Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 29

Featured Success Story: Step by Step to IELTS Band 7

Remember my student Baina? She made an incredible leap in her IELTS scores, and I just had to share her story with you!

Baina increased her Listening score from a Band 4.5 to an impressive 7.5! Her Writing score also jumped from a Band 6 to 6.5 – in just a month. This is a remarkable achievement, and I know many test takers are striving for similar success.

I recently interviewed Baina to uncover her strategies and insights so you can apply them to your own preparation. Here’s what she had to say:

My IELTS Journey to a Band 7

“I started preparing again after my test when I didn’t get the score I needed. I later bought two very popular IELTS courses, none of which helped me, because anytime I emailed them that I’m hearing impaired and needed their help, they always told me they have no solution for hearing impaired students. I became frustrated and nearly gave up when your email popped up in my inbox asking if writing wasn’t my only problem. I decided to message you even though I thought the reply will be the same like the other IELTS teachers, so I wasn’t expecting anything good. But you replied to me and I was really satisfied. That was when my real IELTS journey began.

I started practicing with Cambridge IELTS books and official Cambridge guide to IELTS. I later bought “Target Band 7” and academic practice tests from you. Your books where really helpful because I used the transcript from each listening test.

For Reading, whenever I read one paragraph, I would go through the set of questions and answer every question that can be found in that particular paragraph before moving onto the next paragraph. That saved me lots of time.

For Speaking I couldn’t practice much because I always communicate in English wherever I go, that was the only preparation I did towards the speaking test. I just read other topics I wasn’t familiar with and how to go about answering the part two cue card. I just made sure to speak throughout the test.

For Writing, I give all the credit to you because without “Target Band 7”, and your advice of not giving up, I wouldn’t even be close to the 6.5 band in the first place. Your writing corrections were really helpful and so I started practicing within the time allocation and under exams condition.

I started to produce an essay within 50 minutes, and then reduced the time to 45 minutes and further to 40 minutes. Finally, I managed to produce an essay in 30 minutes, and proofread and even plan before writing. It was really great.

Two Weeks Before The Test

Two weeks before my exam, I printed out the writing answer sheets and started practicing on them so that I can know the number of words that can fit onto the paper. That helped me on exams day because I knew how my 250-270 words would look like on the answer sheet, so I did not even bother to count my words because I knew it was 250 or more.

The same applies to the task 1 writing. I’m a mother of 2 boys, a 5- and 3-year olds. So I always wait for them to fall sleep before I start my practice test. But one month before the exam, I took a part leave from work so that I could fully concentrate on my exams. So when my children leave for school, my husband and I would practice the listening test together and then go over it to see where my weak areas were. We would then practice those areas well to make sure I master those types of questions. The same goes for the reading too, and we always practiced under timed conditions.

On The Test Day

On the test day, I really took time to write my essay and report using my own English without any memorised phrases and answers. So I was able to comfortably convey my message across because it was my own writing and not memorised. The grammar mistakes and vocabulary were on my mind throughout the writing test, so I tried not to repeat words unnecessarily while writing. Also, in task 1, after reading the question, I wrote on top of the answer sheets ‘past and present’, to remind myself that I needed to write the report using the past and present tenses because that was that type of diagram.

The speaking component was the easiest, and I had a feeling I would score around band 8, but I ended up with a Band 7. For the writing, I needed a band 6.5 but I always attempted to achieve a Band 7, thinking that even if I couldn’t reach a 7, I would get at least a 6.5.

I always practiced having in mind that I needed above band 7 in all components, so that I get used to that. Those attempts really helped me to get the Band 7. I made sure to practice every single day and under timed condition, without any breaks.”

If you’re struggling with the IELTS, use Baina’s advice to optimise your own preparation, and you may achieve a score like hers:

The post Featured Success Story: Step by Step to IELTS Band 7 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Latest IELTS questions in India – August 2024 (General Training)

Our student who took IELTS in India and remembered the following writing questions. Use them to prepare effectively and know what to expect in your upcoming test.

IELTS Writing Test – General Training

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You recently purchased a household appliance that you find very useful. Write a letter to a friend to recommend it. In your letter:

– Describe the appliance.
– Explain how you use it.
– Suggest reasons why your friend should consider buying it.

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:
Dear John / Jane,

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that the government should invest in paintings and art for public spaces, while others think this is a waste of public funds. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

How to Write an Essay to Discuss Both Views and Give Your OpinionIntroduction: state that while some believe government investment in public art enhances cultural value, others think these funds would be better spent on education or healthcare. Indicate your position.Body Paragraph 1: Explain how art in public spaces can enhance cultural awareness and provide aesthetic value to communities, as well as boost tourism and, in turn, local economy.Body Paragraph 2: Present the argument for using public money to fund essential services such as healthcare, education, or infrastructure that make a difference to everyone, rather than art which benefits fewer people.Conclusion: Summarise both views and restate your opinion, making sure to mention whether you think that spending public money on art is a good way to invest it.

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IELTS Speaking questions from Pakistan – August 2024

D took the IELTS test in Pakistan and remembered the following Speaking questions:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your name?
– What should I call you?
– Where are you from?
– Do you often buy T-shirts as souvenirs on holiday?
– Why do you think some older people wear T-shirts?
– Do you prefer T-shirts with pictures or prints? Why?
– Do you like art? What type of art do you enjoy?
– Where can people see art in your city?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe an unusual meal you had. You should say

– when and where you had it
– what made the meal unusual
– who you were with

and explain how you felt about the experience.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Why do you think fast food has become so popular today?
– How do you think fast food affects people’s health?
– Are there any benefits to fast food?
– Do you think traditional restaurants are becoming less popular? Why or why not?
– What role do restaurants play in modern society?
– What do you think the future of restaurants will look like?

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IELTS Speaking questions from Nigeria – August 2024

When C took IELTS in Nigeria, he was asked these Speaking questions:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your name?
– What should I call you?
– Where are you from?
– Can you describe your neighborhood to me?
– Are there many young people in your neighborhood?
– How do you get along with your neighbors?
– What do you like the most about your neighborhood?
– How long have you been living in your current area?
– Is your area a quiet or noisy place?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a noisy place you have been to. You should say

– when and where it was
– who you were with
– why it was noisy

and explain how you felt about being in that place.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Why do you think young people move from the countryside to urban areas?
– What challenges do young people face when moving to cities?
– Why do you think older people prefer to live in the countryside?
– How does living in urban areas affect the lifestyle of young people?
– What can the government do to reduce migration from rural areas to cities?
– How do you think the countryside can be made more appealing to young people?

The post IELTS Speaking questions from Nigeria – August 2024 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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IELTS Speaking questions from Australia – August 2024

Our student K took IELTS in Australia and remembered these Speaking questions:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or are you a student?
– How do you feel about the place where you live?
– What is your favorite room in your house?
– Why do you like this room the most?
– Can you describe what the room looks like?
– What do you usually do in your favorite room?
– How do you feel when you spend time in this room?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a party you went to. You should say

– when and where the party took place
– what occasion it was for
– who you went with

and explain what made this party memorable.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– What do you think are the reasons some people prefer playing team sports over individual sports?
– How can sporting events unite people from different countries?
– Has the popularity of international sports events changed in your country in the last 10 years? In what way?
– Do you think governments should invest more in developing sports facilities? Why or why not?
– In your opinion, are famous athletes good role models for children? Why or why not?
– What are the benefits of children participating in sports from a young age?

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Featured Success Story: From Nearly Giving Up to IELTS Band 7

Ask anyone who has tried to raise their IELTS Listening score from 4.5 to 7.5, and they will tell you it feels impossible. For Baina, it seemed like a distant dream. A nurse from Ghana, Baina faced a unique challenge in her IELTS preparation.

“I want to give up writing IELTS because I am hearing impaired,” Baina wrote in her first email to me. She felt the material and support available to students like her was non-existent. Most IELTS resources catered to individuals without hearing issues, and Baina’s frustration was understandable. Despite doing OK in other areas — scoring 7.5 in Speaking and 6 in both Reading and Writing — Listening felt like an impossible obstacle. She was devastated, fearing that her dream of working in the UK as a nurse was slipping away.

“I bought two popular online IELTS courses, all of which didn’t help me, because anytime I emailed them that I needed their help, they always told me they have no solution for students like me,” said Baina.

But Baina didn’t give up. She reached out to me for help, even though previous attempts with other coaches had left her feeling dismissed. What followed was an extraordinary journey of perseverance, innovation, and success.

A New Approach to IELTS Listening

When Baina explained her difficulties, I realised that traditional methods wouldn’t work. After researching accommodations for hearing-impaired IELTS test-takers, I discovered that she could have a staff member read the Listening script during the test—along with some other key adaptations. However, this alone wasn’t enough; Baina needed a way to practice.

To bridge the gap, I suggested that she watch someone read the IELTS listening script to her. This allowed her to practice lip-reading in tandem with answering IELTS Listening questions—something that she never had as an option before. Using listening scripts from my books, Baina’s husband would read the text aloud to her while she practiced answering the questions. Little by little, her confidence grew.

The Writing Breakthrough

Though Listening was the primary hurdle, Baina’s Writing needed attention too. She felt uncertainty and fear about the writing component. We tackled that head-on. A month before her exam Baina started to use my book “Target Band 7” and submitted her writing task 1 and 2 for personalised feedback. My team and I focused on helping her improve Task Achievement, Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion and sentence structure – the areas Baina had trouble with. By submitting reports and essays for correction, she learned how to refine her responses, making them clearer and more organised.

Baina didn’t stop there. She practiced under timed conditions, gradually reducing her writing time while ensuring quality. In the last two weeks before the exam, she even printed out writing answer sheets to write on. She said, “That helped me on exam day because I knew how my 250 – 270 words would look like on the answer sheet, so I did not even bother to count my words.”

The Results

On the day of her IELTS exam, Baina felt confident. The special arrangement allowed her to lip-read during the Listening test, and because of her relentless practice, she excelled.

Baina’s results speak for themselves: Listening 7.5, Reading 7, Writing 6.5, and Speaking 7.

Her improvement in Listening from 4.5 to 7.5 went beyond her wildest dreams. Her progress – in just one month – from Band 6 in Writing to a 6.5 was also very impressive!

A Journey to Celebrate

Baina’s success is a testament to her determination and hard work. She didn’t allow her hearing impairment to dictate her future. Instead, she found new ways to overcome the barriers she faced, and I’m grateful to have been part of her journey. Her story highlights the importance of personalised solutions and the power of never giving up.

“Without “Target Band 7” and your advice, I wouldn’t even be close to the 6.5 band,” Baina shared after the test. Her journey shows that with the right guidance and perseverance, even the toughest obstacles can be overcome.

This email from her brings tears to my eyes every time I read it:

“I’m so grateful for finding you in this amazing journey. You told me not to give up and I didn’t. You were the only IELTS teacher online who understood my pains and how it feels to be different.

I truly cannot thank you enough for believing in me and taking time off your busy schedule to explain things to me. That alone means the whole world to me. All the other IELTS teachers I mentioned earlier on truly made me feel terrible. I thank my stars that directed you to my inbox that very day.”

If you’re facing challenges with IELTS, let Baina’s story inspire you. Your journey to success might just be starting.

The post Featured Success Story: From Nearly Giving Up to IELTS Band 7 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Latest IELTS questions in the UAE – August 2024 (General Training)

Our kind student shared the latest questions from his General Training IELTS exam in the UAE. Use them to prepare effectively and know what to expect in your upcoming test.

IELTS Writing Test – General Training

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You recently helped your company organise an event at a hotel. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter:

– Provide details about the event
– Mention what you particularly liked about the hotel
– Suggest areas for improvement.

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir / Madam,

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that old buildings, such as town halls and art galleries, should be restored, even though this can be costly. Others argue that governments should replace them with new, modern buildings.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

How to Write a Letter to a Hotel ManagerStart with a polite greeting: “Dear Sir/Madam”.Introduce the purpose of your letter: you are writing regarding your experience holding a company event at the hotel.Provide details of the event: the type of event (e.g., corporate meeting, team building), the date it was held, the number of guests, and the areas of the hotel used.Describe what you appreciated about the hotel: excellent service, suitable facilities, or perhaps the food.Politely suggest any improvements: it could be the air conditioning, the sound system, or the parking arrangements.Closure: Thank the organiser for their attention and express your hope to work with the hotel again.Sign off correctly: “Yours faithfully,” followed by your name. How to Write an Essay to Discuss Both Views and Give Your OpinionIntroduction: Briefly introduce the topic and mention that some believe in restoring historic buildings due to their cultural significance, while others argue for replacing them with modern structures for better functionality. End with your opinion.Body Paragraph 1: Discuss the view supporting the restoration of old buildings. It could be about their historical and cultural importance, the connection they create with the past, and how they enhance tourism.Body Paragraph 2: Present the argument for replacing old buildings with modern ones. You could write about the practicality of new buildings, how they serve current needs, and how they can be more energy-efficient and cost-effective in the long run.Conclusion: Summarise both views and restate your opinion, making sure to mention whether restoring or replacing is the better option.

The post Latest IELTS questions in the UAE – August 2024 (General Training) first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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IELTS Speaking questions from India – August 2024

Thanks to the kindness of our subscriber V we are sharing the Speaking questions from his recent IELTS exam in India:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your name?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Where did you complete your study?
– Do you think that your university is a good place to study, and why?
– Do you prefer to use a pen or pencil?
– What did you use in school, a pen or a pencil?
– Why do you prefer using a pen / pencil?
– How would you feel if someone gifted you a pen or pencil?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a law that you think that should be implemented in your country. You should say

– what it is
– what changes it will cause
– whether it will be popular

and explain how it will affect society.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– How can children be taught about the law?
– In your opinion, how can a person be a good member of society?
– Do you think that it’s important to follow rules?
– Do you think that laws are the only way to make people behave?
– In your opinion, is school the only place where children can learn rules of behaviour?
– Can they also learn rules of behaviour somewhere else, and if so, where?

The post IELTS Speaking questions from India – August 2024 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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IELTS Speaking questions from Saudi Arabia – August 2024

Thanks to the generous T we are sharing the Speaking questions from her recent IELTS exam, below:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your name?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Would you like to change anything at your workplace?
– Do you like art?
– Are there any art galleries in your city?
– Do you sometimes visit art galleries?
– Has the style of art changed over the past few years?
– Have you ever created a piece of art?
– Were you into drawing when you were a child?
– Do you visit libraries?
– Do you prefer e-libraries or physical ones?
– Do people in your country visit libraries?
– Will people stop going to the libraries in the future?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about an advertisement you saw recently that you didn’t like. You should say

– when and where it was
– what the advertisement was about
– why you didn’t like it

and explain what can be done to stop such advertisements in the future.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– How do people in your country typically receive advertisements?
– What types of advertisements do people in your country like the most?
– What do you think about advertisements targeting children?
– What kinds of advertisements are designed to attract children?
– What considerations should apply to advertisements shown to children?
– What are the differences between advertisements targeted at women and men?
– What should be done to control advertisements?

The post IELTS Speaking questions from Saudi Arabia – August 2024 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Struggle with pronunciation? Do this

Are you struggling with pronunciation? It’s very important to correct this early on, because pronunciation counts for 25% of your final speaking score in IELTS!

Is this what you have to live with every day?

People keep asking you to repeat yourselfYou hate what you sound like in EnglishYou know you mispronounced a word, but you’re not sure how to pronounce it correctlyYou’re afraid to use a word because you don’t know how to pronounce it

These are all signs that your pronunciation needs some work.

One of my go-to ways to improve is by listening to Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast!

Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast has been created in 2009 and 850+ episodes have been recorded since (and counting!). Luke is a DELTA-qualified teacher with 20+ years of experience, so you know you’re learning from the best. He is easy to find – do a search online for Luke’s English and all the various places where you can listen to his podcast online will come up.

One of the things I love about his podcast is his clear British accent. It makes it super easy to follow along, and his humorous and light style keeps things fun!

How to improve your pronunciation

Here’s how you can level up your pronunciation with Luke’s ENGLISH Podcast

1. Listen daily: Even just 10-15 minutes a day can do wonders. Luke’s pronunciation is very clear, so try to soak it in.
2. Mimic Luke’s speech: While listening to an episode, pick a word or a phrase and repeat it out loud. Try to match how he says each word.
3. Use transcripts: Follow along with the transcripts to connect the sounds with the words on the page.
4. Check out his episodes on vocab: For some extra practice listen to episodes that focus on vocab. He reads stories out loud and explains the vocabulary in them, so you kill two birds with one stone – pronunciation and vocab!

Give it a shot, and you won’t believe the improvement in your pronunciation. Leave a comment below if you’ve listened to Luke’s podcast, and what you thought of it!

The post Struggle with pronunciation? Do this first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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