Welcome to the May 2021 edition of Spotlight Vocabulary.
This is the series where we introduce you to articles containing concepts and vocabulary you can use on test day – for a full range of topics.
You can find even more on our LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.
How To Use These Articles
You can benefit from just reading them.
With a little more time, we recommend recording the words you find -whether on paper or in a vocabulary app.
With more time – it is a good idea to record the whole sentence in which you found the word. This will help you to use the word with correct collocation.
Finally, use the words you learn as often as you can. That way, you can transfer them from your passive to active memory.
Passive vocabulary is good for listening and reading tests, but you need ready recollection for it to be useful in speaking and writing.
For the ultimate practice, book a lesson with one of our teachers or submit a Writing Correction.
Animals and Birds
Archaeology and related technology is starting to reveal what dinosaurs could hear and even what they sounded like. Some good vocabulary for the topic of animals and birds…
X-ray images are revealing how dinosaurs moved, what they could hear and see, & how their young likely chirped. Some great vocabulary for describing animals & birds on #IELTS test day https://t.co/dBRPlE4oEG pic.twitter.com/O9XxmxERQg
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 9, 2021
Returning to the present day, some researchers are trying to speak to whales..
If you thought getting #IELTS band 8.0 was hard, try talking to whales! @CraigAWelch describes how researchers are trying to crack the morse-code-like language of sperm whales. Bring a pencil – there is plenty of high-level vocabulary you can learn. https://t.co/ysCLAnilnk pic.twitter.com/dh1I0sxfX1
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 14, 2021
And here are some more interesting wild animals that you could talk about on IELTS test day…
Technology
Leonardo da Vinci is getting some credit for the first powered flight on another planet. Plenty of technology-related vocabulary in this article…
Does Leonardo da Vinci deserve some credit for designing the machine involved in the first powered flight on another planet? @bdorminey thinks so. Some good #technology related vocabulary you could use for different topics on #IELTS test day. https://t.co/9iZVVDckvw pic.twitter.com/LyTBB0G37i
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 11, 2021
Food (with a side serving of culture and history)
This article is fairly short – so there is no excuse if you are pushed for time. It tells the story of an upmarket restaurant and a slice of history from 1913…
This short article is about a 1913 menu found when renovating a British restaurant. Some good vocabulary you can use to discuss #food, #culture or #history on #IELTS test day. https://t.co/fdQpLGejEh pic.twitter.com/BwHvsIoRFG
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 13, 2021
This restaurant closed a decade ago but speaks of a very different place and time…
If asked to talk about a #restaurant or #food on #IELTS test day – this article by @chrisbobyn is for you. A fascinating read about an untrained chef who brought ‘part exotic dining, part eccentric performance’ to one corner of Scotland. https://t.co/VNP91tlvaL pic.twitter.com/BxRgbrLYtR
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 28, 2021
Neighbourhoods and Ideal Homes
This is one of the most common IELTS topics and this article will give you enough vocabulary and ideas to really impress the examiner of Speaking test day…
If your browser can cope with the ads, @passionforhomes has written a good piece for @walesonline about a lady who turned her local supermarket into her ideal #home. Some good vocabulary for describing your local neighbourhood too! #IELTS #vocabulary https://t.co/h2y8rv6bkO pic.twitter.com/gPzvMZakfc
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 23, 2021
Ever wonder why everything in your neighbourhood seems to be designed for a 6-foot tall British policeman? This article explains and supplies you with Plenty of vocabulary to describe an urban space…
You are often asked to describe #urban spaces or your local #neighbourhood in #IELTS. This article by @ollywainwright gives you some top-notch vocabulary & explains why our cities were built for 6ft-tall men. https://t.co/HtDKZ8k9ox pic.twitter.com/jSQMgVNF9p
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 24, 2021
Trees and Flowers
I think many examiners will have been met with blank stares when they suddenly changed the topic to trees and flowers. If your tree vocabulary needs a boost, this is the article for you…
#Trees and #plants have become a regular topic on #IELTS #Speaking test day. This article by @Sarah_Gibbens @NatGeo will supply you with useful vocabulary as it discusses a never-before-documented flower that has bloomed on a very rare tree. https://t.co/TzZ7fwidb9 pic.twitter.com/1HSBP1B2UF
— Andy T (@withanexpert) May 25, 2021
And there’s more…
We have not shared all of last months collection.
To see the missing articles, and articles from previous months – visit our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
See you next month!