Are you…
planning to take the IELTS test but struggling to get the results you need?
confused by all of the different advice you get on YouTube?
disappointed by your lack of progress and thinking of giving up?
As a highly qualified and experienced tutor, I can help you get the score you’re aiming for, in a way that fits around your busy life.
Hi, I’m Fiona, an IELTS coach with over 30 years of teaching experience.
I can help you
stay motivated and make real progress day by day
feel confident that you fully understand what the test requires
finally get the IELTS score you need
How my 1:1 coaching will help you get the score you need
Most online IELTS courses give you information. But without the help of a tutor, you will not get the transformation you need to get a Band 7+ score.
The 1:1 Coaching Program will support you with every aspect of your IELTS preparation.
Unlike many other courses, it is an interactive study program where you will develop your skills in a variety of ways, according to your preferred learning style.
It uses a blended approach of
- 5-10 minute daily videos
- colour-coded worksheets and model answers
- interactive quizzes
- self-paced slideshows
- integrated grammar reviews and mock tests
so that you develop, review and apply all 4 skills, and improve your test-day strategies at the same time.
What’s different about the Members Academy Coaching Program?
As well as ALL of the courses and materials, you’ll also get my detailed feedback and assessment on your Writing and Speaking, with specially-chosen follow-up action points that relate to YOU as an individual.
My members have found that this is the quickest and most effective way to get better test results, even though they have busy jobs and families.
BONUS 1: Get full access to the Members Academy Library of resources
BONUS 2: Get 150 pre-recorded Writing Webinars with model answers.
Bite-sized lessons
Short, step-by-step videos will guide you through every aspect of the IELTS Test with REAL practice.
Private blog
Exclusive new lessons for Members Only, and a search bar of lessons so you can quickly find what you need.
Worksheets and Models
Practise what you’ve learnt with examples that you can re-use in the exam plus a variety of interactive activities and all new materials over 12 months.
Access to me
I’m here to answer your questions and give accurate, expert feedback, follow-up lessons and monthly live Zoom meetings.
INSTANT, unlimited access
Get all the courses and materials as soon as you join.
Private Community
Get motivation and support from like-minded students with regular meet-ups on Zoom and a private online group.
Writing & Speaking Coaching
You will get personalised feedback and support as we work together on your Writing and Speaking.
Personalised Study Plan
After our first 1:1 session, you will get a clear syllabus that is designed to start from where YOU are now.
Library of resources
Exclusive access to a library of checklists, ebook, PDFs, models and challenges to keep you focused PLUS ALL recorded webinars.
What do my Coaching Clients say?
NEED A FEW MORE DETAILS?
Look inside the Members Academy Courses
Academic Writing Task 1
You will learn how to:
- Produce an excellent Band 7+ report
Week 1
Day 1: Mindset
Day 2: Strategies
Day 3: Band Descriptors
Day 4: Finding 3 key features
Day 5: Verbs of change: Past Simple
Day 6: Adverbs of change
Day 7: Nouns of change
Week 2
Day 8: The introductory sentence
Day 9: Choosing tenses
Day 10: Making predictions
Day 11: How to add data
Day 12: Prepositions
Day 13: Writing an overview
Day 14: Percentage and Proportion
Week 3
Day 15: Comparisons
Day 16: Twice as much/as many
Day 17: Double/twofold
Day 18: Organising Information (Coherence)
Day 19: Linkers (Cohesion)
Day 20: Present Participle
Day 21: Synonyms
Week 4
Day 22: Changes to a town 1
Day 23: Changes to a town 2
Day 24: Changes to a plan
Day 25: A natural cycle
Day 26: A process diagram
Day 27: Articles
Day 28: Review
Get a bank of Models and worksheets so that you can practise a variety of answers.
Writing Task 2
You will learn how to:
- write an outstanding Task 2 Essay
Week 1
Day 1: Overview – busting the myths
Day 2: Essay types
Day 3: How to get ideas
Day 4: PEEL paragraphs
Day 5: How to present a clear position
Day 6: How to write the introduction
Day 7: General Statements
Week 2
Day 8: How to show clear progression
Day 9: How to use a range of cohesive devices
Day 10: How to use reference words
Day 11: How to use advanced Linking Words
Day 12: How to write the conclusion
Day 13: Problem-Solution essays
Day 14: Unless
Week 3
Day 15: How to be formal
Day 16: How to show range and flexibility
Day 17: How to show awareness of style
Day 18: How to use less common words
Day 19: How to hedge
Day 20: Articles
Day 21: Quantifiers
Week 4
Day 22: Adding Emphasis
Day 23: Adverbs
Day 24: Functions
Day 25: Punctuation
Day 26: Common mistakes
Day 27: Critical thinking
Day 28: TEST
Get a bank of Models Task 2 essays and worksheets, integrated grammar lessons, plus a bank of pre-recorded Feedback webinars so that you can practise a variety of answers and find out what the examiner’s thinking.
GT Writing Task 1
You will learn how to:
- Write a perfect letter or email
Week 1
Day 1: Mindset
Day 2: Formal and informal greetings
Day 3: Getting the TONE right
Day 4: How to write a formal letter of complaint
Day 5: How to write an informal complaint
Day 6: Letter to a landlord
Day 7: Review Test
Week 2
Day 8: Formal requests
Day 9: Informal requests
Day 10: Request for information
Day 11: Giving advice
Day 12: Suggestions
Day 13: Problem-solving
Day 14: Review Test
Week 3
Day 15: Job applications
Day 16: Present Perfect
Day 17: Extreme Adjectives
Day 18: Too much/many
Day 19: Polite (indirect) questions
Day 20: Reported speech
Day 21: Reporting verbs
Week 4
Day 22: Review Test
Day 23: How to apologise
Day 24: Regrets
Day 25: Storytelling
Day 26: Phrasal Verbs
Day 27: ‘ing’ verbs vs infinitive
Day 28: Review Test
Get a bank of Model Letters and worksheets so that you can practise a variety of answers.
READING
There are TWO Reading Courses in the Academy.
You will learn how to:
- read faster
- master the different question types
Part 1: True/False/Not Given questions
Day 1: How much do you know?
Day 2: Using text structures
Day 3: TFNG – the basics
Day 4: TFNG – some tricks
Day 5: YNNG – the basics
Day 6: YNNG – advanced
Day 7: Mock test
Part 2: Gapfill questions
Day 8: Completing ‘notes’
Day 9: Completing a summary
Day 10: Gapfill with answers
Day 11: Completing a table
Day 12: Flow charts
Day 13: Labelling a diagram
Day 14: Open questions
Part 3: Matching questions
Day 15: Using first lines
Day 16: Using text order
Day 17: Matching information
Day 18: Matching categories
Day 19: Matching people
Day 20: One, both or neither?
Day 21: Matching sentence endings
Part 4: Multiple Choice questions
Day 22: Choosing dates
Day 23: Choosing statements
Day 24: Multiple choice
Day 25: Global questions/overall aim
Day 26: The Computer-Delivered Test
Day 27: How to manage your time
Day 28: Timed Mock Test
Get real tests with explanations and key vocabulary lists for EACH ANSWER so that you build your understanding and familiarity with different text and question types.
LISTENING
You will learn how to:
- tackle the different question types
- listen for signals and distractors
- learn commonly-used gapfill words
The Listening Module takes you through each part of the test with detailed practice on each question type.
It uses real listenings and provides worksheets with common answers and difficult spelling rules.
Part 1
Day 1: Practice Test Walk-Through
Day 2: Listening for NAMES
Day 3: Listening for NUMBERS
Day 4: How not to lose points
Day 5: Complex examples and tricks
Day 6: Full Section 1 with tips
Day 7: Full Practice test by yourself
Part 2
Day 8: Multiple choice
Day 9: Choosing from a list
Day 10: Completing a table
Day 11: Labelling a map
Day 12: Identifying distractors (tricks!)
Day 13: Labelling a map/floor plan
Day 14: Practice Test
Part 3
Day 15: An expert interview (Australian accent)
Day 16: Gap fill
Day 17: Choosing from a list (American accent)
Day 18: Matching information
Day 19: Identifying opinion
Day 20: Listening for who does what
Day 21: Practice Test
Part 4
Day 22: Practice test walk-through
Day 23: My research into typical answers
Day 24: Multiple choice in a lecture
Day 25: Getting through a long gap-fill text
Day 26: How to use signals and bullet points
Day 27: Final test and reference words
Day 28: How to transfer answers
The lessons use real tests and tapescripts, so that you can go back and listen to improve your understanding of accents and fast, connected speech. Get extra practice with FULL MOCK TESTS.
VOCABULARY
Vocabulary is the single most important factor in getting your Band Score above 7.
In the Vocabulary Booster Module you will:
- learn the most essential vocab to get you a higher score in all areas
- quickly build your vocabulary knowledge by focusing on collocations
- constantly review the vocabulary so that it ‘sticks’
- actively use the vocabulary in the integrated writing and speaking tasks built in to the programme
Each lesson focuses on one IELTS topic and includes practice for EACH skill plus a Revision video and quiz, worksheet booklet, word formation booklet and my mindmaps.
The course topics are:
Day 1: Farming/Agriculture
Day 2: Nature
Day 3: Wildlife
Day 4: Pollution
Day 5: Recycling
Day 6: Water
Day 7: Tourism
Day 8: Housing
Day 9: Buildings
Day 10: Cities
Day 11: Development
Day 12: Civilisation
Day 13: Transport
Day 14: Crime
Day 15: Family
Day 16: Personality
Day 17: Gender
Day 18: Happiness
Day 19: Health
Day 20: Leisure
Day 21: Finance
Day 22: Education
Day 23: Languages
Day 24: The Arts
Day 25: Technology
Day 26: Research
Day 27: Inventions
Day 28: The Future
GRAMMAR COURSES
Grammar lessons are integrated into the Writing and Speaking lessons.
But I noticed my members struggling with Conditionals and The Perfect Tenses, so there are 2 courses that give you ONE grammar point to master each day, with a short video or live lesson, followed by a variety of IELTS-related practice exercises (so that you don’t waste time practising language that you’ll never use).
1. Conditionals
This covers:
- Zero Conditional
- First Conditional
- Second Conditional
- Third Conditional
- Mixed Conditionals
2. Perfect tenses
This covers:
- Present Perfect
- Past Perfect
- Modal Perfect
- Future Perfect
You will finally understand how these essential grammar points work, and be able to use them with confidence in different parts of the test.
PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP
This is a small, dedicated community of like-minded students, where we post every day and share resources.
It’s also a place where you can ask questions and get help when you need it.
SPEAKING
You will
- develop your Speaking Skills so that you can maximise your performance in the 15-minute test
Week 1: Part 1
Day 1: Intro and the ‘schwa’
Day 2: Your home
Day 3: Your job/studies
Day 4: Present Perfect for experience
Day 5: Past Tenses
Day 6: Storytelling tenses
Day 7: I’d rather vs I’d prefer
Week 2: Part 2
Day 8: Word stress
Day 9: Contractions
Day 10: Vulnerable vowels
Day 11: Used to
Day 12: Past Perfect Continuous
Day 13: Connected speech
Day 14: 2-minute challenge
Week 3: Part 3
Day 15: Generalisations
Day 16: Signals
Day 17: Adverbs and opinions
Day 18: Predictions
Day 19: Comparisons
Day 20: Intrusive sounds
Day 21: have to
Week 4: Part 3
Day 22: Problematic sounds
Day 23: Conditionals
Day 24: Moving stress
Day 25: Phrasal verbs and nouns
Day 26: Developing a topic
Day 27: Prepositions
Day 28: Agreeing and disagreeing
PRONUNCIATION
The Pronunciation Module is combined with the Speaking Course.
It takes you through each of the ‘Pronunciation Features’ that IELTS specifically tests, and helps you focus on your individual weak points.
There are 28 Pronunciation Lessons, which focus on
- individual sounds
- word stress
- connected speech
- sentence stress
- intonation
GRAMMAR TAKEAWAYS
Grammar lessons are fully integrated into the main modules so that you learn the grammar you need as you move through the course.
There are also some specific grammar lessons on difficult points.
You will:
- understand common mistakes and how to fix them
- understand how grammar is tested in all parts of the test
- learn how to use complex grammar more accurately
The Grammar module is full of extra, short lessons based on single grammar points that need extra practice for the test.
Any time you have a question about grammar that you need help with, you will find an extra lesson with IELTS-related practice examples.
MOCK TESTS
Test yourself with my easy-to-use Mock Tests.
You will
- get real test practice
- identify areas you need to work on, so you can go back to the course and get help on those question types
- see where you’re making progress
The tests can be accessed any time, so you can do them at your own pace depending on when your test is.
You can do the test on your computer and check the answers by yourself.
The ‘Courses + Coaching’ option also includes:
WRITING COACHING
Your package includes 8 x detailed Writing feedback and assessment videos.
You can submit these whenever you want to.
You will
- get correction and feedback on your writing
- see what the examiner is thinking
- understand the Band Criteria
- identify your weak points
- practise lots of different question types
- keep a record of your progress
- get common mistakes and action points
- learn how to get to Band 7
In the video, I give you personalised feedback and then you receive a lesson with a PDF of a model answer, tips, common mistakes and links to the lessons you need to review.
You can purchase extra feedback packages if you need them.
LIBRARY
The Library will provide you will all of the ebooks and workbooks that I have created to help support your learning.
All of the models fit the structures that I teach, and are colour-coded to highlight essentail language points so that you are
- constantly reviewing best practices and
- seeing examples of Band 9 Models that you can use to generate ideas and learn ‘chunks’ of high-level language that you can recycle on test day.
It also includes full student access to two well-known online resources (Commonlit.org and Newsela.org) of interactive, multi-media, audio-visual learning materials that are perfect for the IELTS test.
SPEAKING COACHING
We will start the course with a 1:1 Live Speaking lesson which includes a mock test and feedback.
You can use the second 1:1 Live Speaking lesson whenever you want to.
You also get 8 x video feedback reviews.
You will
- Record 8 x 2-minute long-turn audios or videos
I will analyse the recording and send you a personal video with specific feedback on any aspect of your Speaking that might keep you from Band 7 (pronunciation, intonation, task approach, common errors).
ALL WEBINARS
The Coaching Program is the only option that gives you a bank of 150+ Writing Webinars with their model answers as a bonus.
Each webinar includes a video based around a Task 1 or Task 2 Writing question and the Members responses.
In each video, I go through:
- a model answer
- common mistakes
- language level-up tips
- action points
- key takeaways
- follow-up practice
This has help hundreds of my students finally understand what they need to do to hit their desired score in each of the Band Descriptors.
Join today to get
INSTANT ACCESS to the Members Academy and my 1:1 Coaching
*I am not currently taking on new members for the coaching programme. Please contact me if you’d like to go on the waiting list, or you could start the self-study program now, and upgrade to the coaching later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Coaching option right for me?
If you have never taken the test before, the Members Academy All Courses option will make sure you’re 100% ready to take it. It will help you focus and avoid the distractions of different online advice that is just confusing you.
If you are struggling to improve your score, the 1:1 Coaching option I will personally analyse your weakpoints and work with you so that you make the most of the materials and make faster progress.
How long will it take me to get through the materials?
The full course will take about 3 months if you do just do one lesson a day.
This will be enough practice to prepare you for the exam.
Will I be able to understand everything?
YES.
- I am used to working with students from all over the world, and the language that I use is clear and simple.
- I also use Powerpoint slides in every video that you can access any time, so that you can see and read exactly what I am talking about.
- The worksheets mirror what we do in the videos, so there is nothing new or confusing when you do the practice exercises.
- All of the worksheets also have detailed answers included and you can print them off and keep them as a reference.
- MOST videos have subtitles that you can switch on and off as an extra support.
Do I need to have internet access?
The course is fully online so can access it on your computer, phone or tablet.
You can download and print off all of the worksheets, mindmaps, feedback PDFs, model answers and ebooks to keep forever.
You will need internet access to watch the videos, as they are not downloadable at the moment.
Can I download the videos?
The videos are not downloadable but you can keep all the worksheets.
You will have access to the videos as long as you are a Member in the Academy.
How long will I have access to the content?
In the full Members Academy, you will be able to access the videos, Facebook group and live lessons for 12 months.
You can download and keep the PDF materials forever.
The videos are not downloadable, but the content of the videos is in the PDFs.
What if I'm not very technical?
I have made everything as easy as possible. You can access all the videos and materials on a computer, tablet or phone, just by putting in your email address and password.
Do you offer a Money Back Guarantee?
YES. You can try out the Members Academy for 24 hours. If you decide it is not right for you, I will give you a FULL refund.
Please also note that it can take up to 15 days for the refund to appear in your bank account. But don’t panic – you will receive a full refund.
What if I don't have a credit card?
I recommend that you sign up to PayPal, which is a safe way of paying online.
Why is your Academy different?
I’ve put my 30 years of experience teaching, examining and working with IELTS students into the Academy that I truly believe will help you improve your score if you make full use of all the materials and the feedback sessions.
I’ve also chosen the best materials and done everything I can to make the lessons clear, logical and engaging.
Most importantly, I am very active in the Academy. I know all my members on an individual basis. You will not be left alone to struggle with the materials. I am always here to help.
The lessons are “NOT just a bunch of papers” as one of my members points out.
They do NOT just give you information. They are carefully designed to bring about transformation, by helping you develop independent learner skills, using the most up-to-date methodologies.
Also my Academy is a very SMALL group of motivated professionals. Many of the students are doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and teachers, or are preparing for further study opportunities in English-speaking countries.
I am proud to know everyone by their first name and many of the members stay in the group long after they have passed their IELTS test.
Will you mark and check my work in the Academy?
All the matterials in the Academy courses are designed to be self-access, so they all have answers and you can check everything by yourself.
What happens if I need more 1:1 lessons?
Most people get the score they need after 8 feedback lessons.
If you would like more, you can purchase them separately (for Coaching Members only – this option is not available to non-members).
What happens after one year?
Lots of my Members want to keep benefiting from the course.
If you wish to continue after one year, you can renew the courses-only subscription with a discount.
Can I pause my access during the one year?
Yes you can, though it is not something I would recommend.
As soon as you put the course on hold, you put your learning on hold, and you will start to go backwards, losing any progress you have made.
IELTS requires constant practice and constant feedback to see progress.
The Academy is designed to be easily manageable (10 minutes a day) if you make it a priority.
COPYRIGHT © Fiona Wattam 2023 IELTS EXAM TRAINING COURSES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTACT ME PRIVACY TERMS