Guest blog author: Angelina Puryear (Teacher Angelina). Owner and Operator of Western Educational Services & Training in El Jadida, Morocco. She is also an ESL Teacher and IELTS Preparation Coach.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a world-wide recognized English language proficiency test. Many Moroccans take the IELTS to pursue academic opportunities abroad, immigrate, or enhance their career prospects in places like UK, Australia, China and other than that. While Moroccans often possess a good foundation in English, certain challenges are common across all sections of the IELTS. Let's explore some of these hurdles, with a particular focus on Reading and Speaking.
General Challenges:
- Test Anxiety: The high stakes associated with the IELTS can lead to significant anxiety, impacting performance across all sections of the exam. This can manifest as difficulty concentrating, memory issues, and reduced levels of confidence.
- Time Management: The IELTS is a timed test, and managing time effectively is CRUCIAL! Test takers sometimes struggle to allocate the right amount of time to each section or question, resulting in incomplete answers or rushed work.
- Consistency in Practice: Consistent and focused practice is essential for success. Many test takers find it challenging to maintain a regular study schedule due to work, family, or other commitments.
Reading Section Challenges:
- Time Pressure: The Reading section involves answering 40 questions in 60 minutes. This time constraint can be particularly challenging, especially when dealing with complex texts and various question types. Upper-intermediate and advanced level vocabualry tend to be an issue expereinced by Moroccan students.
- Vocabulary: The Reading passages often contain a wide range of vocabulary, including unfamiliar words. Test takers often struggle to understand the meaning of the passages if they have a limited vocabulary.
- Identifying Key Information: Locating specific information within the reading passages can be difficult, especially when dealing with matching headings, identifying true/false/not given statements, or completing summaries.
- Understanding Different Text Types: The Reading section includes various text types, such as academic articles, reports, and descriptive passages. Test takers need to be able to adapt their reading strategies to different text structures and styles.
Overcoming Reading Challenges:
- Vocabulary Building: Focus on expanding your vocabulary by reading regularly, using vocabulary-building apps, and learning root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
- Analyze Question Types: Understand the different question types and practice strategies for answering each type effectively.
Speaking Section Challenges:
- Fluency and Coherence: Speaking fluently and coherently can be challenging for students in Morocco, especially when under pressure. Test takers may hesitate, repeat themselves, or struggle to organize their thoughts.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Using a wide range of grammatical structures accurately is essential for a good score. Moroccan test takers tend to make grammatical errors that affect their communication in the speaking section.
- Lexical Resource: Using a broad range of vocabulary appropriately is crucial. Test takers may struggle to find the right words to express their ideas especially if they aren't used to speaking English regularly.
- Pronunciation: Clear and accurate pronunciation is important for effective communication. Moroccan test takers may have pronunciation issues that hinder their understanding.
Overcoming Speaking Challenges:
- Practice Regularly: Practice speaking English as often as possible, even if it's just talking to yourself. This will help you improve your fluency and confidence.
- Record Yourself: Record your speaking practice and listen back to identify areas for improvement in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
- Focus on Fluency First: When practicing, prioritize fluency over accuracy. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; just keep speaking.
Preparing for the IELTS requires dedication and targeted practice. By understanding the common challenges and implementing effective strategies, test takers in Morocco can significantly improve their chances of achieving their desired scores.
I'm here to support you on your IELTS journey. We can work together to create a personalized study plan based on your current level, target score, and specific weaknesses. Contact me to begin your preparation via social media:
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