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Hello everyone, good day to you today. Welcome to the first episode in the series “Keep
calm and prepare for IELTS”. Since this is the very first episode, I want to start
first by saying a few words about what this is and why I’m doing this.
In this series of short videos on my channel, I will talk about some useful strategies you
could use when preparing for the IELTS. I will go into details of some of the things
you should do to prepare yourself for each section of the IELTS Academic Test. Then I’m
going to share with you a list of good books and learning materials that might help you
in your journey to your IELTS. We will begin by talking about how to find
out information about the IELTS. You may wonder why this step is necessary. Well, I personally
believe in this quote from Sun Tzu. To win the battle with your enemy, you need both
to know about your enemy and to know about yourself. In the context of preparing for
the IELTS, it means knowing about what the test asks you to do, and knowing about the
types of mistakes you often make when dealing with the test. Through practice, you will
no longer fear the test, and you will eventually spot and fix most of your mistakes. That,
I think, is the path to improvement and success, not just for the IELTS, but for life, too.
This is the list of steps I follow on my own journey to the score 8.5 in my IELTS.
Start by going on the net and find out as much as possible about the IELTS. This is
“knowing your enemy”. Next, find a good practice book and test yourself,
under timed condition, to see what your English level currently is. This is the first step
in “knowing about yourself”. When both your strong and weak points has
been apparent to you, focus on finding the specific kinds of practice you could use to
improve what you think you are weak at. For example, if you are like me and you find it
hard at first to deal with listening to people spelling their name on the IELTS Listening
test, then go to Youtube and find video lessons where teachers spell out different names and
numbers for you to practice writing down. You can also find advice and strategies for
the specific area you need to work on, once you know what that weakness area is.
On your journey, remember to re-evaluate yourself regurlarly. Once a month, or twice a week,
it’s up to you. Consider setting aside a few hours a week
searching the Internet for advice about the IELTS. There are many people who have succeeded
in preparing for the IELTS and are willing to share their experience with others. Don’t
let that go to waste. And finally, when you’re close to the real
test, I suggest trying the practice tests again at least several times under time condition
similar to what you can find in the real test, to train yourself to get used to the pressure.
Here are some keywords for your Google search: - Search ‘IELTS test format’ to know about
the kind of questions you will find in the test
- Search ‘IELTS scores explained” to see how you will be evaluated by the examiners
- and Search ‘IELTS Question Types” with the specific skills you want to work on, like
Reading, Writing, Speaking, or Listening to know the more specific question types you
may find within each sections of the test. Don’t forget the videos on Youtube. Like
this video, there are many useful videos in which people with experience in dealing with
the IELTS talk about what candidates should do to prepare for this test. Besides the videos
in English, there may even be videos about the IELTS spoken in your mother language.
They might be made by people from your country, or they may be videos spoken in English but
has beed added subtitles in your language. Find those videos if you find it hard to watch
a video spoken in English. Oh, and one more thing: Remember to find out
early on your journey which type of IELTS test you want to take, because there are some
differences between the two types. You might want to know them as early as possible, since
knowing this can help you choose the books and teachers or preparation course that suit
your need more. As you can see here, the differences lie on
the Reading and Writing section. Pause the video to read them more carefully, if you
need to. According to your why you need the IELTS, like whether you want to take the IELTS
to immigrate, to study, or just to test your English level, you may choose differently.
Think about it, and make sure to pick the right test for you.
Now, there are 3 documents I think you should have somewhere near your study area. They
are the band scores for Writing Task 1, Writing Task 2, and for Speaking. What I did was I
printed these out – they are available for free on the Internet – and I stick them
on the wall near my desk. I aimed to get band 8, so I hightlight the row of information
about band 8, and then use them as my specific aims when preparing for the IELTS. This is
a more specific way for you to see what you need to achieve, rather than just saying:
‘I want to get a band 8 score’.