Lesson 67 - Formulating a study plan
What you measure improves
Effective study requires planning and organisation - it cannot be random. If you have set your goal for taking your IELTS exam then you need to work towards this goal in a systematic and focused way. Today we'll look at how to do this so nothing is left to chance.
Let's begin with some steps to a good study plan
- Set your potential test date - it's better if you don't actually book the test until you feel ready (see lesson 63) having a random test date can put undue pressure on you) but have an idea of when you want to do it. This should fit in with other deadlines such as application for study courses or immigration rules and regulations. If you live in a place where it is difficult to get test places then you may have to book this well in advance but make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to prepare well and meet your deadlines.
- Be realistic about setting your date - if you want a band 7 and you currently have band 5 you won't improve this in a couple of weeks. Learning a language is a long, slow burn - it takes the first 7 years of your life to become expert in your native language (and that does not include writing!!). If writing is the area you struggle with this will take time especially if your problem is accuracy or timing.
- Now work backwards from your 'test date' to now. Look at what you need to achieve in each part of the test by that day - be honest and realistic.
- Decide how much time you have each day or each week to devote to IELTS - again be realistic - do you really want to be doing 10 hours of IELTS every day for the next 3 months?
- Weight the time you have against the tasks you need to do - if your reading scores are low for example but listening is high then you should be doing more reading - however DON'T NEGLECT any part of the test - this is a DANGEROUS strategy.
- Create a long-term study plan based on the information above.
- Keep a record of progress (just like a teacher does for their students). Don't be random, know what happened yesterday and last week and what you achieved and that will help you to perform today's study.
- Do REGULAR REVIEWS of your work. USE the band descriptors for speaking and writing and look at your listening and reading scores - there will be patterns in which exercises you do well in and which you need more practice in - you may think that you know this already but you may also be surprised at what you find when you look more carefully at this. REMEMBER - it is the small incremental improvements that will help boost your scores.
- Do extra practice of any areas that are flagged up as being a problem (e.g. summaries or Y N NG).
- Don't just go through tests, pick out bits of them - really look for the answers and take as long as you need to find these before you check the key.
Make sure you have the right tools:
If you don't have any of these then I suggest you get access to them asap!
Here's a post I wrote about choosing grammar books and dictionaries
- A good English dictionary (NOT a bilingual dictionary although having one of these is useful too). English has a very wide range of words and you will be limited if you just use a bi-lingual dictionary
- A good grammar book - for band 7 and 8 this really should be an advanced grammar book the language you will need is more sophisticated than basic grammar
- The band descriptors for writing and speaking
- Some IELTS test material/books that are reliable (if you are studying entirely online then you need to be cautious as not everything you find is accurate or indeed well written and correct. The Cambridge Test Practice Books are very reliable so if you want to buy something then this would be best - BUT don't just go though them - use all the advice they give and use the actual tests for your reviews and also the final stage of your practice prior to the exam.
- A file, note-book or folder (physical or online) to organise your work and record your progress. You should arrange this in sections to cover each part of the test and also things like vocabulary (in groups) and grammar.
- If you are creative use different coloured pens to show different things - use mind-maps to make things visually clear or create your own style of notes that work for you.
- Don't forget your learning diary - this is a great way of keeping track of your progress.
Don't forget, if there is anything you don't understand or can't find send a message via Contact us
Let's reflect and look at exactly what we need to do for IELTS Band 7/8.
Here are some of the things that you need to do to get Band 7 and 8 in each section of the IELTS test
Listening
- listen for detail not comprehension
- pick out small details of information
- spelling - must be accurate
- be able to change words (especially in part 4) so they are grammatically accurate
- use the time before the recording starts well
Reading
- understand how to use the key words in the question to locate and choose the correct answer
- understand the difference between skimming and scanning and use the correct one for the right purpose
- be able to manage time well -get the first two passages done more quickly to leave time for the third
- get, if possible, 100% on reading 1 and 2
Writing
- manage the time well
- make sure you plan well at the beginning
- make sure you check well at the end
- be able to check as you write
- use complex sentences
- use a wide range of vocabulary
- use a good range of linking words
- use a good range of sentence beginnings
- use good noun phrases
- write really accurately without too many grammar errors
- make your writing interesting and compelling
Speaking
- speak spontaneously
- speak fluently
- use a wide range of vocabulary
- use sophisticated language
- speak fairly accurately
- make your speaking interesting
- listen very carefully to the questions so your answers are really appropriate
- don't digress
- don't babble, make it all relevant
- have an idea about how long 2-minutes is for part 2
- have an idea about an appropriate answer for part 1 questions
- be able to speak about present, past, future and imaginary situations in part 3
Use IELTS Step by Step as a resource for all of these. If you are not certain about any of the points then go back to the relevant lesson and check it. If you can do all of these things in each section then you should be able to get bands 7 and 8!!
Don't forget, if there is anything you don't understand or can't find send a message via Contact us
Now you're done!
Good luck and let's make great progress with IELTS!
