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Have you been working very hard to learn English, but still feel insecure and anxious about taking your IELTS Test? Or are you now looking for more English learning tips that will help you to even better prepare and gain the essential confidence needed in order to very successfully pass the test?
If so, this article provides eight easy methods for you to immediately implement and gain the reward of further improvements in all of your English skills to be fully prepared for an IELTS Test.
Anxiety will always arise whenever you are uncertain about any situation in life, but you can calm your mind by outlining any important information for the IELTS Test. By doing this, you will get a much clearer understanding of what you must do to successfully complete the test.
The key IELTS Test information you need to identify and write down includes:
You should also plan a travel route to the IELTS Test Centre. This can easily be done by using a travel app to identify the most effective mode of transport and specific directions to help you reach the test centre. If needed, you can also check on any available car parking facilities.
You must constantly practise the completion of each section of the IELTS Test. This will enable you to become familiar with the overall test and the best strategies to use when thinking about and answering any type of question that might be asked. By accessing your Internet browser, you will be able to find free online test materials designed specifically to provide you with an opportunity to practise all of the essential English skills required to successfully pass an IELTS Test. As it is so often said, ‘Practise makes perfect’.
An official IELTS Test guide will give you the vital test practice needed to ensure you are both more familiar and confident when tackling the test. If you need to limit the cost of your test preparation, there are internet sites where it is possible to buy previously used copies of such IELTS Test guides.
Extending your English vocabulary is another excellent way to prepare for an IELTS Test. By ensuring that you regularly learn some new words on a daily basis, you will soon accumulate a far greater portfolio of words to confidently use. Having a well-organised vocabulary notebook in which to record new words is essential, and mnemonic devices like imagery and visualisation will help you to remember the words. Make sure that you also constantly review the new words and their meanings, and try to use them regularly in your spoken and written English.
There is a vast quantity of free online English podcasts available on the Internet. Websites like Spotify, iTunes, and SoundCloud give access to many different podcasts that will engage with your personal interests and allow you to explore favourite topics of discussion.
By setting up a flexible schedule, you will be able to immerse yourself in many different English podcasts. Consider trying to listen to a podcast whilst exercising or even just before bedtime, and you will experience excellent opportunities to practise the use of your listening skills to fully understand spoken English.
This is similar to the method just given above, and again you will need to listen very carefully to understand what is being said. If this proves difficult to do at the start, you can allow written subtitles to be shown so that you will be able to both read and listen to the English being used, but try to eventually listen without any subtitles. Non-native speakers can both learn about and improve their English language by watching and listening to popular television programmes like ‘The Office’ and ‘Friends’, or the ‘Marvel’ series of films.
Try to write down any English idioms or common conversational phrases you hear in a vocabulary notebook, and then identify their meanings. This will especially help you when eventually tackling the Listening and Speaking sections of the IELTS Test.
Being able to competently read and understand a news report indicates that you must have a high degree of fluency in the language. So it is very important to regularly read English newspapers or magazines, and to check the meaning of any unknown new words encountered in the text. Always try to find examples of the written form of English that you regularly read, and remember that within an IELTS Test either British or American word forms will be accepted. But you must remain consistent in your use of such forms of English throughout the test, and avoid confusion over the spelling of words and correct use of idioms.
There are many free language learning and test-specific apps for you to access whilst trying to improve your overall English skills and prepare for an IELTS Test. However, it is still essential that you are formally taught the correct use of English grammar, to practise essay-writing, and master how to respond with correct answers to different types of multiple-choice test questions. This cannot be achieved through the sole use of an app to learn English, but requires direct one-to-one English lessons from a fully trained English teacher like Mr. Jeff at the ‘English for Everyone’ Tuition Office in Johor Bahru.
Online apps like ‘Memrise’, ‘Open Language’, ‘Duolingo’, ‘Rosetta Stone’, and ‘FluentU’ offer a range of different approaches to studying English that will allow you to choose an app that best matches your preferred style of learning.
Each of these eight methods to practise English will help you to better prepare for an IELTS Test, so why not try each one and discover which will help you most to improve your overall proficiency when using English.
Formal practice of your English skills is also essential to guarantee future success when taking on the challenges of an IELTS Test, and excellent English classes for adults in Johor Bahru are available for you now at the ‘English for Everyone’ Tuition Centre. So get in touch with us immediately to make sure you will get the highest possible score in your IELTS Test.