Three common problems in IELTS reading and how to deal with it
Three common problems in IELTS reading and how to deal with it
Because of the relationship between English teaching in the UK, I have had a lot of contact with students studying at local language schools. Many students took the IELTS test continuously and spent a year, hundreds of thousands of yuan, from Beijing to the United Kingdom, but never 6.5. In order to help them solve the problem, I have conducted a survey on the learning situation of these students.
The result of the survey was that the students' questions were mainly read because the listening and speaking scores were significantly improved after arriving in the UK, and the language environment and practice were critical to the improvement of these two language skills. Only reading, whether they are in China or the United Kingdom, the score has never exceeded 6. And reading also affects their writing, leading to bottlenecks in scores and lack of stamina.
The survey results show that the reading problems of these students are mainly the following aspects:
First, do not understand academic reading, reading methods are not scientific
The Cambridge official clearly stated on the IELTS website that IELTS reading is a reading in an academic setting that is not emphasized and specially trained in Chinese English teaching. Therefore, these students don't know what is called Skimming for gist and Scan for details; they don't understand how to distinguish between factual and subjective arguments; they don't know how to go to the article. Go for a structural scan to understand the Framework of the Text (Contextual Clues, Coherence and Cohesion).
The lack of these reading skills and reading strategies leads them to read the time, regardless of the priority, not to adjust the reading speed flexibly, only to see the individual details and not to grasp the logical relationship between them. Therefore, in reading, they can only solve small problems that are specific to individual details, and those that require higher reading skills, such as List of Headings (segment headings, ability to examine the structure of clues and the ability to grasp the theme of paragraphs) and True / The False / Not Given question (visiting the difference between subject and fact, subjective and objective, and the author's attitude, etc.) is obviously incapable. According to my statistics at the time, their accuracy rate on these topics was less than 50%. In the recent IELTS reading, these two types of questions add up to more than half of the total amount of questions. Of course, the correct rate cannot get a good score.
Second, focus on solving skills Skills, ignoring reading strength Competence;
Because they are anxious to study abroad as soon as possible, these students are often prepared to take the exam when they have already obtained the Conditional offer, and must submit qualified IELTS scores before Deadline. Such a study plan makes them often only "catch the feet" before the exam. I heard that there are "reading tips" and "9 points plan". These skills will be learned at first, and they will be very effective in the first place when they are not familiar with IELTS - 4 points for the first volume, and 5 points for the skill. In fact, it is not the magical aspects of these reading skills, but the natural improvement from strangeness to familiarity, but the students are still convinced.
However, after all, IELTS reading is the most difficult one to read the single item in all the English exams abroad. The longest article, the most questions, and the most difficult ones are very comprehensive. The consequences of superstitious problem-solving skills and neglect of strength are like Castle in the air, and the skill of blowing the gods ends up making people fall more miserably. I have tested 9 on reading a single item - it is not all skill. Therefore, I never advocated 9 points in the class to rely on universal skills; on the contrary, I often remind students: skills are limited, 9 points rely on strength.
Because of the relationship between English teaching in the UK, I have had a lot of contact with students studying at local language schools. Many students took the IELTS test continuously and spent a year, hundreds of thousands of yuan, from Beijing to the United Kingdom, but never 6.5. In order to help them solve the problem, I have conducted a survey on the learning situation of these students.
The result of the survey was that the students' questions were mainly read because the listening and speaking scores were significantly improved after arriving in the UK, and the language environment and practice were critical to the improvement of these two language skills. Only reading, whether they are in China or the United Kingdom, the score has never exceeded 6. And reading also affects their writing, leading to bottlenecks in scores and lack of stamina.
The survey results show that the reading problems of these students are mainly the following aspects:
First, do not understand academic reading, reading methods are not scientific
The Cambridge official clearly stated on the IELTS website that IELTS reading is a reading in an academic setting that is not emphasized and specially trained in Chinese English teaching. Therefore, these students don't know what is called Skimming for gist and Scan for details; they don't understand how to distinguish between factual and subjective arguments; they don't know how to go to the article. Go for a structural scan to understand the Framework of the Text (Contextual Clues, Coherence and Cohesion).
The lack of these reading skills and reading strategies leads them to read the time, regardless of the priority, not to adjust the reading speed flexibly, only to see the individual details and not to grasp the logical relationship between them. Therefore, in reading, they can only solve small problems that are specific to individual details, and those that require higher reading skills, such as List of Headings (segment headings, ability to examine the structure of clues and the ability to grasp the theme of paragraphs) and True / The False / Not Given question (visiting the difference between subject and fact, subjective and objective, and the author's attitude, etc.) is obviously incapable. According to my statistics at the time, their accuracy rate on these topics was less than 50%. In the recent IELTS reading, these two types of questions add up to more than half of the total amount of questions. Of course, the correct rate cannot get a good score.
Second, focus on solving skills Skills, ignoring reading strength Competence;
Because they are anxious to study abroad as soon as possible, these students are often prepared to take the exam when they have already obtained the Conditional offer, and must submit qualified IELTS scores before Deadline. Such a study plan makes them often only "catch the feet" before the exam. I heard that there are "reading tips" and "9 points plan". These skills will be learned at first, and they will be very effective in the first place when they are not familiar with IELTS - 4 points for the first volume, and 5 points for the skill. In fact, it is not the magical aspects of these reading skills, but the natural improvement from strangeness to familiarity, but the students are still convinced.
However, after all, IELTS reading is the most difficult one to read the single item in all the English exams abroad. The longest article, the most questions, and the most difficult ones are very comprehensive. The consequences of superstitious problem-solving skills and neglect of strength are like Castle in the air, and the skill of blowing the gods ends up making people fall more miserably. I have tested 9 on reading a single item - it is not all skill. Therefore, I never advocated 9 points in the class to rely on universal skills; on the contrary, I often remind students: skills are limited, 9 points rely on strength.
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