The IELTS test is amongst the most commonly used standardised English language tests. If you’re pursuing higher education opportunities or eyeing a particular organisation for employment, you may be required to give the IELTS exam.
Here’s how to prepare for it.
If you plan on taking the IELTS test, it’s imperative that you familiarise yourself with the structure and syllabus. The good news is that you can easily access past IELTS papers and other study material online to get an idea of how things are.
Once you’ve gathered all your study material, there’s just one thing left to do: practising. We can’t emphasise enough how important this is. Trust us; it’s better to be over-prepared than underprepared. The more you practise, the more confident you’ll feel about your preparation.
Prioritise Your Time
Many students struggle to find a balance between the different IELTS components. Do you spend more time reading or writing? How much time should you dedicate to listening? Do you even need to practise for the speaking component?
As we mentioned above, the more you practise, the better prepared you’ll be. The key is to prioritise your time based on your specific strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if you struggle with writing articulately, you should definitely dedicate more time to building your vocabulary, learning grammar rules, and applying various writing styles. If you do well with words but are having trouble with the listening component, you can dedicate more time to the latter.
Make Learning Fun
Who says preparing for the IELTS has to be stressful? You can always have fun while learning the English language by incorporating interesting and unconventional practices.
For instance, see how you can include pop culture and media into your learning. You can choose a couple of films or television shows, magazines, books, games, news platforms, and even music to use as study materials. Analyse your chosen media texts carefully for the reading and listening elements, and take inspiration from the content to improve your writing and speaking skills as well while you’re at it.
For instance, you can use audio texts to learn how certain words are pronounced and say them aloud till you get the pronunciation right. Similarly, notice how your favourite characters converse with one another and try to emulate that in your own speaking and writing abilities.
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