The psychological aspects of the IELTS Speaking test are almost as important as the content. Here are some things to consider when you enter the exam room.
Author: Andrew Stokes, IELTS specialist, ClarityEnglish
IELTS Listening: Spelling out names
Spelling out names is a common pitfall for IELTS candidates. Andrew Stokes suggests two exercises to help improve spelling accuracy.
IELTS Speaking: What is the examiner looking for?
In this post, Andrew Stokes breaks down what IELTS Speaking examiners are looking for and looks at how you can use this information to achieve your best band score.
IELTS Reading: A quick fix?
In this post, Andrew Stokes suggests five tips that can improve your IELTS Reading score when you are short of time.
IELTS Listening: All the basics, from the British Council
Andrew Stokes puts forward some questions to see if you know enough about the IELTS Listening test — and gives tips on how you can get to know the basics.
IELTS Preparation: Using your phone to boost your band score
In this post, Andrew Stokes looks at how to use your phone to prepare for your IELTS test. He lists four preparation tips and the best resources to use.
IELTS Writing: Boost your score by reading
‘Reading and writing cannot be separated from each other: the more in-depth reading you do, the more in-depth writing you will eventually do.’ The University of Washington points to a clear link between reading and writing. Reading exposes you to different styles; it shows you how grammar is used correctly; and it helps you to build vocabulary and use it accurately. As the IELTS Writing paper has been referred to as the most difficult paper, all of these skills can help to improve the way you write. But to get the maximum benefit for your IELTS Writing test, and boost your band score, you need to use reading as a source for focused writing activities. Read on for an example of how you can do this.
IELTS Listening: Help! I don’t understand the accent!
IELTS is an international test, so you might hear a range of different accents, including Australian, British, New Zealand and North American. Remember that you only hear the audio once in the Listening test so you need to be absolutely confident that you can pick out every detail first time. An unfamiliar accent can get in the way of that. While there will not be any extreme accents, you should at least be familiar with a range of ‘standard’ accents.
IELTS Writing: The most difficult paper?
It’s difficult to go seriously wrong with the Reading and Listening tests in IELTS. Even if you have trouble understanding the text or the audio, the question paper gives you a pretty clear idea of what you need to write. And if you’re not sure, you can always guess. With the Speaking test, you’ll answer a series of questions, so even if you make a mistake with one of them, you’ll get another chance with the next question. Writing Task 2 is different — If you fail to understand the question, and go off on the wrong track, you could score no marks at all. And that could mean missing the band score you need.
Let’s start by looking at a sample Writing Task 2 question.
IELTS Listening: The importance of synonyms
At the beginning of the Listening test you are given 30 seconds to look at the question paper. This enables you to use the words on the paper to predict the words that you will hear in the recording. But that would be too easy! It’s much more likely that you will not hear these words; you will hear different words that mean the same thing. These are called synonyms.