IELTS Energy 43: The FIRST Thing You Need to Think About When You Prepare for the IELTS Exam

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS   Are you nervous about your IELTS Speaking test? Did you know that there are some easy things that you can do to increase your chances of a higher score on the Speaking test? The IELTS exam is not completely objective because another person is giving you the score. Yes, they are trained and there are very specific requirements for each score but they are still human and you can influence the examiner in a positive way to increase your score. How to build a rapport with the examiner or get their attention: Don’t shake the examiner’s hand. This is not a business deal. Do follow their instructions about where to sit and be respectful. Don’t try to negotiate with the examiner to get a better score. Don’t ask the examiner how you did right after the speaking test is over. The final few minutes before you leave the room are very important so don’t make the examiner angry. Do use your personality. Do Tell personal stories. Don’t say what you think the examiner wants to hear. Do relax, smile, laugh a little bit. Do be polite. Do make eye contact if you can. If you can’t do that then you can look beyond the examiner.   Approach the Speaking section like a formal interview but also show a positive attitude. It’s supposed to be formal but relaxed.   Do you have any other questions about the Speaking test on the IELTS? Please ask your question below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Maalis 201520min

Click here to get 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS   Are you nervous about talking for two minutes in speaking section 2 of the IELTS? Today, get some note taking strategies you can use to ace the IELTS speaking section!   In the IELTS speaking part 1, the examiner asks you about three topics. But in part 2 you are given a single topic card.  No matter what this topic is, you cannot change it. You have one minute to prepare to speak for two full minutes. How you spend that minute is important. Because you will have such a specific topic, and such a short amount of time, it’s probably best to write everything you can think of about the topic. You could do this in a bullet list, or as a mind map. But you need to have enough to say for those two minutes. If you do not have practice brainstorming like this, you may want to practice. Use a topic from a newspaper as an example. Give yourself a minute (or more) to make a list of notes on the topic. Then, see if you can use them to speak for two minutes.   Other tips: Practice brainstorming/note-taking every day if possible. You’re training your brain for thinking, speaking and writing in English. Take all of these notes in English, not your native language! Ideally, your notes will provide you enough to tell a story. Telling a story will enable you to speak for the full two minutes, and help you remain coherent.   Do you have much experience brainstorming? How do you think it would go for the IELTS speaking section part 2? Let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 Maalis 201514min

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS   What’s the difference between the IELTS and the TOEFL? Today, learn what makes these two tests distinct, and how to choose between the them!   The IELTS and the TOEFL have some significant differences. But that doesn’t mean one is easier than the other. Many universities will accept either test, so you might be able to choose which one works best for you. That means it’s a good idea to know how each is unique.   Here is are some points of difference between the two tests: The IELTS exam is completed on paper and by speaking to a person. The TOEFL is done entirely on a computer (even the speaking portion). For some people, IELTS might feel more “natural.” The listening section in TOEFL uses only North American accents. IELTS, on the other hand, uses a range of English accents from around the world. If you have trouble with accents, you might find IELTS more difficult. But IELTS is more predictable. For example, the test has three reading passages every time. TOEFL, on the other hand, always has a different number of reading passages. It also might have longer listening and reading sections. With TOEFL, on one section you have to listen to a conversation and give your opinion. This means it’s both a writing and speaking section. IELTS only has distinct listening and reading sections.   Which exam sounds easier to you? Let us know why in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Maalis 201514min

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher   How can you increase your IELTS vocabulary range?  Today, learn 3 steps for building a more dynamic vocabulary for the IELTS exam!   You need to have words that are useful for academia and formal situations, but also with your friends on the street. This is key to having a more natural sounding English. But how do you build this range of vocabulary?   Jessica has three steps for building it. They include: Getting the vocabulary: Newspapers are a great resource for this. A newspaper like the USA Today is more understandable, while the New York Times is written at a higher level. A magazine like the Economist is even higher. Recording it: For every article you read, choose maybe five new words to learn. Keep them in context. Maybe write a summary of the article that uses these new words. Remembering it: Develop a system for studying these new vocabulary words. Try to review the words at least two or three times a week. Also, try to use these new words in conversation.   What are you doing to build a range of vocabulary? Tell us what you’re doing in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2 Maalis 201517min

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS   Today you’ll find out why some students lose focus and energy easily and quickly on the IELTS and why others are able to stay awake and energized throughout the entire exam.   How to Keep Your Energy High for IELTS Day: Eat Breakfast: You need protein that will stick with you all day like eggs as well as carbohydrates that will give you the energy that you need like oatmeal. You can also try almond milk, nuts, fruit, etc. Bring Water to the Test: Remember that when you bring your water bottle into the IELTS exam, you cannot have a label on the bottle. Tear the label off before you go in. Prepare for this ahead of time. Get Fresh Air and Exercise: This is a great way to keep your focus alive and to keep your mind awake. Ty to get in a short, brisk walk before you check in and at noon after you finish the Writing section. This will help you be ready for the Speaking test in the afternoon.   Do you have great strategies to maintain your energy on IELTS test day? Let us know your ideas in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Helmi 201513min

Click here to get the 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS   Today you’ll find out which accents will be on the listening section of the IELTS and where you can practice those accents for free. Are you confused about which English accents will be on the IELTS?   There are a variety of accents on IELTS. If you buy books from a British publisher then you will hear mostly British accents. However, on the test you will hear a variety of accents from around the world. Still, you need to get used to British English and other accents. You can find British accents on Luke’s English Podcast.   Here are a few other resources with a mix of accents but also a lot of videos from England: ESLvideo.com EnglishCentral.com   ** You can also view transcripts and take quizzes on these sites. BBC Learning English Engvid   More Hot Resources! Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals  Real Life English Podcast Have you found any other great resources to prepare with a variety of accents? Please let us know in the comments section below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Helmi 201512min

Get our 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on IELTS   Today you’ll learn what grammar risks you should take on IELTS to get a 7 and when to play it safe with your grammar choices. Do you know how complex your grammar needs to be to get a score of 7?   For a 7 you need a mix of sentence structures. To get a 7 you need simple (subject + verb “I go to the store”) and compound sentences (two simple sentences put together using conjunctions “I go to the store and I like to shop”) and complex sentences (adding a dependent clause such as “I go to the store which is near my house because I love to buy the food that they have”).   However, you also need to be sure that you don’t have a lot of mistakes. It’s ok to make some mistakes. You can make mistakes up to a band score of 8. You should play it safe on the IELTS and use the grammar structures that you are comfortable with. Don’t try using rare grammar tenses like the past perfect. Don’t experiment with new tenses on the IELTS exam.   To sum up, to get a 7 you need 80% of your sentences to have no mistakes. You should get comfortable with relative clauses because it’s a great way to mix in the more advanced grammar that you need and they are easy. How can you add these more complex grammar points? Try to make it relevant to you when you practice.   What tenses have you used on the IELTS exam? Tell us in the comments! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 Helmi 201514min

CLick here to get our 7 Easy Steps to a 7 or Higher on the IELTS   Get show notes on this episode here: http://allearsenglish.com/ie-8-how-can-you-correct-your-own-writing-for-the-ielts-writing-section/   Can’t find anyone to correct your IELTS writing practice? A lot of people have this problem but it doesn’t mean that you can’t do some great preparation for the test by yourself!   Today you’ll find out exactly how to create a checklist for your writing to grade it yourself. When you create your checklist you should organize it based on the descriptors. Descriptors are what the examiner looks at in order to give you a grade.   What to look for when you correct your own writing practice tests: Task achievement/task response: Do you complete the required task? Do you actually answer the question? For Task 1, you need to include all the key points. You need a summary or overall trend. You need to say what happens to the numbers in general. For Task 2, did you stick to the topic and fully answer every part of the question. For example, if it’s an argument essay, did you talk about every part of the question? Organization: Does every sentence connect to the topic? Are you repeating anything? Are you being direct and concise? Coherence and Cohesion: Do you have good paragraphs? Do you use linking words between every sentence? Examiners look for the linking words! Don’t forget them. They are important! Don’t let your writing be choppy. It needs to flow with linking words. Do your ideas make sense? Vocabulary: Look for repeated words and circle them. Try to think of different ways to say words when you have repeated them. Grammar: Look for a variety of sentence structures. Underline the complex sentences. Make sure you included them in your writing. A complex sentence is where you use a dependent clause with a simple sentence. Here is an example: “I like writing which has a lot of linking words.” Mistakes: Make a list of the most common errors. Look at verb tenses, circle the different tenses. Make sure you are using them correctly. It’s better to have a real person correct your IELTS writing but if you can’t do that, try using this checklist above. Set up a very specific study schedule. Work on it every single day. Leave yourself plenty of time ahead of the test to prepare and you can do it!   Leave us a comment below! Have you tried correcting your own IELTS writing? How did it go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

20 Helmi 201517min