Hi everyone, in this brief post I would like to share some of my tutoring experience and direct you in your efforts for the effective IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo preparation. Students sometimes ask me about which section of English tests requires the largest amount of time to improve. And I can definitely say that this section is READING (and everything related to reading).
You see, if we discuss Speaking, for instance, sometimes it is possible to raise your score (by about 20-25%) even within 2-3 weeks! This can be achieved through proper approach and mindset, and also some set phrases and psychological aspects. But Reading demands something much more global and powerful, i.e. the expansion of your passive English vocabulary (which is generally the prerequisite to your overall success at any English test) – and this vocabulary boost requires a long time. Sometimes it can be several months, while in other “acute” cases it takes more than a year! The matter here is that you need to learn and acquire THOUSANDS of new English words, and not simply individual words, but their combinations (collocations). It means tens of thousands of word-combinations to adopt and process in your mind. Even if you read regularly under the supervision of an experienced English tutor who specializes in IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, Duolingo preparation – you will need hundreds of hours of reading to enlarge your vocabulary for the tests of English.
If you love reading serious English books and if you have at least several months before your test – you will improve tremendously. But if you are still a beginner in English and there are just a couple of weeks before your test – it seems very unlikely that you will do it. It makes sense in such case to take one additional year and prepare properly (putting a strong accent on your reading and analysis of high-level English literature).
So, I highly recommend that you make regular Reading the core of your IELTS, Duolingo, TOEFL preparation. Everything else hinges upon this premise. If you need professional assistance in passing you English tests – be sure to contact me! I will help you realize your dreams…)
Feel good!)