Understanding IELTS: Writing
Find out what you need to know about the IELTS Writing test and learn techniques and strategies to improve your test performance.
Duration
3 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Understanding IELTS: Writing
Prepare for success in your IELTS Writing test
The four courses in the British Council’s Understanding IELTS ExpertTracks 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 Academic Writing test. You’ll explore the test format and develop strategies for each type of task.
Understanding the IELTS writing tasks
We will begin with an introduction to the IELTS Academic Writing test format, where you’ll receive tips on how to get the most out of this course. You’ll then discover how the assessments work.
You’ll gain an introduction to charts and data, where you’ll learn how to write about numbers and compare numerical data. This part of the course will also involve you learning the proper language to describe dynamic graphs and tables.
Improve your essay writing skills
Next, you’ll be tackling essay writing, which is an important part of task 2 of the writing exam. In order to answer the question at hand, you’ll learn to generate, develop and organise your ideas into a clear plan.
Using your plan, you’ll discover how to create an effective and organised essay, with a strong introduction and conclusion. Finally, we’ll discuss how to write in a more formal style, and go over how grammatical range and accuracy is assessed.
What topics will you cover?
- The IELTS Academic Writing test format
- The Academic Writing task types
- Graphs and charts - language for successful answers
- Planning, writing and checking an academic essay
- Assessment criteria
- 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 Academic Writing test and develop strategies for each type of task
- Investigate the language needed for a successful answer in Task One
- Apply techniques to help you plan, write and check academic essays in Task Two
- Develop confidence, learn how to improve your test performance and feel fully prepared on the day of the test
Who is the course for?
This IELTS preparation course is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their English writing skills in preparation for the IELTS Academic Writing test. It will also be helpful if you’re preparing for the General Training test or the writing section of other English proficiency test.
The course 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.
I´m an MA (applied linguistics) qualified English language teacher who is originally from London, but now working with the British Council in Spain.
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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