Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay as it is called in Scotland. This will mark the end of not just a year but also a decade – the 2010s. I hope that you have had a good year and also a good decade, and that the coming ones are also kind to you.

I have decided to put together a short list of my best articles and videos from 2019. This has been a productive year for me in which I have helped more than 100 students to achieve band 7 or higher in their IELTS writing exams! I have done this mostly through my IELTS writing correction service.

I have also released a new book, making that 3 IELTS books that I have written.

This year, I also moved to a new country and did some travelling. I have collected my best photos of 2019 here if you are interested.

New Year Resolutions

Let’s start with a seasonally appropriate post. 😄 The first post that I will recommend is my New Year’s post from January, 2019. It’s all about making a resolution that will help you to get better at speaking English.

5 Steps to Success

The next post is a video! This is one that I made earlier this year that outlines your best chances of succeeding at IELTS. Take a look or click “watch later” to be reminded when you have some free time:

Writing the Perfect Letter

Most of what I do on this website is intended for people who study academic IELTS, but don’t worry if you are doing general training. I sometimes post materials designed for you, too. 😀 In this article, I have written a guide to producing a brilliant letter for task 1 of the IELTS writing test.

david in america
Me in Louisville, Kentucky.

British or American English?

Earlier this year, I travelled to America to explore the southern states with one of my close friends. Maybe that’s why I chose to write an article all about British and American English.

A Free Writing Course!!!

OMG! For real?!

Haha. Yes, it’s true. This summer, I posted a completely free writing course that is available to everyone. You don’t need to sign up or give any money. There is no catch and you can study at any time.

It’s located here.

Describing a Piece of Art

My most popular video of 2019 was this one all about describing a piece of art. This comes from IELTS speaking part 2 and it’s a pretty difficult question to answer. But don’t worry. This video will help you get prepared.

Should You Stop Taking IELTS?

One of my best articles of 2019 was not about taking IELTS… it was about not taking IELTS! 🤪 In this article, I discuss the problems people face with this tricky exam and explain that maybe it’s better to stop doing it again and again. After all, why should you get so stressed out?

Finally…

Ok, one more video. This is a funny one that I made that has a serious message. There is so much bad advice online about IELTS that I thought I should make a video to warn people.

Ok, folks. That’s all from me for 2019! I really hope that you have had a good year and that 2020 is even better! Good luck to all of you!