IELTS is the International English Language Testing System.  It is an internationally recognized English language evaluation of the greatest quality and integrity.  The system is extremely reliable and is a precise assessment of one’s English language capability, specifically taken by those who are looking to study internationally, looking for professional recognition or to bench-mark their standards at the international level.

The partnership of the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations created and own the IETLS exam and they are in control of distributing it internationally.  

Taking the test helps determine whether students have the ability to take courses in English.  This is especially important for universities in the UK, Canada, Australia, and the United States because they base their admissions from this test reports to find if the student will be a good fit.  Each university requires its own scores for the student to be eligible to study there.  Contact your adviser for questions regarding IELTS requirements.

The IELTS test format

There are four sections that must be completed by all applicants to receive an IELTS Test Report Form:

1.    Listening
2.    Reading
3.    Writing
4.    Speaking

Applicants take tests in Listening, Writing and Speaking.  The same Listening and Speaking tests are taken by all applicants.  There is an option to choose between Academic or General Training in the Writing Section.

Test Duration:  2 hours 45 minutes

Listening, Writing, and Reading have to be taken on the same day.  Based on the requirements of test centre, the Speaking section can be taken seven days before or after the other sections.  The exams are intended to test one’s English skill level from beginners to native speakers.

Some lectures take a stance and talk about the position that they feel most strongly for. Other lectures like to talk about many ideas and different topics.  It is a good idea to listen for keywords from your lectures that will help you decipher if they are organizing their lesson in one structure or the other.  Write down words that show a cause/effect relationship, compare/contrast or the steps to a process.

Watch TV in English

You can develop your English-language listening skills through a couple of different ways in order to increase your chances for success on the TOEFL test. Listening to the radio, CDs, Podcasts, or recordings of lectures or news reports are a great way to improve your listening skills. However, watching TV in English can be more beneficial because it engages you into the story.  You should focus on watching TV shows, movies, or news channels in English.  The Internet is also a great place to find useful listening material.  Check out www.bbc.co.uk/radio or www.npr.org.   

Notice and become familiar with a speaker’s tone

In all languages, tone or inflections of one’s voice are used to highlight certain keywords in our communication. Figuring out a speaker’s tone is very important to get a good grasp of the speaker’s message. Focus on listening to the tone of each speaker in an English-language conversation in order to gain the most from it. Are they speaking in a more formal or casual tone? Are their voices peaceful or more emotional?

TOEFL Speaking Guide:

Recording while practicing

It is a good idea to record yourself speaking when preparing for the TOEFL test. Make notes of how and when you stress words or phrases. This is an extremely useful and effective method to improve your speaking skills because you can play back the tape to see what does not make sense and what needs to improve. Have others besides yourself review the tape and ask for feedback. Try to speak clearly and pronounce words in their proper context.

                                                   Preparation for integrated Speaking

A good way to study for the integrated speaking section of the TOEFL is by picking a topic and then locating listening material that is similar to the topic you picked. Create a basic outline while you read and listen to the article. This will help you connect what you read with what you heard.

English Speaking Friend

One of the easiest ways to increase your skills in English is to practice English with a friend who is fluent in English or a native English speaker. Also look at maybe joining an English club. If you have a budget you can pay for an English tutor.

Practice Speaking English

Find a native English speaker and talk to them about something that you both have an interest in talking about. For example, you can talk about sports, personal experiences, or where you have traveled to. Before you talk to a native speaker, it is a good idea to practice what you want to talk about.

Increase Scores on TOEFL Speaking Test

To enhance your language learning and reading skills pick up an English publication or visit English websites that you are interested in such as a sports or entertainment websites. Read English-language textbooks or magazines. All these ideas and suggestions above will help you out a lot in the long run.