深めて！南山GLS　学生の活躍　学生コラム

ライティングセンターTA：M.K

Being able to speak fluently in English is one thing, but getting to polish the more technical and complicated aspects of the English language is another. If you are planning to study abroad, or if you are considering pursuing a career overseas, then you should be familiar with IELTS and TOEFL--two standardized proficiency tests that are accepted at universities across the world. Whether it be IELTS or TOEFL, it is important to be prepared and think of a strategy to pass the test with flying colors. Although I will mostly be writing from my personal experience doing the IELTS test, I hope you can use these tips as a reference to plan your own blueprint.

1. Making a study schedule. Following your schedule is definitely difficult, but I found it easier to follow a less rigid routine. Set up a short-term schedule and reward yourself with good food or other things if you manage to stick to it. A time technique that worked for me while studying was the Pomodoro Technique: basically, you work for 25 minutes and take a break for 5-10 minutes, repeating the process until you finish your tasks.

2. Understanding the test format. This is EXTREMELY important. You'll have to know what you're fighting against; you cannot go in blind, because you will be wasting so much time figuring out what to do. Google is your best friend. If you find reading articles bothersome like me, there are a lot of YouTube videos that talk about the IELTS exam. Being prepared and knowing the test format is, in my opinion, especially important for the Listening part of the test, which I will be writing about next.

3. Practice the listening portion of the exam. Listening may be easy for most people, but the IELTS' listening test quickly jumps from one section to another. Try doing a few practice exams and familiarize yourself with the different structures of the listening test.

4. Integrating a bit of English in your daily life. It's easy to say, but hard to do. I completely understand. But you don't have to force yourself to switch your phone's language to English, or to read English books. Try scrolling through Instagram or TikTok and follow Western influencers. Watch sitcoms in English.

5. If you can, ask a professor to look over your writing. Feel free to head to GLS' Writing Center for help, too!

6. Heading to the test venue early. If you live far away from the venue, book a hotel and leave a day before. That way, you're less likely to oversleep and miss your test.

7. Remember to bring more than three pencils. I sharpened both ends of all the pencils I brought along with me, but I still had to ask one of the coordinators to lend me a sharpener. The Writing portion of the exam made my hand ache and two of my pencils disintegrate into little stubby sticks, so do remember to bring more than one pencil.

These are pretty much all the tips I can give you for now, but if you need any more help regarding English exams, you can arrange a little meeting with GLS' Learning Commons' teaching assistants and ask for advice.