Recommended Reading
I know it is difficult for students from other countries to see the IELTS test as anything other than a (sometimes almost insuperable!) barrier to be got over before their real life at university begins. However, I think it is vitally important from the start that students should realise its main role is two-fold : as an indicator of their intellectual and analytical skills, as well as their ability to understand and produce correct English.
The IELTS candidate should widen his or her outlook, taking an informed and inquiring interest in current affairs, social issues, environmental problems, health and education, science, political systems, literature and the media, etc. with the aim of forming his or her own reasoned opinions. These are the kinds of topic that are covered in the IELTS test, and the candidate's ability to show that they can express original ideas is just as important as their skills in reading, writing, listening or speaking English. In order to achieve a high score and succeed at university, ideas and language skills must co-exist.
My first piece of advice to any IELTS student is therefore : read 'serious' papers and magazines, watch and listen to the wealth of high-quality television and radio programmes on offer in the UK, and talk to your teacher and other university-trained native speakers about subjects outside your own particular field of study. You will not only get a better IELTS score, but you will also benefit far more from the university experience in general.
