I often hear students complaining and saying what a 'waste of time' the IELTS exam is and although at first they might disagree with me, I always argue that of all the Cambridge exams, the IELTS exam can actually help you to perfect essential study skills for your university career.
At university:
Reading
- When deciding whether to read a book/ article and whether it is relevant to you, you will need to be able to skim them to get the general gist of their topic and content. This will save you time as it will prevent you reading something that might be irrelevant.
- When you are reading books/ articles for your assignments, you will need to be able to extract vital information through scanning because you will not always have time to read everything.
- When reading you will need to be able to understand the writer's main argument, as you are asked to do in the reading exam.
Writing
- You will be asked to write essays so you will need to know how to structure/ organise your ideas in this format (as in Task 2).
- For some subjects you will have to write reports and describe data (as in Task 1).
- You will have to create your own argument in your assignments (as in Task 2).
- You will have to write accurately with full sentences, punctuation, correct spelling and grammar.
- You will have to write in a formal style.
- You will paraphrase other people's words (as you may do with the titles of Task 1 and 2).
- You will need to use a variety of grammatical structures and vocabulary, which you have to show in your IELTS writing and speaking exam.
Listening
- When listening to lectures/ seminars you will need to be able to listen and make notes simultaneously (which you have to do in the listening exam).
- You will have to listen to and understand the main arguments/ points of somebody who may speak for quite a lengthy period of time (as in Section 4 of the listening exam).
- You will need to be able to identify key data/ information (as you do with the gap-fill questions).
- When listening to lecturers/ tutors, you will need to understand when they say something and then go back on it/ negate what they have just said (often what you need to do in multiple choice questions where they mention all options A, B, C and D).
Speaking
- When meeting new people, you will have to describe aspects of you and your life and preferences (as in Speaking Part 1).
- When doing presentations you will need to be able to cover a number of points in an organised and timely manner (as in Speaking Part 2).
- When joining in classroom debates you will need to be able to express your opinions clearly and argue your points (as in Speaking Part 3).
- You will need a variety of grammar and vocabulary to express yourself clearly and accurately (which you are tested on in the Speaking and Writing exam).
- You will need to be able to pronounce words so that listeners can comprehend you (as tested in your Speaking exam).
These are just some of the skills that the exam will directly allow you to develop and which will definitely be required at university. There are also more general skills you learn whilst studying for your IELTS, including:
- Time management
- Recognising your strengths and weaknesses, so you know what to focus on
- Stress management (keeping calm for exams, which you might have at university also)
- Growing your general knowledge (as the IELTS requires you to listen/ read/ speak and write about many different topics)
To conclude, if today you are feeling a little down and wondering what all of this is for - remember, even though you feel you are struggling to get through an exam so you can get to that next step, at least while you are doing it "you are killing two birds with one stone" and learning vital skills that will certainly help you later on. Stay strong!
Vocabulary
an expression (n) = a saying, a phrase
gist (n) = general idea
irrelevant (adj) = unconnected, not important for what you are doing
simultaneously (adv) = at the same time
lengthy (adj) = long
in a timely manner = within an appropriate amount of time
comprehend (v) = understand
down (adj) = demotivated, sad
struggle (v) = have difficulty doing something
vital (adj) = essential, very important