Welcome to the September 2021 edition of Spotlight Vocabulary.
We have a lot of high-level articles this month that supply high-level vocabulary as well as ideas to help you pass the IELTS test.
We are often asked how to think of ideas for an essay — the answer is to read more, and the articles below will give you a big boost.
We publish more content, including vocabulary lessons, webinars, and links to more curated articles in our exclusive membership area. Contact us if you would like to join.
How To Use These Articles
Read them whenever you have a spare moment — standing in a queue or eating your lunch.
Best practice will see you recording the vocabulary you learn either on paper or capturing it electronically on an app. Ideally, you should be writing down not just the new word — but the whole sentence in which it appears.
Finally — review, revise and use the words often so that they transfer from your passive to your 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 & Fish
Talking about animals is a topic that has been reported often in recent years — as has the topic of fishing. This article will inspire you with a few ideas.
Fancy a break from your #IELTS study? Take a look at these mesmerising photos. You can also learn some excellent vocabulary for discussing birds and fish – two of the more difficult IELTS Speaking topics. https://t.co/Zz0OqXmZhp pic.twitter.com/uvpKf1Pg5O
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 5, 2021
Movies and TV
Listen to this podcast for some suggestions on good quality programmes you can watch — and to pick up some excellent vocabulary to discuss what you see!
Watching a few English films or TV series is an excellent way to improve your English. Talking about TV and movies is also an #IELTS Speaking test topic. @PascalFintoni has a few suggestions for you! https://t.co/RQ1JOBtH5F
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 5, 2021
Communication Technology
Is it better to communicate over the phone or Zoom? This is an IELTS Speaking and Writing question, and the article below will equip you with the vocabulary and ideas you need.
Do the disadvantages of communication technology outweigh the advantages? If you would struggle to answer this #IELTS Writing question – this article has a few ideas to help you. What do you think? Let me know below! https://t.co/uBVtl69UNJ pic.twitter.com/1e3gfPDfXH
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 7, 2021
Accommodation
There is a good chance you might be asked to describe your home at the very beginning of the IELTS test. If you live in a small apartment, you might find the vocabulary in this article useful…
Describing your home or a home you would like to live in is one of the most common #IELTS Speaking topics. This article describes a 3 square meter apartment and uses vocabulary that might help you ace the first part of the Speaking test. https://t.co/ze6EFTmqNK pic.twitter.com/CWmFqTspUZ
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 9, 2021
Urban to Rural Migration
Cottagecore is the new word for the day. If you would struggle to write about urban to rural migration, this is the article for you…
Have you heard of cottagecore? My spellchecker has – so it must be a thing! For many, it is about getting back to basics in a more rural location. This article articulates the idea very well with plenty of vocabulary to help you do the same. #IELTS https://t.co/O3Gzdlek7W pic.twitter.com/MisNo1VFDl
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 14, 2021
Problems in Your Neighbourhood
If you live in a good area, talking about problems in your neighbourhood could be tricky. If asked, you could always say there are none and point out the positives. But the following article might give you some ideas…
How much do you appreciate your bin man? Probably not as much as you should! Plenty of vocabulary in here that could be used in the Writing or Speaking tests on #IELTS test day — particularly for the topics of jobs or problems in your neighbourhood. https://t.co/Ey2nKAAsp9 pic.twitter.com/EjVjv6MDrH
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 21, 2021
Home Working
Is it better to work from home or in an office? This is an old staple question — and this article has points of view from both sides.
Why are employers reversing working from home arrangements faster than expected? Lots of interesting insights in this article with vocabulary and ideas that could feed into both the Speaking and Writing sections of the #IELTS test. https://t.co/O90nUuZytu pic.twitter.com/WkYL5LgvY0
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 23, 2021
Food & Health
It’s that time of the decade when the bad food becomes good again, and the healthy food become unhealthy. Plenty of arguments and counterarguments here to help you write about diet and well being…
Stop press: dairy, salt and steak are all good for you again! And semi-skimmed salt-reduced products are not. Good news if you like food – & lots of good vocabulary for #IELTS test day. https://t.co/cbCxxVWKG6 pic.twitter.com/cYuORkvK39
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 27, 2021
Talking about your favourite dish can be tricky; read this article for ideas and vocabulary on how to talk about taste…
Is spiciness as taste? Apparently not! (You learned it here first.) This article contains a lot of technical language as well as the kind of high-level vocabulary you can use on #IELTS test day. Especially good for food topics! https://t.co/L78X1M9yzu pic.twitter.com/QfthxNZ980
— Andy T (@withanexpert) September 29, 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!