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IELTS Step-by-step Mastering Speaking & Writing

Name: IELTS Step-by-step Mastering Speaking & Writing
Rating: 4.4 (37 reviews)

Learn everything you need for the IELTS Speaking & Writing exam — get that IELTS 7+!

Created byJames Castleden, MA Applied Linguistics & DELTA

Last updated 8/2023

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Improve your IELTS Speaking & Writing grade significantly to a 7+
Watch and review in detail 12 IELTS Speaking tests
Learn and practice using useful idioms that the candidates used or could have used
Learn how to come up with ideas in the Part 2 monologue of the Speaking exam
Do eighteen essays (Task 2) and eight Task 1 reports/letters, and review them in detail
Learn tips, tricks and structures to immediately improve your speaking & writing grade
Learn about every type of IELTS Essay and Task 1 report/letter
Improve your general speaking & writing skills in preparation for university study or work in an English-speaking country

Course content

27 sections • 211 lectures • 31h 8m total length

Introduction11:58
A breakdown of the IELTS Speaking exam21:17

Pre-listening — test yourself6:39
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Yuriy (Ukrainian speaker)13:41
Feedback for Yuriy1:00:10
Speaking practice + New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases2:03
Learner Training: Band Descriptors28:41
Explore IELTS speaking band descriptors, including fluency, coherence, lexical resource, grammar, and pronunciation, and learn how feedback keys use discourse markers, lexis, idioms, and pronunciation features to guide improvement.
Post-listening — see your progress5:35
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself4:57
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Yi (Mandarin Chinese speaker)13:13
Feedback for Yi1:11:59
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases2:11
Learner Training: Pronunciation—individual sounds13:22
Skills for speaking formally: Response structure12:23
Master a formal speaking response using a four-part structure: main point, reason or clarification, example, and relevance, with practice and discourse markers to build coherence.
Post-listening — see your progress5:29
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself4:10
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Vincent (Tamil speaker)1:21
Feedback for Vincent56:50
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:19
Learner Training: Pronunciation—weak forms16:05
Explore weak forms in English pronunciation, identify unstressed syllables, compare syllable-timed and stress-timed patterns, and practice reductions like 'you looked as if he was going to cry'.
Skills for speaking formally: Discourse Markers7:20
Learn how discourse markers, also called sign posters, guide the listener in formal speaking, with examples and tips on using them without overuse to improve cohesion.
Post-listening — see your progress4:50
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself6:20
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Rajesh (Nepali speaker)13:28
Watch a speaking test with Rajesh, a Nepali speaker, exploring introducing yourself, motivation, and ideas to improve college education.
Feedback for Rajesh1:30:13
Review of Rajesh’s IELTS speaking performance highlights coherence and grammar gaps, pronunciation issues, and limited lexical range, with reminders to slow down and practice answering questions.
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:15
Learner Training: Pronunciation—connected speech18:26
Identify and practice connected speech and weak forms in English, linking final consonants to the next vowel sounds, using phonemic cues and examples to improve IELTS speaking clarity.
Skills for speaking formally: Complex Structures8:33
Post-listening — see your progress7:00
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself4:24
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Phat (Vietnamese speaker)13:33
Practice an IELTS speaking test with Phat, a Vietnamese speaker, covering self-intro, health, pets, and a 1–2 minute talk on waiting, arriving early, time management, and patience.
Feedback for Phat1:12:03
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:08
Learner Training: Pronunciation—learning through music17:49
Use music to master English pronunciation by focusing on weak forms and connected speech, using Beatles songs like Yellow Submarine to train stress-timed rhythm.
Skills for speaking formally: Fillers6:57
Master formal speaking by using fillers thoughtfully to buy thinking time and help listeners process ideas; learn common fillers, discourse markers, and when to avoid overuse.
Post-listening — see your progress5:04
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself5:16
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Emad (Arabic speaker)13:11
Feedback for Emad1:17:06
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:09
Learner Training: Improving your accuracy11:59
Improve speaking accuracy by recording responses, analyzing pronunciation with transcripts, and identifying improvements. Practice with private uploads and online discussions to build accuracy and useful collocations.
Skills for speaking formally: Asking for clarification2:45
Discover practical formal speaking tips for asking for clarification in IELTS speaking, including phrases like 'could you repeat that' and 'sorry, i didn't quite catch that'.
Post-listening — see your progress5:58
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself4:51
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Mahmuda (Bengali speaker)15:19
Explore an IELTS speaking test session featuring a Bengali speaker from Bangladesh, focusing on pronunciation and grammar, and practice the part two topic of describing a house or apartment.
Feedback for Mahmuda58:19
Provide concise feedback on Mahmud's IELTS speaking performance, noting fluency, coherence, lexical resource, and grammar range amid a weak internet connection. Highlight advanced vocabulary and collocations; recommend slower delivery.
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:15
Learner Training: Practicing without a teacher8:28
Learners practice pronunciation and speaking without a teacher by using Google Docs voice typing and Google Translate to test individual sounds, record errors, and track progress toward clear sentences.
Pronunciation—Intonation5:33
Explore intonation and stress in spoken English through utterances, emphasis structure, and natural listening; learn to use pausing, an app on your phone, and digital service examples to improve pronunciation.
Post-listening — see your progress5:31
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself5:16
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Monique (Portuguese speaker)12:35
Feedback for Monique1:05:05
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:14
Learner Training: Paraphrasing15:42
Discourse Markers: Talking about opinions & Adding contrast14:06
Post-listening — see your progress5:56
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Pre-listening — test yourself4:57
Before you watch the candidate do the IELTS Speaking exam, see if you can answer the questions that come up. You'll compare what you do here with your performance at the end of this section — you should see a big improvement.
Speaking test with Deepika (Sinhalese speaker)13:49
Feedback for Deepika0:24
We deliver targeted feedback for Deepika from Sri Lanka, whose Sinhalese mother tongue creates a considerable distance from English, highlighting how language background informs IELTS speaking and writing guidance.
New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases1:13
Learner Training: Generating ideas for Part 210:35
Discourse Markers: Hedging & Expressing Certainty9:53
Post-listening — see your progress5:37
Now repeat the same task from the beginning of this section. Can you see how much you've improved?

Requirements

Intermediate (B1) English

Description

From ex-IELTS examiner James Castleden's YouTube channel IELTS Step-by-step comes a course dedicated to improving your speaking and writing skills, your confidence, and your time management in the IELTS Speaking & Writing exam. Together, you and James will listen, review and practice 12 IELTS Speaking exams done by students from the major language groups around the world, and, for the writing, complete 18 essays, 8 Task-1 reports (or, if you're doing General Training, 11 letters) and then review them in detail.

You'll learn and practice hundreds of idioms that are particularly useful in the Speaking exam, as well as useful tips on how to answer typical questions in the exam. On top of that, you'll also learn tips, tricks, skills and techniques that will significantly improve your IELTS Writing grade in numerous automatically-graded exercises as well as through Self Assessment tasks which can be discussed on the IELTS Step-by-step Community page on Facebook.

So what are you waiting for? Get that 7+ in Speaking & Writing you deserve!

• Reviews for the Speaking part of this course: •

★★★★★ "Just amazing. Such as a great opportunity to rich that CLB 9. Delightful experience to study IELTS with skillful and educated person."—Юра

★★★★★ "This is a wonderful beginning to know more about ielts speaking sections. The best part of this is part three which is the amazing part to extend your answers about any topic."—Emad

★★★★ "Great content."—David

• Reviews for the Writing part of this course •

★★★★★ "Holy! This course is the best of all writing courses. I'd enrolled then studied for only 2 days without any essay writing experience. I only studied section 2-4(first day) & 9-12(second day), which were not all he taught, and I got 6.5. If I had studied everything he taught, I could have got 7 or above!!! ps thank you James :)"—TW

★★★★★ "Excellence doesn't come from everyone .But this goes above that boundary!"—Deepika

★★★★★ "This course is super-organized and it is helping me to learn everything I need to improve my writing skills. Within a month I improved my score from band 5.5 to 8. Highly recommended!"—Ardian

★★★★★ "I am learning how to write down properly an essay for tasks 1 and 2. I think grammar and vocabulary tips are been essential to developing a great text in the IELTS exam."—Ana

• ABOUT ME •

I have a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Leicester in the UK, and a Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA) from Cambridge University. I've been teaching for over 20 years, the last 10 of which have been predominantly focussed on teaching the IELTS exam. When I was an IELTS examiner, I was fortunate to have access to important aspects of the exam that many teachers and candidates are not aware of — these I can reveal to you in my courses.

Who this course is for:

People who need to take an IELTS test (Academic or General Training)

IELTS Step-by-step Mastering Speaking & Writing

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction2 lectures • 33min

SPEAKING: Ukrainian speaker + Band descriptors6 lectures • 1hr 57min

SPEAKING: Mandarin Chinese speaker + Individual sounds, Response structure7 lectures • 2hr 4min

SPEAKING: Tamil speaker + Weak forms, Discourse markers7 lectures • 1hr 32min

SPEAKING: Nepali speaker + Connected speech, Complex structures7 lectures • 2hr 25min

SPEAKING: Vietnamese speaker + Learning through music, Fillers7 lectures • 2hr 1min

SPEAKING: Arabic speaker + Improving your accuracy + Asking for clarification7 lectures • 1hr 57min

SPEAKING: Bengali speaker + Practicing without a teacher, Intonation7 lectures • 1hr 39min

SPEAKING: Portuguese speaker + Paraphrasing7 lectures • 2hr

SPEAKING: Sinhalese speaker + Generating ideas for Part 27 lectures • 46min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: