Worksheets- Checking language (IELTS Speaking/ English for Study Abroad- UK, Australia and New Zealand)

IELTS Speaking Checking Understanding
Student A
Warmer
Choose one of the countries you know best or are most interested in and spell the place names for your partner as quickly as possible. You cannot look at what your partner is writing. The first team with all the names written with no mistakes is the winner.
 Difficult Australian place names to spell:
Sydney Harbour BridgeMelbourneKalgoorlie

Adelaide

Whitsunday Islands

Byron Bay

Hobart

Ayers Rock

Difficult British place names to spell:
Loch NessBirminghamThe Midlands

Leicester Square

Llandudno

Loughborough

Edinburgh

Blenheim Palace

Difficult British place names to spell Part BPiccadilly CircusCarlisle

Dumfries

Norwich

Caernarfon

Worcester

Taunton

Omagh

IELTS Speaking Checking Understanding
Student B
Warmer
Choose one of the countries you know best or are most interested in and spell the place names for your partner as quickly as possible. You cannot look at what your partner is writing. The first team with all the names written with no mistakes is the winner.
 Difficult Australian place names to spell:
BroomePort MacquarieAdelaide

Derby

Meekatharra

Roebourne

Cape Leeuwin

Mount Kosciuszko

Difficult New Zealand place names to spell:
AucklandWhangareiThames

New Plymouth

Franz Josef

Blenheim

Stewart Island

Napier

Difficult British place names to spell:
EastbourneBournemouthSouthwark

Earl’s Court

the Isle of Man

Salisbury Cathedral

Durham Cathedral

London Dungeons

Checking Understanding Functional Language
To complete the task above, just like making sure you understand the questions the IELTS examiner asks you, you will need to use phrases to check your understanding. Write useful phrases for this in the box on the left.
 

The examiner might also check that you understand. Write phrases they can use in the box on the right.
 
Put these phrases into the boxes above:
 Do you know what I mean?Can you repeat the last part?Have I explained myself properly?

Do you see now?

Let me just check if I understand…

Is that clear (now)?

Can you explain that using different words?

I’m lost.

Did you say…?

Got it?

What does the word “…” mean?

Can you spell the first word for me please?

Sorry. Do you mean…?

Are you sure you understand?

Are you following me?

Can you say that again more slowly?

Sorry, I’m not following you.

You’ve lost me.

Extras
Student A
Difficult Australian place names to spell
Cairns

Maroochydore

Leigh Creek

Perth

Warrnambool

Launceston

Difficult to Spell Famous British People
Sean ConneryMargaret ThatcherLouis Theroux

Prince Charles

The Duke of Edinburgh

Sacha Baron Cohen

Difficult to Spell Famous British People Part B
Henry PurcellRalph Vaughan WilliamsSir Isaac Newton

Horatio Nelson

Guy Fawkes

King Henry VIII

Student B
Difficult to Spell Famous British People
Florence NightingaleDavid AttenboroughJ.R.R Tolkien

Agatha Christie

John Logie Baird

King Arthur

Difficult to Spell Famous Australian People etc.
Shane WarneSteve IrwinHarry Kewell

Kylie Minogue

Danni Minogue

Ian Thorpe

Difficult to Spell Famous Australian People etc Part B
Kyle SandilandsINXSEvonne Goolagong Cawley

Dame Joan Sutherland

Guy Pearce

Steve Waugh

More Extras
Difficult American place namesCincinnatiMassachusetts

Mississippi

Philadelphia

Memphis

Famous Things and People from New Zealand
Russell CroweSam NeillThe Whale Rider

Common misspellings in the IELTS test/ Academic English
loose/ losecollege/ colleaguequite/ quiet

through/ thorough

breath/ breathe

affect/ effect

government

receive

advertisement

accommodation

Further Practice activities
 Give instructions for how to get somewhere from the place where you are sitting now. Your partner should guess where you end upUsing an underground map, rail map or street map, give your partner instructions without using the name of any of the lines or the stations you change at and see if they can understand where the final place is.