IELTS with Fiona: a comprehensive guide to IELTS

With so much entertainment available online, do we still need cinemas and theatres?

In this episode, I'll help you tackle an IELTS Writing Task 2 Discuss both views and give your opinion question about online entertainment and the economic and cultural importance of cinemas and theatres.

You'll learn how to:

🎯 Generate relevant ideas for both sides of the argument
✍️ Plan and structure a clear four-paragraph essay
💡 Develop your ideas with explanations and examples
📚 Use natural, topic-specific vocabulary and collocations
⭐ Write a balanced response with a clear opinion

We'll also look at a Band 7 model answer and discuss what makes it effective, without relying on unnecessarily complicated language.

Remember: You don't need brilliant ideas to get a Band 7. You need relevant ideas that you can explain, develop and organise clearly.

Visit ieltsetc.com for the full essay question, model answer, vocabulary and practice activities.

How do you describe a natural process diagram in IELTS Writing Task 1?

In this episode, I walk you step by step through a Task 1 diagram showing the formation of rain-shadow deserts.

You'll learn how to:

🌧️ identify the key stages before you start writing
🏔️ organise a natural process logically
🔗 show cause and effect clearly
✍️ use linking words and participle clauses to connect stages
👀 select the important details without adding information that isn't shown
📝 write a clear introduction, overview and description

This is a useful example because natural processes can look complicated at first, but once you break the diagram into manageable stages, they become much easier to describe.

The full lesson is included in my IELTS Writing course, my IELTS Resource Library, and in my Task 1 Extension Course: Maps, Cycles and Processes.

Task 1 Extension Course: Maps, Cycles and Processes

Key vocabulary

🌬️ moist = containing water or moisture
moist air

⬆️ rise = move upwards
Moist air rises.

❄️ cool = become colder
The air rises and cools.

☁️ form = develop or be created
Clouds form.

🌧️ rainfall = the amount of rain that falls
There is heavy rainfall on the windward side.

🏔️ windward = the side facing the wind
the windward side of the mountain

🏜️ leeward = the side sheltered from the wind
the leeward side of the mountain

➡️ inland = away from the coast
Dry winds reach inland areas.

🔗 consequently = as a result
The air loses its moisture. Consequently, it becomes drier.

🔄 result in = cause something to happen
This results in very little rainfall.

This lesson focuses on the topic of Happiness as it appears in the IELTS test.

We'll go through vocabulary related to the topic, and I walk you through a difficult Academic Passage 3 text about the science of happiness.

Keywords

mental health  – a person’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.

well-being  – the state of being healthy, happy, and comfortable.

wealth  – a large amount of money or valuable possessions.

the rat race  – a busy and stressful way of life where people compete for success, money, or status.

basic survival needs   – the essential things people need to live, such as food, water, shelter, and healthcare.

possessions –  , the things that a person owns.

optimistic   – expecting good things to happen in the future.

pessimistic   – expecting bad things to happen or focusing on negative outcomes.

materialistic   – believing that owning money and possessions is very important.

to suffer from depression  – to experience a serious mental health condition that causes persistent sadness and loss of interest.

to have a positive mindset   – to think in a hopeful and confident way, even when facing difficulties.

What is this text about?

This book review is about a book called The Happiness Industry by William Davies.

The book says that many governments, businesses, and psychologists believe that their goal should be to make people happier.

These ideas came from a philosopher called Jeremy Bentham, who said that happiness means having pleasure and avoiding pain. He also believed that happiness could be measured.

Today, some governments and companies try to measure happiness and change people's behaviour. They use psychology, advertising, and research to encourage people to act in certain ways.

William Davies thinks this is a problem. He argues that treating happiness like a science can be a way to control people. He believes governments should be careful because trying to make people happy can reduce people's freedom.

Get the full set of notes with Speaking and Writing models plus Listening and Reading videos in the ⁠Resource Library⁠ on my website, and in the ⁠Members Academy⁠ Vocabulary and Reading Courses.

In this podcast, you'll learn key words and concepts that will help you understand and discuss the topic of nature and nurture.

🧬 nature  = the traits we are born with (genetics)

🏠 nurture  = the experiences we go through in life (environment)

The lesson is based around a reading text called 'The Unselfish Gene'.

Find the full lesson notes with audio, video and model answers for Speaking and Writing on my website https://ieltsetc.com.

In this episode, we explore the topic of language(s) in IELTS.

From bilingualism and language learning to language loss and global communication, you’ll learn the key vocabulary and ideas you need for Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking.

Perfect for boosting both your confidence and your band score.

This podcast focuses on a reading about Silbo Gomero, a whistling language in the Canary Islands.

⛳️ Learn 3 common keywords in True, False, Not Given questions.

Get the full lesson in the Bronze Members Academy.

https://ieltsetc.com/2026/04/ielts-vocab-topic-languages-learning/

In this episode, we use the story of the Céide Fields (an archaeological site in Ireland) to help you improve the skills you need for IELTS Listening.

You’ll practise following a real lecture-style talk, identifying key information, making educated guesses, and dealing with common challenges such as recognising paraphrasing, understanding fast speech, and listening for common gap fill answers and spelling patterns for uncountable nouns and plurals.

We also focus on useful topic vocabulary for IELTS, especially words related to archaeology and farming, and show you how these ideas can appear in different sections of the test.

By the end of the episode, you’ll feel more confident handling Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test while building the vocabulary and strategies you need for a higher band score.

bog 🌧️🌿

a very wet area of land where the ground is soft and full of water, often with thick layers of peat that can preserve plants and objects for a long time.

excavation 🏺digging in the ground to find old objects or structures

Neolithic 🪨relating to the late Stone Age, when people first farmed and lived in settlements

settlement 🏠a place where people live, often long-term
grazing 🐄 animals eating grass in a field

paddocks 🚜small fields where animals are kept

soil fertility 🌱 how good the soil is for growing plants

crop rotation 🌾🔁 growing different crops in the same field over time

livestock 🐑 farm animals such as cows and sheep

settlement farming 🏡🌾 farming done by people living permanently in one place

food storage 🫙keeping food to use later

🧑‍🎨 In this podcast you'll learn ideas and vocabulary related to the theme of GENDER, specifically the forgotten role of women in medieval art.

GET THE FULL LESSON ON MY WEBSITE:

https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-tips-and-tricks/

Text Summary

A recent archaeological discovery shows that women may have played a more important role in medieval art than people once thought. Scientists found tiny bits of lapis lazuli in the teeth of a medieval woman buried in Germany. This suggests she may have been an artist who painted manuscripts. The discovery shows that studying dental tartar can reveal surprising information about people’s work and daily lives in the past.

Key vocab

• plaque /plak/ is a colorless film of bacteria, food particles, and saliva that constantly forms on teeth.

• tartar /tɑːtə/ is plaque that has hardened, usually yellow or brown, and requires professional dental cleaning to remove

Gender comes up in all parts of the IELTS test - here are some of the podcasts I've already made:

📚 Reading - Marie Curie, Georgia O'Keeffe, and The History of Women's Football

🎧 Listening - Women's attitudes to finance

🗣️ Speaking Part 3 - Gender stereotypes and inequality

✍️ Writing - Men and Women in Bar Charts

USEFUL VOCABULARY

gender stereotypes 🧩

fixed ideas about what men or women can or should do

behind the times ⏳

old-fashioned attitudes that hold back progress

role models

people who set an example and inspire others 👩🏻‍🔬

to break down barriers

to remove obstacles that stop people from progressing 🔨

the pay gap 💰📉

the difference between men’s and women’s salaries for the same work

equality ⚖️

equal treatment and opportunities for everyone

a patriarchal society🏛️

a society where men hold the main power

a male-dominated field 👨‍💼

a profession where most people are men 👨‍💼

#IELTS

This Listening Part 2 about an archaeological dig will help you review maps 🗺️ and vocabulary related to the topic of Civilisation 🏺.

Get the full Listening Course on my website: https://ieltsetc.com/courses

🏮 To celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse, here's an Academic Passage 1 text all about The White Horse of Uffington - an ancient chalk figure cut into a hillside in England.

The text discusses how and when this 'geoglyph' was created, and my podcast walks you through a set of Gapfill Summary and True False Not Given (TFNG) questions.

It includes tips about:

• ⛳️ red flag clues in TFNG questions, especially comparisons and the use of 'most' (= the vast majority)
• how to skip information that you don't need
• how 'known as' and 'called' lead you quickly to the answer

At the end, we review vocabulary related to ancient customs and traditional celebrations that you can use in the Speaking Test.

👉 Join the Members Academy for the full lesson and lots more on a variety of IELTS topics. Go to my website for more information: ieltsetc.com.

Useful expressions

🎏 This festival is deeply rooted in history.

📆 This ceremony marks the start of the new year.

🎉 These traditions are passed down through generations.

💃🏽 There is a festive atmosphere in the streets.

👹 It is a communal celebration with music and dancing.

🎎 Many people wear traditional costumes.

🪦 Families pay respect to their ancestors during the festival.

🧧It is a public holiday, so everyone can celebrate.

🎎 Family celebrations give us a strong sense of belonging.

🏮 Traditional festivals are important for our cultural identity.

This Academic Reading Passage 1, which is about the life of a well-known artist, will help you review the huge topic of art and the arts in IELTS.

This topic covers writers (Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo in the Listening Test) and sculptors (Henry Moore in the Reading Test) as well as theatres, art galleries, pottery, photography and music.

In the Speaking Test, you might be asked to describe a favourite painting, or to talk about a time you visited an exhibition or museum.

This reading includes lots of vocabulary that will help you describe a painting with precise language.

Get the full notes, video, tapescript, vocabulary lists, quizzes and model answers on my website and join the Members Academy for my comprehensive guide to IELTS Test Preparation.

Describe a picture or painting you like. You should say: 

• what the painting is about 

• who painted it 

• where you first saw it 

  and explain why you like it. 

Some useful expressions

The painting that left a lasting impression on me is… 🖼️

The reason this piece means so much to me is… 💖

The painting depicts… 🖼️

To me, it represents… 🎭

Personally, I find it incredibly… 🌈

The use of colour really stands out… 🎨

It has a timeless quality… ⌛