Spending too much time and effort practicing test questions when you don't have enough vocabulary or applying too many tips on the internet can make your IELTS preparation ineffective.
Dr. Hoang Ngoc Quynh, lecturer at Leicester University, UK, shares 4 things that learners should avoid when practicing IELTS.
Too impatient
Whenever I get the question "How to get IELTS 6.5 or higher?", I often ask back "Have you spent enough time learning English solidly?".
In fact, IELTS test results only reflect English proficiency, not something too miraculous. The first mistake in IELTS preparation is being impatient and wanting to rush things.
When IELTS scores are popular, helping candidates get into a good university or improve their study abroad application, the desire to quickly get results is understandable. However, to practice IELTS, you need a solid foundation of vocabulary, grammar, as well as basic listening and speaking skills. Getting familiar with the test may only take a month, but having a foundation in the language takes many months. Therefore, in my opinion, candidates should temporarily put aside the pressure and long-term goals, and spend time studying the four English skills thoroughly.
You can create an English environment for yourself through listening and reading every day, starting from your current level. To prepare for the IELTS test, you should combine reading vocabulary and grammar books, or IELTS preparation guide books according to the roadmap.
The downside is that you can easily get bored. Therefore, combine learning English through many different sources and methods, for example learning through podcasts, movies, books, newspapers, Youtube, clubs...
Dr. Hoang Ngoc Quynh, lecturer at Leicester University, UK. Photo: Provided by the character
Too much emphasis on practice tests
Practicing too much will put pressure on learners about their scores, affecting the natural process of absorbing the language. Try to learn English in a comfortable and fun way, then when practicing, everything will be easier.
For example, if you are struggling with your Listening score despite practicing all kinds of questions, try spending 1-2 months watching movies or listening to English podcasts on topics you like, so that your speaking speed becomes natural. From my experience studying for IELTS, I find this method much more effective than sitting and listening for hours just to do the questions.
Too worried about "tips"
On the internet or in IELTS classes, you can easily read and share tips for studying and doing tests (tips). This can confuse learners and make them forget the main task of improving their English skills.
I don't deny that you should "pocket" a few tips when taking the test, but that's just a secondary factor. When I took the IELTS test, quite a while ago, I didn't use any tips, I simply focused on listening with the Listening section, focused on reading with the Reading section.
For the Speaking and Writing sections, I practiced speaking more before the exam and writing essays every day. Actually, I had spent quite a long time studying English by myself before that. I went into the exam room with confidence, and didn't think about any tips.
Learn by heart
Many IELTS training centers teach students how to guess, "learn" questions, memorize... Some students also practice Speaking questions, write scripts in advance, with the hope that when they take the test, they will get the right questions. Writing scripts like that is really ineffective, because the probability of getting the right questions is low, and it makes it difficult for you to speak fluently if you fail the questions.
To be objective, "cram learning" can be useful for some students who need to pass an exam quickly to get a score right away, but this is not an effective way to learn in the long term. In my opinion, the important thing is to help students confidently use English, so that this language can help them achieve long-term, sustainable and larger goals.
In the UK, if you ask what IELTS is, almost everyone has no idea. But when you communicate, they will recognize your confidence and ability to use the language. Set a longer goal to motivate yourself in your English learning journey. And when you maintain that motivation, achieving the desired IELTS score is not too difficult.
Hoang Ngoc Quynh
Source link
Comment (0)