Essay Structures (Type 1)

• Agree or Disagree?

Q: Education should be accessible to people of all economic backgrounds. All levels of education from primary school to tertiary education should be free.

To what extent do you agree with this opinion.

Points generation

1- Agree. Improves the quality of life for society in general.

   eg: MSW student teaching villagers to conserve rainwater, utilize the natural resource, cost-effective methods for purification.

2- Educates individuals who are poor to find a good livelihood. For instance: A student from the slums learning vocational course during schooling starts a small garage and earns for the family.

3 - Eradicates poverty. Survey/ Example.....

Paragraph 1- Introduction

• Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question
• Sentence 2- Thesis Statement
• Sentence 3- Outline Statement (optional)

 Paragraph 2- Supporting Paragraph 1

• Sentence 1- Topic Sentence (Point 1)
• Sentence 2/3- Explain Topic Sentence
• Sentence 3/4- Example

 Paragraph 3- Supporting Paragraph 2

• Sentence 1- Topic Sentence (Points 2)
• Sentence 2/3- Explain Topic Sentence
• Sentence 3/4- Example
• Sentence 1- Topic Sentence (Points 3)
• Sentence 2/3- Explain Topic Sentence
• Sentence 3/4- Example

Paragraph 4- Conclusion

Sentence 1- Summary and reiteration of your opinion. ( Short of the points and a sentence to close.)

Speaking Part 1 - Generally consists of personal background questions:
Use of Personal Pronouns
Can use some phrases such as Perhaps & Although (Native speakers use this a lot)
Give answers in 1 or 2 sentences
Speaking Part 2 - Cue Cards
Collect general ideas and then organise them in 1 minute
Use of phrases like However, Apparently, Firstly, Second of all is recommended
Be confident and have a smile on the face
Speaking Part 3 - Follow up questions
Combine the above two and answer in 1 sentences.

                   Immersion learning to Improve English Fluency

Many of us find it difficult to speak the English language fluently, though it is quite natural to be so. English happens to be our second language, and hence, it is only logical that many of us find it difficult to speak and write English. However, we strive to learn the language and aspire to learn the language to a level close to the privileged few who are fluent in the language.

This post will explain an immersion method to learn English as an everyday activity and enjoy the process too. There are different ways to familiarise ourselves of this language in our daily lives. The first is to listen to BBC news, reviews and documentaries every day. This will help us learn the language by listening and will provide many new words to apply in our own speech and writing. Secondly, we should watch English movies frequently, at the least once a week to imbibe the nuances of English conversations. Many of us prefer to watch English movies with the subtitles on. However, this nullifies the possibility of us being able to listen independently and absorb the content. The best way to learn English through movies is to watch the movies without subtitles.

The third medium is through storybooks. Storybooks offer us a simple window to connect to the world through language. But we should choose the appropriate storybooks to read. Reading adult storybooks may not help much in improving our language. We should choose storybooks read by 6th/7th/8th-grade students since these are likely to have vocabulary and conversations to connect to a normal world useful for everyday engagement. There are several available in landmark, crossword or other major book shops. I recommend Enid Blyton books to start with. These offer interesting mysery and adventure stories to engage our interest and curiosity. 

The fourth medium is through English songs. I would strongly recommend this as one of the best formats to learn English, as these songs are quite short and the lyrics and accent are simple to understand.I can provide a list of songs to listen to, from contemporary genres and styles.

These methods are good proxy methods to learn English and would greatly help in improving our everyday usage of the language. Taking classes from a competent instructor among this immersion method would offer a sure-fire way of reaching our goals of fluency in English in a short period.

What is your full name?

– Can I see your ID?

– Where are you from?

– Do you work or study?

– What do you do?

– Do you live in an apartment or a house?

– Describe a plant that is popular in your country.

– What are the main difficulties you face with public transport?

Cue Card

Describe a time when you invited friends or relatives to your home or a restaurant. Please say

– Where and when was it?

– What was the place?

– Did you enjoy it? Why?

Discussion

– Are there any festivals in your country?

– Tell me about a famous festival in your country.

Many students struggle when it comes to having a conversation with native speakers. In reality, the only way to improve fluency in English speaking is by massive amounts of listening, and then practising speaking. The following are a few tips for improving your English speaking skills. 

Don’t forget that listening is the basis for speaking! When you also want to practice speaking, here are some recommendations on how to improve English speaking skills.

First of all, it’s useful to get trained by a native speaker. If you are living with native English speakers, then you chat with them, talk to them. If not, then joining a club or a volunteer organization can be a great way to know people informally and to engage in conversation. 

If the above option isn’t possible, then consider choosing a private tutor. Yes, another way to enhance your English speaking skills is to involve yourself in English language courses.

You can also watch movies or TV in English, with subtitles during your leisure time. Listening to songs or a speech given by a native English speaker will help you become familiar with the rhythms and accents. Once the sounds are familiar, you can try imitating them.

Hope this helps you!

It is advisable to seek guidance from an IELTS tutor to improve your overall IELTS band score. You can also follow the tips given to score better. 

Speaking section

• Firstly, you need to listen carefully to understand the question asked by the examiner and answer accordingly. If your answer is diverted from the question asked, then the examiner will consider that you have failed to understand the question.
• IELTS speaking test is conducted to check whether you can communicate effectively or not. So, try to talk as fluently as possible, and it is good to be spontaneous.
• Improve your fluency and coherence, pronunciation, grammatical range and accuracy and vocabulary with regular practice. These are 4 marking criteria of the speaking section.
• If you didn’t understand the question asked, then it’s ok to ask for clarification. 
• Develop your answers, express your opinions and speak confidently as you’ll be marked on your ability to communicate. 
• Regular practice is essential, so practice way ahead of the exam and record yourself. 
• It’s not advisable to learn prepared answers as IELTS examiners are highly skilled and trained to spot such things. All they want is originality and your communication skills. 

Reading section

• IELTS reading section involves complex language, especially the second and third sections include extended texts with complex sentence structure, thus it is essential for you to improve your vocabulary to understand the text.
• There are a variety of question types such as multiple-choice, TRUE, FALSE/NOT GIVEN, matching headings, sentence completion, table completion, etc., so a lot of practice is required. 
• Learn to scan and pay attention to timing, avoid spending too long on one question as time is extremely limited. If you face difficulty finding an answer, then you must move onto the next one. 
• Read the instructions carefully and check your spelling and keep an eye on singular and plural correctly. 
• Understand the question and try not to read every word. Look out for the title, headings, etc., always remember that you’re reading for a purpose. 

Writing section

• IELTS writing is conducted to measure your ability to write appropriately. So, you need to improve your overall formal writing skills. 
• You must learn time-management strategies to complete your tasks on time. 
• You must avoid writing unrelated topics and repeated ideas. Moreover, avoid grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes.
• Plan your answers correctly. Always remember that a good essay comprises an introduction, a body and a solid conclusion. 
• Avoid writing extra words; at the same time, you must write the number of words required for the particular task. If not, you’ll end up losing marks.
• Do not copy sentences from the question instead paraphrase it and present it in an original way to show your vocabulary. 
• Towards the end, you need a lot of practice as this section demands effort and dedication to achieve your desired score.

1. Read and listen to a lot of podcasts: Books are a great way to enhance your vocabulary and help you understand the language better. Listening to podcasts can also improve your pronunciation and accent. 
2.  Learn words in context: You can learn words listening to music or reading books, newspaper, magazines etc. You’ll also understand the use of synonyms, idioms etc. 
3. Think in English: When you think in English, you are controlling your brain to be able to frame sentences using that language only. This technique is considered quite useful for beginners.
4. Practice in front of a mirror and observe your body language: Talking in front of the mirror helps you get an idea about how you converse in front of people.
5. Record yourself: Record yourself and listen to it. Find the areas where you need to improve yourself to perform better. You can also write down mistakes to remember so that you don't repeat them.
6. Practise with other native English speakers: If you find someone who speaks English confidently and fluently, do not hesitate to go and talk to them. Conversing with native speakers gives you the advantage of knowing which level your English is at. 
7. Seek experts’ help: There are IELTS experts who can help you tackle your problems and clear all your doubts. A skilled trainer with immense experience training students could help you perform better with quality teaching.

               8. Try to speak in English all the time: You need to adopt English as a way of life. Use it in every aspect and                        every chance you get.

Discover ways to make English part of your daily life, like writing your shopping list, reading an English newspaper, listening to music, writing a diary, watching movies and series with English subtitles etc.  

You don’t need to be in an English-speaking country to learn how to speak English fluently and confidently. Reading good books and English texts written by native speakers regularly can help you understand the use of idioms, grammar and vocabulary. It can be challenging at first, but it is interesting and rewarding in the long run. 

Practice every day and don’t be afraid or ashamed to listen to complex words several times because pronunciation is important in the English language. These days, you can find a fair number of free English podcasts online, videos etc. If you can’t find English magazines or books, you can use e-newspaper, e-book etc. on the Internet.

It is evident that learning a language takes a lot of effort, but it will be easy if you start liking what you do. Give yourself a strong reason for learning English. You can set short as well as long term goals to keep track of your progress. Play games, do crossword puzzles, sing songs, read comics, and don’t ever worry about making mistakes because mistakes are inevitable as no one is perfect.

1. Get a list of common topics for speaking part 1, part 2 and part 3. Develop ideas on how you want your answers to be. 
2.  Build your vocabulary: There's a whole range of vocabulary that you can build to impress your examiner.
3.  Get the topic: Tape the questions and answer the questions by recording your voice.

When you do that, you think about your grammar, your vocabulary and helps you find your weaknesses.

1. Listen to your answers: Check for 4 things;

1. Fluency
2. Vocabulary
3. grammar and
4. pronunciation

These account for 25% of your marks.

1. Fluency- The first thing you need to check is the length of your answer.  Did you give a very short answer or you could develop it a little more? 

By developing more, you are offering more to the examiner and showing him the ability to speak. 

Another thing to check for fluency is how many times you hesitate. 

How many times you are silent. 

You need to keep speaking naturally with good flow. That will give you a good answer

1.  Vocabulary- Check for the range. 
2. Paraphrasing- are you using the same word again and again or using the same word in different synonyms.
3. Look out for mistakes: When you listen to your answers, listen to how concurrent you are with your speech
4. Check your grammar. Check the range of tenses.

Give a little more emphasis in your sentence by injecting tenses into your answer

Sentence complexion: How complex are your sentences?

Another thing for grammar is mistakes. Practise by correcting your mistakes.

Word Pronunciation: Are you pronouncing the words correctly?

Individual sounds: 

Intonation: If your voice is going up and down or very flat, this is not very good. Use intonation to sound interesting. 

5. The last thing is to get rid of your weakness, improve your strength practice record your voice more and more often.