• British Council

Understanding IELTS: Speaking

Prepare for the IELTS Speaking test and improve your English speaking skills with this British Council IELTS preparation course.

302,902 enrolled on this course

Man and woman sit across from each other and conduct a recorded speaking test
  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Prepare for success in your IELTS Speaking test

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

This 3-week course focuses on the speaking test. You’ll look in detail at the three parts of the test and learn about the four criteria that will be used to assess your spoken English.

Build your confidence in English speaking

The course will begin with an introduction to the team, where you can find out how they can help you succeed in the IELTS speaking test. We’ll take a look at some examples of questions in part 1 of the test and think about how best to answer them.

In order to build your confidence, we’ll look at ways of improving the fluency and coherence of your answers and come up with effective strategies.

Understand each part of the IELTS speaking exam

In the second part of the test, you’ll get the chance to shine and give a successful talk. We’ll discuss the characteristics of an effective talk and explore how to prepare.

We’ll evaluate the band descriptors and see what you need to do to impress regarding English grammar and pronunciation. Finally, we’ll delve into part 3 of the speaking test and you’ll get to do a practice interview.

Through our tips, techniques and practice activities, you’ll build confidence and feel fully prepared on test day.

What topics will you cover?

  • The IELTS Speaking test format
  • The assessment criteria
  • Understanding the task
  • Building confidence
  • Giving a talk
  • What to expect on test day

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

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

  • Explore the IELTS Speaking test and learn how to improve your test performance
  • Investigate in detail the three parts of the IELTS Speaking test and learn about the four criteria that will be used to assess your spoken English
  • Apply techniques to improve your English speaking and to help you succeed
  • Develop confidence and feel fully prepared on test day

Who is the course for?

This IELTS preparation course is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their English speaking skills in preparation for the IELTS Speaking test. It might also be useful for IELTS teachers. There are no formal entry requirements.

Who will you learn with?

I live and work in Bratislava and have been teaching for more than twenty-five years. I’m the Social Community Manager in charge of the British Council’s global social media channels for learners.

Hi - I'm from Britain but I live and work in Spain. I'm an English teacher, EFL materials writer and online courses coordinator.

Who developed the course?

British Council

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.

We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million people overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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