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Fact or Fiction?
There are so many rumors that run wild about the IELTS, and as a teacher and former examiner I have heard them all! Today I wanted to take the time to clear up many misconceptions so that you, as a student, can set your heart at ease, and to make clear what you really need to focus on.
Fact or Fiction?
There is only one correct answer in the speaking test.
FICTION!
Rest at ease. You don’t need to worry about having the “right answer” for the speaking test. You also don’t need to be concerned that the examiner won’t like the opinion that you express on a given subject and flunk you – it doesn’t work like that. The speaking test tests your ability to speak English and they are examining you in four areas:
- Fluency and coherence
- Vocabulary
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Pronunciation
And before you get concerned, just because you have an accent does not mean that you will score poorly on pronunciation. Speaking clearly and having a good understanding of the correct way to pronounce the words (such as which syllables to stress) will help you score well on this test regardless of your accent.
Fact or Fiction?
Memorizing impressive vocabulary words and dropping them into my writing test will get me a great score, even if I don’t know what the words mean.
FICTION!
Don’t do this! It is more important to write something that is cohesive, coherent, and natural than complex. Dropping in a word just because it is big and looks impressive but doesn’t fit in the context won’t help your score, it will do exactly the opposite.
Fact or Fiction?
I have to keep practising the IELTS practice test to get a good band score.
FICTION!
This can be a very boring and limiting way of preparing for the test. While it is important to prepare for the IELTS and understand what is expected in each part of the test, you need to remember that this is a test of English and the better your English, the better your chances of doing well.
Don’t limit yourself to IELTS tests use the great wealth of English language material on the internet to help you too. Practice English not IELTS. To switch up your content and get a wide variety of stimulating English to study, check out some of the resources on our site.
Fact or Fiction?
The best way to study for the IELTS is to identify your weaknesses and your strengths and to focus on the areas where you need the most help.
FACT!
There is so much information out there about preparing for the IELTS and much of it is general and aimed at the widest audience possible. What can really help you get the band that you want is to get clear and focused support that is specifically tailored for you, to help you get strong in the areas where you are weak. Luckily for you, this is exactly the service that we provide!
We are here to help you achieve the band that you want, and we have spent decades fine tuning our teaching techniques and our classes and resources to focus in on what really works. Plus, we can take the time to work with you to tailor a program to you and to work with you where you need it most.
We hope that these myths dispelled have helped you breathe a sigh of relief, and that you are encouraged about taking the IELTS. Check out our free webinar for more IELTS tips, and happy studying!
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