IELTS · Stage 1
IELTS 4.0 → 5.0: a 90-session course
18 weeks × 5 sessions, each 60–90 minutes (75 minutes as standard). All four skills; Writing Task 1 has two options: Academic and General Training.
Listening
Reading
Writing 1
Speaking
Writing 2
How is this course designed?
- Two threads throughout: (1) Use it now – every session has 5–10 minutes applying the language to work, study and daily life (including living and working abroad); (2) close to recent tests – Speaking and Writing topics are chosen from lists of questions reported by test takers, updated every quarter. Real test papers are confidential; every question on this site is written by us in the same format as the test.
- Five steps per session: Review (10′) → Listening/reading input (20′) → Language focus (10′) → Speaking/writing practice (25′) → Self-check (10′).
- Spaced review: sessions 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 are review sessions (correcting errors, rewriting earlier work, answering earlier cue cards again). Session 45 is a mini mock test; sessions 88–90 are a full mock test.
- Vocabulary: about 10 words per session; press “Add to review deck” and review the cards that are due at the start of each session (spaced repetition, saved on your own device).
- Outside the course: at least 3 hours of extra listening and reading a week, for example VOA Learning English or BBC Learning English.
- Time: about 90–135 hours for the whole stage. According to Cambridge English, each CEFR level needs about 200 guided learning hours; band 4.0–5.0 corresponds to B1. Results vary from person to person – the course does not promise a higher band.
- All listening scripts, reading texts, test questions and model answers are written by tienganhcanban.com. Listening uses your browser’s computer voices; for real human voices, see the official preparation materials on ielts.org.
- Finding pronunciation very hard? Take the Pronunciation course (0 → 4.0) alongside this one.
The lessons themselves are written for Vietnamese learners: the English texts, audio scripts and examples are in English, but the instructions and explanations are in Vietnamese. An English version of the lessons is not available yet; you can use your browser’s translate feature.
Week 1: Me and my hometown Grammar: Present simple; to be; there is/are
💼 Use it now: Introducing yourself at a new company; small talk with colleagues; reading rental adverts
Week 2: Family and friends Grammar: Present continuous vs present simple
💼 Use it now: Phoning to book a doctor’s appointment; email subject lines; inviting a colleague to lunch
Week 3: Work and study Grammar: Past simple (-ed endings)
💼 Use it now: Emailing to ask for information; work phone calls; punctuality at work
Week 4: Food and health Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns; some/any/much/many
💼 Use it now: Ordering food, reading food labels, describing symptoms to a doctor
Week 5: Home and accommodation Grammar: Prepositions of place; there is/are (further practice)
💼 Use it now: Reporting a repair to your landlord; reading a tenancy agreement; asking about utility bills
Week 6: Shopping and money Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives
💼 Use it now: Returning or exchanging goods; comparing prices; writing a product review
Week 7: Transport and cities Grammar: Future: will, be going to
💼 Use it now: Asking for directions; reading timetables; saying you will be late because of traffic
Week 8: Travel and holidays Grammar: Present perfect
💼 Use it now: Booking a room; checking in at the airport or hotel; dealing with lost luggage
Week 9: Weather and environment Grammar: Modal verbs: should, must, can
💼 Use it now: Sorting rubbish; reading building rules; giving feedback on neighbourhood cleanliness
Week 10: Education Grammar: Linking words: because, so, although, however
💼 Use it now: Emailing your child’s teacher; enrolling on a course; asking about fees
Week 11: Technology and communication Grammar: Relative clauses (who, which, that)
💼 Use it now: Reporting a computer problem to IT; writing short instructions; keeping your account secure
Week 12: Sport, leisure and hobbies Grammar: -ing forms and to-infinitives
💼 Use it now: Joining a club; inviting colleagues to play sport
Week 13: Jobs and the workplace Grammar: The passive (present, past)
💼 Use it now: Job interviews; writing a CV and a short cover letter
Week 14: Media and entertainment Grammar: First conditional
💼 Use it now: Skimming the news; writing a review of a film or restaurant
Week 15: Nature and animals Grammar: Language for describing trends and figures
💼 Use it now: Reading signs in parks and nature reserves; taking part in volunteer work
Week 16: Culture and traditions Grammar: Second conditional
💼 Use it now: Congratulating, inviting and thanking across cultures
Week 17: Science and the future Grammar: Complex sentences: full review
💼 Use it now: A two-minute presentation about a plan at work
Week 18: Full practice test Grammar: Correcting your own common errors
💼 Use it now: Assessing your progress; planning for the 5.0 → 6.0 stage