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How to improve your IELTS vocabulary
I often get asked by students how they can improve their vocabulary for IELTS.
Vocabulary is an area of English that can constantly be added to and the wider your vocabulary is the more you have to offer in your IELTS speaking and reading.
Vocabulary is also important in listening and reading – it will help you understand and find the right answers.
I am addressing the higher bands here in particular (6.5 to 9) but here are some ways you can add to your vocabulary.
IELTS Listening:
Spelling features in IELTS listening so when you are listening to things try and write down some of the words you hear. Look for dictation exercises online where you can write down words and phrases and then check them.
There are different genres of speech in listening from conversation, instructions, through making arrangements to lectures. These all have different types of vocabulary formal and informal so make sure you get exposed to all of them.
IELTS Reading:
IELTS reading whether general or academic is rather formal (general will use less academic and more practical language in the first two passages).
The kind of vocabulary you find here will be useful for your writing. So use the reading passages as a resource for writing.
One thing that is critical for reading is knowledge of synonyms. The words in the questions are often paraphrases or synonyms of the words in the text so if you are practising reading and come across words you don’t know then add them to your list of vocabulary and learn them.
For general training search practical writing like leaflets, manuals, instructions and look at the vocabulary used.
IELTS Writing:
Academic writing is formal and yes. Academic so you need to use vocabulary that suits this genre. You will typically use a lot of modified nouns and noun phrases and linking words to create complex sentences.
Make sure you know your number vocabulary for describing data and also which words and phrases can be used with which type of data (they are not always interchangeable)
The best resource for writing is the Academic Word List. If you are going to study at university then you’ll need this in any case.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/academic/
For general training you could use this vocabulary in your task 2. For task 1 look at types of letter formal, informal and semi-formal. Find examples in newspapers or google the topics and look for ‘real’ letters not IELTS tasks.
IELTS Speaking:
The speaking needs to be spontaneous and as fluent as possible. Don’t think about the vocabulary or you won’t be able to deliver this in your speaking. Having said that, you do need to prove to the examiner that you have a wide range of vocabulary and can use it well. Check out topics for part 2 and do research on vocabulary for this and then try to use these in your practice.
In speaking you can use phrasal verbs and idioms (not too many idioms just use where appropriate. Make sure that you practise any new vocabulary in sentences so that you can get your ‘tongue ‘ around it and so it becomes natural.
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