Bryan Dowie explains why a better vocabulary will result in a better band score in IELTS Writing, and offers some practical tips and exercises.
Author: Bryan Dowie, IELTS teacher, Hong Kong
IELTS Writing: The four keys to success
The first thing you should know before going into your IELTS Writing test is what the examiner is looking for. Take a look at the four keys to success.
IELTS Listening: Three things to get right
Most people find the Listening test more stressful than the Reading test. That’s because when you are reading, you have the texts in front of you and you can refer to them more than once. When you are listening, if you miss an answer, it’s gone — and because you only hear the recording once, you can never get it back. So you need to work out some strategies in advance.
IELTS Reading: Matching headings to paragraphs
IELTS Reading includes unusual question types which you may not find in other reading exams. Let’s look at this example of matching headings to paragraphs.
IELTS Reading: Exam skills are critical to success
When I have a new IELTS class, the first thing I want to assess is their exam skills. So I ask them to read and complete some IELTS Reading tasks. Almost always the questions go to one side, and the candidates focus on the text and read it word by word from beginning to end. I can always see some students panicking about words they don't know. Meanwhile the minutes are ticking away and no answers are being noted down...
IELTS Preparation: Key facts for test day
IELTS is a challenging test. You can reduce the stress by making sure that you understand all the rules and have all the practicalities under control for the test day. Here are four key points, and some do’s and don’ts.