Strengthen your English skills & Ace the IELTS

Being the most popular and widely-accepted English proficiency test, there was no shortage of resources for preparation. I personally used the countless YouTube videos available online to observe how the highest band speakers speak. Doing so has familiarized me with the test format, taught me the importance of making eye contact and speaking in the right tone. Please make use of these resources!

I always made an effort to immerse myself in materials in English, for example articles, music, videos, etc. I would first try to understand the materials, then try to express the content using my own word. I take notes of the words and forms of expressions usually used, especially new buzzwords that relates to the modern culture, and try to use them. One advice - don't place too much importance in understanding every single word or phrases - focus on words that you feel will be the most helpful or most relevant.

I believe we learn things best when we like them, so I try to make my English learning journey as much immersive and interesting as possible. For instance, I love history and romance, so I expand my vocabulary through reading historical fictions. On top of that, I write my thoughts about the books I read in English to better retain what I learn. If I can only give one piece of advice to IELTS self-learners, it would be 'Instead of dwelling on your possible result, focus on your journey and keep track of how you improve every single day'.