Imagine you're getting ready for a big race. You wouldn't
just show up on race day without any practice, right? Well, preparing for the
IELTS test is kind of like training for a race, but instead of running, you're
exercising your brain and building your English vocabulary!
The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is
a test that measures how well people can use English. In 2022, over 3 million
people took the IELTS test worldwide. One of the biggest challenges for
test-takers is having a strong vocabulary. Studies show that knowing more words
can improve your IELTS score by up to a whole band!
But don't worry - you don't need to be a dictionary to do
well on the IELTS. With the right plan, you can give your vocabulary a big
boost in just 30 days. Let's explore how you can do this in a way that's fun,
easy to understand and works!
Day 1-5: Setting the Stage for Success
- Take a Vocabulary Quiz: Start by finding out how many words
you already know. There are free online tests like the "Vocabulary Size
Test" that can give you an idea. Write down your score - you'll use this
later to see how much you've improved!
- Make a Word Journal: Get a notebook or create a digital
document. This will be your dictionary where you'll collect new words.
- Set Daily Goals: Decide how many new words you want to learn
each day. A good starting point is 10-15 words per day. Remember, it's better
to learn a few words well than many words poorly.
- Find Your Learning Style: Everyone learns differently. Do
you like pictures? Music? Stories? Find out what helps you remember words best.
- Download Vocabulary Apps: Use apps like Quizlet or Anki to
practice words on your phone. These apps use flashcards and games to make
learning fun.
Day 6-10: Building Your Word Power
- Use the Academic Word List: This is a list of words that
appear often in academic texts. Focus on learning words from this list as
they're likely to come up in the IELTS test.
- Learn Word Families: Instead of learning just one word,
learn its "family." For example, if you learn "create,"
also learn "creative," "creation," and
"creativity."
- Read, Read, Read: Start reading English news articles, blogs,
or books every day. Circle words you don't know and add them to your word
journal.
- Listen to English: Watch English YouTube videos, TV shows,
or podcasts. Listen for new words and try to guess their meanings from context.
- Play Word Games: Try games like crossword puzzles or word
searches. They're fun and help you remember words better.
Day 11-15: Mastering Word Usage
- Use New Words in Sentences: For each new word you learn,
write three sentences using it. This helps you understand how to use the word
correctly.
- Learn Collocations: These are words that often go together,
like "heavy rain" or "make a decision." Learning these
pairs helps you sound more natural.
- Explore Synonyms and Antonyms: For each new word, try to
find at least one word that means the same thing (synonym) and one that means
the opposite (antonym).
- Practice with Past IELTS Questions: Look at previous IELTS
test questions and try to use your new words to answer them.
- Talk to Yourself: Spend 5 minutes each day talking to
yourself in English, trying to use as many new words as possible.
Day 16-20: Diving Deeper into Vocabulary
- Focus on Prefixes and Suffixes: Learning common prefixes
(like "un-" or "re-") and suffixes (like "-able"
or "-tion") can help you understand many new words.
- Learn Idioms: Start learning common English idioms like
"it's raining cats and dogs" or "break a leg." These are
important for the speaking and writing parts of IELTS.
- Use Mind Maps: Create visual maps connecting related words.
For example, put "weather" in the center and connect words like
"sunny," "cloudy," "forecast," etc.
- Write a Daily Journal: Spend 10 minutes each day writing in
English about your day, trying to use at least 5 new words.
- Teach Someone Else: Try explaining your new words to a
friend or family member. Teaching others is a great way to make sure you understand
something.
Day 21-25: Practical Application
- Join Online Forums: Find English-language forums about
topics you like and practice using your new words in posts and comments.
- Play "Word of the Day": Choose one new word each
day and challenge yourself to use it as many times as possible in conversation
or writing.
- Create Vocabulary Categories: Group words into categories
like "emotions," "education," or "environment."
This helps you remember words that are related to each other.
- Use Mnemonics: Create funny or memorable phrases to help you
remember tricky words. For example, to remember "gregarious"
(sociable), you might think "Greg is various - he has lots of
friends!"
- Practice Paraphrasing: Take sentences from your reading
materials and try to rewrite them using different words. This is a valuable
skill for the IELTS test.
Day 26-30: Review and Reinforce
- Vocabulary Marathon: Spend an hour reviewing all the words
you've learned so far. Make it fun by turning it into a game or competition
with friends.
- Mock IELTS Test: Take a practice IELTS test and pay
attention to how many of your new words you can use.
- Create a Vocabulary Video: Make a short video explaining
some of your favorite new words. This helps reinforce your learning and could
help others too!
- Word Association Speed Round: Set a timer for 1 minute and
write down as many words as you can think of related to a specific topic, using
your new vocabulary.
- Reflect and Celebrate: Look back at your progress. Take the
vocabulary quiz from Day 1 again and see how much you've improved. Celebrate
your hard work!
Conclusion
Congratulations! You've just completed a 30-day vocabulary
boost for your IELTS preparation. By following this plan, you've likely added
hundreds of new words to your English vocabulary. Remember, the average native
English speaker knows between 20,000 to 35,000 words, and you're well on your
way to expanding your own word knowledge.
Studies show that consistent vocabulary practice can improve
your IELTS score by 0.5 to 1 band in just a month. A survey of successful IELTS
test-takers found that 78% of them credited focused vocabulary study as a key
factor in their success.
But don't stop here! Keep using these techniques to continue
growing your vocabulary. The more words you know, the easier you'll find it to
express yourself in English, whether in the IELTS test or in real-life
situations.
Remember, learning a language is like tending a garden - it
needs regular care and attention to grow. By spending just a little time each
day on your vocabulary, you're planting seeds that will bloom into confident
English skills.
So, whether you're aiming for that top IELTS score or just
want to feel more comfortable speaking English, keep up the great work! Your
future self will thank you for the effort you're putting in today. Good luck
with your IELTS preparation, and happy word learning!