10 Ways to Improve Your Band Score in the IELTS Speaking Test

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The IELTS speaking test lasts between 11 and 14 minutes, so you don't have long to prove your grammar and vocabulary knowledge or impress the examiner with your conversation skills. The most important thing is to make sure you communicate your ideas and opinions clearly throughout the speaking test, so here are the top ten things you can do to increase your band score. 

1. Understand what the examiner is looking for

In order to improve your band score you need to know what to expect in the IELTS speaking test. If it's your first time taking the test, it can help you feel more relaxed to familiarise yourself with the format and marking criteria. 

The IELTS speaking test consists of 3 parts. In part 1 the examiner will ask you some questions about familiar topics such as your habits, hobbies or interests. In part 2 you will have to speak for 2 minutes about a topic chosen by the examiner. The topic will be presented on a cue card with some bullet points to help you structure your speaking and you will have 1 minute to prepare. In part 3 the examiner will ask you some general questions associated with the topic you spoke about in part 2. This is an opportunity to speak more generally about important global/moral issues. 

Your speaking will be assessed throughout the test against the following criteria:

1. Fluency and coherence - Is what you're saying easy to follow? Are your sentences complete and do they provide enough detail to answer the question fully? Is the meaning clear?

2. Pronunciation - are you pronouncing words clearly so that they can be easily understood?

3. Lexical resource (vocabulary) - are you using advanced vocabulary appropriately?

4. Grammatical range and accuracy - are you using a variety of tenses and grammatical structures, such as modals, conditional clauses, adverbial clauses and subordinating conjunctions to give interesting, extended answers to exam questions?

2. Prepare ideas to answer questions on all of the IELTS topics 

Using commonly asked IELTS questions for each part of the exam will build your confidence and fluency. You will also have lots of ideas and examples to extend your answers. Having said that, you should not rehearse and memorise answers to any questions as it won't sound natural or conversational and the examiner will pick up on this straight away. You can find a list of commonly asked questions and download free topic card PDFs for the IELTS speaking test on my website.

3. Learn fixed expressions and synonyms to introduce ideas and opinions

 'I think' is probably one of the phrases most repeated by English learners, but there are so many other expressions that you could use instead. Taking some time to learn alternative phrases can make a big difference to the quality of your interactions. Here are some phrases to get you started: 

In my opinion...

From my perspective... 

Personally, I believe that...

For me...

If you ask me...

As far as I can tell...

I would say...

To my mind...

4. Listen to English as much as you can

You may be wondering why it's important to listen carefully if you want to improve your speaking skills, but listening is not only vital for developing good pronunciation habits, it will also help you notice how native speakers use intonation to add emphasis or alter meaning. The more you listen, the more natural you will sound when you are speaking.  

5. Take speaking classes with an IELTS teacher 

As much as it helps to practise speaking on your own or with a friend, a qualified teacher will hear mistakes straight away and quickly identify gaps in your knowledge, which will allow them to make recommendations to improve the quality of your communications and increase your IELTS band score. With the right teacher, just a few sessions can make an enormous difference. 

 

6. Speak clearly and at a natural speed

Speaking quickly is not the same as speaking fluently. Fluency refers to meaning being communicated clearly and efficiently. Most native speakers of English do not speak rapidly, it is more important to use intonation and word stress appropriately to convey your emotions and to change between tenses and grammatical structures without hesitation. Speaking very quickly in the IELTS test may adversely affect your band score, particularly if the examiner cannot hear you clearly enunciate verb endings, plural nouns or possessive forms. 

 

7. Use appropriate vocabulary and extend your answers

It might be tempting to get a band 8 vocabulary list and try to shoehorn as many as possible into your sentences, but this can backfire if you aren't using the words appropriately in context. Using formal or academic vocabulary in an informal conversation about friends, for example, may sound jarring and unnatural, and spending too much time searching for more advanced vocabulary can interrupt your fluency and stilt conversation. You should, however, try to extend your answers so that the examiner can hear you using a range of grammatical structures.

 

8. Record yourself speaking

Listening to yourself speaking about different topics is a great strategy to identify mistakes in grammar, but is particularly useful to practise for part 2 of the IELTS speaking test. 2 minutes can feel like a long time to speak about one topic and many students panic and repeat things when they run out of ideas. Listen to yourself speaking and think about whether all of the sentences you are using bring something new to discussion about the topic. 

 

9. Use your 1 minute wisely

If you are given a topic you don't have any opinions about or much experience with in part 2, don't panic! Use your 1 minute preparation time to be creative or put yourself in someone else's shoes. Think of a story based on a friend or family member's experience and pass it off as your own. The stories you tell don't have to be strictly true, you simply have to show that you can communicate a story or experience clearly and effectively. Use pen and paper to write key words to remember in case your mind goes blank or you lose your train of thought. 

 

10. Be patient

Achieving a band 6.5 or above doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to develop fluency and confidence to speak about all of the topics covered in the IELTS exam, but with the right tools and strategies, it is possible to make big improvements in a relatively short space of time.

IELTS Speaking Test: How to Greet the Examiner

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In this lesson I will tell you everything you need to know to greet the examiner in your IELTS speaking test. It is important to make a good first impression in your IELTS speaking test so remember to smile and follow instructions exactly, as this shows that you are a confident speaker and able to listen carefully. Always wait for the examiner to ask you a question before you speak. 

1. Take a seat

When you first enter the examination room you will be shown where to sit. If you are not invited to sit straight away, the most polite thing to do is to ask 'may I sit here?' before taking your seat. Do NOT say 'can I sit here?' Using can in this formal situation is likely to come across rude or disrespectful in English speaking culture. 

2. Say your full name

Once you are seated the examiner will introduce themselves. They might say 'Hello, my name is _________, what is your full name, please?' You should answer by saying 'My name's ___________.' Using the contracted form my name's instead of my name is shows the examiner that you can use a more natural pronunciation style. Be sure to say your name slowly and clearly as it can be difficult for some people to hear the correct pronunciation of foreign names. 

3. Tell the examiner what name you would like to use for the test

The examiner will then ask 'what should I call you?' You can answer this question in a couple of different ways. You could say 'please call me ______' or 'just call me _______.' If you have an English name that you like to use it is fine to tell the examiner 'you can call me by my English name, _______.'

4. Say where you are from

After this, the examiner will ask you where you are from. You should respond to this question with just one sentence, but adding a little extra detail shows better use of English. You could say, for example, 'I'm from Shanghai, which is a large city on the east coast of China.' Do NOT give any recommendations or ask the examiner any questions. 

5. Show your ID

The examiner will then ask to see your identification documents. When you pass your documents you do not need to say anything to the examiner, but it is polite to say something like 'I have my passport here' and the examiner will probably thank you for this. 

Finally, remember to smile and make eye contact. You want to present yourself as a confident speaker. Be friendly to set a good first impression. 

Have you done an IELTS speaking test before? Do you wish you did anything differently? Do you have any advice for other students? Write your answers in the comments! 

3 Things You Must Do Before Your IELTS Exam

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You've been studying hard for months and your IELTS exam is now just a matter of weeks away. Whether you are feeling confident or apprehensive, there are some things you MUST do to make sure you are prepared and ready on your exam day. Familiarising yourself with exactly what will happen on the day of your exam can also help you feel more relaxed immediately before the test. 

1. Take care of your physical health 

Eating and sleeping well are fundamental elements of a healthy lifestyle, but they become even more important before your IELTS test. The IELTS exam is very long. The IELTS test takes 3 hours in total to complete and the exam tasks will require your full attention and ability to concentrate for an extended period. Being well rested and making sure you have eaten a substantial breakfast the morning of your exam, will give you the best possible chance of maximising your results. 

Drinking enough water in the days before your exam are very important. It is well-known that the human brain functions better when it is hydrated. Taking water into your IELTS exam is also recommended as you will be sitting for an extended period of time. You will also be allowed to take a water bottle with you into your exam as long as it is in a transparent bottle.

2. Check (and double check) your ID documents 

 

 

If you don't have your ID you won't be allowed to sit your exam. Check with your exam centre exactly what documentation or proof of ID is required, pack it with your house keys the night before and double check that you have it with you before you leave. It would be an expensive shame to have studied so hard only to be turned away at the door.

3. Go to the toilet

It takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the listening, reading and writing tests and there are no breaks in between. Make sure that going to the toilet is the last thing you do before you enter the exam room!

 

Remember, you can't fail the IELTS exam and you can take the test as many times as you like. If worst comes to worst and you don't perform as well as you'd hoped, it's not the end of the world and it is valuable experience to help you get a better score next time.

 

Have you taken the IELTS exam recently? I would love to hear from you. Share your experiences, successes and tips for other IELTS students in the comments!

 

Most Common IELTS Speaking Part 1 Practice Questions

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Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test lasts for 3 or 4 minutes and the examiner will ask you 2 or 3 questions on 3 topics about your personal life from a list of 25 possible topics.   

These are the most common speaking topics for part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. They are topics which appear frequently in part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. You should prepare ideas and practise answering these questions using advanced vocabulary and a range of grammatical structures to maximise your results.

Home 

1. Where is your home?

2. Do you plan to live there in the future?

3. Do you live in a house or a flat?

4. Who do you live with?

5. What is your neighbourhood like?

6. What is your favourite room and how is it decorated?

7. Do most people live in houses or flats in your country?

8. What facilities are there near your home?

9. Are there many rooms in your home?

10. What would you change about your home?

 

Hometown 

1. Where is your hometown?

2. Do you like your hometown?

3. What is your hometown like?

4. Do you often visit your hometown?

5. What is the oldest place in your hometown?

6. What is there for a tourist to do in your hometown?

7.Has your hometown changed much since your were a child?

8. Is there good transportation in your hometown?

9. Is your hometown a good place to bring up children?

10. How could your hometown be improved?

Work 

1. What is your job?

2. Where do your work?

3. Why did you choose that job?

4. Do you get on well with your colleagues?

5. Is it a popular job in your country?

6. What responsibilites do you have at work?

7. Do you like your job?

8. Do you plan to continue this job in the future?

9. If you had the chance, would you change your job?

10. What was your first day like?

Study 

1. What do you study?

2. Where do your study?

3. Is that a populary subject in your country?

4. What are the main aspects of your subject?

5. Do you like this subject?

6. Do you plan to get a job in the same field as your subject?

7. If you had the chance, would you change your subject?

Sport Vocabulary You MUST Know For IELTS

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Sport is an important topic in IELTS and you may be asked sports questions in your speaking test, listen to information about a particular sport or activity in the listening test or read about sport in the reading exam. The following activities are designed to help you develop your sport vocabulary for IELTS.

Activity 1

Complete the table with the correct vocabulary

running       football        snowboarding        scuba diving          net                                                         rink               court                        goggles                         gloves 
course          boxing           weightlifting            fins            clubs

Sport	Place	Equipment
1	pitch	ball / goal
2	ring	_____ / shorts
3 tennis		ball / ___ / raquet
4	ocean / sea	oxygen tank / ____
5 golf		_____ / irons
6	pool	costume / _______
7	mountain slopes	board
8	gym	weights
9 ice-skating		skates
10	track	shoes / spikes

Activity 2

Do any of these sports appeal to you? Why/Why not?

Which of these activities do you think are most popular? Explain why.

Record yourself speaking the answers or write your answers in the comments!

Activity 3

Describe at least one example of each type of sport. Use a dictionary to help you.

1. Motor

2. Winter

3. Water

4. Equestrian

5. Indoor

6. Track and field

7. Team

8. Indoor

Record yourself speaking the answers or write your answers in the comments!

Sources

Ready for IELTS:Sam McCarter:2010:Macmillan Publishers:Thailand

IELTS Reading Tips: How to Increase Your IELTS Reading Score

 #ielts #ieltsprep #ieltspreparation #ieltsreading #ieltsgoals #ieltstips 

'I hate reading!' and 'reading is so hard!' are common complaints from IELTS students in classrooms all over the world. So what is it about the IELTS reading test that causes bright, hardworking students so much stress? 

Here is my list of things you must do to improve your IELTS reading band score and get a better overall result.

1. Get used to reading difficult passages

IELTS reading texts necessarily use obscure advanced vocabulary because it is designed to test even the most proficient of English students to a perfect band score of 9, and in the academic test, texts are similar to what you might encounter as an undergraduate student at university. 

Ok, so a band score of 9 is really exceptional and may be out of reach for a lot of people. In fact, many IELTS students don't realise that the average IELTS score for a native English speaker with a high school education is only 7.5! That's why 7.5 is considered a very good score in IELTS and even the most prestigious universities around the world don't expect more than that. University is, after all, a time for students to further develop their reading and writing skills. 

Increasing the amount of difficult texts that you read will help you develop stronger comprehension skills and give you a much better chance of scoring highly in the IELTS reading exam. 

You can find excellent articles at National Geographic, New Scientist, The Economist, and Time Magazine. 

If you are serious about improving your IELTS reading score, you could try ReadTheory. There are other mobile apps designed specifically for IELTS, most of which you have to pay for, but ReadTheory is a website with a library of thousands of texts with quizzes to test and monitor your reading comprehension skills for free. There are 12 levels on ReadTheory, one for every year in the British education system. As a rough guide, beginner students should expect to start at level 1-3, intermediate learners level 4-7 and advanced at 8+. Progressing to reading passages at level 10-12 will give you a better chance of scoring highly in the IELTS reading test.

2. Don't try to understand everything in the text  

If you've ever felt the weight of a paper dictionary, you will know that English has an enormous vocabulary. At the time this post was published, there were a staggering 171,146 words in the Oxford English dictionary! Research suggests that whilst the average native speaker knows about 20,000 words and university-educated people have a vocabulary of approximately 40,000 words, there are only around 5,000 common words that are used repeatedly in everyday communications. Once you have accepted that there will be vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with in the IELTS reading test, you can free your mind to focus on real, practical and proven ways to increase your IELTS reading band score.

Most question types that you will encounter in the IELTS reading test require you to locate information in a text and approximate its meaning or reorganise it in some way. Plus, it is often possible to decipher the meaning of unusual vocabulary by looking at the sentences around it. You don't necessarily need to know all the words to answer most IELTS questions accurately.  

3. Develop your IELTS vocabulary

What you most certainly will need to be familiar with is the official IELTS vocabulary list for each of the IELTS topics. The complete IELTS vocabulary list can be found at the back of official IELTS textbooks.

 

A good IELTS study schedule will include:

1. Learning new vocabulary, synonyms and paraphrasing

2. Practising different question types 

3. Practising locating specific information quickly in texts

4. Skim and scan 

Skimming is reading a text very quickly to get an understanding of the general idea and topic. Skimming an IELTS text should take about 2 to 3 minutes but I recommend first skimming the IELTS questions. Skimming is an important skill to master for the IELTS exam. Skimming the text be done first, but skimming the questions before the text can be a very helpful strategy to use, particularly if you sometimes run out of time, as you will already be prepared for the topic and the kinds of questions you will have to answer. 

Scanning is another essential IELTS skill and involves searching a text for specific information. This skill is used when you go back and forth between questions and text to locate answers. To scan effectively you need to have skimmed a text and highlighted important vocabulary first. 

There are plenty of free mobile apps designed to help you improve your speed reading techniques and practise skimming complex passages. Breaking news English is a great website, created and used by English teaching professionals, that uses current affairs as an engaging and relevant topic for improving reading skills.

5. Highlight key words

This is a very important time saving skill but it must be done well. Student often aren't sure what information is important in a text before they skim it and end up with highlighter pen all over their text. Highlighting too much can be very distracting and hinder your speed and accuracy. 

So, how do you know what information is important in a text? Skimming the questions before reading should give you a better idea of key words you will need to look for later on in the test. In other words, which information is worth highlighting. It is better to limit highlighting to specific key words. If you start to highlight entire sentences, you might fall into the trap of highlighting too much. 

Is a paragraph about a specific person or changes that happened during a specific date? Just highlighting the name or the date, if they appear in a question, will help you locate correct answers more efficiently. 

6. Develop skills to answer each type of reading question

There are around 14 different question types in teh IELTS reading test and you will need to find a strategy for and practise answering each one to maximise your results. Some questions  involve locating information in the text in order from beginning to end, but some questions do not. Many students find the true, false or not given questions more difficult than other question types, so it is a good idea to practise this type of question more often if you know it is a weakness. 

7. Practise, practise, practise 

Completing timed practise tests from genuine IELTS reading exams is crucial, especially in the weeks before your IELTS exam, because it will help you with time management and hone your skimming and scanning skills. If you never practise, you'll never improve your score; it really is that simple!

If you're short on time, give yourself 20 minutes to answer questions on 1 passage as this is the time you will have to work on each text in the IELTS reading exam. This was you can do practice tests on your lunch break or while commuting. A busy lifestyle does not have to get in the way of achieving the IELTS band score you truly deserve! 

If you've tried these methods and still feel stuck at a band score of 5.5, or you're becoming frustrated with a particular type of reading question, seeking assistance from a trusted and experienced IELTS tutor is the best way to quickly identify where you are going wrong and develop strategies and skills to overcome problems with reading and comprehension. 

Don't forget to visit my website and subscribe for more FREE IELTS lessons and tips by email to achieve your best results in the IELTS exam. 

 

5 Secrets to Keeping Resolutions & Achieving Your IELTS Goals

#ielts #ieltsprep #ieltspreparation #ieltsgoals #2021 #resolutions

 

Advanced vocabulary is highlighted in bold. 

 

We all have a mental list of things that we'd like to achieve in life or things that we wish we could do better at. It is something of a tradition in western culture to make resolutions in January in an often vague attempt to better ourselves, but very few of us ever stick to them. 

There is, however, a secret to unlocking your potential and achieving your targets, which I am sharing with you so that you can achieve your IELTS goals. These are 5 ways that you can turn your New Year's resolutions into achievable targets with an actionable plan to make positive changes part your daily habit. 

 

 

 

 

1. Make your targets specific 

One of the most common mistakes people make when setting goals is being too vague. Whilst 'I want to improve my English' is a good idea, it says nothing about how you will achieve it. Furthermore, when you have actually spent some of your valuable time trying to improve your English, how will you know if it has worked? 

A much better way is to set a specific goal like 'I would like to achieve a score of 6.5 in my IELTS exam by the end of next year' or 'I am going to reach advanced level in English by the end of this year.' These goals can be easily turned into a plan because you have clearly defined what it is that you want to achieve and success is measurable. You could, for example, take an online course, find a tutor and take some classes or buy a course book and work through it methodically to progress at your desired level of proficiency. 

2. Measure your progress 

One of the biggest reasons people fail to keep their resolutions is lack of motivation. Research suggests that the majority of resolutions, whatever they may be, are likely to have been broken by the end of January! 

The secret to motivation is monitoring your progress. It makes perfect sense that once you start noticing the results of your hard work, you are much more likely to continue to do more of it. 

 

 

Bullet journals can be used in much the same way as traditional year planners, except they are printed with dots instead of lines and start completely blank. Because they offer so much flexibility in organising the layout, they are a great way to measure results and track all sorts of positive daily habits. If you've never heard of bullet journaling before, you can find more information about it here. 

If you're more tech savvy, on the other hand, there are plenty of mobile apps that can help you monitor your progress and achieve your personal goals. Call me old fashioned, but I think there is just something about writing in a physical journal that helps me to keep myself accountable. Perhaps it's the weight of the journal itself that helps me to take my goals more seriously? Anyway, I much prefer bullet journaling on paper and recommend it to anyone that wants to increase their productivity. 

3. Be realistic 

This one is obvious but you'd be surprised how many students set objectives that are completely unattainable for them because they have a busy lifestyle or they just haven't thought about how much work is actually required to reach their target. 

When you are setting goals think carefully about other commitments you have in your life and how much time you are realistically able to dedicate every week to achieving your objective. If you are overly ambitious or underestimate how busy you are, you will quickly become unmotivated and might even be tempted to abandon your mission completely. 

The same is true if you got a 5 in your latest IELTS practice test and your goal is to achieve 7.5. Although a band score of 7.5 might be the ultimate long-term goal, it could become a source of stress whilst you are studying at band 5. It's simply too much of a giant leap. Be kind to yourself and aim to reach a 5.5 or a 6 next. Only when you have achieved this result is it time to focus on 7.5. 

4. Set yourself a deadline 

Having a deadline is important. Psychologically, it will be much easier to motivate yourself and get into a routine if you set out to reach your goal by a specific date. 

 

 

 

 

Booking an IELTS test or a Cambridge English exam so that you feel a little pressure to achieve your deadline can be helpful to keep yourself on track. There is no limit to the number of IELTS exams you take so you can always retake the exam later if you don't perform as well as you expected, and next time you take the test you will feel more confident and comfortable with the format. 

5. Get into a daily habit 

You can make good progress if you set aside some study sessions a few times a week, but for the best results I recommend you make studying a daily habit. 

Look at your schedule and identify any period of 'dead' time, like time spent on public transport or waiting for your dinner to cook. Spending 10-30 minutes studying every day is better than spending 3 hours studying once a week. In just 20 minutes you could complete an IELTS writing task 1 question, review some vocabulary, learn a new grammar structure, do an online lesson or read a blog post. 

So there you have it. With these 5 important considerations you can turn your New Year's resolutions into achievable targets and implement a plan to achieve the best possible results. 

And remember, above all else be kind to yourself. Setting goals is not just something for New Year. If you lose your way, you always have tomorrow to make a fresh start. 

 

 

What would you like to achieve this year? Maybe you have already made some resolutions? Have you discovered the joys of bullet journaling or have tips for other IELTS students? I would love to hear from you. Share your stories in the comments!