A command of English vocabulary that applies to many different situations and contexts is essential for ESL students who aim to succeed on the IELTS. This book offers them extensive practice in vocabulary building and correct English usage, with emphasis on 600 English words that relate to specific categories and appear frequently on IELTS exams. These categories include nature and the environment, leisure activities and hobbies, the arts and culture, transportation, health, tourism, business, technology, social issues, and education. Author Lin Lougheed concentrates on teaching 600 English words from these categories. He presents exercises that teach ESL students how to figure out the meanings of countless new words by reading or hearing them in relation to the context in which they are used. All activities are like the actual questions on the IELTS exam and provide extra test practice. Dr. Lougheed suggests helpful strategies for learning and retaining word meanings, for instance, by using a word in four different ways: reading, writing, hearing, and speaking it in a given context. He also offers tips on analyzing unfamiliar compound words to determine their meanings and he includes vocabulary expanding exercises with answers in every chapter. The enclosed audio CD presents exercises in listening comprehension.