December is a busy month for everyone. Finishing up study or work and planning holidays can take up all of your time. English practice and IELTS preparation may not be your priority right now, but it is important to keep your study up.
Here’s six steps you can take to help you get organised and get the most out of your English study time:
Schedule one hour each day for study. Pick a time when you can focus and won’t be distracted by people or screens. It might be just after you wake up or when you are riding on public transport. Make sure you are not hungry, cold or hot. Find a comfortable space.
If you don’t already have one, find a notebook in which to collect new words and phrases that you come across. This is your vocabulary journal.
Choose an English news or lifestyle article, TV show, movie or pod cast with a transcript on a topic that you are currently interested in. Try googling the topic to find videos or text to use.
Watch, read and/or listen your chosen piece two or three times over. Writing down new words and phrases that you come across.
Look up new words and phrases online to find their meaning and context. Write the meaning in your vocabulary journal and practice making sentences out of the words.
Read the words, phrases and sentences out aloud to yourself everyday this week and if you get a chance to have a conversation in English, try them out!
Spend at least one hour everyday practicing reading, listening, writing and speaking and you will see an improvement in your English skills.
And as you know, improving your English is the only way to increase your IELTS score.
Have a great week!
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