What can I do to improve my English language before my IELTS test?

Improving your language skills takes time and practice. You need a combination of input and output.

Input involves reading and listening to English regularly. For example, you could read an article from an English-language news site every day. Then try to find 10 keywords from the article (these could be words you don’t know, or words you are familiar with). You can then write these words in a vocabulary notebook. Look up the words in a dictionary. Write definitions, common collocations and example sentences in your notebook. You can do the same thing with listening. Watch TV shows and internet videos, or listen to podcasts and try to make a note of the main ideas, and note down new vocabulary.

You can also do Reading and Listening mock tests on the website, follow our Guided Skills courses in the Study area, go to live IELTS classes (or watch pre-recorded versions), and do training and practice. You can access all of these resources on the website.

Output involves you producing written or spoken English. You could write a short summary of what you have read or listened to in the input section above, for example. For speaking, you could try thinking of questions on various topics and answering them, or getting a friend to ask you the questions and answer them. Pay attention to grammar, too, when you read and listen, and when you write and speak. Try to identify any structures you have problems with and study them.

On the site, you can do Speaking and Writing mock tests, and follow our Study courses. For Speaking mock tests, listen to the examiner asking questions and record your answer. You can then review your answers when you finish. For Writing, take a mock test and then compare your writing to our bank of example answers from your History page.

Our Study area also gives you classes, training and exam practice on all skills.

We also have a large number of Grammar, Vocabulary and Using English classes. You can watch these as videos or join the live classes to learn about a range of topics related to the English language. In the live classes, you can ask the teacher questions about the topic at the end of the class.

You can join these in the Classes area:

See also: How do I study on the site?