When preparing for IELTS,
What skills do you think can be enhanced on one's own, and which need to have a tutor?
8 answers from our tutors
Best answer
Speaking and reading by your own and listening and writing by tutor
Thank you all for your active participation. Nonetheless, I believe reading and listening can be improved solely by the learner, while speaking and writing definitely need to be assessed by a mentor. The reason is that both reading & listening are receptive skills, which means that one, as most of you said, can get introduced to some tips and tricks and start applying by oneself. On the other hand, speaking and writing are productive skills, meaning that you have to come up with the language chunks you have learned from reading into writing, and from listening into speaking. And of course since we cannot exactly imitate what we expose ourselves to correctly from the first time, and also because of that fact that we won't be able to detect our own mistakes, we have to have a teacher by our side.
When preparing for IELTS, you should follow some general and specific tips to improve your chances of getting a good score. Take a practice test to assess your current level and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Understand the test format and the types of questions and tasks for each section. Familiarise yourself with the scoring criteria and the band descriptors. Be aware of the time constraints and practice managing your time effectively. You should know how much time you have for each section and how to allocate it wisely. Develop your English capabilities and IELTS strategies by using a range of study...
Check your English level for free
Take our quick and free test to find out your current level of English
Start test
To read as much English as they can. To underline all vocabulary words. Before looking it up in a dictionary, first think and note down what they think the meaning of the words are. Then use a dictionary to see how correct their answers are. So, important is that the student should get their mindset correct. How they feel and what their attitude towards the lessons and tests are, as specially, how important vocabulary is in all aspects of IELTS learning and tests. If their mindset is set correctly, they will be able to learn much better and remember much faster. A teacher needs to make sure they understand the text, words, and the pronunciation. Teach them the skills and strategies, and allow them to think, then answer in their own words by using synonyms. The students should realise there are no shortcuts. They have to work hard in order to achieve Band Score 7+, and if their vocabulary is less than a Band Score 7+, they will not be able to reach a IELTS Band Score 7+ in the test.
I think any of the skills can't be improved solely by a learner. S/he should at least be introduced to the necessary tips and tricks and then s/he can work on them and improve them
Reading and Listening, speaking I believe you should have a tutor
Always you need someone to guide you or at least to advise you on what to do, vocabulary and grammar could be taught by the person themself, but honestly when it comes to speaking and making conversations then it's better to seek some help from someone, at least to speak with in order to improve the speaking skills.
- Amasha HettiarachchiMaster IELTS & CIE Candidate with an experience in ESL and school subjects teaching.
There are plenty of skills you can enhance on your own. You can pursue individual study for skills like learning a new language or even creativity development. However, having a tutor can be beneficial for some abilities, as they can offer helpful direction, feedback, and individualized teaching. They can guide and address any concerns and correct the small mistakes. In the end, it comes down to your learning choices, how difficult the skill is, and your own personal preferences
Other student questions
- My daughter is7 years old. I want a discounted package of lessons for her in EnglishMAMashael Alenezi
Best answer
- How many more English words (Homographs) and definitions can you think of ?
English words that are spelled the same, pronounced the same, but have different meanings: # Homographs 1. Bank (financial institution) and bank (slope or incline) 2. Bat (flying mammal) and bat (sports equipment) 3. Bolt (fastener) and bolt ( sudden movement) 4. Cloud (weather phenomenon) and cloud (collection of data or applications online) 5. Dish (plate or serving container) and dish (prepare and serve food) 6. Draft (preliminary version of a document) and draft (current of air) 7. Light (not heavy) and light (source of illumination) 8. Match (small stick used to produce fire) and match (competition or sporting event) 9. Mean (intend to convey) and mean (unkind or unpleasant) 10. Park (outdoor recreational area) and park (to leave a vehicle in a stationary position) 11. Pen (writing instrument) and pen (enclosure for animals) 12. Pole (long, thin piece of wood or metal) and pole (northern or southern end of the Earth) 13. Right (correct or proper) and right (direction or location)
