economists believe that this dissatisfaction could ______ innovation, and hurt ______ and ______.
June 08, 2011
IELTS Listening: watch Harvard lectures
There are some great Harvard lecures on YouTube. The example below comes from a series of lectures on political philosophy. I found the series really interesting, and it's fantastic listening practice.
To watch other lectures in the series click here.
May 24, 2011
IELTS Listening: watch TV programmes
Watching TV programmes is a good way to improve your listening. The video below is a clip from a TV programme called "Dragons' Den".
If you live in the UK you can watch Dragons' Den on BBC 2 tonight. Otherwise, you can find clips on YouTube.
May 10, 2011
IELTS Listening: great videos
You should definitely check out the videos from RSA Animate on YouTube. The video below is a good one to start with.
April 06, 2011
IELTS Listening: great speech
Today's video has been watched by millions of people on YouTube. It's a speech by Steve Jobs (Apple boss) telling the story of his life.
Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Hopefully you'll find the video interesting, and maybe inspiring. If you have time, take note of any useful words and phrases.
PS. I shared this video over a year ago, but I thought I'd share it again for people who missed it.
February 12, 2011
IELTS Listening: the future
Here's an interesting video from ted.com (my favourite video website). The presenter asks us to think about which news stories will matter in the long run.
will matter = will be important
in the long run = in the long term/ in the distant future
If you watch the video with subtitles, it's also interesting to analyse the grammar used to talk about the future. The presenter mostly uses going to but he also uses will, might and may.
January 26, 2011
IELTS Listening: gap-fill about libraries
Watch the video about the future of libraries, and fill the gaps in the text below.
Thanks to Safaa for finding this interesting video!
Fill the gaps by listening to the first 3 minutes of the video.
Academic libraries are changing faster now than at any time in their history. The ______ ______ of the library as a physical space housing racks of books and papers is coming under increasing ______. The library stands at a crossroads.
In the digital age, there is an ever-increasing amount of information available to use in a wide ______ of different ______, and change will be ______ by the people that use this information.
While demand for change is coming from users, it is technology that is making it possible to ______ this demand. As more and more resources are available on the Internet via search engines, students and researchers now expect to be able to ______ information around the clock from almost anywhere in the world and via a growing number of ______, from laptops to phones.
January 12, 2011
IELTS Listening: the future of books?
Sometimes I like to share videos simply because I found them interesting. The video below comes from ted.com, one of my favourite websites, and subtitles can be turned on if you need them.
The presenter gives us an interesting glimpse into the future of ebooks. Would you like to read books like this, or do you prefer the book in its traditional form?
December 08, 2010
IELTS Listening: online lectures
If you want to do some academic listening on a daily basis, have a look at YouTube Edu (YouTube's education site).
Many universities now have their own pages on this site. You can search for lectures by subject (using the categories on the left of the page) or by university (below the YouTube Edu search bar).
Have a look for lectures related to your field of studies. Some of the universities even offer full courses that you can follow for free.
September 13, 2010
IELTS Listening: mobile phones
Watch the first minute of the video and complete the text below.
In 2000 there were 700 million ______ ______ ______, three quarters of which were in the ______ ______. Yet by the end of 2008 there were around 4 billion, three quarters of them in the ______ ______. What was once a yuppie toy has become a tool of ______ ______, even in the world's poorest places.
Developing countries are now ______ the market's ______. In the 12 months to the end of March 2009, the number of ______ ______ in India increased by 128 million, or 52%. In Western Europe, by contrast, the number of subscribers increased by 27 million, or 5%.
Note:
If you can't see the video properly, click here to watch it on the Economist site.
September 04, 2010
IELTS Listening: 'obesity' topic
Listen to the news report about obesity in the UK, then fill the gaps in the text. Share and compare your answers in the "comments" area.
Today’s survey shows that ______ ______ ______ in the East Midlands is overweight. The research found that the region ______ ______ ______ average Body Mass Index score in the country, bordering on obese.
As a region, it means we’ve got a much ______ ______ ______ ______ type 2 diabetes; a much ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ and some forms of cancer. And of course, that all ______ ______ ______ ______ the National Health Service.
Overall, the survey showed that 13 million adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. ______ ______ ______ the NHS an estimated 4.2 billion pounds a year.
August 24, 2010
IELTS Listening: the problem of plastic
Watch the video and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
1. Throwaway plastics take a lot of space and don't ______.
2. Plastics are also hard to ______.
3. A large fraction of our trash will ______ ______ rivers to the sea.
4. Birds often mistake bottle caps for ______.
5. Many fish have polluted plastic ______ in their stomachs.
6. The throwaway society cannot be ______; it has gone ______.
7. The solution is to stop plastic at its ______.
August 21, 2010
IELTS Listening: space tourism
Watch the video about the future of space tourism. Then answer the questions below (use the comments option to share or compare your answers).
- The video begins with this sentence: "Space tourism might seem like pie in the sky." What does this mean?
- Where do companies plan to travel to by 2010?
- What happened in 2004?
- What have more than 250 people done?
- What's the name of the yellow spaceship project?
- How are flights with this company different to the trips planned by other companies?
May 16, 2010
IELTS Listening: success!
Here is one of my favourite videos from ted.com. Hopefully you will be able to apply some of the speaker's advice to your IELTS preparation.
What do you think the speaker means when he says:
- She wanted to make something of her life.
- I'm gonna tell you what makes TED-sters tick.
- Put your nose down in something.
- Or failing that, do the eight things...
If the subtitles don't work, go to ted.com and search for "8 secrets". While you're there, have a look at some other TED videos.
Note:
The speaker uses the word "workafrolics". This is not a real word, but the word "frolic" is related to playing or having fun, so maybe you can guess what he means.
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IELTS Listening: crime topic
The following video is about what the police are doing to reduce youth crime in an area of the UK. Two solutions are given: special police teams on the streets, and a local resource centre with activities for young people.
The ideas in the video are also useful for IELTS writing task 2.
Listen and fill the gaps below:
1. Neighbourhood task teams have had an immediate impact in ______ crime.
2. They have a long-term ______ on crime levels.
3. We’re ______ anti-social behaviour.
4. We’re working with partner agencies to help ______ solutions.
5. The creation of a neighbourhood resource centre has ______ a big difference.
6. The centre offers a ______ of activities to all ages.
7. The police can work with the ______, and are seen in a whole new light.
8. There’s been a marked ______ in crime and vandalism.
9. These are important ______ to local communities.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
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IELTS Listening: iPod
The following video isn't really about an IELTS topic; I just think it's interesting. You'll see the boss of Apple introducing the first iPod in 2001. At the time nobody knew what an iPod was, and now almost everyone has one! This is also a great example of how to do a presentation.
Listen and fill the gaps below:
- Music is a part of ______ life.
- It’s a very large ______ market.
- It knows no ______.
- In this whole digital ______ there is no market leader.
- No one has found the ______ yet.
- People trust the Apple ______.
- This is a ______ leap.
- It holds your ______ music library.
- Your whole music library ______ in your pocket.
- It’s an amazing little ______.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
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IELTS Listening: environment topic
The video below is about climate change. I think it's useful for three reasons:
- The style (academic, formal) is quite similar to IELTS listening section 4.
- The description of a graph is useful for IELTS writing task 1.
- The film contains some great vocabulary for the environment topic (IELTS writing task 2 and IELTS speaking).
Listen and fill the gaps in the summary:
The graph helps us to distinguish between variations in the climate due to ______ causes and those variations that are induced by human ______.
The climate is naturally variable. Occasionally there is a downward trend that is associated with a volcano going off. Then we get to a period, from about 1910, where you can start to see an upward trend, a warming of the climate: ______ ______.
Up to this point, you could argue that climate variation can be explained by natural ______. That is no longer the case as you get to the latter part of the 20th century. From about 1970 onwards, you can see the red curve and the green curve beginning to diverge. The yellow curve includes human factors: in particular the ______ effect, which is mostly caused by carbon dioxide from ______ fuel burning.
There seems little doubt that this steep rise in temperature is due to human activity. Without the action of ______ ______, there would have been far less ______ change since the 1970’s.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
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IELTS Listening: multicultural society
Watch the following video and try the gap-fill exercise for IELTS listening practice.
Multiculturalism and immigration are also possible topics for IELTS writing task 2. Do you have an opinion about these issues? The video should give you some ideas.
Listen and fill the gaps:
- Immigration has become a hot political, economic and ______ issue.
- Minorities are creating identities that combine ________ of both cultures.
- Different cultures are coming ________ and enriching society.
- There is no dominant ________.
- It is becoming part of everyday _____.
- I’ve learnt new languages, and to be more friendly and _________.
- I’ve learnt how to interact with other cultures and _______ them.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
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IELTS Listening/Speaking: describe a city
I've used the following video with some of my classes. Try the gap-fill exercise for IELTS listening practice.
The topic of the video, a description of a city, is useful for IELTS speaking. Try using words or phrases from the video to describe a place you have visited.
Listen and fill the gaps:
1. Copenhagen is stylish, ______ and frequently cloudy or rainy.
2. Its location is ______. It’s the bridge between Europe and Scandinavia.
3. The locals ______ to be bike-riding, taciturn and very good-looking.
4. My best piece of ______ for travellers is to wear comfortable shoes.
5. If you can get a ______ point, the views over the city are ______.
6. Learning the language is an exercise in ______.
7. It’s ______ of people who are helpful and practical.
8. Travellers should take a ______ of humour and a ______ mind.
If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below:
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IELTS Listening: world population
Watch this fascinating presentation about world population changes. It's full of good 'IELTS language'. I recommend watching with the subtitles on.
PS. The presenter is not a native English speaker, but his grammar is perfect. The only mistakes are in his pronunciation of 'digital' and 'nuclear'.
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IELTS Listening: good websites
I've used a lot of videos from ted.com on this website. Here's another really good website for interesting videos: fora.tv
Of course, these are not IELTS websites, but you will not improve your listening skills by doing IELTS tests alone.
If you need to use English for study or work purposes, you should do as much listening as possible. Have a look at fora.tv and tell me what you think.
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IELTS Listening: the learning revolution
Here's another good video from ted.com. The presenter speaks very clearly, but it's still a good idea to turn the subtitles on.