Pauline Cullen is co-author of The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, the definitive guide to passing IELTS exams. Catch-up with her professional development webinar discussing her top tips for how to improve students’ IELTS scores, with particular focus on band 4 or 5 candidates who are preparing for the test and aiming to reach bands 6 or 7.
Approach to learning
Many students make the mistake of seeing IELTS as an obstacle which can be overcome by doing endless practise tests or retaking the exam until they pass.
The problem with this approach is that the student is focussed solely on the test rather than on learning the language. The focus should be on the skills a student learns, rather than on the test itself. Once students have mastered these skills, practice tests will help them improve their timing and build their confidence.
Reading Skills
Pauline’s top tip for the reading section is to read the passage before reading the questions. Teachers could try ‘guided reading’, a technique which encourages students to build up a gradual understanding of the passage by reading one paragraph at a time. The students must be able to explain the information contained in the paragraph before moving on.
Remember these words of wisdom from Albert Einstein: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Listening Skills
In the listening section, students need to practice processing information. The best way to teach students how to do this is to encourage ‘active listening’.
Active listening involves listening in short extracts, repeating what you have heard and explaining what you have heard. Taking notes whilst listening is another form of active listening and can really help students to focus.
Writing Skills
Many of the teachers attending the webinar agreed that the writing section is the most challenging for their students. This is often because students struggle for ideas to write about. Pauline recommends asking your students to discuss their ideas as a group before they start writing.
Make sure that your students answer every part of the question and give examples to back up their ideas and opinions.
Speaking Skills
The speaking test can seem scary for less confident students but telling them to “be more confident” probably won’t help! Advise your students to be “friendly” and this will help them engage with the examiner and forget they are taking a test.
You could also encourage your students to read more articles, so when they are stuck for ideas they can mention an article they have read.
To find out more about how to improve your students’ IELTS scores and make the most of practice test material, watch the webinar recording below.