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How to Improve IELTS Reading and Listening Skills

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Students often ask me ‘How do I improve my reading and listening skills?’

The short answer is ‘Read and listen more.’ However, this is not a very good answer because you need to know HOW to practice and WHERE to get good sources of reading and listening material.

This article will help you:

  1. Learn HOW to practice
  2. WHERE to find the best sources
  3. HOW often you should be practicing

books-open-on-table-300x200 How to Improve IELTS Reading and Listening Skills

How to Practice Listening and Reading

There are two kinds of listening and reading practice- passive and active.

One of them is the most common, but least effective, but the other will increase your skills dramatically in a much shorter period of time.

Passive listening is when you simply listen to a song, people talking, the news etc. and don’t do anything else. In other words, you do not actually think about what you are listening to.

Passive reading means you simply read something, but you do not take any steps to think about or learn from what you are reading.

Active Listening and Reading

When you actively listen to something, you listen to less information, but you think about it in a much deeper way. This deeper way of thinking about what you are listening to means you learn in a much more efficient and effective way.

For example, instead of listening to 30 minutes of the news, you might just listen to 3 minutes of the news but think about any new words or phrases you hear, guess what these mean and then note them down in a vocabulary notebook.

Active reading could mean that instead of reading a full chapter for 30 minutes, you simply read one paragraph, but think about the grammar and the function of each sentence. You would then try to use the same grammar and functions in your own writing.

Active listening and reading require you to think and do much more than simply sit back and hope that English will magically be downloaded to your brain, but it will cut your preparation time and also lead to huge improvements.

Examples of Active Listening

acl-blog-social-listening-image-300x223 How to Improve IELTS Reading and Listening Skills

The most important things you can think about when active listening are:

  1. Pronunciation
  2. Vocabulary
  3. Grammar
  4. Structure

 

 

I don’t recommend doing all four at once. It is just too much to think about. Instead, I would start by focusing on the area that you are weakest in. This is the best use of your time. So, if you really struggle with pronunciation, focus on that.

This will also improve your speaking because you will constantly be thinking about how native speakers talk.

Examples of Active Reading

The most important things you can think about when active reading are:

  1. Vocabulary
  2. Grammar
  3. Structure
  4. Idea development

Again, don’t do all four at once; start with the one you need the most help with.

This will really help you with your writing. Normally, the more someone reads, the better they are at writing.

Vocabulary

When reading or listening you should do the following things:

  1. Underline or note any new words or phrases.
  2. Read or listen to that section again and try to guess what that word/phrase means.
  3. Check meaning in dictionary. Don’t skip step 2!
  4. Write new word/phrase in a special vocabulary note book.
  5. Add meaning, pronunciation, collocations, example sentences, synonyms etc. to help you remember the word/phrase.
  6. Review regularly.

Before too long you will have a large number of new words and phrases to use.

Grammar

When reading or listening you should do the following:

  1. Underline or note any sentences you do not fully understand.
  2. Think about why the writer used that grammar structure.
  3. Identify the grammar structure.
  4. Check structure in book or on website.
  5. Try to use this structure when speaking or in your writing.
  6. Review regularly.

Pronunciation

  1. Pick 1 or 2 sentences that have some interesting pronunciation features in them.
  2. Listen to them a few times.
  3. Write down the sentence and mark any features, such as:
    1. Intonation (mark this with arrows up or down)
    2. Linking words (mark this with linking from one word to another)
    3. Weak sounds (use a different colour for these)
    4. Stress (Underline the stressed syllables)
  4. Try to copy the features above by mimicking what the speaker said.

Structure

  1. Underline or note down any discourse markers (such as Firstly, however, although, for example etc.)
  2. Note the function of the sentences and how the speaker/writer used these words to structure what they say/write.
  3. Try using these words yourself to structure your writing/speaking.

Idea Development

  1. Underline topic sentences.
  2. Note how the writer develops this main idea with explanations and examples.
  3. Use the same/similar technique when practicing Task 2 essays.

Where to find the best sources

First of all, do NOT spend all of your time listening to and reading IELTS tests. They are boring and you will get sick and tired of them very quickly. You should practice doing IELTS tests, but I think that this should be only around 10-20% of your preparation time for reading and listening.

The other 90-80% should be spent listening or reading to something you find interesting or, even better, enjoy. If you like reading Harry Potter, read that. If you like watching Game of Thrones, listen to that. Prefer cartoons? They’re fine too. Anything in English that you enjoy is fine.

Google will help you out with finding the things you like, but here are a number of things I think are extremely useful for language learning:

Podcasts

Podcasts have taken over from radio and I absolutely love them. You can download them or stream them using lots of apps or websites. My personal favourite app is Stitcher.

There are millions of podcasts out there, you just have to search and find one you love. Once you find some podcasts you like, you can listen to them whenever and wherever you like. They are also perfect for active listening because you can pause and listen to them again and again.

Here are some of my recommended podcasts.

YouTube

Just like radio has been replaced by podcasts, TV has been replaced by YouTube. Again, there are millions of channels and shows on YouTube, so all you have to do is search for something you like.

Ted Talks

These are short lectures about interesting topics. Luckily, they are often on the kind of topics you will find on the IELTS writing and speaking tests. Very good for idea development and vocabulary.

Here are the Ted Talks I recommend.

Audio Books

There are millions of free audio books available online.

Audible is my favourite app for listening to these.

Amazon Kindle

You don’t have to buy a Kindle device. You can download the Kindle app on any device and then you will have access to millions of free books. There are also millions of books you have to pay for, but they are not very expensive.

Your Local Book Shop

Most books stores in the world have an English section. Check out what’s on offer in your local shop.

How long should I practice for?

The answer to this question is different for every person because we all have different schedules and commitments.

A student with lots of free time and no family or work commitments is going to have much more time to practice than a busy person with a job and family.

The short answer to this is practice as much as possible.

Lots of people say that they have no time to practice, but there are many opportunities throughout the day. For example, you could listen or read when you get up in the morning before you get up, on your way to work, when you are exercising, during your lunch break, on your way home from school, before you go to bed and many many others.

What you should remember is that it is much more effective to practice a little every day than to leave everything to the last week before your test.

Extra Resources

If you need more help with IELTS Reading and Listening, please click the links below for lots more information:

Listening

Reading

Just starting to learn about IELTS? My IELTS Preparation Guide is what you need.

Here’s also a video summarising the information above:

Advanced Reading Skills – Guessing Meaning From Context

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In this video lesson we look at one of the most, if not THE most essential reading skill, guessing meaning from context.

We look at:

  • What ‘meaning from context’ means.
  • Why it is so essential.
  • How to improve this skill?

What does meaning from context mean?

You need this skill when you don’t understand a word or phrase in the reading text. It allows you to accurately guess the meaning of the word based on the clues given to you from other parts of the text, such as the title, the other paragraphs and the words around the mystery word.

Why is it important?

  1. You will always get words you don’t understand in the test.
  2. IELTS wants to test this skill because it is something you will have to do every day if you move to an English-speaking country.
  3. You won’t get frustrated and will know how to deal with new words when you see them in the test.

How can you improve?

  1. Read every day.
  2. Guess words instead of looking them up in the dictionary.
  3. Look at the title, paragraphs and other words to help you guess.
  4. Make this part of your routine.
  5. Keep a new word journal that helps you expand your vocabulary.

Other articles you might like:

True, False or Not Given Strategy Guide

IELTS Reading Tips

IELTS Reading- Skimming and Scanning

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Skimming and scanning are two of the most misunderstood and misused skills in the whole IELTS test. Most students think they know what they are and when to use them, but many use them incorrectly or innapropriately.

In my Facebook group, lots of students ask how to improve their reading score and most of the time, other students simply state ‘Skimming and Scanning’. They are important, but this simplistic approach will not really help you.

This is not the student’s fault; it is mostly down to poor advice from teachers and books. Many teachers tell students that skimming and scanning are the key to success in the reading test without really explaining what they are and most importantly, when you should use them.

This article will look in detail at what they are and when to use them.

skimming-and-scanning-300x200 IELTS Reading- Skimming and Scanning

Key IELTS Reading Skills

Telling students that skimming and scanning are all you need to get a high score is wrong because there are not the only key reading skills. On top of skimming and scanning you also need to perfect the skill of ‘close reading.’

I would also say that vocabulary is an even more important skill. It could be argued that vocabulary is more knowledge than skill, but the reading test is just one big vocabulary test in many ways and you need to be aware of how your vocabulary is being tested and how to deal with it on test day. For more information on vocabulary in the reading test, please click here.

Let’s look at each of the skills in more detail.

Skimming

This is when you read the whole text or a large part of the text, so that you understand the general meaning. In other words, you read quickly to understand generally what it is about.

When I look at a newspaper I tend to do this, so that I can quickly understand what the stories are about and if I want to read some of them in more detail. In this way, I can read a whole newspaper in 5-10 minutes because I have not been reading every word of each story, but instead just quickly finding out what the general meaning is.

Why do we do this?

Understanding the general meaning of a text will help you scan for the correct information and decide what the correct answer is. It is very difficult to look at one sentence and decide what the correct answer is without knowing the overall context of the entire text.

Scanning

Scanning is when you look for a particular word or phrase. We normally use this skill when we are trying to locate where the correct answer is. This skill alone does not give us the correct answer, rather it tells us the correct location of the correct answer.

This skill is useful because it means we do not have to read the entire text to find the answer. In that way, it is a time saving skill more than anything else.

I use this skill when I am going to the cinema. Instead of reading every single movie and every single time, I will scan the text for the name of the movie I want. It will then tell me the location of the available times and then I can make my decision.

Close Reading

This is probably the most important skill because it is the skill that helps us decide which answer is correct. There is no point in just skimming and scanning without using this skill, because skimming gives us general meaning and scanning gives us location, neither of which give us the correct answer.

Close reading is when we understand a whole sentence or paragraph, so that we know exactly what it all means. In other words, you understand every word and the meaning of the whole sentence. It takes time and concentration and requires you to think carefully about meaning.

You will use this skill when deciding the correct answer.

I use this skill when reading an important email from someone. It is essential that I read and understand every word. If I don’t, I could misinterpret something and send the wrong reply.

How Do I Use These Skills?

The most common advice is to skim for general meaning first, scan for the location of the correct answer and then use close reading to decide what the correct answer is.

So the general strategy would be:

Skim

Scan

Close Reading

Correct answer

This is bad advice because it is too simplistic and does not take into consideration the requirements of the specific question or the ability of the student.

Every Question Is Different

There are over 10 different types of questions on the reading test and all of them require a different strategy. Doing them all in the same way will waste a lot of time and will probably result in you getting a lower score than you deserve.

I have watched many students skim the text for every question, despite them being fully aware what the general meaning of the text is. When I asked why they were doing that, they normally said ‘My teacher told me that skimming was important.’ The main reason why we skim a text is to establish the general meaning. If we already know it because we have already skimmed the text, then you can stop doing this.

I have also observed students scanning the whole text when they already know where the correct is. Why? ‘Teacher told me to.’

Instead of skimming and scanning without thinking about the question, you should have a strategy in place for each of the different question types.

Below are some of my strategies:

Short Answer Questions

Multiple Choice 

Summary Completion

Matching Sentence Endings 

Sentence Completion 

True, False, Not Given 

Matching Headings Tips and Strategy

Labeling a Diagram 

Matching Names 

Matching Information to Paragraphs

Think For Yourself

Every single student is different and will do the reading test in their own way. The strategies above are just suggestions. If you have a better way to find the correct answer, then use it. If you want to adjust my strategies slightly to suit your own needs, then feel free.

Do not let a teacher or a book tell you there is only one exact way to answer a reading question because that is not how the human brain works. Everyone has a different style of reading.

I have taught hundreds of students who got a Band 9 in their reading test and all of them had a different technique. Some of them would skim every text before starting the question and some of them would not skim at all. Some of them would carefully scan and locate the correct answer and some of them would carefully read the whole text and not scan at all. They key is to practice and find out the technique that suits you and your reading style.

IELTS Reading- Short Answer Questions

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This post will help you answer short answer questions more effectively by looking at a sample question, identifying common problems and giving you a strategy to use on exam day.

Short Answer Questions

These questions are often called ‘comprehension’ questions and they are very common in English classrooms all over the world. Most students have answered these kinds of questions before and for this reason most students tend to do quite well with them.

Despite this there are some common problems that cause students to make mistakes and throw away marks.

Short Answer Example

 

ielts-reading-beehive IELTS Reading- Short Answer Questions

ielts-reading-short-answer IELTS Reading- Short Answer Questions

Common Problems

  1. Synonyms and paraphrasing are the biggest problem. Students who are unaware of these tend to look for keywords in the text that directly match those in the questions. This wastes lots of time and good time management is essential in the reading test.
  2. Word limit can also cause people to throw away easy marks. If you write over the stated word limit you will get the answer wrong.
  3. You don’t have to read every word of the text. These questions test your ability to skim and scan for specific information. You also won’t have time to read every word.
  4. Students often see a word they don’t understand in the question or text and either panic or spend too much time thinking about the meaning.
  5. Some students try to write full sentences. Your answers don’t have to be grammatically correct, so stay under the word limit.

Skills Tested

  1. Ability to skim the passage quickly and understand the overall meaning.
  2. Ability to scan for specific information.
  3. Understand the question being asked.
  4. Identify keywords.
  5. Think of possible synonyms and paraphrases of keywords.

Tips

  1. The answers appear in the same order as the text.
  2. Look at and understand the questions first before you start reading the text. What is the question actually asking?
  3. You will probably be given a word limit, for example ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.’ Make sure you don’t go over this limit.
  4. As stated above, the answers do not need to be grammatically correct, just short answers.
  5. Don’t give your opinion, just the answer in the text.
  6. Keywords in the question will normally be nouns or noun phrases.
  7. When you find your keywords always think synonyms and paraphrases.

Strategy

  1. Read the instructions carefully and note the word limit.
  2. Read and understand the questions. Think about the information you will need to find.
  3. Underline any keywords in the questions.
  4. Think about synonyms or paraphrases for these keywords.
  5. Find part of the text question 1 relates to.
  6. Read question again.
  7. Read the section containing the answer carefully and identify answer.
  8. Continue with next question and repeat until finished.

What are the different question types?

It is important that you familiarise yourself with each different type of question. Please click on the links below for common problems, tips and a strategy for each type. They are as follows:

I hope you found this article useful and if you have any questions or comments please let us know below.

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Speed Reading: How to Increase Your Reading Speed

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Do you know how many words you will have to read on the IELTS reading test? About 900! When you think about having to answer 40 questions, in an hour, in a foreign language, it seems impossible. Don’t worry, there are lots of ways you can improve both your exam technique and reading skills, so that you will not only finish the exam, but also do really well.

Many students fail to finish the IELTS reading test because they read at a very slow pace. The two main reasons for this are poor exam technique and slow reading speed.

speed-reading Speed Reading: How to Increase Your Reading Speed [Read more…] about Speed Reading: How to Increase Your Reading Speed

IELTS Reading- Matching Information to Paragraphs

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In this kind of question you are asked to match statements to paragraphs in the reading text. Click here for an example.

The statements could be reasons, descriptions, summaries, definitions, facts or explanations. What they are doesn’t really matter. You are not expected to have specialist knowledge in the reading test.

You do not need to understand what the whole paragraph is about, just find specific information in the paragraph and match it to one of the statements. The answer will normally be contained in a whole phrase or sentence, rather than a single word.

This post will:

  • look at an example
  • identify the three reading skills required
  • discuss common problems
  • give you some tips
  • provide you with a strategy to use

[Read more…] about IELTS Reading- Matching Information to Paragraphs

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