IELTS Speaking Test Guide

For many non-English speakers, learning how to speak English well can be difficult. However, the truth is that today, learning has become very easy. There are already many resources and educational tools available online that are designed for English learners.

One of the most important things that you should do is determine the areas of speaking English that you are having difficulties with. It can be that you have a very limited vocabulary or you don’t know how to construct sentences properly. It can also be that you are not confident with your English knowledge and skills or that you are having difficulties pronouncing English words. Whatever your difficulties are, you need to deal with them.

The next step is to work on overcoming these difficulties. If you have very limited vocabulary, then take advantage of the tools and apps that are designed to help improve vocabulary. When you are able to improve your vocabulary, you will have fewer difficulties in expressing yourself with the use of English words. You may also take advantage of the audios and videos online if you want to improve your pronunciation skills. There are also tools for grammar learning.

Improve your confidence by practicing on a daily basis. Do not be afraid of making grammatical errors and just train yourself to speak spontaneously in English. Believe in your abilities to speak, correct your mistakes, and just speak. You may face the mirror or practice with other people. The important thing is that you feel comfortable or get accustomed to saying English words. You may improve your conversational skills also by talking to individuals who speak English, personally or online.

Lastly, it is very important that you familiarize yourself with the exam. The test is divided into three parts, and you will be given 12 to 14 minutes to get everything done. The first part will involve questions about you, your interest, family, etc. The second part will be about a topic in a cue card, and the third will be a continuation of the second part. Make sure that you don’t give a simple yes or no, or short replies. Elaborate your answers and stick to the question at all times.

Preparation for the IELTS Speaking test can be a long and challenging process. However, if you work hard enough and believe in your abilities, you won’t be too far from reaching your goals. Practice and spend time every day to improve your skills. Track your progress and identify your weak areas so that you can do something to strengthen them.

This article IELTS Speaking Test Guide was first seen on on http://jonesther.com

Weak Words To Avoid In Writing

 

Finding the right words is one of the most important things that you need to do to learn how to write well. There are thousands of words available for you to choose from, and you need to make the right choice to effectively convey your message to the readers. Having the ability to choose the right words necessitates knowing identifying the weak words to avoid. Using the wrong words can suck the energy from your work, and this is something that you need to remember while you are still improving your writing skills.

One of the weak words that you should avoid is “really.”  This word is often used to stress emphasis, but usually ends up not doing its job. The word “real” pertains to a fact or something that is not imagined. The word “really” should be used as an intensifier, and not something that lessens the impact of the sentence. For instance, you can change the the sentence “The dancer really performed admirably” into “The dancer performed admirably.” Another example is the use of a phrase “A really great idea,” which you can change to “An excellent idea.”

Things and stuff are words that are widely used in many reading materials. The problem is that almost always, it is only the writer who has a clear understanding of what the “things” and “stuff” means, and not the reader. Using these words often give readers unnecessary and additional burden in figuring out what the writer is trying to say. These words are vague and you need to specify what you are talking about. The words “I believe,” “I feel,” and “I think,” are also among the weak words you should avoid using. They do not inspire confidence in the audience, and often lead readers to question the honesty and authenticity of the writer. These words, which are typically used to inspire confidence, can make the writer sound uncertain about the topic and themselves. According to experts, words such as “I think” or “I believe” can change the focus of the sentence, from the topic to the writer. Instead of saying ” I believed the author has a great point here,” you may instead say ” The author has a great point here.”

In choosing the right words, you also need to learn about the difference between active and passive voices, and determine which of them you should use. When you say “Annie mailed the letter” you are using the active voice, and passive voice when you say “The letter was mailed by Annie.” Experts suggest that you use active instead of passive voice. Passive voice is often used in scientific writing. It is less engaging and forces the writer to utilize more words in a sentence. Active voice, on the other hand, allows you to create punctuated, straightforward, and short sentences.

Lastly, make it a habit to avoid using the word “very.” According to experts, the word does not convey enough information, and it is even perceived to be one of the most useless words one can find in the English language. There are remedies you can resort to such as saying “wonderful” when you want to say “very good” or spotless when you say “very clean.”

The article Weak Words To Avoid In Writing was published first on www.jonesther.com

Tips To Become Confident And Fluent In The IELTS Speaking Test

The IELTS speaking exam is one of the toughest sections, and test takers need to ensure that they are fully ready for it. If you are one of these test takers and are looking for some tips, then you are looking at the right page. The entire preparation process will require you to learn about the different parts of the speaking test and how you can improve your speaking skills. It is similarly important that you are confident and fluent in speaking in front of the interviewer. Fear and anxiety are usually the main culprits why test takers are unable to speak well. The good news is that there are ways to eliminate fear, and to finally build confidence.

There are many things that you can do to become fluent and confident in speaking English. One is to prepare, and this means learning about the kinds of questions that you will probably encounter during the test. To be confident, you need to be knowledgeable. Study the grammar rules and expand your vocabulary. Learn how to create English sentences and make it a habit to say them naturally when you practice. There are websites that provide some sample questions and answers about the exam. Make sure that you are familiar with the potential questions in all the parts of the speaking test. Doing this allows you to be confident of the knowledge you possess, and thus it will be easier for you to respond even if it’s through the use of the English language.

Practice as they say makes perfect. However, this saying is to be interpreted as practicing using the right materials,and study habits. Make an effort to practice on a daily basis and do not be afraid to commit mistakes. Without practicing, you won’t be able to make mistakes and without making mistakes, you will not be able to correct yourself, and thus you will not progress. Listen to programs and watch videos such as documentaries and films that use the English language. Listening to how native speakers say words will help you become more familiar about the language and how words are properly and naturally pronounced. Correct practice makes perfect, and when you are confident with your abilities to speak well, you will also be fluent and confident in talking to the interviewer.

Bear in mind that you will be assessed according to four criteria, and one is “fluency and coherence.” You can be fluent when you are not confident. Practice whether have someone to talk to or not. When alone, you can talk in front of the mirror and record your voice if possible. Write your answer and determine if you are saying too little or too much, if you have long pauses, or if you are pronouncing words properly. Talking in front of a mirror also allows you to practice establishing eye contact. Body language such as eye contact is important in communication. When you have become accustomed to speaking with the use of the English alone or with the presence of others, you are less likely to be afraid and anxious when speaking in front of the interviewer.

The blog post Tips To Become Confident And Fluent In The IELTS Speaking Test was originally posted on http://jonesther.com

Guide To Basic Writing Competency

Writing is one of the most important aspects of English learning. Anyone who is preparing for English language proficiency tests such as IELTS understands the importance of writing skill improvement. There are many things to learn when you are trying to improve your skills in writing.

A very basic example of a lesson is to simply avoid having two letter space between sentences. This rule is, if I’m not mistaken, taught during primary school, but there are people who seem to ignore the importance of not committing this particular mistake. If you put two spaces in between sentences, the readers will be skeptical about your work. Instead of focusing on what you are trying to convey, they would be busy watching out for your mistakes. Also make sure that your paragraphs have reasonable lengths. Avoid making unusually long or short paragraphs, and do not create laboriously long paragraphs in your final draft.

Familiarize yourself with the proper use of capitalization, rules for styling numbers, and the principles of punctuation.  You need to be consistent in omitting or inserting a serial comma. These principles also include the proper use of the semicolon and avoidance of the comma splice.

Other topics that you need to learn about or master are idioms and spelling. Make sure that you avoid using unnecessary cliches as it will make you look like a lazy writer. Improve you vocabulary and spelling skills, and you can easily do this by taking advantage of the resources available online. There are educational tools such as apps that are designed to help people improve their English grammar, vocabulary, and spelling skills. You do not have to spend just to take advantage of these tools as many are available for free. These apps are designed to be user-friendly too and can be used in gadgets such as tablets, laptops, and mobile phones.

Once you have already learned the basic grammar rules, make sure that you practice writing on a daily basis. Write just about pretty much anything that comes in your mind. It doesn’t matter what you write about. The important thing is that you are able to give yourself a chance to apply what you have learned, and evaluate whether you are making progress in your writing. People say that practice makes perfect. However, I believe that this should be construed to mean that practicing in the right way using the correct methods or following the rules is what can lead to perfection. When you practice without following grammar rules or learning about the correct sentence usage of a word, you will be far from making any progress. Make sure that you practice writing by applying what you have learned about grammar and other topics about English learning.

Be creative and do not be afraid to make your own lines beautifully. Strive to become someone who can craft beautifully-made sentences. Discover how you can clearly express your ideas or emotions through expanding your vocabulary and learning about proper sentence construction. Believe in your abilities to write well, work hard, and eventually you will find yourself being the excellent writer you’ve ever dreamed of.

 

This post Guide To Basic Writing Competency was first seen on on http://jonesther.com

Tips For The IELTS Listening Test

Many people think that  listening is a skill that doesn’t need to be developed due to the fact that humans generally already have an inherent gift for it. However, the truth is that most people confuse hearing with listening. Almost always, people think that they are listening when the truth is that they are merely hearing. If you are preparing for an exam such as IELTS, you need to ensure that you have the ability to listen well in order to pass the listening section of the exam.

One of the best ways to improve your listening skills is to simply ensure that you practice listening using a variety of audio materials. You can find a myriad of videos and audios online that you can use to enhance your listening skills. Bear in mind that you if your native tongue is not English, you are more likely to have a hard time understanding what the English speaker is trying to say. I suggest that you select a video or film that catches your interest, and watch a version of it that has a subtitle. With the use of the subtitle, you will be able to validate the words that you hear from the speaker, especially those that you find unclear. It is imperative that before you try on the practice tests available online, you are already confident that you are already making progress with your listening skills.

Once you have developed your listening skills, the next step that you should take is use the practice tests from the internet. Using the practice test allows you to become familiar with the exam. It is also important that you are able to spell words correctly. There are very common English words that you need to add on your vocabulary. Make sure that you don’t spell words incorrectly as it can negatively affect your marks.

It is important that you are familiar with the flow of the exam. Remember that before every part of the test, you will hear these lines “You will hear a conversation between…” or “you will hear a lecture on…” Listening to this information allows you to have an idea about the topic you are about to encounter, and thus, makes things easier. Bear in mind that what you will be hearing won’t be written on the question paper, and this means you need to listen carefully.

While taking the test, it is vital that you manage your time and use it well. Quickly read the questions and choose a word that goes in the given space. You may write “N” for noun, “A” for adjective, and “V” for verb. You will be given 30 seconds to review your answer at the end of every section. Make sure that you use this time wisely, especially while you are checking for plurals, word forms, and spelling. Also keep in mind that Section 3 is usually about education, and it involves a conversation between a tutor and students usually about an assignment. Expand your vocabulary about studying at a university to improve your score in section 3.

This post Tips For The IELTS Listening Test was originally posted on jonesther.com

Tips To Succeed In The IELTS Reading Test

The IELTS reading test is believed to be one of the easiest sections. However, it requires a certain amount of time and preparation from test takers in the same way as other sections do. While reading is easy, there are aspects of the exam that test takers should be familiar about. For instance, they will find the time given  to be short or not enough to answer some questions about very complicated texts. One should possess very good reading skills to do well during the exam.

One of the best ways to do well during this  section is to simply read academic texts during your free time. Make sure that you get your study materials from journals, textbooks, and specialist magazine. Doing this is especially helpful to individuals who are not familiar with these kinds of texts as it allows them to get acquainted with the types of language and structure that they will eventually meet in the exam.

When practicing to read, make sure that you concentrate on the text before focusing on the questions. Bear in mind that you can only answer the questions if you have a clear understanding about the text. Categorize the specific types of texts you are reading and remember them to help you learn about their structure. There are four types of IELTS texts namely the analytic texts, descriptive texts, discursive texts, and narrative texts. The first one refers to a discussion of the reasons why something took place. It could also be the process of making recommendations or explaining a concept. Descriptive texts pertain to a description of a situation, an explanation of how something is done or categorize. Discursive texts, on the other hand, refer to varying opinions about an issue. If it explains a chronological sequence of events, it is called narrative texts.

Another way to achieve success in the reading section of IELTS is to use the skim and scan techniques. Skimming is the ability to read quickly by skipping some unimportant words such as prepositions. It can also be done by ignoring difficult words that you don’t have to understand. Skimming allows you to get a general idea about a paragraph and to find an answer to a question. Scanning is something that happens when you check out the price of an advertised product or when searching for a name in a telephone directory. While doing this, you don’t need to read the entire text and just move your eyes fast over it. You can do this from left to right or vice versa to spot words like dates, numbers, and names of places.

There are many other things that you can do to increase your chance in succeeding in the reading test. Make sure that you are able to recognize paragraph structure and have an overview of the text before finally dealing with the questions. It can also be helpful when you learn how to spot parallel phrases and you train yourself to avoid panicking when you encounter difficult words. It is similarly important that you are able to manage your time during the entire course of the exam.

This post Tips To Succeed In The IELTS Reading Test was posted first on www.jonesther.com

Steps To Improve Your IELTS Speaking Skills

In preparing for English proficiency tests such as IELTS, you need to make sure that everything you do is beneficial for your learning and success during the test day. There are many things that you need to do and avoid doing to prepare for the exam. I am going to discuss here some very important points that can help you achieve success in taking IELTS.

When speaking English, make sure that you record yourself and then take note of the answers you have spoken. Doing this will help you determine whether or not you have said enough, if you are able to present your answer in an organized manner, or if you are speaking too fast or slowly. Bear in mind that in part 2, you need to aim for a 200-240 word answer. Make sure that you do not speak too quickly or slowly. You also need to consider factors such as your pronunciation, long pauses, and words you repeatedly say.

While practicing, you may use photographs and describe them. Looking at a photograph will help you determine what you need to talk about. You may look for photos about IELTS, strive to talk about topics that are associated with the picture, and just get used to the idea of imagining a photo in your head. This will help you imagine a picture during the exam day. Another helpful step is to read and speak together as this help you words and ideas. Summarizing a text, for instance, allows you to use some words in it. When you read a word aloud, it allows you to be familiar with the term and in speaking the English language as a whole. Another thing that you need to practice on is to say “I don’t know.” Remember that you do not need to provide a complete answer to each question. It is not your knowledge that is tested in the exam, but your ability to speak with the use of the English language.

Make sure that you practice speaking English on a daily basis. Do this facing the mirror if you do not have a speaking partner. Facing the mirror allows you to establish eye contact and get used to doing it. You need to make eye contact during the test day as it allows you to communicate better. Try writing real exam questions and answer them. While doing this, make sure that you have a clear understanding about the question as it allows you to provide a complete answer. It is similarly important that you improve your fluency and coherence. You can practice a speaking activity alone, or with others. One excellent activity requires you to pick a topic, speak about it for three minutes, then 2 minutes, and then 1 minute. You may speak to a different person every time.

Practice makes perfect, but you can only achieve perfection when you practice properly. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, as every error you make allows you so make a correction, and thus it becomes a learning experience. Use the methods that work best for you, and be confident with your abilities to speak English well.

This article Steps To Improve Your IELTS Speaking Skills was first published on www.jonesther.com

Best Grammar Rules And Writing Practices

One of the most important things that aspiring writers, or even those who want want to write well, can do to achieve their writing goals is to simply learn about the best grammar rules and writing practices. Albeit readers can overlook a few or minor grammatical errors, every mistake you make can take them out of the story. Eventually, they will be more focused on proofreading your work, instead of understanding what you are trying to convey. In addition to practicing correct grammar, it is similarly important that you make smart word choices, construct sentences smoothly, and create a work that is neither confusing nor awkward.

There are frequently ignored or even unknown grammar rules that you should know about. One is the proper use of commas. Bear in mind that a weak piece of writing is one that has too many or too few commas. Make sure that you are consistent in your ability to use commas well. There are also weak words that you need to avoid using such as really, very, to have, to be, and to do. These words are common indicators of amateur, weak writing. Many of the world’s best writers are not great writers when they were just in primary or secondary school. They underwent a long process to reach their goals of becoming great writers. If you are just learning how to write well in order to pass an English language proficiency test, then you need to learn about the same basic English language lessons in the same way as aspiring writers do.

Make sure that you know how to use uncommon punctuation marks such as one with ellipsis or three dots or a semicolon. Learn about how you can use them properly as not doing so will make you susceptible to making mistakes. While practicing how to write, you will encounter pronouns in some sentences. Avoid using pronouns to make a sentence confusing and difficult to understand. Keep track of who is doing or saying what. You may use a name or noun first in a paragraph, and then use pronouns to refer to someone you are talking about. It is also very important to remember that in a sentence, you only need to capitalize proper nouns.

Today, people usually decide to capitalize words that are important to them, which makes a sentence grammatically incorrect. An example of this incorrect sentence is “The Bag is on Sale Now.” This is a very basic lesson that you need to remember at all times when you write.

Avoid using verbiage, which pertains to using extraneous words. Verbiage is an unnecessary language, and it should not be include in sentences. create sentences containing words that are absolutely necessary. Doing this allows you to convey your message straightforwardly and clearly. You also need to remember that learning how to write is not all about grammar. You need to make your own decisions on how to construct sentences and paragraphs. You may keep a writing style guide to stay on the right track while you are practicing.

6 tips to help you pass the IELTS Reading Paper with flying colours

This is a good read and useful tips:

It can be a daunting experience when you first look at an IELTS Reading
Paper; there is so much text to read and the (at times) very technical
vocabulary and jargon that can be involved could cause a panic attack.
It might seem to be a mountain to climb to study and retain the amount
of vocabulary you need for such an extensive range of topics.  It might
seem like reading an entire library but just take a look at these tried
and tested methods and you should sleep a lot easier.

Read more: http://www.i-studentglobal.com/learning-english/6-tips-to-help-you-pass-the-ielts-reading-paper-with-flying-colours

I also came across with this article as well: https://teflreflections.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/ielts-writing-dos-and-donts-of-task-2/

Hello world!

This is your very first post. Click the Edit link to modify or delete it, or start a new post. If you like, use this post to tell readers why you started this blog and what you plan to do with it.

Happy blogging!