What is the best way to prepare for IELTS?

There are many online resources which can help you prepare for IELTS, however after teaching IELTS as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher for 16 years in both Indonesia and China (both on campus and online), I believe that a one-to-one online program with a qualified English native speaker is the easiest and fastest way to achieve a really high IELTS Band. I have spent 7 years developing customized e-IELTS programs which are both easy and fun to learn. If you contact me at [email protected] I can show you how to quickly upgrade your skills so that you can gain the required IELTS band you need to qualify for entrance into an overseas university study program. I have had numerous students who originally only achieved a Band 4 to 5 score, and after a few weeks of following my customized online hybrid programs, they achieved a Band 7 or even higher. Following are some simple tips which are designed to guide you to prepare for IELTS.

1. Stop Trying to Learn English, Start Thinking in English

Stop attempting to learn vocabulary and grammar as a way to gain a high IELTS score. This method can be extremely boring and tedious, and high school kids often regard this way of learning English as a punishment. IELTS is designed to test both how you understand English and how you can express yourself naturally and fluently. If you think inside English, and understand the underlying culture and meanings behind idioms and phrasal verbs, then as an IELTS student you can relate words, phrases and sentences to real-life scenarios which are much easier to absorb and remember; such is much more effective than merely trying to learn vocabulary and grammar. My online hybrid programs simply help you to first get inside the English language so that it is meaningful and relevant to your everyday life, and at the same time you are automatically picking up new vocabulary and learning how we use grammar when speaking and writing in English.

2. Mistakes are Learning Opportunities

Many students have a negative attitude towards achieving a high IELTS score simply because they become disheartened by their mistakes. After I give written feedback (colour-coded) to a students’ assignment, this is followed up by a speaking lesson via WhatsApp or Skype in which the student understands the reasons behind their mistakes and practices one-to-one with me so that these these mistakes become learning steps. I do the opposite to most teachers... I encourage my students to make mistakes, to take chances and risks; it’s simply the fastest and most effective way to become fluent in English and gain a great IELTS Band score.

3. Improve your Writing Skills

Many students believe that if they can learn to speak better it will help their IELTS score. What they do not realize is that one of the fastest ways to speak more fluently is by improving their writing skills first. In fact, I believe that if students are correctly taught to write fluently, this will automatically translate into speaking fluently. I have noticed that when students have mastered Writing Tasks 1 and 2, they have also achieved a much higher IELTS Band in Speaking Tasks 1, 2 and 3. I have found that improving your writing is one of the easiest skills to raise from a Band 5 to a Band 7. Remember, in university, much of your studies will involve a lot of writing so this is why so many universities want at least an IELTS Band 6.5 in writing.

4. Online 1-to-1 Hybrid Lessons

I have taught IELTS online for many years, and it was only after years of testing that I discovered the enormous benefits for the IELTS student to study via the hybrid method. It simply means that students can first complete their fun writing assignment (whenever and wherever they want), then we arrange a 1-to-1 WhatsApp or Skype lesson in which students learn to think inside the language. In this second part of the hybrid program, students develop listening and reading skills while we are speaking. Many of my students have found that after emailing me at [email protected], they quickly improved from a low Band score to a Band 7+ score within a few short weeks. They love these online 1-to-1 hybrid programs because they are not only fun, but also a very efficient and cheap way to achieve a great IELTS Band score.

5. Switch Tactics

Many of my students are Asians... they are seriously smart in maths and science yet simply struggle to communicate these skills naturally and fluently. The IELTS examiners can only award students a high IELTS Band score in speaking and writing if they believe that the students are sufficiently fluent enough in English to cope with studying in overseas universities. In reality, if you love what you study you will quickly reach your study goals. If you find studying IELTS is boring and slow then this is obviously not the best way to prepare for IELTS. Try [email protected], you will be surprised how quickly you get your required IELTS Band. The often quoted saying “if at first you don't succeed, try, try again” is hardly the best way to improve your IELTS Band score. Rather, if you are struggling with your IELTS studies, simply change tactics and find the best way to suit your learning style.