Understanding IELTS: Listening

Hi there,
I am very happy that I could find this course while searching for IELTS resources and thankful for the brilliant educators (Sally, Neil and Jeany), their explanations, tips and the overall course content.
I have just completed 2 weeks out of the 03 weeks course and I already feel confident of cracking the IELTS with a good band score.
To be honest, even a week before when I thought of going for the IELTS, I was just wandering around looking for books or resources online and did not know where to start and here after just a week I know most of it (Listening part).
This is the magic of this course.
I request the educations and course creators to advertise the Futur Learn website and its courses agressively so that people like us can get the benefit of educating us sitting at home at our own time and pace.
Being 43, I was feeling awkward to join the British Council and sit among the much younger crowd and here I am leaving them behind within a week by finishing my first module of listening.
Thanks once again to all who have put so much of mind and efforts in creating this course!
Deepak Maggon, New Delhi, India

This IELTS listening course which is part of a four-course programme has given me a clear and better understanding of how the IELTS test works, what's required of me in the test from the do's and don'ts. It has made me learn how to focus and listen attentively for keywords in a question without being carried away by false-starts or distractors.
What amazes me most is the fact that the whole programme is totally free, and also the MOOC Facebook study group which enable students from around the world to ask questions to educators during the one-hour (1 hr) live weekly webinar sessions as well as share ideas and useful resources among one another.
The educators on the course also share useful links and resources to help students achieve their aim and meet the criteria of their intended band score.
The ripple effect of the programme is that course content covers or applies other standard English exams as well e.g., Cambridge, TOEFL, e.t.c.
I think this is one of the best - if not the best - IELTS listening course out there. You have to give it a try.

TO MY BELOVED EDUCATORS;

Thanks alot for the useful tips. I have learned so many things such as widening our range in listening, completing sentence ,understanding maps,plans and diagrams and how to label it,.stay focus,matching type and so many things to do and not to do,,,, I also enjoy reading comments and watching videos which are very informative.Even though i did not understand everything here but i believe that sooner my understanding will be improved..I need to pursue my study to achieve my goals...I believed that acquairing knowledge is a continous journey..I want to explore more in life...

Thanks alot!

Respectfully yours.

Nora Malagar

This is my third course in the series Understanding IELTS. I appreciate an excellent learning structure and clear guidance as well as very good explanations and a lot practice that the course offers. Videos were very helpful as well. The tutors and educators were really very friendly so the atmosphere offered a stimulating learning experience.
However, I really missed more activity from educators in this course. It would be really nice if there were more input from educators, like answering the most topical questions from learners on certain issues. I missed that a lot especially when I due to the family circumstances had to miss more than a week and was catching up. I have noticed with these courses once you are behind the shedule your questions and your presence in the course stay unnoticed.
As for the content and listening tasks they were well chosen and engaging. I would suggest it would be good to add more practice on how to write down measures, fractions and big numbers when doing the IELTS listening test.

Otherwise, it was an excellent course I deeply enjoyed. May I suggest The British Coucil develop a more specialized Course for those heading for IELTS 9. I am particularly interested in this one and hope I am not alone.

It was a great pleasure for me having IELTS Listening course in Futurelearn.com by British Council with excellent educators and learns from all around the World. I have wondered how this course guide about every section, different question types and how to cope up with the challenges IELTS pose and the sources of materials they provide for best listening practice. Its worth my time. When I first started taking preparation for IELTS specially Listening , I asked one of IELTS expert is there any shortcut or technique for having good band score in listening? The expert replayed listening is all about recording of conversations , there might have one or more speakers will talk and you have to answer the questions so now now tell me is there any shortcut or technique to understand a language? I replayed no sir. So my suggestions for listening is widening the range (Listening to Movies, Series, Audio book, News, Podcast, Ted talk) to understand the language and following clear guideline and practicing IELTS listening test in real exam environment (Mock Test) May help to achieve higher band score.

To my way of thinking, this course has been designed professionally to help students to prepare for their IELTS Listening module. The course covers all the aspects and type of questions that students might face in the real exam. On the top of that, they've provided sample questions to practice the individual part and get familiarize with them. Overall, this course is ideal for students to make them prepare for the Listening part of the IELTS.

To conclude, It's prestigious for me to be a part of this course and i've learned so much through this course. Also it has boosted my confidence level and i'm hoping to get the maximum bands in the real exam. Finally, I would like to say thanks to the Lead Educator, Educators, mentors and others, from the core of my heart for designing this course efficiently.

I want to thank the British Council and FutureLearn for such a great opportunity to study in different areas from the leading institutions. I’ve already finished four courses with you, now I’m through three more and there are some upcoming soon. I’ve really loved the atmosphere of this course. Our educators and mentors are truly helpful, informative and - which is not less important - with a great sense of humor. Thank you all for your great advice, guidance, support and immense range of resources for keeping practicing. Also I want to express my special gratitude to David Lewis - the leading educator of the course - as he was highly attentive to all of the participants and didn’t leave unnoticed any single topic which was discussed during the course. His remarks were thoughtful, accurate and always a great fun.

In my view listening is the most difficult section for the non native speakers of English. However the course gives the IELTS test takers the foundation - the format, the tips and the links to listen to the podcasts to improve listening ability. If one follows the course attentively and does the practice tests apart from listening to the podcasts like Ted Talks,PNR and news like ABC, he or she is sure to get very good grade in the test. The course not only helps the test takers but also equips the teachers of English around the world with the know-how to model their assessment of listening of their learners. It is a great service of the British Council to encourage those who can not afford to join face-to-face coaching to prepare for the test as well as to sharpen listening skill of the teachers.

In my view listening is the most difficult section for the non native speakers of English. However the course gives the IELTS test takers the foundation - the format, the tips and the links to listen to the podcasts to improve listening ability. If one follows the course attentively and does the practice tests apart from listening to the podcasts like Ted Talks,PNR and news like ABC, he or she is sure to get very good grade in the test. The course not only helps the test takers but also equips the teachers of English around the world with the know-how to model their assessment of listening of their learners. It is a great service of the British Council to encourage those who can not afford to join face-to-face coaching to prepare for the test as well as to sharpen listening skill of the teachers.
Dr M Doula Sab Mabu