Whether you’re looking for an online Speaking partner to prepare for your IELTS test, or whether you just want to work by yourself, there is plenty of help available online.
Here are some of the useful links I’ve found. You can practise Speaking by yourself by
- recording yourself (more tips here)
- using a captions generator like Flipgrid which will let you know which sounds it didn’t pick up
- ‘shadowing’ – listening to Ted Talks for example, and trying to copy and mimick the speakers when you pause the video.
- Powerpoint Presenter Coach – this gives you feedback on your performance (see video below)
Please let me know in the comments if you find anything useful that you think I should add.
Join the Members Academy for my Speaking and Pronunciation Bootcamp, which is designed to improve your Speaking score in 28 days. Daily Speaking classes are included in the price.
I do NOT recommend any of the most popular online tutoring companies like Italki and Cambly, due to the very negative stories I have heard about the way their teachers are treated and paid.
Pronunciation sites and apps
Homophones and confusing words
Interactive Phonemic Chart (OUP English File Website)
My YouTube guide to getting started with the Phonemic Chart
Macmillan How to use the Phonemic Chart (YouTube)
Youglish – hear how things sound in natural speech and real contexts
Forvo – hear different accents pronouncing the word you need
British Council LearnEnglish Sounds Right
Pronunroid – a game to practise English phonetics
Say It: English Pronunciation – ‘Hear the Oxford model, see the soundwave, then record and compare your pronunciation’
50 commonly mispronounced words in English – a really useful list with models.
Peaksay – free app to practise pronunciation
Pronunciation expert Mark Hancock has an excellent set of pronunciation materials to practice different sounds.
ELSA – AI powered Speaking Coach app
Websites for IELTS Speaking
I thoroughly recommend Keith O’Hare’s IELTS Speaking Success website.
I would recommend TED-IELTS’s Facebook group to find reliable and trustworthy Speaking Partners
Find lots of cue cards and examples for each topic on IELTS Mentor
IELTS Buddy is another good place for cue cards.
British Council ESOL – everyday speaking practice
Scientific American A useful podcast with 1-minute IELTS-style articles
Build your Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking
The Academic Word List (AWL) – PDF version and sublists
Academic Word List – with all forms (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)
Compact version of the Academic Word List – easy to print off and carry around!
Road to Grammar also has a nice quiz using words from the AWL.
Academic Word List Practice Exercises – another good place to practice.
English Vocabulary Exercises – Academic Word List Quizzes
Academic Phrase Bank – from Manchester University.
A-Z of formal and informal synonyms – the Plain English Campaign
My own list of irregular academic word forms with practice exercises
How NOT to use IDIOMS in the IELTS Speaking Test.
Grammar for IELTS
- The well-known coursebook, English File, has its own site with lots of graded grammar practice
- This German site gives clear examples and useful exercises (it’s not in German though, don’t worry!)
- Confusing words, common errors (and LOTS more) on the same German site!
- Road to Grammar – another well-organised site with lots of practice of different language items. Click here for IELTS-specific practice.
- English Club has a great grammar section with lots of quizzes.
Collocations for IELTS
List of collocations – 42 pages of academic collocations in a PDF
50 Useful Academic collocations
Collocation Checker – Just the word
SKELL – helps you find words that go together and synonyms
Find the word you need with Netspeak – read the instructions first!
English Club has a fantastic A – Z of collocations!
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