Best Shelly Cornick and Nick Lone Podcasts (2024)

1
We’re back! And talking about UK university life! 38:39

8M ago38:39

38:39

Yes, after 76 days of silence, Nick and I are back to start a new season of My IELTS classroom! Today, we consider how much IELTS actually prepares you for university life in the UK. We will consider what skills you need to succeed in a degree course and how many are covered in the exam. More importantly, we’ll think about what “gaps” a student mig…

1
Let's do a Cambridge IELTS 18 Reading Test! 52:43

10M ago52:43

52:43

Hey! Today Nick and I tackle a reading from the new Cambridge IELTS 18 book. We choose to passage 3 from Test 2, which is titled "An Ideal City". Why? Well, it's because it contains a rather unusual summary completion question. Usually summaries are given in a single paragraph, or divided into two shorter paragraphs. This summary, however, is divid…

1
Let's do the IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4 listening test! 1:29:15

11M ago1:29:15

1:29:15

Hey! Today, Nick and I tackling the listening test from IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4. This is the latest book of past test papers, so is a great chance for you to practice the most recent IELTS test format. Plus, Nick and I will analyse all of the questions and discuss which we think are "easy" and which are difficult. This is an interactive lesson, s…

1
IELTS Q&A Part 2 - more questions answered by two ex-examiners! 46:22

11M ago46:22

46:22

Hey. Last week Nick and I answered 6 of your questions about the IELTS exam. Today, we go though more of my mailbox to give you answers to enquiries such as how can you tell if a letter is semi-formal or informal when you should complain about speaking scores whether singular and plural nouns are important in the listening exam or not You can ask m…

1
IELTS Q&A - your questions answered by two ex-examiners! 37:29

12M ago37:29

37:29

Every week I get dozens of emails from our My IELTS Classroom students, podcast listeners, YouTube followers and Newsletter subscribers asking questions about the IELST exam. They range from questions are about exam procedures to questions about how the exam is marked or how the student can maximise their preparation. Today, I thought that I would …

1
Cambridge IELTS 18 essays analysed! 46:35

12M ago46:35

46:35

Yes! Finally, on our third attempt, Nick and I have managed to successfully record an episode analysing the essays in the new Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic book. We offer our ideas and insights into the new questions, including how we will organise each essay and what our position would be. Plus, we rate the difficulty level of each question. This is…

1
Why are so many students stuck at a 6.5 for IELTS writing? 1:14:53

1y ago1:14:53

1:14:53

Today, Nick and I discuss one of the most important IELTS questions - why are so many students stuck at a 6.5 for IELTS writing? Is it because there is a conspiracy to trick test-takers, or are there other less sinister reasons? You can find the full episode notes and a transcript of the conversation at http://podcast.myieltsclassroom.com/ This is …

1
New IELTS Band Descriptors for Writing in 2023? 47:41

1y ago47:41

47:41

Hey! A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from one of our listeners (thanks Adam!) asking if all the fuss happening on YouTube about the "NEW IELTS Band Descriptors" was true. My immediate reaction was "probably not", but when I did a deep dive, it turned out that it was! Yes, IELTS have finally released the examiner version of the band desc…

1
Unreal Conditionals in IELTS Listening! 40:25

1y ago40:25

40:25

Today, we continue our journey into the world of IELTS listening any how the exam writers try to confuse you by playing with opposites. This week, we move away from lexis and into the word of grammar. In particular, the 2nd and 3rd conditionals. Nick and I will explain exactly what the 2nd and 3rd conditional are, how they are formed, and how IELTS…

1
Opposites - the listening trick that IELTS loves not the least! 37:17

1y ago37:17

37:17

Hey! Nick and I have recorded many episodes about IELTS listening. Usually, we focus on one particular type of question and break down which listening skills it is testing, and how you should approach it best. Plus, for everyone type of question, there are two or three "tricks" that IELTS uses to try to force you to choose the wrong answer (althoug…

1
Level up your lexis score with phrasal verbs! 40:35

1y ago40:35

40:35

Hey! Today, Nick and I continue our journey into idiomatic language by looking at phrasal verbs. We will explain what phrasal verbs are, how some are separable and some are inseparable, and demonstrate phrasal verbs in action in Speaking Part 1! Useful Links Join our next intensive speaking course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speaking In…

1
Should you use idioms in your IELTS speaking test? 53:18

1y ago53:18

53:18

Hey! One of the criteria to score a 7.0 or higher in the IELTS speaking test is being able to show good use of "idiomatic language". But, what is idiomatic language, and when should you introduce it into your vocabulary. Join Nick and I today to discuss the path that most English language learners take when they are learning lexis when idioms shoul…

1
Let's get motivated for IELTS in 2023! 53:19

1y ago53:19

53:19

Hey! It is the first podcast episode in May, which can only mean one thing - it is time to get motivated! Spring can be a great time of year to start new patterns of living and affect change in our lives. So, why not join Nick and I today as we go back and look at some of the motivational techniques that we have recommended in previous years to see…

1
The Ultimate Guide to IELTS Bar Charts 59:43

1y ago59:43

59:43

We have spoken in depth on the podcast about IELTS maps, and IELTS line graphs before, but today it is the turn of IELTS bar charts. I would say of all the possible charts that you could be given on your exam day, IELTS bar charts are the most versatile. Why? Well, not only can they be used to represent change or to show comparisons individually, b…

1
A technique for really difficult IELTS listening matching questions! 58:49

1y ago58:49

58:49

Hey! Way back in 2020, Nick and I discussed the basic techniques for completing IELTS listening matching questions. However, these are some of the most difficult question in the exam, especially in Part 3, and we have noticed that many students still struggle answering them even when they know the basic principles. That's why today, we want to shar…

1
Six real IELTS essay questions from 2023 analysed! 1:00:15

1y ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Join Nick and I today as we look at six essay questions that have recently appeared in the IELTS Academic and General Training exams. We will discuss our ideas for each topic, explain what our positions would be, and give each question a difficulty rating. You will get far more from this episode if you spend 2 or 3 minutes looking at each question …

1
2 ex-examiners give IELTS Speaking Part 3 feedback! 49:17

1+ y ago49:17

49:17

Hey! 2 weeks ago Nick and I set you to the challenge of recording your answers to 5 very difficult Speaking Part 3 questions. Today, Nick and I listen to the recordings sent by our our listeners to give feedback. We will consider the quality of the students' ideas (and how they could be improved) the appropriacy of the vocabulary used in the respon…

1
IELTS Speaking Part 3 (Rerun) 56:48

1+ y ago56:48

56:48

Hey! We have a technical difficulty here at My IELTS Classroom - the wind is blowing a gale and it has knocked out Shelly's Wifi, so Nick and I couldn't record an episode this week. Therefore, we are re-running our original episode on Speaking Part 3. That way, you can listen to this episode and last week's episode and then take part in our free Sp…

1
Reminder to send us your IELTS Speaking Part 3 recording! 1:40

1+ y ago1:40

1:40

Just a reminder that we are giving you the chance to record your own responses to five IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions and send them to us for feedback on next week’s episode. Record your answers to the following questions on your phone or computer, and email them to us at hello@myieltsclassroom.com before March 12th to be on the show. Remember, yo…

1
Unlocking the Questions in IELTS Speaking Part 3 1:02:19

1+ y ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Take part in our competition to win a free One Month Subscription to all the My IELTS Classroom videos and live lessons, plus a free piece of marking by leaving a comment on one of our YouTube videos that includes the word "podcast" here Then join Nick and I as we first discuss the basics of IELTS Speaking Part 3 and some simple strategies to help …

1
How to develop the arguments in your IELTS essay! 45:42

1+ y ago45:42

45:42

Last year, Nick and I recorded two episodes about how to build paragraphs. They are among our most popular content and have been viewed over 20,000 times. However, even when students extend their ideas and try to justify their position, they can still end up with arguments that are vague and contain almost no topic-specific lexis. Today, Nick and I…

1
All IELTS Cambridge 17 Academic Report Questions analysed! 1:00:30

1+ y ago1:00:30

1:00:30

Hey! I have always loved teaching IELTS Academic Task 1. Many students are afraid of charts, but I have always found that if you teach test-takers some basic principles, then it is always possible to find the key features and organise the report well. However, this week, I was looking at the new IELTS Cambridge 17 Academic Report Questions and I ha…

1
Let's do the IELTS Cambridge 6 Test 3 listening test! 1:03:15

1+ y ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Hey! Today, Nick and I are travelling back in time to complete the IELTS Cambridge 6 Test 3 listening test, which was first published in 2007. Why? Well, it's not because we were younger and better looking then, but because we want to give you a chance to experience the older IELTS test format, which seems to be making a come back in exam rooms. Th…

1
Is the format of the IELTS exam changing in 2023? 45:25

1+ y ago45:25

45:25

Hey! Please do NOT panic! There are no major changes happening to the IELTS exam (that I am aware of) in 2023 - they are not adding a new section to the speaking exam, or changing the amount of time that you have for each section, or making the reading passages more difficult. However, some of our students have reported over the last few weeks that…

1
All Cambridge IELTS 17 Essays Analysed! 51:00

1+ y ago51:00

51:00

Hey! Yes, Nick and I have finally got out hands on a copy of the new Cambridge IELTS 17 General Training book! Today, we look at the four essay questions to discuss how difficult the questions are, how we would approach each one, and what ideas we would use as the basis of our arguments. As always, we recommend that you spend time analysing the que…

1
Can Chat GPT help improve your IELTS Writing? 56:01

1+ y ago56:01

56:01

Unless you have been living under a rock (or not spending every moment on social media), I am sure that you have heard about Chat GPT - the new artificial intelligence search engine that can write advertising campaigns, poems, or hundreds of pages of code in milliseconds (and trust, me this is just the tip of the iceberg). Oh, and I did I mention t…

1
Will 2023 mark the end of your IELTS journey? 53:31

1+ y ago53:31

53:31

Happy New Year! Yes, we are back for a third year of the My IELTS Classroom podcast (albeit a bit late as Shelly has had COVID!) Last year we helped students in 138 different countries prepare for IELTS in 52 episodes that totalled almost 2,500 hours of contest! If you were one of the 150,000 people who downloaded an episodes - THANK YOU! It really…

1
It's our annual IELTS Christmas Quiz! 42:55

1+ y ago42:55

42:55

Can you hear the sound of bells jingling? That't right! It the final Tuesday before the 25th of December, which can mean only one thing - it is our annual Christmas IELTS Quiz. Only this year, there are absolutely NO questions about IELTS whatsoever, so it really us just a chance for Nick and I to let our hair down and talk about the Christmas trad…

1
2 ex-examiners give speaking feedback to 5 IELTS students! 58:18

1+ y ago58:18

58:18

At the end of last week's episode (in which Nick and I explained how the examiner will band your speaking performance for Fluency and Coherence, I sent out a call on social media for our listeners to record themselves attempting four current speaking part two questions. We will highlight some common errors and give expected scores based on the publ…

1
How will the examiner score your Fluency and Coherence in IELTS speaking? 43:53

1+ y ago43:53

43:53

In the IELTS Speaking exam, the examiner will give you a score in 4 areas: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Range, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Your final score will be the average of these four scores rounded down. However, recently I realised that that there is a lot of confusion among students as to exactly what the examiner …

1
A new type of IELTS MCQ's in the reading exam? 58:14

1+ y ago58:14

58:14

Hey everyone. IELTS reading MCQs have always been one of the most difficult to tackle in IELTS. That is because they can either test your understanding of the information given in the passage of your understanding of the writer's purpose or aim. Until now, 90% of questions have focussed on the former, but I noticed that in Cambridge IELTS Academic …

1
The IELTS Life Skills Test explained 31:54

1+ y ago31:54

31:54

Every few weeks I get an email from a student who would like to know how to prepare for the IELTS Life Skills test. Sadly, I know nothing about the test, so I usually just point them in the direction of the official website and wish them luck. However, this week Nick discovered that one of his friend's had recently taken the test, so today he is go…

1
5 IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics 2022 analysed! 51:54

1+ y ago51:54

51:54

Use code BLACK15 to get a 15% discount on all our courses this week. Find out more on this link: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writing Hey! IELTS is well-known for recycling the same topics for Speaking Part 2 again and again. However, they do sometimes introduce new topics into the exam, which can confuse some students. Today, Nick and I …

1
How to ace IELTS Listening Part 3! 48:18

1+ y ago48:18

48:18

Shelly is sick today, so we are planning a re-run of our most popular ever episode - how to nail IELTS Listening Part 3! Many students find Part 3 of the IELTS listening test the most difficult. There are a number of reasons for this: there are more than two voices, the questions usually focus on the outcome of a discussion in which many views are …

1
What is the new IELTS One Skill Retake? 30:53

1+ y ago30:53

30:53

Last week, IELTS IDP announced that they are planning to introduce a new test called the IELTS One Skill Retake. This will give students the opportunity to retake only one section of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking) in the IELTS test if they did not achieve the score they aimed for the first time around. Obviously, this cou…

1
How good is your IELTS spelling? 51:13

1+ y ago51:13

51:13

Today, Nick and I take you on a tour of IELTS spelling. We will cover the basic spelling rules that every test-taker needs to know, such as when you should replace a -y with an -ies, and when you have to double consonants in a word. Then, we will look at words that are commonly spelt incorrectly by IELTS test-takers, before finishing with a light h…

1
What is parallelism and why do you need to use it in your IELTS writing? 34:56

1+ y ago34:56

34:56

Yes! That's right - this week Nick and I are looking at a grammar point - parallelism! This is not a topic that is widely discussed in the IELTS world, but if you are looking for a score of 7.0 or higher in Writing, it is definitely something that you should pay attention to. In today's lesson, Nick and I will explain what parallelism is, and take …

1
Cambridge IELTS 17 letters analysed (we think!) 42:51

1+ y ago42:51

42:51

Hey! Today, Nick and I take a look at what we think are the letter prompts from the new Cambridge IELTS 17. (In other words, although the book was published in July, we were unable to get our hands on a copy so are relying that these are the real questions based on a third source!) We will look at each question in turn to analyse which tone you wil…

1
How to write a genuinely informal IELTS letter! 42:34

1+ y ago42:34

42:34

Hey! I have noticed over the last few years that students really struggle to write letters that are genuinely informal. Even good students who follow all of the language rules for informal letters send me letters to mark that feel "cold" and "stiff" and simply still " too formal". Why is that? Well, that is what I sat down this week to ponder, and …

1
The Top 5 IELTS Essay Errors! 35:34

2y ago35:34

35:34

Hey! We're back this week with a look at some common problems students (who haven't taken our writing course!) run into with essay writing. In today's episode, we look at some common problems with organisation, grammar, and ideas which can prevent YOU from scoring a 7.0. in writing on exam day. In this episode, we will talk about the 5 mistakes Nic…

1
We give 7 students IELTS cue card feedback! 1:10:46

2y ago1:10:46

1:10:46

Today, Nick and I give IELTS Cue Card Feedback to 7 of our listeners. We will highlight some common errors and give expected scores based on the recordings. You can read more about today's episode at: https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-cue-card-feedback-2021 Episode notes Last week, I sent out a call on social media for our listeners to record…

1
Let's do the full listening test from Cambridge 17 Test 4! 57:26

2y ago57:26

57:26

Hey! Last week, Nick and I completed an Academic reading passage from Cambridge 17 Test 4. Today, we thought that we would do the full listening from the same test. Click here to download the questions for the lesson Join us as we complete each section of the test. We will starting by outlining how we would approach each part and reminding you of t…

1
Let’s do a Cambridge 17 Reading test together! 40:28

2y ago40:28

40:28

Join Nick and I today as we go through the Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading – Timur Gareyev – blindfold chess champion In the test, we will discover that although there are definite “rules” for each type of question, there are times when IELTS may break those, so you should be prepared for everything! Plus, if you have never seen our unique Read…

1
The best approach to IELTS Speaking Part 3! 58:29

2y ago58:29

58:29

In IELTS Speaking Part 3, the focus moves away from you to the world around you. This means that you must be able to speak about abstract topics, which is not easy even for high-level test takers. If you want to take part in next week's episode, you can record your answers to the IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions at the end of this blog post: :http:/…

1
Understanding vocabulary in context in IELTS reading! 40:50

2y ago40:50

40:50

Hey! You are in the IELTS reading exam and everything is going well, when suddenly you find a word that you do not recognise, but you know is important. What do you do? Do you pause and think for a few minutes? Do you skip the word and continue reading? Or do you quickly make an educated guess using one of the 5 techniques offered in this podcast?!…

1
NEW key features for Academic Task 1 Maps 2022 44:10

2y ago44:10

44:10

Hey! Maps have long been a possible question-type in Academic Writing Task 1. However, until recently, 99% of maps focused on changes that happened in a town. In recent exams, however, there have been more maps tha focus on changes to specific buildings or road systems. The problem is that many students still try to use the same key features and or…

1
Ideas for 6 Real IELTS Essay Questions 2022! 44:55

2y ago44:55

44:55

Hey! It's time again for Nick and I to generate ideas for some recent IELTS essay questions. Today, we look at 6 real IELTS Essay Questions 2022, which were all taken from exams in July and August. You are welcome to sit and passively enjoy the episode, but you will get a lot more out of the lesson if you actively take part. You can find the questi…

1
How can I generate GOOD ideas for my IELTS essay? 45:52

2y ago45:52

45:52

One of the main problems that students face when they start IELTS Writing is generating ideas for IELTS essays. Today, Nick and I look at one way that you should definitely NOT use to find ideas, and then look at two simple approaches that you should. You can read more about today's episodes at: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/my-ielts-classro…for…

1
IELTS Success Story: Yiqi, China (7.5 in Writing) 40:29

2y ago40:29

40:29

Hey! It has been a long time since we featured one of our student success stories. Why? Good question! I think that I have been so busy teaching lessons, making YouTube videos, and running the school that I just forgot! That's what I am delighted today to introduce you to Yiqi - one of our IELTS success stories from China. Yiqi was accepted onto a …

1
IELTS Reading Multiple Matching Questions Unlocked! 43:55

2y ago43:55

43:55

Hey! A couple of weeks ago, Nick and I looked at how you should approach multiple multiple choice questions in IELTS listening. Today, I thought that we would look at the similar questions that appear in the reading exam - IELTS Reading Multiple Matching Questions. These also ask you to select more than one correct answer from a list, but the techn…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Shelly Cornick And Nick Lone Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide