iPass IELTS Blog

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iPass IELTS Toolkit - now yours for free!

The IELTS Toolkit is designed to help you with specific areas of English grammar and vocabulary which can prevent IELTS candidates from getting a high band score in their speaking and writing tests.

Many of our students get stuck on band 6 or band 6.5 but we find that they only need to work on specific things in order to make the difference to band 7 or higher.

It’s very difficult to know what those specific things are without getting expert guidance and feedback from an IELTS specialist teacher which is what we offer with our online IELTS courses at iPass.

When our students are given their 1-2-1 feedback from their tutor, they are often directed to specific exercises in our IELTS toolkit.

It could be an area of grammar such as ‘incorrect use of verb tenses’ or ‘misusing the passive’ or it could be something related to vocabulary such as ‘too many spelling mistakes’ or ‘not using enough collocations’. Or it could be a particular writing or speaking skill such as not ‘structuring an essay correctly’ or ‘not using enough linkers’.

Once the tutor has pinpointed the error, the student will be advised to do some follow-up exercises before the next writing task or speaking session. In this way, our students improve with each practice test that they do, so that when it comes to taking the actual exam, they feel much more confident about their language skills and have a much better chance of getting the scores they need.

And the really great news is that we have now made the entire IELTS toolkit a free public resource so anyone who is preparing for the IELTS exam or who just wants to improve their English grammar or vocabulary can have unlimited access to all the exercises free of charge!

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NEW! IELTS Indicator test

test

IELTS Partners have launched a new IELTS Indicator test, for students who are not able to attend an IELTS test centre due to the Covid-19 related restrictions.

From April 22nd, IELTS candidates will be able to book the timed online test which will assess their English language skills in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking from the comfort of their home.

The format and the timing of the new online version will be the same as the regular IELTS test and candidates will still conduct their speaking test face-to-face with a trained IELTS Examiner via a video call.

The tests will still also be marked by official IELTS Examiners, although it should be noted that the purpose of the test is to give universities a clear indication of an applicant’s English language level.

This will allow students to go ahead with their university applications during the current period of disruption. However, it should be noted that as IELTS Indicator provides an indicative score only, it is not accepted by all organisations.

Therefore, before booking the test, candidates should check with their university or educational institution to see if the result will be accepted or not.

The IELTS Indicator test will be available in selected locations where it is not currently possible to deliver in-person IELTS testing and it will be delivered online once a week at scheduled times.


Candidates will be able to book a test from 22 April.

Click here for more information

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Thank you….thank you….thank you

nurses

During this incredibly challenging time, I would just like to take the opportunity to say a massive thank you to all health workers around the world who are working under extreme pressure and putting their own lives at risk on a daily basis in order to save others from this terrible virus. Over the 12 years that we have been preparing candidates for IELTS, a large proportion of our students have been nurses, midwives, paediatricians, doctors, surgeons, pharmacists and care workers, so as teachers we have learnt a lot about their professions and the conditions that they work under during normal times. It is by no means an easy sector to work in. It requires a lot of training, a lot of personal sacrifice and a lot of hard work, although as many of our students tell us, it is also an extremely rewarding vocation, knowing that you are making a difference to people’s lives and an invaluable contribution to society.

During these unprecedented times, when much of the world is living under lockdown, quarantined at home and uncertain about the future, the life-saving skills of our incredible doctors and nurses, not to mention their own personal sacrifice, has never been greater. I live in Spain, where the effect of the coronavirus has been particularly harsh, and at 8pm every evening we get an opportunity to thank the amazing health workers in our country for the huge battle they are facing every day, not only in treating the sick and dying, but knowing that many won’t survive and that they are the only ones able to offer any comfort in the patients’ final hours since their own loved ones cannot be present. I really cannot imagine the psychological strain that this must be causing as well as the physical pressure that they are already enduring.

When I do stop to think about it every evening at 8pm, I am immensely grateful because they really are the true heroes in fighting this pandemic. Of course there are more people we need to be thankful for such as the scientists who are desperately trying to find a vaccine, the factory workers who are making sure we still have food in the shops, the delivery drivers who make sure essential food and medicine reaches people in need, teachers who continue to offer classes online while schools are closed and many others who are taking personal risks in order to keep some level of society going. But I would really like to say a very special thanks to all our nursing students, past and present, with whom I’ve had many, many conversations with over the years and got to know on quite a personal level. I know how much commitment and dedication you all put into your jobs but I can only imagine what you are having to deal with during these extremely difficult weeks.

As a final note, all I can say is that I hope you are all safe and well and receiving the proper care and attention you need as well as your patients. Stay safe and keep doing the amazing work that you do. The whole world is incredibly grateful to you right now and I hope that when this pandemic is over, you will gain the recognition and kudos that you all deserve.

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COVID 19: our offer

20% discount

The Coronavirus pandemic is proving to be an extremely challenging situation for so many people around the world as we learn to live and work in ways that most of us have never experienced before.

At iPass, we are doing what we can to help IELTS test candidates by:

Click here for the latest IELTS test updates.

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Kham - iPass student of the month!

At iPass, we always admire students who have a clear goal and are 100% focused on achieving which is why we have chosen Khamsaveng as our student of the month.

Kham joined iPass in November 2018 with a B1 level of English, having taken IELTS back in 2013 with an overall band score of 5. His target this time was to increase his score to an overall band 6 which was the requirement for his postgraduate research scholarship in New Zealand.

Knowing that it would not be easy to increase his level from B1 to B2 in 6 months, he opted for the IELTS 7 course which includes a free 100-hour Intermediate English course and began by improving his general English before later concentrating on his IELTS preparation.

It was a very methodical and sensible approach and all of Kam’s efforts paid off because last week he wrote to say he had achieved his goal of overall band 6, with band 7 in speaking - a really great result!!

Everyone on the iPass team wishes Kham every success in his future endeavours and an exciting study experience in New Zealand!

kham

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IELTS Reading made easier - matching headings

Read the following article and then match each paragraph (A-E) with a suitable heading from the list (i - xiii). You can find the answers at the bottom of the page.

Before you start, read our TOP TIPS for how to do this type of IELTS Reading question.

  1. Read the headings before you read the passage.
  2. Read ALL the headings before trying to match them to a paragraph.
  3. There are often more headings than you need.
  4. Answers are often given as i. ii. iii. etc. – read the question carefully to check.
  5. Answers do not come in order in this type of question.

Five ways the world is doing better than you think

Many people don’t know about the enormous progress most countries have made in recent decades - or maybe the media hasn’t told them. But with the following five facts everyone can upgrade their world view.

A It’s a largely untold story - gradually, the demographic forces that drove the global population growth in the 20th Century have shifted. Fifty years ago the world average fertility rate - the number of babies born per woman - was five. Since then, this most important number in demography has dropped to 2.5 - something unprecedented in human history - and fertility is still trending downwards. It’s all thanks to a powerful combination of female education, access to contraceptives and abortion, and increased child survival. In the last decade the global total number of children aged 0-14 has levelled off at around two billion, and UN population experts predict that it is going to stay that way throughout this century. The population will continue to grow as this generation grows up and grows old. So three or four billion new adults will be added to the world population - but then in the second half of this century the fast growth of the world population will finally come to an end.

B Fifty years ago we had a divided world. There were two types of countries, and they differed in almost every way. One type of country was rich and the other poor. One had small families, the other large families. One had long life expectancy, the other short. Between these two groups, in the middle, there was hardly anyone. So much has changed, especially in the last decade, that the countries of the world today defy all attempts to classify them into only two groups. So many of the formerly “developing” group of countries have been catching up that the countries now form a continuum. From those nations at the top of the health and wealth league, like Norway and Singapore, to the poorest nations torn by civil war, like DR Congo and Somalia, there are now countries right along the socio-economic spectrum. And most of the world’s people live in the middle. Half the world’s economy - and most of the world’s economic growth - now lies outside Western Europe and North America.

C Fifty years ago, the average life expectancy in the world was 60 years. Today it’s 70 years. What’s more, that average in the 1960s masked a huge gap between long lifespans in “developed” and short lifespans in “developing” countries. But today’s average of 70 years applies to the majority of people of the world. Most of the world’s countries have caught up far more quickly in health than in wealth. For instance, Vietnam has the same health as the US had in 1980 but so far only the same income per person as the US had in 1880! Behind the increased lifespan lies an impressive drop in child mortality. Tragically, seven million of the 135 million children born each year still die before they reach five years old. But in 1960 one in five children died before the age of five. Today it’s one in 20, and the rate is still falling. One common myth is that better healthcare just leads to faster population growth. But paradoxically the opposite is true, because there is only ever demand for family planning when child mortality drops sufficiently.

D The greatest change for girls and young women in the world today is probably more education. In the world as a whole, men aged between 25 and 34 have on average spent eight years at school - and women from the same age group are now just behind them, with an average of seven years’ schooling. In fact, in some poorer countries such as Bangladesh, girls now attend primary and secondary school in the same numbers as boys. Of the 60 million children in the world who still don’t even go to primary school, it’s almost always because of their extreme poverty - they are needed by their families to work. Only about 10% of girls who can’t go to school are stopped by cultural taboos. The better education of girls is just a first step on the long road to gender equity. E What is “extreme poverty”? Economists define it as an income of less than $1.25 per day. In reality, it means that a family cannot be sure from one day to the next that they will have enough to eat. Children have to work instead of going to school. Children die from easily preventable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. And for women it means uncontrolled fertility and families of six or more children. But the number of people in extreme poverty, according to the World Bank, has fallen from two billion in 1980 to just over one billion today. Though many people in the world still live on a very low income, six out of seven billion are now out of extreme poverty. These families have fewer children, of whom the vast majority survive, get enough food and go to school. In fact, for the first time ever, the evidence suggests it is now possible for the last billion to also get out of the misery of extreme poverty in the next few decades.

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

List of Headings

i. Poorer families are having more children.
ii. The end of severe economic scarcity is within sight.
iii. Fast population growth is on the way out.
iv. The ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ worlds have gone.
v. Girls have more access to education.
vi. People are much healthier.
vii. Women are outperforming men at school.
viii. People will have fewer children in the future than they do now.


1. Paragraph A = ?
2. Paragraph B = ?
3. Paragraph C = ?
4. Paragraph D = ?
5. Paragraph E = ?

 

 

 

Answers:

1. iii
2. iv
3. vi
4. v
5. ii

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IELTS Reading made easier - sentence completion

Reading passages in the Academic IELTS test are approximately 800-1000 words and can be from a range of subjects including health, science, technology and the environment.

The title of this article is called “Is the pen still mightier than the keyboard?”. You can find the answers at the bottom of the page.

Computers may dominate our lives, but mastery of penmanship brings us important cognitive benefits, research suggests.

In the past few days you may well have scribbled out a shopping list on the back of an envelope or stuck a Post-it on your desk. Perhaps you made a few quick notes during a meeting. But when did you last draft a long text by hand? How long ago did you write a “proper” letter, using a pen and a sheet of writing paper? Are you among the increasing number of people who are switching completely from writing to typing?

According to a recent British study of 2,000 participants, one in three had not written anything by hand in the previous six months. On average they had not put pen to paper in the previous 41 days. People undoubtedly write more than they suppose, but one thing is certain: with information technology we can write so fast that handwritten copy is fast disappearing.

In the United States, where email and texting have largely replaced snail mail, and students take notes on their laptops, “cursive” writing – in which the pen is not raised between each character – has been dropped from the school curriculum. American children are required to learn how to use a keyboard and write in print. But they will no longer need to worry about the up and down strokes involved in “joined-up” writing. “Schools shouldn’t cling to cursive based on the romantic idea that it’s a tradition, an art form or a basic skill whose disappearance would be a cultural tragedy,” claimed an editorial in the Los Angeles Times.

This minor revolution is by no means the first of its kind. Ever since writing was first invented, in Mesopotamia in about 4000BC, it has been through plenty of technological upheavals. The tools and media used for writing have changed many times: from Sumerian tablets to the Phoenician alphabet of the first millennium BC; from the invention of paper in China about 1,000 years later to the first handwritten sheets bound together to make a book; from the invention of printing in the 15th century to the appearance of ballpoint pens in the 1940s.

So at first sight the battle between keyboards and pens might seem to be no more than the latest twist in a very long story. What really matters is not how we produce a text but its quality, we are often told.

But experts on writing do not agree: pens and keyboards bring into play very different cognitive processes. “Handwriting is a complex task which requires various skills – feeling the pen and paper, moving the writing implement, and directing movement by thought,” says Edouard Gentaz, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Geneva. “Children take several years to master this precise motor exercise.”

Operating a keyboard is not the same: all you have to do is press the right key. It is easy enough for children to learn very fast, but above all the movement is exactly the same whatever the letter.

An electronic text does not leave the same mark as its handwritten counterpart either. “When you draft a text on the screen, you can change it as much as you like but there is no record of your editing,” Gentaz adds. “With a pen and paper, it’s all there. Words crossed out or corrected, bits scribbled in the margin are there for good, leaving a visual and tactile record of your work and its creative stages.”

But does all this really change our relation to reading and writing? The advocates of digital documents are convinced it makes no difference. “What we want from writing – and what the Sumerians wanted – is cognitive automaticity, the ability to think as fast as possible, freed as much as can be from the strictures of whichever technology we must use to record our thoughts,” writes Anne Trubek, associate professor of rhetoric and composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. “This is what typing does. It allows us to go faster, not because we want everything faster in our hyped-up age, but for the opposite reason: we want more time to think.”

Some neuroscientists are not so sure. They think that giving up handwriting will affect how future generations learn to read. “Drawing each letter by hand substantially improves subsequent recognition,” Gentaz explains. In a study of children aged three to five, the group that learned to write letters by hand were better at recognising them than the group that learned to type them on a computer. This experiment was repeated on adults, teaching them Bengali or Tamil characters. The results were much the same as with the children.

Although learning to write by hand does seem to play an important part in reading, no one can say whether the tool alters the quality of the text itself. Do we express ourselves more freely and clearly with a pen than with a keyboard? Does it make any difference to the way the brain works?

Researchers observed 300 students during lectures and claimed that note-taking with a pen, rather than a laptop, gives students a better grasp of the subject. They found that those working on paper rephrased information as they took notes, which required them to carry out a process of summarising and comprehension; in contrast, those working on a keyboard tended to make a literal transcript, avoiding the cognitive process involved in using their own words.

Despite omnipresent IT, Gentaz believes handwriting will persist. “Touchscreens and styluses are taking us back to handwriting. Our love affair with keyboards may not last,” he says.


Complete the sentences. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

 

1. According to a British survey, ………………………… participants had not used pen and paper for half a year.

TIP: underline the key words in the question and look for paraphrasing / synonyms in the text

2. Students in the US no longer have to learn …………………….. writing.

TIP: identify what kind of word(s) are missing (noun / verb / adjective?)

3. The first modern pen appeared in ………………….

TIP: check how many words you can use in your answer

4. Sumerian tablets and computers allow people to have ………………….

TIP: underline the key words in the question and look for where they appear in the text

Note: answers usually come in order in the text for this type of question

 

 

 

Answers

1. one in three
2. joined-up / cursive (EITHER answer is correct. You do not need to write both.)
3. the 1940s
4. cognitive automaticity

 

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Marvin - iPass student of the month!

Marvin first joined iPass back in July 2018 and his IELTS target in the Academic test was a minimum of band 7 in each sub-test to apply for NMC registration to work as a nurse in the UK.

Marvin did a pre-course level test and scored very well in Reading (7.5) but was lower in the other tests (6.5) so he enrolled on the IELTS 7 course so that he could get the necessary coaching to boost all his skills up to band 7 level.

The difficulty for Marvin, and many of his fellow Filipino nurses also studying with us, was trying to combine a very hectic and demanding work schedule and his IELTS studies. Working long, tiring shifts in a busy hospital is certainly not the easiest thing to do when you’re also trying to study for an important exam. Having the option to study online certainly helps because you can study at your own convenience, but finding the necessary time and the energy was a constant challenge.

But by October 2018 we agreed with Marvin that he was ready to take his test because he was achieving consistent band 7s in his practice tests so he finally went ahead and booked one for 17th November.

When the results came out 2 weeks later there was some initial disappointment because despite scoring between 7 and 8 in 3 of the sub-tests, his writing score remained at 6.5 (even though we had predicted a 7). But then the good news came out that the NMC had decided to change their rules regarding the IELTS Writing test and from December 5th they would be accepting 6.5 instead of 7. Fortunately, the new rule also applied to candidates who had achieved 6.5 in the previous 2 years!

So it was great news for Marvin because he was able to proceed with his NMC registration although the studying has not quite finished for Marvin as he is now currently reviewing for his CBT exam in March. We wish him every success with that and we hope that it will be the final exam he needs to pass to fulfil his dream of working in the UK.

Finally, I would like to say that everyone on the iPass team has huge respect and admiration for all the nurses who have studied with us over the years. We are acutely aware how hard it is to juggle work and studies when you do such a demanding job and we salute you all for your hard work, determination and the amazing contribution you make to society every day!

Keep up the great work that you do and we’ll continue helping you as much as we can!!

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IELTS Reading made easier - multi-choice questions

Reading passages in the Academic IELTS test are approximately 800-1000 words and can be from a range of subjects including health, science, technology and the environment.

The title of this article is called “Understanding the Misunderstood Teenage Brain

Don’t forget the 3 top tips that we gave you last time:

STEP 1: Read the article quickly to get a general idea of what it is about. (2-3 mins)

Top Tip: Underline 2-3 key words in each paragraph as you read to help you remember the main topic of each section.

STEP 2: Read the questions carefully and underline the most important words in each question to help you focus on what type of information is needed from the article.

Top Tip: Remember that the answers will appear in the article in the same order as the questions.

STEP 3: Use the hints below each question to help you locate the answers.

Top Tip: Don’t expect to find the exact words from the questions in the article - you often have to look for synonyms and paraphrased sentences.


The teenage brain can be a confusing and misunderstood place. But a brain scientist and mother to two teenagers clears up some of the mystery.

Frances Jensen is a neuroscientist. She has been studying the human brain for almost all of her career. But even she was not ready for the job of raising two teenage boys. What made this task so difficult? Trying to find out why intelligent and responsible young people still did stupid things. So, Dr. Jenson did what any neuroscientist would do: she spent years of research on the teenage brain. What she found might clear up some of the myths about teenagers. Her findings might also provide help for parents, teachers … and anyone hoping to understand the complex mind of a teenager.

Myth 1 – A teen’s body and brain grow at the same pace

When children reach puberty, their bodies change. Teenagers start to look like adults. You might think that their brains are also becoming more like adult brains. Not true, says Dr. Jensen. “The brain is the last organ in the body to mature. And it takes into the mid-20s for it to complete.” Dr. Jensen says if one compares the brain to a puzzle, the teenage brain has many puzzle pieces still not in place. She says the teen brain has a different structure and chemistry from an adult brain. “The teenage brain has only about 80 percent of the adult brain’s structure and function.”

Dr. Jensen recently wrote a book on teenagers and their brains, called The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults. In it, she explains the strengths and weaknesses of the brain during this time of development. She says the connections, or wiring, of the teen brain is better for learning new things than the adult brain.

First, Dr. Jensen explains how the brain works. She says we are able to learn through synapses - areas where brain cells talk to each other. The chemicals responsible for synapses are found in high levels in children. Then they drop a little in teenagers and even lower in adults. Dr. Jensen explains that this is why children learn things like languages so easily. “The proteins involved in building synapses for learning are at higher levels in the child, then decrease with age, which is why a child can learn two or three languages flawlessly and a teenager is pretty good, better than an adult in terms of the rate at which they can learn and absorb information.”

So, the teenage brain has an increased ability to learn but it does not yet have all the connections to make that learning possible. This is one reason why teenager behavior is often difficult to understand. Dr. Jensen compares this situation to a driver who is able to drive but who does not know yet how to use the brakes. Some parts of the teenage brain are simply not yet connected, she explains. These areas are the ones responsible for judgment, making good decisions, self-control and empathy, or the ability to share someone else’s feelings.

Myth 2 - The teenage brain is resilient

Another myth Dr. Jensen discusses is how teenagers are able to recover from a bad experience – what we call being resilient. At times, she says, the teenage brain is resilient. But in other ways it is not. Things like stress and drug and alcohol use can give teens long-term problems. Dr. Jensen says drugs and alcoholic drinks can have much more serious effects on the teen brain than on an adult brain. She says drugs and alcohol can especially affect a teenager’s Intelligence Quotient, or IQ. “Your IQ can change up or down between 13 and 17 years old. We don’t yet quite know what specifically can cause this, but one thing that we know does make IQs go down is exposure to certain drugs, for instance chronic pot smoking; the more you smoke the lower your IQ is going to go during that time window.”

Myth 3 – Teenagers are lazy

Many studies have shown that sleep is important for learning and memory. But many teens - both boys and girls - often don’t get enough sleep. When teenagers stay up late at night and wake up late in the morning, parents may think it is because they are lazy. This lack of action, Dr. Jensen explains, is another myth about teenagers and that a teen’s biological clock is set differently from an adult’s. She explains that the brain releases a hormone to make you sleepy. An adult releases that sleep-causing hormone around 8:30 at night. But a teenager’s brain does not release that chemical until about 11 at night. This leads to a later bedtime, even when the teen has to wake up early the next morning. “Teenagers’ biological clocks are absolutely programmed to be 2 to 3 hours later for the sleep start time and wake time than adults. And of course, we wake them up at 6:00 in the morning, which is the equivalent to about 3:00 in the morning for an adult. It’s probably not the optimal time for their brains to be put in a learning environment.”

All this new information about the teenage brain may help adults do a better job as teachers and parents. Dr. Jensen advises adults to stay connected with teenagers and to be more patient with them. Parents might even like to share this information with their children. Knowing how their brains work may help them - and you! - get through their teen years more happily.


Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D


1. According to Dr. Jensen, teenager’s brains

A mature at the same rate as an adult’s
B mature more slowly than an adult’s
C are not fully developed until they are 30
D are around four-fifths of the structure of an adult brain

TIP: Look at the figures in paragraph 2


2. The chemicals in teenagers’ brains can help them to learn

A languages
B to care about other people
      C more easily than children
D less easily than adults

TIP: Which chemicals? Do they get more or less with age?


3. Research shows that using marijuana can make teenagers

A more likely to take harder drugs
B less intelligent
C more empathetic
D more likely to stay up late at night

TIP: Underline the key words in the question (and in the answers). Can you find any synonyms in the article?


4. Teenagers’ sleep hormones

A do not work as well as those of adults
B make them get up early
C make them fall asleep at school
D are set to different times from those of adults

TIP: The answers come in order in the article. Read through the whole text first, then go back and skim the parts where you might find the answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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IELTS Reading made easier - true/false/not given

Each blogpost in this series will give you an authentic Academic or General IELTS reading test, some typical exam questions and some useful hints for locating the right answers!

The topic of our first article is ‘languages’ and what makes a language attractive.

We recommend you follow these 3 easy steps when doing your IELTS reading test practice:

STEP 1: Read the article quickly to get a general idea of what it is about. (2-3 mins)

Top Tip: Underline 2-3 key words in each paragraph as you read to help you remember the main topic of each section.

STEP 2: Read the questions carefully and underline the most important words in each question to help you focus on what type of information is needed from the article.

Top Tip: Remember that the answers will appear in the article in the same order as the questions.

STEP 3: Use the hints below each question to help you locate the answers.

Top Tip: Don’t expect to find the exact words from the questions in the article - you often have to look for synonyms and paraphrased sentences.


What makes a language attractive – its sound, national identity or familiarity?

The allure of a language may have more to do with perceptions of that country’s status and social values than its actual sound.

Je t’aime, ti amo, te quiero mucho! Sounds nice doesn’t it? If you swoon over sweet nothings whispered in French, Italian or Spanish, you’re not alone. But while learning to speak a language famed for its romance may increase your sex appeal, the reason for your preference of one vernacular over another may have little to do with how the sounds roll off the tip of your tongue.

Polyglot Roman emperor Charles V declared: “I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse.” While the 16th century ruler’s views may still hold true to some today, his unflattering opinion of the latter language is more likely to be influenced by the power and status of the country at the time than the tone of its speakers.

Sociolinguists believe the attractiveness of a language is determined by how positively we view a particular group of people who share a cultural outlook. According to Dr Vineeta Chand of the University of Essex, if we have a positive perception of a particular community then we tend to have equally positive views of the language they speak.

Language value and attractiveness is, she explains, linked to the prestige of the speaker. In other words, the socioeconomic and mobility advantages the language affords. Chinese, for example, is gaining in popularity because it is seen as an area of economic growth and speaking that particular tonal tongue means better job prospects. Languages spoken by a community that are less economically powerful may not be seen in the same positive light.

Similarly, we value languages that allow us to speak to a wider audience. English, therefore, is seen as more valuable because it gives us the ability to communicate outside of a small regionally defined context, whereas a language that is spoken by a much smaller community, such as Hawaiian, is not seen as important or appealing.

“There is nothing in the sound of the language that makes it less or more attractive,” insists Chand. “Some sounds are more common across the world but that doesn’t link to the specific perceptions we have about French and Italian. The idea that a language is more melodic, romantic, poetic and musical are derived from those communities and regions.”

There is, the linguist explains, a very tight coupling between how we see a community and region, and how we perceive their language. So no matter how hard a speaker tries to woo a listener with delicate prose, if they don’t have the social kudos to back it up, the response is unlikely to be favourable. There are, however, specific sounds in many foreign languages that a native English speaker may find alien and therefore harder on the ear. Languages that have different linguistic structures, such as using tones or sounds that are not found in a listener’s native tongue, are probably going to sound less enticing.

“English speakers are drawn to the melody of a language such as French or Italian,” explains Dr Patti Adank, a lecturer on speech, hearing and phonetic sciences at University College London (UCL). “In comparison, languages such as Thai or Mandarin can sound harsh because they are using tonal distinctions. It sounds very unnatural and unexpected.”

In his book Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages Israeli linguist Guy Deutscher agrees that if a language includes rarer sounds, it is more likely to be perceived as less alluring to those unfamiliar with it.

The same, he writes, applies to unusual sound combinations such as consonant clusters. He cites the combination “lbstv” in “selbstverständlich” – the German word for “obvious” – as an example of how strange phonetics can grate on a foreign ear. Deutscher explains: “Italian, for example, has very few, if any, sounds that are not shared by other European languages, and few consonant clusters, and it is widely considered a beautiful language. This may not be a coincidence.”

Attempts to understand this phenomenon have spawned various YouTube videos of amateur linguists speaking gibberish with perfect accents to give us a clue how one might sound to someone who doesn’t speak the same language. Comedian Sid Cesar was well known for his nonsensical “double talk” routines, which had a similar aim.

But despite many people’s fascination with the subject, there has been surprisingly little research conducted to explore it further. Chand says the biggest hurdle to understanding why some languages sound more inviting than others is separating subjective opinion from scientific fact. Labelling certain languages as ugly or beautiful is also a dangerous game many linguists are keen not to play.

She says: “We spend a lot of time in linguistics dispelling myths and the notion of hierarchical languages in terms of attractiveness, grammar and rules. There is less research on this because it is opening a can of worms you don’t really want to encourage.

“There hasn’t been any research that I know of that has directly exploited the attractiveness of a language and didn’t eventually tie it back to the social evaluation of the speaking community.”


Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading passage? Write:

TRUE - If the statement agrees with the information

FALSE - If the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN - If there is no information on this


1. Charles V’s attitude towards his horse was based on his appreciation for the German language.

Tip: look for a synonym for the word ‘appreciation’ – or its opposite!


2. Languages that are thought to lead to better jobs are often seen as more attractive.

Tip: which languages might be growing more popular nowadays?


3. Most people do not like the sound of Hawaiian.

Tip: read paragraphs 4-5 carefully before you decide


4. Words that sound strange to people who do not speak the language are likely to be thought ugly.

Tip: where in the article is there an example of a strange sound?


5. Sociolinguists are engaged in trying to discover if there are some languages that are intrinsically more attractive than others.

Tip: Make sure you read the WHOLE article before answering the question!

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Is online learning for you?

online

Despite the convenience of learning online from your own home, there are still some learners who prefer traditional face-to-face institutions, perhaps because they like the social aspect of learning in a group or because they like the security of having a teacher present who can answer questions as they arise.

In my view, there are merits for both types of learning:

Advantages of online learning

Advantages of face-to-face learning

Whichever method you choose, I think it’s important to ask yourself certain questions about your learning preferences before you decide:

  1. Am I the type of person who enjoys studying alone or do I need to be motivated by people around me?
  2. Am I good at organising my time and disciplining myself or do I need to be instructed and lead by a teacher?
  3. Can I dedicate time and space at home to studying or would I be better learning in an educational environment?
  4. Am I open to the idea of studying online and improving my computer skills if necessary, or am I better studying with books?

Of course there are other geographical and financial considerations to take into account as well, but knowing what kind of learner you are and what teaching methods work best for you is a crucial factor when deciding whether or not to enrol on an online course.

At iPass, we know that not everything is black and white and you can’t easily say that you belong to this group of learners or that group. And in our experience, most language learners prefer elements of both the traditional methods of face-to-face instruction combined with the flexibility of self-access learning online. And for that reason, our online IELTS training courses aim to provide a perfect blend of both learning styles.

Advantages of studying with iPass

We believe our courses have the right ingredients for nearly all language learners who have the internal motivation and dedication to achieve their goal, whether it’s just to improve their English language skills or get a good score in the IELTS test.

But don’t just take my word for it - sign up for free membership - and request your free trial of ANY course today!

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Mina - iPass student of the month

Two years ago Mina was working as a nurse in Dubai, but her dream was to work in London and for that she needed to pass Academic IELTS with minimum band 7s in each sub-test.

She joined iPass and signed up for our IELTS 7 course and in December 2016 she got the scores she needed: Listening 7.0; Reading 7.5; Writing 7.0; Speaking 7.0 (Overall 7)

Needless to say she was over the moon with her results and was all set to fulfil her ambition of working as a nurse in London.

Mina spent some time working for the NHS in the UK and then secured a new position in Turkey, furthering her international experience and expertise in the field of nursing.

In November this year, with her previous IELTS test scores having expired, she returned to iPass with a new goal - passing Academic IELTS again to meet the requirements of her post-graduate application to study at the Royal College of Nursing in London.

With her exam in December she had very little time to prepare, but was hoping for similar results that she had achieved in 2016. She joined the IELTS 7 course again this time the training period was much shorter and more intense.

However, Mina successfully managed to get the scores she needed and increased her overall score to 7.5!! (L: 7.5; R: 8.5; W: 7.0; S: 6.5)

At iPass, we love helping people broaden their knowledge and further their careers by making sure they get the IELTS scores they need to accept fantastic study opportunities abroad and secure exciting international employment. We wish Mina every future success with her nursing studies in London and her future career wherever that may be!

If you are a Korean nurse and would like to know more about Mina’s experience, you can follow her blog here.

mina

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NMC rule change for IELTS Writing test

nurses

On 28 November 2018, the NMC agreed to change the requirements for overseas nurses and midwives taking the International English Language Test System (IELTS). Previously, nurses and midwives were required to achieve a minimum of band 7 in each of the 4 subtests (listening; reading; writing; speaking) of Academic IELTS which is equivalent to a C1 level of English in the CEFR for Languages.

Although many overseas nurses were able to get an overall band 7, achieving a minimum of 7 in the Academic Writing test was proving to be a very difficult challenge and a real obstacle to being able to register as a qualified nurse. Many were just missing out with a score of 6.5, unable to retake the test because of time or financial constraints, and therefore missing out on a career opportunity to work abroad, despite having the necessary professional credentials and suitable communication skills.

After much consideration and consultation, the NMC has decided to lower the requirement in the Academic IELTS Writing test from band 7 to 6.5. Nurses and midwives will still be required to achieve a minimum overall score of 7 in the test, including a minimum of band 7 in reading, listening and speaking.

The change took effect from 5 December 2018, but the good news for many nurses - including several of our own students - who just missed out in 2017 and 2018 is that IELTS results under two years old that meet the new requirements will also be considered by the NMC.

We hope that for the majority of our nursing students, IELTS will no longer be a barrier preventing them for fulfilling their dream of working in the UK.

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Radwan - iPass student of the month

radwan

Radwan joined iPass in July needing an overall band 6 for his university application in the Netherlands. He had already taken the Academic IELTS test twice but had just missed out on his target score with 5.5.

He was a little bit anxious about taking IELTS for a third time because he only had 2 months before the application deadline in August. Radwan was planning to take the test again on 28th July and although he only needed overall band 6, he decided to take the IELTS 7 course.

Unfortunately, unable to complete the course in time, Radwan’s July test results still didn’t produce an overall band 6, and with the August deadline approaching, time was indeed running out. With one more attempt available on the 18th August, he took the test for a 4th time and with more time to prepare, he was able to complete the course and get the necessary feedback on his writing and speaking skills.

And this time he did it!!

An overall band 6, which was sufficient to proceed with his application to study International Human Resource Management at Saxion University in Holland.

It would have been easy to give up after the 1st, 2nd or 3rd attempt, but determined to secure his university place abroad, Radwan kept going, kept studying and finally got his reward.

We wish Radwan every future success with his career in International HR Management!

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IELTS vs OET - which test is best?

OET vs IELTS - which exam should I take?

oet

If you are planning to work as a healthcare professional in an English-speaking country, you will most likely have heard the debate about IELTS versus OET.

The questions we often get asked are:

So, the aim of this blogpost is to help explain the main differences:

Exam content

Both tests include 4 components: reading; listening; speaking; writing

Both tests are similar in length: IELTS (2h45 mins) and OET (3 hours)

The main difference is that the content of OET is 100% medical, whereas IELTS uses a variety of sources and topics which could cover any area of life and work.

This means that the OET questions will be more familiar to health professionals, in terms of vocabulary and context, but the IELTS test will prepare you for using English in a much broader range of situations.

Exam fees

OET is significantly more expensive than IELTS. Here’s how they compare in different currencies (at the time of writing):

OET IELTS
$587 AUD $340 AUD
€380 €220
339 GBP 196 GBP
30,481 INR 17,636
22,774 PHP 13,211 PHP

*fees may vary slightly from country to country

The cost of the exam could be a serious consideration, especially if you need to retake either exam more than once.

Test availability

OET IELTS
14 dates per year 48 dates per year
110 test centres 1,200 test centres
40 countries 140 countries

It is clear from the information shown in the table above that IELTS is much more accessible than OET for people across the globe.

This also explains why more than 3 million people took IELTS in 2017, making it the world’s most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.

Test scoring

In OET you are awarded a grade between A and E for each sub-test (with no overall score) and in IELTS you are awarded a band score between 0-9 for each sub-test, plus an overall score (the average of all 4 sub-tests).

The following table shows how the scores compare:

OET IELTS
A 8.0-9.0
B 7.0-7.5
C+ 6.5
C 5.5-6.0
D 4.0-5.0

*In IELTS you can also be awarded half bands for each sub-test (eg 5.5 or 6.5) or as your overall score.

NMC requirements

To register as a nurse with the NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) in the UK, you need to achieve either:

OET - a minimum of Grade B in all four sub-tests of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

Academic IELTS - overall band 7; a minimum of band 7 in Listening, Reading, Speaking and 6.5 in Writing

It is also possible to combine the scores from two tests but only if they have been taken within 6 months of each other.

Combining scores from two tests is only valid if NO individual score is below Grade C+ (OET) or Band 6.5 (IELTS).

Final considerations and useful links

In the end it will come down to personal choice, but it is worth remembering that Academic IELTS is a test of English for general or academic contexts, whereas OET is a test of English for healthcare contexts.

Also important to note is that IELTS is the only Secure English Language Test (SELT) approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK. This means that as a nurse, even if you are accepted by the NMC with OET results, you will still need to take the IELTS test to apply for your work visa.

To find out more information, you might find these websites useful:

NMC English language requirements

GMC English language requirements

Medical Council in Ireland

IELTS requirements to work as a RN in the US

IELTS requirements to work as a RN in Canada

English language requirements for health professionals in Australia

English language requirements for nurses in New Zealand

OET or IELTS - which exam should nurses take?

 

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Celeste - iPass student of the month

Celeste joined iPass in June and signed up for the IELTS 7 course. She had taken the IELTS already in May but didn’t get the band 7 score she needed in each sub test for her nursing application in the UK. Her overall band score was 7 but her Speaking score was 6.5.

Celeste was very determined to improve her Speaking score and in each Skype class she listened very carefully to her tutor, who helped her to pinpoint some of her weaker areas and gave her useful tips on how to improve them. She also made very good use of all the iPass materials available on the course, not just sticking to the core lessons but also doing extra exercises from the IELTS toolkit to perfect her interview technique and boost her knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.

And it worked! When Celeste retook her IELTS test in August, she didn’t just increase her speaking band to 7, but she exceeded her expectations with a fantastic 7.5!!

Celeste realised that a combination of focused practice with expert guidance from an experienced tutor was the key to getting good results and her hard work and determination paid off!

We wish Celeste every future success when she starts her new position as a registered nurse in England!

celeste

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Stanley - iPass student of the month

Stanley is a registered nurse from South India who was preparing for IELTS as part of his NMC registration in the UK. He needed band 7 in all 4 modules but had only reached 6.5 in Speaking.

Stanley joined iPass in August and enrolled on the IELTS Speaking course.

As Stanley’s speaking tutor, I can say that he grew with confidence with each practice session that we had and was very responsive to the feedback I gave him, always willing to listen so that he could continue improving and get closer to the band 7 level he required.

Because of Stanley’s open-minded attitude and commitment to the task in hand, he was a pleasure to teach and I was so pleased when he emailed me to say that he not only improved his speaking score but he exceeded his expectations and scored 7.5 in speaking and 7 in all other modules.

Stanley is such a cool and humble guy that he would probably say that the improved score was down to my teaching, but teachers can only do so much. The real credit goes to the final effort and determination of the student and in Stanley’s case he deserves every bit of it.

We wish him all the best with his future nursing career in England.

stanley

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Enquiry on Results - when to apply


There are many factors which can influence the performance of a candidate on the day of his/her IELTS test, which is why it’s difficult to predict exactly what band scores will be awarded.

These factors include:

How the candidate is feeling – many people suffer from nerves on the day of the test and this can often affect their performance, particularly in the speaking test. Or sometimes candidates can be over-confident which results in complacency, which means they don’t try as hard as they need to.

How the candidate has prepared – even good students can lack the right exam preparation, especially in the hours preceding the test. They might not get enough sleep or have enough to eat/drink, which can affect their concentration levels during the exam. Or maybe they don’t allow enough time to get to the test centre in time, which means they arrive in a stressed state and need time to calm down and relax.

How well the exam is managed – there are times when things don’t always go to plan and external factors can affect a candidate’s performance: technical faults, outside disturbances, late candidates, poor ventilation/lighting/sound etc. If a candidate believes there performance has been affected by any such factors, it must be reported directly after the exam has finished.

So, my first piece of advice is to BE HONEST and ask yourself:

1. Was I well prepared for the test?
2. Did I feel calm and composed on the day of the test?
3. Were there any unfortunate circumstances on the day of the test?

If you are sure that none of the above factors influenced your test scores, then it might be worth asking for a review of your results, BUT you need to BE REALISTIC about what scores you were expecting to get.

These are the questions you need to ask yourself:

If you can confidently answer yes to all of the above questions and you are still not satisfied that you were awarded the correct score(s), then you should definitely consider asking for a review of your results.

But before you do, here are some final points to consider:

• If there is a 2-band difference between any of your scores (eg 6.5 in writing and 8.5 in listening) then your test papers should have been automatically doubled checked at the test centre)
• You need to apply for an ‘enquiry on results’ within 6 weeks of your test date.
• You can ask for an enquiry on individual test papers or all of your test papers
• The process can take up to 4 weeks
• You must pay an ‘enquiry fee’ but this will be fully refunded ONLY if your score(s) is changed.


More information on how to submit an enquiry can be found here:

IDP test centres - https://idpielts.me/results/request-a-re-mark/
British Council test centres: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/find-out-about-results/questions-about-your-ielts-results

 

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IELTS for ALL - make a difference - make a donation

Many of our students are qualified professionals in vital sectors such as health, education and engineering and they are all looking to further their skills and training by working or studying overseas.

But getting the IELTS band score that they often need to get their qualifications validated abroad or to get accepted onto PhD or Masters courses is not an easy task.

Nurses, for example, are required to get band 7 (C1, advanced) in each of the 4 sub-tests before they can join the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the UK.

This often means taking the IELTS test repeatedly which can be a very costly process, and that’s without paying for any pre-test training, which is highly recommended to avoid having to repeat the test too many times.

So, that’s why we have launched a new campaign - IELTS for ALL - to help raise money for students who are unable to pay for their own IELTS training.

We hope to raise €1,000 which will provide free training courses for up to 20 deserving candidates.

Do you know anyone who would benefit from a free IELTS course? If you do, please share our campaign with them and tell them to apply here.

And if you are able to make a small donation to help us reach our target, you will be making a great difference to someone else’s life.

Thank you!

 

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Catarina - iPass student of the month

cat

Catarina was preparing for IELTS in order to study Business Administration at a UK university. She had two offers but needed an overall 6.5 for her first choice and an overall band 6 for her second choice.

With only one month to prepare for her test, she joined the IELTS LITE course and studied intensively before taking her exam on 18 August. She found both the reading and writing tests difficult and did not have high hopes of getting the scores she needed, especially for her first choice place at Loughborough University.

But she studied hard, took all the feedback on board that she was given by the writing tutors especially and managed to get the 6.5 she needed to study a degree in business at Loughborough. She was absolutely thrilled with her results, especially the band 7 in speaking which she didn’t expect, but as we always say at iPass, as tutors we can only do so much. The real hard work and determination comes from the student!

We wish Catarina every success with her studies and her future career in business!

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Jennifer - iPass student of the month

jenn

Jennifer was one of our IELTS LITE students and she was taking IELTS to become registered with the NMC in the UK, where a band 7 is needed in each of the 4 IELTS sub-tests.

Jennifer exceeded her expectations with an overall band score of 7.5 and 7.5 in Speaking and is now working in a hospital in the UK where she has just completed her final nursing exam.

We know that it is not an easy task to get 7 in each sub-test, particularly in the writing test, but Jennifer was very focused on completing her objective and studied hard to achieve it.

Everyone on the iPass team wishes her well in her new position and her new life in the UK.

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Clarie - iPass student of the month

Clarie is a registered nurse from The Philippines who needed to pass IELTS with a minimum of band 7 in each component in order to apply for the NMC in the UK.

clarie

Like many others in her position, Clarie found it relatively easy to get the required score in speaking, reading and listening, but always got stuck with 6.5 in the writing test. After completing the IELTS Lite course and getting feedback from her iPass tutors, Clarie realised that she still needed to improve her writing skills to get the required band 7.

So she went on to take another course - Writing Plus - so that she could really perfect her writing skills and go into her next IELTS test with real confidence, knowing that she was now capable of getting the score she needed.

And we’re very happy to say that in the test she took last month, she actually exceeded her own expectations and increased her writing score by a complete band, from 6.5 to 7.5.

Needless to say, this was fantastic news for Clarie and she was very relieved that she wouldn’t have to repeat the IELTS test again, but instead can focus on her nursing career and her exciting move to the UK!

Everyone on the iPass team wishes Clarie all the best with her future plans!

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Phrasal verbs in action: emotions

Here are 5 great phrasal verbs that you can use to describe your feelings!

emotions

EXPLANATION: A good joke or a funny story is an easy way to CHEER someone UP. Sometimes we just tell someone who looks sad to CHEER UP and we say ‘it can’t be that bad’. Often, just by encouraging the person to talk about their feelings or their problems is a good way to make them feel better. A common English saying is “a problem shared is a problem halved”.

EXAMPLE: If I’m feeling miserable, I usually call my best friend and we go for a coffee and a chat. That always cheers me up.

QUESTION: How do you CHEER your friends UP when they are feeling low?


EXPLANATION: Some people are shy or introverted and so they keep their emotions and feelings to themselves, without sharing them with others. In other words, they BOTTLE UP their feelings and emotions inside. This can be a problem when you BOTTLE UP very strong emotions such as anger or fear because one day something might happen to trigger those emotions and it might cause a more extreme reaction which could be aggressive or even violent.

EXAMPLE: It is sometimes hard for teenagers to express their feelings so they often bottle things up inside rather than talk about them.

QUESTION: Is it healthy to BOTTLE things UP?


EXPLANATION: When you are extremely happy or excited about something, sometimes you forget to behave in the usual way and you do something a bit crazy or a bit ‘out of character’. In other words you forget yourself for a moment and get CARRIED AWAY by the moment.

EXAMPLE: I was so overjoyed when I got my exam results, I got completely carried away and started hugging and kissing everyone!

QUESTION: Have you ever GOT CARRIED AWAY by an exciting moment?


EXPLANATION: When something happens that is completely unexpected, we can say that we are TAKEN ABACK by it. It could be a nice surprise or an unpleasant shock but the feeling is one of being completely unprepared for something.

EXAMPLE: When my son told me he was getting married, I was completely taken aback. I didn’t even know he had a serious girlfriend!

QUESTION: When was the last time you were really taken aback by something?


EXPLANATION: When you start to feel better after having a bad experience where maybe you suffered physical pain or emotional stress, we say that you are GETTING OVER it. It could be recovering from a serious illness or just recovering from a mild disappointment such as a bad exam result.

EXAMPLE: I was devastated when I didn’t get the job, but I soon got over it and started applying for other ones.

QUESTION: Do you find it easy or difficult to GET OVER disappointments?


Practice using these phrasal verbs next time you are telling a story in English where you need to describe your feelings.

To practice further, enter our IELTS SPEAKING competition and WIN a FREE skype interview with an iPass tutor.

Simply write 5 example sentences using the phrasal verbs above to describe your personal feelings about 5 different situations.

Send your sentences to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject heading: PHRASAL VERB COMPETITION

We’ll announce the winner on 18th June!!

 

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Inês - iPass student of the month

Inês, from Portugal, joined iPass in January on the IELTS Lite course, with the intention of taking her IELTS test in March.

ines

As a nurse applying for NMC registration in the UK, she needed a minimum of band 7 in each skill, which is not an easy task even for someone like Inês who demonstrated an excellent level of spoken English during the speaking sessions with her tutor. Ines was mostly concerned about the Reading and Writing tests so she took a top-up course for further practice after completing the Lite course and took her first test on 8th April.

Despite getting an overall band 8 (with 8.5 in Reading!), she narrowly missed out on her goal by getting 6.5 in Writing. It was a real disappointment as Ines had worked particularly hard on her writing skills, but as anyone with experience of IELTS knows, getting band 7 in the Writing test is particularly challenging.

Determined to get the results she needed, Inês booked two more tests in April and kept practicing to perfect her writing skills. On the second attempt, her Reading and Speaking scores each went up by half a band, but frustratingly the Writing score remained at 6.5. But on her 3rd attempt, despite a slightly lower score overall, she cracked it, with not just 7 in Writing but an impressive 7.5!!

Needless to say, those ‘3rd time lucky’ results were a huge relief to Inês, knowing that she could now put IELTS behind her and focus on her nursing career.

From everyone on the iPass team, massive congratulations Inês for all your hard work and perseverance and we wish you all the best with your future plans!

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Phrasal verbs in action: advertising

Check out these easy-to-use phrasal verbs related to ADVERTISING and try using them next time you have a conversation about your favourite TV advert or a recent ad that influenced your decision to buy something.


ads

EXPLANATION: When you’re flicking through a newspaper or magazine or browsing the internet you often COME ACROSS things that interest you, which means that you find out about them even though you weren’t particularly looking for them. In other words, you find them by chance.

EXAMPLE: I CAME ACROSS an advert for this new pizza restaurant when I was reading our local magazine.

QUESTION: Have you COME ACROSS any interesting adverts recently?


EXPLANATION: If something ‘stands out’ it means that it can easily be noticed or recognised because it includes something different. With adverts, the ones that STAND OUT from the rest are usually those which have an attractive image, a funny slogan or a powerful message; something which is impressive and easy to remember.

EXAMPLE: The thing that makes SpecSavers TV ads stand out from other optician ads is their humour and originality.

QUESTION: Can you think of the last online advert that you saw that STOOD OUT and why?


EXPLANATION: Giving people flyers or leaflets by hand is still a common way to advertise an event, a service or product. You might also see someone HANDING OUT free samples of a product to potential customers or even some salespeople HANDING OUT their business cards.

EXAMPLE: I love it when people HAND OUT free samples of new products in the supermarket. I don’t always like them but I always like to try them.

QUESTION: Do you take flyers that people HAND OUT in the street or do you find it annoying?



EXPLANATION: We often get flyers, leaflets or brochures DROPPED IN to our postboxes or dropped through our letterboxes, which we may or may not be interested in. This is a very typical way for companies to publicise their products or services to potential customers locally.

EXAMPLE: I don’t really mind all the publicity that gets DROPPED IN to my postbox because occasionally there might be something that is useful to me.

QUESTION: What do you do with publicity DROPPED IN your letterbox?


EXPLANATION: Have you heard of Ad Blockers? They stop you seeing lots of adverts on your computer. They BLOCK them OUT because they can be annoying. It is a good idea to have an ad blocker on a family computer so children don’t see bad or strange adverts.

EXAMPLE: I hate ads popping up all the time when I’m trying to read something online, so I always click to BLOCK them OUT straight away.

QUESTION: Do you use an ad blocker to BLOCK OUT annoying adverts?

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Original ideas for improving your English!

10 less conventional ways to improve your English skills for the IELTS test!

original

1. Read to be a better writer - Yes, you read that right. Read to be a better writer. When you read with the intention to become a better writer, you not only start seeing each sentence in its entirety but also start analysing the construction of it. You will realise that the writing style of each writer is very different. The flow, the words used, the idea behind every sentence starts becoming evident which in turn helps you identify the building blocks of the language.

2. Ditch the papers, tune in to the radio or listen to podcasts– Radio is a very good practice for the listening section of IELTS. It will not only help you familiarise yourself with the accent but also expand your dictionary. Podcasts are digital audio files that you can listen to on a topic of your choice. Stick to technology and academic podcasts to stay within the realm of IELTS topics.

3. Change your inner voice to English – We all have a language that we use to talk to ourselves in idle or contemplative moments. Change that to English. And not just that, change the language on your phone, your SMS or WhatsApp texts, the TV shows that you watch. Basically everything.

4. Play, have fun! – Make a game out of spotting your mistakes, make a game out of spotting others mistakes. Find a buddy to play with. There are apps like wordplay or scrabble that you can download to have fun with the language.

5. Teach English – Sounds daunting and impossible right? You don’t have to be a master to teach someone what you just learnt. Grab a partner or sibling and start teaching each other with the intention of understanding the core idea behind a lesson. This is not only a great way to explore a topic but also to superimpose information onto your memory.

6. Rehash and translate - Pick up books written in English and see how you would have written the same idea using the words you know. Take your favourite native language book and translate that into English. Check with a mentor to see if you’re on the right path.

7. Mnemonics and idioms can save you – Mnemonics like ‘i before e except after c or when sounded as “a”, as in ‘neighbour’ and ‘weigh’ can serve as your guiding light as you struggle to spell. Idioms like ‘Actions speak louder than words’ can help you express an emotion or situation better. Look for these online. Also look out for exceptions to the rule, there are always some.

8. Use music – Whether you are in the shower or on a bus to work, listening to English classics can be a fun way to practice pronunciation. Do look out for frequently used slangs or informal language, you don’t want them to become a part of your vocabulary.

9. Make a mixtape: This basically means that you record yourself and listen in order to be a better speaker. You not only record sentences but also words you struggle to pronounce, words that you have just learnt and how to use them. Its like building an archive of your progress. Revisit them frequently to check your progress.

10. Check your body language – When you are nervous your body has multiple reactions - sweaty palms, stuttering, a stoop in your posture and many such things. These are all signs of you being a new English speaker. If you want to appear confident begin with your body.

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IELTS Listening Test: Top Tips

tips

PREPARATION

1. Remember! The IELTS Listening test is the first test, before Reading and Writing, so make sure you arrive at the test venue in plenty of time so that you are not rushing and feeling overly stressed at the start of the exam.

2. It’s a good idea to listen to some English speakers before the start of the test so that you don’t start the test ‘cold’. For example you could download an interesting podcast to listen to on your way to the test centre. It might also help to take your mind off the exam and make you feel more relaxed!

3. Use the pre-listening time at the start of each section to quickly read through the questions so that you can anticipate the kind of information you need to listen for.

4. Listen carefully to the information provided at the beginning of each section which gives you the context of the recording: who is speaking, the situation and the purpose.

5. Use the headings, sub-headings and paraphrasing on the question paper as clues to know what to listen for and what the answers might be.

6. Look for and underline key words in the questions. Make sure you know what kind of answer is required: one word; a group of words; a letter; true/false etc?

DIFFERENT QUESTION TYPES

7. Section 1 requires you to listen for facts. Read the instructions carefully for the number of words you can write and highlight this so you don’t forget. There may be numbers, addresses, spelling of names. Don’t write the first number you hear, there may be many, so listen for confirmation of the correct answer.

8. Grammar mistakes are penalised so be careful to listen for singular/plural nouns, and don’t forget the ‘s’ if it’s plural. Also don’t add articles (a/an/the) if they are not required or any other extra words if they don’t fit grammatically with the sentence in the gapped text.

9. With multiple-choice questions, the answers may be a main idea, a particular person’s idea or specific information. Answers in the recording may not be in the same order as the options so stay focused!

9. In ‘matching’ tasks, read the instructions carefully. Sometimes you can only use options once, sometimes you can use them more than once. There may also be extra options that you don’t need.

10. Section 4 is a lecture or presentation. You will be listening for specific details so read the notes carefully. There is lots of information there which will help you predict the answers. Be aware that you need to listen for synonyms as the speaker’s words will not always be the same as those in the notes/questions.

GENERAL ADVICE

11. You only hear each recording once, so if you miss a question, don’t panic, just move on to the next one and try to keep following the speaker(s).

12. Remember, you don’t have to understand every word of what is being said to be able to answer the questions. Try to pick out the key words.

13. Listen to the tone of the speaker’s voice as a clue to any emotion or mood being expressed. Also listen for any changes in stress and intonation which often show which information is important to the speaker.

14. Always answer every question, especially if it’s a multiple-choice question, even if you have to guess!

15. At the end of Part 4, you have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Make sure the number of each question corresponds correctly with the answer you are writing.

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IELTS Reading Test: Top Tips

tips

GENERAL ADVICE

1. Read the instructions carefully. Pay attention to how many words and/or numbers you can include in your answer and don’t forget to look at the examples given.

2. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet as you go through the test. Remember! There is no extra time to transfer them at the end.

3. Write clearly and check your spelling, even if you are copying words from the text. Misspelt words will be marked as INCORRECT.

4. Don’t waste time worrying about how to write numbers, times and dates. There is a lot of flexibility with these answers and they can be written in many different ways, using words or numbers. For example if the answer is 20th May, it could also be written as 20 May / May 20 / 20-05 / 05-20 / 5/20 or 20/5. It’s quicker to use numbers!

5. Don’t worry about using correct punctuation. This is NOT tested in the IELTS reading test so it doesn’t matter if you use UPPER or lower case or a combination of both for any of your answers. Compound nouns can also be written as one word, two words, or hyphenated (sun glasses / sunglasses / sun-glasses).


TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES

6. Read each text quickly to get the overall idea of the topic/content and purpose of the text. This is called ‘skim reading’. Don’t waste time trying to understand every word and don’t forget to look at the title, sub-headings and any pictures for extra clues about the content of the text.

7. While you’re ‘skimming’ the text for general comprehension, underline key words in the text (names, places, dates etc) so that you can refer back to them easily when you’re answering the questions.

8. Keep a check on the time (20 minutes for each text). If you get stuck on a question, move on! Don’t waste time worrying. You can come back to some questions later if you have spare time at the end.

9. Vary the way you approach the reading test. You can read the questions before you read the text or read the text first. But make sure you practise different strategies before the real test so that you know which one works best for you!

10. Base your answers on the text only. You do not need any specialist knowledge so you shouldn’t try to invent answers based on what you already know about the topic.

SPECIFIC QUESTION TYPES

11. With ‘multiple-choice’ questions try to predict the answer first and then eliminate illogical options. Ask yourself if the information given in the options is mentioned in the text, is it relevant to the text, is it true? If you’re really not sure, take a guess!

12. When matching statements to paragraphs you need to skim and scan the text. Read the first (topic) sentence of each paragraph. Look for synonyms and paraphrasing. In matching ‘sentence halves’ there are more parts than you need, so read the relevant section in detail.

13. With ‘yes, no, not given’ questions you are looking for the writer’s ideas. There are distractors, so read in detail and check the text carefully for ‘evidence’. If the same idea is presented in the text (most likely expressed using synonyms), you know the answer is true. If the opposite idea is stated then the answer is false and if you can’t find any clear mention of the idea in the text, choose ‘not given’.

14. In ‘sentence completion’ questions, the answers come in order of the text. Look at words before and after gaps for linguistic and logical context. The sentence has to be grammatically correct so think about what kind of word you need (adjective/verb/noun/adverb). For example, if there is an article before the gap (a/an/the), you know you need to put a noun.

15. Always mark an answer rather than leave it blank, especially if it’s a multiple choice question. Even if you have to guess the answer, there’s a good chance that your guess could be right!

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Norman - iPass student of the month

Norman, a registered nurse from The Philippines is our student of the month for March 2018, due to his recent success in the IELTS test.

norman

However, the road to success was not an easy one for Norman because as many of you know, IELTS is not an easy nut to crack! But, with hard work, determination and support it can be done and Norman is certainly proof of that.

Having already taken one IELTS test, Norman joined our IELTS Lite course last September and went on to improve both his speaking and writing scores but still didn’t quite reach the required band 7 when he took the test for the second time last December.

On the verge of giving up, Norman decided to give it one last shot after we encouraged him to persevere because he was so close to achieving his aim. He enrolled on a combined writing and speaking course so that he could really focus on those two skills and with the help of various tutors on the iPass team he took the test again last month and this time the results came back with band 7+ in all 4 skills!

For Norman, it was certainly a case of ‘3rd time lucky’ but at iPass we don’t put good results down to luck. We know it’s an important combination of perseverance, practice, professional support and above all, self belief!

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IELTS Writing Test: Top Tips

tips

ACADEMIC TASK 1 REPORTS

1. Try to find interesting points to comment on but be careful not to invent details. You can only report on the information given in the chart.

2. Imagine that the reader of your report cannot see the diagram or chart/graph, so your overview providing a summary of the information given has to be absolutely clear.

3. Make sure you don’t repeat too many of the original words from the question in your introduction; try to paraphrase in your own words.

4. Make sure each of your main body paragraphs has a clear and separate focus which helps to make your report easy to follow.

5. You must include sufficient references to the data – you can use numbers and percentages but try to use a variety of numerical expressions as well.


GENERAL TASK 1 LETTERS

1. Think carefully about who you’re writing to so that you know if your letter needs to use formal or informal language.

2. Make sure you know how to start and end your letter appropriately, depending on the recipient.

3. Use the bullet points in the question to help structure your letter into clearly divided paragraphs (one paragraph per bullet point).

4. Make sure you expand each bullet point so that you include sufficient detail in each paragraph.

5. Aim to write more than the minimum of 150 words. We recommend 180-200 words to get a good band score!


TASK 2 ESSAYS


1. Take a few minutes to plan what you are going to write - this will help you to keep focussed on the task and write a better essay.

2. Consider your own opinion carefully before you start writing and brainstorm at least 2-3 reasons which support your own view.

3. You don’t need to justify your opinion in the introduction; you should do that with the reasons and examples you provide in the main paragraphs.

4. Even if you are writing a one-sided essay, you should consider the alternative viewpoint and include at least one argument against your own.

5. When writing your conclusion, don’t just repeat what you’ve already stated in the previous paragraphs. Instead, reaffirm your opinion and sum up your main argument.


If you need help with any of the language points mentioned in the tips, you will find useful exercises in our IELTS TOOLKIT

And if you would like to get your writing skills assessed by a professional IELTS tutor before your test, sign up for our IELTS WRITING COURSE


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IELTS Speaking Test: Top Tips

tips

PART 1

1. Don’t try to use rehearsed answers that you have practiced before the test. To get a good score in IELTS you need to demonstrate natural communication skills which means giving spontaneous answers!

2. Review some common phrasal verbs that you can use when asked about familiar topics related to your home, work, studies, family and interests.

3. Make sure that you can use a variety of verb tenses to talk about your present situation, your life experiences and your future plans.

4. Try to learn one or two idiomatic uses of English which can be used to talk about familiar topics. You may find you have a similar idiom in your language which will make it easier to remember!

5. Try to imagine yourself having an everyday conversation with an English-speaking friend or a colleague, rather than having a test with an examiner. This will help you to relax and allow you to give more natural responses.


PART 2

1. Use your 1-minute preparation time to write down as many key words related to your topic as you can. Don’t waste time trying to write down full sentences; the key words should be enough to enable you to speak for 2 minutes.

2. Don’t limit yourself to the prompts on the cue card. Brainstorm other questions that you can ask yourself about the topic so that you have enough to talk about for the full 2 minutes.

3. Practice speaking alone for 2 minutes before the test to get to know how much you can actually say during the long-turn. Record yourself and play it back so you can make yourself aware of any bad habits you may have!

4. Practice describing different things before the test so you are prepared for a variety of topics. For example, practice describing a person, a place, an event, an experience and an object. What language will you need to describe them?

5. Remember the key word is ‘describe’ so review a variety of different adjectives and adverbs that you can use to make your speech more descriptive and more interesting. Avoid basic adjectives if you can!


PART 3

1. Make sure you can use a variety of expressions for introducing your opinion so that you are not always repeating the same phrase.

2. It’s important to support your opinion with a valid reason, so familiarise yourself with some of the topics that you might be asked about so that you can consider your viewpoint and your reasons before the test!

3. In Part 3 you are expected to extend your answers a bit more, as you would in a real discussion, so try to give one or two examples to illustrate why you agree or disagree with the statement in the question.

4. Try to use a variety of grammatical structures in your Part 3 answers. For example you can use comparatives, conditionals and the passive voice to demonstrate your range to the examiner.

5. Discourse markers and linkers are essential in Part 3 in order to express a clear opinion so make sure you know how to use them effectively. The examiner needs to be able to follow your ideas and thoughts easily!


If you need help with some of the language points mentioned in the tips, you will find useful exercises in our IELTS TOOLKIT

And if you would like to do some online mock tests with a professional IELTS tutor before your test, sign up for our IELTS SPEAKING COURSE

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Phrasal verbs in action: news

Here are 5 very commonly used phrasal verbs which you can use when talking about the news and current affairs - a very popular subject in the IELTS speaking test!

EXPLANATION: The news can sometimes be quite negative and repetitive. If you use Facebook and have a newsfeed, it can also be very overwhelming. This is why some people reduce or CUT DOWN on the amount of news they see, read or listen to. For example, they unsubscribe to sources of news on Youtube and unfollow pages on Facebook. As well as this, they CUT DOWN on the amount of TV they watch and read fewer newspapers or none at all.

EXAMPLE: “The news is so depressing these days that I’ve cut down on the amount of time I spend on social media.”

QUESTION: Do you think there are any benefits of CUTTING DOWN on how much news you read or listen to?


EXPLANATION: Not every story you read is true and some stories are hidden from the public. This is common when there is a scandal or some dangerous information which the government decides should not be released. This is why you hear people accusing companies and newspapers of working together to COVER UP stories. Some of these accusations are known as conspiracy theories but some might be true.

EXAMPLE: “Have you read about the government expenses scandal? They tried to cover it up but it was made public by some excellent investigative journalism.”

QUESTION: Do you know of a story that was COVERED UP but later became public knowledge?


EXPLANATION: When an action or incident is made to seem more serious or more important than it really is, we say it has been BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION. It’s usually used in a negative sense, making something appear worse that it really is. This is typical of some newspapers when they want to create sensational headlines.

EXAMPLE: “They’re making such a big deal about his behaviour. It’s been completely blown out of proportion.”

QUESTION: Can you think of a story involving a celebrity that has been BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION?


EXPLANATION: News stories inform readers of events in the world. With the ‘fake news’ movement, we don’t always know what is real, so it’s common for people to be interviewed or for reporters to write factual pieces to tell us exactly what the truth is and to CLEAR UP any confusion that we might have. This is very common when false allegations are made against someone.

EXAMPLE: “I always read two or three versions of the same story to clear up any doubts I have about its authenticity.”

QUESTION: If you ever read a fake news story about yourself, what would you do?


EXPLANATION: When all copies of a newspaper are bought and none remain, it is SOLD OUT. You can also use SELL OUT to describe someone who no longer has the same moral principles that they used to have because they have chosen to act in the interests of earning more money rather than maintaining their integrity.

EXAMPLE: “Our Prime Minister sold out when she made lucrative trade deals with a ruthless dictator rather than condemning his human rights abuses.”

QUESTION: Can you think of a politician, actor, musician or writer who has sold out for financial gain?


Do you know any more phrasal verbs related to THE NEWS?

Please write them in the comments box with an explanation and example sentence and you could win a free English course!!

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Susan - iPass student of the month

Susan, a registered nurse from India - joined our IELTS speaking course last October because she planned to take up a job opportunity in a UK hospital and for that she needed to score band 7 in each IELTS test, including Speaking!

She had already taken the IELTS test 3 times when she joined iPass but had not managed to score the required band 7 in Speaking. After completing the course, Susan took two more tests, one in November and one in December.

Unfortunately, the November test still produced a result of 6.5 in the speaking test but in the December test, Susan managed to score 7.5 in Speaking - an improvement of a complete band!

This just shows that speaking scores in the IELTS test can easily fluctuate from one month to the next as there are several factors which can influence a result such as the time of the test, the feelings of the candidate, the topic in Part 2/3 and even the examiner’s interpretation of the candidate’s performance.

Susan could have easily given up after her November test, but she believed she was capable of achieving her goal and she was determined to keep going until she did it.

That’s why we have chosen Susan as our January student of the month. And we wish her every success in her future nursing career in the UK!

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Phrasal verbs in action: possessions

Here are 5 very commonly used phrasal verbs which you can use when talking about your personal possessions.

EXPLANATION: Tourists often don’t have time to plan what they’re going to buy as a souvenir of their trip. They usually just see something they like and make a spontaneous decision to buy it. Whenever people buy things impulsively or casually like this, we can say that they picked up something or picked something up.

EXAMPLE: “Do you like my new scarf? I picked it up at this fantastic market when I visited Marrakech.”

QUESTION: When did you last pick something up as a souvenir while travelling to a new place?


EXPLANATION: There are things we buy or have that we become very attached to. They gain personal value to us and we don’t want to throw them away even if they are old or broken. We hold on to them. Some people keep these kinds of belongings forever. For example, a gift from a grandparent, a child or something you bought that reminds you of an important event or time.

EXAMPLE: “I have always held on to my favourite books from my childhood. I hope to give them to my children one day.”

QUESTION: Have you got a meaningful possession that you intend to hold on to for a long time?


EXPLANATION: Some parents still have belongings from their childhood and so hand them down to their own kids. This is a nice gesture and means that objects of value are kept within the family. For instance, the same furniture could be handed down/passed on from a grandparent to a parent and then the grandchild. Some families often hand down clothes from an older sibling to a younger one. These are called ‘hand-me-downs’.

EXAMPLE: “We have an antique clock that has been passed down through the generations and has been in our family for many years.”

QUESTION: Have you ever received something which has been handed down to you from an older relative?


EXPLANATION: We often have a favourite item of clothing or pair of shoes that we wear so often that it becomes faded or gets holes in it. In other words, it gets worn out/up and you can’t wear it any more. This is especially true with children who often wear their clothes/shoes out quite quickly. Or sometimes it happens because the quality of the clothes/shoes is not very good and therefore not long-lasting.

EXAMPLE: “I can’t believe those shoes are worn out already. We only bought them 2 months ago!”

QUESTION: Have you ever had a pair of shoes or item of clothing which got worn out/up very quickly? Why did this happen?


EXPLANATION: When you move to a new house or apartment, you have to pack up all your possessions by putting them in boxes or bags so that they are easier to transport. Valuable or fragile items are often wrapped up in special plastic before they are packed up to prevent them from breaking. When you arrive to your new house or apartment, everything has to be unpacked.

EXAMPLE: “I can’t wait to move to our new house but I’m not looking forward to packing up everything. It will take ages!”

QUESTION: How many times have you had to pack up all your belongings in order to move to a new place?


COMPETITION TIME: Send your answers to the 5 questions above to me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and the person with the best answers (in terms of grammar and vocabulary) will win a free IELTS interview practice with an iPass tutor!

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Interview with an IELTS examiner

Phil, our social media editor, has interviewed one of our IELTS tutors, Helen, to find out what she thinks is the key to being successful in the IELTS test.

ielts success tips

Q: Why do some IELTS candidates fail again and again to get the band score they need?

A: These students are usually trying to get a score that is above their general level of English, so they need to focus on building up their skills by getting more exposure to the language, either by self-study or by attending a course. When they are able to use a wider and more complex range of vocabulary and grammar and understand more spoken and written forms of English, they should restart their preparation for the IELTS test.

Q: Students are tested on range of grammar and vocabulary, but how can they show this naturally?

A: Read widely, but that I mean reading a wide range of texts and noticing the use of vocabulary as you read, making a note of useful phrases. Don’t try to memorise big, difficult chunks because this is obvious to an examiner. Instead, use what you know and are confident of using correctly. Listen to as much spoken English as possible, especially if you’re not living in an English speaking country: radio broadcasts, TV interviews, podcasts, news bulletins, drama series, whatever you’re into really, they are all great sources of authentic language.

Q: What are the secrets to IELTS preparation?

A: Being familiar with the requirements of the tasks and the different types of questions in all 4 tests. Also, being organised is essential: practising each skill over time and not leaving it all to the last minute. Test candidates should make a study plan and practise exam tasks within the time limits of the real test. In writing, it is also really important to think about the person you are writing for or to, so that the style and tone is appropriate.

Q: What should a candidate do in the morning before the test?

A: Arrive in plenty of time, make sure they have all the necessary documents and things they will need to complete the test. Remembering to eat before the exam is also very important, but above all they should try to stay calm and focused.

Q: What is the biggest mistake you have seen an IELTS candidate make?

A: Not reading the questions properly, so writing off topic. Also, not writing enough which means losing marks for not reaching the minimum word count. Probably the biggest error though is poor time management: not leaving enough time to answer both questions in the Writing test or spending too long on some questions in the Reading test.

Q: How does a candidate’s culture influence how they should prepare?

A: That’s a difficult one to answer because I think all candidates should prepare well regardless of country or culture. But I suppose pronunciation can be more difficult for some students in the Speaking test, depending on the differences between English and their native language, so more time may be needed to work on this area.

Q: IELTS test preparation can be intense so what do you suggest for candidates who are completely new to IELTS?

A: Take it a step at a time, they should familiarise themselves with the requirements of each part of the test, and break the tasks down into manageable parts so that they can focus on one thing at a time. It’s also a good idea to get in touch with other people who have already taken the test and can pass on valuable tips and advice.

Q: Some students want to jump from band 5 to 7. Is this possible?

A: It is possible if the student is highly motivated and committed, but they have to appreciate that it’s not going to happen overnight. It takes a lot of effort, dedication and above all ..... practice!

Q: What psychological barriers do you think hold students back?

A: Anxiety is probably the biggest factor because candidates are often under a lot of pressure to get a high score. Even some very capable students simply get struck by nerves on the day of the test, especially the Speaking test, and unfortunately this can have a big impact on their performance and their score. A lack of belief in one’s own abilities is another thing that often prohibits candidates from getting the results they often deserve, which is why it’s so important to have a coach or tutor who can boost your confidence and encourage you to do well.

Q: How important is effective feedback and professional support?

A: Effective feedback can be crucial in guiding the student to complete tasks effectively and successfully and making them aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Personal and professional support, aside from the motivational factors I mentioned before, can also help students to manage their study time efficiently and stay on track with their preparation, especially if they’re doing it online.


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Phrasal verbs in action: TV

Here are 5 very commonly used phrasal verbs which you can use when talking about watching TV.

EXPLANATION: You can SWITCH ON the TV or your laptop to watch a TV series. If a channel isn’t good then you SWITCH OVER to another one. When a show is quite boring you can also mentally SWITCH OFF which means you stop paying attention to it.

EXAMPLE: “I always switch over when the adverts come on”.

QUESTION: Do you ever SWITCH OFF (mentally) when you’re watching TV? Why? Does it make you actually SWITCH OFF the TV?


EXPLANATION: In the days before the internet, we had to TUNE IN at a specific time/day to watch our favourite show on a particular channel. Now you can watch a lot of shows online whenever you want. Nevertheless, if you want to watch a live show, you still need to TUNE IN at the exact time that it is being broadcast.

EXAMPLE: “I always tune in to watch my favourite drama series on Monday night at 9pm”.

QUESTION: Do you have a favourite show on TV that you always TUNE IN to?


EXPLANATION: When we are busy, we often don’t have time to watch the latest episodes of our favourite shows. Then, when we do have time, we spend an hour or several hours CATCHING UP ON what we’ve missed: to find out what’s happened to our favourite characters in a drama series; see who has won a talent show or discover new facts in documentaries.

EXAMPLE: “I missed the last two episodes of The Crown so I’ll have to catch up (on them) before the final one next week.”

QUESTION: Which TV show haven’t you watched in a while? How long would it take you to CATCH UP ON all the episodes you’ve missed?


EXPLANATION: Netflix and similar online TV services allow us to watch every episode of a series in one sitting. For example, even if you’ve never seen Game of Thrones, you could still watch every episode from each season by bingeing on one series at a time.

EXAMPLE: “I love to binge on the old series of Friends because I missed a lot of the episodes the first time they were shown”.

Is there a series you have not seen that you’d love to BINGE ON? How many episodes or series would you watch all at once?


EXPLANATION: Famous names sell films and TV shows but sometimes new shows begin with unknown actors and actresses who STAR IN them. In time, they become more well-known and then rise to fame and become a household name.

EXAMPLE: “The actors who starred in Friends were not very well known at first, but they soon became very famous as the show became one of the most popular US sitcoms of all times.”

If you were to create a new TV show or film about your life, who would you choose to STAR IN it?


COMPETITION TIME - Win an IELTS Speaking assessment on Skype with an iPass tutor!

Answer the 5 questions above and send your answers to us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject heading ‘Phrasal verbs: TV’

We’ll announce the winner on 31 January 2018

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Mar - iPass student of the month

Mar first took the General Training IELTS test in July because she needed band 7 in each part to apply for a fellowship programme in Canada.

In her 1st attempt, she got 8.5 in Reading but 6.5 in the other 3 tests which wasn’t enough for what she needed. Mar joined iPass in September and joined IELTS 7 with the intention of taking the exam again in October.

We are pleased to say that on her 2nd attempt the result was much more favourable: overall band 8, writing 7; speaking 7.5; listening 9 and 8.5 again in reading.

This was such a great improvement in such a short space of time that we felt we had to nominate Mar as our student of the month.

And now Mar has joined the IELTS Express course because she wants to repeat her success in the Academic IELTS test!

We wish her all the best!

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Phrasal verbs in action: gifts

Here are 5 very commonly used phrasal verbs which you can use when talking about buying or exchanging gifts.

When it’s a religious festival like December 24th or 25th, families gather together and GIVE OUT presents. It is also a Christmas tradition for someone to dress as Santa Claus and to GIVE OUT presents to young children.

In the IELTS test, you are often asked to describe typical festivals from your country, so you could say this:

“In my country, we have a famous festival called .... and during the festival, people give out sweets to all the children in the street.”

When was the last time you went to a festival, religious event or gathering where someone GAVE things OUT?


Sometimes you give people something you own as a gift. It might be something you no longer need or something that someone really likes and you decide to give it to them.

Can you think of something you have that a friend would like? Would you give it to them? If so, then you’d GIVE it AWAY.

For example:

“This year the children at my daughter’s school are giving away their old toys so they can be used as Christmas gifts for children in hospital.”

GIVE AWAY is often used when things are donated to charities. For example:

“I gave away all my old barbie dolls to our local children’s charity.”


Christmas and other similar festivals often involve buying gifts for friends or family members and it can be quite costly so some people have to SAVE UP for several weeks or months prior to the festival.

Parents, for example, might have to save up to buy their child an expensive bike or maybe the children need to save up their pocket money to buy their parents a present!

For example:

“I saved up all my spare money for a month and bought my dad a very nice watch for his birthday.”

Can you think of something expensive that you would like to have but can’t afford to buy it now? How long would you need to SAVE UP for it?


It is tradition in some countries to give people presents that are covered in special paper to hide what is inside and to make the present look more appealing.

In some shops, the sales person will ask you “do you want it wrapped?”. Some people prefer to WRAP UP presents themselves.

For example:

“I bought my sister a birthday present and wrapped it up so she wouldn’t guess what it was.”

Do you prefer to WRAP UP presents yourself, ask the salesperson to do it or just give presents in their original packaging?

You can use PICK UP to minimise the importance of buying a small gift for someone. It is also used when you want to say you bought something for someone because they needed it.

For example, you might say to a friend:

“I picked this book up for you as I know you like the author.”

Or perhaps this:

“I picked up some cough syrup for you from the chemist.”


Now it’s over to you. Look at some typical IELTS questions about gifts, celebrations or festivals and think about how you could use these phrasal verbs in your answers.

Practise makes perfect!!

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Phrasal verbs in action: travel

TRAVEL is a key topic in the IELTS speaking test - you could be asked where you went on your last trip in Part 1 or you might have to describe your ideal holiday in Part 2.

In Part 3 you might be asked to express an opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of tourism or to describe the personal benefits of travelling.

So, it’s a good idea to revise some topic-based phrasal verbs that you could use to answer those types of questions.

Here are 5 very useful ones to get you started!


There are many reasons you might TAKE OFF for another place. Maybe you are fed up with the cold winter weather in your country so you decide to TAKE OFF for somewhere hot, or maybe your country has a very hot and humid summer season and you wish to take off for somewhere with a cooler climate:

EXAMPLE: “My brother took off for 2 weeks on a Greek island without telling anyone where he was going.”

Q.1 Have you ever taken off somewhere at short notice, possibly without telling anyone? Where did you go?


It’s common to STOP OVER in a city for one night instead of taking a connecting flight the same day. Another reason is so you can spend some time visiting a new place instead of just passing through it or over it. You can even STOP OVER at a friend’s house for the night if it’s late and you don’t want to drive or walk home.

EXAMPLE: “When I flew to Australia I had to stop over for a night in Singapore.”

Q.2 Have you ever STOPPED OVER in a city between a late night flight and an early morning one?


Different people have different reasons for going on holiday. Some want to learn about the local culture, to experience a different place and some just want to get a suntan. All of them can say they want to SOAK UP something.

For instance, a traveller in France enjoying a coffee and croissant in a Parisian cafe looking out at the Eiffel Tower while listening to French music on the radio is definitely SOAKING UP the local culture.

Q.3 Where would you go to SOAK UP the culture? Or how about a hot place to SOAK UP the sun?


One thing many people do when they go travelling is to buy souvenirs and gifts for friends and family back home. In touristy cities, there are often many shops and stalls selling souvenirs and at different prices.

It’s a good idea to SHOP AROUND to find the shop with the best souvenirs at the lowest prices. This is possible in big cities but in a small town or tourist site with only one shop, it isn’t.

Q.4 Do you normally buy souvenirs when you travel? Do you prefer to SHOP AROUND for the lowest price or do you buy the first thing you see?


Travelling is interesting because it is always full of surprises. You never know what you will find or who you will meet. You could COME ACROSS a great museum, a beautiful landmark or even a souvenir for a friend.

EXAMPLE: While strolling through the backstreets of Naples we came across some fantastic underground Roman ruins.

Q.5 What was the best thing you CAME ACROSS on your last holiday?

Over to you now!!

Answer our 5 questions using the phrasal verbs - enter your replies in the comments box (include your name and email address) and win a FREE iPass vocabulary course!!

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Katrina - iPass student of the month

Katrina was preparing for the Academic IELTS test because she needed it to fulfil the NMC English language requirements to work as a nurse in the UK. For that she was required to get a minimum of band 7 in each of the four sub-tests - not an easy task!

She joined iPass on 1st October 2017 having already taken the test 3 times in 2016. Each time she had secured band 7 and above in reading, listening and speaking, but always got 6.5 in the writing. This is a common story because the Academic writing test is pretty tough.

But after completing the iPass Writing Plus course at the end of October, Katrina was ready to face the IELTS test again on November 4th. And this time she did it!!

She cleared band 7 in Writing and got 7.5 in the other three tests, achieving an overall band of 7.5, so not just fulfilling the NMC requirements but exceeding them!

We have chosen Katrina as our student of the month because it would have been very easy to quit after failing to meet her goal after three attempts. But she refused to give up and instead kept practising, kept improving and most importantly kept believing that success was achievable!

Everyone on the iPass team wishes Katrina even more success and happiness in her future career!

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Phrasal verbs in action: hobbies

Talking about your hobbies and interests is something you often have to do in the IELTS speaking test, especially in Part 1. So, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with a few phrasal verbs related to this topic. Here are some very common examples:

TAKE UP (a hobby) = to start something new

You could TAKE UP a new sport, a creative hobby like painting or something simple such as jogging.

The secret with TAKE UP is to just use it instead of START or BEGIN. You’ll need to do this a few times before it becomes natural though. When you get better, you’ll have 3 different ways to talk about a new hobby. For example:

I’ve just begun a salsa class and it’s very intensive. I’d been wanting TO TAKE UP salsa dancing for years but I never got round to starting due to lack of time.


JOIN IN = to participate in an activity

You can JOIN IN an activity before it starts or while it is in progress.

To use JOIN IN, imagine some of your friends are playing a sport and they ask you to play with them. For example:

I played basketball last Saturday with some friends because they needed an extra player and asked me to JOIN IN. I jumped at the chance and now I play with them every week.


GET INTO = to become interested in something

You can GET INTO a hobby or an interest in a variety of ways; from reading about it, hearing about it from a friend or by trying it for yourself.

You normally use GET INTO when you’re talking about the time when you started your hobby or interest. For example:

I first GOT INTO yoga when my best friend encouraged me to try it to help me feel less stressed.


KEEP UP = to continue doing something

We often start different hobbies throughout our life, but we don’t always KEEP them UP for very long.

You usually use KEEP UP when you’re telling somebody how long you did a particular activity for. For example:

I used to play badminton 2 or 3 times a week in my twenties, but it was difficult to KEEP it UP after I had children.


PACK IN / GIVE UP (a hobby/activity) = to stop doing something

It’s easy to take up a new hobby but it’s not easy to keep it up. When you quit, you can say that you PACKED it IN or GAVE it UP.

Make a list of all the hobbies, activities and sports you have taken up but then PACKED IN or GIVEN UP. Here’s a short list of mine:

In my adult life I have taken up many new activities such as yoga, salsa dancing, drumming and Japanese classes but I GAVE them all UP for various reasons. However, I recently took up a different type of dancing called Lindy Hop, so I hope I’ll be able to keep this one up.

Now over to you! Write a comment about your hobbies and try to use some of these phrasal verbs to talk about them.

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Extending your vocabulary: using similies

Did you already know any of the similies in the video? Have you ever used them to describe people you know, or maybe even to describe yourself!

There are lots more you can use which have exactly the same structure: AS + ADJECTIVE + AS + NOUN

Here are a few more….... Can you guess what they all mean?

1. As bold as brass
2. As bright as a button
3. As cool as a cucumber
4. As dull as dishwater
5. As deaf as a post
6. As fit as a fiddle
7. As nutty as a fruitcake
8. As sly as a fox
9. As thin as a rake
10. As tough as old boots


Now try my quiz! Which expressions describes someone who is…...

a) very boring?
b) in good physical shape?
c) very cunning?
d) a bit crazy?
e) alert and intelligent?
f) very slim or underweight?
g) always in control?
h) very confident?
i) mentally and physically strong?
j) not able to hear well?

Send your answers to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and WIN a free online vocabulary course!!

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IELTS strategies: tongue-twisters

Are there any particular sounds in the English language that you have difficulties pronouncing?

The difficult ones are usually those that don’t exist in your first language, so you never got used to using them when you were learning to speak.

For example, my first language is English, but I live in Spain and Spanish uses a sound spelled with ‘J’ that is called ‘Jota’. It is similar to the English ‘h’ but it is a much deeper sound that is produced from the back of the throat, almost like the start of a cough!

It was an alien sound to me and I had difficulty using it for a long time, but with practice it gradually became more familiar and I could pronounce words containing the ‘jota’ sound more naturally.

One way to practise difficult sounds is to repeat them in a fun non-sensical way by inventing a tongue-twister using lots of words with the same sound.

For example, if you have problems with the ‘r’ sound, make a list of words that contain that sound (either at the beginning or in the middle):

RABBIT - RACE - RUN - RIBBON - ROAD - RICH - BURROW - RED - BROWN - REALLY

And then try to put them in a silly sentence:

The really rich rabbit running with the red ribbon was racing down the road to reach his brown burrow

Now try saying it…...each time a little faster than the last. Ready .....steady….....go!!


Watch our video again for another example:


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IELTS strategies: varying your tenses

If you’re aiming for band 7 or above in the IELTS speaking test, or indeed the writing test as well, you will need to show that you can use a range of verb tenses competently and confidently.

It won’t be enough to stick to the basic verb tenses of present simple, past simple and future simple. You will need to use continuous verb tenses and perfect verb tenses as well.

As this video suggests, it is a good idea to take one verb phrase that is relevant to you and practise using it in a variety of different ways.

For example:

I go camping.

I haven’t been camping since June.

I’ll go camping again next summer.

I was camping with my family when I went canoeing for the first time.

I had never been camping before the age of 12.

Watch the video again for a different example:


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Dinesh - iPass student of the month

Dinesh first joined iPass in April 2016, although he took his first IELTS test way back in 2009. That was for academic purposes, but more recently he needed to take the General Training IELTS test for Canadian immigration, the requirements being band 7 in reading, writing and speaking but band 8 in listening.

Dinesh first signed up for the IELTS 7 course and despite scoring band 7 in 3 sub-tests, he only got band 6 in writing.

Realising that he needed to focus more on his writing skills, he took a break and then re-enrolled on our IELTS speaking + writing plus course this year and took the test again in July. Dinesh’s writing score increased to band 7 and his listening score went up to 7.5, but unfortunately it still didn’t quite meet the immigration requirements for Canada.

Understandably, there were feelings of frustration and disappointment, but undeterred and determined to achieve his goal, Dinesh is now banking his hopes on a “nomination of interest” provided by the province of Ontario and although it’s a lengthy process with only a 50% chance of success, everyone on the iPass is behind Dinesh in wishing that it will be sufficient for his immigration application to be accepted.

Dinesh was a very focused student with an extremely positive attitude and keenness to improve and that’s why we’ve chosen him as our student of the month!

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IELTS strategies: avoiding repetition

As an iPass IELTS tutor, I do practice interviews with IELTS candidates every day, and a piece of advice I often give them is to avoid repetition.

This is especially true in Part 2 of the speaking test when you have to speak for 1-2 minutes on your own about a particular topic give to you on a cue card.

For example, the topic could be ‘describe your favourite restaurant’, in which case you will most likely talk at length about the food you can eat there.

However, to show that you have a range of vocabulary at your disposal, you should avoid repeating the word ‘food’ too often. Try to think of alternative words and phrases, such as:

- cuisine
- dishes
- menu
- ingredients
- diet / dietary

And then think of collocations that you could use with those words. For example:

- Indian cuisine
- a variety of dishes
- a varied menu
- nutritious / fresh ingredients
- balanced / healthy diet
- dietary requirements

Using phrases such as these will really boost your vocabulary score!!

Check out this short video for a very useful strategy you can use to help you keep increasing your range of vocabulary:


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Peggy - iPass student of the month

Peggy first joined iPass in September 2016, having already taken the Academic IELTS test 4 times previously. Her target was band 7 in each sub-test but each time she just fell short in the writing and/or speaking test with either 6 or 6.5.

Peggy initially took the IELTS Lite course but later enrolled on the Speaking & Writing Plus course so that she could focus primarily on improving those two skills.

It was not an easy road for Peggy but she was determined to achieve her goal. She took the test again in January and while her speaking score went up to band 7, her writing scored remained at 6.5. Undeterred, she kept practising and continued improving and took the test again two more times in March and April.

The March results were initially disappointing with 7 in Writing this time but only 6.5 in Speaking. Peggy applied for a remark of her speaking score but went on and took a subsequent test in April. This time she did it with band 7 in both speaking and writing and 7.5 overall. However, the good news did not end there because later that month she got the results of her EOR which saw her speaking score from March get upgraded from 6.5 to 7.5 - a complete band score!!

On a personal note, I was really thrilled for Peggy because we had worked so hard together on improving her speaking and despite the disappointments she did not give up because she knew that she was capable of reaching the required level. As anyone who has taken IELTS before knows, proving your level in all 4 skills in the same test is not easy, but with the right guidance and support and a lot of hard work and determination it is possible - and Peggy is definitely proof of that.

Everyone on the iPass team wishes her a very bright future ahead!

peggy

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Idiom workout: animals

It’s very common in spoken English to use idioms to express a particular feeling or to describe a situation in a more interesting way.

For example, instead of just saying ‘I’m tired’, someone might say ‘I’m dog-tired’ to express the fact that they are extremely tired.

Do you know any other idioms using the word ‘dog’? Have you ever heard of the expressions ‘a dogsbody’ or ‘to be in the doghouse’?

This short video gives you a couple more examples of idioms related to animals. Think how you could use them in your next conversation!

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Arvind - student of the month!!

Arvind joined iPass in January this year as a student on the IELTS Express course, with a very clear objective of scoring at least band 7 in each of the 4 modules in her General Training IELTS test.

Her original intention was to take the test in April, but having received the feedback from her tutors indicating that she needed more time to improve her writing skills in particular, she decided to postpone the test until May. Already confident that she could obtain the desired scores in Reading and Listening, Arvind enrolled on a specific IELTS Writing & Speaking course in March so that she could concentrate more on those two skills.

Arvind was especially keen to improve her level of writing and was constantly seeking ways to hone her letter writing and essay writing skills, paying close attention to all the feedback she received from the iPass tutors and never afraid to ask questions so that she could continue improving.

The same was true in the Skype sessions that I did with Arvind - she heeded every piece of advice I gave her and made a conscious effort to incorporate the advice in each new session. As a teacher, it is an absolute joy to work with students like Arvind who are so keen to enhance their skills, not just for the sake of the IELTS test, but because they actively want to achieve better communication skills and have a genuine interest in languages!

Arvind’s hard work and determination paid off when she took the exam in May. She achieved her desired score of overall 7.5 with band 7 in speaking and writing; exactly what she needed for her registration and license to practise Physiotherapy in Canada.

Everyone at iPass would like to wish Arvind a very happy and successful future in Canada!!

arvind

 

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Idiom workout: the weather

Idioms are an essential part of the English language and being able to use them correctly and naturally in conversation demonstrates a deeper awareness of the language and will definitely boost your lexical score in the IELTS speaking test.

The idioms presented in this video are all related to the weather - a favourite topic for making small talk in the UK.


Do you know any more idioms that have a weather theme?

For example:

to be/feel under the weather = to feel less than 100% / to feel a bit ill

“I don’t think I’ll go out tonight. I’m feeling a bit under the weather

If you know any more, post them in the comments box below!

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Idiom workout: describing people

In Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test you might be asked to describe a family member or a close friend. Or you might be asked to describe a favourite teacher, a famous person you’d like to meet or someone you admire and respect.

Even in Part 1 of the test you might be asked to describe the people in your life and how you are similar or different to them.

So it’s a great idea to revise some idiomatic uses of English that can be used to describe both positive and negative characteristics of different types of people.

This short video gives you a few examples:


And a few more to research:

- all brawn and no brain(s)
- a doubting Thomas
- as hard as nails
- silver-tongued
- a tower of strength

COMPETITION TIME!!

If you can provide a clear definition and an example sentence for each of the 5 idioms above, you could win a free iPass English course!!

Just send your answers to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) before Friday 21st July.

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Idiom workout: colours

Do you know any other idioms in English that use colours? Here’s a quick quiz for you to test your knowledge!

Can you complete each idiom with the correct colour?

1. A ______ rag to a bull (something that will make someone very angry)
2. To go ______ as a sheet (when someone turns very pale because they are feeling ill or in shock)
3. Out of the ______ (when something happens completely unexpectedly)
4. ______ and ______ (covered in bruises)
5.The ______ sheep (someone who is not approved of in the family / group)

Send your answers to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with an example sentence for each one and you could win a free 50-hour Vital Vocab course!!

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Lynda May - student of the month!

Lynda May was a student on the IELTS Express course. She came to iPass having already taken the IELTS test once before, achieving an overall band 7 but​ 6.5 in both speaking and writing.

These were very good scores but she needed to get a minimum band 7 in all tests for her NMC registration to work as a nurse in the UK.

Lynda May was really great to work with as she was always cheerful and positive, listening carefully to all the advice that was given to her by her tutors.

Her determination to succeed in her second IELTS test was also clear and she was very eager to put into practice everything that she had learnt on the course, particularly in relation to speaking and writing.

So when she emailed us with her results (7.5 in speaking and 7 in writing) we were over the moon for her!

It just goes to show that a positive attitude to learning and a keenness to improve really can make a big difference!


lynda may

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Idiom workout: feelings

Being able to use idioms in their natural context is not always easy for non-native speakers. And using them in the wrong context can actually damage your performance in the IELTS speaking test as it will come across as rehearsed and unnatural.

Watch this short video to see how you can use a couple of common idioms related to describing your feelings.

If you would like to learn how to use more idioms in your speech, sign up for an IELTS speaking course and practice mock interviews with a native English-speaking tutor who can give you great tips on how to use colloquial and idiomatic expressions in a natural way.

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Part 1 speaking test questions

If you are taking your IELTS speaking test soon and would like to have a practice interview with a professional IELTS exam trainer who will give you detailed feedback on your performance and tips on how to improve, you can sign up for one of our online IELTS speaking courses (minimum of 3 practice interviews) or an iPass IELTS top-up test if you just want one or two practice sessions.

Read the many testimonials from ex-students to see how our professional team of tutors helped them get a higher score in their IELTS speaking test.

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Sadia - iPass student of the month!

Sadia was a student on our IELTS writing course. She had taken the IELTS test previously but was struggling to get band 7 in writing and she needed overall 7.5 to register as a doctor in Canada.

After really focussing on her writing skills and taking all the advice of the iPass tutors, Sadia re-sat her IELTS test in March and this time she got the scores she needed: listening 8; speaking 7.5; reading & writing 7; overall 7.5.

We are so pleased that Sadia can now complete her professional registration as a doctor and we wish her all the best with her new life in Canada!!

sadia

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New video from IELTS Speaking 7 Plus!!

So, let’s take a look at what was good about this student’s answer.

First of all, did you notice how many different adjectives she used to describe her pet rats?

I spotted at least eight: intelligent; smart; social; sweet; cute; tiny; wonderful; depressed

She also included a variety of linking words and grammatical structures to show her flexibility in using English:

regardless of; apart from; while living; when i moved back; again

And she made some comparisons with other animals to add even more vocabulary:

just like dogs they are trainable; you can teach them tricks

Making a joke was also a nice way to finish her answer and would certainly make the examiner smile!

Listen again to see what she said about rats making good travel companions:


If you liked this video and would like to do the complete course, you can find it here

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Part 1 Speaking test questions: holidays

Some people might tell you that Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test is not that important because it is the shortest part of the test and it contains the easiest questions. Wrong!

Part 1 is equally as important as the other parts of the test, and in many ways it is the most important because it the part of the test when the examiner will make an initial judgment about your level in relation to the IELTS band scores.

The examiner expects you to be a bit nervous at the beginning of the test so don’t worry if you make a few mistakes, but at the same time you should try your best to demonstrate a good range of structures and some colloquial language that is commonly used in everyday conversation.

This video gives you some useful expressions you can use on the topic of holidays and relaxation.

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IELTS Speaking: Using a range of vocab

If you need help to increase your range of vocabulary before you take your IELTS test, why not sign up for one of our courses. There are 2 options:

NON-TUTORED - €35 - IELTS Vocab

TUTORED - €65 - IELTS 7 (includes a FREE General or Academic vocabulary course)


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IELTS secrets

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Onkar - iPass student of the month!

Onkar needed minimum IELTS scores of 7 (8 in listening) for the Federal Skilled Programme in Canada.

With only a short time to prepare before his first attempt at the IELTS test, he joined our IELTS Express course and committed himself to 2 weeks of intensive exam practice, particularly in writing and speaking.

Although it was the first time he had taken an online course, Onkar had a very positive attitude to his new learning experience and paid close attention to all the feedback he was given on his writing and speaking practice tasks.

As a result, he was rewarded with excellent scores: L9, W7, S7 and R7 - not bad for a 1st attempt!

Onkar attributed much of the credit to our wonderful team of online tutors but we can only provide the expertise and advice - the real hard work and determination has to come from the student and Onkar is a perfect example of that which is why we have chosen him as our student of the month!

We wish him all the best with his future career in Canada!!

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IELTS Speaking 7 Plus - free video lesson!!



If you found this lesson useful, you can also download the free worksheet that goes with it for extra practice.


And if you would like more of these video/worksheet lessons, you can buy the complete course for only €35!!

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Speaking Test - Part 1 - Where you’re from

You can download and print this handy worksheet to help you start planning possible Part 1 answers to use in response to questions about where you live and where you come from.

If you would like more videos and worksheets like this to help you prepare for the IELTS speaking test, check out our new video course: IELTS Speaking 7 Plus

FREE IS7+ WORKSHEET: Where_You_Come_From.pdf



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Speaking Test - Part 3 - Family questions


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Speaking Test - Part 2 - sample question


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Cool and contemporary vocab - crime

We’ve collected some typical words, collocations and phrasal verbs on Crime so that you can add them to your collection. The more expressions you know, the more precisely you can express your ideas and opinions and the less chance you have of repeating yourself or wasting time trying to think of the exact words.

man in jail

Vocabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Phrasal verbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cool and contemporary vocab - healthcare

There are many possible question topics for each part of the IELTS speaking test. While Part 1 starts with simple questions about familiar topics, Part 2 deals with specific personal experiences and then Part 3 moves to more general and abstract topics.

A good IELTS candidate can answer questions on familiar topics by using the language they know. However, a high level IELTS candidate can demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary on familiar AND abstract topics. This is the difference between a band 6 and band 8 student.

Whichever IELTS band you are aiming for, start learning vocabulary about general topics of interest. Below are some very common words and expressions about healthcare. You should use them if you are asked specific questions about doctors, hospitals, healthcare, illness or you could use them to help you with speaking or writing questions that are more generally related to health.

For instance, if you have a question about fitness, obesity, sport, happiness or society in general. Another way you might use them is if you have a question about your family or friends, your job, personal problems or life experiences in general. 

healthcare stethoscope

Vocabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Phrasal verbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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IELTS Speaking 7 Plus - AVAILABLE 1st MARCH!!

We are very excited to offer you a brand new video course for the IELTS Speaking test - IELTS Speaking 7 Plus

The full course, which includes over 70 minutes of video lessons, plus 15 accompanying worksheets, will be available to buy from 1st March - that’s tomorrow!!

And that’s not all…...

We’ll be offering a 20% discount for the first 5 days so you can buy the full course for JUST €28!!

SPECIAL OFFER CLOSES ON 6th MARCH - DON’T MISS IT!!

 

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IELTS Speaking 7 Plus - conversation fillers

Do you ever get stuck when you’re having a conversation in English and find yourself hesitating a lot while you try to find the right words and expressions to use?

This is quite normal, even when conversing in our native language, and we usually ‘fill the gaps’ with noises like ‘er’ and ‘um’. This is fine in everyday conversation but NOT when you’re trying to impress the examiner in your IELTS speaking test.

So, this video lesson looks at some very useful ‘conversation fillers’ that you can use in different situations to avoid too much hesitation and they’re also a great way to give yourself a few extra seconds of thinking time too!

And you can even download this free sample worksheet that accompanies the video for extra practice!

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IELTS Speaking 7 Plus - the day of the test

On 1st March our brand new IELTS Speaking 7 Plus video course will be available to buy!!

It includes a series of 20 video lessons giving you excellent tips on how to improve your band score in each criteria of the speaking test assessment.

There is just over 70 minutes of video content but the course also includes 15 helpful worksheets with essential exercises to support what you have learnt in the videos.

This fantastic course can be yours for just €35, but the best news is that we’ll be offering a special introduction 20% discount for the first 5 days!!

Don’t miss it!

Here’s a sample video for you to watch:

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IELTS Speaking 7 Plus - COMING SOON!!

IELTS Speaking 7 Plus covers all 4 aspects of the IELTS Speaking assessment criteria: fluency & coherence; lexical resource; grammatical range & accuracy and pronunciation.

There will be just over 70 minutes of video content, plus extra worksheet resources and online quizzes for further practice!

And you don’t have to wait long - we’re launching this exciting new course on 1st March!!

But before that, we’ll be releasing two more sample videos for you so watch out for those next week!

Here’s the first one - 6 top tips on how to boost your score!!

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IELTS Speaking Test - Part 2

Study the prompts on the cue card carefully and use your 1-minute preparation time to brainstorm as many key words and phrases related to the topic as you can think of.

SAMPLE CUE CARD

Describe a national festival in your country. You should say:

- when it takes place
- why it takes place
- what the people do during this festival

and explain why this festival is important to you.

KEY WORDS / PHRASES


- celebrate love and romance
- go out for romantic meals / movies
- see a date film / movie
- a romantic comedy (a rom-com)
- buy chocolates and flowers
- make romantic gestures
- buy cuddly toys / jewellery
- exchange heart-shaped gifts
- go for weekends away
- propose marriage / make marriage proposals

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IELTS Speaking Test Tips

Part 2, known as the “long-turn” in the IELTS speaking test is not easy, because you have to speak on your own about the topic which is presented to you for 1-2 minutes with very little time to prepare.

The short video below gives you some useful tips on how to organise your answer.

It’s really important to use your 1-min preparation time to note down as many key words related to the topic as you can, because you can use them as prompts to help you to keep talking for up to 2 minutes

You might also want to use the preparation time to ask yourself additional questions that are not on the task card. That way, you won’t run out of things to say.

Remember that your mini speech should be personal, interesting, relevant and above all natural, just as if you were telling an anecdote to a friend grin

 

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Kanchan - iPass student of the month

Kanchan, originally from Nepal but now living in the US, is our student of the month because despite getting very frustrated with not getting the IELTS score she needed in speaking, she did not give up, and last month her perseverance and determination eventually paid off.

Kanchan had taken the IELTS test 6 times previously and despite getting overall band 7, her speaking score was stuck at 6.5 and she needed band 7 in that too for her US visa application. She signed up for an iPass speaking course last November, but each time she took the test she was getting closer to her February 2017 deadline. Despite the mounting pressure, Kanchan kept her cool, kept practising and most importantly, kept believing, and finally she did it on her 7th attempt!

Her final scores were 7 in speaking and writing, 8 in reading and listening; overall 7.5!!

Now, her life is no longer on hold and she can move forward with her future plans. Everyone on the iPass team would like to wish her all the best.

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Cool & contemporary vocab: reading

Here are some sample IELTS speaking test questions about reading:

1. What kind of books do you like to read?
2. Do you read the same books now as when you were a child?
3. What kinds of magazines are popular in your country?
4. What are the main differences between a newspaper and magazine?
5. Do you ever read the news online?

ereader

Vocabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Phrasal verbs

 

 

 

 

 

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Katharina - iPass student of the month

Katharina had a very tough task ahead of her when she joined iPass back in August last year. She had already taken the Academic IELTS test and scored a very respectable 7.5 overall but with only 6.5 in Writing and 7 in Speaking it was not enough. Katharina is a medical student in Germany and to undertake her clinical practice overseas - in her chosen country of Scotland - she needed a minimum of 7.5 in each sub-test, which is a considerable challenge.

However, undeterred by the obstacle and determined to succeed, Katharina joined the iPass Writing and Speaking Plus course to try and improve those skills and increase her scores to 7.5.

Knowing that this was not going to be easy, she took her time, practised continuously and listened attentively to all the comments given to her by the tutors on her course. As a result, she was able to apply all the feedback in her subsequent test, which she took in December, and the results were outstanding!

Not only did Katharina meet the 7.5 band score requirements in each test, but she exceeded them with a very impressive 8.5 in Speaking and Listening and 8 in Reading.

Everyone on the iPass team is very proud of Katharina’s success which proves the old adage that practice really does make perfect!!

We wish her all the best for the future and hope that she has an excellent experience in Scotland!!

Katharina

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Cool & contemporary vocab: change

Look at this Part 2 question from the IELTS speaking test:

‘Describe a positive change in your life.’

To get a high score in IELTS you need to use natural-sounding, everyday phrases with some evidence of idiomatic language. Here are some examples you can use to answer this question well.

change

Common phrases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Idiomatic Expressions

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Anu - iPass student of the month

We have chosen Anu as our November student of the month because she was determined to clear IELTS despite ‘struggling a lot to score band 7 in writing’ which she admitted was her ‘biggest hurdle’

When Anu, a doctor from Nepal, signed with iPass in September she told us that her dream was to work as a midwife in the UK but she was starting to feel very frustrated with the IELTS test because she had spent a lot of money on other online materials but not succeeded, even after several attempts. To register with the GMC in the UK, Anu needed an overall band 7.5 with no individual score below band 7.

Eventually she was recommended by a friend to go to iPass to help improve her IELTS writing skills. She said she needed to understand her mistakes as well as her weak points and with the constant help of our tutors she was able to work on specific areas of her writing that helped her a lot to improve.

Finally she was able to clear IELTS with overall band 8 (7 in writing) and is now planning to start working in England as a midwife. She told us “It would never be possible without achieving the required criteria in IELTS. Clearing this test was the gateway to my dream job. All credits go to you and your team. I don’t have enough words to thank you.”

Well, we certainly don’t believe that we deserve the credit because Anu was the one who persevered and kept practising while taking all of the feedback onboard in order to overcome the difficulties she was having before and finally it all paid off.

Everyone on the iPass team wishes her well with her future career in the UK!

Anu

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Cool & contemporary vocab: movies

In Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test, you might be asked to describe a film that has made a lasting impression on you, so you need to be able to use some descriptive language to explain why you found this particular film memorable.

In Part 3, the examiner might ask you to compare watching a film at the cinema or at home, or you might be asked about the popularity of the cinema in your country. It’s not a difficult topic to speak about but to get a high score, you need to show that you can accurately use less common vocabulary in an interesting and natural way. Here are some excellent examples to get you started!

movies

Vocabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Phrasal verbs

 

 

 

 

 

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Jenna - iPass student of the month

Jenna joined iPass this summer because she needed to clear the Academic IELTS test with a minimum of band 7 in each component, this being the requirement for overseas nurses and midwives to register with the NMC in the UK. In fact, Jenna had already taken IELTS twice before in order to achieve this objective, but hadn’t been able to get higher than 6.5 in the writing test.

Jenna joined our IELTS Express course - a 30-day intensive test practice programme for candidates who have already taken IELTS but need to improve their scores.

Despite working full-time, Jenna was determined to succeed this time and made sure she completed all the practice assignments on the course, especially in the writing section to get the maximum benefit from the advice of our tutors.

So when Jenna first emailed us in August to say that she had passed her IELTS test with band 7 in Writing, we were extremely pleased to know that all her hard work and determination had paid off. And when she emailed us agin last month to say that not only has she passed her IELTS with overall band 8, but has also been offered a permanent job offer from a hospital in the UK and will start working there next March, we were over the moon!!

And that’s why she is our October student of the month!!

Jenna

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Winwin - iPass student of the month

WinWin joined iPass in August this year because she needed an overall band 6.5 in Academic IELTS in order to study for a BA in English with Psychology in Singapore.

She decided to join the 30-day IELTS Express course because she was planning to take her test in September and didn’t have very long to prepare.

5 weeks after signing up, WinWin wrote to us to say that she had got the scores she needed: Listening: 6; Reading: 7; Writing: 6; Speaking: 6; Overall: 6.5

She was able to go ahead with her university application and is now waiting to hear if she has been accepted.

We really hope that she will be so that she can go even further and fulfil her ultimate dream of studying for a master’s degree in the UK or US.

winwin

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Cool & contemporary vocab: fashion

You can often tell a lot about a person from the clothes they wear. There are some people who just buy clothes according to the time of year, while there are others who only buy clothes which are currently in fashion. Young people tend to follow the latest trends because it is important for them to feel hip and trendy while older generations may choose comfort over fashion and buy clothes which they know suit their age, personal style and body shape.

This post shares several current words and phrases related to fashion so you can also sound ‘on-trend’ when talking about your style preferences and what’s ‘in’ or ‘out’ this season.

fashion

Vocabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Phrasal Verbs

 

 

 

 

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Cool & contemporary vocab: transport

There are more people using more forms of transport now than ever before. People need to travel to get to school, college or work, but all the cars and buses on the road cause a lot of traffic jams and pollution. In large cities like Beijing and even London and Paris, both have become serious problems.

Until technology and our governments find an effective solution to enable us to travel quickly, cheaply and in an environmentally-friendly way, we will continue to face the problems of heavy congestion and polluted air. Whether the electric car is the best answer remains to be seen, but it is definitely a step in the right direction!

electric car

Vocabulary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Phrasal verbs

 

 

 

 

 

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Cool & contemporary vocab: holidays

The amount of holiday entitlement varies between countries and even between companies and organisations within the same country. In some places it can be just 2 weeks, while in others much longer. There are also public or national holidays which are normally not included in a person’s annual leave. These often coincide with religious festivals or historic days of importance and also differ greatly between countries.

It is now widely accepted that employees need time off to rest and relax so they can be more productive when they are at work. Some people prefer to do as little as possible when they’re on holiday, while others like to keep busy by doing lots of fun activities.

How do you like to spend yours? Try using some of the following words and expressions next time you’re discussing your holiday plans or sharing a travel anecdote.

holiday image

Vocabulary

 


Phrasal verbs

 

 

 

 

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Cool & contemporary vocab: music

The music industry has changed a lot. Years ago, people listened to the radio to hear new songs, then went to music shops to buy records, tapes and later, CDs. Now, technology and the internet has revolutionised how music is recorded, shared and sold. The iPod let people listen to mp3 files wherever they wanted and iTunes helped them find and buy whatever they wanted.

dog

Here you will find some useful words and phrases for talking about your personal music habits in Part 1 of the speaking test and the music industry in general in Part 3.

Don’t try to memorise them all. First, look through the list and highlight any expressions which are new to you. Next, have a look at the definitions to make sure you understand what they mean and finally read the examples and think how you could use them in your own sentence. You can also look the words up here for more examples.

Vocabulary

 

meaning - to have a song at the top of the music charts

example - The new song by Metallica has topped the rock charts.

 

meaning - an enthusiastic fan of a celebrity, usually a pop star or group.

example - I have to confess, I was a Take That groupie in my younger days and went to loads of their concerts.

 

meaning - to return to the original musical influences

example - The band has gone back to their roots after producing pop music for 5 years. Now they’re writing folk songs again.

 

meaning - to be available to buy

example - The group’s new album is out now and you can buy it online.

 

meaning - when you think a song or album is good so you recommend it to others

example - I’m not a big fan of Coldplay but their new album is definitely worth a listen.

 

meaning - to receive something on a regular basis by paying in advance

example - I subscribe to Spotify to get all of my music online these days.

 

meaning - a collection of songs that are grouped together to be played on the radio or downloaded on a personal device

example - I have a playlist of my favourite dance tracks for when I go running.

 

meaning - the music is only available in one place

example - Tidal has some exclusive content that you can’t hear anywhere else.

 

meaning - an intellectual album featuring songs with deep meanings

example - Drake has a new high-concept album out and it’s really original.

 


Phrasal verbs

 

meaning - to succeed at something you expected or were expected to fail at

example - no-one believed they could better their last album but they appear to have pulled it off by topping the charts again.

 

meaning - to register for something like a service

example - I signed up for a 1-year subscription to Deezer.

 

meaning - to buy something very quickly

example - Fans snapped up all the concert tickets within minutes of them going on sale.

 

meaning - to break up with or separate from someone or a group of people

example - One Direction is having a break from music, but some say they have split up forever.

 

meaning - when a band or group reforms after a period of separation

example - Guns n’ Roses have reportedly got back together and are planning a new tour.

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Top 25 IELTS blogs

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Cool & contemporary vocab: studying

The IELTS has an academic and a general training version but the speaking test is the same in both. As the test is taken by many students hoping to do a BA or MA abroad, there are quite a few questions about student life and studying at university which many examiners choose. The listening test also has several recordings about this topic.

Our new blog posts will teach you several words and expressions that are currently used to talk about studying. Practice using them with friends and colleagues which will help you to internalise them so that they become part of your own vocabulary and that way you will feel confident using them in your IELTS speaking test.

studying

Vocabulary

 

meaning: techniques from science about how our minds learn
example: I use several brain-based techniques to help me learn new words, so I study hard then go for a run.

meaning: tests which are not important or those which are very important
example: I do a lot of low-stake tests online to check my progress before I do a high-stake one at university.

meaning: making something you learn part of your knowledge
example: Internalising new words takes time, but helps me recall them much more easily.

meaning: separating your study time into individual periods, rather than doing it all at once
example: I space my study by doing some in the morning and the rest after lunch.

meaning: studying intensively over a short period of time to memorise information just before an examination
example: I wasn’t an exceptional student, but I always did well in exams because I was good at cramming.

meaning: revising or reviewing something at specific intervals
example: I make study cards and revise words every 3 days and this spaced repetition works really well for me.

meaning: when you check to see how much you know or remember by testing yourself
example: I always do self-testing after each study session before I move on to a new topic.

meaning: someone, usually a child, who studies very hard
example: I was such a swot at school. I even used to ask the teacher for extra homework sometimes!


Phrasal verbs

 

meaning: when you allocate a specific time just to study and do nothing else
example: I manage to block out 30 minutes a day just for learning English.

meaning: when you are not in a quiet environment but use your mind to ignore the sound
example: I block out the noise of the TV by concentrating on each word in my book.

meaning: to significantly increase your amount of study time
example: I always ramp up my studying just before a test by at least 200%.

meaning: when you put a lot of effort into something and then get a positive result
example: I’m sure all this extra studying will pay off and get me the band 7 I need.

meaning: when you study very hard usually on a particular topic/subject before an exam or interview
example: I really need to swot up on useful idiomatic expressions before my speaking test.

meaning: to absorb or learn something often by just being exposed to it
example: Isn’t it amazing how children just seem to soak up new information without any effort whatsoever!

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Cool & contemporary vocab: friends

Friends seems like a basic topic but it is a common one that comes up in all 3 sections of the IELTS speaking test. Previous IELTS questions have asked students to describe a friend they spend time with (part 2), explain what they do with their friends (part 1) and say how important friends and friendship is (part 3).

It is not a difficult topic because most of us are comfortable talking about our friends without any preparation, but it’s not always easy to find the right words to describe the different types of relationships we have with different people.

This blog post will teach you some great contemporary words and phrases to use in your IELTS speaking test to get a good band score and to amaze your examiner with by sounding natural and current!

friends

VOCABULARY

 

meaning = best friends
example = we’ve been besties since we were little and we do everything together.

meaning = to form a friendship with someone
example = I’m quite a shy person so I don’t make friends easily.

meaning = a very good friend who you know very well
example = we’ve been close friends ever since we went to university together.

meaning = a group of people who are very good friends / act very friendly towards each other
example = I formed a very close-knit group with the people on my course.

meaning = a group or network of people that you consider to be your friends
example = I have quiet a small circle of friends, but we are all very close.

meaning = a so-called ‘friend’ who has a negative impact on your life
example = we shouldn’t spend time together anymore because our friendship has turned toxic.

meaning = to go in different directions / to lead separate lives
example = after we graduated we all went our separate ways and got jobs in different places.

meaning = when you don’t see or speak to someone for a long time
example = I lost touch with most of my school friends when I moved abroad.

meaning = to make contact with someone after a long time apart
example = when I started using facebook, I got back in touch with a lot of my old school friends.


PHRASAL VERBS / IDIOMS

 

meaning = to enjoy someone’s company
example = I get on really well with my flatmate because we have a lot in common.

meaning = to start a relationship or friendship badly
example = I got off on the wrong foot with my girlfriend by arriving late on our first date.

meaning = to get on well with someone the first time you meet
example = We hit it off the first day we met and I knew we’d become best friends.

meaning = to find out what has been happening in another person’s life
example = I only see my old uni mates twice a year so we always have a lot of catching up to do.

meaning = to spend time doing nothing in particular (usually with friends)
example = I love hanging out with my friends in the park at weekends.

meaning = when you don’t see someone for a long time but when you do it seems that no time has passed at all
example = I only see my best friend at Christmas but we always just pick up where we left off, as if we see each other every day.

meaning = to know someone really well
example = We’ve been best friends since we were five, so we know each other inside out.

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Suganya - iPass student of the month

Suganya is a nurse in India who needed to acquire a minimum of band 7 in each of the 4 academic IELTS modules to complete her NMC registration to further her career in the UK. Although she had easily cleared the listening and reading on several attempts she was unable to get beyond 6.5 in speaking and writing. After taking our combined writing + speaking course, Suganya took the IELTS test for a sixth time and finally she was able to secure a band 7 in both the writing and speaking with an overall 7.5.

After being so disappointed and frustrated on several occasions it would have been very easy for Sugnaya to give up hope of getting 4 band 7s in one test sitting, but her determination and hard work, particularly in her practice speaking sessions, meant that she was able to improve her scores and fulfil her dream of working as a nurse in the UK. And that’s why we have nominated her student of the month!!


suganya

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Cool & contemporary vocab: fitness

Health and Fitness is a very common topic in the IELTS speaking test, so even if you’re not a fitness freak yourself, it’s a good idea to become familiar with some useful words and phrases that you can use to talk about it.

Read the words, the definitions and examples and then try to use at least 1 today and then another tomorrow. You can also google them to see how they are used in context. The more exposure you get, the better you will remember them!!

fitness

Vocabulary

 

meaning: a band or watch that you wear to measure your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also track how far you run and where, as well as the amount of calories you use.
example: I used a fitness tracker to measure my run and then shared all the data online.

 

meaning: all the technology related to getting fit. This could be trackers or any kind of wearable or app.
example: The fitness tech industry is growing because people are buying smartwatches, smartbands and other tech to get and stay fit.

 

meaning: people who are very interested in being physically healthy and in shape.
example: Real fitness buffs do at least an hour of exercise every single say.

 

meaning: to stop eating food with carbohydrates in.
example: I ditched the carbs so I no longer eat pasta or bread.

 

meaning: a series of exercises you do in one session to get healthy.
example: Our coach made us do an intense 1 hour workout at the gym.

 

meaning: exercises that focus on your waist and stomach area to make your centre strong.
example: I do Pilates because it includes lots of core training.

 

meaning: exercises that just focus on your abdominal muscles.
example: Sit-ups are great for strengthening your abs.

 

meaning: when you copy and do what others are doing.
example: Many tech firms have jumped on the fitness tech bandwagon and started selling fitness bands.

 


Phrasal verbs

 

meaning: to become physically healthy.
example: The actor has 6 months to get into shape before the filming of his new action movie starts.

 

meaning: to do intense exercise to lose weight.
example: Lots of running will help you burn off the pounds. Watching TV won’t.

 

meaning: to gain lots of weight.
example: After I stopped going to the gym, I didn’t do any exercise and ate badly. I piled on the pounds and got really overweight.

 

meaning: to do physical exercise, usually at a gym.
example: I go to the gym twice a week to work out on the machines.

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Cool & contemporary vocab: current affairs

You may have come across the following collection of words and phrases if you’ve been keeping up with recent events by reading newspapers or news websites.

By studying the ones we have selected for this blogpost you can hopefully not only recognise and understand them but actually start using them in conversation and in your essay writing.

The IELTS writing test uses general global issues for the Task 2 essay questions and Part 3 in the IELTS speaking test has even more general topics. So, if you can give contemporary examples with advanced vocabulary, you should get a much better band score.

current affairs

Vocabulary

 

meaning: when someone breaks into a computer system to see, change or take information.
example: Hilary Clinton’s server was hacked because it was not secure.

 

meaning: when something is so incredible that you can’t believe it.
example: the video of the skydiver who jumped out a plane with no parachute was jaw-dropping.

meaning: when someone makes statements with no care about how damaging they are.
example: Donald Trump continues to make irresponsible declarations that offend people.

meaning: when you do something and it has serious negative consequences.
example: Donald Trump faces a backlash from his negative comments about a war veteran.

meaning: when the military try to take control of a country but do not succeed.
example: there was a failed military coup recently in Turkey.

meaning: when the public are asked to vote on a single question.
example: British people voted in a referendum in the UK and decided to leave the European Union.

meaning: to start the 2 year process of leaving the EU using an article in the EU constitution.
example: The UK government has not triggered article 50 yet but will probably do it next year.

meaning: when people attack others because of prejudice.
example: the amount of hate crime has increased in some cities because people are angry and need to blame it on others.


Phrasal Verbs

 

meaning: to decrease the amount of something bad such as corruption.
example: the Pokemon Go developers want to crack down on illegal copies.

meaning: to completely stop or eradicate something.
example: Olympic regulators aim to completely stamp out cheating.

meaning: to find out information you did not know so you have the same as other people.
example: I have not read any news in a week so I need to catch up on what’s been happening in the world.

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Jennifer - iPass student of the month

Jennifer had taken the IELTS twice before ​enrolling on the iPass Speaking course. On both attempts she had not been able to achieve band 7 in speaking which was a job requirement for overseas nurses to work in the US.

After completing the speaking course, Jennifer took the IELTS test for a third time and luckily it was the last time because she managed to get her desired score of 7 in speaking. She is now planning to fulfil her dream of working as a staff nurse in America and we wish her every success with her future career.

You can read Jennifer’s iPass testimonial here.

Jennifer

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Cool & contemporary vocab: TV

Nowadays, people watch a lot of different series on TV. Sports programmes are also popular as well as reality shows, quiz shows, chat shows, sit-coms and the news of course.

Below you’ll find lots of useful vocabulary that proficient English speakers use to talk about their favourite TV programmes. Using them yourself will help you to sound more ‘natural’ in conversation and will also help you to get a higher IELTS score in the speaking test.

Learn them, use them and enjoy them!

woman-watching-television

Vocabulary

 

meaning: where the last few minutes of an episode or series finish in a dramatic way where you don’t know what will happen next.
example: I love watching crime series where each episode ends on a real cliffhanger and you can’t wait to find out what happens.

 

meaning: something that is full of suspense.
example: The last episode was a real nail-biter / really nail-biting.

 

meaning: when you watch a lot of episodes at once.
example: Tom isn’t coming out this weekend because he’s binge watching ‘Game of Thrones’.

 

meaning: something that is usually trying to be funny but lacks style, quality and originality and is a bit silly.
example: The new series is not as good as the first. The dialogue is so cheesy and the acting is awful.

 

meaning: it looks very impressive due to the colours and images.
example: ‘Hannibal’ was a visually stunning series.

 

meaning: when a TV network asks the producers of a TV series to make another one.
example: ‘Agent Carter’ was not renewed for a 3rd series.

 

meaning: something you should not miss because it’s very good.
example: ‘Stranger Things’ is a must-see for fans of the Goonies and 80s Spielberg films.

 

meaning: a TV series or film that successfully blends or mixes different styles to create something exciting and original.
example: ‘Preacher’ is an excellent genre-bending epic that is part western and part supernatural thriller.

 


Phrasal Verbs

 

meaning: when a TV network/channel pays for a new show, often after seeing its pilot.
example: The network has picked up 3 new series this year.

 

meaning: when an old series or character returns to the network/channel.
example: I heard they’re going to bring back Dr Harris in the new series.

 

meaning: when the amount of viewers declines.
example: The number of people watching the new series of ‘Top Gear’ dropped off every episode.


We hope you found these useful. Try googling them to find more examples in context and don’t forget to practise using them with your friends!!

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Cool & contemporary vocab: food

The topic of food comes up a lot in the IELTS test. You might read about it in the Reading test or hear it talked about it in the Listening test. It is more likely though that you will be asked questions related to food or eating habits in the Speaking test or get a Writing Part 2 essay question about diets, healthy eating or obesity.

A lot of students learn English from out-dated books and not every student follows the news and tries to learn and use modern vocabulary. Be the exception!!

This blogpost introduces you to some useful expressions you can you to describe your eating habits or dietary conditions.

food

Vocabulary

 


meaning: when you cannot eat something, such as peanuts, as it will make you sick or even kill you.
example: I’m allergic to all types of nuts.

meaning: when your body cannot digest gluten.
example: “I’m gluten intolerant so I generally avoid eating cakes”.

 

meaning: when you are mostly vegetarian.
example: I’m a flexitarian so I do eat meat and fish, but only occasionally.

 

meaning: diet that has very few carbohydrates.
example: I went on a low carb diet and feel great now.

 

meaning: a type of food rich in nutrients.
example: I eat goji berries and kale because they are both superfoods.

 


Phrasal Verbs

 

meaning: to eat or drink less of something
example: I cut back on sweet food when I started putting on weight.

 

meaning: to remove something from your diet completely
example: I cut out all spicy food because I suffer badly from heartburn.

 

meaning: to stop consuming something
example: I had to give up nuts because I got an allergy.

 

meaning: to restrict or control what you eat and/or drink
example: I went on a new diet to lose weight.

 

meaning: to gain weight.
example: I overate on holiday and put on nearly 2 kilos!

 

meaning: to gain a lot of weight.
example: I ate lots of fast food as a teenager and quickly piled on the pounds.



Try to use some of these expressions next time you have a conversation about food or diet.

And to keep up-to-date with current phrases and expressions try to read recent newspaper or magazine articles or watch a weekly soap opera on TV where everyday English is spoken in real contexts. 

These are rich sources of real language being used today!

 

 

 

 

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Sofia - iPass student of the month

Sofia is an Italian nurse who needed to pass Academic IELTS with a minimum of Band 7 in each part in order to practice her profession in the UK. She enrolled on IELTS Lite in April - a 2-month online preparation course with personal tuition - and started preparing so that she would be ready to take her test at the end of May.

Sofia found the course very useful and studied very hard in order to complete all the lessons and practice tasks within 4 weeks and when she got her results last month she was delighted that all her hard work had paid off. In her first IELTS attempt she got 7 in speaking, writing and listening; 8.5 in reading and 7.5 overall.

Having successfully met the NMC English language requirements, Sofia is now able to start the next stage of her preparations: moving to England and starting a new job! There’s only one problem - Sofia is nervous about flying as she’s never flown before, but we told her that after passing the IELTS test, she has nothing to worry about.

Everyone on the iPass team would like to wish her a safe journey and every success in her new post!!

sofia

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IELTS Speaking test - tips and tricks!!

The IELTS speaking test is a language exam and therefore it has rules. You need to learn the test format, know how the examiner will assess you and what you can do to get band 7.


Here are some iPass tricks and tips to help you:

Trick 1

Increase the level and length of your answers. In part 1, the questions are quite basic and you only need to speak for about 40 seconds for each response so be concise. In part 2, you have to talk for a maximum of 2 minutes and fully cover each point but the topic is harder so you need to give a more varied answer. In part 3, the examiners adapt their questions according to your level so answer the first question with a very good answer that uses advanced tenses and vocabulary and try to speak for 1 minute or more.

Trick 2

Be as original as you can by using interesting language. This could be advanced terms, idioms or even phrasal verbs. The majority of students will probably say the same kinds of answers so you will stand out if you are saying something different. The best way to make sure you are saying something unique is to use personal examples to illustrate your ideas and opinions.

Tip 1

Look at the examiner to see if they understand you, if they are impressed or if they are can’t grasp what you are saying. They are not supposed to use listening phrases like “uh-huh” and “ah” but many will nod or make other facial gestures. If they look confused, think why. Perhaps you are speaking too fast, so slow down a little, pause between sentences and articulate each word as clearly as possible. If necessary rephrase what you are trying to say in a different way.

Tip 2

Don’t just stick to talking about yourself. Try to use interesting arguments from the news, from articles and other sources. Show you are ready to study or work at an academic or professional level. Then show different perspectives, as you would in the writing test, and remember to use appropriate linkers and discourse markers to connect your speech and make it easier for the examiner to follow your ideas.


If you’d like to try out these tips and tricks by having a mock interview on Skype with an iPass tutor, sign up for an IELTS top-up test.

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New English language test requirements for nurses

The NMC is amending the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requirements for nurses and midwives registering from overseas and within the European Economic Area.

Under the previous system, applicants had to achieve the IELTS Academic Test Band 7 in reading, writing, speaking and listening in a single sitting. Band 7 in all areas will still be required, but this can now be achieved over two sittings of the tests, providing that the tests are taken within six months of each other. In addition, no single score must be below 6.5 in any of the areas across both tests.

It is hoped that these changes will increase flexibility for applicants while ensuring the appropriate standard of English language is still achieved.   

“IELTS Level 7 provides us and the public with assurance that nurses and midwives applying to join the register from outside the UK meet the appropriate standard of English language required to work in the UK,” NMC Chief Executive and Registrar Jackie Smith said.

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Using STRESS effectively in the IELTS speaking test

In the IELTS speaking test, the pronunciation category that examiners use to assess your level includes stress, intonation and pausing. The one that examiners pay close attention to with higher students aiming for band 7 and above is stress.

There are two types of stress that are being examined: word stress and sentence stress. Lower level candidates are expected to use the correct stress in words (eg comPUter, not compuTER) but to gain a high score in IELTS,  candidates are required to add strong stress to give extra meaning in a sentence. This is an advanced skill.

So how do they do it? Well, take a look at the sentence below then read it aloud. If you can, record yourself on your phone then listen back.

“As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel.”

If you said it correctly, you would have stressed the longer words like this: concerned, electric, future and travel. This is band 4-5. Below are variations on a simple sentence using stress to create extra meanings:

1. As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel = emphasises it is your opinion, not someone else’s
2. As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel = suggests you disagree with someone who said they are not
3. As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel = emphasises ‘electric cars’ as opposed to other types of cars
4. As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel = emphasises ‘cars’ as opposed to other forms of transport
5. As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel = emphasises ‘the future’ as opposed to the present
6. As far as I’m concerned, electric cars are the future of travel = emphasises ‘travel’ as opposed to other uses

Listen to the sentences being spoken here:

If you can stress words like these enough throughout the test and add emotion to enhance the meaning further, your pronunciation score will definitely increase.

Once you master this, work on your speed by slowing down and pausing in the right places. If you speak too fast, it is hard to add stress effectively and even if you do, it is quite hard for the examiner to hear it.

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Win up to €300 in our IELTS 3-2-1 competition!!

The majority of our students are aiming for high scores in IELTS. Most of them take the Academic test and need Band 7 which is an advanced level equivalent to C1 in the Common European Framework (CEF).

However, a growing number of our students are taking IELTS as a pre-requisite to register for the General Medical Council (GMC) to work as a doctor in the UK or the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) if they are nurses or midwives. For this they not only require an overall band 7 (7.5 for doctors) but a minimum of Band 7 in each module: speaking; listening; writing; speaking. And anyone who has tried this will know that it’s not an easy task!

At iPass, we specialise in helping people achieve that goal. Most often it’s the Academic writing test that causes the most difficulty for candidates, but with the guidance and support of our expert team of IELTS specialists they are able to overcome the challenge!

But it does not come without a lot of hard work and perseveration and at iPass we would not only like to recognise that commitment and determination but also reward it.

That’s why we have created our 3-2-1 competition giving away 3 cash prizes of €300 - €200 - €100 - in that order! The 1st prize of €300 will go the first iPass student who writes to us with their Band 7 results (minimum of band 7 in each module) having taken any tutored iPass IELTS preparation course from 1st June 2016.

The 2nd prize of €200 will go to the next person who sends us their results and the 3rd prize of €100 will go to the last person to get 4 band 7s!

We hope this competition will give you an added incentive to study hard and achieve your goal and also help towards the cost of moving abroad and starting a new job or university course.

Good luck!!

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Scanning texts in the IELTS reading test

As you may know, there are several different question types in the IELTS reading test. Each one requires you to understand specific parts of the text. Some questions ask you to find and write words from a paragraph, to match sentences together, to choose options or to complete a summary using given words. To do all of these, you must learn how to scan the text effectively.

Scanning means looking for very specific information; a word, phrase, number or date for example. When you scan, you are like the barcode reader at the supermarket. You look at every character of the code to find the full number and that tells you what the product is.

There are several texts in the IELTS reading paper and each one has a title. Make sure you read it first to give you a general understanding of the topic and to start predicting what kinds of words you’ll read in the text itself and more importantly, what the main message will be.

In the IELTS reading test, it’s a good idea to quickly skim the first text so you get the overall meaning of the content. Next, you should read the first question section to understand the question type and what kinds of answers you need. For instance, do they ask for one word, two words, a date, a time or an idea or opinion? Remember to underline the key words in the question so that you know what information to scan for.

If you skimmed the text well, you should have a fairly good idea about which part of the text the question is referring to but you will still need to scan the text to find the key words (names / dates / places / times etc). Once you locate the section of the text which contains the answer, you need to read it again, this time very carefully, until you can be sure of your answer. Don’t forget to look around the word(s) too for extra clues. Go back to the question to choose or write the correct response and, if you have time, check the text again to confirm.

However, don’t spend too long reading each text in the same way that you would when reading a good book. The IELTS test is about demonstrating your general comprehension of each text and that you have the ability to find, extract and understand specific parts by answering precise questions. This relies a lot on your knowledge of vocabulary, especially in the Academic IELTS test where many of the answers are related to academic words. The level of vocabulary gets progressively harder with each text so the final one will be quite difficult, but remember you don’t necessarily need to understand the meaning of every word in order to answer the question.

You can practise scanning with any text. Take a look at this simple article to help you try it out. Just read it quickly and underline specific information like dates, names and places. Then think of what types of IELTS test questions you could get about that information. For example, could they ask you multiple choice questions, T/F/NG, gap-fills, matching statements or completing notes/summaries?

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Testimonials

Onkar - India

Onkar - India

​I needed my IELTS for Federal Skilled Programme (CANADA). I required L8, R/S/W 7 to be competitive in the selection process.

It was my first attempt, and I only had 2 weeks to prepare so I decided to enrol for IELTS Express course which I found very economical. (I did not want to appear for subsequent attempts as my finances were restricted).

I had 3 speaking and writing sessions with Jenny and to be honest, I found her extremely flexible and open to new thoughts and ideas. Her way of teaching was very systematic.

It was my first experience with an online course, and I must say that it was fantastic. Every student is uniquely profiled at iPass, with a feeling of getting tutored personally.

I have scored L9, W7, S7 and R7 on my first attempt, and iPass has the biggest stake of credit. Thank you.

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