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Improve your English language skills for a better IELTS score
I once received a comment from a student who had asked me for the best way to improve their IELTS score which made me laugh but was at the same time quite tragic.
I had told him that the best way to get a higher band was to focus on his English language skills and he write back:
“I know that this would really help me but I don’t have time to do this as I am too busy with my IELTS”
Do you sometimes catch yourself thinking like this when your teacher tells you to go and practise your present and past tenses or to check out vocabulary for numbers?
How can IELTS be more important than English? English language IS IELTS, and if you are thinking like this student then you need to STOP RIGHT NOW and think about what you are doing!!
The same is true if you are worrying about the topics in the speaking and writing – these are the least important part of these tests they are merely a vehicle to demonstrate your English language skills in writing and speaking – your ideas don’t need to be amazing your language skills do.
Most mistakes in IELTS are mistakes of language: spelling, grammar, lack of understanding, poor vocabulary, poor sentence structure, pronunciation problems or lack of fluency. All of these are about language ability. In every case here you need to address the weakness in your language, NOT your IELTS and so it goes without saying that better English skills make better IELTS results.
You won’t necessarily change these weaknesses by doing more IELTS practice but you will change them by doing more vocabulary, grammar or pronunciation practice. Your grammar book and dictionary might be a much better friend to you than your IELTS practice test book!!
So, please don’t be like the mis-guided student above – the next time you need to improve something in your IELTS book reach for your English language resources NOT your IELTS books.
I promise you it will make the difference that you are looking for .
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