GUIDE TO REACHING TARGET SCORE IN IELTS – TOEIC – TOEFL EXAM
For students who want to conquer high scores in the IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL exams
The Philippines is an ideal destination for those who want to improve their English proficiency. But not everyone who comes to study abroad in the Philippines is successful and achieves the expected results, especially those who participate in test preparation courses such as IELTS, TOEIC or TOEFL. Next, Phil English would like to share a few notes for those of you studying exam preparation courses in the Philippines so that you can achieve the best results.
Identify clear and specific goals
Normally, those who study ESL (general communication) courses can only identify general goals such as being able to communicate more fluently, have better listening skills…
However, for exam preparation courses, there will be specific scoring scales. You will know how many points you have improved, progressed or remained at the same level. Therefore, the advice that Phil English gives you is that before you participate in these exam preparation courses, you need to define a clear goal for yourself and what score you need to achieve. Because you have a clear, specific goal, you can set up a specific plan for yourself to reach that goal as well as be motivated every day to try.
Identify a school with a reputation for test preparation courses
After determining a clear and specific goal, you also need to identify a school with a reputation and long-standing experience in certification exam preparation courses. This step will usually be supported by Phil English consultants because they will be the ones who know this information best and are most knowledgeable about schools in the Philippines. However, Phil English will also provide some evaluation criteria to determine the reliability of that English school.
A school with good test preparation courses is a school with scale and investment in the course as shown by the following criteria:
*Teacher quality
Teacher quality is shown through the degree as well as the number of points that teacher has held in the most recent time. Normally, the minimum teacher qualification of English schools to teach IELTS is 7.5 or higher. Teachers will be trained periodically by the school. A good school is a school with a clear division of teacher departments, a department specializing in teaching communication, and a department specializing in teaching IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL test preparation. There are also large schools that have their own exam departments for IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, and monitor teacher quality…
*Curriculum, tests, teaching materials
The way the curriculum and tests are designed is also an important factor that determines the results you achieve. Normally, a good learning program is a learning program that combines a balance between 1:1 hours and group hours, a balance between 4 skills to evenly improve 4 skills for students. However, depending on the situation, there are times when a good curriculum is still flexible, depending on the student’s needs to increase subjects and practice skills that students are weak in, for example, Speaking and Listening skills are the two skills that Vietnamese students are weakest at.
Tests also help speed up your progress. Normally, when taking exam preparation courses, the knowledge in those lessons is not the difficulty for candidates but the time pressure. Therefore, in addition to simulating knowledge like a real test, the school will also time it so you can get used to the time pressure like a real test, and at the same time, grading and correcting papers also need to be done carefully. Strictly conducted so that students can understand their progress.
A good English school is a school equipped with good textbooks. The curriculum here can be official curriculum from schools or major publishers such as Oxford, Cambridge or it can also be curriculum compiled by the school itself based on references from documents and based on experience. Teaching by veteran teachers at the school. However, whether it is an official or internal curriculum, it must meet one requirement, which is to always be fully updated with the latest changes and structures of the test.
* Meticulous level division for courses
Grading entry levels for each course also helps facilitate teaching and learning. Thus, schools and teachers can offer suitable learning programs for students. At the same time, students feel more confident and bold when studying with peers at the same level.
THE NUMBER OF IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL SCORE CORRESPONDES TO THE QUALIFICATION
*Create a positive learning environment
Studying to get good grades can be considered an individual effort, but reality also proves that if you study in an environment of mutual competition, alumni who achieve good results will also be affected. positively affects students’ learning spirit. On the other hand, students also inherit valuable experiences from students who have achieved high scores before. Besides the above factors, to choose a highly academic environment, you can consider other features such as the school’s self-study room open 24/7, and regular admission dates every month. once to improve the effectiveness of group learning, regularly organize study consultation sessions between teachers and students, and have many measures to evaluate and encourage students’ learning spirit….
Set out an appropriate route corresponding to your level
After clearly defining their goals and choosing a suitable English school, students should set out a specific plan and learning path for themselves. This phase will have support and advice from Phil English’s team of consultants. Our consultant will be your companion and assist you in devising a suitable roadmap.
*For those of you with an elementary level, almost just a beginner: The roadmap requires at least 16 weeks
Normally, for students with low qualifications, they need a solid foundation to be able to enter exam preparation courses. Therefore, for these students, it takes at least 4-8 weeks of studying ESL to regain basic knowledge and consolidate grammar.
After you have built your background knowledge, you need to enter the Pre-IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL courses to get familiar with the test-taking method, as well as the test structure. This route takes about 4-6 weeks.
The final stage is to enter the actual test preparation courses, whether it is a guaranteed score course (the school guarantees your output score) or a test preparation course that does not guarantee a score, you should study within 12 weeks to You can absorb all the knowledge, understand the test-taking method, as well as have time to practice exam questions and practice a lot, only then will you be effective and achieve the score you want.
*For those whose English level is pre-intermediate, that is equivalent to IELTS 4.5, TOEIC 600, or TOEFL IBT 65.
For those with this level, you can choose to take Pre courses within 4 weeks to get familiar with the test structure (for those who have never had access to IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL before). , and then enter official exam preparation courses of 8 to 12 weeks. If you are already familiar with the previous exam questions, you can enter the official exam preparation courses for a period of 8 to 12 weeks.
*For those whose English proficiency is at intermediate level or higher, equivalent to TOEIC 800, IELTS 6.0 and TOEFL 90
These students need to choose advanced test preparation courses for high levels. You can choose the study time that suits your plan, short-term or long-term such as 4 weeks, 8 weeks or 12 weeks. However, we still encourage you to arrange time to participate for at least 8 weeks or more, to achieve high efficiency, because the course score will be proportional to the course length.
Follow class schedules and school discipline
Classes at English schools in the Philippines are very different from other traditional learning models in other countries in terms of classroom rules. Students participating in test preparation courses such as IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL must comply with very strict classroom rules such as: regulations on number of class hours, regulations on test ratio, and homework , vocabulary tests, regulations on mandatory self-study hours, or an English-only policy. Therefore, strictly following the school’s learning regulations helps students achieve maximum effectiveness.
Take advantage and focus on maximum interaction with teachers during 1:1 hours, and be active during group hours
The reason why the English learning model in the Philippines in general, as well as exam preparation courses in particular, is effective and attracts students from other countries to study is because of the superior learning model, which combines 1 hour: 1 and group hours. Therefore, students who want to achieve good results need to take advantage of maximum interaction with teachers during 1:1 hours. It is necessary to prepare lessons at home in advance, or assignments that need to be completed in advance, so that when they come to class, students can use time effectively with the teacher to correct lessons and develop ideas. Students should not be passively left to do the exercises in class, so the time in class to interact with the teacher will be very little or almost none.
If 1:1 hours are the hours for students to be corrected by the teacher, correcting each mistake, correcting pronunciation, intonation… then group hours are an opportunity for students to practice what they have just learned. teach. Group classes average from 4 to 8 students, a mix of nationalities. Thus, students should not be silent but should be active and actively participate in group activities to develop speaking, discussion, and debate skills, which are essential skills for exams.
Study anytime, anywhere, be strict with yourself
In addition to learning from teachers, textbooks, and classes, learning from friends is also a useful way to help you achieve high results. Regularly exchanging, doing exercises, and solving problems together with international friends is also an effective method. During the exchange process, you can recognize your own weaknesses and strengths and those of your friends, from which you can improve. Students should also be strict with themselves, set goals and plans every day, and try to complete those planned goals. Furthermore, teachers and curriculum account for 50%, the remaining 50% comes from themselves, so students must also spend time reviewing the knowledge they learn in class every day.
Above are the shared experiences of H&L, who have had previous experience, directly experienced the schools’ ILELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL courses, as well as listened to the comments and shares of students. to build. This is not necessarily advice, but just the actual experiences and experiences of ourselves, former international students in the Philippines. We hope that this article will be really useful, guiding you in building an exam preparation roadmap, and achieving the successful results you expect.
