IELTS Reading – Topics and Articles that feature in the IELTS test.

″Without topic awareness, you can’t fully answer the question

Without vocabulary, the question can’t be fully answered″

I’ve prepared a selection of good articles to read according to their topic area. I am adding to this list all the time.

When English becomes the global language of education we risk losing other – often better – ways of learning

The language gap in international education is also a wealth gap that leaves too many students with limited options.

This is one of the many articles I’ve listened to or read this week which, I’ve gathered from experience feature heavily in the IELTS test.

Why should I invest time in IELTS reading

An awareness of IELTS topic areas indicates in your writing and speaking that your opinions can be relevant. Being prepared means that you are better positioned to give an opinion on any number of popular topic areas. This is especially the case in writing; the ability to generate ideas under the pressure of the exam is usually down to a lack of knowledge around the key topic areas.

Common IELTS Topics

So, I’ve created a page for IELTS worthy reading and listening articles. These will be featured around the most common topic areas I have seen in IELTS reading, writing and listening. Using some of these resources is not only good for increasing vocabulary levels, reading comprehension and speed, but will help provide a foundation of ideas important for topic awareness and idea generation. 

If you want a list of the main topic areas and the subheadings, you can find out more here  but this is the new link I am creating. 

I recommend you identify areas you’re not familiar with and flick through some of the topics postings below. Choose a few to read or listen and if your vocabulary is a weak spot, note down words and phrases you can reuse in the future. 

Education

I’ve noticed that this topic area can be divided into the following sub-topics

The benefits of universities to communities

Universities enrich communities, as well as educating students – new research

Universities expand economies, support democracy and promote sustainability.

The benefits of multilingualism 

English in England: we should celebrate different languages, not write hate mail about them

The unpleasant ‘Happy Brexit Day’ poster misses the fact that the vast majority of people in the UK recognise the benefits of multilingualism.

9 Things Teachers learnt after the lockdown

The Secret Life of Teachers - 9 things teachers learned when they went back to school after lockdown

Ex-teacher Mehreen Baig quizzes her cohort of anonymous teachers who’re back in school.

Why Pakistani students benefit the most from going to university

The government’s race report suggests ethnic minority graduates gain less from university because of poor course choices. Our findings show that’s not quite true.

Can a university education online offer value for money

Universities have invested in online learning – and it can provide students with value for money

Online learning is not automatically inferior to face-to-face teaching.

Teach critical thinking and community values to combat conspiracy theories

To combat conspiracy theories teach critical thinking – and community values

Combating conspiracy theories with correct information is not enough.

The value of an international education

Why international students are choosing the UK – despite coronavirus

Shifts in global politics and other countries’ response to the coronavirus may have made the UK a more attractive option for international students.

The benefits of learning by heart

Learning by Heart

The benefits of learning by heart

What is the point of education if everything is at your fingertips?

What’s the point of education if Google can tell us anything?

The way schools and universities teach and test has to keep up with the way young people are processing information.

Despite coronavirus, how can universities ensure a positive university experience

How universities can ensure students still have a good experience, despite coronavirus

Students can still have a good experience at university this year – if universities take their needs and concerns seriously.

Does how students’ work is assessed need to be changed?

Learning from exam results crisis: the way students’ work is assessed needs to change

The outcry over exam results has exposed underlying problems in how we assess educational performance.

Is it worth taking a gap year?

Is it worth taking a gap year? - BBC Sounds

6% of students delay university by a year. Is it still worth doing that?

What can the UK learn about education from around the world?

What Should We Teach Our Kids? - Top of the Class

What can UK schools learn from education around the world?

How an online education can help bridge the education gap for international students

Here’s how online classes can bridge the current education gap for international studies

Here we have different ways through which online classes can bridge the current education gap for international studies.

Are there positive effects on school closures on teenagers’ mental health?

School closures had positive effects on some teenagers’ mental health, our new research suggests

Being away from school may have had benefits for some teenagers.

Outdoor classes and ‘forest schools’ gain new prominence 

Outdoor classes and ‘forest schools’ gain new prominence in Bay Area amid distance learning struggles

Can these outdoor schools offer lessons to other preschools and K-12 public schools at a time when being indoors is so risky?

Why young people continue to value a university education?

Why young people still want to go to university, even though it’ll be very different to usual

Even under changed circumstances, universities can still provide students with the things they find important.

Can we learn to be happier?

How you can learn to be happier

Life lessons of happiness to learn how you can hack your happiness back.

Podcasts that will make your smarter

Back to school with the podcast university

15 podcasts that will make you smarter.

5 books to read to understand the future of work

5 Books to Read if You Want to Understand the Future of Work

An Oxford economist recommends the best books to get up to speed on the future of work.

Why Australia’s international students are being driven away

‘Don’t come here’: The blunt message international students are sending back home

Exploitation, racism, lack of government support and border closures are all contributing to drive international students away — the toll of which could be enormous.

Why more of us are taking career breaks

Why more of us are taking a career break - BBC Sounds

Every year, around 100,000 people in the UK take a career break.

Can nursery schools fight inequality?

Why nursery schools are a secret weapon in the fight against inequality

State-funded nursery schools now fill significant gaps in welfare provision in England.

Why private schools are a social problem

Why Britain’s private schools are such a social problem

Only 9% of people in the UK are privately educated, and yet they occupy an especially high share in positions of public influence.

Four ways to stop you being distracted

Four ways to stop yourself getting distracted

Are we facing a distraction crisis? And if we are, what can we do about it?

Ways to read an academic paper

How to read and learn from scientific literature, even if you’re not an expert

Scientific articles are the way in which scientists communicate their results to their peers.

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