The ever-increasing numbers of students who walk through our inlingua doors, aiming to sit for the IELTS exams, all seem to have the same question eating away at them; how do I pass my IELTS exam? How do I get the band score result I need in my IELTS exam?
Build up your confidence – Confidence is a key part of the IELTS exam preparation course or any exam, in that case. If you focus on your existing knowledge of English, building on that would be a piece of cake. There is no point in putting pressure on yourself and risking your final result at the same time.
Know your level – It’s all about a slow build up. Gain confidence with the course book and the structure of the exam. It is commonplace to start with free practice and focus on accuracy. Practicing under exam conditions comes later. It should not be a daily task to study the new vocabulary. Understanding it and getting used to using it within a context would be much more beneficial when sitting for the exam. When studying vocabulary, IELTS students should always keep an eye on synonyms throughout the course. The exam will make use of a variety of synonyms and practicing them throughout the preparation course will make it easier to increase the band.
We are all human – Just as one easily accepts praise, accept your mistakes and use constructive criticism to your advantage. Examine and push yourself. Doing practice IELTS tests under exam conditions better prepares students. However, do not put too much pressure on yourself. Yes, it is important to practice, but it is also useful to read about things which interest you.
Contextualisation vs Translation – Learn don’t memorise. It is always important to learn a language within a context. To translate every word and memorise all the grammar does not get students studying a foreign language very far. Sitting for the IELTS exam is no exception. Whilst most language learners tend to rely on the use of a dictionary or a translator to translate from one language to another, it is always best to put the target words into a story. When you translate a word, you can easily forget it.
Remember to take a break – step back from the pressure without abandoning the language. (Full Immersion) Using English on a daily basis can radically increase your fluency and understanding. Having Google and YouTube alone will drastically increase exposure and create a sense of full immersion. Changing the language of your phone, going to a restaurant and ordering in English, engaging in conversation, whether discussing the weather or something more intense, are little things that make big changes.
Read, read, read – Reading can happen anywhere and at any time. Reading the newspapers (remember, IELTS questions are based on world news), books, magazines and journals are all methods of preparation for IELTS exams. The writing task will include a question based on a current issue which you will have to discuss and analyse the issue or justify your opinions. The reading passages will be taken from magazines, newspapers, books and journals, all of which tackle a variety of topics.
Listening – Whilst the importance of listening is rather obvious, sticking to spoken English which is grammatically correct is essential. When watching the news, BBC channels and Sky News offer great pronunciation and accurate use of language. Grammatical accuracy and pronunciation are essential to getting accustomed to IELTS exam requirements.
Studying alone? – IELTS exams are not easy to sit for when students would have been studying alone. There are a number of tips and tricks only experienced IELTS teachers can provide. Experienced IELTS teachers would give much more detailed and practical suggestions which can help students following the intensive full-day course. Here at inlingua Malta we have experience teachers and trainers offering a full 22.5 hours intensive course guaranteed to provide exam success!
For more information about our IELTS Preparation Course contact academic@inlinguamalta.com or info@inlinguamalta.com