Today you’ll get four phrasal verbs to break your score ceiling for the IELTS Exam!

In the past we have shown you other phrasal verbs and idioms for a 7 or higher when you talk about work, family, or your hometown.

Today find out exactly how to push your score higher than you ever imagined with four phrasal verbs using “break.”

You could also use these phrasal verbs in the Writing test in your body paragraphs.

You could say, “Let’s now break down this topic and examine it in detail.”

Four phrasal verbs with “break”:

• To break it down: To divide something into small pieces, to examine it in a more simple way, to look closely at something.

• To break out: To start singing such as “I broke out in song when I got my 7 score” or this could mean to develop a lot of acne on the face, “Kids in middle school always broke out in zits.”

• To break up: To end a relationship or to split a period of time or an object into smaller pieces. You could use this on Speaking Part 2 when you describe an experience or if you describe a movie or a song.
  • Sample sentences:
    • “IELTS test day is broken up into a few different time chunks”
    • “I don’t mean to break up this meeting but I have to make an announcement.
    • “I broke up with my boyfriend last week.

• To break in: To enter a home or building without being invited with the intention to steal something.

Have you used any of these phrasal verbs on your IELTS Exam?

Let us know in the comments below.

Your preposition problems will be over when we answer today’s question!

Well, not completely but we’ll give you a few good tips to conquer those pesky prepositions in English.

Bonus!

You’ll also find out how to agree with someone’s plans in English using natural English chunks.

AEE Listener Question!

“I am confused about the differences between “to me,” “for me,” and “with me.”

-Naomi, Japan

Naomi, today we’ll clear up your confusion and we’ll show you how to use these prepositions and chunks to agree with someone’s plans.

Our best advice is to treat these as chunks.

Learn the most common ones and link them to a conversation situation if you can.

Always listen for those same chunks after you have learned them.

Think about how natives are using them.

Then go out and try to use them in a conversation.

Some people believe you should start using a phrase right away but we think it’s better if you wait a while and listen to the phrase being used by natives.

Then when you feel comfortable you can start to throw them into the right context.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Here are the key phrases to agree with someone’s plans:

• “That’s fine with me”
• “That sounds good to me.”
• “That’s alright with me.”
• “That works for me.”

*Remember, learn the whole phrase as a chunk and use them in specific conversation situations.

Don’t try to figure out which preposition belongs.

Listen to the episode to see how Lindsay and Michelle used these in real English conversations.

Leave us a comment below or practice forming your own sentence.

Want to get your target IELTS Writing score?

Today we’ll give you four illustrious phrases that will impress the examiner, make you stand out as exceptional, and will get you your target score

We’ll show you where on the exam you can use these phrases and why they’ll increase your score.

We’ll pull these phrases from great quotes about writing.

Check it out below!

Quote #1) “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it’s raining but the feeling of being rained upon.”

Vocabulary you can use on IELTS: “Evoke sensation”

• Evoke: To bring about, to call up, to create

• Sensation: A feeling

You could use this phrase in Speaking Part 3 and Writing Task 2 when you are talking about your own opinions.

For example:

• “Looking at art can evoke sensations within me”

• “Violent video games evoke tragic sensations within me.”

Quote #2) “I think all good writing is a struggle. To write as well as you feel you can has to be a struggle, almost by definition, because you could always improve.”

Key words to use:

• “Struggle”: A huge challenge, something that’s not easy to do (great for Writing Task 2 or the Speaking test)

• “By definition”: It is defined by something. You can use this in your introduction on IELTS Writing Task 2 to introduce a topic. Anytime we want to say that something means something else, we can use this. Another example: “New York City, by definition, is a hectic place.”

Quote #3) “We write to taste life twice- in the moment and in retrospect.”

Key words to use:

• “In retrospect”: Considering something after the fact, looking back on something. You can use this anytime you are talking about your own actions or someone else’s actions in the past that should not have happened.

For example, “I went to college in Virginia but in retrospect I should have gone to college in California.”

You could also say “this is so retro” and this would mean that something reminds you of the past.

“Bell-bottoms are so retro”

This is easy to use!

Anytime you are talking about a regret you can throw it in there.

Remember, high-level vocabulary phrases like these WILL get you a 7 or higher and maybe even an 8!

Now practice on your own.

Leave your comments below.

Are you taking IELTS for the first time?

If you are new to the world of IELTS, you probably have some questions.

The information below should serve as a good introduction for you, and also help set you on the path to reaching your IELTS score and whatever goals lie beyond!

What does IELTS stand for?

IELTS is an acronym for the International English Language Testing System.

Why are there two different versions?

The Academic version is for candidates who need a certain score to enter university.

These are usually non-native English speakers who want to attend an English-language university.

The General version is for candidates who need a certain score to work in another country, immigrate, or for other visa requirements.

Where can I take the test?

Go to www.ielts.org to find a testing center near you.

Testing centers are all over the world, usually in language schools or universities, and sometimes in British Council or IDP offices.

When can I take the test?

Exams are offered 3 Saturdays a month and sometimes on Thursdays.

However, not all testing centers offer that many exams.

You have to check with your local center.

How long is the exam?

The first three sections of the exam, Listening, Reading, and Writing, are finished in a 3 hour period in the morning.

Then, the 15 minute Speaking exam is usually held in the afternoon on the same day.

Sometimes, though, centers offer Speaking exams the week before or the week after.

How long should I prepare for the exam before I take it?

This all depends on your English level.

If you are an intermediate student, you should prepare for at least 3 months.

If you are upper-intermediate to advanced, you could get by on a 60 day or a 30 day study plan.

However, no matter what level, preparation is intense.

You need to study 5-6 days a week, and do a wide variety of activities which strengthen your overall English ability and your testing skills.

Is the test in American or British English?

Both! The Listening exam will feature a variety of accents.

The Reading, also, will feature passages drawn from both American and British publications.

The version of English you speak/write with also doesn’t matter- if you spell ‘color’ or ‘colour’, you get the same amount of points.

As long as the language is correct in either American or British English, you will be fine.

What are the examiners like?

The examiners are almost always native speakers, and they can be male or female, young or old.

Keep in mind, though, that the examiners have all undergone exactly the same training, all over the world, and they are checked and rechecked constantly to ensure they are following the testing requirements and grading correctly.

The examiner you speak to on test day could be serious or relaxed- do not let a serious face make you nervous.

Just remember to smile and be respectful and nice, and the examiner will do the same.

IELTS is hard.

Preparing for IELTS can be hard.

But don’t become an IELTS victim!

Today we’ll show you why it’s important not to become a victim and why you have no time to make excuses.

You’ll get six key phrases that you might be using if you’re a victim and find out how to change your mentality if you’re on the wrong track.

Here is the key thing to remember: You always have the choice about how you’re going to look at something.

Are you going to look at the negatives or are you going to look at the positives?

When you are looking at the negatives, it’s just laziness.

We say that because it’s easier to look at negatives than it is to just stop talking, put your head down, and do the work.

It’s also weakness.

You need to make the stronger choice and the stronger decision to focus and spend your time preparing for your exam.

Here are the thoughts and actions that you are having/doing if you are an IELTS victim:

• You trust the wrong people when it comes to IELTS instead of getting the facts: We received a message where the person had been told by a friend that there would be headphones provided at the exam. It would only take a few minutes to do the research yourself to see if this is true. Instead, the student relied on bad information from his friend and it probably affected his score. This is laziness. If he had taken the time to verify that information he would have realized that that is a myth and he would have prepared accordingly.

• You are blaming other people: If you don’t get the results you need, it’s your fault! This sounds harsh but it’s true. It’s your responsibility to make sure you get on the right track to your target score.

• You waste time saying that you don’t have time: This is not a valid excuse if your dreams are strong enough. Sleep one hour less every day to prepare. You had the time to come up with a dream of moving abroad. So now make the time to get the dream. Anything worth having is not easy. Don’t waste time thinking about your lack of time. To save time, invest your money into a course that will tell you exactly what to do every day, like our course, the 3 Keys IELTS Success System.

• After the exam you say, “Oh the examiner was so mean!”: Sometimes examiners are grumpy.  Maybe they had a difficult candidate just before you. They are people too. They are still grading you on the same things as the “nice” examiners. Look at this as a challenge. If you think the examiner is grumpy, smile even more. See if you can change their mood. Don’t look outside yourself. Don’t blame other people for your difficulties.

• You say, “the acoustics of the room were bad”: Sometimes this can be true. Research the test center beforehand. If you find this out, book your test at a different test center. This may be the only time when you want to listen to any information about which test center is “easier.” The other thing you can do is make sure your practice under test conditions does not always happen in situations where the acoustics are perfect.  Acoustics are never perfect in real life when you are speaking English! Why should they be perfect in the exam center? You could practice your listening in a large gym where there would be a lot of echo. This would get you ready for a possible bad acoustic situation on test day.

• You complain about timing: You say, “oh they didn’t start the test on time” or “Oh my speaking test was so late and I fell asleep beforehand.” The best thing that you can do with timing is show up at least 45 minutes early. Get there early enough and let them take care of it. As far as the Speaking test time, yes, it can be late. In our course we have an entire bonus module which gives you information about how to deal with that long gap before the Speaking test. You need to have a plan for this time.

• You say that the Reading topic was unfamiliar to you: Yes, you may get a random topic on the Reading test that you have never heard of. That is ok. Its about preparation. Read as widely as you can before the test. But you can’t know everything and IELTS doesn’t expect you to. All you have to do is get the right Reading strategies and practice them enough before the exam.

Taking the IELTS is like running a marathon.

We have to reach deep within ourselves.

Why? Because the dream life that is on the other side is worth working for, isn’t it?

The most successful people in life do not let the difficulty of this sidetrack them.

It is not going to be easy and it shouldn’t be easy. Don’t be a victim!

Go get your target score.

Do you want to become awesome at English conversation?

Do you want to make it your superpower?

Today we’ll show you how to do it.

We’ll also add a bonus in today’s episode where we’ll talk about how you can identify what you’re really good at in life and build a life and a career around that, rather than trying to get better at skills that don’t come naturally to you.

Today we’ll read a question that we got from our listener from South Korea, here it is:

“Sometimes I have a hard time keeping the conversation going with people and I think it’s mostly because I have little to say when it comes to replying to others.

I try to come up with follow up questions but it doesn’t work. But when I listen to Lindsay interacting with guests it seems like she’s really cut out for the job. She seems to always have something to say. How can I talk like Lindsay?”

–Soongjae, South Korea, AEE Listener

Lindsay’s formula for great conversation:

• Collect facts about everything and store them for conversation later: To make good conversation it helps to know a little bit about a lot. Have a lot of information and cultural knowledge in your head. For example, I know from talking to friends that Austin, Texas has a great live music scene so when I meet someone from Austin, I will pull up that fact and see how it relates to that person. For example, “Oh I heard Austin has a great live music scene. Are you into live music?” You can build a lot of random facts if you travel a lot. If you can’t travel internationally then the key is watching the news, reading books, staying open to what is going on out in the world.

• Make it about the other person: Be interested in the other person and listen well. It’s too easy to get caught up in our own heads and in our own world. If you’re not interested in that person then stop talking to them. Be “all ears.” That idioms means to listen well (in case you didn’t know!)

• Find your own connection style: My connection style is digging for the person’s unique vision or their “why.” I always like to find out what motivates people and why they have chosen their hobbies or their career path. I like to find the reason or vision behind the person’s interests. But maybe you connect by using humor or by being animated. Maybe you use silence to build connection. If you love people then that’s another connection style. Focus on the fact that you just enjoy forming a new connection. When you find your connection style, grammar and vocabulary becomes much less relevant and all of a sudden, you are really communicating.

• Treat everyone the same way: Don’t show that you’re intimidated by anyone. My friend Diego is from Ecuador. He can walk into a room and talk to anyone (native speakers or non-native speakers) and he’d use the same tone of voice that he uses with his friends. He’s respectful but he doesn’t give the impression that someone is above him. This has allowed him to build a career as an art curator in New York City.  He doesn’t get scared in these situations so he can build amazing connections. Be on the same level as everyone else. This may be hard if you come from different cultures especially if you are from a culture where there is a very hierarchical structure in place but see if you can implement this into your style in your own way.

• Use your tone of voice to express interest: Michelle does this very well. Listen to the episode to get a sense of how she uses tone of voice. Also eye contact, smiling, and standing up straight- good body language will improve your conversation skills.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

How can you find what you’re good at it?

On some level we all need to be able to build conversation skills.

But Lindsay is exceptionally good at conversation so she has built her career around this podcast and around teaching people how to communicate better.

She is trying to leverage her skills as much as possible.

If you don’t feel that conversation is one of your core natural talents then you don’t need to build a career that is based on it.

For example, don’t go into sales and marketing.

Don’t go into communications.

Instead, find out what you do well and build a career around that.

How can you figure out what you’re good at and build your career and life around it?

We have already talked about this with Laura Garnett when we talked about the Zone of Genius.

We also recommend using the Strengths Finder 2.0 assessment to figure out what you’re natural talents and skills are.

“Your personality is your greatest differentiator.”

-Sally Hogshead

Here are some ways to find your natural skills:

• Ask yourself: What did you do as a kid? What activities did you take part in? What did you enjoy most? What made the time pass fast? Michelle used to pretend to be a teacher and she would put on plays (performance) and now she works as as a performer on this podcast.

• What skills did your parents reinforce? Lindsay’s parents reinforced verbal communication skills. What did your parents applaud or encourage you to cultivate. Whatever that is has probably become a deep skill of yours where you may be exceptional and not even know it.

• What satisfies you deeply? For Michelle she feels a deep sense of relaxation around music. What is the activity that makes you feel peaceful? What feels natural to you? Find that activity and allow yourself to do more of it. You don’t have to get paid for it. Just do it a little bit more each day.

• Step into your talent: There may be a moment where you can become a leader using this special talent or skill.  It may be a career opportunity or a chance to build an organization of some sort. Don’t be afraid to step into the spotlight at that time. You will be ready if you have followed the advice above.

So today we have shown you how to become better at conversation.

Everyone needs basic skills in this area.

At the same time, if conversation doesn’t feel natural to you then don’t build a career or a life around it.

Instead, go back and think about discovering your own “superpower” and what you do better than anyone else.

Build your career or hobbies or life around that.

Today let’s finish with a quote:

“Find your God-given talent, cherish it, refine it, and find a way to get paid for (or to help a lot of people with it)”

-Unknown

What’s your superpower?

Tell us in the comments!

Today get the three top strategies for the best preparation for both TOEFL and IELTS!

Jaime Miller from English Success Academy is back on the show today!

She has been working with TOEFL students for more than five years.

She knows TOEFL!

She’ll talk with Jessica about some insider tips and strategies that works for both exams so that you can

IELTS Writing:

For Task 1 you describe a bar chart or a graph in a short essay.

Task 2 is your standard 4-paragraph argument essay.

TOEFL Writing:

TOEFL has an opinion essay also but the first writing activity is very different.

You don’t get the bar chart. You listen to a lecture and read a passage about an academic debate. You summarize how the two people speaking view the topic differently.

Final Tips:

• #1) Pick a system! You can blend different strategy systems. It will hurt your score. Jamie suggests that you choose a teacher or a school and then master the concepts from that school. Don’t leave that school or system until you have gotten the score that you need. Many teachers don’t even know what the test graders want. Do your research in the beginning and then commit to it.

• #2) Support your ideas with examples from your life: Use your own life as the place to start. Have you lived in different countries? What have you done in your career? When you get a writing topic you usually have something you can say about it. On the TOEFL, just writing stories about your life is too simplistic. Jamie believes that it’s better to use a “research style” to report your own life experience. To do this you can make your own experience a generalization.

• #3) Look at sample essays that have scored high: Read good models! Make sure the person who wrote the essay has taken the test or knows the scoring system very well. Looking at these essays will help you start thinking in the right direction.

If you need help with TOEFL, go check out what Jaimie has available to help you!

Jamie’s Bio:

Learn more about Jaime Miller on jaimemiller.com, an online school that matches motivated students with dedicated teachers for private, customized online lessons.

Jaime knows why some students get TOEFL speaking scores of 26 or higher, while others are stuck with scores of 24 – and she creates customized exam study plans that get results.

In today’s episode you’ll find out how to use literature to deepen your fluency and connect with other English speakers.

Practicing grammar and vocabulary are not the only ways to improve your English.

Try grabbing Shakespeare or Walden!

Today let’s meet Kevin.

Kevin is an English teacher with a passion for literature.

He helps his students use literature to dive deeper into the English language and strengthen their skills.

Today Kevin is going to show us 3 things we can do to use literature to push to the next level.

3 Tips:

• Tip #1) Make sure you’re choosing literature that is relevant to you:  Don’t use Shakespeare if it doesn’t interest you. There are no correct titles to pursue if they are not right for us. How can you find the right literature for you? Librarians are great for this task. Go ask a librarian. You can also look online. There are forums. You can ask your friends. Don’t trust a single source of authority. There are good books everywhere.

• Tip #2) Stop after you have made a list of 10 new words: Every time you come across a new and interesting phrase or word write it down. Make sure that these words get transferred into your active memory. Dedicate some time to using these words in your speech over the next few days. This will help build your active vocabulary quickly.  It’s a great idea to work with a teacher online to solidify these words into your vocabulary repertoire.

• Tip #3) Get a community to motivate you. Try a book club. This group will make sure you have a goal. You can discuss the new vocabulary with them. You will also start to understand new layers of the story that you may not have caught the first time. Another thing to do is take lessons with a teacher to really deepen your vocabulary.

Kevin’s Bio:

“Hi, I’m Kevin!

I’m a professional, CELTA qualified English Language and Literature tutor. I grew up in Birmingham, England and have been teaching ever since graduating in English Literature from the University of Cambridge 2 years ago. He is based in Berlin. I teach both online and offline, for all ages and abilities, though I specialise in high level studies. If you’re interested in taking your linguistic, literary and cultural understanding to the next level I’d love to hear from you! You can find me athttp://www.italki.com/kevinsexton“

“Kevin is a professional, CELTA qualified English Language and Literature tutor. He grew up in Birmingham, England and has been teaching ever since graduating in English Literature from the University of Cambridge 2 years ago. He has taught English and German in several schools and is now based in Berlin. Our guest today is Kevin Sexton Let’s get to the show

He teaches both online and offline, for all ages and abilities, though he specialises in high level studies. If you’re interested in taking your linguistic, literary and cultural understanding to the next level he’d love to hear from you! You can find him athttp://www.italki.com/kevinsexton“

How to work with Kevin:

• Step 1: To get $10 off your second lesson you must register on this page as a new user of italki.

• Step 2: After you have registered please search for Kevin’s profile, send him a message, and schedule a lesson.

What did you think about today’s episode?

What are your favorite books? Why do you like them?

What book do you want to read in English this year?

Do you want to be in control on the IELTS Listening Exam?

Do you feel out of control when you listen to English?

It can be a scary feeling.

Today you’ll find out how to create a confident relationship between you and your English listening skills.

Are you worried that you won’t understand what they say on the Listening test?

Maybe you will feel like you are drowning and your IELTS dreams will go out the window as you forget to listen to the rest of the test.

We’re going to give you three steps that you can take at home to increase your listening comprehension.

Today we’re not talking about IELTS strategy or skills.

This is just how to improve your general listening skills.

Our tips to build listening confidence:

• Step #1) Listen to a movie and put the subtitles on: This will improve your listening because you are increasing your chances of understanding. We practice in an easy way first with this step then we get better then we move to the next level and challenge ourselves more. This can be a simple You Tube video, a TV sitcom, a drama, or anything else. Choose what is interesting to you. We suggest “Wild” or “Into the Wild.” These are both great movies that will inspire you and keep you interested. You will forget that you are watching a movie and that you are practicing English. These movies will make you cry. When you have tears running down your face you are not thinking about grammar anymore

• Step #2) Listen to a podcast/TED Talks/Radio with your eyes closed: This will increase your comprehension. You will absorb the sounds of English. Practice immersing yourself in the sounds. On the test you are not expected to understand every word so don’t put that pressure on yourself. You need to change the way you think about listening comprehension. Don’t be a perfectionist. Create a new way to feel when you listen to English. Try the All Ears English Podcast.

• Step #3) Watch or listen with no help or tools: This is your last step. No subtitles. No crutches. You could do this with the same resource that you used for step 1. You could also choose something new and watch it fresh from the beginning. Relax. Try to watch something for pleasure. Choose something that is good quality. Connection NOT Perfection! That means you want to connect with the movie as art. Don’t obsess over understanding every word.

What are your tips and tricks for improving your listening comprehension?

Let us know in the comments below.

It’s important to be able to talk about your interests and passions in order to connect with people.

We’ll show you how to do it today.

Why do we need passions in life?

The word “passion” is a big word and can stress people out.

It’s ok if you have a lot of smaller passions or interests. It doesn’t have to be something huge.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

-Oprah

I think Oprah is right.

When we find something that we love it gives us energy.

It comes from a deep place inside of us that is honest and true.

It feels very natural to participate in your passion.

It’s not work. The wind is at your back.

It is better to have one passion and focus heavily on that or is it better to have many passions and just enjoy all of them?

Michelle thinks it depends on what you are using your passion for.

Some people want to have their work be their passion.

Other people want to explore their passions outside of the workplace.

If it’s your work then Michelle thinks you should focus 100% on it but if it’s a hobby then maybe it’s better to keep it lighter and use it to build a dynamic life.

Phrases to talk about your passion:

• “I’m (really) into…” = I’m interested in.
  • Example: “I’m really into comedy”

• “These days I’m jazzed about…”
  • Example: “These days I’m jazzed about entrepreneurship, testing ideas, and the marketplace.”

• “I feel passionate about…”
  • Example: “I feel passionate about cooking.”

• “I get really fired up about…”
  • Example: “I get really fired up about comedy.”

What are you passionate about?

Practice what you learned in the episode today.

Write your responses in the comments section below.

Wondering how you can impress the examiner on IELTS Writing Task 1?

Today we’ll give you three sentence structures that are very high level and will get you the target score that you need for your grammar score in this task.

This is the most important thing to consider when it comes to grammar on the IELTS.

Remember that on Task 1 you will have to write about numbers and you need to show your ability to compare the numbers.

Today you’ll get two different complex structures and a compound structure.

On test day you don’t have to take risks.

Just use these structures and you’ll do fine.

Grammar structures:

• Structure #1) “As X increases, Y decreases.”- this is higher level because most students don’t use “as.”
  • Sample: “As the population of Taiwan increased to hit 20 million in 2014, the population of Cambodia decreased to hit 500,000.”

• Structure #2) “In contrast to Y increasing, X actually decreased.”- here if you use “actually” it further emphasizes the contrast. It sounds more high level if you use this word.
  • Sample: In contrast to the population in Taiwan increasing, the population of Cambodia actually decreased at the same time.”

• Structure #3) “Y increased; however, X decreased”
  • Sample: “The population of Taiwan increased; however, the population of Cambodia decreased.

How can you practice these?

• Look for graphs in the media. Look at The Economist or The Wall Street Journal and try to apply these sentence structures to what you see. Take a graph about sales, population, politics, the economy, stock prices and write out what you see using these structures.

• In our course we go into more depth on how to create these sentence structures and more. Learn more about 3 Keys IELTS Success System.

• Think about trends in your own life of change. For example, “As I run more miles every day, my weight decreases”

How can you use these structures to comment on trends in your life?

Leave your example in the comments section below!

Let us know your questions in the comments below.

Do you want to get your dream job?

If you are interviewing for a competitive position then you need to have a smart formula to follow to persuade the interviewer and convince them that you are the right person for the job.

Learn the SMART formula to get your dream job in English today.

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking and scary but if you work with someone like Keiran or use the formula he’ll talk about today then you’ll have a much better chance of getting the job that you want.

Keiran’s Tips:

• Research the company: If the interviewer meets with ten people and you are the only person who knows the company history then you can stand out right from the beginning. The person running the interview wants to know that the company matters to you and that you are a good fit.

• Be concise and have a powerful answer: Have some answers ready in advance. How did you help the business that you worked at before? How did you make the customers happier? Paint a picture with details and exact situations and examples. You can’t be vague.
  • Set up the situation: Talk about your past experience, the work environment, the industry.
  • Task: What task were you faced with? What did you have to do?
  • Actions: What actions did you take to confront the challenge. What exactly did you do? How did you make the customers happy?
  • Results: Keep it as concise as possible. You never want to bore the interviewer. Just answer with impact and move on to the next question.

• Have good questions: Remember that you are interviewing them too. Be selective or at least convey the sense that you are selective in where you are going to work. Show your value. Have your questions prepared. This will help the employer see you differently. There are certain ways to form your questions that are tactful and assertive at the same time.

Remember, in interviews words are key. If you say “I think I can do a good job” instead of “I can do a good job” it conveys weakness.

Watch out for weak words!

You need to work with a teacher to prepare to make sure you aren’t using weak words.

Keiran’s Bio:

I’ve always been teaching or coaching in some way or form. I started as a swim instructor at the age of 16,  I taught swimming to children, teenagers and adults for about 8 years. After completing my university education in psychology at McGill, I traveled to South Korea where I taught children and adults for 2 years. Shortly after living in South Korea I moved to Mongolia where my wife gave birth to our daughter while I continued to teach voluntarily. We returned home and I started working for a large company selling conference tickets to directors and VPs of fortune 500 companies. It was a brutal job which didn’t work out but I learned a lot about how important it is to be prepared for  interviews. I returned to teaching in language schools for a while until I got into teaching online which is where I am now.

Want to work with Keiran?

• Step 1: Register as a new user to get $10 off your second lesson. Click here.

• Step 2: Find Keiran’s profile and send him a message to schedule a lesson.

Leave us a comment below.

What do you think about this framework?

Have you used it?

Let us know.

Do you experience awkward silences when you speak English?

How can you fill these silences, connect with the person, and make it feel a bit less awkward?

Find out how to use “anyways” today when there is an awkward silence and when you want to get the conversation back on track.

Listen to the audio to get examples of how Lindsay and Michelle use it in a real conversation.

When do we use anyways?

• When we want to get the conversation back on track

• When there is an awkward moment and someone has said something strange

What else can we say?

• “In any event”
• “In any case”
• “At any rate”

Leave us a comment below.

Have you used “anyways” or “anyway” in your conversations in English?

Let us know.

Always Be Confident (ABC) in front of the Examiner!

How can you do it and why does it help your score on the IELTS?

Find out today.

This ABC (Always Be Confident) strategy especially helps on the Speaking test and the Writing test.

If you are starting to feel uncomfortable you can use this strategy.

Check out this video about how to take up more space when you want to increase confidence.

What to do:

• Sit up straight: This will automatically change your brain and body chemistry. You will appear confident. Put your shoulders down and back. Face the person on their level.

• Remember that your opinion is never wrong: No one is going to judge your opinions. Don’t doubt yourself because when you do that you will lose the specificity. If you have an idea or an opinion that pops up then say it. Don’t second- guess yourself. Own your ideas!

• Your life is excellent material: Use your own experiences. Tell stories. That is the only resource you have to come up with strong examples. This is for the formal and informal parts of the exam. Even on Writing Task 2 you are asked to support your ideas with personal opinions.  Go into the exam with the mindset that you are a rock star and that you want to share your stories and your experiences.

-Jessica Beck, IELTS Energy Podcast

Need a little extra help?

In our course the 3 Keys IELTS Success System we offer a speaking test success day plan as a special bonus where we show you what to do to remain calm and confident on the day of the exam while you are waiting to go into your speaking test.

We also have an entire module called The Anti-anxiety Plan which gives you 3 steps to deal with anxiety on the test.

Leave us a comment below.

What is your biggest challenge with confidence on the IELTS Exam?

Let us know!

Today we have a guest on the show.

We are honored to have 3 Keys IELTS student Fatima Hassan on the show!

Fatima took IELTS for the first time this summer after taking our course.

Her scores were:

Listening: 6

Reading 6.5

Writing: 5

Speaking: 6

________

Overall: 6

What was Fatima’s biggest challenge on the Writing test?

In Writing Task 1 she had a timing challenge.

She took too much time to brainstorm.

She felt pressured by the time and she got nervous.

Because of the timing issue she wasn’t able to write the essay in an organized way.

How did Fatima prepare?

She learned how to analyze graphs in our course and how to structure her essays but she did not have a chance to practice timing on the Writing test.

It’s important to sit down three times per week and give yourself 1 hour to complete the two full essays during your preparation.

The timing is what killed her score.

She didn’t realize that the time was passing as fast as it was.

What should she do now?

She will go back and practice writing the essays under test conditions.

She will also spend more time practicing the basic writing strategies that we teach in our course.

She is also thinking about reading more business articles.

Even though these articles are not super interesting, she does feel that she is building her vocabulary using these materials.

We are confident that Fatima can get the score she needs next time if she implements the suggestions we made today and if she follows the daily study plan!

Good luck Fatima!

We respect your dedication and hard work!

We know you can achieve your dreams if you keep working hard!

Leave us a comment below!

Are you working as hard as Fatima is in your preparation?

Let us know.

Is it possible to get bad advice from big IELTS brand name courses?

Yes it is! Why? Sometimes these brands enroll teachers in test prep courses when they don’t know the test as well as they should.

How can you protect yourself from being a victim of bad IELTS advice?

Read today’s article to find out.

Here’s the story…

Recently, a listener of our podcast wrote in with some worries.

This students had been enrolled in a test preparation course at the British Council, and, during a practice speaking  exam, was given some advice which differed from advice that we give on the IELTS Energy podcast.

First of all, let me say that I have 100% confidence in everything I say on the podcast, on our IELTS Energy TV YouTube Channel, and in our 3 Keys IELTS Success System course.

I have been involved professionally with IELTS in a variety of capacities and positions, including teaching webinars for IDP Australia, for over a decade.

I know this student who wrote in is confused, because, since the British Council is one of the organizations involved in creating IELTS, the student felt that any advice given by one of their staff must be correct.

The first way I can debunk this worry is to state that the British Council has schools and offices all over the world.

They have thousands of staff members and teachers.

It is impossible for every one of their staff members and teachers to be an IELTS professional.

The British Council, in fact, gives many exams besides IELTS, such as the TKT, a test for teachers’ teaching skills, and TOLES, a test of legal English.

It is impossible for every teacher to know well all the exams that the British Council gives.

And, any teacher there may be called upon to teach any number of test prep classes for an exam they give, so the specific advice they give may be true for TOLES, for instance, and not IELTS.

What happened?

Let’s use our listener’s questions as examples of how a teacher at a name brand school may not necessarily provide you the best information, just because they work at a school with a respected name.

In Speaking Part 2, the student was asked to describe a museum.

As the student does not go to museums, he/she made up a story which ended with going out to dinner with friends after the museum tour.

This was a fantastic answer!

It sounds well organized, fulfilled the 2-minute requirement, and told a story about the topic.

However, the teacher told the student that he/she should have talked about all the bullet points and shouldn’t have talked about dinner because it didn’t relate to the topic.

How do we know the student got bad advice?

I know the band descriptors very, very well.

I know exactly what the examiner needs to hear in order to give you every score, from a 0 to a 9.

And, nowhere, NOWHERE, in the descriptors does it say the student must talk about the bullet points. (They are only there to help with ideas. The examiner does not care about them.)

Also, a fluent student, such as a native speaker, would naturally mention that dinner followed the museum tour.

It is a fluent and coherent way to communicate, and, as such, would rate highly for this category.

More bad advice….

The bad advice didn’t stop there, however, in the Speaking Part 3 practice, the student answered a question about graffiti being good or bad.

The student gave specific examples of both sides being true. Then the teacher told him/her that he/she could not support both sides in the answer.

That’s ridiculous!!

That advice has no connection, whatsoever, to the Speaking score descriptors.

In fact, the student’s answer sounds like it would actually rate quite highly, judging from the specific support and vocabulary used.

Again, this teacher gave horrible advice, and none of it is true as far as IELTS is concerned.

Who can you trust?

So, how do you know who to trust?

That’s the question.

In this case, I would challenge the teacher to tell me EXACTLY where in the band descriptors this advice came from.

There is a publicly available band score descriptor table on the British Council site, that can be referenced at any time.

And even though the Examiner’s table has more information and detail, the teacher should still know this in order to give correct and useful feedback.

Don’t blindly trust a name

Don’t trust a name just because it’s a name.

Research the teacher, the course and the material first before you invest any money, and don’t pay extra just for a recognizable name that may not help you anyway.

Be confident in your decisions, and do not sit by passively while someone pretends to be a professional.

Challenge them and receive the instruction you deserve.

Have you made the mistake of trusting a big brand name and then found out that the professional you were working with didn’t have the credibility that you thought?

Let us know your stories in the comments below.

What do Americans think about smoking?

What does it mean for you if you are visiting the US or moving here on a work assignment?

The way we view smoking in the US has changed a ton in the last thirty years.

Find out more today!

Is it a taboo in the US to smoke?

It’s not completely a taboo yet but it’s getting to that point.

A taboo is something that is looked down upon in a society.

First of all, we want to acknowledge that smoking is a real, medical addiction.

We understand that you can’t just snap your fingers and quit.

Smoking in the 1980’s:

You could walk into a restaurant and they would ask you “smoking or non?” so most restaurants had a smoking section.

These days we rarely see a smoking section in a restaurant, at least in the Northeastern part of the US.

Smoking in the 1990’s:

It was much less of a taboo in the ’90’s.

It was almost considered cool and of course it was considered fashionable and sexy back in the 1930’s, 1940’s, etc.

Back in the 1980’s we had the Just Say No campaign which was run by the DARE (Drug Abuse Reduction Campaign).

As early as age 8, 9, 10, they taught kids in schools to say no to drugs and smoking.

What are the laws?

The smoking laws are different in every state but 81% of the US lives under some kind of smoking ban, whether it’s a ban from the city or the state.

Click here to read the laws.

What should you be prepared for if you are a smoker in the US?

You should know that people might judge you.

People are going to have an opinion especially if you are walking around and your smoke gets into someone’s face they might say something to you.

Try to walk away from the group of people that you are with.

Observe the norms in the places where you hang out.

It depends on your social group.

What do you think about today’s episode? Are you a smoker?

If you have been to the US what was your experience?

Let us know in the comments below.

The IELTS is all about timing!

If you don’t know how to manage your time well on all four sections then you will not get the score you need.

Today we’ll talk about the timing strategies you need for success.

Timing strategies for IELTS:

• The Listening test: Follow what they say for the timing. Remember that you have ten minutes at the end to transfer your answers. That is crucial to remember.

• The Reading test: You need to practice timing before test day for the Reading (and for all of the tests). You have three passages. The first step is skimming. Take one minute to skim the passage. Read bits and pieces to get an understanding of what they are talking about. If you don’t take that minute your brain won’t be ready when you look at the questions. When you are searching for answers don’t take more than one minute on one answer. Skip to the next question if it’s taking too long.

• The Writing test: Practice timing for all 3 steps. Plan. Write. Check. If you have 20 minutes for Task 1 then it’s 3 minutes to plan, 14 minutes to write, and 3 minutes to check. Make sure you leave time for all steps.

• The Speaking test: Here the examiner controls the time for you. You have to be aware of how much the examiner wants to hear. In Speaking Part 1 you should give 2-5 complete sentences. In Speaking Part 2, take the full minute to plan. Take the full 2 minutes to talk. In Part 3 every answer should be 30 seconds, more or less.

Remember, the foundation of your timing strategy is having a solid strategy system for all parts of the test.

In our course we teach you 3-step systems for each part of the test.

You can learn more about our course here.

Leave us a comment below!

What questions do you have about IELTS timing?

When you lose a thought in your head while you’re speaking English and your mind goes blank there are things you can say to build the connection between you and the other person.

Does this happen to you often?

You don’t need to fear that moment.

Instead, you can use that moment to build the connection.

We always say that it’s about Connection NOT Perfection!

Everyone forgets things!

What to say when your mind goes blank:

• “It’s on the tip of my tongue”: This is used not only when we forget our thought mid-sentence but also when we are trying to recall facts, figures, or names.

• “I completely lost my train of thought”: This is great because its natural and you are using descriptive language.
  

• “What was I gonna (going to) say?”: Another great way to show the person what is going on in your mind and to ask them to help you recall what you were going to say.
  

Have you used these phrases before in a conversation with a native English speaker?

Let us know if they helped you build the connection with the person!

On the IELTS Speaking test  and the IELTS Writing test the examiner wants to hear you make contrasts!

It is a high-level language skill that will immediately impress the examiner so that you can get the score you need.

You need to be able to give a balanced opinion.

You need to recognize that the other side has some points. This shows that you really know how to communicate in English.

You can use these phrases that we’ll give you today in Speaking Part 3 and Writing Task 2.

If you use these phrases you’ll get a 7 or higher for fluency on the Speaking test and a 7 or higher for cohesion and coherence on the Writing test.

This makes your answer more organized and organization is super important.

So make these phrases a part of your repertoire!

We have chosen these phrases because they are more interesting than your typical “6” phrases and will get you a better score.

You need to go beyond the typical phrases to get a 7 or higher.

Phrases to show contrast:

1) “Having said this…”

• Q: How healthy is your country’s food?
• A: Well, I suppose you could argue that my country’s food isn’t healthy. Having said this, there is a new trend now toward vegan or vegetarian food and there is a new restaurant in my neighborhood. I feel great when I eat there!

2) “At the same time…”

• Q: What changes will happen in the education space in the future?
• A: Well I think we’re moving towards technology for every kid in the classroom. At the same time I know there are a lot of school districts who can’t afford that kind of technology.

3) “On the other hand…”

• Q: Why do people like watching television
• A: Clearly television is addictive and people like it because they like to see beautiful people and escape their lives. I can understand that. On the other hand, I think it would be better if people would read a bit more.

4) “Nevertheless…”

• Q: How do most people travel long distances in your country?
• A: Well I’m from the US where long distances are long. In my country people generally fly nevertheless there is a romantic notion of the road trip. Americans love road trips. Both ways are still used today.

Have you used these phrases on your Speaking or Writing tests?

Let us know in the comments below!

Are you looking for some other great IELTS resources on the web?

Video lessons are a great way to prepare for IELTS.

In today’s episode we’ll show you where to find information about IELTS to supplement what you read and listen to here at IELTS Energy and All Ears English.

Preparing for IELTS with video lessons is a great idea because it will keep you engaged and you need to be engaged and motivated in order to remember what you learn!

So grab some of these video lessons and get started today.

#1) Eng Vid

This is an excellent resource for video lessons.

The lessons all feature a teacher in front of a white board, writing notes on it and talking; so, if you are used to a traditional learning environment in a classroom, this would be a comfortable and familiar resource for you.

Most of the lessons are from 10 minutes to 20 minutes long, and they are also available on YouTube.

Plus, below the video on the engVid site, there is a quiz button.

You can take the quiz after watching the lesson.

Visit here

#2) British Council

There are 6 videos here, and they are all quite short- less than 4 minutes.

There are quick tips for every module of the exam, including grammar.

In addition, since they were created by the British Council, one of the organizations involved in governing IELTS, you know you can trust the information.

All the videos are also on YouTube.

There are a couple downsides, however.

The videos are all illustrated, so you don’t see a real person talking, making it a bit difficult to understand.

Also, quite high level vocabulary is used, so these videos would be good for a student who is already at an upper-intermediate level.

Lastly, there is no practice or quizzes provided.

Visit here

#3) IELTS Liz

This website features many, many videos.

The teacher in every video is Liz, who is British, so watching these videos is good practice for understanding that accent.

In every video, Liz sits in front of a whiteboard, talks and takes notes.

Video lessons range from 5 to 30 minutes, and there are tips for every part of the exam.

Most of them seem like lessons you would get in a traditional classroom, with a teacher standing at the board, asking you to do something and then writing the answers on the board.

There is not a lot of movement, so it may be difficult to become engaged in the videos.

One great thing, though, about this site, is there is a blog as well with free practice lessons.

All videos are also on YouTube.

Visit here

#4) Academic English Help

These videos are from another website, but I recommend watching them on YouTube, because the original site will interrupt your browsing by trying to sell you their course.

However, these free videos on YouTube can be very helpful, and most of them come with transcripts that you can read before, during or after you watch the lessons.

The lesson videos are all from 5 to 35 minutes, and are about many different aspects of the exam.

Most of them feature the same male teacher with a North American accent.

He appears on the video with a plain white background in the beginning, and then there are slides which he narrates.

Most useful, in my opinion, are the example Speaking Exam videos so you can learn what will happen during your own Speaking exam.

Visit the site here

#5) IELTS Energy TV

On this YouTube channel, there are many short videos, less than 5 minutes, with tips and specific advice that is easy to understand and consume.

I am biased towards loving this channel because… the teacher is me!

The channel is called IELTS Energy TV for a reason- I love to talk about IELTS, and this comes through in my videos.

There are additional resources, such as our podcast, on allearsenglish.com.

Check it out!

Click here

Do you need a digital detox?

Today find out how to invite your friends to take part in a digital detox weekend where you leave technology behind and enjoy being together or being out in nature!

Lindsay took a digital detox weekend on an island on Lake Winnepesaukee a few weekends ago.

When she came back she felt a deep sense of relaxation. She felt more creative and more motivated.

Would you like to take a digital detox weekend too? Get the right phrases to invite your friends below.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Phrases to invite your friends to a digital detox weekend:

• “Why don’t we try disconnecting this weekend?”: This is not forceful. It’s not saying that it’s imperative. It’s just making a suggestion.

• “Let’s swear off technology for the weekend, what do you say?” If you add “what do you say?” or “what do you think” at the end of your statement then you are asking the person what they think and it makes the statement a bit softer.

• “Let’s do a tech boycott”:

• “I think we should stay away from our phones this weekend. Are you in?” When you use the question “are you in?” it makes it sound like you are going on an adventure. Give this one a try!
  

Did you try using these phrases with your friends?

How did it go?

Describe your digital detox experience for us in the comments below.

There is one cool trick that you can use to get yourself a higher score on the IELTS Speaking test.

If you use a strategic pause when you deliver your speaking answers it will give you a sense of momentum and it will allow you to re-center your mind.

If you slow down your answers will be more organized.

You will be more fluent and coherent.

You will use better vocabulary.

It’s never a bad idea to slow down on the Speaking test.

This  may also help us feel more centered in our body and less anxious.

Remember, this doesn’t mean that we are pausing due to lack of words.

This is a strategic communication device.

Find out exactly what you need to do every step of the way to get your target score.

Stop guessing what you should be doing to prepare!

Click here to get the checklist.

How to use the strategic pause in the Speaking test:

• Pause after a heavy “well” + pause: You could also use a smile just after or during the pause. Why does this help? It impacts our natural-sounding pronunciation and it would show the examiner that we are aware of how native speakers sound. This is completely different and much better than saying “ugh…umm…”
  • Example:
    • Q: What do people in your culture think about the importance of being on time
    • A: Well…..I think it’s important to be on time but my friends don’t since they are always making me wait for them. On the other hand, I show up at least 10 minutes early every time we meet.

• Use the phrase “wait for it” + pause : You can use this when you are about to say something surprising. This would immediately put the examiner in the mind frame of a 7 for you for vocabulary as well as fluency and coherence. If you can add a sarcastic point like a surprise after saying “wait for it” then you will definitely impress the examiner because you’ll be using a very high level language tactic.
  • Example:
    • Q: What is your job?
    • A: Wait for it….I am a clown on the weekend. Yep, I go to birthday parties and I know how to juggle.

Leave us a comment below.

Have you used the dramatic pause in your Speaking test?

How did it work?

When is “hello!!” not a friendly greeting in English?

Sometimes we use “hello” to greet someone.

Other times we use it to get someone’s attention.

It’s often used with an abrasive tone of voice and you hear it in large cities like New York City and Boston.

Find out how to know the difference today- and learn how to respond appropriately every time.

How to tell the difference between the two “hellos”

Pay attention to the tone of voice of the person speaking to you.

When someone is saying “hello” to get your attention or to get you to wake up their voice is usually kind of irritated and sometimes it feels rude.

Listen to the episode to hear the difference in our voices.

People might also say this to you if something is flying towards you, like a soccer ball.

Where does this come from?

It comes from Back to the Future!

Biff would always go around and bang Marty McFly on the head and he would say, “Hello, McFly!”

Watch the clip here!

What do you need to know about this?

The most important thing to remember is this: “Hello” is not always a greeting.

Sometimes people are using it to get your attention.

The way to tell the difference is by listening to the tone of voice.
Leave us a comment below!

Have you ever heard someone say, “hello!” in a more abrasive way, trying to get your attention.

What should you do if you get a broad topic like globalization on the IELTS Exam?

Today we’ll show you how to get specific quickly, for a higher Speaking score.

How should you prepare for the hot topic of globalization for the IELTS?

This is a huge topic!

Even for native speakers who believe in the culture of thinking it takes them a long time to figure out how to approach this topic because it’s so broad.

As we have said in a previous episode, it’s always good to go back to your personal stories when your mind goes blank on the IELTS.

Also, when you connect the separate ideas that come to mind on a topic like globalization you need to use great linking phrases.

If the questions ask you about both advantages and disadvantages, it’s great if you can link both ideas together and weigh both sides of the idea.

Listen to our examples in the episodes and listen to how we talk about globalization.

The most important thing to do is break it down into manageable chunks and examples.

Break it down into smaller pieces such as:

• Shopping
• Food
• Religion
• Language
• Gender roles
• Marriage
• Exercise
• Media and movies

Practice thinking about this.

Write down the above topics and compare your culture 10 years ago to your culture today.

We are sure that many of the changes will be due to globalization.

Write down some practice answers.

The key to mastering this topic is to be specific.

Grab onto a personal experience and a specific example and you will immediately feel much more comfortable.

DO NOT try to be general in your answer.

Your fluency and coherence scores will go up if you do this.

Leave us a comment.

How has globalization affected your country?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you get confused between “look,” “see, ” and “view”?

These three verbs can be confusing.

They mean similar things but they are used in different, very specific ways.

Today we want to start with a great quote:

“The only way to assure long term comfort is to create continuous, short-term moments of discomfort.”

-Tim Ferris

You should set up situations in your daily life that are a little bit uncomfortable so that you can stretch your limits and boundaries and open your life up to new opportunities.

How can you do this:

Look at your goals.

See what you can reach for.

View every day as a new way to create discomfort and create a satisfying life.

What’s the difference between look/see/view:

• Look: When you actively move your head and try to point your eyes in a specific direction.

• See: This is more passive. I might see someone go by but I am not going to actively try to look at the person

• View: More formal and can be used to talk about a movie or a show or an event. There are also a lot of related phrases and other ways to use this verb such as:
  • To come into view: To be able to see something
  •  A viewing: An event where you have a chance to see a home that is for sale, something is on display
  • The view: The scenery
  • In my view: In my opinion, the way I see it
  • My point of view

Listen to the conversation in the episode to get the differences between these verbs in a few role plays.

Leave a comment below and practice these three verbs.

Show us that you understand the differences.

Do you listen to IELTS rumors?

Do you let IELTS rumors get you scared and push you off of your center?

Today we’ll show you why you need to stop listening to rumors and what you should do instead.

We’ll tell you who to listen to for the best possible score and who you should ignore.

There are people out there who spread rumors and the rumors they spread are due to their own insecurities.

Common rumors that go between students include:

• “IELTS Center A is easier” or “IELTS Center B is the best place to take IELTS”

• Certain topics that were used on the exams in previous weeks

What should you do?

• Evaluate the source: Who is giving you the information? Do not pay attention to anyone that is not an IELTS professional.

• Evaluate the nature of the comments: Are they giving you basic logistics or is the comment more emotion based? People make comments and start rumors when they are nervous and anxious.

• Choose a system that works and follow it: Don’t take pieces of separate systems. Don’t go back and forth between courses or systems. Choose the one that works for you. It should have a good daily IELTS study plan. The study plan will keep you busy so that you won’t have time to think about the rumors that you have heard. If you are just grabbing free materials on the internet then you might have a problem focusing because there is no step-by-step plan.

• Focus on what you need to know: You must learn what the examiner wants and how to give that to them. Those are facts and discrete practice points. The examiner wants to hear linking words. Practice using them. Don’t just say “I need to be more fluent.” Be specific and not general.

• Avoid IELTS forums: There is bad advice on these forums. Do not let them take you in the wrong direction. Do not be under the illusion that reading these rumors is preparation.

Keep your head down and keep working.

Don’t let yourself get pushed around by rumors and other people’s emotions and fear.

Follow your own path.

Have confidence in it.

Don’t let people distract you from that path.

In today’s episode you’ll find out how to become free when it becomes to your fear of rejection so that you can start more English conversations and accomplish anything you want in life.

Today we are honored to have an exciting guest on the show!

Jia Jiang is a sought after TEDx speaker and author of “100 Days of Rejection.”

He did an experiment where he tried to get rejected every day for 100 days and today he will tell us what he learned and what it means for us.

Why did he do this experiment?

He felt that fear of rejection was holding him back from accomplishing his life dreams.

Then one day his business proposal was rejected so he decided to go out and try to get rejected every day for 100 days.

He asked for free food re-fills.

He asked to have a special doughnut made in a unique shape.

He asked to play soccer in a stranger’s backyard.

His goal was to get over the fear of rejection but he found that a lot of people started to say yes to him.

Jia found that the fear of rejection was worse than rejection.

He started to have the mentality of having fun and letting the world reject him.

Next he started to experiment on how to get a “yes.”

He wanted to know if there was anything he could do to turn around a “no” and negotiate to get a “yes.”

“We think we are the center of the universe. We think that everyone is looking at us, judging us, everything we say, that’s why we are so afraid.

Somehow (we think) we have to perform and make sure people like us.

The thing is, it’s that type of mentality that really holds you back.

If you want to speak English, the only way to do it is to go out and speak.”

-Jia Jiang

Three things you can do to become “rejection proof”:

• Go look for rejection: What if you turn your fear of rejection on its head and go look for it? Jia asks, “Is it still scary?” What if you tried to exaggerate your foreign accent? Try to speak like someone who just barely learned English and see how people react. Most people will be very nice to you.

• Do something weird: Ask for something strange. Go to Starbucks and when you order a coffee, ask for a discount. Say, “Can I get a 20% discount?” Try to negotiate. Offer to write them a great review. Offer to pay for the next person in front of you. Come up with ways to chat. You’ll find that behind the counter is a human being. You’ll learn that rejection says more about that person than you.

• Ask “how”: Instead of asking, “Can I get a 15% discount?” ask “How can I get a 15% discount.” This invites the other person to help you. Most people are nice and they want to help. They are scared to say no. They don’t want to feel bad about saying no.  State your motivation and ask them how they can help you make something happen. For example, “How can we practice English together?”

Jia’s Bio:

Jia is the founder and CEO of Wuju Learning, a company that trains organizations to become fearless through rejection training. He is also known as the Rejection Guy.

Jia’s story started when several years after his career in the corporate world, he took a risk and stepped into the unknown world of entrepreneurship, which resulted in everyone’s biggest fear…REJECTION.

This became the catalyst that set Jia on the path to his true calling. To conquer the fear of rejection, Jia embarked on a personal quest and started a video blog to face 100 Days of Rejection. His journey revealed a world that was hidden in plain sight, a world where rejection can become an advantage instead of a setback, and where there are opportunities behind every rejection. It has become Jia’s mission to help others to discover that world for themselves.
Jia is the author of the bestselling book Rejection Proof, How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection. Jia holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.

Visit Jia’s website here

What have you done to get over your fear of rejection?

Let us know in the comments below.

Accept it.

Own it.

Stay centered.

Today you’ll find out how to do it in English.

When someone gives you a compliment and you reject it, it shows a lack of confidence and it causes the person who complimented you to feel awkward.

They might feel like they need to give the compliment again in another way.

Phrases to accept a compliment in English:

• “Thanks I really appreciate that.”

• “Thank you.”

• “Thanks for that (compliment).”

How can you use the compliment to deepen the connection:

• Give them a compliment if it’s genuine.

• Accept your compliment and change the subject. “Thank you. So what’s going on with you?”

• Accept it and move on and make a comment about your shared surroundings.

Do you reject compliments when you get them?

Let us know in the comments below.

“Always Be Thinking!” if you want a great score on the IELTS!

What does this phrase mean and why does it matter when it comes to IELTS?

Last week we did an episode about the environment as an IELTS Speaking topic and we realized that this topic overlaps and intersects with health and a bunch of other topics.

If you can articulate on the Speaking test how these topics link together and move from one topic to the next as you build your answers then you will impress the examiner.

It all starts with creating a culture of thinking.

How to connect topics with linking phrases:

• “Oh that reminds me of…” (use this if one topic brings another topic to mind)
  • Example: “When we talk about public transportation it reminds me of the obesity crisis that we have in the US.”

• “That makes me think of…”:
  • Example: “The pollution crisis makes me think of the lack of public transportation in my city.”

• “Oh (XYZ) just came to mind!”
  • Example: “Oh! Our new mayor just came to mind because he is a huge fan of public transport and he is going to start a new train line.”

• “Interestingly enough, this also has to do with…”

• “In my mind, the concept of (X) intersects with (Y)”

Pro tip!

When you think of a concept that comes to mind because it relates to what you are talking about, you should use the intonation of surprise in your voice! This will get you a higher pronunciation score.

When you are talking with native speakers and discussing topics, always be thinking about how topics connect with other topics.

Remember, it’s “ABT: Always Be Thinking!”

What do you think about the ABT strategy?

Have you used it on the IELTS?

Did it work for you?

Today you’ll find out why you should surprise the examiner and how to do it with three easy phrases for a higher Speaking score!

One great way to set yourself apart from other students from your culture is to surprise the examiner.

Acknowledge the norms for a particular topic, articulate that, then surprise the examiner with a different answer.

You can use high-level phrases to do it.

Why does this work?

It’s an opportunity to use interesting vocabulary and you will keep the examiner awake, alert, and interested.

This could be done in Speaking Part 2 and 3 and in IELTS Writing Task 2.

Here are some examples and key phrases:

• Examiner: What do you usually do on the weekends?

• Student: You think I’ll say that I like to go to night markets but actually I don’t really go to night markets very often. I like to go for night bike rides. It’s not normal but that’s what I like to do.

• Examiner: What is your favorite food from your country?

• Student: Ok well you are expecting to hear that I love ramen but actually my favorite food is okonomiyake.

• Examiner: What is your favorite food from your home country?

• Student: I know everyone from my home country says Kabsa but that’s actually not my favorite food. My favorite food is Biryani.

Let us know in the comments if you have tried this strategy.

How did it work for you?

We want to hear your feedback!

Do you want to be more powerful in the business space in English?

If you do the right things, you can achieve this goal but you need the right skills, knowledge, and tools.

Today we have a guest on the show!

Leann will give you three things that you can do NOW to become more powerful, effective, and impressive while using English in the business space.

Today the global market is competitive. You must have strong business skills. Listen to today’s episode to get the skills you need.

The three secrets to being a more powerful business professional in English:

• “Talk the talk” of your field: Get the key vocabulary and idioms for your field. If you are in insurance you need to know “liability” and “premium” and “policy.” You also need general business idioms such as “to think outside of the box” or “to take the bull by the horns.” If you can speak the language of your colleagues and partners in English-speaking countries then you can connect with them faster and have more success in business.

• Immerse yourself in business materials: You can also listen to specific business podcasts and TED Talks.  Also read business articles. Go out and research companies in the field where you want to work. Research the business plan of Microsoft or Amazon to see what strategies they use. Do a mock interview with your English tutor. Resources we recommend:
  • Marketing Smarts
  • Entrepreneur on Fire
  • Forbes
  • Fortune
  • The Economist

• Get your business emails right: Make it brief, to the point, formal, and polite. It should not be more than five sentences. Show the recipient that you value their time. Get right to the point. Keep it formal. Make sure your email has no mistakes with grammar or spelling. Read it aloud before you send it. It’s a balance of being present, accurate, and formal. Key email vocabulary for business emails:
  • “I look forward to your reply.”
  • “Respectfully yours…”

Leann’s Bio:

Leann has been a professional Italki teacher since 2013. She has over 10 years experience teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at the community college/university level.

She has Lifetime Teaching Certificate in Adult Education and Literacy. She also holds a Masters Degree in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Other Language).

Her specializations include  Academic English, Conversational English, Business English, TOEFL and IELTS Test Prep, Accent Reduction and more.

She currently lives in Texas.  Born and raised in Central Illinois.  She has also lived in Florida and Missouri.

How to reserve a lesson with Leann:

• Step 1: Register at our special link to get $10 off your second lesson

• Step 2: Find Leann’s profile here and reserve a lesson. Tell you came from All Ears English.

Sometimes, when there is such a big task in front of us, such as preparing for IELTS, it can be difficult to even get started.

Then, when we actually jump on that road, start working through our study plans one task at a time, we hit a wall.

We feel like we are investing so much time and energy that we lose our motivation to keep moving ahead.

So, today, we are going to look at 5 motivational quotes, and connect them directly to our IELTS practice.

Choose your favorite one and hang it on your wall!

Take positive steps toward achieving your dream, and feel better about yourself and your practice

#1) “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”

–Ralph Marston

Can watching a movie today really help you improve your IELTS score in the future?

Yes! Of course!

Find a way to enjoy your English practice and still directly connect it to the exam.

For example, after watching a movie, write a 4-paragraph essay about it.

You describe two sides in the body- one paragraph which talks about why the movie was fantastic, and one paragraph which talks about why the movie was terrible.

This would mirror the Argument essay you may have to write in the exam.

Get a simple checklist. Find out exactly what to do.

Stop wasting time on the wrong activities.

Click here to get your checklist now!

2) Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.”  -W. Clement Stone

Even if all you need is a 6 or a 6.5 in IELTS, aim higher!

Learn what the examiner is looking for in order to get a band score 8, for example.

Then, you will move your practice to a higher level, and challenge yourself.

Even if you don’t end up getting an 8, perhaps you’ll at least get a 7!

3) “Don’t watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.”  -Sam Levenson

This is good motivation and a good guide for your Speaking exam practice.

Remember that in the Speaking exam, the examiner will control the time for you.

You don’t have to worry about that.

Just remember that the examiner wants to hear you speak English, so never, ever, give one word or one sentence answers.

Keep going!

4) “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”   -Confucius

Remember this motivational advice when preparing for the Writing exam.

In the months leading up to the exam, do not worry about timing.

You should go slowly, taking all the time you need to plan, write and check your essays, following the advice and strategies of your teacher.

Then, when the exam gets closer, you can start timing yourself and worrying about speed.

Try to only start timing your writing two weeks before the exam.

5) “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.”  -Nikos Kazantzkis

This is so true!

If you don’t believe you can hit that 7+, you won’t be able to.

Analyze your strengths and weaknesses, and be honest with yourself about the work it will take to improve.

But always, always believe you can!

Which of these quotes is the most inspiring to you?

What part of IELTS are you struggling with the most?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today find out how to think like a lawyer when you learn English!

Today we have Michael Chambers on the show. Michael used to be a litigation lawyer and now he helps English students communicate more powerfully.

How to think like a lawyer when you learn and speak English:

• Prepare well: If you prepare well you will be able to deliver your speech in a calm and constructive way. This gives you confidence. Preparation makes you strong. Make it easy on yourself by being well prepared. Also, tell your listeners what you are going to say. Structure it by using transition words such as “first,” and “next” and “last.” Make it easy for your listeners.

• Use formal and powerful expressions, collocations, and idioms:
  • “We need to consider all aspects…”
  • “We shouldn’t accept that at face value.”
  • “It is under warranty.”

• Speak slowly and use pauses: This builds confidence and creates a dramatic effect. It can also intimidate people if you use it in negotiation. It also buys you some time to think and prepare. It makes people wait to hear and wonder what you are going to say.

Michael’s Bio:

Michael worked as a litigation (torts) lawyer in England for 12 years before moving into full-time online English teaching in summer 2014. 

Since then, Michael has taught more than 1,250 sessions on Italki to students worldwide, and has completed a Cambridge CELTA course to qualify as a TEFL teacher.

Michael provides regular commercial proofreading services to a European energy company, writes website content for Italian businesses, and gives regular language support to a local community charity in his current home town of Birmingham, where he got married last year to Belinda, a cardiac nurse.
Originally from London, Michael has an RP accent, is learning Italian, and is interested in developing his teaching career in the areas of pronunciation, advanced writing, financial and legal English.

How to Book a Lesson with Michael:

Step 1: Register here to get $10 off your second lesson

Step 2: You can see Michael’s Italki profile here : http://www.italki.com/teacher/1544642

Are you worried about the IELTS Reading test?

One student asked us this: if you don’t read the whole passage how are you going to know what the answers are?

We have already talked in general about Reading strategy and steps to follow on the test but today we’ll focus on this specific question.

It doesn’t seem logical to take a reading test and not read everything.

Why do we give you the advice to not read everything?

There is not enough time to read everything.

You have 40 questions that you have to answer and there are 3 passages that are between 600 and 900 words each.

They are not easy.

You have to do all of this in one hour.

You cannot read every word so you MUST have a strategy.

So how do you find the answer?

Understand the key words and scanning strategy.

Key words are nouns, important dates, names, numbers, or anything that stands out as being important.

The tricky part is being able to recognize a synonym for the key word.

If a key word is “high level education” then you also need to scan for “tertiary education” and “higher education.”

This is why you need to have a robust vocabulary.

Read the newspaper!

This will help you.

How do you scan?

You move your eyes over the page and look for something very specific.

You are not reading.

The word is a picture that you are looking for.

There is not enough time to read the whole thing and you will be distracted if you try reading.

*Hot tip! Use your finger or pen and move backwards over each line so that way you cannot read it because it’s not natural.

Let your eyes drift over each line, looking for the specific key word.

You must practice this strategy. This is not a natural skill.

What questions do you have?

Have you tried this strategy yet?

Let us know!

This is Episode 400! We are happy to hit this key milestone! Thank you for being a listener of All Ears English. We love our listeners!

Do you know how to navigate friendships and boundaries in the American workplace?

Find out how to connect and when not to connect at your job in the US in today’s episode.

We found an interesting article in the NY Times by Adam Grant. The article is called Friends at Work? Not So Much.

The article said that in 1985, 50% of Americans had close friends at work but by 2004 that number dropped down to 30%.

This tells us that these days the people at work are no longer our “second family.”

The vibe or atmosphere at work is more polite but impersonal.

However, it really depends on your field.

Michelle used to work in radio and she worked with a close-knit group of friends so she had a different experience.

Why have Americans become impersonal at work?

• Careers are changing: We no longer stick with the same company for our entire career. People freelance, they have multiple jobs, they switch jobs quickly. They don’t have a chance to develop the type of connections that they used to.

• Virtual work and flex time are more common: A lot of people are working from home where it’s much harder to build close relationships.

• People don’t feel the need to build new connections: The article suggested that if you can be on Facebook all day with your Facebook friends then why should you bother forming new friendships at work?

• Protestant work ethic: This goes back to US history. The term “goofing off” means to play around and to not work. Historically this has been looked down upon in US culture.

What should you keep in mind if you work in the US?

• Know the boundaries: Don’t ask about people’s relationship or family status. It’s rude to say, “So are you married?”

• Ask people what you can call them: Don’t assume you can use their first name or their title like “Dr.” or “Mr.”

• Try to have in-person meetings when possible: Make an effort to get to know your colleagues and see what happens. If you are working online from home, meet them once per month in a cafe.

• Try to open up at work: Start small. If someone asks you how your weekend was they might not expect much of a response but say more than “it was great.” Instead, give them bits and pieces like “I went hiking” and see how they react. Do they ask a follow up question? Do they share something about themselves?

Leave us a comment.

What do you think?

What’s the workplace culture like in your country?

Do people tend to become close with their colleagues?

Are you throwing money down the toilet with your IELTS preparation?

If you don’t get the target score you need and then you immediately sign up for another exam two weeks later then yes, you are throwing money away and you need to stop doing it!

Let’s get smart.

We’ll show you why you should not invest in $600+ per month in taking the IELTS three times and what you should do instead.

Don’t take the exam more than once in a month. Just re-taking the test is not going to change your scores.

Sometimes people’s scores decrease when they do that.

You need testing strategies and you need solid English skills. It’s an English proficiency exam.

Read the story of Biff who took the test too many times and wasted his money.

Go about this logically. You know it’s a hard test. You know that your scores won’t increase within two weeks.

What should you do instead?

Wait at least one month before you take the test again.

You also need to get into a solid course that teaches you a good strategy system. These strategies are what will change your score along with increasing your fluency.

If you have already signed up for a class or worked with a tutor, don’t sign up for that class or work with that tutor again.

Try a different method. Don’t just register to take the test again and again.

You can try our course which is much more affordable than the price of taking the exam 3 times in a month.

What questions do you have?

How many times have you taken the test?

What methods have you tried?

Do you want to know how to invite someone to join your group in English?

Today you’ll hear a fun story and you’ll get English phrases to invite someone to join you.

Last weekend Lindsay went hiking and had an interesting experience.

A group of people invited her to join them in their Flags on 48 project.

In this project, groups of 5-10 people summit the 48 mountains that are over 4,000 feet tall in New England the weekend after September 11th.

They carry the parts of the flag to the top of the mountain and then assemble it.

They fly the flag for two hours in memory of the people who died on 9/11.

• “Hey you’re welcome to join our group” or “You’re welcome to come with us.”
• “Why don’t you join us?”
• “Would you like to tag along with us?”

Listen to the conversation in the episode between Lindsay and Michelle to hear how we use these phrases to invite someone to join our group.

Next, if someone is inviting you, how do you know if the person really wants you to join them?

Sometimes in American culture we extend invitations but we don’t actually mean it.

Click here to find out if the invitation is real.

Have you used these phrases to ask someone to join your group?

Leave us a comment below.

Do you need to prepare for the IELTS Speaking and IELTS Writing tests?

Try setting up an IELTS mastermind group!

This will help you bring your IELTS skills to a whole new level and get the feedback you need.

We now offer IELTS Power Hour for members of our course, 3 Keys IELTS Success System.

Remember! A mastermind practice group is not a tutorial or a lecture!

You should have already prepared by learning strategies (preferably the same strategies as other people in the group).

You come into the group already knowing the strategies but being ready to practice them.

Participating in this kind of group can give you a huge boost in your IELTS motivation.

Today we’ll show you how to design your own group.

How to design your own IELTS mastermind group:

• Choose people in your group carefully:  Get people in the group who are ahead of you in level and in understanding of the test. Send an invitation out on Facebook and say what your previous score was and what your target score is. If you get members of a higher level then you they will push you and motivate you to stretch your limits.

• Know the strategies beforehand: This is not a lecture or a class. It’s a practice group. You learn your strategies, listen to lectures, and get to know what the examiner wants through video lessons before the practice group meets. Next, you come together with people in the group and you practice and put into play what you have learned. This is the best way to maximize your time and be smart about your preparation routine.

• Have a good facilitator: Even though you are giving your peers feedback, you need someone who is facilitating the group who knows the scoring system and what the examiner is looking for. Be smart when you choose your IELTS professional. They can’t just be a native speaker. They must understand the scoring system very well. The facilitator will also make you feel comfortable and will create a positive atmosphere in the group so that everyone feels inspired and motivated.

Go and set up your own IELTS mastermind practice group now!

If you can’t set up your own then you can join our course and you will be invited to join one of our 3 Keys IELTS Power Hours every month.

Leave a comment below and let us know if you have created your own mastermind!

Typical and common answers get average scores on the IELTS Speaking test!

Do you want to stand out in the examiner’s eyes and be unique to get a higher speaking score?

Do you know how to do that?

Today we’ll show you exactly what you can do to surprise the examiner with your answers.

On the IELTS Energy podcast, we often talk about surprising the examiner, standing out from the crowd, and showing your own unique English abilities on the Speaking and Writing exams.

This is important because examiners interview many people in one day.

You want to make them notice you and think, “Hey, wow, this student is interesting and different!”

The most common band score among candidates is a 6, and, if this is what you are aiming for, just keep studying like every other student and you’ll probably be fine.

However, if you are looking to get a 6.5 or higher, you need to show the examiner that you have special English abilities, and that you are of a higher level than other students.

To stand out from the other students and impress the examiner, try these strategies:

#1) Don’t give the same answers as everyone else from your culture/country.

We recently did an episode about this, and gave many additional example answers in addition to those provided below.

The strategy here is to not blend in with the crowd- stand out!

For example, if the examiner says, “What is your favorite sport?” and I don’t want to sound like every other American, I could say:

You think I’ll say American football or basketball, but it’s actually soccer.

 You’re expecting me to say American football or basketball, but it’s actually soccer.

I know a lot of people from my country love American football and basketball, but I actually love soccer

#2) Use some words or phrases that native speakers use.

Slang, for example, is not taught in most textbooks or IELTS classes, so other candidates will not be able to use it.

In order to get a high vocabulary score, you must show the examiner that you have range, using informal and formal words and phrases.

For example, if the examiner says, “Who is your favorite famous person?”

I could say:

Oh, goodness, that’s a tough one.

My mind goes blank sometimes when I’m put on the spot, even with easy questions!

Well, right now, Amy Schumer is my number one celebrity.

Her comedy is so on point and honest. She’s not afraid to stand up for her opinions.

#3) Provide support for your answers with news items you heard on the radio or read in the newspaper.

We talk sometimes about creating a “culture of thinking.”

We use this phrase to describe a society who reads and/or listens to the news about current events, both national and international.

By reading an English-language newspaper at least once a week, you will have tons of interesting ideas to use on the Speaking and Writing exams.

Plus, you will increase your vocabulary knowledge, and more quickly understand a wide a variety of topics that come up on the Listening and Reading tests.

For example, if the Writing Task 2 question asks me to talk about people who believe in global warming and people who don’t believe in global warming, I could say:

Traditionally, it has been a more conservative stance to claim that global warming and climate change was a false assertion of only a minority of scientists.

However, recently, the Pope, leader of one of the most conservative and enormous organizations in the world, the Catholic Church, asked his followers to make efforts to curb the impending environmental catastrophe.

In fact, NPR broadcast the Pope’s speech to Congress, where he addressed issues such as climate change as shocked the world.

To sum up, in order to increase your chances of gaining the highest score possible on the IELTS Speaking and Writing exams, show that you are unique from other students.

Impress the examiner by being different and get your target score!

Discussing surprises on IELTS

You may also be asked to talk about surprises on IELTS, and you need high level vocabulary for this!

In this video, Aubrey shares high-level vocabulary for talking about surprises.

Synonyms for surprised:

• Dumbfounded
• Astounded
• Awestruck
• Flabbergasted

Synonyms for sneaky:

• Stealthy
• Furtive

Idioms for making someone feel special:

• On cloud nine
• Feel like a million dollars

Watch the video now!

Have you given typical answers or have you surprised the examiner before?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Sometimes you’ll get questions about the environments on the IELTS Exam.

The questions might come on the Speaking test or on the Writing test or there may be a passage about it in the Reading test.

How can you prepare for these questions?

Make sure you know some great vocabulary words that are related to the environment.

Today we’ll show you the words you need to know to get your 7 or higher when it comes to questions about the environment.

Movies to watch:

• Erin Brokovich: She is an environmental activist and she changed the legislation in a small town and supported people in the town who were being made sick because of corporate pollution. This movie is inspiring and you could bring this into Speaking Part 3.

• Food, Inc,: This movie highlights the issue of food production in the US. They explore Genetically Modified Food and how it’s affecting our economy and our health. If you watch this movie and look into the topic more you will have a great answer if you get a question about the environment in Speaking Part 3.

Terms to use on the exam:

• Farmer’s Market: An open-air market where farmers come directly to the city to sell what they have grown on the farm. They sell “locally grown” food.

• Environmental activist: Someone who is fighting to bring about change when it comes to the environment.

• Fracking: A new technique that is being used in parts of the United States. They drill deep into the rock using a liquid pressurized tube. Please go here to learn more.

• Carbon footprint: This is how much pollution you are personally responsible for. Riding a bike or taking public transportation both reduce your carbon footprint. There are a lot of places on the Speaking test where you could use this term.

• Throw- away culture: As consumers we throw things away after using them once. This creates more pollution and waste in the environment.

What other terms do you know that focus on the environment?

Let us know in the comments below.

Michelle just got married!

Have you ever attended a wedding in the United States?

If you do attend an American wedding someday, there are 5 things that you should keep in mind to have a successful experience!

5 Things to Remember if You Attend an American Wedding:

• Make small talk: You will meet a lot of new people at the wedding. You may or may not be sitting with people that you know. You need to introduce yourself while you are sitting and eating or waiting for the ceremony to start. Try this phrase:
  • “How do you know the bride/groom”?

• Know that the bride and groom are busy: Don’t be offended if the bride and groom don’t have much time to talk with you. They have a lot going on. They have to greet everyone. You can briefly congratulate them but don’t feel bad if they have to rush off.

• Pay attention to the dress code: Usually weddings in the US are formal. If you’re not sure what to wear you can reach out to someone in the family of the bride. On the wedding invitation they state the dress code. “Black tie” is the most formal kind of event. A man would wear a tuxedo. A woman would wear a long gown. If the attire is “Black tie optional” then the formal wear is not required, a woman could wear a cocktail dress. If you are a woman don’t wear white.

• Place the gift in the right place: When you enter there will be a gift table or there will be a box where you can put your gift. If you don’t see a table or a box then you should ask someone in the bridal party. Don’t walk up to the bride and give her the gift directly. There will not be an opportunity to open gifts with the bridal party. They will open it later.

• Enjoy yourself! A wedding is a special and happy occasion. Get up and dance. Let your hair down. Don’t be too stiff. Use it as another chance to connect with someone. Practice your English. It’s such a cool experience to go to a wedding in another country.

Have you been to an American wedding?

How did it go?

What happened? 

Tell us a story about your experiences.

Do you want to make your English pronunciation more natural?

Our guest today is Shellye Thomas.

Shellye is a classically trained singer and an English pronunciation coach.

How to pronounce clearly in English:

• Carry your line: When we speak we don’t use abrupt stops between the words. Carry the air through the whole sentence. Start at the beginning of the sentence and breathe at the end of the thought. Connect all of the words. Keep it flowing especially when you use consonants such as the “F” sound.

• Get good content to emulate and open your vowel sounds: Vowel sounds are the most important sounds in English. Make sure you stay open with these sounds.  Get a podcast where you hear a native accent. Listen to one sentence and the try to mirror what you hear. You can also use TV shows or movies.

• Use a song: This is not only a great way to learn pronunciation but also to learn the language and new vocabulary words. Follow your interest to get the right song for you. Keep the air going throughout the thought when you emulate the

Remember there is nothing wrong with having an accent.

You just want people to understand you.

American people love hearing accents but if you open your vowel sounds and carry your line people will be able to understand you better.

Shellye’s Bio:

One listener asked us how to use the word “figure” so today we’ll show you how to use it in real English conversations.

Our listener said that he was confused about all of the different ways to use this word.

Today we’ll show you five of the most common ways to use it.

5 Ways to use “figure”:

#1) I figure- I think, I assume

#2) To figure out- To seek out and find information,

#3) To figure in- To account for, to consider something in an equation

#4) Your figure- Your body, your shape

#5) The figures- The numbers

#6) Go figure- It’s obvious, expected

Listen to the episode to see examples of how each phrase is used in a real English conversation.

What questions do you have from today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today you’ll find out how to be the highest scoring IELTS candidate EVER!

And you’ll find out how to exaggerate on the IELTS Speaking test and why that will help your score.

Native speakers exaggerate all of the time, especially Americans.

We did an episode about American optimism last year.

Why does exaggerating make your score go up?

When you exaggerate you say interesting things.

You use language that you didn’t learn in a textbook.

You also show feeling in your voice when you exaggerate and that will help your pronunciation score.

You sound enthusiastic and positive which helps your score!

How to exaggerate:

• “Ever”: “I had the most delicious cup of coffee ever!“

• “In the whole world”: “The restaurant by my house has the best tacos in the whole world”

• “In the history of ____”:  “That was the most difficult cycling class in the history of all cycling classes.”

• “Of all time”: “Life Alive is the best restaurant of all time.”

• “Super”/”totally”/”absolutely”: “My apartment is super close to the university. It’s super small but I totally love it. It’s absolutely the best apartment ever.”

How do you plan to use exaggeration on your IELTS Speaking test?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you know how to confirm your plans if you have a meeting or an appointment set up in English?

Today you’ll find out exactly how to do it.

It’s great to confirm plans when it’s about a business meeting or a professional appointment when the details are up in the air.

When it comes to your social life it may be less important.

Find out how to do it today.

How to confirm your plans:

• To touch base: “I wanted to touch base with you and check and see if we’re still on for Friday at 8pm at the Red Sox game?”

• To check in: “I wanted to check in. Can you still meet tomorrow morning for coffee?”

• To check and make sure: “I called to check and make sure you can make it to our meeting on Tuesday”

• To confirm: “I just wanted to confirm our business lunch for 1 pm at the Four Seasons.”

• To be sure we’re still on: “I’d like to be sure we’re still on for this weekend.”

What happens if you want to change the plans at the last minute when someone tries to confirm with you?

Listen to this episode on how to change plans.

Any questions from today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you have tons of IELTS questions?

Today we’ll give you 5 answers to your 5 super common IELTS questions!

We’ll give you all of the information you need to get to your target score.

Question #1) What should I do if I need a 7 but I can only get a 5? 

Answer: You need to invest in a course. It’s simple. When you invest in a step-by-step system you will not waste your time. You will get the strategies that you need.

Start with the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher.

Question #2) What should I do if I don’t have time to proofread?

Answer: You must have a strategy for writing that allows time for proofreading.  It should be built into your routine when you do test practice and exercises. Two weeks before the exam you need to start practicing under test conditions and this would include proofreading your essays. Make sure you have a good IELTS professional to show you how to break down your time on the test.

Question #3) Which test is easier- the Academic or the General Exam?

Answer: Look at your goals. What are the requirements for the goals? For immigration you probably need the General Exam and for education you probably need the Academic Exam. The Academic Exam is harder than the General. The Reading test is harder. The Writing Task 1 question is different. Don’t waste your time thinking about which one is harder. Choose one. Commit to it. Learn a strategy system. Pass the test and move on.

Question #4) Do I need to answer all questions on the card in IELTS Speaking Part 2?

Answer: No! You don’t have to answer those questions. The bullet points on the card don’t need to be answered. They are there to provide ideas. It won’t factor into your grade if you ignore the questions on the note card. Did your teacher tell you something different? If so, this teacher does not know IELTS. We recommend you stop working with them.

Question #5) On the morning of the test I feel nervous. What can I do?

Answer: You need some relaxation strategies to help you. Plan for this ahead of time. In our course we created a Test Day Plan that tells you what to do to release the anxiety right before the Speaking test. You need to plan ahead of time so that you know what to do when you are in this situation.

What questions do you have about today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Have you ever heard a Boston accent? You will today!

Today you’ll hear a real Boston accent and you’ll get 3 clues to know for sure that you are speaking to a Bostonian.

The Boston accent is linked to our history.

In 1621 Boston was settled by British people who came from 25 miles southwest of London and for 15o years  Boston was a very British city.

The accent has changed from British but you will see the similarities to the British accent if you listen closely.

How to know you are speaking to a Bostonian:

• They drop their R’s: If someone says “Wow, that’s a wicked “bummah” (instead of bummer) then you know they are from Boston. Other examples of dropping the R are: “Pahk the cah in the Hahvad Yahd” (instead of Park the car in the Harvard Yard).
  • ** Bonus! They use the word “wicked”: This term can mean that something is incredibly good or it can be added to show that something is extreme. For example, a Bostonian might say that “it’s wicked cold” and not just “it’s cold” which means that it’s extremely cold.

• They say “all set?”: When they say this they are asking you if you are ok or if you need any help. This might be used at a restaurant. The waiter might ask, “all set?” to ask if you need anything else?

• They say “Grinda” (Grinder): This is a large sandwich that contains meat and vegetables. In other parts of the US we might say ” a sub sandwich” or just “a sandwich.”

Do you want to watch some movies to hear more of the Boston accent?

• Good Will Hunting
• The Town
• The Departed

Languages marks us!

When we hear someone we make assumptions about where people are from and we may have certain stereotypes.

Diana has had a few challenges where she has tried to order food using the Boston accent but people couldn’t understand what she said.

It can be frustrating when people don’t understand what you are trying to say, even when you have been in this city your whole life.

Diana’s Bio:

Diana Lynch is an ESL writing instructor and has been teaching for the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston University for the past five years. 

Diana has taught both graduate ESL writing classes and undergraduate classes and continues to research and write about composition and culture and the challenges faced by international students within the university.

She holds a Master’s Degree from Tufts University in Educational Studies.

When Diana is not teaching or researching she can be found tending her garden, writing short stories, and cooking for friends.

She lives in Cambridge, MA.

What questions do you have from today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below!

Are you wondering how to choose an IELTS course?

Today we’ll give you our top 6 tips for choosing a great course that will help you get to your goal!

#1) Think about your priorities:  What is important to you? What do you need? What are you looking for? Do you want to save money? Are you willing to spend more money to get quality? Are you willing to drive across your city to a school? Do you have time to do homework? If traffic is terrible in your city then consider an online course.

#2) Consider both online and offline options: The possibilities with online learning are enormous. The goal of an online course is usually to save your time and the goal of an offline course is to fill your time. Which makes more sense?  A teacher in an in-person course might waste your time. They may fill the time with activities that aren’t related to the test because they have teaching hours to fill. We like the fact that online courses give you control over the content. You can go at your own pace. You can listen to a lecture more than once to make sure you understand it. It’s important to know yourself. If you study online there is more responsibility so make sure that you are self motivated and committed to your course if you choose the online option.

#3) Find a clear study system with simple steps to follow:

• Strategies: You must have clear and simple strategies to approach the test.

• Step by step plan: The course should give you a step-by-step plan. It should be organized into the sections of the test. The writing module should be dense. You need a lot of skills for that part of the test and it should have examples for all of the different types of writing questions. If you rely only on free materials you will not get this step-by-step strategy system and you will get on the wrong track. When you invest in a course, you are investing in a clear system.

• Created by an IELTS specialist: Make sure the people who create the course know the test.  There are a lot of people out there who say they know IELTS but they don’t. They can’t know IELTS if they also know TOEFL, TOEIC, etc. You need an IELTS specialist.  IELTS is complicated. The teacher needs to know strategies, timing, what the examiner is looking for. There is a lot to know before you can teach it. Don’t hire the wrong teacher. It will be reflected in your score.

• Balanced practice: Be willing to spend money and invest in a good course that offers balanced practice. This means that the course should assign you work that helps you build your general English as well as your test strategies and knowledge.

• Daily learning plan: The course should tell you exactly what to do each day to get the practice and preparation that you need.

#4) The course should have documented results or a guarantee: Do they stand behind their material by offering a score increase guarantee if you do all of the work? Are there testimonials of people who have taken the course before and have achieved their target score? Look for social proof! Talk to people who have taken it.

#5) Make sure there is a community of test takers: This can be online or offline. For an online course it’s great to have a private Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your target score, and get support from other test takers. Be careful with the large textbook publishers who put their courses online. They aren’t adding the extras that you need when you are online like the community. In many cases they are just taking their textbook content and putting it online. They are selling you the download without much support.

#6) Make sure there is good support: Some of the bigger names are test- taking factories. If you email someone for support you won’t talk to a teacher. You will talk to a customer service person who won’t give you a personalized answer and the person will not know IELTS. They will just refer you back to a part of the course. Is there someone you can go to personally and ask for advice. Don’t get fooled by the big brand names! They don’t always offer the support that you need.

What courses are you currently considering?

What questions do you have about our tips today?

Beware of the Over-prepare! Here is a story of a student who got on the wrong track!

Once upon a time, there was student.

This student wanted desperately to get a 7.5 on the IELTS exam.

In fact, this student, let’s call him Biff, was a quite high-level English student, having completed every level in the local language school.

Any teacher who spoke with Biff was sure he was at the upper-intermediate to advanced level in his English abilities.

Biff had big dreams.

He wanted to study marketing in a respected university in England, then take his degree back to his home country.

With these skills, knowledge of Western culture and business practices, as well as being fluent in English, he would definitely land a dream job, making his parents and future wife proud.

He would also be able to provide an enviable life for his future wife and children.

However, in order to achieve these dreams, Biff needed, first, to pass the IELTS exam with at least an overall band score of 7.

Of course, Biff is an overachiever by nature, so he is aiming for a 7.5.

Seeing as Biff is already confident in his English ability, he decides that all he really needs is test practice.

So, he goes to a bookstore and purchases 10 test preparation books.

Actually, these books are not really test preparation, as they only have sample tests and no tips or strategies.

Biff works through the first couple books, and is pretty happy with his results.

On the reading and listening portions, he is consistently getting at least 34 out of 40 answers correct.

He decides to just go for the exam.

So, he pays his fees and takes the test.

Two weeks later, he gets his scores: Writing 6, Speaking 7, Reading 6.5, Listening 6.

“What!” he thinks.

How is this possible?

Biff decides he needs to practice more.

So, he goes through all 10 books, many times.

He does at least 2 full tests a day.

After a week or so, he finds that his scores are actually going down!

He is now only getting 25-30 out of 40.

But, how is that possible?

He’s practicing so much!

Shouldn’t he improve?!

What is Biff doing wrong?

He is not approaching his preparation correctly.

It doesn’t matter what level of English you have, or how advanced you think you are.

If you do too much test practice, your scores will go down.

I’ve seen it a million times!

What you must have, in order to get the score you need on IELTS and, ultimately, achieve your dreams, is a BALANCED IELTS study plan.

You must work on your weaknesses, maintain confidence in your strengths, and work on you testing skills AND your overall English ability.

In our course, 3 Keys IELTS Success System, we provide you with a 30 day and a 60 day study plan.

For 5-6 days a week, you are given one activity that improves your testing skills, along with one activity that improves your overall English.

Every task and activity in this course is aimed at improving your testing confidence and your English ability.

The modules provide simple strategies for even the most difficult parts of the test, such as answering Y/N/NG questions, and also give you the motivation you need to work hard and keep increasing your testing and language skills.

So, don’t be like Biff!

Don’t over-prepare on one side, and actually make your scores decrease.

Improve your scores AND your English ability with a balanced study plan and a solid course.

Have you prepared for IELTS like Biff?

Let us know in the comments!

How are you doing it differently now?

Find out how to score a 9 with these sample Part 3 IELTS Speaking test answers.

Today Lindsay and Jessica will demonstrate great ways to answer common speaking questions using idioms, expressions, interesting vocabulary, and great intonation.

Q: What is your opinion on the way that languages are taught in schools today?

Listen to the episode at 4:00 to hear the sample response.

In this example Jessica weighed two different sides of the topic, gave details, and was specific.

She also gave strong opinions which is important for a high score on IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Q: Why do you think different cultures have different table manners?

Listen to the example at 6:30.

In this example Lindsay used adjectives such as “striking” and “fascinating.”

She gave a personal example which is a great way to answer Speaking Part 3 questions.

Q: How are eating habits now different from eating habits in your country in the past.

Listen to her example at 8:00

In this example Jessica told a personal story and compared two examples.

Q: Is water pollution a problem in your country?

Listen to the sample response at 10:00

Lindsay used idioms such as “sick as a dog.” You need to find a way to insert idioms in this part of the Speaking test.

One thing to remember: Slow down when you respond to Speaking Part 3 questions so that you can include idioms and expressions that might not come to your mind immediately.

There is nothing wrong with a few seconds of silence.

What are your questions from today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you making this huge mistake when you ask for directions in English?

Stop making this mistake now!

What’s the mistake?

Many English learners approach English speakers and ask, “Charles River?” or “Brooklyn Bridge?”

It is lazy and can sound rude when you just use the name of your destination as your question.

You need to add more details and make your questions a bit more nuanced in order to come off as polite and friendly.

In today’s episode we’ll show you some better ways to ask for directions in English.

Here are some better ways to ask directions in English:

• “Hi where is the Charles River?”
• “How do I get to the Charles River?”
• “What’s the best way to get to the Charles River?”
• “Hi is the Charles River nearby?”

Leave us your sample sentences in the comments!

Ask us how to get somewhere and practice.

What should you do after you get your IELTS score?

What should you do if the scores you get are not as high as you wanted?

Today find out what to do and what NOT to do with Lindsay and Jessica.

We DO NOT recommend asking for a re-score if you aren’t happy with your score? Why? It costs a lot of money. You will probably not see a score change. Instead of asking for a re-score, the smarter thing to do is to spend that money on a course and use it to learn strategies that will guarantee you a better score next time.

Also if you didn’t get your target score, don’t waste your time feeling bad.

Most people don’t get the score they need the first time.

Focus on the positives. Maybe you got a 6.5 in Listening and 5 in Writing. So, your Listening is strong. Now you need to focus on Writing.

Figure out what was missing in your preparation before the test.

You could have done something differently to get a better score.

Don’t use the same study schedule and study activities again.

Change your study plan.

Be honest with yourself. Did you put in as much as effort as you should have in your daily study plan?

If you didn’t do enough, add on some extra time to your study schedule before your next exam.

Remember, you can’t teach yourself what you don’t know.

Find an IELTS professional who can tell you exactly what the examiner wants.

The professional or the course should be able to teach you solid strategies for the exam.

Don’t only use free content. If the content is free then there is probably a reason for that. It might not be the best content.

Make sure you have a clearly mapped out study plan.

You should know exactly what to do every single day to improve not only your testing skills but also your general English.

Also don’t be afraid to leave the classroom.

You don’t need to study in a traditional IELTS classroom.

Try an online IELTS course.

How are you going to change your strategy if you don’t get your target score the first time?

Let us know in the comments below.

How do you describe someone who is ambitious in English?

This summer and fall we have been teaching you how to go deeper when you describe personality.

We showed you how to describe someone who is an extrovert or introvert in English.

We also showed you how to describe a mean person in English.

Today we’ll show you four ways to talk about someone who has goals and dreams in English.

Someone who is ambitious:

• Driven: Something is driving the person. Something is pushing them forward.

• Motivated:

• Goal oriented:

• Hard working:

• Determined: To stick to your guns, to keep following and moving towards your goal.

Someone who is not ambitious:

• Lazy

• A slacker

• Passive

• Lost

Now describe yourself or your friends and family members in the comments.

Who do you know who is motivated, determined, or goal oriented?

Your biggest IELTS worry will be solved today!

Do you worry that your mind will go blank on the IELTS Speaking test?

Are you afraid that the examiner will ask you a question and you will have no idea what to say?

Are you concerned that this will bring down your speaking score and your overall IELTS score?

Don’t let this happen to you!

Don’t worry!

We are here to help.

Today we’ll show you the best technique for what to do if your mind goes blank and how to use this technique to get your 7 or higher on the IELTS.

**Click the audio player above to meet Lindsay and Jessica and to listen to this episode!

Get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS!

Are you confused about where to start and how to prepare?

Get our 7 step checklist and make it easy!

Click here to get it now

Why does your mind go blank?

You are nervous.

You are anxious.

You are analyzing your answers while you are speaking then you hit a wall and you can’t be spontaneous.

You can no longer be confident.

Here is the strategy to use when your mind goes blank:

The problem is that you don’t know which direction to go in to think of ideas.

Instead of getting stuck there you should go straight to your personal examples.

Talk about yourself.

Tell your story and how it relates to the question.

If you practice this enough and get good at this strategy it will definitely help increase your score on the test.

Steps to use this strategy:

• Step 1: You feel your mind start to go blank in IELTS Speaking Part 3.

• Step 2: Go straight to a personal story or something that has happened in your life. Tell what happened in your life, give your point of view, and add details. You can also add idioms, expressions, and interesting vocabulary here. It’s OK if you start by stumbling as long as you go straight into your personal experience quickly.

 If this happens to you then you need one direction to go into right away.

Start immediately talking about yourself with personal examples so that you don’t waste any time.

Go straight to your own life examples.

It’s easy to talk about yourself and it will increase your fluency instantly for a 7 or higher on Speaking. “

-Jessica Beck, IELTS Professional at All Ears English

Example #1:

Question: Why do we need role models?

Answer: “In my personal experience we need role models because there are so many times when we don’t know which direction to take.

Personally, my dad is a great role model because he is also an entrepreneur and he has spent his life building up a successful business.

His example has helped me take my own direction in life. That’s the reason I think it’s important to have good role models.”

Key phrases from this example:

• “In my personal experience…”
• “Personally,…”

Example #2:

Question: How have shopping habits changed over recent years?

Answer: “Oh that’s a good question. Wow. Well, if I use myself as an example, I used to do all of my shopping in traditional stores.

I guess that’s true for most people in the world but these days I have bought an Amazon Prime membership and that’s a huge motivation for me to save time.

I spend two minutes, go on Amazon, buy something awesome, and it’s shipped to my house two days later so I’d say that’s how shopping habits have changed.”

Key phrases in this example:

• “If I use myself as an example…”
• “I used to…”

Example #3

Question: In your country why do people watch so much television?

Answer: “Oh that’s a good question. Well, in my opinion, the reason that people watch so much television is that they have a passive attitude.

So when I was a teenager, I used to watch a lot of TV.

I watched 90210.

That was a classic and a bunch of other shows that put garbage into my head. I just wanted to sit back and receive the ideas.

I think that’s the reason that people are watching a lot of TV.

They are lazy, not just in the physical sense but in the intellectual sense.”

Key phrases in this example:

• “Well, in my opinion…”
• “So when I was a teenager…”

Example #4:

Question: Do you think the types of sports that are popular will change in the future?

Answer: “Wow, that’s tough. I’m gonna say yeah. Just take my city, for example. If you look, I think in general, say, even five years ago, a lot of people in Portland were all about basketball.

I see a big change in the types of sports that people are into and passionate about. Soccer is becoming huge. Even women’s soccer.

After the women’s world cup our professional women’s team sold out every game. That would have been unthinkable last year.

I’m going to say more people are going to support women’s sports.”

Key phrases in this example:

• “I’m going to say yeah…”
• “Just take my city, for example…”
• “I see a big change in….”

“The examiner will note the change in your voice when you talk about your personal stories.

Your voice will become relaxed, fluid, and loose.

You will sound more like a native speaker.

This will cause the examiner to give you a higher score in pronunciation and general fluency.”

-Lindsay McMahon, Co-host of IELTS Energy Podcast

What changes in your voice when you use personal examples?

The examiner will notice a change in the flow of your voice if you use personal stories, experiences, and examples.

You will become more relaxed and confident and loose.

You will feel more free to add details without worrying that you will make a mistake.

It will sound like you are just having coffee with a friend.

How can you practice this?

Get used to talking about your personal stories, experiences, and opinions out in the world and at social events.

Be confident that your life is interesting enough to share.

Open up about yourself and practice this with people you meet.

Have you used this strategy on your IELTS exam yet?

Let us know in the comments below.

What other questions do you have about IELTS?

Write your comments!

What should you say when you’re unsure of your plans in English?

Today we’ll show you one native English phrase to express your uncertainty about your social life and your plans.

When you aren’t sure what’s going to happen you can say that your plans are “up in the air.”

Learn more by listening to the episode.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Sample sentences:

• “My plans with my friend were up in the air until he actually arrived in Boston.”
• “With the wedding everything was up in the air so I couldn’t make plans to hang out with my good friends.”
• “Things were up in the air with my plans and unfortunately they fell through.”
• “Next summer is still up in the air. I have a loose vision of what I want to do. It’s going to be a commitment to make the choice.”
• “Is anything still up in the air with your wedding?”

Practice this phrase in the comments below!

Did you know that using idioms can move your IELTS Speaking score form good to great!

In today’s episode find out exactly how to do it and what idioms to use.

Are you worried that the examiner will use idioms in his or her questions?

Don’t worry about this.

The examiner will not use idioms.

However, you should use idioms in your answer.

Use interesting idioms to get a higher score on speaking!

Listen to this episode to know what to do if you don’t understand the examiner’s questions.

Here are five idioms you can use to express your opinion about things that are good:

#1) “Out of this world”

• “Have you seen any good movies lately?”
• “Yes I saw a great movie. It was out of this world.”

This can also be used to talk about food. For example, “My dessert was out of this world.”

#2) “The most incredible (thing) ever!”

Examples:

“This is the most incredible apartment ever!”

#3) “It’s one in a million.”

Out of a million people, this person is the best.

Example:

“My favorite soccer player is Renaldo. He is one in a million.”

#4) “I couldn’t be happier with (thing)”

Example:

“I couldn’t be happier with my neighborhood.”

#5) “It is mind-blowing.”

Example:

“The ideas in this book are mind-blowing.”

“I just attended a mind-blowing TED Talk.”

These idioms exaggerate your point.

It’s a good idea to exaggerate because it puts more feeling into your tone of voice.

This will get you a higher pronunciation score.

What questions do you have about today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you wondering what your goals are and what you should be aiming for on IELTS Speaking Part 2?

Today find out exactly what the examiner will be listening for on this part of the exam.

In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking exam, the examiner will give you directions, telling you that you can make notes for one minute, and that you should speak for one to two minutes.

They will then hand you a piece of paper and a pencil for notes, and a booklet.

The booklet will be open to a specific page, and there is a card printed on the page.

The card looks like this:

Describe your favorite place to exercise.

You should say:

• where it is
• what it looks like
• what you do there

and explain why you like it.

This is the topic you must speak about, and you cannot turn the page or choose another card.

The phrase at the top of the card tells you to describe something, usually a person, place, object, event or experience.

The bullet points underneath give you ideas of what to say.

**You DO NOT have to talk about the bullet points in your Part 2 speech.

These phrases are only there to help you, the candidate, be able to talk for the whole two minutes.

Many students are surprised when they hear that the bullet point questions are not important, but it’s true!

In fact, many examiners do not even look at this part of the card, because these questions have nothing to do with your grade.

The examiners have a lot to think about while they listen to you talk, and these questions are not important.

So, here is what the examiner is listening for in Speaking Part 2:

• Fluency and Coherence: Although the examiner tells you to speak for one to two minutes, you must speak for the whole two minutes to score highly in this category. This is the fluency part of the grade. Another factor of fluency is not having a lot of pauses, or fillers. Fillers are words such as, “uh, um, like, yeah, you know.” The coherence grade is based on how well your ideas are organized, and how many linking words you use. That is why, if you can, telling a story in Speaking Part 2 is a good idea. Stories are easily and clearly organized, using time linking words, and they make it easy to keep talking for the whole two minutes.

• Vocabulary: Seeing as this is still not a formal, academic topic, you are not expected to produce these kinds of words. The examiner is listening for interesting words and phrases that are less common among students. These are words that you probably did not learn in your English textbook; rather, these are words and phrases that you picked up from TV, movies, or native-speaker friends. For example, “My closest friend in the world is Megan, and, honestly, I can’t imagine not having her in my life. I’ll tell you about her personality first. She is super sweet, and she would give anyone the shirt off her back if they asked….”

• Grammar: Many candidates are nervous about their grammar, because it is not perfect. Well, guess what- it doesn’t have to be! In fact, all the way up to band score 8, you are expected to have some errors that stick around. Having said that, you cannot have loads and loads of mistakes. Pay attention to improving your accuracy in the obvious areas, such as verb tense and singular/plural nouns. Those are mistakes that the examiner will notice, and you can improve these errors on your own by recording yourself and paying attention to these specific points. Other than this, the examiner is listening for varied sentence structure. Try to use more relative clauses (which, that, who, when, where clauses) and other types of dependent clauses (because, so, although, etc.). Listen to this episode about our grammar philosophy for IELTS.

• Pronunciation: To score well in this category, you must put emotion in your voice. This is your chance to show some personality. The examiner wants to hear intonation in your voice, or your voice going up and down, and stress, or emphasis on important words. For example:

I absolutely love my best friend. She’s amazing!

Now you know what your goals are for IELTS Speaking Part 2.

Follow the guidelines above, stick to a clear strategy system, and you will reach your target score.

Your path is clear! Now you just have to work hard and put in the required time.

We think you can do it!

Leave us a comment below.

What questions do you have from this article?

There are traps on the IELTS Listening test!

These traps will lower your score!

But don’t worry.

We’ll show you how to identify them and how to avoid them in today’s episode.

Today we’ll show you the 5 things that could hurt your score on the Listening test.

Top 5 IELTS Listening Traps:

Trap #1) Trying to figure out your score while you are taking the test: If you are doing this then you are not paying attention to the listening and you are not identifying key words, listening for them, and listening for the answer. If you use too much mental space trying to calculate your score you will lose points! Don’t do it.

Trap #2) Writing your answer and second guessing yourself: Don’t doubt your answer. Go with your first thoughts. If you write an answer and then go back and change it then it’s probably going to be wrong. If you do this you will miss the next answer. The test doesn’t stop for you. You will lose points if you do this. If you MUST change your answer, you will have time to change it later.

Trap #3) Not following the test instructions and the strategies: You are not smarter than the test. The test will tell you exactly what to do. Follow the steps. Some teachers have different advice here. Some teachers tell you to use the answer checking time to look ahead at the next group of questions. We don’t believe that you should skip ahead and do this. You need the time to check your answers. You will be able to catch spelling, grammar, and logic mistakes.

Trap #4) Taking notes while you’re listening: IELTS is not TOEFL. On TOEFL you take notes but on IELTS you don’t. You do not have the time. If you take notes you will be missing the next answers. Do not take notes. Make sure you work with an IELTS professional who will give you the right advice on this.

Trap #5) Stressing out because you don’t understand every word you hear: Even native speakers don’t understand every word that they hear in English. You just need to get the answers. IELTS won’t surround the answer with so many tough words that it’s impossible to understand. You will understand enough to get the answers. Don’t waste time stressing about this.

Try to find listening practice that you enjoy in your free time.

That will give you the confidence that you need on test day.

Have you fallen into any of these Listening traps?

Let us know in the comments below. What will you do differently next time?

Today find out how to start an English conversation with a friend of a friend!

Sometimes you might know someone indirectly.

Maybe you have heard something about the person but you are meeting them for the first time.

How can you start that conversation smoothly without feeling awkward?

Today we’ll show you four ways to do that in English using the information that you already have about the person.

Phrases to start the conversation:

• “So (our common friend) tells me that you’re a (hobby, job)”
• “Oh so I heard you’re from (home city)?”
• “Aren’t you working as a (job)”?
• “Oh you’re a (job) right?”

The key goal is just to get the person talking.

Say one of these phrases and let them start talking.

That is all you need to do to start that connection.

What other phrases have you used to start this type of conversation?

Let us know in the comments below.

You have a 50% chance of getting questions about your hometown on IELTS Speaking Part 1.

Today you’ll get sample answers to common speaking answers about your hometown.

The first question on IELTS Speaking Part 1 is always about:

• Your hometown or your current city OR
• Your work or studies

Here are some typical questions for Speaking Part 1 about your hometown:

• Where did you grow up?
• How long did you live there?
• Why did you like your hometown?
• Why did you not like your hometown?
• Does your family still live there?
• Where are you living now?
• How is your current city different from where you grew up?
• Why did you move to your current city?
• What are the main industries in your city?

Remember, in today’s role play the person asking the question responded a bit but on the actual test the examiner will not respond with a comment.

Tell us about your hometown?

How would you answer some of these questions? Use the same level of detail, intonation, and interesting vocabulary.

Are you an adventurer?

Today we’ll show you three things you can learn from an American adventurer that we admire.

You’ll also learn three new idioms from our conversation.

In today’s episode Lindsay and Michelle talked about a boy named Chris McCandless who decided to escape everyday life to spend time in the wild, living off the land.

The story is called Into the Wild.

This move strikes a chord with many people who watch it.

Many fans of this movie look at their own life and realize that they are not spending enough time in nature.

What can we learn from Chris McCandless?

• Know what you want, have a specific goal in mind: Stick to your guns. If you have a goal, don’t let anyone sway you away from it. Chris knew that his ultimate goal was to live on his own in Alaska. A lot of people told him not to go and that it would be too dangerous but he stuck with his goal and eventually went on his adventure.

• Enjoy and appreciate nature: Chris spent all of his time outdoors and he loved “to be one with nature.”

• Connect with people: Chris made incredible eye contact when he talked to people. Even though he was running away from some of his relationships with family members by going on the trip, he formed some strong relationships while he was traveling. Chris really touched people.

Idioms from today’s episode:

• To strike a chord
• To stick to your guns
• To be one with nature
• To touch people

Practice using the idioms below by creating sentences in the comments below!

In American culture it’s good to be opinionated!

It’s good to have preferences for certain things over other things because it makes people respect you.

The same is true on the IELTS.

You need to be able to express your opinion in a few different sections on the IELTS Exam.

On the Writing test you need to put your opinion in the essay on Writing Task 2.

You must show a strong “position” or opinion to get a 7 or above.

On the IELTS Speaking test it doesn’t carry the same weight of importance to share your opinion but you are asked about your opinions, especially in Speaking Part 3.

So if you are going to show strong opinions on the IELTS then you need to develop strong opinions.

We have already shown you how to create a culture of thinking for IELTS.

You need to read newspapers, watch the news, read books, and expose yourself to what is happening out in the world.

Here are some phrases to express your opinion:

• “My frank and honest opinion is that…”- using the word “frank” is a good way to stand out because it’s less common vocabulary

• “It is my firm belief that…” – this shows an awesome grammar structure and good vocabulary

• “To my mind/in my mind…”

• “I’m inclined to believe that…”

Practice opportunity!!

Go right now to iTunes and leave us a review for the podcast.

Tell us your honest opinion about our show and use these phrases! Click here to go to iTunes.

We appreciate your review.

Do you know how to use “whatever” in English?

American English speakers use it all of the time but it’s important to know how to use it in the right places and with the right tone of voice.

With this word, tone of voice is key to getting your point across accurately. Today we’ll show you how to do it.

Meanings of “whatever”:

• To say that you are flexible and open to different options or ideas
• To show that you are indecisive or wishy-washy
• To show frustration or anger or resentment

“Whatever” is used a lot by teenagers. It was especially common for teenagers back in the ’90’s. Watch the movie Clueless to hear it used this way.

Sample conversations (listen to the episode to hear these):

L: I think we should get a new website look.

M: I personally like the yellow but whatever you want.

*with this response Michelle used an upward intonation to show that she was interested in the question but wasn’t sure how to respond, she was flexible.

M: Lindsay did you really get stood up last week? What are you going to do?

L: Ughh whatever. I am not going to get in touch with him. He can contact me

*In this case Lindsay’s tone of voice indicated that she was frustrated and annoyed. Listen to the episode.

Leave us a sample sentence in the comments below!

Use whatever in one of the three ways!

We want to see your examples.

Are you wondering what verb tenses and grammar forms matter on IELTS?

On our podcast, IELTS Energy, and in our course, 3 Keys IELTS Success System, we tell people to not worry so much about their grammar on IELTS.

There are many reasons for this.

First of all, if you are trying to improve your speaking and writing score, your time is better spent on improving your fluency, coherence, vocabulary and pronunciation.

These categories provide more reachable ways to make your band score jump higher.

In the category of grammar, however, it is not easy to internalize and produce new and more complex structures with few mistakes.

Many people who study English for years, and are considered fluent, still make grammar mistakes.

Native speakers still make grammar mistakes!

Having said that, there is one part of grammar that you must think about when speaking and writing.

This is verb tense.

Errors in tense and time are very noticeable to the examiner, and, if you make too many of these mistakes, it could severely impact your score.

Remember, you do not have to have perfect grammar to get a 7.

To score a 6 for grammar, you are actually allowed quite a few grammar errors, as long as you are using a variety of sentence structures.

However, if the examiner notices too many errors, your score may drop down to a 5.

With that in mind, I’m going to provide examples below of where the most common verb tenses are used on the test.

The fewer mistakes, the better!

Present Simple

This tense describes general truths, habits, and descriptions of things or events that are currently happening.

Speaking Part 1

Tell me about your apartment.

Student: “My apartment is near the university. It is quite small, but comfortable. I live there with two of my friends, and we like to throw parties there sometimes.

Speaking Part 2

Describe a person who you think is intelligent.

Student: My friend Marta is super smart. She goes to school at Harvard University, and she wants to be a doctor. It’s interesting, because I think most people as smart as Marta do not have good social skills. Marta, however, loves going out dancing and she has a lot of friends…

Writing Task 2 / Speaking Part 3

Some people think that reading comic books, or graphic novels, is only for children, and mature adults should not be wasting time on these things. What is your opinion?

Student: These days, comic books are definitely not just for kids. There actually exists a specific literary vehicle called the graphic novel that many novices mix up with comic books, but they are far from the same. Graphic novels feature many adult themes and violent scenes, and are written and drawn by some very well respected artists in their own right.

Past Simple

This tense describes actions or things that are finished in the past.

Speaking Part 1

What did you do yesterday?

Student: Yesterday, I had school, actually. So, I woke up around 8 in the morning, grabbed some coffee on my way to campus, and went to 3 classes in a row. It was pretty tiring, to be honest.

Speaking Part 2

Describe a place you went to that was really quiet.

Student: Last year, I visited Taipei with a friend. My friend, Chloe, had some meetings to go to, so I tagged along for a little vacation. One day, when Chloe was at work, I decided to go to the mountains and hike. It was incredible! The trail started right in the city, practically, and I could bike there easily from my hotel…

Writing Task 1

The graph shows the amount of students in three different majors from 2000 to 2010.

Student: In 2000, the number of students in the tech courses stood at 3,000. Then, in the next 5 years, this number rocketed to over 1 million.

Present Perfect

This tense is usually used to introduce information about a past experience. It is almost always followed by the past simple to give details about the experience.

Speaking Part 1

Do you travel often?

Student: I have traveled to over 30 countries, by myself. I went to Europe for the first time in 1998, then I traveled around India in 2001.
Remember, do not worry too much about having perfect grammar.

That is nearly impossible.

However, you should also not make basic errors, such as those with verb tense.

Do you have any questions about grammar on IELTS?

Leave us your question or practice your own sentences in the comments below.

Are you worried about multiple choice questions on the IELTS Reading test?

Today you’ll find out how to reduce stress and handle multiple choice questions when they come up on the IELTS Listening and the Reading test.

This can be stressful because you are faced with four possible answers.

You are trying to keep all of the different information in your head while you are listening to the recording or reading the passage.

A test strategy that you need here is elimination!

It’s often easier to find the wrong answer than it is to find the right answer.

Before you start listening and reading, read the question and look at the answers.

Trust your logic.

There is often one answer that is not logical, it does not make sense.

Put an “X” next to that.

This could reduce stress.

Next, don’t look for the answers.

Listen for the key words from the question.

When you hear the key words or see them in the passage, pay close attention because the answer is always next to the key words.

If you are left with a few answers, use your logic to make an educated guess about what the right answer is.

Remember, the key to using this skill on the test is to practice it as much as possible before the exam within a larger system and with well-written exercises.

These exercises should focus on specific skills and strategies and not just the test practice.

What questions do you have about multiple choice questions?

Let us know in the comments below!

A great way to connect with more people is to use natural American English expressions.

Today you’ll get four expressions that include the word “speak.”

Here are today’s expressions:

• “Speak of the devil” When we are talking about someone and then they contact us by phone or they show up. This does not mean that the person is “the devil.” This is usually used when the person is close to you. It indicates that it’s a coincidence that the person showed up at that time.

• “To speak ill of someone” : To say something bad about someone. This is a common expression but it’s a bit more formal. It could be used more in writing.

• “Speaking of….”: This will help you transition in your conversations. Use this to move to the next topic when you find a common link. Our goal with English is Connection NOT Perfection. Use this phrase to change the subject from a boring topic and bring it back to getting to know someone better.

• “Speak your mind”: To say what you think and to say it firmly and with confidence. You can also use this to invite someone to speak by saying, “Go ahead, speak your mind.”

Leave us a sample sentence.

Practice these phrases in the comments below.

Do you know how to write an awesome concluding paragraph on your IELTS Writing test?

Earlier this year we showed you how to write an introduction and how to write a body paragraph.

Today we’ll show you how to write a concluding paragraph that will get you the 7 that you need!

Your conclusion only needs to be a few sentences.

You can start it with a phrase like:

• “In sum…”
• “To conclude…”
• “In summary…”

If you use a phrase like “In conclusion…” you may get a band 6 because that is a common textbook phrase.

If you try new phrases like the ones above then you’ll be likely to get a 7 because you will go beyond the textbook.

Next, give a one-sentence summary of your main ideas.

“To conclude, the government should pass a law requiring citizens to exercise to alleviate the obesity epidemic.”

Remember, don’t repeat the same words.

Learn how to paraphrase and show the examiner that you have enough vocabulary to not repeat yourself.

In the last sentence you should give your opinion about the future of this problem.

Start by saying:

• “It is my belief that…”
• “It is my firm belief that…”
• “In my opinion…”

What questions do you have about writing a concluding paragraph?

In our 3 Keys IELTS Success System we go into much more detail on how to write this.

Follow the steps and get the score you need!

Time is so important, especially in American culture!

We spend a lot of time asking what time it is, talking about times for appointments, and worrying about being on time.

Since we talk about time often, today we’ll help you to avoid sounding strange when you talk about time in English.

Last week we talked about how to not sound awkward when you use numbers to talk about money, years, phone numbers, etc.

Today you’ll get four tips on how to talk about time in English.

Tip #1)

Do not say “zero” when you talk about time.

For example, you can say “It’s three-o-four” when it’s 3:04.

Tip #2)

In American culture we say “It’s three thirty” for 3:30. You could say “it’s half past three” but it’s much less common. In British English it’s common to say “half three” but we don’t say that in American English.

Tip #3)

If it’s 3:15 you can say “it’s quarter past three” but it’s a little bit old fashioned.

If it’s 2:45 you can say “It’s quarter to three” or “quarter of three.”

If it’s 3:20 you can say “It’s three twenty”

Tip #4)

We don’t use military time in the US.

When you use military time people will understand it but we don’t use it.

Instead use 10 am or 1o pm to tell the difference between the morning or the evening.

What questions do you have about today’s episode?

Ask us in the comments below.

Are you ready for the IELTS Speaking test?

You can prepare by knowing what the specific Speaking topics are and selecting two to three idioms that you will use if you get those common questions.

If you use idioms on your Speaking test you can dramatically increase your vocabulary score.

We have already shown you how to use work idioms, happiness idioms and party idioms and today we’ll show you some great idioms to use if you get a question about museums or art.

If you can throw these idioms in at the beginning in Speaking Part 1 to give an immediate positive impression and then at the end in Speaking Part 3 you will be sure to get an increased vocabulary score.

Here are 5 art/museum idioms that you can use:

• “A work of art”: Anything that could be considered art. This can include a song, a painting, or a photograph.

• “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”: If you think something is beautiful then it’s beautiful. You could use this to talk about something that you like that other people don’t such as a painting or a piece of clothing, etc.

•  “To paint a picture with words”: To describe something very clearly, specifically, and directly. To help someone envision something through words.  You can use this expression to describe what a great author does in your favorite book.

• “A picture is worth a thousand words”: If you talk about photographs that you have taken this would be a great idiom to use.

• “A starving artist”: The idea that if you follow what you love it’s not going to be easy, especially if you are working in a creative field such as painting, photography, writing, or music. This is a romantic notion in American culture.  A “starving artist” lives a life with minimal comforts to be able to do their creative work.

Remember, on the IELTS Speaking test you need to be as specific and descriptive as you can.

Check out these articles to learn how to describe someone with integrity and how to describe someone’s temperament.

Now, practice using these idioms in a sentence and leave your sentence in the comments below.

Do you have any questions from today’s episode?

Have you visited a museum as part of your IELTS preparation?

Let us know about your experience in the comments below.

In American culture we tend to misunderstand introverts.

Find out what it really means to be introverted and find out how to get more nuanced when you describe personality types in English.

A lot of people think that introverts are just shy but research has shown that introverts are not always shy.

Introverts get their energy from being alone and extroverts get their energy from interacting with people and other forms of stimulation like music and bright lights.

Today we’ll give you a bunch of vocabulary terms that you can use to describe different personalities.

You can use these nuanced terms on the IELTS Exam for a higher score or in your everyday conversations.

Check out the vocabulary terms below!

Ways to describe extroverts:

• Social
• Outgoing
• Gregarious
• Talkative
• The life of the party

Ways to describe introverts:

• Shy (be careful, this does not apply to all introverts)
• Introspective
• Thoughtful
• Withdrawn (this has a negative connotation)
• Quiet

Leave us a comment!

Practice using one of these terms to describe a friend or family member.

We want to see your examples below.

Did you know that adding a tiny word to your English phrases and sentences can change your mindset?

The way we communicate can affect the way we think.

Why not focus on building a growth mindset by adding the word “yet” when you talk about goals that you haven’t quite accomplished up to this point?

Carol Dweck, a researcher from Stanford, discovered two types of mindsets:

• Fixed mindset: This person thinks that intelligence or talent will create your success rather than how hard you work. They believe that your intelligence is “fixed” and it will not change. People with this kind of mindset will spend more time measuring their intelligence rather than focusing on increasing their intelligence. This person thinks that only talent causes success and effort doesn’t have much to do with it. This person believes that your future is reliant on the traits that you already have.

• Growth mindset: These people believe that success can be built through hard work. They love to learn.  They believe they can change their future if they work hard enough. They can increase their intelligence and skills.

We talked about Carol Dweck’s research when Sarah Scala came on the show to talk about grit and resilience.

What can you do to cultivate more of a growth mindset?

You can add the word “yet” to your sentences when you talk about something that you haven’t done or don’t have.

Examples:

• “I have always wanted to travel to Australia. I haven’t made it to Australia yet.”
• “I haven’t met the love of my life yet.”
• “I haven’t found my language exchange partner yet”
• “I haven’t achieved a four-hour workweek yet.”

Now leave us your phrases in the comments.

What are you working toward that you haven’t accomplished yet?

Let us know!

Today we’ll show you how to follow the directions to get the highest possible score on IELTS Writing Task 1.

All Task 1 questions look the same.

They ask you to describe what the charts says.

They ask you to summarize the information by looking at the main features and making comparisons where it’s relevant. Many students get confused by this line of instructions.

These instructions don’t tell you how to organize the information.

It’s kind of vague and this does not tell you what they are expecting.

Don’t worry! You don’t even need to pay attention to this sentence.

Instead, you need to know what the examiner wants.

You need to be writing about the key features.

Learn what they are and how to organize them.

For example, if it’s a COT (Change Over Time) graph where you are looking at population change between 2000 and 2015. You need the following:

• Key features: What are the topics (populations)
• Main points: Specific numbers- highest, lowest

Next you need to organize this information. You also need to use grammar structures that are more complex and interesting vocabulary.

Most people make this more complicated than it needs to be.

However, you do need to have a step by step system for organizing and writing out your essay.

You should work with a qualified IELTS teacher to practice using a solid system.

What other questions do you have about this?

Let us know in the comments section.

Do you know how to use the phrase “might as well” like a native speaker in English?

If you start using this phrase as well as others like “long story short” or “worse comes to worst” you will be able to connect with people because you will no longer sound like a textbook!

Today we’ll give you one more phrase to add to your repertoire.

The phrase “might as well” or “may as well” can be used to say that you are going to take a logical action.

Here are some examples:

• “You might as well get to the beach now because November is coming”
• “I’m closer to the Jersey Shore than Long Beach so I might as well go there instead.”
• “I figured I might as well (just) go to the beach and do my work.”

Write your sample sentence in the comments section below!

Let us know if you have any questions about today’s episode.

Do you think that IELTS writing is the same as academic writing?

The two are not the same and if you work with a teacher who does not understand the differences between the two you will end up with a low Writing score.

We recently got upset when we heard that one of the students in our 3 Keys IELTS Success System  got bad advice from an IELTS teacher who disagreed with our advice that students should use interesting adverbs in their essays.

#1) All advice must be connected to the scoring system:

The problem here is that the teacher is giving the student advice according to what works on academic essays but IELTS is different from other academic essays.

The teacher is not working from the perspective of the IELTS scoring system. He or she is probably an academic writing teacher.

Every single piece of IELTS advice must be connection to the scoring system.

Ask your teacher, “How is this piece of advice going to get me a higher score?”

For example, on an academic essay you should not use “I.”

The professor generally does not want to know your opinion on something.

However, on IELTS you often need to share you opinion and argue your point of view.

If you do not do this you will get a lower score.

#2) Stick to one system, don’t confuse yourself:

Even if you do find an IELTS teacher who really understands the IELTS scoring system it’s better not to try to work with many different teachers who all use different systems.

You need to choose one system with one professional who has real experience and only follow that system.

You cannot try to follow two or three different strategy systems.

You will get confused and this will lower your score.

#3) Invest in a course and get a better chance of success:

Also, don’t rely only on free advice when it comes to IELTS.

If you invest in a course you will be much more likely to focus your time and energy on getting the maximum results for your investment.

What is your experience?

Are you working with more than one teacher and trying to follow more than one system?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you worried that you don’t have the reading skills that you need for the IELTS?

You already have all the reading skills you need to do well on the IELTS exam.

In fact, you probably employ all three skills in your daily life, even when you are not preparing for the test.

Of course, you are using these skills in your first language; nevertheless, they transfer easily to English.

In today’s article, I am going to explain what these three skills are, when you use them in your “real” life (not preparing for IELTS), and how these skills will help you on the exam.

#1) Skimming

What is it?

Skimming is reading for gist, or main idea.

This is when you read only parts of an article, essay or story to understand, in general, what it is about.

When do I use it?

You use this when you first look at a newspaper, for example.

There are so many long articles in the newspaper, and most people don’t have time to read every word of every article.

First, you read the headline and decide if it interests you or not.

Then, if you find a headline that interests you, you read the first couple sentences.

If you are still not sure of the value of the article, you may skip ahead, reading a couple sentences in the beginning, maybe the end of the article.

By doing this, you have a good overall idea of what the article is about.

Also, when you are reviewing a chapter for a test, or a sales report before an important meeting, you skim.

You reread the title, then a few sentences in the beginning, middle and end of the chapter or report.

This gives you enough information to jog your memory, bringing to mind the details and data that you read at an earlier time.

How do I use it on the IELTS exam?

Skimming is actually the first thing you do when faced with a passage.

As soon as the exam starts, go to Passage 1 and spend 1-1 ½ minutes skimming.

This helps you understand the overall idea of the passage, and will help you access the information and vocabulary you already know related to it.

Then, when you look at the questions, you understand what they are about and what they are asking for.

#2) Scanning

What is it?

Scanning is, actually, not reading.

Reading is slow and scanning is fast, as I like to tell my students.

Scanning is when your eyes are roaming, or wandering, over words to find specific information, such as a name or a number.

When do I use it?

We scan a lot in our daily lives.

Say, for example, you access your work schedule online.

You are not going to read every name and time carefully.

Instead, you are going to scan the document, only looking for your specific name.

Or, perhaps you are looking at a schedule for a movie theater.

You know what movie you want to see, so you scan for that title, then look carefully at the times given.

How do I use it on the IELTS exam?

Scanning helps us find the location of the answers in a passage.

It doesn’t tell us what exactly the answer is, but it tells us where we can look for it.

After you identify the keywords in the questions, you scan for those key words.

Use your finger or pencil to help your eyes move over each line.

The answers are always next to keywords from the question.

#3) Reading for detail

What is it?

Reading for detail is what we think of when someone says the word “reading.”

That is to say, reading for detail is when you read every word of a text carefully.

When do I use it?

Hopefully this is part of your daily life!

If it isn’t, you should incorporate it into your routine for at least 10 minutes a day.

We read for detail when we read for pleasure, or for fun, such as when we enjoy a novel, a comic book, or an interesting essay.

When we study, though, we also do this.

I think you are doing it right now!

Textbooks, practice materials, articles related to our field of study- all of these things people read word for word.

How do I use it on the IELTS exam?

This is the skill you employ after you have scanned for and found the keyword.

After you find the key word, you read the sentence containing the keyword carefully.

Then, compare it to the question.

If the answer is not there, it will be in the sentence immediately before or the sentence immediately after.
As always, with any testing skills, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Click here to learn how to become a faster reader.

What additional questions do you have about IELTS Reading?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you sound awkward when you use numbers when it comes to years, money, and phone numbers in English?

Today we’ll show you how to stop sounding awkward and start sounding natural!

Years:

• I was born in 1981: We don’t say “I was born in one thousand, nine hundred and eighty one” instead we say “I was born in nineteen eighty one.”

• I was born in ’81: You can shorten a year by just saying the last two numbers of any year.

• We are in 2015: You can say “we are in twenty fifteen” or “We are in two thousand fifteen.”

Money:

• My rent is $330: We don’t say “My rent is three hundred and thirty dollars” but instead we say “My rent is three-thirty”

•  My coffee cost $3.24: We don’t say “my coffee cost three dollars and twenty four cents” but instead we say “my coffee cost three twenty four”

 Phone numbers:

• 347-554-1774: Sometimes we group together the last four digits of a phone number. We also group together the first sets of 3 numbers. You could finish this number by saying “seventeen seventy four” or by saying “one seven, seven, four”

• We say “o” rather than “zero” when zero comes in a phone number, for example 352-2301

What other questions do you have about using numbers when it comes to money, phone numbers, and years?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you under the “illusion” that you are preparing for IELTS while spending time on social media?

Today we’ll talk about how to spend your time well and use social media to your advantage to pass the IELTS!

In our 3 Keys IELTS Success System our students get to join a private Facebook group where they can ask Lindsay or Jessica any questions they want.

This is a great way to build community and get support but make no mistake- while you are in Facebook, you are not preparing for IELTS.

To really prepare for IELTS you need to be spending time learning strategies, doing test practice, and following a daily study plan.

It is fine to spend time in the Facebook group or on other IELTS-related social media sites to “blow off steam,” reduce stress, and get some support but don’t tell yourself that you are actually preparing for IELTS during that time.

Your buddies on social media cannot give you your 7.

Only the examiner can give you 7 if you show that you have built the right skills and used the right strategies.

Don’t waste your time!

Go beyond the surface level of social media to get your target score on the IELTS.

Spend your time learning strategies, practicing them in structured exercises, and doing test practice.

Let us know your questions or comments below!

Do you spend your time preparing in Facebook groups and on social media?

How is it helping or hurting your score.

Do you want to be more spontaneous when you make plans in English?

Do you want to be able to make and change plans quickly in English?

Today you’ll get some solid English phrases that you can use when your plans change.

Here are some great ways to say that your plans have changed:

• “Oh hey, quick change of plans….”
• “We decided to make a change actually…”
• “I think we’re going to change it up….”

What other phrases do you know to make changes to your plans in English?

Let us know your ideas in the comments below.

Do you feel overwhelmed on the IELTS Listening Test?

It’s hard when you have to listen, read, and write all at the same time.

Do you want to feel more confident on IELTS Listening?

Today find out how to manage it all with confidence and a clear head.

To conquer this challenge you need:

#1) Test strategies: Follow the directions.

Do what they tell you to do! 

You need to know what to expect.

You will hear the introduction which will tell you what kind of situation you are going to listen to and who is going to talk.

Pay attention to this introduction!

Don’t skip ahead and look at the questions.

At this time you can open your brain box and pull up the vocabulary that you already know.

This will put you one step ahead when it comes to the Listening test.

Next you’ll have time to look at the questions. Be active. Circle key words.

Know what you are listening for- is it a name? a number? a date?

Have that information in your head when you start listening.

Next you will listen to the conversation and listen for the answers.

This part is scary but if you do the two steps that we described before this, you will reduce your anxiety and you will be ready to write down the right answers.

Next you are going to go back and check your answers when the instructions tell you to do it. Don’t forget that your first answers are usually correct!

Don’t second guess yourself.

Don’t try to ignore the instructions or outsmart the test.

#2) Test practice:

After you have done step 1 and you have gotten good at the steps and strategies, next you can do test practice.

Get a booklet of practice tests and practice under test conditions.

Don’t skip step 1 because it you don’t learn the strategies then you will never increase your score through test practice.

Actually you will hurt your score and your confidence.

#3) General listening practice:

Get great listening material such as podcasts or You Tube movies or Ted Talks.

Don’t just stick to ESL material.

Listen to material designed for native speakers.

Try to listen to at least 15 minutes of English every single day and you will get more comfortable with the sounds of native English.

What questions do you have about the Listening Test advice?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we have Jaime Miller from English Success Academy back on the show for Episode 3 in a three-part series.

A few weeks ago Jamie told us about the differences between IELTS and TOEFL Writing.

Today you’ll hear about the differences between TOEFL and IELTS when it comes to the Speaking test.

What happens on IELTS speaking?

The biggest difference between IELTS and TOEFL with speaking is that on IELTS you are talking to the examiner.

IELTS is split up into three parts.

Speaking Part 1 includes easy questions about your hobbies, your job, your family.

In Speaking Part 2 you are given a topic card and you have one minute to brainstorm then you must speak for 1- 2 minutes.

In Speaking Part 3 the questions are more difficult but they are not personal questions.

You’ll get questions about society and the world.

This requires more high-level language.

The entire test is 11-14 minutes.

Learn more about IELTS Speaking here.

What happens on TOEFL speaking?

On TOEFL students are speaking into the computer.

There are six parts on TOEFL. It starts with personal questions for the first two parts.

In the third task you look at a campus dialogue. You are at an imaginary university and you listen to a dialogue between two people debating a recent change on campus. When you respond you summarize what you understand about the change.

In the fourth task you have a short reading passage. You get a new concept to look at. It will probably be something that you are not familiar with.

The sixth task is a lecture from a professor talking about a new concept. You need to summarize what you listen to.

The entire TOEFL Speaking test takes about 20 minutes.

A few tips to remember for both exams:

• Never try to memorize answers for the exam
• Be sure to get balanced practice (general fluency and test strategies)
• Follow a clear, daily study plan

Jaime Miller creates and teaches private, customized online lessons. Learn more at jaimemiller.com.

Jaime knows why some students get TOEFL speaking scores of 26 or higher, while others are stuck with scores of 24 – and she creates customized exam study plans that get results.

What questions do you have about the differences between TOEFL Speaking and IELTS Speaking?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you drink soda?

Do you know how to ask for a soda in a restaurant in English?

Do you know the difference between “soda,” “pop,” and “soft drinks”?

Today we’ll show you what we call soda in different parts of the world and we’ll talk about some controversial laws that ban consumption of large size soda in the United States.

In 2013 New York City banned the sale of the Big Gulp, a large size for a soda at 7-11.

Read more about it here.

Is it ok for New York City to ban a large size cup for soda? What do you think?

Names for soda around the United States:

• “Pop”: This term is used for soda in the Midwestern part of the United States.
• “Coke”: Sometimes just the word “Coke” is used as an umbrella term meaning soda. This is used in parts of the Southern United States.
• “Soft drink”: This is used in more upscale restaurants instead of saying “soda.”

What do you think about the New York City ban on the Big Gulp?

Let us know in the comments.

Do you want to know how to be confident on the IELTS Listening Test?

Here is the answer: Prepare!

If you ask anyone who gets that magic score of a 7 or higher on the listening test, they will tell you that they practiced listening.

They didn’t just practice the listening exam, however.

Students who understand what they hear on the exam worked hard to strengthen their overall listening ability as well, outside of textbooks and test practice.

With that in mind, here are five activities to give you confidence on the listening exam.

All they require are a computer or smartphone, paper and something to write with.

Ready to get started?

Check out these resources below!

#1) Listen to a podcast, an IELTS listening practice test, or any recording of spoken English with an audio script.

Try to write out what you hear- word for word.

You can pause it anytime to write.

Compare your notes with the audio script.

Notice any words that you didn’t understand, and listen to that part again.

• http://www.voanews.com/ (Voice of America
• http://elllo.org/ (EnglishListening Lesson Library Online)
• http://www.dictationsonline.com/ (Online Dictations)
• http://www.esl-lab.com/ (Randall’s Cyber Listening Lab)

#2) Close your eyes and listen to a podcast, an IELTS Listening practice test, or any recording of spoken English with an audio script.

Listen again and follow along in the audio script.

#3) Choose a video that has subtitles or closed captioning (look for a button or icon with CC on it to turn on the closed captioning subtitles). Watch it with the subtitles so you can read and listen at the same time.

Watch the same video again with NO subtitles/closed captioning.

• https://www.youtube.com/
• http://www.hulu.com/
• http://www.netflix.com/browse

#4) Choose a song you like. Read the lyrics online, and sing along.

Try these websites for some great ideas to get started.

• http://www.azlyrics.com
• Let Sing It

#5) Choose a song you like. Try and listen and write the lyrics as you hear them. You can pause the song at anytime to write.

Compare your notes with the lyrics.

Listen to the song again and sing along.

What else should you do?

Besides these activities, you should still watch movies and TV shows whenever you like, without turning it into a listening practice activity.

Just choose something you are interested in, watch, and enjoy!

Also, when you are doing IELTS test practice, do the listening practice test a couple of times.

After you do the test the first time, circle the answer you got incorrect.

Then, check the audio script, or tape script, and find the answer that you missed.

Next, you can listen to the whole thing one more time and follow along with the answers, listening for the correct ones.

Finally, you can listen for the last time, and follow along with the audio script.

This will help you get used to the speed at which they speak and the different accents that are used on the IELTS exam.

Most practice exams come with an audio script, so use it!

On test day, just remember to follow the directions.

The IELTS exam is very well designed, so just listen to what the person on the CD tells you to do, and do it.

For example, when she/he tells you to look at the questions 1 to 5, only look at those questions.

When the person tells you to check your answers for a section, check those answers.

Do not go ahead to the next section.

Try to work in as many of these activities as you can every day, working on improving your overall listening ability for 10 to 20 minutes a day.

That’s not too much time- and the investment will pay off on test day!

Good luck and let us know in the comments if you have any questions!

Do you get confused between “take care of” and “care about” in English?

These two phrases are easy to confuse but it’s important to know the difference and start using them correctly.

To take care of:

To help someone who might be vulnerable physically or emotional.

You take care of your pets and you take care of your children.

You might also take care of your house or take care of your health. You can take care of your body or your mind.

This is an action.

We also say “take care!” as a way to say goodbye.

To care about:

This is about your feelings regarding something.

You can care about your friends without taking care of them.

You can care about the environment without taking care of it.

This is a feeling, not an action.

Listen to the episode to hear the differences between the two expressions.

Leave a sample sentence below.

In today’s episode we’ll show you how creating a vision board will help you stay focused on your IELTS goals and the life that you want after you get your target score.

Making a vision board can help you focus your goals, keep track of how you are using your time, and feel good about what you are moving toward.

What is a vision board?

It’s a physical representation of what you want your life to look like.

Use images that represent what you want to be doing in your ideal life.

Why does this matter for IELTS?

When you are preparing for IELTS you need to keep your vision board in front of you.

You know that aspects of your ideal life, such as moving to a country like Canada, will only happen if you get your target score on the IELTS.

By seeing the vision board every day it will remind you to keep working hard.

Have you created your vision board yet?

Snap a picture of it and share it on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/allearsenglish

Share your vision board with the community!

In today’s episode you will get the exact way to organize your time for IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Writing Task 2.

Are you worried about time management on the Writing test?

When it comes to time management, here is what you should NOT do:

DON’T skip ahead to Writing Task 2 and spend most of your time on that. Many bad IELTS teachers suggest this but the problem is that if you do this you won’t have enough time for Writing Task 1.

Instead here is what you should do: DO complete the essays in order.

Complete Writing Task 1 first because it’s shorter.

Get it out of the way and use it as a warm up.

Do what the exam tells you.

Start with Task 1.

How to manage time on Writing Task 1:

We have three steps in the writing process.

We need to plan, write, and check.

It’s good to make sure that you spend enough time planning.

Spend 2-3 minutes planning for Task 1.

Write out a solid essay and plan. Brainstorm.  You must do the planning to get a high score in task achievement and cohesion and coherence (organization).

Spend 15 minutes writing.

Spend the few remaining minutes checking your essay. You must check your work to get a high score for vocabulary and grammar.

Each of these three steps are necessary to get a high score in Writing Task 1.

How to manage time for Writing Task 2:

In IELTS Writing Task 2 spend 5 minutes brainstorming and planning. There are no bad ideas. Try to write continuously for the full five minutes.

Spend 30 minutes writing.

Leave 5 minutes to check. Look for spelling mistakes and repeated vocabulary.

When should you start timing your test practice?

Don’t prepare under test conditions until you have learned the 3-step strategies and practiced them thoroughly.

At that time you can start worrying about time management but not before then.

In the 3 Keys IELTS Success System we go into more detail about this system and exactly how to use it. Check this page and watch the video to learn more.

What questions do you have?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today you’ll find out how to begin a conversation when you are about to explain something in great detail in English.

If you use the phrase “You see,…” it will show people that you are about to explain something or go into detail.

It can also be useful when you want to defend your choices or voice your opinion in English.

Here are the three ways that you can begin your explanation:

• “Ya (you) see, ….”
• “Well see,….”
• “See,….”

Here are some phrases from our conversation in the episode:

L: Why do they make the train routes so confusing in New York on the weekends?

M: Well see, they do a lot of construction on the weekends because they figure it’s the perfect time to do it. Not as many people are going to work.

M: Why are you having so many break ins in your neighborhood?

L: Ya see, it’s because there are some homeless shelters near my neighborhood and in my neighborhood there are a lot of nice homes. So people from the homeless shelters are coming up and breaking into home.

Have you used “you see” in conversations with native speakers yet?

Let us know in the comments how it goes if you try using this phrase.

You already know that using phrasal verbs on your IELTS Speaking test will push your score higher. Today we’ll show you 6 English phrasal verbs using “keep” that you can throw into your response on the Speaking test.

These phrasal verbs will set you apart in the examiner’s mind as a student who goes beyond the textbook.

We have done episodes showing you English phrasal verbs using get and idioms about sports, work, and others.

Here are the phrasal verbs with “keep” for today:

• Keep going- to continue moving
• Keep (it) up- to continue moving or to maintain appearances
• Keep at (something) – continue to do something
• Keep out – do not enter
• Keep off- do not get on
• Keep away- do not get close

Go to Google Images and get examples of signs so that you can remember what these phrasal verbs mean.

Listen to this episode again.

Pay attention to the questions that we ask each other.

Answer these questions yourself using these phrasal verbs with keep.

What questions do you have from today?

Let us know in the comments below.

Is integrity important to you?

It’s important to us!

Do you want to know how to describe someone who is honest or dishonest using more specific English vocabulary words?

By going deeper with your vocabulary words you can connect more with people and create a better description of someone.

A few weeks ago we talked about how to use specific vocabulary words to describe someone who is mean in English.

Today you’ll learn some new English vocabulary terms to describe integrity and personality.

If you are taking the IELTS exam then using specific vocabulary words on your IELTS Speaking test or your IELTS Writing test will boost your score so this episode is for you!

How to describe someone who is dishonest:

• Manipulative: Someone who understands the human mind and tries to control your mind to control what you do in order to serve or help that person in some way.
• Sneaky: More often used to describe someone who is young and who takes little, dishonest actions.
• Deceptive: Someone who hides things, who leads someone in the wrong direction.

How to describe someone who is honest:

• Trustworthy: Someone who can be trusted with a secret or who is reliable.
• Dependable: Someone who will always show up when they are expected to show up, someone who can be expected to deliver what they promise on time.
• Loyal: Someone who will be true in a relationship, who will not cheat. We can also use this term to refer to a dog who has been well trained.

Practice these adjectives!

Please tell us about the people in your life.

Leave your comment below.

Do you have trouble coming up with ideas for the IELTS?

If so, you are not alone!

Many students struggle with this.

Today we’ll show you how you can be more creative, come up with ideas faster, and where you get resources online to move toward these goals.

If you come from a culture where coming up with ideas is not emphasized then you can train yourself on how to do it.

The worst thing that you can do is to put up a mental block, assume that you can’t do it, and not even try.

Don’t assume that you can’t do it before you have even tried!

Start by going back to our episode on how to brainstorm and come up with details for IELTS.

Remember, you can always fall back on this framework:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

Next, find some writing topic ideas!

Where can you find them?

Go to creativewritingprompts.com

This website will give you tons of creative ideas to get your ideas flowing and to base your essays on.

Go to this website, choose a topic, and just start writing.

Get a journal and grab one of these topics every day and write.

Here is another idea:

You can also check out writingforward.com

You’ll get lots of advice, angles, and tips on the task of creative writing.

Don’t worry if this doesn’t seem like it’s direct IELTS practice.

These activities are going to help you get better at brainstorming and coming up with ideas.

To get better to coming up with ideas:

– remember HOW to brainstorm (who, what, when, where, why, how)

– know where to look for brainstorming ideas (see the websites above)

– start practicing- take out your pencil and a journal

Check out our other IELTS Writing episodes here

Have you tried using these sites to improve your ability to come up with new ideas in writing?

Let us know in the comments.

In today’s episode you’ll learn how to talk about the things that you regret using a great American English idiom.

You’ll also get a few more English idioms about eyes and eyesight.

Earlier this summer we learned a few other expressions such as “long story short”  and “worse comes to worst.”

Here is today’s key expression: “Hindsight is (always) 20/20.”

What does it mean?

It’s related to the concept of eyesight.

When eyesight is 20/20 it means that we have perfect vision.

We use this when we talk about things that we regret.

When we look back on something it becomes clear that we took the wrong action and we know what the right action would have been.

However, we didn’t know it at the time and maybe we couldn’t have known it.

More idioms with “eyesight”

• An eye-opener: Something that is shocking or sobering, something that surprises you. “Arianna Huffington had an eye-opening experience when she passed out on her desk one day due to lack of sleep.”

•  To see eye to eye: To agree with someone, to see things the same way someone else sees them. “Do you see eye to eye with your fiance when it comes to wedding planning?”
  

Try using these idioms in your own sample sentences.

We want to see your examples in the comments below.

Do you struggle to find time to learn English?

Is time your most valuable asset?

If so then today’s episode is for you.

Today Derek will show us 3 ways to be more efficient with our English learning routine:

• Tip #1) Learn how to self correct when you are speaking. This is the best way to get better at speaking while focusing on both fluency and accuracy. You want to be making mistakes because it means that you are pushing yourself but you want to correct them on your own.
• Tip #3) Don’t pretend that you know everything. If you are 80-90% sure that you know what someone is talking about but there is a tiny bit of doubt you should still ask. Don’t assume that you understand a word because you might get yourself into trouble. Use these phrases:
  • “Let me see if I got this…”
  • “I am sorry could you explain that a bit more.”
  • “Let me make sure I have that correct.”
  • “Let me see if I understood that.”
• Tip #3) Study the types of mistakes that you make. Try to relate your mistakes to a wider area of study. See if there are any patterns in your mistakes. Know the difference between a random error and a systematic error.
  • Systematic error: A grammar mistake that keeps happening
  • Random error: A preposition mistake or another small mistake

Derek’s Bio

I was born and raised in the state of Colorado in the United States of America. I’ve travelled extensively throughout the States and I also lived in Memphis, Tennessee for a short time. I’m essentially a nomad, so I’ve had the chance to live in Brazil for more than two years, Colombia for about 9 months, Europe for over a year, Mexico for another 9 months and now I’m headed back to South America.

I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in December of 2010 with two bachelor’s degrees, one in physics and the other in Astronomy. Shortly after I graduated I moved to Rio de Janeiro where I earned my International Diploma in English Language Teaching (IDELT), which is an accredited TEFL certification, from Bridge Linguatec based in Denver, Colorado USA.

I have been teaching English as my primary profession since February 2011, first in Rio de Janeiro and then Salvador in Brazil. I have taught English to students of every level, from zero level beginners to the very advanced. I’m very patient and I try to make students feel relaxed and enjoy themselves in my classes. We always seem to have a fun time.
I speak Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish.

Today we have Jaime Miller from English Success Academy back on the show!

Jamie is back for episode 2 in a 3-part series.

Last week she chatted with Jessica about the overall differences between IELTS and TOEFL.

Today Jessica and Jamie talk about the main writing differences between IELTS and TOEFL.

They will also talk about what “integrated” means on the tests and what this means for you as an IELTS or TOEFL test taker.

On IELTS there are fewer writing tasks and they are more straightforward.

On TOEFL there are two different types of tasks.

The first one is the integrated task.

They want to know if you can read something from a textbook and take notes, listen to a lecture, and then respond to what you have read and listened to.

You may have to notice the similarities and differences in the arguments and write about them and talk about how both points of view disagree.

Here they are testing your ability to talk about and analyze a debate.

In the TOEFL integrated task you should not give any opinions.

In IELTS Writing Task 1 you are asked to analyze information from a graph or diagram of numbers and you need to describe what is going on.

Writing Task 1 is 20 minutes and you need to write 150 words. If you write more than 150 words you will lose points.

On Writing Task 2 for IELTS you write an opinion essay and the second task for TOEFL also asks you to write an opinion essay.

Another big difference is that on IELTS you have to write by hand and on TOEFL writing you type your answers.

We’ll be back next week to explore more differences between TOEFL and IELTS!

Jamie’s Bio:

You can learn more about Jaime Miller and her private, customized online lessons at jaimemiller.com.

Jaime knows why some students get TOEFL speaking scores of 26 or higher, while others are stuck with scores of 24 – and she creates customized exam study plans that get results.

Do you have any questions about today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Teachers, classes and textbooks are full of useful advice on how to get high scores on the IELTS exam.

Some of this information is useful, of course, but some of it is also too general to actually help you.

For example, teachers always tell students to “organize your ideas more clearly” or “use better vocabulary,” but do you know how to do this?

So, today, I’m not only going to tell you what to do, but what NOT to do.

I’m also going to tell you exactly what these gems of wisdom will do to affect your IELTS Writing Task 1 score.

#1) Do NOT write fewer than 150 words. If you write fewer than 150 words,

• • your Task Achievement score will automatically go down.
  • you will not have enough room to show a range of vocabulary, because you simply will not write enough words, so your vocabulary score will fall to a 5 or lower.
  • you will probably not have enough room to show a range of sentence structures, because you simply will not write enough sentences, so your grammar score will fall to a 5 or lower.

#2) Do NOT start describing the numbers right away in your essay.

• Just like any academic essay, you must start Task 1 with an introduction. In the introduction you MUST rephrase the test question. If you do not do this, you risk not explaining clearly what the graph is about (for the Academic exam). This means scoring a 5 or lower on Task Achievement.

#3) Do NOT just state numbers.

• You must describe the numbers, not just list them. You have to say why the number is important, such as describing it as the highest or the lowest. If you just list numbers, you will get no more than a 5 for Task Achievement.
  • For example:
    • WRONG: In 2013, the number of classes reached 100.
    • RIGHT: In 2013, the last year shown, the number of classes reached an all time high, with 100.
  •  You must also use linking words to join the sentences. If you do not, you will get a 5 or lower for Cohesion/Coherence.
    • For example:
      • WRONG: Numbers hit 700 in 1980. Numbers fell to 20 in 1990.
      • RIGHT: The number of full-time workers increased to 700 in 1980, the highest amount during the period. Then, 10 years later, this number fell to 20, reaching the lowest point.

#4) Do NOT use the same sentence structure over and over. If you do, you will get a 5 or lower for Grammar.

• Some students memorize one or two structures, like “There was a decrease in 2014,” and use this same sentence structure throughout Academic Writing Task 1 so they are sure to not make any grammar mistakes. Well, even if there are no grammar mistakes, if you do not use varied sentence structure, the examiner can give you no higher than a 5 for Grammar.

To make sure you don’t make any of these mistakes, please read these rules more than once.

Then, the next time you practice a Task 1 essay, please check your work for these four things.

If you follow these rules, you are on your way to higher scores!

Check out our other articles on IELTS Writing Task 1

What questions do you have about IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic Essay?

Let us know in the comments below.

What is paraphrasing and when do we do it on IELTS and in our everyday lives?

Paraphrasing is when you use different words and vocabulary to express an idea.

In our daily lives we might use paraphrasing to tell our friend about our weekend.

We might summarize the whole weekend into three sentences.

Maybe we saw a movie and we will paraphrase the story in a short way.

When we read we also need to paraphrase to tell people what we have read in the newspaper or in a magazine.

We also might summarize our favorite novel.

When you are in an academic class at your college or university you are going to need to take notes during the lecture. This is a form of paraphrasing.

You may also need to paraphrase a lecture for a friend who missed a class.

When we write papers at the college level we also paraphrase when we add outside research and citations to a paper.

When do we paraphrase on IELTS?

In IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Writing Task 2 you have to paraphrase an idea, word or phrase in different ways.

If you use the word “school” in one paragraph then you need to use different words in the rest of the essay like “academic institution” or “university” or “college.”

How do we paraphrase on the IELTS Speaking test?

Part of getting a good vocabulary score is showing range and flexibility and that is how we can push up our entire speaking score. Try not to repeat the same word more than two or three times. Instead, try to say it in a different way.

You can also paraphrase what the examiner asks you on Speaking Part 1, 2, and 3 before you answer.

Why would you want to do this?

It would impress the examiner with your flexibility and it would give you more time to think and prepare your answer.

How can you practice paraphrasing for IELTS?

Read a newspaper and summarize it in your own words. Tell a friend about the article.

Create a culture of thinking.

Surround yourself with people who like to talk about what they read and see in the news.

Do you feel comfortable paraphrasing?

What questions do you have about this?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you making mistakes with your facial expressions and gestures when you visit the US?

Today Mark will show us the top 3 facial expressions and gestures that he has seen in parts of Latin America that you should avoid if you want to connect with American people when you visit the US.

Three facial expressions or body language gestures to avoid in the US:

• Using a puckered lip gesture to point at something or someone (pucker means to bring your lips together and hold them tight). In American culture this looks very strange. We might use an eye or a head gesture to draw someone’s attention in one direction or another but we don’t use puckered lips.
• Calling someone to come toward you by pulling your arm out straight, pointing your palm down, and moving your fingers toward you in a downward gesture. This is rude if you use this gesture in the US.
• Kissing as a greeting. If you kiss an American on the cheek as a greeting they will feel awkward. Use a handshake instead or if there is a large group you could wave.

What should you do if you don’t know what gestures to make?

Observe. Sit back. Wait for other people to use their gestures and then do what they do.

• Step 1: Click here to register (to get $10 off your second lesson)

• Step 2: Search for Mark’s profile in people search: Mark Esposito

Today we bring you IELTS Energy Episode #100!!

We’ll give you 5 tips for improving when you think you can’t and we’ll tell you about a special invitation at the end of the episode.

The easiest way to get a 7 on IELTS Speaking is by working on your pronunciation!

For the next 100 hours you are invited to claim your special bonus called Power Packed Pronunciation with Jessica Beck. If you get into our 3 Keys IELTS Success System within the next 100 hours you will also get this super cool bonus. It’s a 5-minute video where Jessica will show you exactly how to increase your pronunciation score during the Speaking test.

Click here to get the course and your bonus now!

Offer ends on Monday August 17th!

Do you feel like you are plateauing with your IELTS preparation?

Are you not getting any better?

Can you say everything you need to and understand everything you hear?

But maybe you can’t understand difficult articles that use academic English.

Today we’ll show you 5 things you can do to get out of your comfort zone and push past this plateau in order to hit that 7 IELTS level.

Remember, you need to action on these points every single day.

It’s easy to do it once per week or just once per month but what are you doing every single day?

5 things to do:

• Reading: You need to expose yourself to higher level words. Read the Washington Post or the Huffington Post or the New Yorker. If you don’t read these kinds of materials you won’t get a chance to see these high-level words that you need for the IELTS Exam.

• Listening: Listen to what native speakers listen to. Try TED Talks on You Tube. Search for a specific topic that you are interested in. A lot of native speakers listen to NPR.org. You can find music, news, comics. Listen to The Moth Radio Hour and Snap Judgment on NPR.

• Take a class: Take a class in a topic that is not focused on ESL. Take a cooking class in English. Take an art class. Go to EdX from MIT and take it online.

•  Writing: Challenge yourself to write a short story. Interview someone in your family and write a biography about that person. Research a topic that interests you and write a short report on the topic. Take something that you like to read in your native language and translate it into English.

•  Speaking: Push yourself to talk to native speakers. It’s easy to talk to other English learners but try to find a tutor or a language exchange for free where you can really hear correct English. Find a site where you can get a native partner online or in your city.

If you do these five things or even just one or two of these things you will have a much better chance of improving your IELTS score.

Let us know which of these activities you are already doing. How is it going?

Life is like mountain climbing!

Today find out how to accomplish big dreams by putting one foot in front of the other and taking life one step at a time.

Here is today’s quote:

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top and then you will see how low it was.”

-Dag Hammarskjold

Don’t be afraid to set big goals.

Don’t consider big goals to be insurmountable.

If you go ahead and accomplish your goal you will look back and realize that it wasn’t actually that hard.

In this episode Michelle told us that when she first moved to NY she felt that it was too hard to get around the city.

She didn’t know how to take the subway to meet friends or which train to take.

It all felt like a huge task.

She got lost.

Now, looking back on those days she doesn’t think it’s so hard.

Do you ever tell yourself, “I could never be fluent?”

Be careful when you say this.

Don’t just assume that you can’t do it.

Give yourself a chance.

Take the first step.

Do it one step at a time.

If you are taking an exam like the IELTS, this means that you need a step by step system or a course where someone can hold your hand and take you through the steps that you need.

Henry Ford says, “Whether you think you can or you can’t you’re right.”

How are you approaching your big dreams?

Are you taking them one step at a time or are you giving up on them before you even start?

Let us know in the comments below.

If you want to move your English to the next level then you need to make sure that each word adds value.

Today we’ll show you why you need to avoid being redundant in English  and we’ll give you seven phrases to avoid in order to speak more powerfully.

What does it mean to be redundant when you speak in English?

It means that you use two words that say the same thing.

Each word should bring something new to the table.

Seven redundant phrases that you should AVOID in English:

• “In my opinion I like chocolate”: Here you don’t need to say both “in my opinion” and “I like” because we know that when you say “I like” you are voicing your opinion.

• “I like the fact that I live near in a fun area and also in addition I love the fact that I am right between Harvard and MIT”: In this conversation I said “also, in addition.” Using both of those words is not necessary because the words are saying the same thing.

• “The best top colleges in the US are Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth”: Here we said “the best top colleges” and those two words mean the exact same thing. Instead of using both words you can just choose one. You can say “the best colleges are..” or “the top colleges are…:

• “It’s critically important to think like an entrepreneur with your career in New York”: The words “critical” and “important” mean the same thing. You don’t need to use both.

• “In graduate school we collaborated together all of the time to get projects done.” It isn’t necessary to use both “collaborate” and “together” because the word “collaborate” implies that you are working together with other people.

• “In my past experience I have co-taught with other teachers.” The words “past” and “experience” have similar meanings. You can just say “in my experience I have co-taught with other teachers.”

• “The reason why crime went down in New York is that the graffiti was taken off the trains.” This is a common redundancy that is used all of the time by native speakers. The word “reason” implies “why” so instead you can say “the reason crime has dropped..” or “the reason that crime has dropped…”

When you speak English you want each word to have value.

Less is more with the words that you choose when you want to speak powerfully and connect with people in English.

Do you know any other common redundancies in English?

Let us know in the comments.

What are the daily and weekly habits of the most successful IELTS students who get a 7?

Today you’ll find out exactly what smart students do to get their seven.

Students who get a 7 make English a part of their everyday life.

They don’t keep English at a distance.

They use it as entertainment.

They explore their interests using English.

They don’t think of it as work or “studying.”

Success is usually not the result one single action. It is often the result of multiple actions taken over an extended period of time.

What are those actions for a 7 IELTS student?

Find out below!

7 habits of highly successful “7” IELTS students:

• #1) They are committed: They have a specific goal. They promise to work every day. They are intentional about the score they want. They share their commitment with someone in their life. They hold themselves accountable.

• #2) They are not afraid to start random conversations and speak: When they run into someone they know in an English-speaking place, they start conversations and continue speaking. If they don’t live in an English-speaking country, they find a way to practice with a native conversation partner. They speak every day despite their fear.

• #3) They plan a specific time every week to practice what they have learned each week: They are intentional about using new phrases or expressions in their practice conversations. They don’t cancel their practice sessions. They show up and get comfortable with the language.

• #4) They have something they enjoy reading: A successful “7” student has a habit of reading. They like to read. They find reading material on a topic that they are passionate about. They use blogs, email newsletters, newspapers, and magazines.

• #5) They watch movies and TV: They have a favorite TV show in English. It is part of their lifestyle to follow sitcoms that they consider fun. They don’t think about watching TV in English as studying. They consider it entertainment.

• #6) They learn how to organize their thoughts into an academic essay for Task 1: Strategies are important for 7 students. Especially for the Writing test, you MUST learn what the examiner wants. You cannot just work on your general English.

• #7) They know the IELTS exam: They know the test. They know the strategies, they have a step-by-step system, they know how the timing works. They work with a qualified professional or find a good course to help them.

Which habits do you currently have?

Which habits are you going to adopt moving forward?

Let us know in the comments below.

When we are practicing for the Speaking exam, we must remember what the examiner wants.

Today, we are going to focus on hitting that 7 or higher on the Speaking test in two ways:

• Fluency and Coherence (having organized, specific ideas)
• Vocabulary (not repeating words/ideas, using specific vocabulary)

The best way to hit a 7 or higher on Speaking Part 2 is to tell a story.

For some kinds of questions, this is easy, such as describing a movie, TV show, or book.

However, we can also turn our 2-minute answer into a story when we are asked to describe a situation or event.

Often, these questions begin with, “Describe a time/occasion when…”.

Below we’ll look at Speaking Part 2 on the exam, step by step.

Step 1:

Before you give your answer, you have one minute to plan and take notes.

The examiner will tell you the topic, hand you the booklet with the topic card on it, and also give you a pencil and piece of paper.

Then, you have a full minute to write down your ideas.

This is a crucial time, and I’ve seen many students who do not use this time well.

This is your chance to plan your answer so write down everything you think of- details, words, examples, everything.

When you choose to tell a story as your Part 2 answer, this first planning stage is easier as well.

Just start at the beginning of the story, and move through the story in your head, writing notes on everything that comes to mind.

Remember, there are no bad ideas!

Let’s look at an example:

Describe the last movie you saw in the cinema.

My notes:

• Jupiter Ascending

• mina kunis, channing tatum, future, sci-fi

• maid in new york, russian, dad killed

• lives with mom, aunt, all maids

• tatum werewolf alien, comes earth

• aliens try kill mina, saved

• space family controls all planets, uses people as medicine, never grow old

• three siblings control all, want kill/mary mina, she owns earth, forget why

• lots action, flying shooting, earth, tatum rocket rollerblades

• he saves her, they fall in love, she’s still maid

Now, you can see all the specific details I wrote down in my notes.

Also, my notes are organized by bullet point, from the beginning of the movie to the end.

Also notice that I did not remember everything (this was not the best written movie!), and that is fine.

Again, your ideas are never wrong on the Speaking exam– all the examiner wants is to hear you speak English.

Step 2:

After one minute for note taking, the examiner will ask you to start talking.

When you are talking, you must use linking words.

You are allowed to look at your notes, so you should do this if you forget what to say.

That is why you take notes! Use them, and keep talking!

An example answer with linking words looks like this:
Today I will tell you about a movie I saw recently named Jupiter Ascending, by the Wachowskis, the people that made the Matrix movies.

The Matrix movies are classics, but, sadly, in my humble opinion, they have not been able to replicate that genius.

Especially in this movie, Jupiter Ascending.

It was really pretty, but the story, writing and dialogue left a lot to be desired.

So, it starred Mina Kunis as a maid of Russian descent who lives with her mom and aunt in a small room in New York, very poor.

Channing Tatum is the other big name, and he’s a werewolf alien hybrid creature, who has crazy rocket rollerblades that he flies around on.

We find out in the beginning of the movie that Mina’s dad was a scientist, killed in Russia, although we don’t know why, and her mom came to America.

She actually gave birth to Mina/Jupiter on the ship.

There are many additional characters, but the ones that matter are three siblings who are, I think, sort of royalty in space, and they actually own all the planets.

For some reason, I forget why exactly, they have to get Mina in order to harvest Earth.

Oh, by the way, by “harvest” I mean they destroy the planet and use all the life as fuel for their immortality.

Yeah, pretty crazy.

Anyway, about 20 minutes into this disaster of a film, Channing wolf comes to Earth, saves Mina, but then loses her as one of the siblings grabs her.

One brother wants to kill her, the other brother tries to marry her, and the sister tries to befriend her.

The whole complex tale culminates in lots of shooting action and explosions on Earth that no Earthling seems to notice, with Channing rocketing around on his ridiculous rollerblades.

Of course, in the end, Mina and Earth are saved, her and Channing Tatum fall in love, even though he’s half dog, and she chooses to still be a maid.

All completely unbelievable, and this is from a girl who really digs her sci-fi.

Step 3:

Read my answer again and write down all the linking words/phrases.

Then, use them to practice telling your own story.

Good luck and have fun!

Get more episodes and articles on IELTS Speaking here.

What questions do you have about today’s activity?

Please let us know in the comments below.

Do you know someone who is mean?

Would you like to be able to describe that person in more specific terms in English?

You are at the right level to expand your vocabulary and use more specific words.

Don’t just use general terms.

If you want to connect with people, you need to be specific so they know exactly what you want to say!

On the IELTS Exam, the fastest way to get a 7 or higher on Speaking or Writing is to use specific vocabulary words.

In today’s episode we will show you 5 different words that you can use to describe a mean person in English.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

How to describe a mean person in English:

• Rude: Not polite, short-tempered, to have a short fuse

• A jerk: Someone who has a bad character and does not treat people with respect. We use this term more to describe a guy.

• Selfish: Someone who only thinks about themselves

• Cruel: Extremely mean and calculated in the bad actions that they take against you

• Abusive: Someone who inflicts physical, emotional, or sexual harm on someone

Do you know anyone that you can describe using these terms?

Let us know in the comments below.

Can you write a quote by a famous person in your IELTS Writing test essays?

Can you quote someone famous on the IELTS Speaking test?

The answer is yes! You can use quotes on your Writing test and in the Speaking test. It could add a layer of depth and it could make your answer more interesting for the examiner.

However, you need to make sure that the quotes are introduced well and fit naturally into your essay or your speaking answer.

It’s ok if you don’t know the person’s name who said the topic.

If you can express the fact that you don’t know the name by using an idiom, you can score extra points.

For example, you can say, “The name of the person who said this slips my mind.”

If the quote doesn’t fit with the topic that you are covering, don’t try to force it into the essay.

Here are some of our favorite quotes that you could use:

“You are the average of the four people that you spend the most time with.”- Jim Rohn

This quote could be used in Speaking Part 1 for most questions.

What does this quote mean for your IELTS preparation?

Be careful who you spend time with when you are preparing for the exam.

Be around people who believe that you can pass the test and who support you and encourage you to work toward your goal.

“It’s not how much time you have. It’s what you do with it.”

Be smart about how you spend your time preparing for IELTS.

You need a clear study plan and you need to use the right materials.

How are you spending your IELTS preparation time?

Who are you surrounding yourself with? Do these people motivate you and inspire you to keep reaching for your IELTS dream?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today you’ll learn about one unique American speech habit that you can use to introduce ideas or to share quotes.

In English we use “like” in a few different ways.

• It can be a filler word. “So, like, what are you doing tonight?”
• It can be used to say “such as.” I enjoy foods like sushi.
• It can be used to report an idea or something that you said. “I was like, ‘wow, we should take some time off.’”

Today we are going to focus on the third way that “like” is used when we use it to report what we said or what we thought in a past conversation.

In the episode Lindsay and Michelle used this expression in a few different ways. Listen to the episode to get the details!

To talk about something that was said in the past:

• “I was like ‘wow, I gotta check that out.’”
• “My mom heard the story and she was like, ‘oh yeah just take my car.’”

To tell a story that happened in the past using the present tense to pull people into the story and to hold their attention:

• “On Saturday we’re hiking and we get to the top and it’s cloudy. My friend is like, ‘let’s just wait and see if the clouds clear’ and within a few minutes the clouds did clear.

Have you heard Americans use “like” in this way in English conversations?

Have you tried using it yourself?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we have a guest on IELTS Energy!

We are happy to have Jaime.

Jaime is a TOEFL professional and in today’s episode she chats with Jessica about the main differences between the TOEFL Exam and the IELTS Exam.

Today is the first of a series of three episodes where Jaime and Jessica will tell you about the key differences between the two exams.

What are the differences between TOEFL and IELTS?

One of the biggest differences between IELTS and TOEFL is that on TOEFL it sometimes make sense to take notes while on IELTS there is no opportunity to take notes because you will miss answers and waste time.

Jaime has a 21-day course which helps students with this note-taking skill.

On TOEFL you are on a computer the whole time. On IELTS you don’t use a computer.

Are there any other reasons to take TOEFL if you aren’t going to university?

Some pharmacists, physical therapists, or doctors may need to take it if they want to get promoted within their career field while they are working in the United States.

What kinds of question types do you find on each test?

TOEFL has ten different types of questions for reading and the listening section has six different types of questions.

On TOEFL the reading and listening can vary from test to test. You may get 3 or 4 passages for reading. In contrast, IELTS has three passages for every test. It’s always 60 minutes and it’s exactly the same every week.

On TOEFL you drag and drop your answers for reading and listening but on IELTS you need to listen and spell the answer correctly or it’s counted as incorrect.

What topics are common for TOEFL and IELTS?

TOEFL has a lot of questions about physical and life sciences, history, psychology, anthropology.

A lot of the topics are from the academic perspective and may be harder for some people who are not used to that type of question.

Some people think that IELTS questions are a bit easier but the third reading passage for IELTS is a bit more academic.

Jaime’s Bio:

Jaime Miller is the director of an online school that matches motivated students with dedicated teachers for private, customized online lessons. Jaime knows why some students get TOEFL speaking scores of 26 or higher, while others are stuck with scores of 24 – and she creates customized exam study plans that get results. Learn more at jaimemiller.com.

What questions do you have about today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you want to score a 7 or higher on IELTS Speaking?  

To get that high score you need to use idioms when you respond to the questions in Speaking Part 3 and Writing Task 2.

You may get a question about work-life balance in these parts of the test.

You could also use happiness idioms in Speaking Part 1 when you talk about how you feel about your life.

Using idioms will push your vocabulary score to a 7- guaranteed. We have already shown you how to use idioms to talk about work, parties,  sports, and travel.

Today you’ll get 5 idioms that you can use to answer questions about happiness on the Speaking test.

5 Idioms:

• “Keeping up with the Joneses”: Keeping up with your neighbors, maintaining an image of success by having the material possessions that your neighbor has or something even better such as a flat screen TV, a pool in the backyard, or a nice car.

• “Livin’ the dream”: When someone has an amazing life that you admire. They have the life that you want. This would be different for everyone, based on what you think a dream life is.

•   “To be on cloud nine”: To be very happy. This would work well in Speaking Part 1 and Part 2. If the examiner asks you the following: “Do you like your apartment?” You could say, “Yes, I am on cloud nine in my new apartment.”

• “To jump for joy”: To physically jump because you are excited and happy

• “To be a happy camper”: Someone who is content at this moment. “Getting to sleep in until 10 in the morning really makes me a happy camper.”

Remember, use these idioms as much as you can on the Speaking test and you will get the 7 that you need!

Please leave your questions or comments below.

If you don’t entirely agree with someone, there are ways to express this in English.

Get four ways to slightly disagree with someone in English today!

Here are the 4 ways to disagree slightly in English:

• “Not exactly”
  • Q: You must have a glamorous life, you live in New York!
  • A: Not exactly. My life is actually pretty average. I work hard and I go to the movies like normal people.

• “Not really”
  • Q: It sounds cool to run your own business. Is it?
  • A: I mean, not really. It’s a lot more work than people think. I work a lot and when I am not working I am thinking about work.

•  “Not quite”
  • Q: So you went to Montreal this summer? You must have eaten a lot of maple syrup, right?
  • A: Not quite. It’s too sweet for me.

•  “Not so much”
  • Q: Your hair is so straight. It must be easy to take care of
  • A: Not so much. I use a hair straightener. It takes a lot of work.

Go out and use these four expressions to slightly disagree with someone in English.

Let us know if you have a question in the comments below.

Today we have a guest on the show.

Our guest is an expert in phonics, the sounds of English and English pronunciation.

Martha will give you three actions that you can start taking today to sound more natural when you pronounce the sounds of English.

What is phonics?

Phonics is knowing the sounds that the letters make in different words.

3 Tips from Martha:

• Tip #1) Read out loud. When you read out loud you hear the sounds that the letters make. Because you are used to listening to English you can catch yourself if you pronounce the words incorrectly. If you are worried that you are making mistakes then try using poetry because the words rhyme. Martha recommends poems by Robert Louis Stevenson.

• Tip #2) Write your words down. When you write or type you are slowing down. Also say the sounds while you write it down. It’s not important what you write about. It’s about writing down new vocabulary words. Keep a resource of the words that you are learning so that you can review them.

• Tip #3) Look for patterns in words. Eighty percent of the English language is logical. Don’t get hung up when words that don’t seem to fit the patten. Here is a pattern: The feature picture was about a treacherous journey. The pattern is the “TU” is read as “CH.” If you notice this pattern you can apply it to other words and save study time and energy.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Martha’s Bio:

My name is Martha and I am from the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. I have a 4 year degree in elementary education. 
I taught in a private school for 8 years before I was married.  Now I have 5 children of my own and I have been teaching  them in my home for the past 9 years.  
 
I have 17 years experience in teaching phonics to beginning readers. I understand the challenges of learning English as a foreign language firsthand because I live in a bilingual home. My husband was not born in the United States so for him English was not his native tongue. 

I started teaching on italki  on June 20th of this year and since then I have taught over 100 sessions and now have nearly 50 students.   I have found that I really love teaching English as a foreign language.  Because of my background as a homeschooling teacher I find it easy to adapt lessons to fit my students needs.

Phonics is my specialty.  I believe phonics is the key that helps to decode the English language for speaking, reading, spelling and writing purposes.

How to book a lesson with Martha:

• Step 1- Register on this page. You need to register here to get $10 in italki credits for your second lesson.

•  Step 2- Search for Martha’s profile. Go to the bottom of the page on italki, click on Learn English, search for “Martha.” Martha recommends you book your lesson for a Saturday because her schedule is more open on those days.

To get the IELTS score you need you must not only work hard but you need to work SMART!

Today we will talk about whether it’s better to study for 3 hours at a time, 1 hour at a time or to study in small chunks when you have free time during your day.

To answer this question you need to know yourself and the way that you like to consume information and think about ideas and strategies.

Do you prefer to study for a short time and then go out and do something else or do you do better when you go into more depth?

Remember, regardless of how much time you spend on your tasks, don’t try to multi task by listening to a podcast and also checking your email. That is not a way to put quality attention into the task.

It’s ok to study for a short time but you need to go deep into the material.

When you split up your study time, sit down for one hour and set a goal. For example, during this time I am going to sit down, review this lesson video, write a sample essay, and check it.

Be very specific in what you are going to do.

The most important thing to remember is to be intentional about what you are going to do during your study time and then break up your study time based on how you like to consume information.

Be smart about the time you invest but work hard when you are working!

What is your study schedule?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today you’ll learn a very cool English expression that natives use to describe a very bad situation.

The expression is: “Worse comes to worst”

What’s the difference between “worse” and “worst”?

• Worse: Comparing two things. The Boston T is worse than the New York City subway
• Worst: This is a superlative. When one thing is THE worst. The worst thing about the subways in New York is the rats.

“If worst comes to worse”

• Q: “Where are you going to sleep on your trip?” A: “If worse comes to worst I will sleep in my van.”

• Q: “When are you going to see your family?” A: “I’d like to try to see them soon but if worst comes to worst I will see them this fall.”

Another way to say this: “Worst case scenario, I’ll sleep in my van.”

Listen to the episode to get examples of how to use “worse comes to worst” in realistic English conversations.

If you want to learn another cool native expression, check out our Episode 352 on how to use “Long story short.”

Remember, the more that you use these natural expressions, the more you will connect with people through English.

Leave us your comments below.

What questions do you have about this expression?

Have you ever tried to use it?

If you are not planning to apply to a university or immigrate to a new country should you still take IELTS as a personal goal?

Today Lindsay and Jessica ask this question and give you some hints and ideas about how to use IELTS to build your general English skills.

We think this is a great idea!

If you are planning to do this you can take the General Exam.

It’s a way to create a goal for yourself and create a study plan.

You will also create accountability for yourself to keep reaching toward your goal.

You could also add your IELTS score to your Linked In profile and possibly attract the attention of some international companies.

If you choose this plan, be careful!

Make sure that you take it seriously.

Keep your end goal in mind.

Try creating a vision board for your ideal life and think about how IELTS plays into that.

What do you want to do?

• Do you want to be able to go to the theater in London and understand every word?
• Do you want to be able to read a classic novel?
• Do you want an international recruiter to find your profile on Linked In?

How can you make sure that you take your goal seriously?

Invest your money in a good course.

If you put your money into your goal you are much more likely to follow through on this goal.

Are you planning to take the IELTS as a personal goal?

Leave us a comment below and let us know.

Today is Lindsay’s 34th birthday! Let’s celebrate!

We are asking for 34 reviews in the iTunes store for Lindsay’s 34th!

Please go to the iTunes store now and leave a review for All Ears English- click here.

Today we’re going to talk about 7 questions that you should ask yourself at a turning point or a milestone in your life.

Another example of a milestone could be a graduation, a birth, a wedding, or another important day.

Here are the 7 questions you should ask yourself:

• When was the last time you laughed?
• When was the last time you cried?
• How do you define success and what daily actions do you take to become successful?
• What is your purpose in life?
• What would you do if you didn’t need to work for money?
• Where do you want to be at this time next year or in five years or in ten years?
• What am I doing to strengthen my relationships? Am I surrounding myself with people who uplift me?

How would you answer one of these questions?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you worried that you will not understand a word on IELTS Writing Task 2?

A lot of students are worried about this happening.

We have already shown you what you should do if this happens on the Speaking test.  Today we’ll talk about what to do if it happens on the Writing test.

Here is what you SHOULD NOT do:

1) Do NOT explain that you don’t  know the meaning of the word in your essay

Unlike the Speaking test, the Writing test is academic and formal.

If you don’t know the meaning of the word you cannot explain that you don’t know the word in the essay.

You cannot write “I am sorry I hope I understood the meaning of this word.”

That would be considered more casual and would not work on the Writing test.

2) DO NOT pretend to know the word and use it

Also, don’t pretend that you know the word and throw it into a bunch of different sentences if you don’t know how to use it.

That strategy also will not work. It will be obvious that you don’t know what you are writing about and your score will drop quickly.

What SHOULD you do:

Don’t worry about that specific word. Look around the word. Take what you DO understand and use that.

Play to your strengths.

Consider the words that you do know in the question and work with those.

It will not kill your score completely if you don’t understand it.

As long as you respond to all of the other parts of the question you can still get a good score.

Has this ever happened to you?

Did you have an experience where you didn’t know the meaning of a word in IELTS Writing Task 2?

Write your questions in the comments!

On the IELTS Speaking test the best way to push your speaking score to a 7 or higher is to use idioms and phrasal verbs.

If you use these terms the examiner will be impressed and will most likely give you extra points in the vocabulary section.

Today we are going to show you some phrasal verbs with “get” that can be used to describe connections between people or relationships.

#1) To get over

When you are feeling sad about something you need to “get over it.”

This means that you need to stop feeling sad and move on.

#2) To get around

To avoid something.

With this phrasal verb you can say “there’s just no getting around it.”

This means there’s no way to avoid something.

You can also use this phrasal verb in the physical sense when you want to avoid an obstacle in the road or on the sidewalk.

Example: “There was something in the road but I got around it and kept going.”

#3) To get away

This means to escape or to take a vacation and go somewhere else.

Sample sentence: “My friend is busy in New York and it’s hard for him to get away”

#4) To get along with

To have a good relationship or connection with someone.

Sample: “Do you get along with your siblings?”

#5) To get across

To communicate an idea.

To make someone understand something.

Sample answer: “I was mad at my friend and it was hard for me to get across why I was angry.”

Choose two of these phrasal verbs and practice them.

Plan to use them on your IELTS Speaking test if you get questions about relationships or for any other questions where they might fit.

Phrasal verbs with “get” could work for a lot of speaking answers.

What other phrasal verbs do you know with “get”?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you an optimistic English student?

This week I worked with a student from Italy.

He inspired me because he only paid attention to his improvement.

He noticed that he was starting to understand spoken English a bit better.

What effect did this have?

It made him more motivated to keep improving and keep working on his English.

This created a positive feedback loop and now he is on track for even more improvement.

In contrast another student could have noticed the areas where he or she was not improving.

He could focus on that and that would have a negative effect on motivation and his future improvement.

Here is a great quote:

“Everything you see or hear or experience is specific to you.

You create the universe by perceiving it so everything in the universe you perceive is specific to you.”

-Douglas Adams

What do you think about this topic?

Do you see the glass as half empty or half full?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we have a guest back on the show to talk about American English pronunciation!

Jennifer Tarle from Tarle Speech and Language is here to help you with your consonants in English!

Jennifer was on the show last month and she gave us 3 immediate action steps to improve our English vowel sounds.

Today we’ll talk about consonant sounds in English.

What is a consonant?

Consonants have a very specific place that they are made in your mouth (with your lips, with the tip of your tongue, with the back of your tongue).

They also have a specific manner in which they are created.

Sometimes the air stops in your mouth or the air continues.

Today we’ll find out the biggest mistakes that students make with English consonants.

Mistake #1) Touching the tip of the tongue to the teeth

With the “TH” sound you should not touch your top or bottom teeth and keep the air moving.

If you touch your teeth you won’t pronounce the sound properly.

With the “S” sound you have the tip of your tongue between the top teeth but if you make the mistake of touching your teeth you will make the wrong sound.

With the “SH” sound, if you touch the tongue to your teeth you will say the “CH” or “T” sound.

With the “Z” sound you need to avoid touching the tongue to your teeth or you will say the “D” sound or the “J” sound.

Mistake #2) Not paying attention to voicing

Many students don’t pay attention to whether their voice is vibrating in certain sounds.

Most people only struggle with this at the end of the word.

For example, the “S” sound is not voiced. You don’t feel any vibration in your voice. In contrast the “Z” sound does create a vibration in your throat. You need to pay attention to how these sounds are different.

Also “K” is not voiced and “G” is voiced.

You should clearly feel the difference if you put your hand on your throat.

Mistake #3) Making mistakes with specific sounds

• “SH” versus “CH”: With the “SH” sound your tongue doesn’t touch your teeth but with the “CH” sound it quickly touches your teeth then it pulls back

• “W” versus “V”: A lot of Indian students struggle with this as well as European students. This goes back to spelling confusion. For the “W” sound round your lips like you are blowing someone a kiss. With the “V” sound we gently bite our bottom lip.

• “V” and “B”: Japanese and Spanish speakers make this mistake as well as Romanian students. For the “V” you are gently biting your bottom lip and for the “B” sound you are squeezing your lips together and then releasing.

What English consonant sounds do you struggle with?

What questions do you have for Jennifer?

Let us know in the comments below.

Jennifer’s Bio

Tarle Speech and Language was founded in 2005 by Jennifer Tarle in order to empower individuals at all stages of life through better communication skills. Jennifer is a Certified Speech Pathologist with over 19 years of experience in speech-related training and  pathologies.

Jennifer earned a BS degree and an MA degree in Speech Pathology from Kent State University. She is licensed in CA, IL, & OH, is certified with the State Boards of Education in IL and OH, is certified by the IL early intervention system, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and has earned several AHSA ACE Awards for continuing education.

Jennifer is a self-published author of accent workbooks, audio CDs, DVDs, and iBooks.  Materials are designed to be easy and effective.  Products are all downloadable so that you can practice on the go!  She distributes her pronunciation materials solely through www.tarlespeech.com and iTunes.

Jennifer recently launched a new website with more free Minute of Speech videos and tips on how to improve your speaking clarity.  She also introduced a new product line of  downloadable sound packages.  Each package includes instructions on how to make a sound, practice word lists and sentences, and audio & video examples.  Clients can design their own program or buy a quick start guide to address the top three vowel and consonant mistakes for each language.  

Introductory through advanced classes on foreign accents are taught throughout the city of Chicago, via video conferencing, and throughout the world.  To help even more people, she launched a video podcast, The Minute of Speech, in 2007.  It is available on iTunes, YouTube, and at www.tarlespeech.com.  She implemented her Tarle Speech pronunciation and accent reduction program at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China and at E4TG in Tokyo, Japan.  Contact her to schedule a consultation or class.

Jennifer strives to help individuals to improve their lives through better communication.

Do you need to move your IELTS score from a 6 to a 7?

Last week we showed you how to move from a 5 to a 6 on Speaking.

Today let’s talk about how to move from a 6 to a 7.

It’s not an easy jump but with today’s episode you will get on the right track.

We’ll show you exactly how to spend your time to move your score up to a 7.

To make this jump you need to push yourself and do the right things when you prepare.

Remember, just listening to this episode will not increase your score.

Here is what you need to do:

#1) Fluency and coherence

To get a 7 you need to be flexible with your linking words and use the linking words correctly.

In Speaking Parts 2 and 3 use linking words to organize your ideas in your responses. In Speaking Part 1 you don’t need to use linking words because it’s more casual.

In Part 3 use more high-level linking words.

The other key is your ability to keep speaking. A “6” student will say “um,” “well” and will hesitate.

A “7” student has no problem continuing speaking.

This kind of student is confident and does not hesitate.

Get some speaking models and sample answers. Read them out loud in front of the mirror.

Get a native speaker to practice with. Work with an IELTS professional.

#2) Vocabulary

This is an easy way to push up your score.

You need flexible vocabulary. Use idioms, phrasal verbs, and expressions.

Check out our episodes on work idioms for IELTS Speaking, family idioms for the Speaking test and others.

However, remember that you need to practice these new vocabulary terms in real conversations and in your practice tests.

Be specific and use the right terms. Do not use general terms like “people” or “things.”

Make your vocabulary interesting and “native like” and you will be a “7” student in this category.

#3) Grammar

This is not a great area to focus on because it’s very hard to get a 7 on grammar.

To get a 7 you need to have mostly error-free sentences. It’s very hard to do this if you have a short amount of time to prepare.

Make sure you have a variety of sentence structures.

It takes years to make this jump so you might want to spend your time on other areas when it comes to the Speaking test.

Learn more about our IELTS grammar philosophy at All Ears English.

#4) Pronunciation

This is an easy way to increase your Speaking score.

This is fun to improve and it’s totally possible.

You can’t do it in a day or two but with a good study plan you can do it in a few months.

To get a 7 the examiner needs to understand you.

You can still have your accent but it shouldn’t affect the examiner’s comprehension.

If it’s easy to understand you then you will get a 7 for pronunciation.

The next thing is the intonation and stress.

Put emotion in your voice.

Tell stories in the Speaking test that you care about so that you will have feeling in your voice.

Check out this episode on How to Be a Drama King or Queen on the Speaking test.

Remember, these tips are just the starting point.

We are showing you what you need to focus on but now you need to get the daily study plan, do the practice exercises, and put in the time.

If you want more information on our course which contains all of these focus areas, check the video at the top of this page and get into our course for $1 for the first 3 days.

Let us know your questions in the comments.

Do you get nervous during the IELTS Listening test?

Are you afraid that you will lose control during the Listening test and you won’t understand anything?

Are you worried about the different accents on the test?

Today we have a fun solution for your problem!

The trick is to get into a TV series.

You’ll have fun with it and you’ll forget that you’re practicing your English. By the time you get to the test you will be comfortable with different English accents.

You can find great series and other resources on Netflix.

Should you use subtitles when you watch these series?

Yes, you can turn on the subtitles for the first couple of episodes until you have gotten used to the accent.

After you have gotten used to it you can turn off the subtitles.

TV Series:

#1) Almighty Johnsons

This is a fun TV series that is made in New Zealand.

You can read more about it here.

#2) Downtown Abbey

This is a popular British TV show.

It’s a great chance for you to get used to the British accent.

Learn more about it here.

#3) Dr. Who

This is also a British series. Learn about it here.

Jessica loves this one. Check it out!

#4) Call the Midwife

#5) Sherlock

Podcasts:

#6) Real Life Radio

This is a great podcast where you will hear the Australian accent. The guys who run this show are fun and you will finish every episode feeling motivated and ready to learn more.

Get more information here.

#7) Luke’s English Podcast

You will hear the British accent on this show.

Luke has fun and entertaining episodes where he talks about a variety of topics.

#8) Ron at English Funcast

Ron is a comedian and his podcasts are fun! He explains jokes and tells funny stories. He is from Canada so you will get to hear some small pronunciation differences between the American and the Canadian accent.

Get more listening resources here.

How to handle the Listening test:

In addition to practicing your general fluency and listening skills, you also need to do Listening test practice.

When it comes to test practice and the actual test, don’t take notes during the test.

When you have time to look at questions, underline the key words (names, numbers, verbs).

Next, predict answers. What do you need in the blank? Are you listening for a noun or for an adjective?

When they start speaking, follow along with your pen and fill in the answer as soon as you hear it.

You will have time to go back and check your answers.

By the time you get to the actual IELTS exam, you should be comfortable with hearing different types of accents.

Make sure that your study plan includes balanced practice which allows you to improve both your general fluency and also your test strategies.

Listening practice can be one of the most enjoyable parts of your IELTS study plan so grab some great resources and get started!

What other listening resources do you know?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you get confused between “grow” and “grow up” in English?

Today we’ll show you how to know the difference and use each term correctly.

We’ll also throw in some bonus English phrasal verbs with “grow” to help you sound more natural when you speak English with natives!

 When do we use “grow”?

We use this to talk about something getting physically bigger or longer. We can say “My grass is growing” or “My bank account is growing.”

Examples of “grow”:

• “Does your hair grow fast or does it grow slowly?”
• “What’s the best way to grow a business fast?”
• “What should I do if I need to grow my bank account?”

When do we use “grow up”?

This is only used to talk about people becoming more mature.

Using “grow up” implies that the thing is human.

Examples of “grow up”:

• “Where did you grow up?“
• “What movies were popular when you were growing up?”
• “What was your favorite meal as a kid growing up?“
• “What’s the best thing about watching your niece grow up?”

Bonus phrasal verbs with “grow”:

• “To grow into”: When a child gets big enough to wear clothing that had been too large before.
  • Sample sentence: “Oh don’t worry if that shirt is too big right now. He’ll grow into it.”
• “To grow out”: To allow something to get long naturally
  • Sample sentence: “Are you going to grow out your beard this summer?”
• “To grow out of something” To become too mature for something
  • Sample sentence: “I used to be a stubborn kid but I grew out of it.”
• “To grow apart”: To no longer be close with someone because your lives diverge and you have different interests
  • Sample sentence: “My friend and I grew apart after high school because she got married and I moved to the city.”

What other phrasal verbs do you know with “grow”?

Let us know in the comments below and tell us if you have any questions from today’s episode.

Do you use the phrase “I wonder if…” to make a polite request in English?

If you use this phrase for that purpose it makes you sound old fashioned and irrelevant.

Today get six alternative phrases to make a request that are more up to date and modern.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Here is the phrase that you should avoid using: “I wonder if you could tell the correct word” or “I wonder if you could get me a drink.”

This phrase sound old fashioned and indirect.

It does not sound strong enough.

Actually the phrase “I wonder if…” is used to contemplate or ponder something. It’s not used to make a request in modern American English.

For example, we might say “I wonder if there is life on other planets.” or “I wonder if I will ever get married.”

Here are some better phrases to make polite requests in English:

• “Do you mind…?.”
• “Would you mind…?
• “Could I…?”
• “Would it be ok if…?”
• “Would it be possible…?”
• “Would you be willing to…?”

These are better and more modern ways to make a request in English.

Listen to the episode to get role plays of Michelle and Lindsay using these phrases in a real conversation.

What other ways do you know to make a polite request in English?

Let us know in the comments below.

You want to score a 7 or higher on IELTS, right?

If so, when you choose an IELTS teacher you need to be careful!

Recently we have heard a lot of bad advice from IELTS teachers.

Students come to us and ask if the advice that they heard is true.

In today’s episode we are going to tell you the most common myths that students are hearing from bad IELTS teachers.

Myth #1) You need to speak British English on the IELTS

This is incorrect! If someone tells you this, run away from them!

They are not a qualified IELTS teacher.

The IELTS is an international exam.

Even though the company that makes the IELTS exam is a British company, it does not matter.

You can spell in British English or American English on the Writing and the Listening test.

On the Speaking test you can speak in any accent you want.

The accent doesn’t matter on the Speaking test.

What matters is being understood.

If you can be understood by the examiner, you will get a better score.

Read more here

Myth #2) You cannot make up facts on the Speaking or Writing test

This is also a lie.

Of course you can make up facts.

In many cases you have to make up facts and create fake research to support your ideas.

The examiner knows that you don’t have access to the internet.

Also, the examiner will love it if you are creative and spontaneous.

They will be more likely to give you a higher score if you are able to keep it fun and interesting by adding your own facts and statistics to support your ideas.

Myth #3) You should take notes while you listen

This is wrong.

There is no time to take notes on the Listening test.

You should not take your attention away from the Listening to write things down.

You should instead follow along, stare at key words that you underline, and predict the answer.

Myth #4) You must ALWAYS use high-level academic words for the entire Speaking test

You should NOT use formal, academic vocabulary for the entire Speaking test.

You only need academic vocabulary for Speaking Part 3.

For Speaking Parts 1 and 2 you should be using casual slang and natural idioms and expressions.

Myth #5) You should write a 4-paragraph essay format for Writing Task 1

No! This is also a myth.

Teachers will tell you this if they are not familiar with the IELTS exam. They will tell you to write the IELTS essay in the same way that they write a traditional academic essay but that is not the right way to do it.

There are very specific ways to do Writing Task 1 for the IELTS and you can learn more about it here.

If you hear any of these myths from your IELTS teacher you should stop working with them.

Why? If they are telling you one of these myths then they are probably telling you other things about IELTS that are incorrect.

You should not waste your time and money with someone who is a general test-prep expert and teaches TOEFL, IELTS, and other exams.

Has a teacher ever told you these myths?

Tell us in the comments below.

Do you like to party?

On the IELTS Speaking test there are a lot of questions about parties and celebrations.

If you get a question like this you should use idioms and expressions to boost your vocabulary score to a 7 or higher.

Today we’ll give you 6 idioms to increase your score with these questions.

Here are 6 great Speaking test idioms for questions about parties and celebrations:

• To get down: To dance, to have fun, to enjoy, to get crazy

• To throw a party: To host a party, to invite guests

•  To crash a party: To show up uninvited, to go when you are not supposed to be at the party

•  To be the life of the party: To be the person that everyone is looking at, to be entertaining everyone, to be the center of attention, telling jokes, making the party fun

• To be a party pooper: Someone who doesn’t have fun at parties

• To be a wallflower: Someone who is shy and stands in the corner at a party and does not socialize very much

• To be a party animal: Someone who loves parties

• To let your hair down: To relax, let loose, have fun, loosen up, chill out and have a good time

Use these idioms on your speaking test if you get a question about parties and celebrations. Why? When the examiner hears idioms like these they automatically push your vocabulary score up.

This increase in your vocabulary score could push your entire band score up and might mean the difference between a 6 and a 7.

Want more episodes like this one? Get idioms for questions about work

What idioms do you know that can be used to talk about parties and celebrations?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you feel happy in your life?

Do you feel happy at work?

We watched a video on the Today Show that showed us the three numbers that help us be happier at work.

What do you think about these three actions? Do you agree that they could make you happier at home and at work?

Here are the three numbers:

• FIVE: 5 minutes of meditation. Meditation has been found to change your brain. Try focusing on your breath for just ten minutes a day.

• THREE: Write down 3 good things in your life every day. What are you grateful for? What are the simple things in your life that you appreciate?

• ONE: Do 1 act of kindness every day
  • “Oh let me help you with that.”
  • “How can I help?”
  • “Do you need any help?”
  • “I’m around if you want to talk.”

Do you feel happy at work?

Could you implement these three numbers into your life to make your day better?

Let us know your ideas in the comments below.

To get that 7 or higher on IELTS you need to use idioms in your answers.

In other articles we have talked about idioms to talk about work, idioms to discuss technology, and idioms to talk about sports and exercise.

If the examiner feels that your vocabulary is above and beyond what you would read in a textbook, he or she is likely to give you extra points for vocabulary which could bump up your entire speaking score.

The best way to prepare to use idioms on the IELTS Speaking test is to learn at least 2 idioms for each speaking question type and practice using them with a native speaker or with an IELTS professional.

Today we’ll give you four idioms that you can use when you get speaking questions about family.

You might get any of these questions:

• How many people are in your family?
• Do you all live together in the same house?
• What do you like to do together as a family?
• Who do you get along with the best?

In this article I will give you four great idioms that you can use to talk about your family on the Speaking test.

#1) It runs in the family

This means that a character trait or a physical feature is found in many people within the same family.

Here is a sample sentence: “I like to be active and I participate in a lot of marathons and road races. It runs in the family because my dad also runs in marathons sometimes. We often train for the big races together.”

Here is another example: “My dad has high blood pressure and I started to develop it this summer. I guess it runs in the family.”

#2) Flesh and blood

This means that you have the same genes and that you are related.

We usually use this idioms when we want to say that we will support someone if they are in our family regardless of their actions.

You might answer a question like this: “Even though my sister can be annoying sometimes I always stand up for her when she is in trouble because she is my own flesh and blood.”

#3) Sibling rivalry

This means that you and your sibling (brother or sister) often compete.

You might compete with your sibling on academic achievements, athletics, or you might compete for your parent’s attention.

Here is how you could use this on the Speaking test: “My brother and I get along well now that we are adults but when we were kids we had a major sibling rivalry and we would compete with each other constantly.”

#4) The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

This means that a son or daughter might repeat the behavior that they see in their father or mother.

This is often used to describe negative actions that a son or daughter might take that resemble the actions of their parent.

Here is an example: “My sister is just like my father. She jumps from job to job and can’t settle on one career path. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Remember, using idioms on the IELTS Speaking test is one of the easiest ways to increase your score.

Practice the idioms in today’s article with a native speaker or an IELTS professional and you will be on you way to your target score.

Good luck and let us know in the comments if you have any questions.

Are you worried about using the present perfect on your IELTS Speaking test?

Many students get stressed when it comes to grammar tenses like this one.

Today we’ll show you how to use the present perfect and the simple past to respond to typical Speaking questions for a 7 or higher.

We’ll give you some simple and easy rules to follow on the test.

We use present perfect to describe achievements and accomplishments in the past.

How is present perfect different from simple past?

With the present perfect it doesn’t matter when the accomplishment happened. For example, “I have traveled to more than 30 countries.”

With the simple past, the time that the event happened is important and the specific details are given. For example, “I went to Mexico in 2005 and I ate Mexican food.”

In Speaking Part 2 when you introduce a story and at the beginning you might use present perfect to introduce the overall experience and then when you get into specific details you can use the simple past.

You should mix in both tenses to get a more dynamic and interesting answer and a higher grammar score.

Sample Answers:

Q: Do you enjoy going to museums?

A: Yes, I have been to many museums. When I lived in New York I went to a museum every week. When I went to Italy I also spent a lot of time at museums because they are famous there. I think it’s great to go to museums and see works of art that we don’t get to see every day.

Q: What books do you enjoy reading?

A: Good question. I love reading books. I have always loved reading science fiction and horror. I have read every book by Steven King. The last book I read by him was Full Dark No Stars. I read it and scared myself before I fell asleep every night.

With both of these sample answers we mixed the present perfect and the simple past in the same idea to introduce different parts of the answer and to add details and main ideas. This is what you need to do on your Speaking test. Practice writing down our sample answers here and create your own using the same grammar structures.

What questions do you have about using present perfect and simple past on the IELTS Speaking test?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you get confused between “remember” and “remind” in English?

We hear students make this mistake all of the time and we are going to fix it today!

Let’s talk about the difference between the two words:

• To remind: To tell someone about something. This usually involves two people or the person and something else that helps the person “remember”

• To remember: This only happens with one person. There is information that the person recalls on their own without anything that “reminds” them.

Here are some common phrases:

• Would you remind me your name?

• Will you remind me to take out the trash on Wednesday night?

• Did you remember to stop at the post office?

Listen to the role play between Lindsay and Michelle to get some great examples of how to use “remind” and “remember.”

Do you have trouble with these two words?

Let us know in the comments and write your sample sentences!

Do you ever want to escape a bad conversation in English without sounding rude?

Sometimes you start a conversation but then you realize that the person is not very interested in you or they are not interesting to speak with at all.

Last week we learned some phrases to continue the conversation in English.

Today we’ll give you 7 English phrases to get out of the situation gracefully without burning bridges.

Here are some phrases to end a conversation politely:

• “Ok well have a great night.”
• “Have a good time.”
• “Ok I’m going to get a drink.”
• “Ok take care”
• “I’m going to go mingle around a bit but have a great night.”
• “It was great talking with you.”
• “I’m going to go grab something to eat so I’ll talk to you later.”

What other phrases can you use to end a conversation in English?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you need to move your IELTS Speaking score from a 5 to a 6?

In today’s episode you’ll find out exactly what the examiner listens for and how to use this information to push up your score.

There is a big difference between a 5 and 6 on IELTS Speaking.

Here is what the examiner looks for:

• Fluency and coherence: If you can keep talking and speak for the full two minutes and if you can use complete sentences you can get a 6. You will also get a 6 if you don’t use “um” and “uh.” If you use linking words then you can get a 6. On the other hand, if you speak slowly, pause often, use “um” or “ugh” or “like” then you will get a 5 for this grading category. Remember, fluency is the ability to keep talking and that is what you need to get a 6.

• Vocabulary/Lexical Resources: If you have enough vocabulary to get your ideas across you can get a 6.  It may be wrong but the examiner understands what you want to say. If you can talk about familiar topics such as personal topics (going to the movies, shopping) with the correct vocabulary but when you get to unfamiliar topics in Speaking Part 3 you don’t have enough vocabulary words then you will get a 5. People who get a 5 here also use general words like “stuff” or “things” or “people.” These vocabulary words are too broad. Practice being specific with your choice of words and you will get a 6 in this category.

• Grammar: To get a 6 you need a mix of sentence structures including compound, complex, and simple sentences. You can have some mistakes and still get a 6. Don’t focus on small grammar rules like prepositions. Read more about grammar on the IELTS here.

• Pronunciation: This is the easiest place to improve your score. Someone who gets a 5 talks like a robot with no feeling in their voice and all of their words sound exactly the same. To get a 6 you need to put some feeling in your voice. Practice varying your tone of voice in your English conversation practice and you’ll be ready to do in the test.

A student who gets a 6 is able to get their ideas across and the examiner understands most of what they are saying.

A student who gets a 5 cannot communicate their ideas and be understood, especially when they get to Speaking Part 3

Are you ready to move your score from a 5 to 6 on IELTS Speaking?

Let us know what your study plan is in the comments below.

Today you’ll find out what English phrase you should eliminate from your vocabulary and you’ll get 5 or 6 new phrases to replace it with when you agree with someone in English.

Do you use the phrase “Very well” when you want to say that you understand or that you agree?

If you are using this phrase it sounds old fashioned, stiff, formal, and out of date.

There are some better phrases that you can use.

Instead we recommend the following phrases:

• “Ok that’s fine.”
• “Ok, agreed”
• “Ok got it.”
• “Ok sounds good.”
• “Ok sounds great.”
• “See you then.”
• “Yeah that works.”
• “That’s cool.”

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Listen to the role plays between Michelle and Lindsay in this episode to see exactly how these phrases are used.

What other phrases do you know to agree with someone in English?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we are talking about the key differences between IELTS Writing Task 1 for the General Exam and the Academic Exam.

For the General Exam you will have to write a letter.

It is easier than the Academic Exam because they tell you exactly what to write.

There are a number of different letter types and you should practice them all in your preparation plan.

For the letter task you will get a situation and you will have 3 bullet points that you must talk about in your letter.

Make a paragraph for each bullet point.

Make sure you talk about each bullet point in your letter because that is part of your task achievement grade.

One common type of General essay question is the letter of complaint. For example, you could get a situation where you have stayed at a hotel and you had a problem.

Now you have to write a letter of complaint explaining what happened. You’ll need to be able to use formal vocabulary for a letter like this.

Remember these tips for the letter of complaint:

• You need to include specific details of your stay
• Use formal vocabulary that sounds polite
• Use interesting vocabulary such as idioms, specific words, expressions, phrasal verbs
• You must address all 3 bullet points to get the 7 or higher
• You need to show a mix of sentence structures. You can’t just use simple sentence structures
• You need to have paragraphs and you must use linking words to organize your ideas

Letters of complaint are always formal so you need to use high-level, polite language.

You could use the following:

• “Would you mind if…”
• “Would it be possible to…”

What questions do you have about writing a letter of complaint on the General Exam?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Michelle used to be a stand-up comic!

She performed at improv events and open mic nights around New York City.

There is so much to learn from comedians about how to communicate well in English

Here is what you can learn from a stand-up comedian about how to be a better English learner:

• Be flexible: Never memorize things.  Keep your language alive. Don’t make it static and dead. Language is dynamic. It is ok to memorize small chunks but you need to be able to plug them into spontaneous and flexible conversations. If you notice that something is not working then you need to be able to change quickly.

• Be playful: Be light on your feet. When someone doesn’t understand you, don’t take it too seriously. Use more of an experimental attitude toward language. If comedians tell a joke that “bombs” then they keep going. You can do the same with your English. If you make a mistake, keep going and “roll with the punches.”

• Be self-deprecating: Make fun of yourself or “poke” fun at yourself. Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t take life too seriously. If something makes you look bad then you are ok with it. Remember, Connection NOT Perfection!

What do you think?

Can you apply some of these ideas to your English learning skills?

What is the difference between the IELTS Academic Exam and IELTS General Exam?

Today we’ll show you the major differences and we’ll tell you exactly what to expect on the General IELTS Writing test.

There is not a huge difference between the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General Exam.

The Reading test is slightly easier and the Writing test for Task 1 is different and the Writing Task 2 essay topic might be a bit easier.

On the IELTS General Exam for Writing Task 1 you will need to write a letter.

The key is to make sure that you use the right tone when you write the essay based on the goal of the letter.

For example, you might have to write a letter of complaint to return a product.

In this case you would need some formal vocabulary in the letter.

For Writing Task 1 on the IELTS Academic Exam you will see a graph and you will need to write about it.

We’ll give you more details on how to write an essay for the General Exam in future episodes.

Are you taking the IELTS General or the IELTS Academic?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we have a special guest on the show.

Our guest is the creator of The Language Mastery Show.

Today John will show you how to take learning into your own hands using exchanges and paid lessons to hit that higher level of English that you are looking for! Check out John’s tips below.

Tip #1) Get a language tutor

You must apply what you are learning on your own through a book or a podcast.

John recommends italki. Apply what you are learning in your independent study with your native English tutor.

Try out different phrases that you hear and ask your tutor for connections.

When you know you have a meeting with a tutor coming up you are more likely to put in the time every day to prepare.

Thirty minutes is a good amount of time for a lesson.

Tip #2) Try lang8.com

This site will help you practice your writing.

It’s another great way to put into practice what you learn through reading and listening.

A lot of students overlook the importance of practicing writing.

You submit your essays to be corrected by a native.

You also correct essays in your native language.

Using the site is free if you are also helping people learn your native language.

You can submit a term paper, a blog post, a journal entry, even an email.

Tip #3) Try Rhinospike.com

You submit text and you have native speakers record the text in audio format.

The idea is that you get to hear what you write being spoken by a native speaker.

This is free because you also record something in your native language that someone else has submitted.

What do the most successful students do?

They are motivated and interested.

If you want to learn you can get by with average materials and a lack of time.

Having a need or a strong desire to learn is the key to success when it comes to independent English learning.

John’s Bio:

Howdy language lovers! I’m John Fotheringham, a linguist, author, entrepreneur, vagabond, and full-time silly goose. I have been learning and teaching languages for over a decade and have seen first-hand what works and what doesn’t. And what have I learned?

Anyone can learn a language regardless of age, income, or zip code with the right attitude, methods, and materials. Most adult learners fail because they spend all their time learning about the language instead of actually practicing in the language.

You DON’T need to spend thousands of dollars on classes but a little in the right tools and materials can go a long way.

You DON’T need to force yourself through boring textbooks. Fun, modern, relevant materials are readily available online.

You DON’T need to be “gifted” at languages, but you DO need to figure out what methods fit your learning style, schedule, and personality.

You DON’T need to move abroad. Creative use of technology allows you to create an immersion environment no matter where you live.

You DO need to maximize your exposure to the language everyday through listening and reading input and maximize your active practice through speaking and writing output.

For adult-friendly language learning tips, tools, and tech, check out my blog Language Mastery, my podcast, The Language Mastery Show, and my comprehensive language guides.

Have you tried these tools?

How did you like them?

Let us know in the comments below.

If you want to get the highest possible IELTS Writing score for Writing Task 2 then you need linking words!

What linking words should you use and how should you use them?

Find out today!

In our daily study plan in 3 Keys IELTS we give you all of the linking words you need for the exam.

In the last episode we said that in IELTS Writing Task 2 if you get an opinion essay then you can answer it using both sides of an argument because using that style you will find it easier to come up with examples.

Today we are going to talk about the kind of vocabulary that we have to use to get a 7 or higher on IELTS Writing Task 2.

We have to use linking words!

Every sentence should have a linking word.

Use them all of the time.

Get Strategies Created by a Former IELTS Examiner

Are you ready to move past IELTS and move forward with your life vision?

Find out why our strategies are the most powerful in the IELTS world.

When you use our Insider Method you avoid the BIGGEST MISTAKES that most students make on IELTS.

Click here to get a score increase on IELTS.

It’s 100% guaranteed.

Click here to enroll now.

Here are the linking words that you can use for every body paragraph

Topic: gentrification in urban areas (lower income families are having to move out of their neighborhood away from the urban areas because their rent is going up)

As for those who believe that gentrification is good, they feel this way because their neighborhood becomes safer. For instance, a study last year found that crime had decreased by 17% in Park Slope last year. In addition, they believe that real estate investors should be able to increase rent as they deem fit. A fantastic example of this is, the house next to me rented for $1200 per month last year and now it’s renting for $1600 per month.

In contrast, other people hold the notion that gentrification is unfair. Firstly, this is because longtime residents can no longer afford to live there. For example, my friend at work had to leave her neighborhood after twenty five years. Moreover, this is pushing people out into areas that are farther away from home or school, creating more challenges for them to succeed. More specifically, my colleague used to commute one hour to work and now she has to commute for two hours.

Takeaway:

A key part of your Writing score on Task 2 is using high-level linking words. You will lower your score to a 6 if you use linking words that every other student is using. 

Make your essay stand out in the eyes of the Examiner and become a 7 candidate by using these exact linking words to get a 7 or higher on your Writing Task 2 essay.

What questions do you have about Writing Task 2?

Ask us in the comments below.

Do you need a 7 or higher on the IELTS?

Do you have a limited amount of time and money to prepare?

If you are in this position then you must maximize the time that you do have and do the right things every single day to get ready for your exam.

If you don’t want to take the exam multiple times, it’s best to find a quality IELTS course where the IELTS study plan has already been created for you.

However, if you want to create your study plan by yourself, today you will learn four things that you need to think about when you create your study plan.

Get a 100% Score Increase Guarantee with the Insider Method

Are you ready to move past IELTS and move forward with your life vision?

Find out why our strategies are the most powerful in the IELTS world.

When you use our Insider Method you avoid the BIGGEST MISTAKES that most students make on IELTS.

Click here to get a score increase on IELTS.

It’s 100% guaranteed.

#1) Create a balanced study plan

To get a 7 or higher on IELTS you need to focus on two things: test strategy/practice and general fluency. You can’t ignore either one of these. They are both important.

When you create your study plan, you need the following:

• Strategies and test practice: Make sure that the foundation of your course includes learning strategies (these strategies should come from a qualified IELTS professional that you trust)

• Exercises to improve your general fluency such as listening to podcasts with different accents, meeting with a native English conversation partner for speaking practice, reading the NY Times or another high-level newspaper and other solid activities to help you build confidence.

Write out your daily preparation activities and be sure that each week includes general fluency build and test preparation.

If you leave either of these out then you are unlikely to get the score you need.

#2) Test practice comes at the end of your plan

Should you include practice tests under test conditions every week in your study plan or should you place most of the test practice at the end?

It’s better to do most of your practice tests during the final 25% of your preparation time.

Why?

You need to build your foundation by learning test strategies and improving your general fluency first.

This will help you get confident so that you when you take your practice tests, you will be able to use those strategies that you have learned.

Should you take a practice test before you start your study plan as a pre-test?

If you are at a lower level it’s best to avoid early practice tests and focus on strategy first.

Learn more here: When Should I Start Preparing Under Test Conditions?

#3) Check in with a qualified IELTS professional

The stakes are high when it comes to the IELTS.

This test will determine your future career opportunities and what happens in your life moving forward. It will also determine opportunities for your family if you move abroad with them.

Unless your level is already very high, it doesn’t make sense to do this by yourself.

Work with a qualified IELTS professional and have them check your IELTS Speaking and IELTS Writing practice tests.

You could create your IELTS study by yourself and have the professional check it and add a few ideas or you could ask them to create it for you.

Whether you take a full IELTS course or just check in with a professional every few weeks, you can’t do this by yourself.

When you select an IELTS professional, ask them the following questions:

• How many students have you prepared for IELTS and what scores did they get?
• What are your IELTS strategies and how do you know they work?
• Can I speak with your former IELTS students?

There are many ESL teachers out there who say they can prepare you for IELTS but they don’t have the depth of knowledge that they need to help you get your target score.

Be careful when you make your choice!

#4) Don’t rely only on “tips and tricks”

Don’t make the mistake of believing that a simple “tip or trick” will help you get the score you need.

On our IELTS podcast we give you tons of “tips and tricks” but they are not meant to be your only practice.

They are meant to be a starting point or just a taste of the information that you need. You need to go deeper in your study plan.

When you create your study plan you need to include more substance where you are learning real strategies in a step-by-step manner and then practicing them in an intensive format.

If you rely entirely on free content such as quick tips and tricks then you will miss the in-depth practice and implementation of the strategies that you need.

Be smart when it comes to IELTS preparation.

Invest your time and money in your dream and you will see results but don’t try to take shortcuts tips and tricks.

Now get started!

If you follow the suggestions above you can create a great IELTS study plan which will give you the structure and daily actions that you need to get closer to your target score.

Remember, a daily study plan is not going to help you if you don’t use it!

Block off a specific time each day (2-3 hours for 30 days) to prepare for IELTS.

Put in the time, take the right actions, and use the right materials and you will get your target score.

What questions do you have about how to create an IELTS study plan?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we’ll answer a question from a student. Michelle’s student asked: How do I know if “girlfriend” means platonic friend or romantic interest?

The first thing we want to consider is the context.

What do you know about the person who is speaking and what exactly are they saying about the person?

If someone says, “I bought my girlfriend flowers” then the person is probably talking about a romantic interest.

It also depends on the gender of the person who is saying it.

When a man says “my girlfriend” it is definitely a romantic interest.

If a man wants to talk about a friend who is a girl he would say “my friend.”

If a man wants to talk about his friend who is a guy he would say “my buddy” or “my friend.”

If a girl says “my girlfriend” then it might be platonic but it might also mean that the person is a romantic interest.

Here are some examples:

• “I went with a few girlfriends to the beach over the weekend.” In this case the person is probably talking about platonic friends because the person has more than one girlfriend.

• “I have a girlfriend who works for that company.” This is probably also a platonic friend because the person said “I have a girlfriend” because it implies that this is one out of many friends that the person has.

• “I went to the movies with my girlfriend.” This one sounds like a romantic interest because the use of the word “my” makes it sound more exclusive and as if there is only one girlfriend.

What are your thoughts on today’s episode?

Let us know in the comments below!

Today you’ll get three solid steps to tackle IELTS Writing Task 2!

You’ll learn how to stay calm and get the best possible score on the IELTS Writing test when you are writing argument and opinion essays.

All Task 2 questions look the same. You might see this question: Many people today think that zoos are cruel to animals and should be closed. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

To answer this question it’s better to write an argument essay where you talk about both sides.

Why? If you write an opinion essay (one side only) it’s harder to write because you need to come up with more ideas and specific examples for one side. Therefore, answer every question as an argument essay (address both sides).

Where should you start?

Brainstorm the W questions:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

Write down everything you can think of to support both sides of the issue.

Write down examples and main ideas.

Learn more here about how to brainstorm for IELTS Writing.

Remember!

You must address everything that is asked in the essay question.

If the questions asks you to respond to both sides of the argument then you need to include both sides in order to get the highest possible score.

For that reason it’s best to always answer Task 2 questions as an argument essay, addressing both sides.

How to calm your nerves when you write the essay:

Before you write out your essay try to clear your mind and take three deep breaths.  Feel your feet on the floor. Next, start writing with a clear mind.

Steps to follow for IELTS Writing Task 2:

• Step 1: Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths
• Step 2: Look at the test question. Give yourself a few minutes to understand it
• Step 3: Take 3-5 minutes to brainstorm
• Step 4: Write your essay

What questions do you have about IELTS Writing Task 2  and how to structure your essays?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we have a guest on the show!

Scott from Scott’s English Success is here to give you his top 3 tips on how to pass the IELTS Exam.

Here are Scott’s top 3 tips:

• Get to know the test: You need to know all four sections well. The more that you know, the easier it will be to anticipate what’s coming. You don’t want to be wasting time reading the instructions. You should already know the instructions by taking practice tests. There should be no surprises and nothing unfamiliar in terms of the format of the exam. Get familiar with all of the different question types on each test section. This can’t be done overnight. It takes time, effort, and energy. You need to plan ahead and give yourself the time you need to get to know the test well. This will save you money because it’s expensive to take this test.

• Understand how you’ll be assessed: This is especially true for the IELTS Writing test. You need to know the four categories of assessment. They include:  Task Achievement, Grammar, Coherence and Cohesion, and Vocabulary. If you know that these are the things that the examiner is looking at then you can consider them when you write your essays. Use these guidelines to “begin with the end in mind.”

•  Stick to an exam plan: The students who have a plan and stick to it always do better on the exam. You should have a plan for what you will do every day during your preparation time.  You also need solid strategies for each part of the exam. It’s important to use strategies so that you feel comfortable and oriented when you are in any part of the exam.

* Bonus tip! You need to have a large vocabulary. If you understand more words on the exam you won’t have to slow down to try to understand words as they come up on the IELTS Reading or the IELTS Listening test.

Don’t just learn the definitions of words. You need to know how to use the words and in what contexts. Practice them with a native speaking partner before your exam.

Spend a good chunk of your study time focusing on vocabulary for more confidence and speed on the exam.

Scott’s Bio:

Scott is the founder and creator of Scott’s English Success.

What are your thoughts on today’s episode?

Which tips will you implement into your IELTS study routine?

Let us know in the comments below!

Do you know how to talk about success in English like a native speaker?

Would you like to sound more natural when you talk about this topic?

In today’s episode we’ll show you how to do it and we’ll talk about what makes a person successful.

Here are the expressions from today:

• “To stand out”: To draw focus to yourself. To be different in a way that draws attention or focus. Here is a sample sentence: “Successful people stand out in one way or another.”

• “To keep up”: To try to be the same as everyone else, to stay at the same pace as everyone else. “People who succeed in the world don’t try to keep up with others. They only focus on competing with themselves.”

• “To go above and beyond”: To do more than average. To do something more than most people do. “My friend goes above and beyond to please her customers.”

• “To come out on top”: To succeed, to have a positive result if you are in some kind of competition.

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

What do you think makes someone successful?

Leave us a message in the comments and use the vocabulary words from today.

Are you worried about anxiety on the IELTS Exam?

Are you afraid that you will become nervous and anxious on the IELTS Speaking test and the IELTS Writing test?

Maybe your mind will go blank during the Listening test and you won’t be able to focus on what you are hearing from the audio track?

Anxiety is a real problem for many IELTS students especially if you have already taken the exam and you didn’t get the score you needed.

Don’t worry! You don’t need to let it take over your exam.

The first step is being well prepared.

Preparation is your foundation.

You need to prepare with someone who knows the exam or with a high-quality course where you’ll learn the right strategies that will allow you to walk into the exam with confidence.

Today I will show you three things you can do to keep your anxiety under control and get the IELTS score you need.

Tip #1) Know where it is likely to occur

In order to prevent anxiety from throwing you off, you should know where on the test you are likely to start to feel anxious.

What parts of the test trigger your anxiety and why?

This is easier for people who have already taken the exam but if you work with a qualified IELTS professional, that person can help you anticipate anxiety-provoking test sections and help you learn what to do when anxiety comes up depending on where you are in the test.

For example, on the Reading test there are two situations that will probably provoke anxiety.

What should do in these situations?

• Situation #1: You don’t understand every word you read.
  • IELTS doesn’t expect you to know every word. Don’t let one word distract you and throw you into anxiety. Keep moving forward with the passage.

• Situation #2: You don’t have enough time to complete the full Reading test
  • Go back to the strategies that you should have learned during your IELTS preparation. You must have a solid strategy to complete the reading on time. This strategy will be a solid foundation and will give you a resource to turn to when you get anxious.

Tip #2) Notice when you are feeling anxious

The key to not letting any emotion or feeling take over is to recognize and acknowledge when you are feeling something. In this case, notice when anxiety occurs in your body.

Are your palms starting to sweat? Is your stomach nauseous?

Is your heart beating fast?

Don’t ignore this when you notice it.

It’s a natural way that your body is reacting to a big test where the stakes for you are high.

Accept the fact that you are feeling anxious so that you can start to move past it.

Take a few deep breaths. Feel your feet on the ground. Spend a few seconds coming into the present. Then move forward.

Tip #3) Use your anxiety to increase your score

This may be counter-intuitive but on some parts of the test you can use your anxiety as an opportunity to show your language resources such as vocabulary, flexibility, and fluency.

You can also show that you know how to use your sense of humor in English.

Let’s get more specific.

On the Speaking test, what should you do if your mind goes blank?

Instead of freezing, getting quiet, saying “um” and “uh” or letting your anxiety ruin your test, try articulating what is happening to the examiner.

Use an idiom or a native phrase to do it.

Use rhythm and feeling in your voice to increase your pronunciation score also.

You can say:

• “I am sorry. My mind just went blank.” (great native idiom)
• “Give me a second. It’s on the tip of my tongue.” (this means you almost have the answer)
• “I am blanking on this topic right now. Let me see… (now tell a personal story if you can)

If you use advanced language like this with some feeling in your voice, you might be able to use the moment of anxiety to move your vocabulary and/or pronunciation scores from a 6 to a 7.

To get a 7 on vocabulary in the Speaking test you need to have phrases that natives actually use.

To get a 7 on pronunciation you should avoid sounding like a robot.

You should sound like a real human being with life in your voice.

Your voice should show some emotion.

A moment of anxiety is a great opportunity to do all of these things and increase your speaking score.

Here’s the key thing to remember

When you experience anxiety on the IELTS it doesn’t have to bring your score down. Don’t fear it. Know when it’s likely to occur.

Be well prepared so that you know exactly what to do.

Use it to increase your score.

Everyone experiences anxiety on the IELTS.

The candidates who know how to make use of it skillfully will be the ones who get the score they need.

What do you think about anxiety on the IELTS?

Have you experienced it before?

What happened and how did you react to it? What will you do differently next time?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you use emojis and emoticons when you text in English?

Today we’ll talk about what messages emojis can send and what impression it can leave about you.

What can an emoji be useful for? If you are saying something that is harsh you can use them to soften your message.

Emoji “etiquette” might vary across cultures. If you have just moved to the US then you should hang back and observe. See what people send to you.

In the US emojis are good for:

• Flirting/talking with someone you are dating
• Speaking with friends

They are not good for:

• Acquaintances
• Bosses or managers
• Colleagues that you are not close to

Do you use emojis? How do you use them? Who do you send them to?

Let us know in the comments below.

The best way to instantly increase your Speaking score on IELTS is to insert native idioms!

What idioms should you use?

It depends on the speaking topic!

Today we’ll show you seven great idioms that you can use when you get questions about work, career, and business.

The idioms that you are going to learn today can be used on both the Speaking test and the Writing test.

Question Speaking Part 1

Q: Do you work or are you a student?

A: I do the “daily grind” but my daily grind is a bit different. I don’t do the “old nine to five.” My day is a little bit different. I work from 6am to 10pm.

Here we used the following idioms:

• “The daily grind”: Working hard, commuting, showing up at work, dealing with co-workers and bosses, repetitive work that you do every day

• “The old nine to five” or “To have a nine to five”: A traditional schedule, working 8 hours per day

• “To climb the corporate ladder” or “to work your way up the corporate ladder”: To move up in a large corporation

Question Speaking Part 3

Q: How has the working world changed in recent years?

A: My mom talks about having a “glass ceiling” in her career. She couldn’t break through it because she was a woman. I know it still exists today but I think more and more women are breaking the “glass ceiling.” They are finding their own ways “to bring home the bacon” and being the “breadwinner” of the family. Traditional roles are changing. It’s not like before where we only wanted to make ends meet. Now we are thinking more about building a business where we can make money into the future.

Here we used the following idioms:

• “The glass ceiling”: The barrier that women can’t break through due to their gender. They can only go so high in their careers.

• “To bring home the bacon”: To bring home money, to earn money for the family

• “To be the breadwinner”: To be the one who supports the family, your money pays the rent

• “To make ends meet”: To survive, to be able to pay all of the bills

What idioms have you used on the IELTS Speaking test?

Let us know in the comments below!

Today you will learn a very cool English phrase that will help you shorten your stories and will make you sound native and natural in English.

Here is the phrase that you can use:

• “To make a long story short…”
• “Long story short…”

Here are a few alternatives:

• “I’ll give you the short version…”
• “Basically what ended up happening was…”

Listen to the episode to hear how Lindsay and Michelle use these phrases!

This phrase would also be useful if you are taking the IELTS Speaking test.

When the time gets short towards the end of your answer in Speaking Part 1 or Speaking Part 2 you could throw this expression in at the end to bump up your speaking vocabulary score.

Learn more about how to increase your IELTS Speaking score here.

What other phrases do you know to shorten the story or conversation?

Share them in the comments section below.

Are you afraid that you are too shy to get a high score on the IELTS Speaking test?

A lot of our listeners feel being shy is going to hold them back from IELTS success.

Today we’ll show you what you can do if you have this problem.

One thing you can do is create a new character for yourself during the Speaking test.

You can imagine yourself as someone who is outgoing and gregarious.

Give yourself an English name.

Practice the Speaking test with your new character so that when you get into the Speaking test you will be someone else, not yourself. You will shift your mindset for the test.

Have fun with this technique.

3-step system to become more outgoing during the Speaking test:

• Step 1: When you prepare by yourself, don’t worry about talking yet. During your preparation just write down 3-5 sentences to answer Speaking test questions. Use complete sentences. Add details. Answer the questions “who, what, when, where, why?”

• Step 2: Read your answers out loud and practice saying them.

•  Step 3: Practice answering the question without writing down the answer.

• Step 4: Find someone to practice speaking test questions. It could be a language exchange partner or a tutor.

What questions do you have about the Speaking test?

What strategies have you been using? How are they working?

Let us know in the comments below.

What should you do when someone doesn’t understand your English on a conference call or in a business meeting?

Today we’ll give you four easy steps that you can take to explain your point without getting nervous or anxious.

What to do when people don’t understand you:

• Step 1: Notice if you are feeling anxious. What is happening in your body?

• Step 2: Go back to your breath- try to feel your feet on the floor. Feel your breath going in and out. Take just a few seconds to do this.

• Step 3: Try to remember the main point that you wanted to communicate. What was the essential message? What do people have to understand? Do they need to take some action? Summarize this point in your own head first.

•  Step 4: Now say the main point in a different way. Use these phrases to get started:
  • “What I meant to say was…”
  • “What I mean is…”
  • “The main point that I am trying to get across is…”
  • “Basically,….”

What other phrases do you know to get your point across?

Let us know in the comments!

IELTS Writing is a huge challenge for many students!

Are you worried about IELTS Writing Task 2? Do you know how to organize your paragraphs?

Today you’ll find out how to write an awesome body paragraph for Writing Task 2.

We’ll give you the formula, linking words, examples, and the steps that you need to follow to get a 7 or higher on this part of the IELTS Writing test.

Last week we talked about how write an introduction on Writing Task 2 and today we’ll talk about the body paragraph.

The best information in your essay should go into the body paragraph.

The introduction and conclusion should not contain any substantial information.

You’ll need two body paragraphs which describe two sides of the issue for an argument essay.

• Sentence 1 (topic sentence): Basic summary of what you are going to talk about. Present the main idea of the paragraph. For example, “There are many reasons to support co-ed schools.” By using a broad sentence you leave it open to go into more detail

• Sentence 2 (first reason): Give the reason for what you are saying in your topic sentence. Use a lot of linking words. For example, “Firstly, there is a lot to learn by going to school with the opposite gender.” Next you need to add more details to expand on that idea. You can use personal examples or fake research here. You do not need to use statistics that are actually real. You can make them up. Try to have 5-6 sentences.

• At the end of the body paragraph you don’t have to summarize what you have said because you might run out of time to write the conclusion paragraph.

Stick to this structure, stay organized, and practice it many times before the exam.

Use a variety of topics when you practice.

This structure will become a habit for you and you will be able to increase your score on the IELTS Writing test.

What questions do you have about IELTS body paragraphs?

Let us know in the comments below.

How do you keep the English conversation moving after you have started the conversation?

After you have introduced yourself to the person and you have exchanged a few words, how do you keep it going if you want to connect with the person?

Do you feel like the conversation always ends abruptly?

The first thing you can do is avoid “yes/no” questions.

They will end the conversation if the person is shy.

To come up with great follow up questions you can ask:

(In this example we are at a Spanish language meetup)

• Who: Who taught you Spanish?
• What: What other languages do you know?
• When: When did you start learning Spanish?
• Where: Where did you hear about this meetup? Where do you live?
• Why: Why did you decide to start learning Spanish?
• How: How do you like this meetup? How often will you be coming to this meetup? How did you get here?

*** The “Why” question is useful because it gives you a lot of insight into the person’s motivations, intentions in life, and their general point of view on things.

This framework is great for social events and exams also!

If you are taking the IELTS Exam it’s important to learn how to extend your answers on the Speaking test to fill the amount of time.

Learn what to do if you run out of ideas on the IELTS Speaking test.

What challenges have you had when it comes to continuing English conversations?

Let us know in the comments below.

If you are taking the IELTS soon then you might ask yourself, “when should I start preparing for IELTS under test conditions?”

Great question!

There is a right and a wrong way to prepare for IELTS and today we’ll show you when to start mixing in test practice with your IELTS preparation.

Are you worried that you are spending a lot of time learning test strategies but not practicing them enough under real test conditions?

Here is what you need to do to create your IELTS study plan:

• Step 1: Start by building your general fluency skills and test strategies for each section. Learn how to write the best possible essay for IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2. Build these skills slowly and step by step. Take the issue of timing out. Just build the skills. Don’t worry about test conditions.

•  Step 2: After you have your IELTS strategies and your general fluency skills, then you can take those skills and practice them under real test conditions using IELTS practice tests.

Use this timeline:

• If you have 30 days, give yourself 7-10 days of timing yourself using actual practice tests under test conditions. For the first 3 weeks you want to only learn the strategies and work on your general fluency skills.

•  If you have 60 days, start the test prep under test conditions two weeks before the exam to work out timing issues and for the first 6 weeks you need to be working on the strategies and general fluency.

The best time ratio is 1/4 of your time is under test conditions and 3/4 of your time is spent learning strategies and building your general fluency.

Set up your study plan, be organized, keep working hard, and don’t panic!

If you are prepared and organized then you will be fine.

What questions do you have about today’s episode? Let us know in the comments below.

Today we have a guest on the show!

Sean Morgan is an English pronunciation specialist with an acting background.

He will give us three key English sounds that will make you sound like a native speaker.

Three key sounds to pronounce English more naturally:

• “Er” sound: Think of a dog growling and try to repeat this sound. This sounds different in the British English or Australian English. This is one of the most important sounds in American English pronunciation.

• Nasal “A” sound: This occurs in “land” or “pan”  or “band” or “and.” It sounds different in British English. The tone of this sound happens in the nasal cavity.

• 5 long vowel sounds: Focus on these because they are super common.

Sean’s Bio:

Our guest today has been a teacher for over 9 years.

He is a songwriter and author.

Although our guest is certified to teach English as a foreign language, he credits his vocal and acting training for his ability to help people with pronunciation and accent reduction.  Through careful listening and reducing the English language to it’s most basic sounds, our guest is is able to identify student challenges and focus on the most important pronunciation issues.

Our guest today is Sean Morgan.

To work with Sean on italki go here and then search for Sean’s profile in the search bar.

Do you feel nervous about the IELTS Reading test especially when it comes to matching headings to paragraphs?

Today you’ll get the one-minute system for matching headings to paragraphs on the IELTS.

Last week we talked about Y/N/NG questions on the Reading test so check those out if you are confused about that.

Matching headings to paragraphs should not be hard if you have a good strategy and if you have spent a lot of time practicing your strategy.

Without a strategy you will struggle and you won’t get the score you need.

The main ideas come at the beginning and end of the paragraph.

At least 75% of the answers are in the beginning and the end of the paragraphs also.

Here is the strategy that you should follow for these question types:

• Step 1: Skim the passage. Spend one minute doing this. Read the beginning and end of every paragraph.

• Step 2: Go back to the headings. Underline key words (names, numbers, nouns that are important). Don’t over think this. There is not one right answer for key words. This is to help you focus.

• Step 3: Next go to paragraph 1. Read the beginning. Read it in detail. Go back to the headings and try to match. Don’t think too much about meaning. You are matching vocabulary and parallel expressions. Do you see words in the paragraph that mean the same thing as the headings. If you can’t match from the beginning of the paragraph then try checking out the end of the paragraph. Try not to spend more than one minute on each heading.

Remember, it’s not enough just to know these steps. You must practice them and get comfortable with them. Find a great course or an IELTS professional to work with.

What questions do you have about this IELTS question type?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Maybe you need more than one way to say something in English.

You want to be able to express yourself more precisely.

Today you’ll learn about one tool that you can use to build a deeper and more sophisticated vocabulary.

The Kindle is a great way to improve your English vocabulary!

Here are three reasons you should use the Kindle:

• It’s cost effective: It only costs about $100 to buy a Kindle and from there it’s very affordable or free to get hundreds of books on your Kindle.

• It’s portable: You can use the Kindle on your way to work on the bus or on the train or even in the park. We don’t have time to attend a large class anymore. You need your learning to be mobile.

• You’ll have access to different kinds of material: It’s not just for books. You can get the NY Times on your Kindle, blogs, or other publications.

** Special tip!

Be sure to use Vocabulary Builder if you get started with the Kindle.

Learn more about Chris:

Chris Ternosky is an English teacher currently living Taiwan.

He is the founder of http://learnenglishwithchris.com/ where you can get tons of free information, and tips on improving your English.

Do you know how to write an awesome introduction for IELTS Writing Task 2?

Today we’ll show you exactly what you need to say for a great introduction for your Writing test.

The majority of IELTS questions are about opinions. You’ll get questions like: “Do you agree or disagree?” or “To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Remember that an IELTS essay is not long. It is about 250 words. Four paragraphs are fine.

How to structure your introduction:

• Your introduction should be 3-4 sentences

• Sentence 1: The hook. This is what pulls in the reader. How do you hook the reader and get them excited to read the essay and to get them interested in the topic? You must mention the topic right away. Be careful of cultural differences in writing. With the hook you can give an interesting statistic and you can make it up. You don’t need to base it on real research because you don’t have access to the internet or any kind of research. If you can’t give a statistic then give a short general history of the topic such as ” the topic of libraries has been in the news a lot lately”
  • Give a statistic
  • Say something surprising
  • Give a short history of the topic

• Sentence 2: Introduce the two opinions on the topic: “Some people are of the opinion that libraries will close in the near future; however, I disagree.”

• Sentence 3: Thesis statement. Keep it short, simple, clear, and get to the point. “In this essay I will discuss both opinions” or “In this essay I will discuss why libraries will disappear.”

Remember, your specific examples come into the essay in the body paragraph so you don’t need them in the introduction.

What questions do you have about the writing an introduction to your essay on IELTS?

Ask your question in the comments below.

In today’s IELTS Energy episode you’ll find out what to do if you don’t understand what the examiner is asking in Speaking Part 1, 2, and 3.

It can be really scary if you don’t understand the question that the examiner gives you.

What should you do?

• In Part 1: You probably don’t understand the question because of one word. Ask specifically what the word means. You can say:
  • “Sorry, what does “x” mean please?”
  • “Sorry I didn’t understand the word “x.” Could you please explain what it means?”

• In Speaking Part 2: You can’t ask for a different topic. The examiner can’t switch to a new topic. Find the thing that you don’t understand. Is it a vocabulary word?
  • Use the same phrases as Part 1 to ask what the word means
  • “Can you give an example of “x”? – this is an efficient and smart way to understand the question.
  • If you don’t understand the whole question you can say “I apologize. I am not familiar with this topic. Can you explain the question?”

• In Speaking Part 3: For Part 3 use the same methods as Part 2 and Part 1. Ask for a word definition, an explanation of the topic, or an example. Don’t be afraid to be honest and articulate the fact that you don’t understand. Use more formal questions:
  • “Can you clarify please?”
  • “I’ve honestly never heard of this topic/word. Can you give me an example?”

Remember, it’s ok to say it if you don’t understand a question. Don’t forget to smile. Keep it lighthearted. 

Have you ever been in an IELTS situation where didn’t understand the Speaking test questions? What did you do?

Let us know in the comments below.

A few years ago Michelle did ten interviews with celebrities in New York City.

She noticed that they all do 7 things when they communicate.

These things that they do make them effective communicators.

Do you do these 7 things when you communicate in English?

In today’s episode we will talk about what celebrities do right when they communicate.

Here is what celebrities do when they communicate:

• They have great body language: They make great eye contact, they look confident, they sit up or stand up straight, they use gestures, they nod their heads to let you know that they are listening to you. All of these gestures make them command a sense of respect.

• They have good volume:  They speak up! They speak loudly and with good intonation. This causes people to listen to them. They have a certain strength in their voice.

• They are flexible during the conversation: They are able to move from one topic to the next depending on what people say. It’s important to be able to “pivot” into the next topic.

• They listen well: You need to listen well to be able to be flexible in your conversation. Try to be present as much as possible in your everyday conversations.

•  They support the listener verbally: They use feedback like “ugh huh” or “oh” or “I see” to show the other person that they are listening. This makes the person more interested in talking with them.

• They include the other person in the conversation: They make the other person feel included. They ask the person follow up questions.

• They share their own personal experiences and thoughts: It’s always more interesting when you tell a personal story if it’s relevant. Be sure to do it at the right time and make sure you read people’s body language while you tell the story so that you don’t cause people to lose interest.

Which of these communication skills do you have?

Which ones do you want to build?

Let us know in the comments below

Today we have a special guest on the show!

Simone Braverman from IELTS Blog will show you three IELTS tricks for a higher score! These tricks will show you how to do better on the IELTS Reading test, the IELTS Listening test and how to plan your study time.

Simone reminds us that you need to prepare for the exam and use the structure to your advantage.

This will help you reduce errors, save time, and get a better score.

How to get a higher IELTS score:

• Tip #1: Use the IELTS structure to your advantage: On the Listening test at the end of section 1, instead of checking your answers when the recording tells you to do it, go straight to section 2 questions and start reading them. You will still have time to check your answers at the end because you’ll have ten minutes to transfer your answers. Understand the test structure and be strategic about how you use your time to get a higher score.

• Tip #2: Do things in the right order to save time: On the Reading test, time management is a problem for a lot of people. The order in which you do things on the Reading test can save time. Many people say that matching headings takes a long time but if you do it by paragraph order, you can save time. Do it paragraph by paragraph. Don’t go in the order of headings. Go to paragraph 1, look at the list of headings, pick a suitable one. Next, do the same with paragraph 2. This way you won’t read a paragraph more than once. You will not be wasting time. The less you read, the more time you save!

Do you need a 7 or higher on your next IELTS Exam?

Do you know where to start when it comes to preparation?

Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet now!

Click here to download the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS

• Tip #3: Find out what your weaknesses and strengths are: Everyone is different. Try to find out where you need to focus as soon as possible. You can do a practice test at home under real exam conditions. Do the Listening test without stopping the recording and do the Reading test within 60 minutes. When you finish, take a look at where you got stuck. Did you run out of speaking ideas? Was the problem time management on the Reading test? Don’t just continue doing practice tests and repeating the same mistakes. Once you know your weaknesses, go back and focus on building the right strategies.

Simone’s Bio:

Simone Braverman helps busy people whose English is far from perfect to score high in IELTS (higher than they ever expected) after a short preparation in their spare time – even if they scored low previously, have a learning disability, spend all their time at work or are afraid to death of exams.

Simone is the creator of a very popular IELTS website www.IELTS-Blog.com, which was launched in 2005 to become a great study partner for anyone preparing for the IELTS test.

You can find there a large collection of exam questions, test tips, techniques, strategies and preparation materials (books, courses, practice tests) to help you maximize your score.

In 2014 IELTS-Blog.com has won People’s Choice Award in the Best Australian Blogs Competition.

Simone has published four IELTS preparation books.

Her most popular book “Target Band 7”, written in easy English and available as an e-book and in print, attracted over a hundred positive reviews on Amazon.com and helped thousands of test takers achieve great results in IELTS.

Her newest book series “IELTS Success Formula” will teach you all you need to know to get Band 8+ in IELTS.

Meetup is a great way to get an opportunity to connect with people and to practice your English!

If you are living in the US or even in your home country and you want to have a chance to make friends and speak English, sign on to Meetup.com and search for meetups according to your interests.

What questions can you ask to start a conversation with someone at a meetup?

Here are a few ideas to start a conversation:

• “Is this your first meetup?” (this is a great icebreaker that can be used to help people loosen up and connect)

• “How did you find out about this meetup?”

• “What other meetups are you a part of”

How to invite someone to meet again:

• “Hey we should hang out sometime.”

• “Let’s get together and (go hiking) or (practice our Spanish).”

• “Can I get your number? Maybe we can meet up sometime.”

Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online?

Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki.

Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam.

Get our special offer before it runs out! Go to italki and claim 10USD to go toward a FREE second English lesson at italki!

Have you been to a meetup yet?

What was your experience like?

What phrases did you use to start the conversation?

Let us know in the comments below!

We want you to ACE the IELTS Listening test!

Today you’ll get some great IELTS Listening resources that you can use to improve your overall confidence and general fluency for the test.

These resources will also help you always have something to say on the Speaking test because you will never run out of ideas.

Today you are going to learn how you can understand native English on TV and in the movies and we’ll give you some great resources to push up your listening skills before the IELTS.

What resources are you currently using to improve your listening?

Do you get frustrated if you don’t understand everything when you watch a movie or TV?

You don’t need to understand everything for the IELTS.

You aren’t expected to have the level of a native speaker.

Don’t forget to use closed captioning if you are watching a You Tube video to get the words.

Here are some fun resources to improve your overall listening skills. These resources also come with transcripts.

Resource #1) CNN

Go to video at the top menu bar.

Click on a video and hit the CC (closed captioning) button. Choose something that’s short and quick.

Resource #2) NPR

Click on “listen” and click on “Morning Edition” and you can get transcripts.

Resource #3) TED Talks

• The Power of Introverts

• The Power of Vulnerability

What other great IELTS Listening resources do you know?

Please share them in the comments below!

Today is a Deep Thoughts Thursday. Here it today’s quote:

“Life is like photography. You need the negatives to develop.”

This quote has two meanings:

• Meaning 1: In life you need hard times to develop your character and strength.

• Meaning 2: In photography you need the negatives (photographs before they are developed) to bring the material into a full photo.

Sometimes life throws us hard stuff.

We hit the bottom but we have to push and keep moving forward.

What can you do when you hit one of these moments life or in your English learning?

• Expect the down moments to happen
• Stay centered
• Push through them but be kind to yourself
• Get a support system
• Join a meetup and meet people, build community
• Know that it will pass

What do you do when you the negative times in life?

Who do you turn to?

How do you get out of those moments?

Today we have a guest on the show!

Vanessa from Speak English with Vanessa will show you how you can still learn English even if your life is super busy using “bite-sized chunks.”

Are you too busy to sit down in a traditional classroom?

There are plenty of things that you can do if you don’t have time for an English class.

Here are Vanessa’s suggestions:

• Decide what is sustainable for you: How much time do you have each day? What amount of time can you dedicate every single day? Make sure you don’t overdose on learning one day. Instead, be consistent with your specific amount of time each day. This is especially important if you have an exam coming up such as the IELTS Exam.

• Choose the same time every day to learn English: This will create a habit. Once it has become a habit you no longer have to decide if you are going to do it. If it’s a habit you will be more likely to continue with it. This will also help you prevent procrastination. You will take action every single day.

• Try not to miss two days in a row: If you do this it’s hard to get back into the habit. It’s ok to miss one day but if you miss two then you need to make a conscious effort to re-start the habit.

Vanessa’s Bio:

When it comes to IELTS Listening and IELTS Reading you need to know what details matter when you fill out your answer sheets.

Does it matter if you capitalize your letters?

Does spelling matter?

What about punctuation?

Find out today!

So what matters when you write your answers on the answer sheet?

Only two things matter and they are:

1) Having the correct word

2) Spelling

3) Clear handwriting

You don’t need to worry about:

1) Spacing

2) Hyphens

Remember to focus on Connection NOT Perfection when you prepare for the IELTS.

Don’t worry about the little details like tiny grammar points that won’t change your score.

You can’t bring your old English-learning mentality into your IELTS preparation.

You need to remember that your score is an average.

Focus on what matters most!

What questions do you have about IELTS Listening or IELTS Reading?

Let us know in the comments section below!

In today’s episode you’ll find out how to talk about your accomplishments in English without sounding rude, snobby, or tacky.

It’s important to be able to talk about the great things that you have done but there is a “fine line” between being proud of what you have done and sounding snobby or “full of yourself.”

Three ways to talk about your accomplishments:

1) Link it back to the other person with a question:

• Michelle: “Lindsay what have you accomplished lately?”
• Lindsay: “I hiked across Spain in 2010. Do you like to hike? Are you a hiker?”

In this case I mentioned the accomplishment but I quickly turned it around and made it into a conversation by asking the person if she liked to participate in that same activity.

2) Emphasize the other people that helped make it happen

• Lindsay: “Michelle, what have you done in the past five years?”
• Michelle: “I moved to New York by myself but I was lucky because my friends were really supportive. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

In this case Michelle acknowledged what she did but she also talked about the people that helped her and the role that they played.

3) Be casual and humble when you mention the accomplishment

• Lindsay: “Michelle guess what? Did you know that our podcast got nominated for an award?”
• Michelle: “Oh that’s great. Congratulations!”

You can start a statement like this with “Guess what?” or “by the way” or “oh I meant to tell you.” The idea is to insert it casually and without focusing too much on it.

What should you avoid when you talk about your accomplishments:

• Don’t downplay your accomplishment: Don’t say “Oh it’s no big deal.” It’s annoying when you do this. Be proud of what you have done but use the techniques that we mentioned above.

Is it ok to talk about your accomplishments in your home culture?

Let us know in the comment section below!

Today let’s talk about our IELTS Reading test strategy.

On this Reading test you need three skills.

These are skills that you already know how to do.

You just need to transfer them into the test and then you need to spend time practicing and getting familiar with how to use them on the test.

Skill 1: Skim

When you skim you get the main idea or the “gist” of the passage. You might skim a newspaper article to get the basic idea.

Skill 2: Scan

You look for specific information. You might do this when you look for information on a website or if you are looking at a movie schedule in the newspaper.

Skill 3: Reading for detail

When you read for detail you are reading slowly. You read every word. You would do this when you read a novel, textbook, or comic book. You do this after you scan and find the key word and then you start reading for detail to find the answer.

Remember, it’s not enough just to know that these are the 3 steps. You must know how to use them on the test and you must spend your time practicing these 3 skills. We show you how to do this in our 3 Keys IELTS Success System course.

Do you have any questions about the Reading test?

Please let us know in the comments below.

Do you use curse words in English?

Do you use them in your native language?

Today Michelle and Lindsay will talk about using curse words, what it says about you, and how it might bring you closer to the people around you.

These days it’s not as shocking as it used to be to use curse words.

We hear curse words in the media much more than we used to.

Has this also happened in your culture?

Ashely Fern wrote an article in Elite Daily where she talked about why cursing can be good for you. Here are our favorites from the article:

• It makes you feel less pain: When you stub your toe and let out that curse word, scientists think you can feel less pain

• It can make you feel stronger: Do you agree?
  

• It is a coping mechanism: It makes it easier for you to deal with things that are hard that are going on in your life.
• It helps create close bonds with other people: Cursing sometimes create a subculture and it could make you feel like you are part of an in-group.

What is it like to curse in your culture? Is it frowned upon?

Is it encouraged or discouraged? Is it okay to curse in your culture?

Has this changed in your culture in the same way that it has changed in US culture?

Let us know in the comments.

In today’s episode you’ll learn how to not “drop the ball” on the IELTS Speaking test and how to answer common Speaking questions about sports using idioms.

In IELTS Speaking Part 1 and Part 2 there are often questions about hobbies, sports, exercises or staying in shape.

In these questions you need to use idioms and phrasal verbs. When you use idioms your vocabulary score will go up instantly.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more.

Here are some typical speaking questions:

• What do you like to do in your free time?
• How do you stay in shape? How do you keep fit?
• Do you play sports? Did you play sports as a child?

Example 1 idioms:

To be a team player= someone who plays well on a team with other people

• Question: How do you stay in shape? How do you keep fit?

• Answer: I play tennis. I like to play tennis to stay fit. I am a team player when it comes to tennis and that’s why I played on a tennis team. In high school I was the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of my high school tennis team.

Example 2 idioms:

To drop the ball= to not do something you are supposed to do

To be down for the count= to be in trouble, to be held down for an extended period of time

To be the underdog= to be the weakest competitor that everyone expects will lose

• Question: Do you play any sports in your free time?

• Answer: I have been a soccer player my whole life. I played soccer for ten years straight and then I dropped the ball. I didn’t play for a decade then I started playing again. Now that I am playing again, I miss 1 in 20 shots.

Today you’ve learned some new idioms and how to use them on the Speaking test when you get a question about sports.

Try to use these same idioms when it comes to other Speaking test questions too.

Let us know in the comments if you have a question about the Speaking test.

Do you get nervous on the IELTS Speaking test and the IELTS Writing test?

When you get nervous it’s easy to spiral downward with anxiety and to lose your ability to think clearly.

Today we’ll show you how to keep it light and easy on these two sections of the test.

How can you reduce anxiety on the Speaking test?

• Make a light joke: You can do this as long as the joke is relevant and well-placed. Don’t tell a random knock-knock joke.  It can be good to poke fun at yourself sometimes and it will show the examiner that you are flexible and have real communication skills.

• If you stutter or get stuck, acknowledge it: Say something like “Oh my gosh that was really hard. I am sorry I stumbled there. I am just a bit nervous.” You need to be willing to articulate what’s going on with you. It’s ok to acknowledge that you’re embarrassed. It will help your vocabulary score and it will also increase your fluency score.

• Tell a funny story about yourself: This can be done in Speaking Part 2, as an example in Speaking Part 3 or on Writing Task 2. It’s important to use personal examples from your own life in Writing Task 2 because you don’t have access to examples and research.

Remember, you are not graded on your ideas on IELTS Speaking or Writing.

You are graded on your English so when you stumble or when you run out of ideas, you have an opportunity to show your fluency.

You have a chance to articulate what is happening with high-level vocabulary.

The examiner doesn’t care how much you know.

They care how well you communicate in English.

Do you have questions about today’s topic?

Let us know in the comments below

Are you using certain English words in your emails that make you sound weak or not confident?

Find out the 5 words that you should eliminate from your English emails today.

Lily Herman posted an article on The Muse with these 5 words that make you sound less confident when you use them in an email.

Let’s review them today.

The 5 Words to Eliminate:

• “Just”: Don’t start an email and say “Just checking in” or “I just wanted to say hi.” If you add “just” it takes away from what you are saying. It sounds less confident and less direct. You make it sound like you think you are bothering someone.

• “Hopefully”: This sounds like you don’t have any firm expectations or that you aren’t committing to anything. This indicates that you aren’t reliable and that people can’t count on you.

• “Actually”: This has become a filler word. It can be kind of annoying. It often doesn’t communicate much. It can sound redundant and not necessary.
  

• “Kind of”: This makes you sound hesitant.
  

• “Sorry”: This is important to use in many situations and when you have done something wrong you must say it but don’t overuse the word. When you don’t need to apologize for something you don’t need to say “sorry.” This could make you sound weak in business.
  

What do you think?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Your vocabulary problems may be coming to an end.

Today you’ll learn about a cool technology tool called Anki and you’ll find out how you can use it to get a deeper, more sophisticated vocabulary.

Anki is a flashcard system that helps you review the same words over and over again.

Anki uses the spacing effect. It improves learning because it spaces out the time between your review sessions. If you review something too soon you are wasting your time.

The system tracks how well we know a card and the card is put into a large equation.

The problem with learning vocabulary is that the new words are hard to remember.

With Anki you can continue to review the new words. Now Anki is available on your Smartphone so you can take your Anki words with you anywhere.

There is no need to be chained to your desk.

This tool could end your problems with vocabulary.

Check it out today!

This tool can also be used if you are preparing for IELTS. You can build a set of vocabulary words based on common Speaking test topics and Writing test topics.

Trip’s Bio:

Trip was born and grew up in New York City. He moved to Zurich in 1993 and for the last 18 years has taught at The Cambridge Institute, a school which he considers the premier center for learning English in Switzerland. Trip is also an oral examiner for Cambridge University Exams and a free-lance journalist.

This year Trip co-founded ‘The Cardists,’ a company which specializes in bringing the power of modern, computer-based flashcard learning to schools, corporations and individual students. For more information, visit his website thecardists.com or email him at Trip@thecardists.com.

If you want to get a 7 or higher you need to use idioms and native expressions on the IELTS Speaking test!

If you use the idioms in today’s episode on the IELTS Speaking test your examiner will immediately consider a score of 7 for your vocabulary score.

This may move your overall speaking score from a 6 to a 7.

A student with a score of a 6 will not use these native idioms.

These idioms are the extra edge that you need on the Speaking test.

Here are the tech idioms for today:

• “Bells and whistles”: “I just bought a new phone and it has all of the bells and whistles.”  This means that something has all of the additional pieces and add-ons. You can use this to respond to a question in Speaking Part 2 such as “Describe a piece of electronic equipment that you find useful.”

• “A hack,” “A life hack”: A shortcut, something that makes it easier to accomplish a goal. Listening to podcasts are a great life hack because you can shorten your learning time and learn on the go!

• “It’s not rocket science”: This means that something is not as hard as most people think. “A lot of people think that making a website is hard but it’s not rocket science.”

• “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel”: When there is a process already in place to achieve a goal you don’t need to create a new process. You can just follow the process.

More questions to practice on your own:

• Speaking Part 2 question: “Describe a piece of electronic equipment that you no longer find useful.”

• Speaking Part 3 question: “Do you think all new homes will be equipped with household machines in the future?”

Please answer and practice these questions at home using the idioms above.

Remember, these idioms are what you need to move your score from a 6 to a 7.

What questions do you have about these idioms or about the Speaking test?

Let us know in the comments below.

Are you stressed about the IELTS Speaking test?

Are you worried that you are going to panic?

Are you afraid that you will forget everything you learned in your IELTS preparation?

Are you afraid that you won’t know the answer?

We understand how you feel so today in today’s post we’ll give you three key things that you need to know about the IELTS Speaking test to get the score you need.

Check them out below!

#1) You must use phrasal verbs to impress the examiner

One of the most efficient and smart ways to increase your Speaking score is to use native-like vocabulary including phrasal verbs, idioms, and expressions.

When you prepare for IELTS get a list of the common Speaking test topics and learn a few phrasal verbs for each topic.

You don’t need to memorize a random list of phrasal verbs. Make sure they are related to test topics.

Next, practice those phrasal verbs in everyday conversations with native speakers.

Also, practice them when you do your Speaking test practice with your IELTS professional teacher or coach.

You need to interact with these phrasal verbs in many ways and many times before the test.

Practice writing in your journal and use them in your writing.

Notice them in the material that you read.

Give yourself plenty of time to learn a group of phrasal verbs for each topic and by the time you get to the test you will be ready to use them in your answers. You can also try using Anki to learn new IELTS vocabulary.

If you use phrasal verbs you will get a 7 or higher on the vocabulary section of your Speaking test.

Learn more about how to use phrasal verbs on the Speaking test here!

#2) You DON’T need to speak fast

Many IELTS student think that you need to speak fast to get a higher score on IELTS Speaking.

It’s a myth!

If you speak fast and the examiner can’t understand you or if you speak fast and make a lot of mistakes you won’t get the score you need.

Instead, you need to slow down and use intonation in your voice.

Put some feeling behind your words.

This will push your fluency score up and your pronunciation score.

It’s more important to speak clearly and with confidence than it is to speak fast.

This is also true for everyday English fluency but it’s especially important on the IELTS.

Click here to learn more about how to use your intonation on the Speaking test.

Get our step-by-step IELTS Cheat Sheet.

Download the “7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS” now!

Click here to get it for free

#3) You don’t always have to know “the answer” on the Speaking test

Everyone’s biggest fear is that they will get into the Speaking test and they’ll get an unfamiliar question.

Are you worried about that happening to you?

What should you do if you the examiner asks you a question and you don’t know the answer?

The most important thing to remember is that you are not graded on your ideas on IELTS.

You are graded on your ability to articulate your ideas and communicate in English.

If you don’t have the answer to a question there are two things you can do:

• You can make something up- it is totally ok to make up a fake answer. Again, no one is going to go and check your facts. This is not a history test or a test about your factual knowledge. If you make something up and you communicate your message well, you can easily get a 7 or higher. This is much better than freezing up if you don’t know the answer and saying nothing. Also remember that you can’t ask the examiner to give you a different question. You have to answer the question that you are given.

• You can say that it’s a tough question- buy yourself some time by saying “wow, that’s a tough question” then try to share anything in your personal experience that’s related to the question topic. It’s always easier to share personal stories than to share boring facts. You can increase your vocabulary score by articulating the fact that it is a hard question. You can also use an idiom to increase your vocabulary score such as “my mind just went blank.”

Click here to learn more about what to do if you don’t know the answer on the Speaking test.

What questions do you have about the IELTS Speaking test?

Let us know in the comments below!

Today find out how to casually and easily schedule plans in English with someone.

We’ll help you drop that formal English that you learned in school.

Today you’ll get the phrases and terms that you need to connect with someone and spend time with them.

Phrases to ask someone to spend time together:

• “When are you free?” This is more direct than saying, “Would you like to hang out?” or “Would you like to meet up?” or “Are you free on the (date)?”

•  “When is good for you”? This is similar to saying “When are you free?”

•  “How about the (date)?” or you could say “cCan we do (date)”?
  

•  “That’s no good for me” or “That doesn’t work for me”
  

•  “Does the (date) work?” or “Is the (date) ok for you?”
  

Have you used any of these phrases to schedule plans with someone?

Let us know which phrases you have used!

Leave us a comment below.

Are you feeling overwhelmed with your IELTS preparation? Not sure how you can fit it all in if you have a family, a full-time job, and other obligations?

It can be a huge challenge to prepare for the IELTS if you are already have a busy life.

Today we’ll show you how to make it all work to get that 7 that you need.

Here are some key tips on how to prepare for IELTS:

• Figure out your priorities: If you only have two months, are you willing to sacrifice an hour of sleep to get up a few hours early? Are you willing to give up your TV programs to spend that time studying? Focus on the “why.” Why are you taking the IELTS? What do you want to do when you get your target score? Thinking about your “why” and your bigger vision will get you out of bed early in the morning.

• Seat deadlines and mini deadlines: You need to register for your exam before you start studying. Also, sit down and look at how many days you have to prepare. Break down the whole test and set deadlines for specific parts of the test. What will you be able to do and by when? For example, by March 15th I will be able to complete all Writing tasks within the allotted time.

• Don’t waste your time doing the wrong things: You must work with an IELTS course or an IELTS professional who can tell you exactly what to do with the small amount of time that you have. Make the right choice when it comes to choosing who to work with. If you choose to work with an individual IELTS tutor then ask them about the scores of their previous students.

• Don’t be too tough on yourself: It’s ok if you have a bad day. You can take a day off. But don’t take more than a few days off. Get back to it quickly.

• Don’t spend too much time thinking about how stressed you are: This is a waste of time. Structure your schedule and get a study plan. Use that time to get to work. Be in control of your time. Be positive.

What did you think of today’s episode?

Are you feeling overwhelmed about the exam?

Let us know in the comments below.

Do you know how to catch the attention of your audience right from the beginning of your presentation in English?

Today we’ll show you how to do it and we’ll give you the phrases you need.

In order to give a great presentation you need to start strong.

You don’t want your audience to “zone out” and get bored.

You want their attention on you.

Here are 3 tips on how to open strong:

• Start by asking a question: You can say “I’d like to start today with a question (for you)” or “Let me ask you a question.” It can useful to use these openers to frame the question and to get the audience prepared and to make them curious about what you are going to ask. Or you could say “To start off, I’d like to take a poll.”

• Start by telling a story or anecdote: You can just jump into the story or frame the story by saying, “Let me tell you a story about…” or “Here’s a quick story…” Pay attention to intonation when you deliver these phrases to build the anticipation. You can also say, “I’d like to open with a personal anecdote.”
  

• Start by shocking them: Surprise your audience. Michelle tried this in a graduate school class by opening her presentation by using curse words and swearing in front of the class. People didn’t expect her to use these words so she had their full attention for the rest of the presentation.
  

Have you used these tactics to open a presentation or a speech in English?

Let us know in the comments below and ask us your questions!

Do you struggle with the IELTS reading test especially when it comes to T/F/NG and Y/N/NG questions?

Today we will give you a simple tactic to get it right and get that 7 you need in IELTS reading.

Top tips for this type of question:

• Pay attention to whether they are asking you for T/F/NG or Y/N/NG. Don’t get too comfortable to the point that you aren’t paying attention to instructions.

•  These questions are more straightforward than they appear.

•  For the True (T) answer it means that the statement matches or agrees with the passage.

• The most difficult thing is telling the difference between False (F) and Not Given (NG). The difference is clear cut but you need to make sure you practice a lot.

• Here’s a trick- set it up like a cartoon- one cartoon character is the question statement and one cartoon character is the passage. They are talking to each other. If they agree with each other then the answer is Yes or True and if they disagree then the answer is No or Not Given. Draw two stick figures and write the questions and answers next to each other so that you can see if they agree with each other.

•  When you look at these questions, first look at key words. Key words are names, negatives, numbers, and other words that contain important information. Now try to picture the statement and the passage trying to have a conversation and see if they agree. If they agree then your answer is Yes or True. If they don’t agree then your answer is No or False.

What questions do you have about the IELTS Reading test and this strategy?

Let us know in the comments below.

Having too much time on your hands can be a luxury but can it take you further away from your goals?

John F. Kennedy say, “We must use time as a tool not as a couch.”

If we have extra time we have to use it to do something and not waste it.

Parkinson’s Law says: The work that we have to do will expand to fit the allotted time.

This is extremely important to keep in mind if you are preparing for an exam like the IELTS Exam.

If we don’t approach our work with a sense of urgency then we will never get our work done.

Here’s an expression for today:

To pull an all-nighter: This means to stay up all night to get work done. A lot of people do this in college.

 What can you do?

• 1- set deadlines

• 2- get an accountability partner- get a support system. Set goals with this person and tell them each day whether or not you have achieved your goal.

What do you think?

Do you struggle with maximizing your time?

What is your strategy to get over this problem? Let us know in the comments below.

In today’s episode we’ll give you sixteen synonyms to get a 7 on your IELTS.

We’ll also show you how to come up with your own synonyms for a stronger score on the Speaking test and the Writing test.

If you want to get a 7 or higher on IELTS you must have interesting vocabulary that is a mixture between academic, formal, high-level and casual idioms.

Are you worried that you can’t think of any synonyms or that your vocabulary is limited?

You may know only one word to describe something.

Now it’s time to expand your vocabulary to think about more than one way to say things.

Strategies Created by a Former IELTS Examiner

100% Score Increase Guarantee with our Insider Method

Are you ready to move past IELTS and move forward with your life vision?

Find out why our strategies are the most powerful in the IELTS world.

When you use our Insider Method you avoid the BIGGEST MISTAKES that most students make on IELTS.

Click here to get a score increase on IELTS. It’s 100% guaranteed.

Synonyms:

Word #1: Buy

Synonyms (casual): To grab something quickly, to get a good deal, to get a good bargain, to pick something up

Synonyms (formal): Purchase, acquire, consume (this is better for larger economic trends= great for Writing Task 1)

Word #2: Global warming

Synonyms: Environmental issues, harmful pollution, greenhouse effect, ecological degradation

Word #3: Travel

Synonyms: Explore, go on an adventure, take an adventure, go on an excursion, get away, wander, mosey

How can you come up with your own synonyms?

Take the main word and create two boxes, one is specific and one is general. Fill those boxes with new words.

Go to thesaurus.com and type in your main word.

Check out all of the synonyms that they give you.

The words that are dark orange are direct synonyms.

Lighter orange words are more indirect synonyms.

You can get between 5 and 20 synonyms for any word you type in. It’s also linked to dictionary.com.

Takeaway:

If you want to do well on IELTS then you do need to use synonyms. Don’t try to memorize too many synonyms.

It’s important to not only know them but also be able to use them in many situations.

If you choose only a few of them to learn then you will be able to use them correctly.

Choose two synonyms for each word and put them in your IELTS vocabulary notebook.

Today we are going to do an experiment to create a culture of thinking so that you can get that 7 on your IELTS Exam!

We will look at a NY Times Sunday edition and we’ll pick out some articles to find out how we could bring in those topics on IELTS test day.

Article #1: The Frugal Traveler: High End Paris for 1/10th the Price

Reading this article could help you in many ways on the IELTS Exam. You could highlight it as a trend or you could discuss it if you get any speaking questions on travel. This would also help you on the Listening test. You may hear a conversation between two people taking a trip. You’ll get the vocabulary that you need. It will help you build your brain box on the topic of travel.

Article #2: Discovering Ara-Yaki, a Japanese Dish

This article would help you on the Speaking test if you got a question about food.

Article #3: Listen! The Ethicist’s Weekly Podcast

This is a Q and A article. People write in and email in questions. How could this article help you on the IELTS? On the Speaking test or Writing test it would be great to be able to refer to this podcast and some of the ideas in it.

These articles are just a few examples but you need to remember that we want to create a “culture of thinking” in our own minds where ideas are always coming in and going out.

New concepts are always bubbling in our mind and we will never go blank on the Speaking test.

Get started by subscribing to the NY Times today or subscribe to a few podcasts.

What are the Cambridge Advanced Exams?

Who should take these exams?

Why should someone take these exams?

Today we have Trip on the show who is an oral examiner for Cambridge University Exams and he’ll show you how to prepare for these exams.

Who should take the Cambridge Advanced Exams?

These exams are designed around specific levels. You can set a goal to pass a specific level and you either pass or you fail. In contrast, the IELTS gives you a band score.

These exams are also more common for business professionals and the IELTS is more common for academic goals or immigration.

How to Prepare for the Higher Level Exams:

At the high levels, the teachers can no longer teach you.

Trip says that grammar is not a good thing to focus on.

You have to know what’s on the test.

To pass the higher level exam you have to read.

You should get the language flowing through you. It’s better to read more of what is easy for you.

Trip says that it’s important to memorize at this level. You need to get to know the tricky parts of the language naturally. You need to be able to pull out those skills during the exam.

3 Tips on How to Pass the Exam:

1) Read as much as possible: English becomes more nuanced as we get into the higher levels. If you read more you will have the language “flowing through you more often” and you will get confident faster.

2) Take a preparation course: It may be hard to study for this exam alone. It’s a great idea to attend a school where you are in the company of other people taking the exam and you feel like you are not doing it alone.

3) Take practice tests but not too many: Don’t make the mistake of taking too many practice tests. Doing practice tests teaches you the format of the exam but it does not teach you English and you have to know English.

Trip’s Bio:

Trip was born and grew up in New York City. He moved to Zurich in 1993 and for the last 18 years has taught at The Cambridge Institute, a school which he considers the premier center for learning English in Switzerland. Trip is also an oral examiner for Cambridge University Exams and a free-lance journalist.

This year Trip co-founded ‘The Cardists,’ a company which specializes in bringing the power of modern, computer-based flashcard learning to schools, corporations and individual students. For more information, visit his website thecardists.com or email him at Trip@thecardists.com.

IELTS test takers make a lot of mistakes that make it hard for them to achieve their target score.

These mistakes cause them to get stuck at a band score of 6 when they need a 7.

In today’s episode we will talk about the mistakes and how you can make sure that you don’t make these mistakes yourself.

By the way, if you searched for “ILETS” or “ILTS” to find this page, remember that it’s IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

Now learn about the most common mistakes below!

Mistake #1) They don’t take the time to understand the exam

• Research the exam: Many people, even general English teachers call it “ILETS” or “ILTS” but it’s “IELTS” and it is administered in most countries around the world. Learn about the exam here and find out where you can book your test. You need to book your exam date well in advance because test centers fill up quickly.

• Know what to expect on test day: The test day usually looks like this: Listening comes first, then Reading and Writing tests are given. In the afternoon you do your Speaking test. The time between your Writing test and your Speaking test could be one hour or it could be 4 hours and you won’t know until you arrive on test day. You need to have a plan for how to fill that time. Knowing what to expect helps build confidence for exam day.

Mistake #2) They don’t learn solid strategies that work

• Learn the strategies: There is no magic piece of advice or magic idea that is going to get you to your target score. The only way to increase your IELTS score is to learn simple but powerful strategies that actually work. Make sure you ask your teacher how many of his/her students have achieved their target score before you use his or her strategies. The strategies should provide a system that you can use for each part of the test. They should be a foundation to fall back on. They will help anchor you and will keep your mind clear so that you don’t get taken over by anxiety. Strategies will also help you manage your time well on the IELTS Reading test and the IELTS Writing test.

• After you have the strategies, put in your practice time: This is a difficult test. You cannot just learn strategies in a few minutes and expect to be able to apply them on the exam to increase your score. You need to learn the strategies and then put them into practice. You must do practice exercises and practice tests with these new strategies until you find that your score is increasing. There are no shortcuts on this exam. Do the work if you want to see a score increase. Read more here

Mistake #3) They don’t get balanced practice

• Get a study plan that includes test prep and general fluency building: Most students either do only test practice and don’t improve their general fluency or they do only general fluency and they don’t learn strategies or do test practice. You need to do both.

• Write out your study plan: Create a chart that details exactly what you will do each day. The activities should be a balance of test practice and general fluency building and should also include enough time to give your mind a rest. If you have 30-60 days to prepare you should expect to spend at 2-3 hours per day, six days per week preparing for the exam.

Click on the link below to download our free IELTS Cheat Sheet.

This will give you the exact 7 steps that you need to follow to get on the right path for a 7 or higher.

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher

Mistake #4) They don’t plan their prep time well

• Schedule a deadline: At the time that you get serious about the IELTS, choose a course, and start studying, you also need to set a test date. Why? Deadlines apply pressure that will motivate you to study every day. If you don’t set a test date then you won’t take your commitment seriously. You won’t put in the time that you need.
  

• Leave enough time to prepare: You must leave at least thirty days to prepare for your IELTS exam. Thirty days is fine if you are already very advanced in your English level. If you are not advanced and you need to get a 7 or higher then you need to leave at least 3 months to prepare. The best thing you can do is spend a year and the first half of the year is spent focusing on general fluency and then later in the year you can focus on test strategy.
  

Mistake #5) They don’t work with a real IELTS professional

• Ask about the teacher’s experience and student results: There are many English teachers out there who say they can help you with IELTS but they can’t. When you prepare for IELTS you cannot work with a general conversation teacher. A general conversation teacher does not know the exam and will not teach you the strategies that you need to get your target score. You will waste your time and money. When you consider hiring a teacher, ask about their previous students. What exam results did they get? What strategies did the teacher help them with? Don’t be afraid to question the teacher a bit. This is your future and you are making a significant investment. You need to get results. If the teacher doesn’t have the skills then look for someone new.

Are you making any of these IELTS mistakes?

Let us know in the comments below and ask us your IELTS questions!

We hope to hear from you.

Photo credits: http://bit.ly/1KZ0tf0

Today you will find out how you should plan your essay and whether or not you should count your words in IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Writing Task 2.

Gem of Wisdom 1:

Do not forget to plan your essay. You MUST plan your essay before you write it if you want to get a 7 or higher.

You can’t just randomly put all of your ideas down on the page.

It must be organized and well planned.

Gem of Wisdom 2:

Do not plan your essay in your native language.

This will take too much time because you will be brainstorming vocabulary and ideas and then you will have to translate into English from your native language.

Gem of Wisdom 3:

How should you plan your essay?

Start by coming up with your thesis statement or main point- what are you trying to say, what are you trying to get across?

What is your opinion?

It’s crucial to have an opinion on the IELTS Writing test.

Most of the time you’ll have two columns and you’ll brainstorm reasons and examples for both sides.

It may be easier to think of ideas for the side that you don’t agree with.

Don’t worry about having an organized outline. Use two columns and that is enough.

Go deeper with your brainstorming to find a unique idea.

Gem of Wisdom 4:

Should you count the number of words that you have in your essay? No! It takes too long.

First, get used to the timing of planning and the timing of writing the paragraphs.

Once you get a feel for how much you are supposed to write you can start counting your lines to make sure you have enough.

By the time you get to the test you should already know what it feels like to write the required amount.

Most people write ten words per line.

Make sure you have at least 15-18 lines.

For Task 2 you need 25-28 lines.

Did any of these tips surprise you?

What additional questions do you have about the Writing test?

Let us know in the comments.

Today you’ll find out how to immediately grab someone’s attention in English by leading with their interests.

We’ll give you five English phrases that you can use to to do this today.

Pulling someone in from the beginning is one important key to connecting with someone through a conversation.

You want people to be interested in what you are saying.

You don’t want people to “zone out” when you start talking.

You want them to be tuned in to you and what you are saying.

Expressions to catch someone’s interest:

• “I thought of you when I saw this…”
• “I was hoping to get your opinion on this…”
• “I know this is right up your alley…”
• “You’d be interested in this…”

Which of these phrases do you use in your English conversations?

Let us know in the comments below.

In today’s episode you’ll get 4 Scottish English expressions to speak with a local in Scotland.

These expressions are super common in Scotland but you’ll never hear them in the United States.

Here are 4 Scottish English expressions:

• ‘That’s me away”: This means “I am going now” or “I am leaving”

•  “To go and get the messages”: To go food shopping in a supermarket or grocery store.

•  “Away to your bed”: This means “go to your bed” and this is something that a mother might say to her child when she is frustrated or annoyed or wanting to be firm.

•  Modal verbs such as “want” and “need”: In Scottish English they use the progressive tense. They say “will you be wanting that?” instead of “do you want that?”

•  “Aye”: This means “yes” in Scotland. It can be used in a more formal situation.

Steven’s Bio:

Hello, I am Steven from Dundee, Scotland. I have over 12 years experience of teaching English as a foreign language, so if you are interested in learning English with me, then I’d be delighted to hear from you. I am also a language learner myself, so I understand the processes involved in learning, maintaining and improving your skills in a second or third language. Please contact me if you wish to receive lessons in either English or Scottish Gaelic. I hope to see you soon!

Have you ever been to Scotland? Did you understand the Scottish accent?

Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

Spelling matters on the IELTS Listening test!

Would you like to know why?

If you spell a word incorrectly on the Listening test, Reading test, or Writing test, the answer is considered wrong.

How can you improve your spelling for IELTS?

You need to read as much as you can. You need to create a reading culture in your life.

As long as you read often you will be able to spell anything you need to spell on the IELTS exam.

Two activities you should try:

• Envision the words in your mind while you speak. Envision the way that they are spelled.

• Choose one paragraph and as you read, read with your finger, read out loud and point to each word as you say it. Focus your mind on each specific word and how it sounds and how it’s spelled.

You also need to focus on your spelling for the Writing test. It’s impossible to get a 7 if you have 3 or 4 words spelled wrong.

This is another reason to not take big risks on the test.

Don’t use new words that you have never written down before.

Take big risks during your preparation.

During the exam only use words that you know how to spell.

How is your spelling in English?

Have you experienced any challenges with this?

Let us know in the comments.

If you want a 7 or higher on the IELTS Exam you need to be spontaneous on the IELTS Speaking test.

Today we’ll show you how to build spontaneity and flexibility into your speaking skills.

Do you rehearse and memorize what you are going to say when it comes to the IELTS Speaking test?

Here is how rehearsing impacts your score:

If you memorize speaking answers you use them in the wrong context.

You’ll get a low score for coherence and you’ll get a low pronunciation score because you will have no variety in your tone of voice if you are using rehearsed phrases.

How can you get more spontaneous and natural?

Step 1: Stop worrying about perfect grammar

Step 2: Create an immersive environment. Watch English movies. Get a conversation partner.

Step 3: Join an improv group where you learn to come up with ideas on the spot and act them out. Learn more about improv from Jessica Coyle.

What are you doing to build your spontaneity in speaking?

Let us know below.

Are you wondering if you should study English in a small town or in a big American city like New York?

Today our guest, Michael DiGiacomo from Happy English will show you how to decide where to study English.

You need to ask yourself what your goal is.

Why are you studying abroad?

What is the purpose of the investment?

What new skills do you want to have when you go home?

Pros of studying in the city:

•  You get access to amazing museums, restaurants, clubs, cafes, etc. You’ll get a true cosmopolitan experience.

Cons of studying in the city:

• You are likely to spend time with people from your home country. You won’t get many opportunities to speak English if you spend time with people from your home country.

Pros of studying in the countryside:

• You may be the only person from your home country. This could be great because you’ll be forced to speak English. You’ll probably improve much faster.

Cons of studying in the countryside:

• You might be lonely. You might feel culture shock. You may feel isolated.

• You might be bored because there isn’t much to do in small towns.

Here’s a better option: Choose a city that is an hour or two outside of a major city.

You can get into the city on the weekends when you get bored but your daily life won’t include people from your home country.

Michael’s Bio:

Michael DiGiacomo is the founder of Happy English.

Based in NYC, he has been an English teacher for more than 20 years.

His mission at Happy English is to make English fun and practical and to help you feel confident when you speak.

In today’s episode you’ll get 3 steps to go from “slow reader” to “IELTS reading extraordinaire.”

If you feel like you read slowly then today’s episode is for you.

Here is what you should do:

• Read something you enjoy every day. It doesn’t matter what it is. Go to a bookstore. Browse and look around. See what you like. Create a reading culture in your own life. Learn to read for fun and you will be more confident on test day. At this point don’t worry about speed.

• Next learn how to apply the reading skills on the test. This is where you need a strategy. Use the skills of skimming, scanning, and reading for detail. Do practice tests after you have learned the strategy and practiced it.

• Try this exercise: choose a newspaper article, read it, write down everything you remember for 5 minutes only. If you do this every day your reading speed and your comprehension will improve quickly.

Click here to learn about one reading worry for all IELTS students.

What is your plan to improve your reading speed for the IELTS?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we are super excited to have Shayna from Espresso English Podcast on the show for the second time!

Today Shayna will show us how to push our level from intermediate to advanced with some new ideas that we have never talked about before.

It’s all about diversifying!

Keep reading to learn more.

How to push your English to the advanced level:

• Look for material in various genres of English: If you currently listen to a lot of academic lectures like TED Talks, why not try poetry or classic English literature? You’ll see phrases being presented in different ways, from different angles. Diversify your input!

• Seek out people with different types of English accents: Don’t limit yourself just to “American English” or “British English.” A great site to do this is ELLLO.ORG

• Actively get feedback on your spoken and written English: This is the time to catch those tiny errors that you keep making. Don’t ignore them! Get a conversation exchange. Get a private tutor. Join a course or program which has this option as a feature.
  

Shayna’s Bio:

Shayna is the creator of Espresso English where she helps you move your Englsih to the next level with clear, concise, and easy-to-follow English lessons online.

She is from the US but she is currently living in London.

Shayna has a new course that is designed just for intermediate English learners who want to move to the advanced level. Check it out here.

Today you’ll hear the sad story of someone stuck at IELTS band score 6.

Is this you?

You’ll find out what you need to change if this is your situation.

What is this student doing wrong?

•  She is trying to study alone, with a textbook and is trying to memorize things to prepare for IELTS just like she studied in her home country growing up. This doesn’t work when it comes to a language exam like IELTS. The IELTS requires spontaneity so memorization doesn’t help very much.

•  She makes pages of lists of sentences and words by herself. She doesn’t interact with anyone else or any other material or input.

•  She reads example essays and copies them. She doesn’t spend much time writing her own essays and using IELTS writing strategies.

•  She refuses to admit that her way of studying isn’t working. She has been stuck at a 5.5 or 6 for three years.

Do you know what steps to take to get a 7 or higher on the IELTS?

You can get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet now!

Download the “7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS”

Is this you? Here is what to do:

• Admit that you need help and that what you are doing isn’t working. Be willing to change your preparation strategy.

• Talk to an IELTS professional that you can trust.

• Put in the hours with the CORRECT strategies.

• Go out into the real world with your English to get the balanced practice. Be willing to spend time with native speakers, make mistakes, and feel vulnerable.

• Remember that test practice is not a way to improve your IELTS skills. You need to prepare for the test by learning strategies and improving your skills then measure by taking practice tests.

Are you this student?

Are you stuck at a band score of 6?

What are you going to change starting today?

Tell us in the comments below.

Do you bore people when you speak English?

Do you ramble?

If you do then you need to get some new skills to keep people engaged and excited to talk to you.

Today we’ll show you how to do it.

Today we’ll show you how to engage someone in person and on the phone.

Situation #1: In Person

• You need to be able to “take a hint” when someone in front of you is bored. People might look at their watch or look away from you. That means that the person wants you to stop talking. Learn to take the hint and stop talking.

• Make eye contact- don’t look around the room. Make the person feel engaged. This is different across cultures but in American culture it’s important to make eye contact.

•  Vary your tone of voice- Don’t be monotonous when you speak. Be interesting! Use your words like a song. Put feeling into your voice. This can even help you on the IELTS Speaking test.

• Show the person that you are thinking about them- Use phrases like these “You are probably in a hurry” or “I want to respect your time.” It’s also great to ask the person questions about themselves. Show interest with these phrases like “what about you?”

• Use the person’s name in the conversation- check out this episode with Alan Headbloom on how to remember someone’s name

Situation #2: On the phone

• Use reference markers- Use phrases like “first of all…” and “the other thing is…” and “the last thing I want to say is…”

What do you do to keep people engaged?

Let us know in the comments below.

Have you set a test date yet for your IELTS Exam?

If you haven’t set a date yet, today you’ll find out why you MUST set a date as soon as possible and how to do it.

Why should you set a test date before you start preparing for IELTS?

When you don’t know when your test will be, you won’t know how to divide up your study time.

You won’t be able to use a specific IELTS daily plan.

If you don’t have a specific plan or test date you won’t approach your preparation with enough urgency.

You must feel the pressure to push yourself to really be ready.

You also need to know exactly how much work is involved when you are planning and preparing so that you know how much you can do each day.

Do you know what steps you need to take to get a 7 or higher on the IELTS?

Get our free IELTS Cheat Sheet!

Click here to download the ” 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher”

What is your plan to reach a 7 or higher?

Have you set a test date yet?

If not, why not?

Let us know in the comments.

Sometimes life gets complicated!

It can hard to de-clutter your life.

Today find out how to simplify your English learning and your life.

How can you simplify your life?

• Try to chase one goal at a time. Don’t go after more than one thing because you won’t achieve any of your goals if you “spread yourself too thin.”

• Beware of “the curse of the expert.” When you know a lot about one topic it’s easy to get overwhelmed and it’s hard to simplify the concept.

• Take a day off. This will help you to simplify things in your mind because it will change your state of mind. Go into nature. Go climb a mountain.

How do you simplify your life?

Let us know in the comments.

Do you have an IELTS vocabulary notebook for the Writing and Speaking tests?

If you don’t then you should and we’ll show you how to use it today.

To get a high vocabulary score you need:

• Idiomatic phrases
• Casual phrases
• Native phrases
• Academic phrases and words

You must improve your vocabulary for every part of the IELTS test.

You can do that with a vocabulary notebook. Get a simple notebook and follow the tips in this episode.

Where does the vocabulary come from?

•  The newspaper: Read it once per week, get the Sunday edition, there are at least 20 different article topics. Make yourself read an article that you wouldn’t normally read. We recommend the New York Times. You will find common IELTS topics in a newspaper like New York Times. This will get you the academic vocabulary that you need for writing.

• Watch your favorite TV sitcom: You can watch Friends and have your vocabulary notebook on your lap. TV shows like Friends would be a great way to get idiomatic speaking vocabulary. Write down no more than 2 words per episode.

• Conversations:  You can eavesdrop on other people’s conversations in cafes or on the train. Take out your notebook and write down 1 or 2 words that you hear during a conversation.

• Podcasts: Don’t just focus on ESL podcasts. Choose a topic that you like and search for it in the itunes store. Listen to different types of vocabulary and listen to different ways of speaking.

•  Follow your interests: Google search your interests. Write down no more than two words that you read. Do this for 20 minutes and then move on to a new activity.

What do you write in your notebook?

Write the word and part of speech.

Write down the definition in your own words in English if you are intermediate or above.

Write two example sentences.

Get one sample sentence from Google.

Get the other sample sentence by creating it yourself. You need to come up with that second sentence to make the word stick in your head.

Then use the word in speaking and writing throughout the day or week.

Remember, when it comes to IELTS vocabulary, less is more!

Learn fewer words but learn them very well and be ready to use them with confidence.

Do you have your IELTS vocabulary notebook yet?

Let us know in the comments below.

Have you just relocated to the United States?

Today we have a guest on the show who will give you 3 smart tips to have a great experience during your first few months in the United States.

3 tips for a newcomer:

• Always have a solid expat legal plan: You should always have your legal paperwork in order and be prepared. Understand the laws of the country. Understand the limitations of your visa and what you are allowed to do.

• Continue to contribute your unique skills: Remember that people are people, regardless of culture. We respond to hard work, honesty, and integrity. Keep doing your work while you are here.

• Learn to take rejection and move on: It will be challenging when you move abroad. Be prepared to get rejected and then to stand back up and keep trying.

Portia’s Bio:

Dr. Portia Ndlovu is an author, Associate Professor, a business woman and a lawyer.

She comes from Durban South Africa and she is now based in Cape Cod, MA.

In her consulting and teaching she inspires others to pursue their dreams in both the legal field and in business.

Check out her publications on Linked In

Learn more about Massachusetts Maritime Academy

On IELTS Writing Task 2 do you struggle to find ideas?

Do you know where to put your ideas when you come up with them?

Today we’ll show you how to brainstorm for Writing Task 2 and how to organize your ideas into your paragraphs in Writing Task 2.

How to brainstorm your ideas for IELTS Writing Task 2:

• Write down anything that comes to mind
• Go beyond the 2nd, 3rd idea- write down 4, 5, 6 ideas
• Don’t stop brainstorming until you get an interesting angle, concept, point
• Draw two columns, agree and disagree and write down everything you can think of
• Don’t over-complicate it by trying to be too specific, it can be broad such as “Many people agree with X for the following reasons.”

How to organize your ideas:

• Go back and circle the best ideas and then you are ready to write
• In the body paragraph, the first sentence needs to have the topic sentence
• In the next sentences, use more complicated sentences and build out your idea

A final tip:

• Journal every day- close your eyes, point to something in the newspaper, take ten minutes to write about that topic

What other questions do you have about IELTS Writing Task 2?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today we’ll talk about delayed gratification versus instant gratification.

You’ll find out how you can use delayed gratification for better English skills and a better life overall.

Here is today’s quote:

“Today I will do the things that others won’t so that tomorrow I can do the things that others can’t”- Jerry Rice

What are the things that you could do to get ahead with your English?

Do you work every day. Don’t just show up when you feel inspired or motivated. You will get better if you set a regular time to work on your English every day.

What do you think?

What are you working hard on every day? Do you show up every day?

Tell us your story in the comments.

Do you have questions on your mind about the IELTS exam?

Today you’ll get 3 answers to 3 questions from a current IELTS student.

Question 1: Where can I take the IELTS?

Go to IELTS.org. Click on “find a test.” Choose your city.

Book your test at least 3 months in advance to be sure that you get your spot.

Test centers get booked very far in advance. Don’t miss your opportunity to take the test.

Question 2: The test seems so “daunting.” What should I do?

Yes, the test is huge and quite long.

The biggest issue is timing.

You need strategies for getting the timing right and to complete each test section.

Find an IELTS professional to give you the strategies that you need and then practice them.

Question 3: It seems hard to do all of the test subjects on the same day. What should I do?

Make sure you have enough energy for test day. Eat a good breakfast. Your brain and body need energy and calories.

Have a plan for what you are going to do between the Writing test and your Speaking test.

Your Speaking test could be scheduled for any time in the afternoon.

During that block of time you should be able to get some food.

Maybe do some casual English listening practice.

Plan to go watch a movie or get some exercise.

What are your questions about IELTS?

Leave them in the comments section below!

In today’s episode you’ll get the difference between “suppose” and “to be supposed to.”

What is the difference between the two terms?

• “I suppose”= I think, I guess, I assume, I believe, I imagine (verb)

• “I am supposed to”= I should, I need to, I am expected (adjective)

Examples:

What are you going to do if your students don’t show up to class? I suppose I’ll stick around and wait for them.

People are supposed to pay for the subway in Boston but sometimes they don’t.

Now write your sample sentence in the comments.

Let us know if you understood today’s lesson!

Should you memorize when it comes to IELTS?

What happens to your score if you memorize an essay topic and use that to respond to the essay instead of answering the actual question that you receive?

This is a very bad idea. Don’t do it. Answer the actual essay question that you are given.

Is it always bad to memorize for the IELTS?

There are some situations where memorizing for the IELTS is good. Here are some examples:

• You can memorize the essay structure. Memorize what kinds of structures you need for each type of essay on the IELTS Writing test.

• You can memorize step-by-step systems for each part of the test. These systems will keep you from panicking.

• You can and should memorize high level vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idioms for the IELTS

Do you have any questions about today’s episode?

Ask us in the comments below.

Today we have a special guest on the show!  You’ll find out the 3 mistakes you are making with your American English vowel sounds and how to solve your problem today!

Jennifer Tarle from Tarle Speech and Language is here to show you 3 actions steps that you can take to immediately solve your problems with American English vowel sounds.

Jennifer believes that listening is key to pronunciation. It’s more important than learning phonetic symbols and studying a pronunciation chart.

You need to work on your listening and then put it into practice.

Here are 3 things you can do today to improve your American English vowel sounds:

• Long versus short vowel sounds (“Eat” versus “it”): Listen to the difference in vowel length. These sounds are used often in American English. Make the “eat” sound long and make the “it” short.

• Open vowels: Watch a TV program with the sound off in your native language and then watch a TV program in English with the sound off. Watch the person’s mouth, lips, and jaw. Americans move their mouths a lot when they speak compared with other languages. English has a lot of vowels. Consider the word “fantastic.” You have to open your mouth wide to say that word.

•  Movement vowel:  A lot of students keep their mouths closed and don’t move their mouth from one sound to another. You need to focus on moving your jaw and your lips. Don’t cut off the sounds and shorten them. Continue the sound.

Jennifer’s Bio:

Tarle Speech and Language was founded in 2005 by Jennifer Tarle in order to empower individuals at all stages of life through better communication skills. Jennifer is a Certified Speech Pathologist with over 19 years of experience in speech-related training and  pathologies. Jennifer earned a BS degree and an MA degree in Speech Pathology from Kent State University. She is licensed in CA, IL, & OH, is certified with the State Boards of Education in IL and OH, is certified by the IL early intervention system, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and has earned several AHSA ACE Awards for continuing education.

Jennifer is a self-published author of accent workbooks, audio CDs, DVDs, and iBooks.  Materials are designed to be easy and effective.  Products are all downloadable so that you can practice on the go!  She distributes her pronunciation materials solely through www.tarlespeech.com and iTunes. Introductory through advanced classes on foreign accents are taught throughout the city of Chicago, via video conferencing, and throughout the world.  To help even more people, she launched a video podcast, The Minute of Speech, in 2007.  It is available on iTunes, YouTube, and at www.tarlespeech.com.  She implemented her Tarle Speech pronunciation and accent reduction program at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China and at E4TG in Tokyo, Japan.  Contact her to schedule a consultation or class.

Jennifer strives to help individuals to improve their lives through better communication.

Today you’ll get 4 ways to craft a life that you love!

Here is today’s quote: “Life is like a combination lock. Your job is to find the right numbers in the right order so you can have anything you want.”

-Brian Tracy

We like this quote because it means that we don’t have to live the way that others tell us we have to live.

We have the ability to create our own life and create our dream life.

How can we do this?

• Don’t focus on improving your weaknesses. Focus on making your strengths or your unique genius better and become exceptional in one core area. In school we are taught a different strategy. We are taught to focus on the things that we aren’t good at.

•  Find a mentor. Get someone who can steer you in the right direction. Successful people always have mentors.

• Surround yourself with people who have big dreams. Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  You can also create a peer group through listening to podcasts.

What do you think?

Which of these steps are you currently taking?

Let us know in the comments below.

Today you’ll get four nonverbal ways to bump up your IELTS speaking score!

A few weeks ago we had Mark Bowden, body language expert on the AEE podcast and he told us that we need to know what messages our nonverbal communication is sending to others.

Your nonverbal communication will affect your scores on the speaking test.

Why? We all make subconscious judgments and when your body language is sending a message that you lack confidence or that you aren’t trustworthy, this may bring down your score because examiners are human.

Four ways to bump up your speaking score:

• Smile consistently– it puts people at ease and makes them trust you.

• Don’t slouch– don’t sit with your shoulders hunched over, with your head down. This does not make you look confident. Imagine there is a line going from the back of your neck to the ceiling.

• Don’t sit with your legs wide open- This looks very rude for both men and women. If you are sitting up straight, this probably won’t happen. Crossing your legs is ok.

• Use open gestures- Mark told us that when we have our hands open, out in front of us and at navel height, the person trusts us because they can see our hands. That makes us appear to be a safe, trustworthy person. On the Speaking test, don’t hide your hands in your lap. Don’t have them out of view of the examiner. Don’t put your elbows on the table, it’s informal. Use your hands to give emphasis to your speech. Use your hand gestures to show more meaning. This will help your pronunciation sound more natural too.

Here is another speaking test hint!

Have you used any of these nonverbal gestures on the speaking test?

Leave us your comments below!

Do you want to know how to thrive in the international business world?

Today you’ll meet our guest who helps students succeed in the world of international business.

Our guest Sean Watson will show you exactly how to become successful in business across cultures. You’ll get 3 tips to succeed in business across cultures.

How to succeed in business across cultures:

• Be curious- do your homework before doing business abroad: Learn about the culture.  Learn a few words in the client’s language. Find out what nonverbal gestures are acceptable. If you want to be interesting, be interested. Be curious about other people and other cultures. You won’t get very far in business without making a genuine connection and it starts with understanding your client’s culture.

• Be tolerant- keep an open mind: Learn to not judge people too quickly. This will go a long way to creating lifelong friendships and business partnerships.

• Remember that nothing you learn is a waste of time: Don’t only focus on the things that you think you need to learn. It’s not just about the vocabulary, the grammar, and the pronunciation. There are many more angles to business than just the words. Try to learn from every situation you are in. Read other material and let it inform you when it comes to your business career. This is also important to generate ideas for small talk.

Sean’s Bio:

In today’s episode we have a special guest. Sean Watson has been in the English-teaching world since 1997.

Sean has traveled to 25 countries and has worked with CEOs from companies like Reuters, KPMG, Deloitte and Philips in Hungary.

He now specializes in teaching business English with a special focus on International Trade and advanced English conversation.

Sean is also a musician.

How to work with Sean:

• Step 1- Register on this page to get $10 USD off your second lesson (*** If you don’t register here, you won’t get 10USD for free)

• Step 2- Find Sean’s profile on italki and schedule a lesson: italki.com/teacherSean

“Say it once and say it well.” This is a great mentality that you can use when it comes to the IELTS Writing test.

Why?

Today you’ll find out how to take casual English phrases and turn them into academic phrases to get a higher IELTS score on the writing and the speaking.

Here are 3 casual sentences transformed into academic language:

• Casual: I think traveling abroad is good.
• Academic: I am of the opinion that undertaking exotic adventures is highly beneficial.

Rule#1: If you are using a word that you learned in your first year of learning English like “good” then it’s too basic.

Exchange it for a new one.

• Casual: Too many people are fat today.
• Academic: A growing number of individuals would be labeled as obese nowadays.

Rule #2: Make sure you know what words are considered rude such as “fat” and exchange these words for different, more polite ones.

• Casual: Writing in cursive is not needed.
• Academic: Pupils are wasting valuable time in learning an extinct skill such as writing in cursive.

Academic vocabulary from today:

• Studious: To be intelligent, academic, well-read
• A considerable amount, a great deal: this is better than saying too many or many

What questions do you have from today’s episode?

Please leave your questions in the comments!

In today’s episode you’ll find out if you should use cursive or printing on the Writing test on the IELTS.

If your handwriting is messy, it can impact your score negatively.

Practicing the timing on the Writing test is the key to making sure that your handwriting stays neat and easy to read.

Don’t make it hard for the examiner to read your essay.

If you have messy handwriting when using cursive, then try to print in block letters.

Warning!

Some teachers might ask you to type out your essay for your IELTS practice.

Typing out your essay is not good practice.

If a teacher asks you to do that, don’t trust that teacher!

It is not valid test practice because on test day you will have to write your essays by hand.

Don’t skimp on your preparation:

You cannot skip steps.

Learn from an IELTS professional who is teaching you correctly and who is not wasting your time.

It’s not enough just to read an example essay, learn an outline and jump into the test.

You need to sit down, write out your practice essays, and get feedback.

Leave us your questions in the comments now!

Let’s have a conversation.

Do you want to command more respect when you share your opinion?

Do you want people to listen to you?

There are 4 phrases in English that you can use when you introduce an opinion that you feel strongly about.

Here they are:

• “Look,…”

• “Listen,….”

• “Here’s how I see it,…”

• “Here’s what I think….and here’s why….”

These phrases are especially useful if you work in the legal field or any field where you need to have a point of view and have people listen to you.

They could help in any field where you are an authority and you need to convince people of something.

These phrases could also be useful if you want to get a point across in your personal relationships.

Listen to the podcast for examples of how we use these phrases in conversation.

Have you ever used these phrases?

Let us know in the comments.

Today we have a former Silicon Valley hiring manager and professional in the high-tech industry.

Troy Lee will show you the exact changes that you need to make to get your resume noticed and to get an interview in the United States.

Troy specializes in interview strategy, resume writing, and personal statements.

He helps people get the job of their dreams!

Troy says there are three common mistakes that international professionals make on their resumes.

Here are the three mistakes:

• They don’t use spell check on their resumes: Make sure your spell check is set to American English, not to your home country’s language. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

•  They don’t know how to “market themselves”: Write your accomplishments. Quantify them. What specific value did you deliver to your former company? How did you help them increase their bottom line? Highlight your leadership experience. This is not the time to be humble. Silicon Valley and the rest of the US is competitive. You really need to stand out.

•  They don’t study the company before they apply:  Make sure you study the company. Get some background information. Make them feel special. Learn about new projects that they working on or new products that they are introducing. Use the same words that they use in their job description. There is a program called Resumix. It’s a keyword finder where they search for everyone who used specific words in their resume. It is important to be very intentional about what keywords you put into your resume in order to get selected by this program.

Idiom from today:

“Good ole’ boy network”= your personal and professional network, who you know

Also remember, there is no need to put your photo on your resume and it’s good to leave some white space on your resume.

Troy’s Bio:

Troy is a certified, native English teacher, born and raised near Stanford, California, about 30 min. away from San Francisco, USA, and has been teaching on Italki since October 2009.

When he is not teaching students business English or helping them with their IELTS or TEOFL test on weekends and evenings (California Time), he works a full-time day job at a major Silicon Valley software company as a product manager. He has been in the high-tech industry for over 11 years.  He is well-versed in business English.

Troy has worked in many high-tech industries including healthcare, hardware, and software and has had a role as a hiring manager. He enjoys mentoring people to best position themselves, be contacted by hiring managers, succeed in interviews, and win the job of their dreams.

He even continues to help his students into their job by explaining the different cultural differences ESL students should be aware of that may differ from the work culture in the students home country.

Troy’s most popular course on Italki is Interviewing Strategy, Resume/CV, Cover Letter Wording & Layout, Personal Statement.  You can find him at http://www.italki.com/troyleeusa

Are you going to waste your money and time preparing in the wrong way for the IELTS speaking test?

Many students are wasting money and time doing the wrong things and we want to show you what NOT to do today.

To get the speaking score you need, you can’t just practice general conversation.