5 IELTS MYTHS THAT CAN MISGUIDE YOU
If you have been getting ready to give your IELTS exam in the near future, you might want to take a quick look at this article to help you differentiate between what is really going to be helpful to you, and what are just useless and untrue statements that will lead you astray. It is quite common for lot of people to fall for these tricks, so it’s important to remember that a lot of what you find online is often just a myth.
In this article, we will debunk 5 major IELTS myths that can confuse and mislead you in your genuine practise towards getting a high band score in your exam.
Myth 1: British/American accents help you score more
IELTS is an English language test, hence there is an assumption that speaking with a British or American accent will give the candidate an advantage when it comes to their speaking scores. However, a fake foreign accent is not the way to success, in fact, it will most likely cause you to be less accurate in your speech and make you lose points because using your energy focusing on your accent will lead to your fluency and coherence decreasing. You should try to be as clear as possible, no matter where you are from or what accent you have. There are no evaluation criteria for accents, but there is for fluency, precision of topic, grammatical sense and pronunciation. Rather than focusing on your accent, focus on how to pronounce each word as accurately as possible. This means you need to pay attention to sounds, intonation and sentence structures.
In order to improve your pronunciation, try to practise saying words and sentences out loud. Repeating what you hear from native speakers and imitating their exact tone can help improve your own pronunciation as well.
Myth 2: Grammar is the only thing that matters
In the speaking test, there are four evaluation criteria; Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, and Pronunciation. All four of these have the same weightage and are just as important as the others. Just being good at any one will not give you a great advantage.
This holds true for grammar as well. Many people think that if they have the basic English grammatical sense, that it will be easy for them to score in this section. However, good grammar will only give you a fourth of the marks you need to do well. If your goal is a 7+ band in speaking, then you will need to practise a great deal on the other criteria as well. This is especially true for your vocabulary. Knowing more words and using them correctly can show that you have good fluency.
Using connectors in your speech (e.g., Firstly, secondly, lastly, moreover, in addition, therefore, so as to etc.) can help with its overall structure and can help you speak in an organised manner.
Myth 3: Speak faster without hesitation to get a high score
Vocabulary and grammar can assist with your fluency but you also need to make sure that you are speaking coherently. What that means is that in addition to speaking in English, you also need to speak in a logical manner. You have to be understood by the examiner in order to receive a good score. If you speak fast to show that you know a lot about the topic, but find yourself not making much sense, then you need to change the way you are attempting your speech. The examiner’s impression of you will not be a good one.
When you practise speaking, try to avoid hesitation. However, do not do that by increasing the pace at which you speak. A certain level of hesitation is normal, you can take a breath and talk as you normally would.
Myth 4: Computer based exam is harder than the paper based alternative
Some people tend to believe that for the IELTS exam, it is always better to do the paper-based test rather than the computer-based one, due to the increased difficulty in attempting the computer-based one. This is a complete myth; the difficulty of each test only depends on the skills of the person attempting it. There are no reasons within the test itself that can be blamed for low scores. The type of questions in every exam will remain the same.
However, if you know that you prefer typing over writing and are comfortable with technology, then the computer-based exam would be better for you. In contrast, if you are more confident writing as compared to typing, then the paper-based test will be easier for you. You can play by your strengths and take advantage of your skills, rather than thinking that one exam is just purely more difficult than the other.
Myth 5: Writing more will lead to high scores
A common and misleading assumption about the IELTS is that the more you write, the higher your scores will be. IELTS is a test that will assess your language skills. This is judged not by the number of words you write, but rather the quality of what you are writing. There is no easy trick such as “write 10% more than required” to get you a good score. When the question offers a word limit for the answer, you should try your best to follow that limit. This doesn’t mean you need to be exact and absolutely cannot write fewer or more words, but the general idea is to match your content to the needs of the question. However, do not write below the word limit either, that can lead to a loss in marks.
CONCLUSION
The IELTS is not a difficult test. With enough practise and dedication, anyone can score a high band. Avoid the above myths and misconceptions as much as you can, and rather spend your time focused on how you can actually improve your score. It is always advisable that you get good training from experts in the field, so that you can not only practise extensively but so that you can also receive adequate feedback in your speaking and writing abilities.
At A One Australia, we consider our team to be our strongest asset. Our tutors have helped more than 20,000 students with the best PTE Coaching to get the scores they desired, and continue to do so every day. Not only are they completely competent in what they teach, they are passionate about providing all the support that our client’s need. Our feedback is always on a one-to-one basis, and we prioritise your need in order to make sure you get the scores you want. We are here to give you the best chance possible to secure a score you can be proud of. Use the tips and techniques above to help practise for your test, and if you still need more help, we are here to provide that for you.
We provide a detailed and in-depth IELTS coaching course if you are looking for assistance before your IELTS exam. People find it easier to get coaching as it makes the process easier and you can ensure getting a good grade in the first attempt. Check out our IELTS course here: https://oneaustraliagroup.com/ielts-coaching/
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