• British Council

Understanding IELTS: Listening

4.8 (379 reviews)

Find out what you need to know about the IELTS Listening test and learn techniques to improve your test performance.

238,586 enrolled on this course

Understanding IELTS: Listening
  • Duration3 weeks
  • Weekly study3 hours
  • LearnFree
  • Extra BenefitsFrom $59Find out more
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This course is part of the Understanding IELTS program, which will enable you to prepare for your IELTS test. Practise with other learners. Perfect your English..

Prepare for success in your IELTS Listening test

The British Council’s four Understanding IELTS courses will give you a complete guide to everything you need to know as you prepare for the IELTS test.

This course focuses on the Listening test. You’ll explore the format of the test and develop learning strategies to help you tackle the different types of tasks you’ll meet.

You’ll also look at general English listening strategies that will help you cope with the kind of complex texts on unfamiliar topics that you’ll meet in your IELTS studies.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Writing what you hear

    • Listening and me

      Different ways of listening

    • Essential information

      Getting ready for IELTS listening.

    • Filling in the gaps

      Some task types you might see in section 1 of the Listening test

    • Task type: form completion

      Form completion tasks in IELTS Listening.

    • Listening for key information

      Some task types you might find in section 1 of the Listening test.

    • Task type: short answers

      Information on how to approach another kind of IELTS Listening task.

    • Over to you

      A look back at what we've learned this week.

    • Review of the week

      A look back at what we've learnt in this week of the course.

  • Week 2

    Listen better

    • Widening your range

      Listening to a range of different sources can really improve your listening skills.

    • Task type: sentence completion

      Find out about sentence completion tasks.

    • Understanding maps, plans and diagrams

      Find out about the language of location and direction.

    • Task type: labelling a map, plan or diagram

      Find out about labelling tasks.

    • Staying focused

      The importance of concentrating throughout the listening test.

    • Task type: matching

      Find out about the matching task type.

    • Over to you

      Your chance to practice a part of the IELTS Listening test.

    • Review of the week

      Highlights of Week 2

  • Week 3

    Putting it all together

    • Getting ready for the test

      Think about what's been the biggest help for you this far as we look ahead to the rest of the week.

    • Listening to conversations

      Be ready to hear conversations in two parts of IELTS Listening.

    • Task type: multiple choice

      An overview of this task type that is likely to be familiar to you.

    • Lectures and presentations

      Some tips for and practice of listening to lectures and presentations.

    • Task type: note/table/summary completion

      We take a look at the final task type you need to be ready for.

    • Exam day

      Find out exactly what it's like when you take the IELTS test.

    • Over to you

      Your chance to take a full IELTS Listening test.

    • Round up

      After three weeks it's time to wrap up the course.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the IELTS Listening test and learn how to improve your test performance
  • Develop learning strategies to help you tackle the different types of tasks you’ll meet
  • Apply general English listening strategies that will help you deal with the kind of complex texts on unfamiliar topics that you’ll meet in your IELTS studies
  • Develop confidence and feel fully prepared on the day of the test

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. IELTS teachers will also find it useful.

This course is part of the program Understanding IELTS, you can sign up here

Who will you learn with?

David Lewis

I have been working in English language teaching for over twenty years in Europe and Africa, teaching a wide range of classes to everyone from 5 years old and up!

Who developed the course?

British Council

The British Council is on the ground in six continents and over 100 countries connecting the best of UK culture with a global audience and providing high-quality English language courses.

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