IELTS Reading - Tips & Tricks - Part 1

In order to do well on the exam, you're going to need to know what to expect, and how to best approach different types of questions.

Take a look at the tips and tricks sheets below.

IELTS Reading:

Multiple Choice

Identifying Information (T/F/NG)

Matching Information

Matching Headings

Focus on IELTS Foundation - Chapter 1 Activities

Hey Grade 11, it is time to learn some IELTS!

Since you only have access to an e-Text this year, and can't write on it like a normal textbook, we have made some activity sheets linked to the chapters. Just download them, open them with Preview, and write your answers! Whe you are done, submit them to your teacher.

Vocabulary 01

Grammar 01

Reading 01
Reading 02

Speaking 01
Speaking 02

IELTS Reading - Pre-Quiz Quiz!

It is time to prepare for the system wide quiz for Term 3. Here is a practice quiz that will help us see your level!

IELTS Reading - Term 3 SWQ1 Pre-Quiz (YNNG, Short Answers)

IELTS Reading - Yes No Not Given

Figuring out opinions and the positions of writers can be tricky. On the IELTS Exam, on of the hardest question types to answer is "Task Type 8". Type eight has two forms - True/False/Not Given, and Yes/No/Not Given. It is the Yes/No/Not Given questions that focus on opinion based writing, and consequently, are some of the trickiest questions to answer.

Let's Practice!

Environment 01 (PDF)
Environment 02 (PDF)

IELTS Reading - True False Not Given

Time to do some IELTS Reading!

Today the subject is "Health & Fitness." Each activity contains a set of True/False/Not Given questions for you to ponder.

Let's get started!

Health and Fitness 01 (PDF)
Health and Fitness 02 (PDF)

11-01 Multimedia Presentations

Click Here to see 11-01's awesome multimedia presentations.

11-09 Multimedia Presentations

Click Here to see all of 11-09's awesome presentations!

Project - Preparing for a Job Interview

It's Term 3, and that means the school year is almost done. But you still have to do your project!

For our project this term, we will be preparing and practicing for a job interview. In this project, you will examine your own strengths, look at good and bad interview answers, and then do a live practice job interview. Each section of this project is worth 10 marks, and will constitute the project portion of your Term 3 mark.

PART 1 - Your Strengths
In Part 1, you will create a video essay where you discuss your strengths.

a) Open this document and follow the instructions.
b) Look at the example video essay below. This is what you will need to do.


Download the video
PART 2 - Good vs. Bad Interview Answers
In an interview it can be very easy to give a bad answer to a question, and a bad answer ensure that you will not get the job. In this part of the project, we will look at good answers and bad answers to common interview questions.

a) Open this document and follow the instructions.
b) Using a combination of Keynote and Photo Booth, you will create a video presentation where you will demonstrate good answers and bad answers to each interview question.

PART 3 - The Job Interview
In this part of the project, you will need to work with a partner. Your partner will pretend to be someone who is interviewing you for a job. You will record the interview using iMovie.

a) Open this document and follow the instructions.
b) Look at the example of a job interview below.


Download the video

11-06 - Multimedia Presentations

Click here to see all of 11-06's awesome multimedia presentations!

Writing a Thesis - The Basics

Hello!

Writing is tough, and the toughest part is knowing what to write about. At the beginning of an essay is the thesis, which is basically the "what" of the essay.

Writing a thesis is often the most difficult part of writing for most students. Today we are going to look at what makes a good thesis, and break the task down and make it easier to under stand.

Here are the first three activities!

1) Debatable vs. Non-Debatable

2) Narrow vs. Broad

3) Types of Claims

Listening - Al Gore Warns on Latest Climate Trends

Listen to Al Gore talk about the latest concerns in climate science. (7:49)

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Respond to the video here.

IELTS Speaking - Term 2 Exam

It's speaking exam time! Just play the video below, and screen record yourself (showing your face in a movie window) while you do the exam. If you need a refresher on how to do this, please see the post "Recording Your Speaking Exam" below.


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Download the video

IELTS Speaking - Examples of Part 3

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IELTS Speaking - Examples of Part 2

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IELTS Speaking - Examples of Part 1

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IELTS Speaking - Recording Your Exam

*Important note!
 If you start recording, and the recording suddenly stops after a couple of minutes, it is probably because you have no space on your hard drive. Free up some space and try recording again.

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IELTS Speaking - Preparing for Your Exam

Your Term 2 speaking exam is coming soon. Here is a video of some advice to help you prepare.

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IELTS Listening - Technique and Practice

Today we are going to look at some IELTS Listening techniques, and then practice these in a number of activities.

Please watch the video, then do the activities below.


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Activities
IELTS Listening - The Digital Divide

IELTS Listening - Changes in Intelligence

IELTS Listening - Changes at Work

Writing About Charts - Guided

Getting an essay right can be hard. It is even harder to do when you don't quite know how to go about constructing the essay.

The IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is difficult in this way because not only do you have to write, but you have to interpret and explain a graph also.

Today we are going to practice writing a task 1 essay through a guided exercise that will hopefully make the task a bit easier.

IELTS Writing – Task 1 Charts – Guided Essay

And when you are done that...

IELTS Writing – Task 1 Charts – Guided Essay Follow Up

Comparing & Contrasting

WHen you come across a graph, you often have to use the language of TIME. But when you come across a chart, where time is absent, you have to use the language of COMPARE and CONTRAST.

Today we are going to practice comparing and contrasting, by completing sentences with words that point to comparison or contrast.

IELTS Writing - Task Type 01 – Compare and Contrast Language

Speaking - How Words Can Change Meaning

Today we are going to look at how words can change meaning based on how they are said. Watch the video below, then do activities 1 and 2!

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Activity 1
Listen to the videos and answer questions 1-6 on this form.

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Activity 2
I want you to do a video recording of yourself, where you say the following four words, using the six emotions discussed in the lesson.

1) Hello
2) Pancakes
3) Football
4) School

Term 2 Project - Part 1 (Creating an Online Survey)

For our term 2 project, we are doing the following:

1) Creating Surveys

2) Collecting Data

3) Making Charts of that Data

4) Analyzing the Charts in the IELTS Task 1 Academic Writing Style

PART 1 - Creating Online Surveys

To start off, you will need to get in a group of 2-3 people (max). Then you need to pick a topic. Under the subject of "Technology" you will need to find a very specific topic to create a survey about. So instead of a survey about computers in general, you would create a survey about operating systems, or laptops, or applications, for example.

Next, each person needs to write 3 questions about this topic. The groups will submit those questions to the teacher.

After that, the groups will create an online survey using Google Docs.  How do you do that? Watch the video below.

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Once the survey is finished, submit it to your teacher for approval.

After getting the approval, post the link to your survey on your Facebook, Twitter or other social network site, or e-mail the link to friends and family and ask them to help you with your school project!

If the video is playing too slowly, DOWNLOAD it.

Listening - Moon Landing

Time for some more Six Minute English!

Today we get to learn a little bit about the Moon Landing.

Download today's activity!

Listening - Mobile Phones

Time for some Six Minute English!

Today you will listen to a talk about Mobile Phones. After listening, complete the activity!

Six Minute English - Mobile Phones

IELTS Reading - Labeling a Diagram

Labeling a diagram can be pretty tough, so we thought it was high time for a little practice!

Here are some activities where you have to first read a text, then label a diagram, using information from the text!

A) Labeling a Diagram 01

B) Labeling a Diagram 02

C) Labeling a Diagram 03

IELTS Reading - Sentence Completion

Hey all! Now it is time for possibly the very hardest question type on the IELTS exam - Sentence Completion.

There are TWO versions of sentence completion, and one of those two can seem impossibly difficult. But don't worry, with practice, you will get the hang of it!

Today we are going to tart of with two "Sentence Completion" style activities.

A) Sentence Completion 01

B) Sentence Completion 02

Reading - Money

Money is a funny thing, isn't it? Especially paper money. Is a $100 bill worth $100? Or do we just think it is?

Today we are going to read about the history of paper money, and then answer some questions.

Please download today's activity and get started!

Listening - Stone Money

Don't know anything about economics? Well, no fear, because in Term 2 we will be reading to, and listening to a lot of stuff connected to economics and money.

Today we have a podcast for you to listen to called "The Island of Stone Money" which was made by the Planet Money podcast.

After listening to the podcast, your task will be to write a 100 to 200 word summary of the show, where you describe:

A) What stone money is,
B) Why stone money is valuable, and
C) What money is.

*If the audio is loading too slowly, DOWNLOAD the file.

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Listening - Cyber Crime

Today we are going to listen to a conversation with an FBI agent who will talk about the subject of "Cyber Crime". Here is what you have to do!

A) Download the activity files.

B) Open to the .mp3 and listen to the conversation.

C) Complete the vocabulary activity.

D) Complete the main activity, which includes IELTS formatted questions.

IELTS Speaking - Making Notes

Hello!

Today we will practice "taking notes" for the IELTS Speaking Exam - Part 2.

Please download this Keynote file, and get started!

IELTS Speaking - Practice Conversation

Conversation practice time!

Today I want you to find a partner, and at least one of you must have a laptop.

Using iMovie or Quicktime, you are going to record you and your partner having a conversation. One of you will ask questions, and one of you will answer. Then you will switch!

Download this activity, and decide who is going to ask what questions. Then begin!

IELTS Speaking - Part 2 Practice

Today we will practice the 2nd part of the IELTS speaking exam.

Here is what you will do:

A) Download this activity, and follow the instructions inside.*

B) Make sure you hand it in!

*You can either record the audio using MS Word's "Notebook" layout (This allows us to add "Audio Notes" to our assignments), our you can do a screen recording. Your choice!

New Year's Recollections

Good morning Grade 11! I hope you had a great holiday and a Happy New Year.

Let's start things off with something fun.

You assignment is to do a screen recording, where you:

A) Go to this website

B) Watch the slideshow and comment on the pictures. You need to read the caption, and tell me a few things about what is happening in the picture, or where it is taking place.

C) Remember to "Save As" iPod format before handing it in!