TEN IELTS PREPARATION TIPS: PART ONE

June 12, 2011 by Nicole

Today's blog entry is for those of you preparing for the IELTS test, but it may also be interesting for those of you wishing to develop your overall English skills.

On my Sydney IELTS Teacher Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/sydneyieltsteacher ), I provide daily preparation tips and useful learning links for my students preparing for the IELTS examination. However, not everyone is a member of the Facebook community. For this reason, I have decided to republish the first 10 of my IELTS preparation tips here on the Sydney English Teacher blog. I promise to continue republishing these tips here on my blog every few weeks.

If you have any requests or questions, please contact me at nicole@sydneyenglishteacher.com.au and I'd be more than happy to help you. Thanks for reading!
 Nicole.

IELTS TIP #1: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (Chinese Proverb). Although preparing for the IELTS exam may at times seem like an endless task, take small steps by focussing on one day at a time - set smaller achievable goals (eg: learn 5 new words, read and summarise a newspaper article, present an IELTS-style speech...) which will each day take you one step closer to IELTS success. The IELTS journey should be more than the road towards an exam, it should also lead you to future language success and point you in the direction of language competence and confidence :) Nicole.

IELTS TIP #2: Book yourself in for more than one exam! With the stress of doing 4 sub-tests in just one day, most candidates do not perform at their best during their first attempt. The knowledge that you have a 'second chance' (if you need it) really helps you relax and focus better - so choose two exam dates and book them in! Make sure your exam dates are at least one month apart as it takes 2 weeks to get your results. Also, you can cancel a booked exam if you notify your chosen test centre more than one month in advance. Good Luck! :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #3: Develop your general knowledge as much as possible by reading news articles on various topics. Start an ideas book where you take notes on the topics you read about so that you don't forget details - it will be much easier for you to perform well in the speaking and writing exams if you are able to think of topic-related ideas more quickly. You can also record any new and important vocabulary from the articles you read in your personal dictionary - by doing this you will learn and remember them more easily - remember to follow the unique Sydney English Teacher method for learning vocabulary and your knowledge and use of natural vocabulary will grow dramatically :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #4: Stop the bad habit of translating! Buy yourself a good English-English dictionary and use it everyday. Choose 5-6 words from your daily reading: focus on new words, words you know but never use, or words you think are important. Practise using them in spoken and written form. This daily routine will force you to think in English and you will soon rely less on your native language. This will not only help you with your IELTS preparation, but with your daily use of vocabulary aswell. Learning vocabulary skills is essential for language learning success. I recommend English-English dictionaries by Cambridge, Oxford or Longmans - but make sure that you are buying an 'Advanced Learner's Dictionary' as this has been written especially for people whose first language is not English. The explanations are very clear and there are numerous example sentences, putting each word or expression into a practical context :) Nicole.

IELTS TIP #5: Become familar with 'linking words' and try to use them as often as possible every day in your writing and speaking so that on the day of the exam they come to you more naturally. This small trick alone will give the examiner a higher overall impression of your English skills, hopefully resulting in higher marks! Learn as many alternatives to the main linking words as possible so that you do not repeat yourself too often, and make sure that you use each linking word in the correct context! Use these alternatives to easily make your English sound more advanced! AND: In addition, Furthermore, Moreover, Besides this, Also... BUT: However, Nevertheless, Nonetheless, Yet, Although, Even though... SO: As a result, Consequently, Hence, Therefore... BECAUSE: Due to the fact that, Since, As... FOR EXAMPLE: For Instance, Such as, Particularly, Especially...Good luck with these :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #6: In order to succeed in the Listening section of the exam, it is important to develop your listening and note-taking skills. Start with something short (eg news story) and write down whatever you understand. With practice, you will improve this skill to be selective about what you write down and you will understand much more.Start by writing down every word that you understand (don't worry if there are not many!) Listen to the audio as many times as you need and keep adding to your notes. Then check the transcript to see how much you have understood correctly. Use the transcript as a reading exercise and add any new and important vocabulary to your vocabulary list. After reading, listen to the audio again and take notes again, you will understand much more this time - guaranteed! This can be done with any online news story - if there is no transcript, just check the newspapers as the same information will be presented. My favourite authentic websites to practise the above are: www.abc.net.au/am and www.abc.net.au/pm - these are a little more difficult - don't worry if you only understand a few words. If you practise everyday for 15-20 minutes, I guarantee that your listening skills will improve dramatically within two weeks. This has been proven with all of my students - you can do it too! Happy listening - and good luck with the exam! :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #7: Extend your answers as much as possible in the Speaking section of the exam - as soon as you pause, the examiner will think you have nothing else to say and will move on to the next question. Impress the examiner with your speaking skills by making your answers as long as possible - the most important thing in this section is to show that you are confident and able to speak. Don't worry if you go off topic a little - the fact that you are extending your thoughts is much more impressive and will result in higher marks. Also, try not to experiment with new vocabulary - stick to what you know well and are confident using, then your speech will flow and sound much more natural. The magic word is 'practise practise practise' - speak as much as possible in the lead-up to the exam - make the most of every speaking opportunity and your overall confidence will grow, making you less stressed on the day of the exam and more able to perform at your best! Happy Speaking :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #8: Develop your confidence in writing without a dictionary by writing a daily diary entry or by summarising a newspaper article. It is important to practise your 'free' writing as much as possible so that your ideas flow more easily and you are not as hesitant to put pen to paper. Also, writing for fun will hopefully result in you enjoying the writing process a lot more! Just like in the exam, spend a few minutes planning what you would like to write before you begin writing. As part of your planning process, you can also brainstorm some vocabulary so that you feel more confident not using a dictionary or thesaurus. Also, if you get into the habit of spending 15-20 minutes a day on 'free' writing, you will be able to write a lot more quickly, saving valuable time in the exam when you have to complete two writing tasks in just one hour. If you look back over the 'free' writing you have completed over several weeks or months, you will also see a great improvement in the grammar and vocabulary you use - especially if you get a native speaker to regularly read and correct what you have written or if you self-edit. Good luck and happy writing :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #9: Start learning the difference between formal and informal language! It is essential that in the IELTS exam you do not fill your writing (or your speech) with both formal and informal vocabulary and grammar - you have to use either one or the other - start learning about register, formal/informal equivalents, and which register to use in which situations. Whenever you learn a new word, make an effort to learn whether it is used in formal or informal situations - then either ask a native speaker or use a thesaurus to find its formal/informal equivalent. Learn both words at the same time and practise using them in the correct context. Start a vocabulary list of formal words and their informal equivalents and test yourself every day. For general candidates: practise writing both formal and informal letters to become familiar with both registers. For academic candidates: remember that your report as well as essay should only be using formal language - do not use any informal words or constructions at all! When it comes to the speaking test, it is better if you can confidently use less formal language and can make your speech sound more natural. Try to use as many idioms as possible - try to avoid super-formal vocabulary which you may normally only read in academic contexts. Although these 'big' words may be impressive, in the context of the speaking exam, they may have the opposite effect. Good luck! :) Nicole

IELTS TIP #10: Have a clear idea of the exact band score you need before booking the exam, and ask an expert to estimate your current level so that you have a realistic idea of how long it will take you to reach your required score. Too many IELTS candidates waste a great deal of time and money booking and sitting for exams they are not ready for when it is better for them to wait and use the time and money to prepare more effectively. With this extra time, candidates are often also much more confident which reflects positively on their results. Think carefully before booking the exam! :) Nicole

© Copyright - Nicole Sammer, Sydney English Teacher/Sydney IELTS Teacher - 2005-2011.