Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge. ----Charles Darwin
Background
Egged on by my wife on a whim, I decided to travel around Southeast Asia during my break and improve my English along the way. To make sure the learning actually paid off, I decided to measure the results with an IELTS score. Young and naive as I was, I set myself a goal of IELTS 7.5.
Preparation Plan
The whole preparation period consists of four phases:
- May 24 – May 30: preparation phase — research, planning, brushing up on grammar and basic vocabulary
- May 31 – June 3: trial classes, choosing a language school
- June 4 – July 3: complete the first phase of study
- July 4 – July 30: complete the second phase of study and take the exam
Weekly Plan
Week 1
- Key items: research & planning & grammar & vocabulary
- Goal: Get familiar with the IELTS exam format and scoring criteria, and make a detailed study plan
- Course:
- Learn the exam format and scoring criteria of the four IELTS sections
- Assess my own English level and make a detailed study plan
- Learn about IELTS preparation resources and study techniques
- Output:
- -雅思考试考什么
- 英语综合能力测试-2024
- 马来西亚语言学校怎么选？
- 8周雅思7.5分冲刺计划
- -我的英语雅思备考资源
- BestGift
Week 2: Vocabulary & Grammar
- Key items: memorize vocabulary, train the ear
- Goal: Build a solid foundation in vocabulary and grammar, raising vocabulary size to 4000 -> 4500+
- Complete the band-6 vocabulary list (2,000 words)
- Course:
- Memorize xxx high-frequency words every day and practice with example sentences
- Study basic grammar and do exercises
- Practice basic IELTS listening and reading question types
Week 3: Listening & Reading
- Goal: Improve listening and reading speed and accuracy
- Course:
- Do intensive listening practice every day and analyze why answers were wrong
- Do intensive reading practice every day and practice speed-reading techniques
- Practice medium-difficulty IELTS listening and reading question types
Week 4: Listening & Reading
- Goal: Master IELTS listening and reading test-taking techniques
- Course:
- Learn IELTS listening techniques, such as note-taking and prediction
- Learn IELTS reading techniques, such as scanning and locating
- Practice difficult IELTS listening and reading questions
Week 5: Speaking & Writing
- Goal: Improve writing and speaking skills
- Course:
- Learn the IELTS writing question types and scoring criteria
- Practice different IELTS writing question types and have a teacher grade them
- Learn the IELTS speaking question types and scoring criteria
- Practice different IELTS speaking question types and get feedback from a teacher or friend
Week 6: Speaking & Writing
- Goal: Get familiar with the procedures and techniques of the IELTS writing and speaking exams
- Course:
- Simulate the IELTS writing exam to get familiar with the exam procedure and time allocation
- Simulate the IELTS speaking exam to get familiar with the exam procedure and scoring criteria
- Practice common topics in the IELTS writing and speaking exams
Week 7: Filling the Gaps
- Goal: Identify and fill gaps, strengthening weak areas
- Course:
- Take IELTS mock exams to check the effectiveness of the review
- Analyze results from previous mock exams to find weak areas
- Make a targeted review plan, focusing on the weak areas
Week 8: Facing the Exam
- Goal: Adjust my mindset and get ready for the exam
- Course:
- One more mock exam: take the final full mock exam and make final adjustments
- Relax and review: stay relaxed while reviewing, making sure I’m in my best shape
Project Management
This time I’m treating IELTS preparation as a project, using Notion to manage the key tasks. The Timeline view looks roughly like this. Right now it only contains the subtasks for the vocabulary part; tasks for the other modules will be coordinated once the language school is decided, based on the school’s course schedule and my existing resources.
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