How to prepare for IELTS Speaking in 10 days ( Part 4- IELTS Speaking )

How to prepare for IELTS Speaking in 10 days ( Part 4- IELTS Speaking )

Hey guys,

IELTS speaking is the area where i didn't score very well. I had taken a mock IELTS 15 days before my actual IELTS exam. In that mock, i scored 5.5 in speaking and the lady told me to really work on my IELTS speaking ability. And guess what, my final result in IELTS Speaking was 7.5 which is not awesome but still good enough.

Here i will share what all i did and what you should do to prepare well for IELTS Speaking.

1. I started speaking a lot on general topics for 10-12 minutes continuously just 4-5 days before the IELTS Speaking test day.

2. The IELTS speaking section can be categorized into 3 areas:

A. First part in IELTS speaking is a general discussion about you, your family, your native place, about your job, etc.. All general stuff. This goes for around 3 minutes. You dont
need any preparation for this. But make sure that you keep speaking.

B. Second part in IELTS speaking is where the interviewer will give you a topic to speak on. In my case the topic was "Speak about a product whose advertisement influenced you to purchase it". Now it was a bit smart. I thought that i should speak about a topic on which i can pull in many ideas, even though that product's advertisement may not have influenced my decision to buy it. So my HP laptop clicked me. I spoke how advertisement of HP laptop influenced my decision. What all features were discussed in the Ad. And how the advertisement distinguished the HP laptop from rest of the laptops. She gave me 2 minutes to speak. I spoke for 2 minutes and she stopped me after that. So make sure that you speak continuously for 2 minutes.

C. The third part in IELTS Speaking is where the instructor would test you how you are able to analyse the topic. She asked me if apart from advertisement, i did any other reasearch. What about the companies that prepare advertisements targetted towards children. And 2-3 more questions.
So the key here is be yourself. Take 3-4 seconds to prepare your answer and then start answering. That's it.

To summarize the above points, i would say KEEP SPEAKING, BE SMART, think in different directions while speaking, remain cool-n-calm and take 3-4 seconds before you start answering. That's it !

If you follow all these steps and if you are fluent in english, i see no reason why you should not be scoring above 8 in IELTS speaking section.

With this post on IELTS Speaking, i end the article series on IELTS preparation. In case you need any help from me regarding your preparation, feel free to contact me.

How to prepare for IELTS Writing in 10 days ( Part 3- IELTS Writing)

How to prepare for IELTS Writing in 10 days ( Part 3- IELTS Writing)

Hey guys, Sorry i got late to write this post. Well i hope your preparation is on right track for IELTS.

Today we will discuss about how to work on IELTS writing and what you should keep in mind to write well..It's easy to say that you should write logically.. And flow of ideas should be smooth, structured. But no one really talks about what strategies you should follow for IELTS Writing.

Let me break this post for IELTS Writing into two parts. Part A and Part B. Part A is where you will have to analyse a graph and analyse it. Part B is where you ll have to put in extra effort and give more time. The ideas for both remain the same except that Part A will be small. IELTS Writing section suggests you to write minimum 150 words in Part A and min 250 in part B.

On test day, i had written around 220 words in Part A and around 350 in Part B.

Part A

-------

1. While writing for IELTS, firstly, you should give an overview of what the graph analyses. In first paragraph, write about what you would be comparing. Make sure that you capture the main points.

2. I use transition words whereever possible. This is VERY VERY important for IELTS Writing. For example "In Contrast, A showed growth.." OR "In addition, the growth of females suffered during 1990" OR "Moreover, the volume of rainfall increased... " etc..
So do you words like First, Second, Third, Morever, In addition, In sum, To Conclude, In contrast, At the same time, Incidently etc. This will make your writing very easy to read from a reader's perspective.

It's really important that in for IELTS Writing, you use words like: increased, decreased, remained almost constant, stable, volatile, sharp decline etc..

3. While concluding in IELTS writing, give a 2-3 line summary of what you analysed. For eg. "In sum, the ratio of males to females increased during the period 1990-2000, while it remained stable during 2001-2005 and then showed a sharp decline during the period 2006- 2010"

Part B

-------

The rules for Part B remain the same. In part B of IELTS Writing, use more imagination as you dont have a graph. Use your own ideas and think in varied directions and then keep forming paragraphs. My topic for Part B was "In your opinion, what would be the result of introducing a common international languague for communication" So i formed a general introduction that there will be both pros and cons. In pros, i made around 3-4 paragraphs and talked about the benefits. In cons also i did the same. And i concluded by saying that i feel that the cons far outweigh the pros and there are more disadvantages of introducing such a language.Then i summarized it in 2 -3 lines by using keyword "To conclude, though there are advantages of introducing a new international language like .., .., .., the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages, and hence....."

One important point that follows for both part A and part B in IELTS writing is that you should also keep your writing gramatically correct and follow english rules like parallelism, correct punctuation as much as possible. This is really important.

Keep these points in mind and i am sure you will get 8.5 out of 9 in IELTS writing as i got :) If you need any assistance in writing part, feel free to contact me.

PS: If you have a lot of time with you, start writing a blog. You will realize that as you keep writing every few days, your way of writing will improve. This will certainly help you in your IELTS Writing !!

How to get good score in IELTS Reading in 10 days - Part 2 (Reading)

How to prepare for IELTS Reading

This is part 2 of my article on 'How to get good score in IELTS in 10 days - Part 1 (Listening) ', in continuation of my previous post. Here I would focus on how you can improve your reading skills for IELTS.

There is a difference when you compare IELTS reading with general reading.

1. Read by getting gist of each paragraph. Remember that the first step to become a good reader is to quickly understand what the reader wants to convey. Dont read word by word. Read one paragraph quickly and form a mental image of what idea the author wants to convey. This will help you in retaining what you read. This is important while taking the IELTS Reading exam.

2. This is most important:
Preparation for IELTS Reading needs to be covered in a strategic manner during the test. You have 60 mins for reading 3 passages. This is what you should do:
Passage 1: Allocate 16-17 mins, Passage 2: Allocate 20-22 mins, Passage 3: Allocate 25-26 mins
This is because with each passage the difficulty level increases. I would also advice you to complete all the passages in IELTS book that you have got from Cambridge. This is because one of the passage I got in real IELTS Reading exam was taken from this book. My 1st passage was Olympic torch. It was fact based and easy.
Second passage was on musical instruments- it was also easy. Third one was a bit tough- you will find it easy i feel if you read psychology, religion, arts, personality, sports psychology etc. For me, 3rd passage was on Child development. It was interesting but it took me more time to find answers.

So I would really recommend you to budget the time as i have mentioned above ( 16-20-24) during the IELTS Reading exam. It would really help you. Dont divide the time in 20-20-20 slots in reading.

3. Make sure you read all the instructions very carefully. If you have been asked to write TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, do not commit mistake of writing T or F or NG - this is wrong. Same with YES/NO type of questions. Do not write Y/N. Write what is asked. Also make sure you do not answer TRUE/FALSE for a YES/ NO question and vice versa. Such an answer will be considered wrong and fetch no marks. This is very important in IELTS Reading test.

4. Focus on dates/names/figures in IELTS Reading. It helps. I used this in Olympic torch essay that had come. There were many years specified in the passage like 1956, 1962, 1992 etc. So when you are answering questions, you can directly locate these figures in passage and you will save time. You need not completely understand what the passage said when it mentioned something in 1956. You can come back to passage after reading the figure 1956 in the question.

I hope these tips would help you in your preparation for IELTS Reading. In the next part, i would focus on writing skills for IELTS. I would write about how you can become a better writer and write in a professional, structured and cohesive way. The flow of ideas while writing is most important and I would focus on these aspects in my next post on 'writing for IELTS'.

I hope you enjoyed the IELTS Reading post as much as i enjoyed writing it !! If you enjoy reading my articles, do subscribe to my blog so that you can get the article delivered in your mailbox whenever i would publish them.

How to get good score in IELTS in 10 days - Part 1 (Listening)

How to get good score in IELTS in 10 days - Part 1 (Listening)

This is part 1 of the article.
There are 4 sections in IELTS: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
In this post, I will focus on listening skills that you can enhance in a couple of days for IELTS.

Here are my test results. I took IELTS on 30/31 May 2009.

Candidate Id : 2976
Listening : 8.5
Reading : 8.5
Writing : 8
Speaking : 7.5
Overall Band : 8

For those who are not aware of what these scores are, here is a brief overview:
9 - Expert User
8 - Very Good User
7 - Good User
6 - Competent User
5 - Modest User
4 - Limited User
3 - Extremely Limited User
2 - Intermittent User
1 - Non User

Listening Skills: This is my personal experience. I am sure it would be helpful for you as well.

1. Listen and see english movies and television serials( on youtube, if you dont have a television). I used to do search on youtube to check television programs in UK and this helped me become familiar with the UK accent. Indeed this helped me in improving my listening skills. This would also help you in Speaking section.

2. When you register for IELTS, you will get a book and 2 CDs for free. Do all the 4 listening tests in the book. It will really be very helpful. In my first test i scored just 31 out of 40, but in my last test i scored 37 out of 40. After that i took my 1st test again and this time i scored 36/40 in listening. So i can guarantee you that taking these tests will really help you.

3. When taking the practice test for listening, you may pause it and resume it at your convenience. In actual test you cannot pause- resume the CD being played. So my advice is that once you have started the listening test, complete it and then only move to next section. So you should complete all 40 questions and see how you are performing. So the idea here is do not pause while taking listening test.

4. Write as you listen- This is the most important point in listening ability. Before you start listening, you will get some time to read the questions. Use this time properly and read the questions and understand the questions completely. When you start listening, keep marking your answers as sson as you listen it. You will not get time to write it later. Also my personal experience is that even if you get time in the end, you will not be able to remember what was played. So it's best to write it as soon as you listen.

I hope these tips would help you in your preparation. In the next part, i would focus on reading skills. All the best..

Never Say Die - Battling HIV with Biceps - Bravo Pradip Kumar !!

Todya, I read about this guy Pradip Kumar in Times of india and couldn't stop myself sharing his inspirational story with my blog readers. This picture depicts bodybuilder Pradip Kumar flexing his muscles during a body building championship at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.

The 38-year-old from Manipur is just like any other fitness freak who can benchpress 200 pounds for a warm-up. The only thing that makes him different is he’s a HIV-positive and that the deadly disease hasn’t stopped him from living life to the fullest.

Pradip was into drugs and that's how he contracted the disease. But being HIV didn' t let him down. Infact, he used his anger and pain to become strong and channelised his emotions into body building.

I believe that Pradip is a role model for millions suffering from HIV and offers a ray of hope to them.

Hats off to Pradip for his spirit and that's why he was chosen as a brand ambassador of HIV/AIDS in 2008 by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society.

Mumbai Marathon 2009 - The spirit of Mumbai

Run Mumbai Run !!


Mumbai, yet again, showed the unflinching attitude of standing together in face of adversity. It has not been long when terror striked Mumbai. But Mumbai was in high spirits again on 18 Jan 2009 readying itself for Mumbai Marathon 2009. I too got the oppurtunity to run half marathon ( 21.097 kms)




Some were running for peace, some for health and some for various NGOs. And so was I- running for peace, for health, for the undying attitude of Mumbai !! For me, it was needed a long run. After all, what can you expect from someone who is used to walking just 1-2 kms per day !!


There is something that kept me moving till I reached the finish line. There were old people somewhere around their 70s who were ahead of me. There was support and cheer from crowd. There were thousands of volunteers who kept providing me water and ORS ( Oral rehydrastion solution) throughout my marathon. There were sweet little kids who were cheering 'Come on.. You can do it' and were offering biscuits and bananas..


Not only my own friends, but even I couldnt believe that I could complete the half marathon. The motivation to cross the finish line kept me moving throughout. What I learned from this marathon experience is that you can do much more than what you set for yourself. Initially I was targetting just 6-7 kms but challenging myself I ended up running 21 kms.



What I witnessed was also awesome. There were numerous NGOs in dream run. Lots of celebrities. Roads were too clean. Standard chartered and TCS billboards everywhere. 7 km, 18 km and other markings on the way. Kenyans who went ahead of me like a breeze !! Words would not be enough for me to describe my experiences. You ll have to be there to experience it yourself !!

For those who ran full marathon, I salute you ! It not only takes a lot of guts, but also perseverance and a lot of effort to keep one healthy after completing the full marathon. For those who are thinking of running next year, believe me it would be a great experience for you. But just keep in mind that you ll enjoy it more if you keep practising even 3-4 kms per day.

So what are you waiting for ? Get on your heels - Run Mumbai Run !!

How to avoid Job Loss in a turbulent economy ?

Lehmann bankrupt ! Merill Lynch Sold out !! Is AIG next ???Since the credit crisis began last yr, the financial markets are badly hit.
Bear Sterns fall, 6 months ago, created panic in the financial sector. The impact is not just US and financial industry. The impact is world over. Since the big banks play a major role in the economy of most countries, all the countries have been badly hit.What happens in such a market is quite evident. Job losses, panic in market, gloomy scenario about the future haunts everyone.
Is there something you can do to get rid of such unexpected situations.
The answer is a big "YES" and I am here to suggest a few alternatives.

We all know that we should have a plan B ready, in case plan A fails. But how many of us really think about plan B ??

Let's suppose you were working with Lehmann or with Merill or you're working somewhere and you dont feel job security. What you possibly do is to look at various alternatives:

1. What are you really good at, except the work you do in your office. May be you're a great Cook and you always thought of running a restaurant. Whatever happens to lehman or merill, you can always be sure that your hotel/restaurant will make money becoz people wont stop eating if there's a financial meltdown !!

2. Did you always felt a desire to teach your favorite subject but never had time to do so ?Why dont you start part time tuitions in Arts, Science or history at your home ? A part from doing what you love, you'll make yourself independent of a need for a job !!

3. Well, if you still want to be in the financial domain, what about a teaching faculty position in a business school, where you can use your current banking/finance experience. I am sure even after financial markets have crashed, you ll find a plenty of teaching positions related to your experience.

4. What if you are a spanish, Italian or a Chinese living in a country whose native language is none of these languages. You may start your own Foreign Language classes ! I am sure you never even thought about this !!

These are just a few of the oppurtunities.
So guys and gals, dont feel depressed about the current financial situations in the world.
Take it positively ! Such situations make a stronger person and prepare you for unexpected possibilities ahead !

Just look around you ! You'll find thousands of oppurtunities !!