Thursday, September 29, 2011

Time to Try IELTS Reading

Now it's time to take a look at the IELTS Reading exam!

Today you are going to try the reading exam, but in 3 parts. For each part, you only have 20 minutes to complete all the questions, and write your answers on the answer sheet. DOWNLOAD THIS FILE and begin Part 1. Use this 20 Minute Timer for each part.

Listening - Beekeeping

For this morning's listening warm-up, please listen to this BBC Six Minute listening exercise about bees in the UK. WHen you are finished listening, please complete the activity, and submit it to your teacher.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

IELTS Reading - True, False, Not Given

Good morning Grade 11! Today we are going to be working on True, False, and Not Given questions. These types of questions ask you to look for information or assess opinions in a text. Before you begin, please DOWNLOAD THIS ACTIVITY

Now, what I want you to do is a) watch the video, b) do the activity, and then c) CLICK HERE to do the online quiz!

If the video is taking too long to load, please download the file to watch it on your computer.
IELTS Reading - True False Not Given Published via LongTail.tv

Monday, September 26, 2011

IELTS Reading - Summary Completion 01

It's time to take a crack at IELTS Reading - Summary Completion. Today, what I would like to do its to GO TO THIS LINK and do the activity there. Once you click "submit" go and ask your teacher what your score is!

Listening - Snake Bites!


Hey Grade 11! For today's lesson, lets do a little six-minute listening DOWNLOAD THIS FILE and get started! 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Top Ten Tips for True, False, Not Given

Perhaps the IELTS Reading question type that causes the most brain freeze amongst test takers is the dreaded True, False, Not Given. The main confusion usually revolves around the difference between false and not given questions, but even true statements will sometimes be deceptive. Take a look at the Top Ten Tips for being successful with the trickiest IELTS questions of them all!


1. Read the whole question. Do NOT focus on key words. Think about the meaning of the question.

2. Be especially careful with words such as “often” and “some”. They can change the meaning of the question dramatically.

3. Be careful with questions beginning “The writer says”: here you need to think about the writer’s opinions and not about facts.

4. The questions will follow the order of the text:
if you can’t find answer 12, you know it must be somewhere between 11 and 13.

5. Do not spend too long on any one question. If the answer is “Not Given”, there may be nothing for you to find.

6. One possibility
is to mark all the “True” answers and all the “False” answers and then guess “Not Given” for the others.

7. False statements will be directly contradicted in the text.

8. Conversely, True statements will be directly supported in the text as well.

9. Be aware of your time management throughout the exam, as there will be three reading passages to get through in only one hour.

10. Last but not least, follow the instructions and fill out the answer sheet as your have been asked to do.


Monday, September 19, 2011

Learning IELTS Vocabulary - Part 1

Hey 11-09! One of the things you are going to need to have, if you want to succeed at IELTS, is to have a much larger vocabulary, especially of academic words. So in order to do that, every once in a while we will be working with bigger, harder words! IN THIS FILE you will find a reading, and four activities. I want you to try the reading first, then work through the activities to help you understand many of the hard words in the reading.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

IELTS Summary Completion Questions

The main skill with Summary Completion questions is the ability to read a text quickly and understand its general meaning. If you can do this, you should be able to predict many of the correct answers even before you analyse the text. The vocabulary skill you need most is the ability to recognise “synonyms”or words that have a similar meaning. This is because the words from the summary may not exactly match the reading passage itself. Another key skill is to think grammar. Each word you place in the summary must fit in grammatically. It helps to know whether you need a noun, adjective, verb or adverb. Remember... concentrate on understanding the meaning of the passage. Don’t try and match words in the summary and the passage. Much of the time synonyms will be used for the answer.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Writing Objective 1.0 - Describe a Process Diagram


Today I would like us to take a closer look at one part of the IELTS Task 1 writing that often poses a great deal of difficulty for students - writing about a process.

When you write about a process, you need to pay attention to the structure of your essay, and the type of language you use in your essay.

First, I want you to WATCH THIS VIDEO, which explains, in detail, exactly how you should write an essay about a process.


IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Writing About a Process Published via LongTail.tv

If the video does not play, click here to download the video.


When that is finished, I would like you to work on ACTIVITY 1, which focuses on points made in the video above.

Finally, I would like you to open ACTIVITY 2, and complete it in class.

Experiencing the Listening Exam

Well, 11-09, this week we are going to get a feel for the different parts of the IELTS exam. It's tough, and it will be a real eye-opener for you. But once you'll get a sense of the real thing, you know exactly what you're up against. It is said that knowing is half the battle.

Today we are going to practice IELTS Listening. Please DOWNLOAD THIS FILE. It contains a practice listening exam paper, and the audio files for it. Remember to use your headphones when listening, so that you don't disturb others.

Good luck!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Writing About a Process - Making Ceramic Knives

Today I want you to watch the video below and in an essay of 150 words, describe the process you see there. Please SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY HERE so your teacher can have a look!

Making Ceramic Knives Published via LongTail.tv

Writing About a Process - Cutting Diamonds

Today I want you to watch the video below and in an essay of 150 words, describe the process you see there. Please SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY HERE so your teacher can have a look!

Cutting Diamonds Published via LongTail.tv


Writing About a Process - Making an Omelette

Today I want you to watch the audio programme below, and to describe the process of making an omelette. IN THE ACTIVITY you have to put the sentences you see in the correct order, based on what you hear in the audio programme.

Making an Omelette Published via LongTail.tv