Welcome to the October 2021 edition of Spotlight Vocabulary.
In this series, we curate articles that contain ideas and high-level vocabulary you can use in tests like IELTS or OET.
These are just a selection of the articles we read in April; you can find more on our LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. There are even more in our private community.
How To Use These Articles
Just dive straight in and start reading!
With more time, you should try to record new vocabulary to review later.
If you can, write down the whole sentence in which the word appears. Learning new vocabulary in context helps you to recall it later.
Review and use the words regularly so that your brains transfers 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.
Seasons and Festivals
What’s your favourite season? Collocation in this article includes simmering hotpots, scary festivals, fetishising a season of rain, fading light and tedious poetry — and that’s just the introduction.
Some good vocabulary for festivals too!
This article is about autumn and also supplies generous helpings of vocabulary for autumnal festivals. What’s your favourite season? #IELTS https://t.co/BPyn4brDmb pic.twitter.com/u2EC69xOJc
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 1, 2021
Languages
The author of this article argues that while regional differences in pronunciation are OK, we should abandon Norse/Saxon grammar in English for a more standardised form. What do you think? Norse/Saxon grammar is something that loses even native speakers marks on IELTS test day…
I say tomahto and you say tomayto. My wife says dahrling and I say my dear. We all speak differently, and some of us speak different. Does it really matter? Or should Norse/Saxon grammar be abandoned for something more uniform? #IELTS https://t.co/VZmtyAaa0t pic.twitter.com/lwWvmPf0Q0
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 6, 2021
Gadgets
What’s your favourite gadget? Mine is a Mac! Whatever you think of the great Windows/Mac debate, this article supplies you with good vocabulary to answer this question on test day…
Talk about gadgets at home or in the workplace is another topic you might get on #IELTS test day. This article is about how Macs can save you money. What do you think? https://t.co/RWgRbFAG9Y pic.twitter.com/5ETVQPXtlz
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 7, 2021
Hobbies and Surfing
In recent years IELTS has included questions about hobbies and what you like to do a the seaside. If surfing is your thing — and even if it’s not — you might find his article helpful.
This article describes some of the maths behind surfing. Some useful vocabulary for acing the topic of a sport or hobby you have on #IELTS test day. https://t.co/0s02CvV8JX
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 8, 2021
Space
This tweet was originally about sending crewed missions to the centre of the milky way but has been linked instead to a news stream with space-related stories. Lots of interesting articles which will help to inform and educate you for this kind of topic…
Could we reach Jupiter & Saturn by 2080? And could we be sending crewed missions halfway to the centre of the Milky Way by the 2400s? @jamieacarter discusses this & more in this article filled with vocabulary and ideas you could use on #IELTS test day. https://t.co/eMQXTbGuUo pic.twitter.com/lJvg7z2otI
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 14, 2021
Globalisation and Inequality
The Squid Games is the latest hot TV series — but it has a serious message about poverty and inequality. This article helps you to decipher its message in a way that you could utilise for similar IELTS topics…
Squid game gives us a sharp critique of globalisation modern-day socio-economic inequality. This article reviews the series and gives us some great vocabulary we can use when discussing the same topics. https://t.co/cSpMqlngOi pic.twitter.com/hbRT5SY943
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 15, 2021
Social Media
How did social media become a lifeline that many rely on — and can we trust it? This article brings new ideas to a subject you might encounter on #IELTS test day. https://t.co/FfWKZciA9t pic.twitter.com/QeV0miCBEg
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 16, 2021
Food
Some nationalities eat frogs, Britons eat toad in the hole. What special dishes do you have in your country — and do you have the vocabulary to describe them?
Food! Why are fewer people eating toad in the hole and spotted dick? Learn the names of some classic British dishes and pick up some vocabulary for discussing cuisine on #IELTS test day. https://t.co/DGU6Q29q36 pic.twitter.com/0CKP7Cnv2C
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 23, 2021
Animals
What’s your favourite wild animal? Have you ever seen one? Not sure how to answer these questions? This National Geographic article might just be the thing you need. It will ask you for your email address to continue reading — but if you switch your browser to reader mode, you can bypass this…
What’s your favourite animal? Top up your animal vocabulary with this @natgeo article about the mysterious origins of domestic horses. A great read — especially if your #IELTS test is around the corner. https://t.co/kf9A8QhgNn pic.twitter.com/qSzDkncGKh
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 25, 2021
Informal Vocabulary for Describing a Product
The comments/reviews on this page provide you with the kind of informal vocabulary your could use in IELTS Writing General Task 1 — or in the Speaking Test. What’s your favourite piece of clothing?
No — I’m not trying to sell you a pair of shoes! One big gap in vocabulary learning is the words you need for #IELTS General Task 1 & can also use in Speaking. The kind you use when living in an English country. Look at vocabulary in the reviews. https://t.co/Kqfsa7tv5t
— Andy T (@withanexpert) October 27, 2021
And there’s more…
This page only contains a selection of our social media feed.
To see the missing articles, and articles from previous months – visit our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
If you become our customer, you will get access to our private community where we post even more articles — including some with exercises for you to complete.
See you next month!