- Aug 1, 2014
- 1
- Category........
- PNP
- Visa Office......
- London
- NOC Code......
- 2171
How to get 8+ in IELTS? So many people are asking this question, I thought I would share my experience/opinion. I am not a native speaker, but I got 8.5 in IELTS, my reading and listening are both 9, writing 8.5, speaking 7 - yes, I hate speaking. I have been living in English speaking countries for almost 7 years, which gives me an unfair advantage, but I thought I would share how I started, maybe it will help someone. I won't recommend study books here, as there are many other posts for that, these are rather techniques, basically lifestyle changes I made when I started studying English and they made a huge difference for me, I hope they can help others:
1. Read in English: stop reading anything in your first language. Books should only exist for you in English. Best source of news are BBC and CNN. I switched to reading only in English shortly after I started studying English and I haven’t read a book in my first language since. If you are not comfortable with reading whole novels, choose something that was written for children or young adults. Their language is usually easier than reading more serious stuff. Read books. Any books you like, but they all must be written in English. The first few will be hard, but it will get easier.
2. Switch your computer to English: that includes your Google account, Facebook, your general language settings. Set your search preferences to show English results, and then start searching in English. This is the same as above, it can be anything from cooking recipes to weather forecast. Use the internet in English only.
3. Watch movies / TV series: even though television is often considered a bad habit, it isn't the case when it comes to language learning. Even if you don't have access to English TV channels, you can probably access them online. Switch all your favourite programmes, series, movies to English. Use English subtitles if you find it hard to understand at the beginning. Stop watching TV in your own language if possible and only do it in English.
4. Study something in English: sign up to a free course on Coursera or a similar site. There are plenty of university level courses available on basically any topic for free. Studying in English will increase your vocabulary, improve your grammar and challenge you in a way nothing else can. You could use a course to learn the language of your own profession and that will be invaluable for your job search when you get to Canada.
5. Find someone to talk to: if there is no one around you, you can find people online to practice with. It might be easier to join a club or similar that is around a specific topic, rather than messaging people saying you want to practice English. The latter can result in awkward silence, while it will be much easier if you have something to talk about.
6. Study English: sometimes I am surprised how many people thinks that speaking and understanding English should happen to them without putting in any effort. If you have less than 8 in IELTS and you spend even a day without learning at least one new word or expression, then you are probably not doing enough.
7. Learn how the test works: I think it is obvious that knowing how the test works and doing at least 10-20 practice tests before you go can give you a huge advantage on the day.
I know some of these sound harsh and hard, but they are quite efficient. Of course, if you have the opportunity to go to an English school in an English-speaking country alone, that is the best way to force yourself into learning English, but it works the best if you have no one to talk to in any other language than English. If you don’t have the opportunity to travel and study, the ideas above should help you maximise your exposure to the language.
I hope someone finds this useful.
1. Read in English: stop reading anything in your first language. Books should only exist for you in English. Best source of news are BBC and CNN. I switched to reading only in English shortly after I started studying English and I haven’t read a book in my first language since. If you are not comfortable with reading whole novels, choose something that was written for children or young adults. Their language is usually easier than reading more serious stuff. Read books. Any books you like, but they all must be written in English. The first few will be hard, but it will get easier.
2. Switch your computer to English: that includes your Google account, Facebook, your general language settings. Set your search preferences to show English results, and then start searching in English. This is the same as above, it can be anything from cooking recipes to weather forecast. Use the internet in English only.
3. Watch movies / TV series: even though television is often considered a bad habit, it isn't the case when it comes to language learning. Even if you don't have access to English TV channels, you can probably access them online. Switch all your favourite programmes, series, movies to English. Use English subtitles if you find it hard to understand at the beginning. Stop watching TV in your own language if possible and only do it in English.
4. Study something in English: sign up to a free course on Coursera or a similar site. There are plenty of university level courses available on basically any topic for free. Studying in English will increase your vocabulary, improve your grammar and challenge you in a way nothing else can. You could use a course to learn the language of your own profession and that will be invaluable for your job search when you get to Canada.
5. Find someone to talk to: if there is no one around you, you can find people online to practice with. It might be easier to join a club or similar that is around a specific topic, rather than messaging people saying you want to practice English. The latter can result in awkward silence, while it will be much easier if you have something to talk about.
6. Study English: sometimes I am surprised how many people thinks that speaking and understanding English should happen to them without putting in any effort. If you have less than 8 in IELTS and you spend even a day without learning at least one new word or expression, then you are probably not doing enough.
7. Learn how the test works: I think it is obvious that knowing how the test works and doing at least 10-20 practice tests before you go can give you a huge advantage on the day.
I know some of these sound harsh and hard, but they are quite efficient. Of course, if you have the opportunity to go to an English school in an English-speaking country alone, that is the best way to force yourself into learning English, but it works the best if you have no one to talk to in any other language than English. If you don’t have the opportunity to travel and study, the ideas above should help you maximise your exposure to the language.
I hope someone finds this useful.
