Introduction to this website

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated January 24, 2017

Introduction to ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

If you have just arrived at this website, you might find it to be rather complex, even chaotic. So, let me explain what this website is all about, what it does and what it does not do, and how to use it.

Background to this Website

Firstly, this is my personal website; it's not connected to any school or organization. I write this website as an interest or hobby in my spare time and so far, I get no income from it. I write it myself, even though I am not an expert at creating a website.

It was originally written for Chinese people who are preparing for the IELTS test, but now about 50% of my visitors are from other countries. My knowledge of the Chinese language is just basic and (at the moment) I do not use other people to translate the web pages since many of the web pages change quite frequently.

The website is mostly about the IELTS Speaking test, although I have a small section on the Writing test, which I might expand in the future. As well as that, you will be able to find resources on the internet to help you improve your listening ability and other skills for the whole IELTS test, by going to some of the websites I recommend on the page, 'Studying English on the Internet'. You can also find similar information by going to some of the sites on this page: 'General IELTS Links' (which is listed as, "Internet Information about IELTS" in the drop-down menu on the front page.)

There are some things that I assume about you, the reader.

First, I assume your English reading ability is at least Band 5.0 IELTS standard (or a "strong" Band 4.5). If you are much lower than that, you will find it a bit difficult to read my English. Use the Google translation function at, 翻译, if and when you have any problems.

Second, I assume that you have some background knowledge or understanding of the IELTS Speaking test. If you don't, you can go to some of the websites I have listed on this page, 'General IELTS Links' and read about the test, in Chinese if you want. You also should first read the following two pages in order to better understand the test: Speaking Test Summary and The Grading Criteria.

Third, I assume that you are mature enough, and have the necessary study skills to study by yourself in order to improve your English and to prepare for the test. This includes the ability to handle a lot of information, such as the large number of Part 3 questions. If you have just finished high school, you might not be used to a situation where you, not the teacher, decide what to study and how to study it. But if you hope to be a university student overseas, you need to have this maturity and these skills. Nevertheless, since I am the teacher and the IELTS expert and you are the student, I will give you some suggestions on what to study and how much time to spend on it.

Finally, I assume that you have more than just one or two days before your IELTS test. If you do only have a couple of days, I explain on the page called, "Study Guide to this Website" what to do.

The Contents of this Website

The website is broadly divided into two sections: a) Lists of real topics and questions that were previously used in the speaking test and, b) Information to help you improve your real, overall speaking ability and your ability to speak well in the test.

a) Information about the Real Topics and Questions

I used to collect information about the real questions being used in the speaking test from various message boards on the internet, but I have stopped doing that now. What you will find on this website now is just a collection of the previously used topics and questions, from 2006 to August 2016.

Note: This website does not give you answers that you can memorize and use in the test. If I wrote answers and put them on this website, those answers would quickly become useless and even damaging to you. This is because the examiners would be given a list of these answers and, if they heard a candidate speak one of those answers, the examiners would then reduce the candidate's score. Not only that, examiners can usually recognize answers that are 100% memorized and, if they hear such answers, they will both reduce your score and ask you more difficult questions than usual. Nevertheless, if you read this website carefully, especially any notes that I have written about some questions, you will be able to find several examples of model answers that you can use or adapt.

b) Information to help you improve your real, overall speaking ability and your ability to speak in the test.

Basically, this information is found in the drop-down menu on the front page under the heading, "Improving Your English".

There's a lot of different information here to help you but if you only have a short period before your test, you won't have time to study everything. I have written a separate page, called "Study Guide to this Website" that you can use to decide how to best use this website. Depending on how much time people have, they will use this website in different ways.

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