ielts academic modules

ielts academic modules

Effective Strategies for Success in IELTS Academic Modules

1. Introduction to IELTS Academic Modules

An overview of the IELTS Academic Modules

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment began in 1989 and is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. The examination is designed to test the language ability of candidates who want to undertake further study or work in that medium and is offered in two versions, one of which is Academic for candidates who want to study at a tertiary institution, and the other is General Training for candidates who want to work or to do training. Most candidates take the test to satisfy language proficiency requirements at a tertiary institution.

The IELTS Academic and General Training assessments use the same band scores but different reading and writing tasks for the two types of reading and writing modules. The IELTS Academic reading and writing sections contain more academic or related focus materials and tasks than those of the General Training. The tasks for the listening and speaking sections are the same for both types of assessments. Each of the four modules is scored individually on a 9-band scale. The test is taken for the listening, reading, and writing modules on the same day and then for the speaking at a later date. Based on this research, candidates who demonstrate integrated competencies will likely achieve a higher score.

2. Key Components and Structure of IELTS Academic Test

As a candidate, getting familiar with the test format may increase your overall test scores and raise your band scores. There are four key components to the test: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The test consists of four separate parts with different sections in each component. The IELTS Academic Test lasts for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes. When the test hours are divided for each of the four components, there are a total of 14 different sections you have to go through during the test. The reading, writing, and listening components are to be taken on the same day and there is no break in between. The speaking component is scheduled within a week of the other components of the examination. All candidates are tested in the speaking module to maintain standardization. The speaking test lasts between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of three parts.

To achieve high scores in IELTS, identifying the specific criteria in each of the four key components to know what the examiner is expecting of you is extremely essential. It is necessary to know the concept behind each criterion and make use of specific strategies to get the highest possible band scores. Detailed information regarding this will be given later in this book. Prior to taking part in the IELTS test, you should know the specific details about the test prior to knowing about the effective strategies, as it will help you boost your band scores. With the help of the detailed preparation strategies given in this book, you can have a clear understanding of the IELTS test and therefore can accomplish a higher band score. We have designed this book with specific methodologies, practice exercises, and detailed solutions in each of the three key components: speaking, reading, and writing.

3. Strategies for Improving Reading and Listening Skills

Reading, in this module, includes the following areas: the identification of the author’s point of view, the identification of the particular theme the author is covering, inference, and understanding of information content. Given time constraint, you have to adapt a few strategies to this paper. Read the questions and answer options carefully. They will be discussed with you on the tape but they will not appear in the test booklet. Your performance on the items will depend on your ability to read the questions and answer options as they listen. Concentrate your efforts on understanding the tape and do your best to ignore errors. You may hear some occasional coughing or other extra-oral intrusion which are made when the tape is being prepared.

Listening

You should study vocabulary in the same way, but there are other study techniques you can use. In many of the listening activities, you will listen more than once to the dialogue or the monologue. When you hear the passage the first time, take careful note of the speaker’s tone of voice because this sometimes conveys his or her attitude towards the things she is talking about. In a monologue, you will often be able to pick up from the tone of voice the main attitude of the speaker to the subject. After listening to the tape for the first time, answer as many questions as you can, marking the answers in the special form provided. You will, of course, not be able to check your answers because at this point the tape is still playing.

4. Mastering Writing and Speaking Tasks

Mastering the writing and speaking tasks in the IELTS Academic modules is crucial to your success in this section. While the writing task appears to be your regular run-of-the-mill assignment, there are a few tricks and tips to approaching the speaking task that will not only earn you good marks but really make you stand out as a top candidate. One thing that you should remember is that speaking is an important aspect of mastering this test. This section is not just about your ability to write, it’s about your ability to communicate overall.

Start your preparation for the speaking task by continuing to increase your speaking and listening ability. This is, of course, especially true if you are at an intermediate or an upper-intermediate skill level. You can do this by speaking with people in English who will not always be patient with you. Very often, you will write a response and then say it out loud. You can easily craft three 3-minute long responses to three popular IELTS questions. Then, memorize the best answers and practice yourself saying it in the mirror or with a friend to improve pronunciation.

5. Practice and Preparation Tips for IELTS Academic Modules

The IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, exam is a standard language test that is given to all students intending to pursue higher studies or establish a career in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The Academic Module is intended for students who wish to get enrolled in universities or work in a professional organization. The exam is aimed to test the proficiency of a student in English. Comprising of four sections, namely reading, writing, speaking, and listening, it takes approximately two hours and forty-five minutes. Despite this, many students find it difficult to get the required band score (generally a 6 to 7 depending on the requirement). Below you will find effective strategies and preparation tips for success in the IELTS Academic Modules.

Understand the Pattern First: The IELTS exam consists of four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. It is important to understand the pattern of each section before beginning the preparation. The listening section generally contains four recordings, which are based on monologues and conversations. You will hear each recording only once, and you will have time to read the instructions and questions. The listening section is divided into four sections, and you will listen to each speaker in turn. The reading section generally contains three reading passages, although it is possible that the overview might contain two to five reading passages. In this section, candidates are required to read the texts, answer long-answer questions, fill in the blanks, match words, phrases, and paragraphs, etc. In the writing section, the test taker is given 20 minutes and is reminded to write 150 words while in Task 2, which is an essay task, the test taker is allowed to write 250 words and is given 40 minutes. The speaking section is conducted only on another day.

Effective strategies and preparation tips for success to follow the below-mentioned tips: Tip 1: Reading the instructions very carefully, seriously, and many times. This can help you avoid making errors due to misunderstandings. Tip 2: Doing the timed practice tests to familiarize yourself with the material. Use them to supplement the information obtained from reading study guides. Tip 3: Listening to English-speaking programs or media when not actively involved in a learning activity throughout the day. This can benefit overall comprehension and can run certain things subconsciously. Tip 4: Using background knowledge when interacting with unfamiliar topics. Optimum performance can be achieved by understanding the listening and reading materials. Failing to relate to the information has led to people making errors. Tip 5: Researching the structure of the speaking test by listening to a variety of sample tests. While researching, try to behave in a convincing and impressive way when speaking spontaneously. Indeed, responding in a native-like accent can boost scores in speaking and pronunciation. A clear, motivating tone is a very great plus. Tip 6: Reviewing dialogues and terms closely related to the basic patterns of verb usage that are intensively discussed. They are generally encountered in many situations. Doing so will probably increase performance on particular related test items like various sections of the reading, listening, and speaking exam. Tip 7: Filling out a review about the vocabulary and grammar that is more likely to be learned from past experience. This can give you an idea about how to go about learning.