IELTS Prep Resource Guide

Many students ask me this question, so I've put together a list of resources for you that will help you advance one level in English in under six months.

I’m Teacher Joe Gatto. I want to help you improve your English faster so you can achieve your goals and live your dreams.

I’m an IELTS teacher and business English trainer in Thailand. While teaching on Cambly.com, as well as in person in Thailand, I’ve helped thousands of students learn to speak English more confidently.

Most people just need someone to motivate them and create a plan for them to follow so that they achieve their goals faster, so here are some of the best free & inexpensive resources I've found that have helped my students improve their English quickly in order to get the score they need on IELTS and/or get promoted at work.

By following the suggestions below, you'll be able to put together an affordable, self-directed learning program that fits your schedule and budget.

Bookmark this page so you can come back to it, and go through each recommendation step by step.

FULL DISCLOSURE: When you click on some of the links below and make a purchase, the company pays me a commission...you never pay more and sometimes even pay less.

Now, let’s begin with this outstanding free resource that can help anyone improve their vocabulary & listening comprehension skills in English.

Click here to take a free trial to the Audible app. 

You can download 2 free audio books of your choice to help you practice English anywhere. If you really like audio books, a monthly subscription to Audible is a great way to keep yourself immersed in English and build your vocabulary. 

You can choose any two audio books you want as part of the free trial. These two books got great reviews and they look like they would be very helpful...

1. 1000 Questions and Answers to Learn English

2. Learn English: Must-Know American English Slang Words & Phrases

1. Lingoda

I believe Lingoda has designed the perfect curriculum for adults to learn English online. The way they teach the classes keeps students engaged, focused, and motivated. And, people learn faster!

Although it's not IELTS focused, their program will help you learn to speak spontaneously on various topics, which is all IELTS Speaking is. They offer affordable individual & small-group classes, which are a much better deal than studying at an expensive language institute in your city. 

In order to go from B2 to C1 (i.e. reach Band 7) in six months, you must first know where you are now. Take a free level test here to find out.

You can read my full review of Lingoda here. 

I like Lingoda for my IELTS students because too many students are cramming in order to get a certain score on the exam instead of trying to improve their English for life. Lingoda's courses will make you a better communicator and improve your English overall.

2. Magoosh

I also recommend you combine Lingoda's general English training with an IELTS specific program that will make sure you are proficient in all 4 Skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing. That's why I suggest you check out Magoosh's IELTS study plan and sign up for their IELTS prep program here, which is well priced compared to other online, comprehensive programs (and much cheaper than studying in an institute). 

They have excellent, easy to follow training videos covering every detail of the IELTS exam. In addition, they offer outstanding practice tests that are quite close to the real thing. Also look for and download the free Magoosh IELTS vocabulary apps.

3. The British Council's English Online IELTS Coach Program

Although it's not cheap, this is the best IELTS prep program if you have the time and money because the British Council helped create the test. For people that have a lot riding on the outcome of their IELTS exam, and are still quite unsure they can achieve their target score, I recommend you get IELTS Coach Complete.

How can you stay focused and immersed in English learning?

For me, the best way is to use smart phone apps because I can do a quick language learning lesson while eating breakfast or waiting for my lunch (instead of wasting time on social media). 

But which ones are best?

I’ve tried several and there are two I can recommend to you…

First, start with the free version of DuoLingo because it’s fun and engaging. I use it to practice Portuguese when I don’t have much time. The downside is that DuoLingo isn’t very challenging, and the lessons & interface are a bit childish. You will, however, get a good review while learning some new words.

Second, take a free trial to Mondly because it’s more “grown up” than DuoLingo. I’ve been using it to learn Thai. It’s better than DuoLingo because it’s more challenging and keeps me interested. I learn a lot of new words, phrases, and grammatical structures. 

It’s great because they have a lesson for every day and you can go back to previous lessons from before you signed up. In addition to the daily lessons, they have specialized grammar units & situational vocabulary sections that you can access any time. And, there’s a chatbot that helps you practice quick conversations.

Click here to take a 1-week free trial to Mondly.

Here are a couple more apps I like because they are challenging and keep me focused when I study Thai, Portuguese, or Italian: Find Brainscape and Clozemaster in the app stores. 

The point is that as you're studying for IELTS, get out of the habit of wasting time on social media and spend your time practicing English with apps instead.

The next important step to advance your English level faster is to get a tutor and enjoy one on one classes.

You can either choose to take individual classes with Lingoda instead of group classes. 

Or, find a tutor you like on Preply and get a 50% discount via this link. 

Preply lets hundreds of English teachers create a profile and matches them with students. You’re sure to find one you like and has a schedule that matches yours. You can also try some tutors for free. Find one that has experience in IELTS.

A third option is Cambly.com, which is great for busy professionals because you'll be able to find a native-speaking tutor on-call, online at any time of day. This is perfect for people who are already advanced and just need more opportunity to practice speaking English with a native speaker; you'll also get exposed to various accents.

The key takeaway is that you have to practice speaking one on one with a native-speaking teacher who can correct your mistakes and explain how to say it better next time, so you always remember. This is a sure way to advance your level quickly. Although this isn't free or cheap, it's more affordable than taking in-person classes at a big language institute, and you'll learn faster.

I believe pronunciation is the most overlooked part of learning English and this can be a problem for your IELTS Speaking score. Pronunciation is hard to teach in a group class, therefore students don’t get enough individualized attention. You really need one on one assistance from a native speaking teacher to improve your pronunciation faster.

If you don’t have access to a native speaking pronunciation coach at the moment, here are some free (or low-cost) resources for you…

This is an interesting website that has short audio clips of British English pronunciation for hundreds of common words & phrases. Also check out the How To Pronounce Pronunciation Dictionary.

Here's an outstanding YouTube channel that will show you how to pronounce every sound in American English. I love it because the exercises are engaging and easy to follow, and the explanations are very clear and thorough.

Also, sign up for the free accent reduction course at www.rachelsenglish.com, which is the best online.

This is a remarkable, free pronunciation course from the University of California that will teach you how to sound more like a native speaker by learning and practicing how we combine words and where we put the syllable stress. You can find other similar courses here.

Few people have the time or money for daily classes with a tutor, even though this is the fastest way to improve. The next best way is to practice speaking daily with the ElsaSpeak app. Click here to take a 7-day free trial. It's really cool because a natural sounding AI program helps you perfect your pronunciation and keeps you motivated to practice and improve often. If you do this everyday for 6 months, your pronunciation will improve dramatically and really boost your confidence before you take IELTS!

If you’d like to practice speaking with me, I charge $60 for a 50-minute pronunciation/IELTS Speaking lesson. Click here for more details.

When all is said and done, you can study listening and reading by yourself, but it's essential to get a tutor to help you master pronunciation.

I recommend you take an IELTS practice test. Preptical offers excellent practice exams that are just like the real IELTS. In addition, a certified IELTS examiner will mark it for you and give you corrections & feedback about where you need to improve. 

If you plan to take IELTS in the next six months, I suggest you take 5 practice exams so you can be sure you’ll get the score you need.

Click here and enter the coupon code, gatto, during checkout to get a 10% discount. If you don’t need to take IELTS, try one practice test anyway to get a realistic gauge of your current English level.

IELTS Writing is the section that's most difficult for students all over the world. You can make preparing for IELTS Writing easier by using Quillbot. Its most useful tool for IELTS prep is the Grammar Checker. In addition, you can practice writing here with Write & Improve by Cambridge. Here's how to get started...

• I recommend you go to this site to find IELTS writing topics. 

• Choose a Task 2 question. 

• Time yourself for 40 minutes and write your essay. 

• Here are some templates you can use to help you know how to structure your essay. 

• Then, go back to Quillbot's Grammar Checker and see how you did. It will show your mistakes, explain why it's wrong, and give you suggestions to improve.

All of these methods and resources will help you improve your English faster. You’ll be able to to get better without paying for classes at an expensive language center in your city. You can learn English on your own (with a bit of help, of course), study in a way that’s convenient for you, and do it cheaply.

If you need to go from low B2 to C1 as soon as possible, this is how you do it. If you need to go from Band 6 to 7 on IELTS, these methods will get you there.

Of course there are many ways to learn a language faster. You have to find the ones that work best for your learning style and stay focused. Here are a few more tips to accelerate your learning…

Read "How to Learn a Language Fast", to get some quick tips about accelerated learning. And, read these 10 tips for learning a language faster.

Check out this TEDx talk for the key principles & actions you need to learn a language faster. And this one too about how to take the pressure of yourself when learning/speaking English (this is especially important in the IELTS Speaking exam).

To prepare for IELTS Writing, grammar, and the other sections...click here to check out my complete IELTS Resources Guide. Or book an IELTS prep class with me at joe@teacher-joe.com.