IELTS Preparation: Vocabulary, Idioms, Synonyms, Antonyms, Collocations

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System that measures language proficiency of test takers. This exam is taken by those who want to migrate for employment purposes or pursue higher education in English speaking nations. IELTS has four sections- Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Test takers can take either of IELTS Exam Pattern - Computer Based or Paper Based.

Test takers who aim for an overall band score of 7 or above should focus on developing vocabulary. IELTS is an exam where one has to score equally well on all sections. Except Speaking, test takers have to write for all three sections. Examiners have different criteria for scoring in each section.

IELTS Vocabulary: Sections

Before appearing for IELTS, test takers must have a clear idea how to make a proper usage of vocabulary. Within IELTS vocabulary, aspirants have to learn idioms, phrasal verbs, and new words. It is that section within exam where the test taker has to push himself for better performance. Without a wide range of vocabulary, one will never score high in IELTS.

How to learn IELTS Vocabulary

English is a language that never allows anyone to memorize anything. One must know the proper usage of language rather than memorizing it. People will advise learning a dictionary for knowing a good list of words. One can never learn a dictionary without knowing its usage and other synonyms. Before learning IELTS vocabulary make a proper plan including these steps are as follows

• First choose a particular English book or magazine to find out new words and its meanings and synonyms
• Make flashcards for using these words properly in a relevant context
• Make it a routine for at least 6 months to learn at least 10-15 new words on daily basis
• Try to learn etymology of a word it will help in recognizing other words accordingly
• Always indulge in group learning or participate in vocabulary games online to expand the range of words
• After learning these words try to implement it in relevant context
• Take a regular revision of newly learnt words with a gap of one month

IELTS Preparation

Simple 4 steps to learn IELTS Vocabulary

Without making it a habit to learn new words, test takers can’t improve IELTS vocabulary on a daily basis. It is like a step by step process, where one needs to dedicate a few minutes regularly to improve vocabulary. Examiners always look for “complicated words” in IELTS answer sheets. Test takers will decide how to make a proper usage of vocabulary in a relevant context for making writing style unique.

One has to remember also that with any wrong usage of words, it will bring a bad impression on examiner. Test takers should know IELTS Score band before appearing for the exam. Examiner makes a score on different criteria like Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resources and Accuracy in Grammatical usage. Each criterion carries 25% of total marks to the test taker.

Online resources for IELTS Vocabulary

In the digital era, everyone considers internet as a hub of knowledge. Test takers can learn vocabulary by reading on common topics like

• Health
• Education
• Globalization
• Traditional culture
• Technology
• Environment
• Government

All these topics are quite common in world news. It is advisable to follow news on a daily basis from few of the top notch newspapers of the world. In most of these newspapers, reporting happens in a formal manner with a proper usage of vocabulary. It will always be a great experience to learn new words from these sources.

IELTS Preparation

How to Practice IELTS Vocabulary?

For new learners, IELTS vocabulary can be difficult to learn in the first few days. With rigorous practice and little hard work, one can easily score an overall band of 7 or higher in IELTS.

• Learn collocation (referring 2-3 words commonly together) ex. Have lunch, take rest etc.
• Make a list of phrasal verbs to know its meaning as well as usage
• Make a proper note of prefix and suffix
• Learn etymology of words
• Make a mind mapping with a word (ex. Take any word like School, learn as much words as possible associated with it)

Learning vocabulary only can never bring a score band of 7 in IELTS. One has to learn how to make a proper usage of these words as well. Most effective way in learning new words is to make use of sentences and speech. Besides reading, listening and writing sections, one needs strong vocabulary for IELTS speaking section as well. With vocabulary, one gets confidence for speaking fluently.