Today we’d like you to meet a special person – one of the winners of our monthly IELTS results competition. His name is Dhafer, he lives in Iraq and speaks Arabic, and the reason why you should consider his advice is, he got an Overall Band 8 in IELTS with a remarkable Band 8.5 in Reading and Speaking! Yes, you heard this right – a person who spoke Arabic from birth, who lives in a non-English speaking country CAN speak English at this level.
We asked Dhafer to tell us about his methods of preparation, what worked for him, and he sent some great insights for you. Have a read – and then try this in YOUR own preparation.
Dhafer said:
“Listening
For the listening module, try to improve your listening skills by learning the techniques they use in the IELTS listening tests. There are lots of IELTS listening mock tests, including ones on YouTube. Try to sit one mock test every day and your performance should gradually improve.
Speaking
For the speaking module, you need to understand that there is a limited number of topics which are discussed in the speaking module. Learn more about those topics at home, in order to have answers ready once those topics are brought up in the speaking test. If you want to increase your fluency, try talking to friends in English, get a speaking partner and communicate through Skype or FaceTime or even practice by talking to yourself in front of the mirror.
Writing
This one is probably the most difficult and frustrating for most IELTS test takers. If you want to achieve a good band score, you must have your writing checked by a professional. I only got my desired band score after I hired the writing correction service at IELTS-Blog.com which is extremely beneficial, yet very affordable.
Another tip which I think is necessary is to not set time limits in the first weeks of your practice. Instead, focus more on producing worthy essays and letters, and once you believe that your writing is good enough, you can practice by shortening the time.
Also, while sitting the Writing test, make sure that you set at least five extra minutes to proofread your essay, letter or report.
Reading
A good tip in reading is to always read the questions before reading the paragraphs.
Also, once reading the paragraphs, highlight or circle any names, locations or dates because they will be easier to find once you read a question about them. This is especially beneficial in matching headings to paragraphs.
The most important rule to get your dream IELTS score is to practice, practice, practice.”
