Harness the power of titles in IELTS Reading

I was browsing the shelves at a local bookstore with my wife and daughter a couple weeks ago, and I came across a sudden realization. My eyes were drawn to titles of books that were interesting to me. For instance, when I saw the title "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells, it captivated my interest. It made me want to read more, because it is a domain that I am personally interested in.

On the next shelf, I came across book titles that were less interesting, and in fact I can not precisely remember these titles. Perhaps the lack of personal interest to me is why I was not so interested in finding out more about romantic novels featuring firefighters or cowboys.?

It was just this morning that I made a connection with this bookshop experience and the IELTS Reading test. When an Academic IELTS candidate begins their 60 minutes, one of the first and best decisions they can make is to read the titles of the text. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, a candidate may find that the title of the first passage is not their cup of tea. In this case, it is better to begin with a passage that is more up their street. Secondly, simply by reading the titles, a candidate may be able to access prior knowledge in their passive vocabulary bank while they work on the other sections. This may not seem like a big advantage at first, but in time it can really add to a significant time saver come the end of the hour.

Last but not least, this is a simple decision that can be practiced in advance of the exam. Let us consider the following:

1) Electroreception

2) Fair games?

3) Time travel

For every candidate, this decision-making process would be the same, yet could yield wildly different results. By way of illustration, as my above allusion to science fiction books in the book store indicates, I would choose the final title first, as this is the one I personally would be most fascinated by. By contrast, my student earlier this week chose the second article, as he felt that would suit him best.

In any event, the combination of such minor tips and tricks can make a big difference come exam day. To find out more, write the word "title" in the comments, or get in touch directly at [email protected] today!

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