I need help to improve IELTS, especially Writing and Speaking Skills.

I have just taken an IELTS test. I received a disappointing score of 5.5 overall. I am bad at 4 skills. Especially, the speaking and writing skills are really poor. How do I enhance my skills?

This is crucial for me because I am going to take another test with the aim of 7.0 overall to submit to my higher education institution within this year.

Feel free to discuss and give me advice and tips.

Hi, you did not score badly for the test but I am sure you could do better. Your target score is not difficult to achieve but, it requires full preparation on your part. Your spoken skills can only be improved if you practice speaking with fellow studentsof the English language, but you will do best if interacting verbally with an English professional. You could opt to hire a professional to practice everyday conversational English with. If possible, practice with someone who is familiar with the spoken English part of the test. That way you can gain experience using an exam scenario. That will also help you calm down and keep a clear head during the actual test.

What problems do you have with your writing? Which areas do you find yourself weakest at? The only way you can improve in that part is to keep writing the task 1 and 2 practice tests. Like they say, practice makes perfect. Since you already stumbled upon this forum, you already know that you can get free professional help with your essay response skills. Just post your practice essays here so I can review your work and suggest areas for improvement and how you can improve them.

Thank you @Holt. I keep practicing at home until I feel I am confident enough to sit the next examination. During that process, I definitely upload my pieces of writing so that both you, @Holt and other persons in this forum give me feedback. I welcome all of your kindness.

As I remember, when I started to get involved in the writing part, my brain was pretty exhausted. Aftering completing task 1 first without proofreading, and then I turned to task 2 with 15 minutes left. I did not have time to revise my two essays.

I usually fall into the error of being off-topic in Writing Task 2, and for Task 1, I do advertently not fulfill at least 150 words.

It is hard for me to find a fellow who is proficient enough to practice speaking English with me. Is there anyone here who can help me? Please, make friends with me through my Facebook account: facebook.com/rubinguyenxg/

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

Hello. For me, writing and speaking are the ones that require improvement and more practice. So, you are not alone :).

If you have budget, you can take IELTS preparation courses. They will help you prepare things that important for your test. However, if you want to study by yourself, I suggest you to practice more, more, and more. You can use any sources for your practice, starting from books, Youtube videos, or ask your closest friends to practice with you.

Good luck!

To enhance your speaking and writing skills, practice consistently and seek feedback. Engage in conversations with native speakers to boost speaking fluency, and read extensively to improve vocabulary and grammar. Analyze model answers to understand the expected format. Time management is crucial, so practice under timed conditions. Regular mock tests will help gauge your progress. Remember, it's a gradual process, so stay committed and persistent. With focused effort, you can certainly reach your goal of an overall score of 7.0 for your higher education plans. Best of luck!

Hello @Holt, I couldn't give you any suggestions on writing skills as I was also struggling. However for the speaking one, I think you could improve through making a small conversation to yourself. Although it sounds autistic, it actually works to help in practice speaking fluently, and speaking out enables you to notice mistakes in pronunciation. I hope this will help you!

Practice is important when it comes to language learning. In this case, you need to dedicate yourself to familiarize yourself with writing and speaking english. There are many sources and methods you can use to practice, choose what suits you the most. Personally, I watch Youtube videos about IELTS writing and read sample answers to gain more vocabularies. For speaking, I record myself when I speak and keep practicing until I gain more confidence.

For those who might interest, I found a free resource to help you to improve speaking by having a real communication with real people. And it's totally free.