From TOEFL to IELTS - what should I do?

[R&J]

Anyone who has experienced both TOELF and IELTS, cold you please let me know how they are different from each other? Which do you think better/reasonable to measure your ability?

I've been struggling with my TOELF score, and now am thinking about to try IELTS. In toelf, my reading and listening score are good (usually 25+), but writing and speaking are low (around 20). My problems are a limited preparation & response time for speaking and boring writing topics. These lose my focus or make me nervous.

What IELTS's writing and speaking section would like? Similar to TOELF? Any though about Toefl vs Ielts?

I really appreciate your advice.

[Bavananth]

I took IELTS after attending a TOEFL preparation class for 3 months. The reason was I had severe problems with scoring well in all sections of TOEFL especially in writing. My IELTS resul was 7.5. (Listening:8.5 ; Reading 8.0 ; Writing 7.5 ; Speaking 6.0(Yuk!) ) Reading and Listening : You dont have to worry. Much simpler than TOEFL.

Speaking : 15 mins. Introduction is simple. Then they ask you to speak about a radom topic for 2 minutes. There only I got stuck. I have been asked to talk about a help I have done. I dint remember anything at that time. I spoiled the speaking part. After that, When she(interviewer) asked about music, I told that I dont no much about your metal, rock bla bla but I only like indian classics. When she asked for the reason, I was embarrased. Anyway If you prepare well you can tackle that part.

Writing: I cant wtight well as you can see from this paragrapgh. Nevertheless, I got 7.5/9. I pepared some cmplicated sentences with good vocabulary which suit for all kind of essays. I stuffed them in my essays. Go through answers of cambridge IELTS books. (You can download them) Read them 2 times. I'm sure that you can score more than 8.

Good luck.

[R&J]

Thank you, Bavananth.

I was a bit hesitating to start my preparation from scrach again, but sounds like that's not nessesary.

For speasking section, can I assume that it's more like an interactive chat with a real person face to face? I like that. That's better than TOELF's speaking section which is nonsense to me.

I definetely give a shot. Thanks again.

[Bavananth]

yes. Thats like chating about a serious matter with some unknown person . will be cool All the best

[LadyJane]

Thank you Bavananth, for your responce it was much neded
I'm also going to take IElst after toefl. I took toefl, really hate it. Toefl is impossible long - I was seek and tired to read for more then an hour, listening part is what I liked, speaking (I hated) - there is no time to answer(I know I can do much better - after living in Canada for 9 years ). My , results r - 29, l - 29, s - 23, w - 22 and I need s 27, w - 25, so - epic fail
In IELTS I need bond 7 with min 6 and really hope I can achieve it. My worst fear is writing
R&J - in IELTS there is 2 writing tasks - and you have to write on real paper in first they give you a some kind a graph which you have to describe and in secong they give you a topic to discuss. Also all IELTs is paper based, in reading and listening you have to write down your responces. good luck to us both

[R&J]

Hi Lady Jane,

I feel exactly the same way about toefl. I understand almost 100% about what I hear and read in speaking section, but watching a clock counting gets me in panic. I checked a bit of ielt's writing topics. I though they are more interesting to write than toelf's topics.

Now I'm planning to take the exam in January. Hope I can get familiarize with questions by then.

Wish me luck and Godd luck to you too.

[Bavananth]

Hi.... I'm not even a average level composer. But I got 7.5 in writing means , you all guys can blast that part. I enlight the way how I tackled it.

Part 1:
There are 4 types of graphs and possibly 9 cominations of them are expectable. (like a line graph and a pie chart or 2 bar charts). Prepare a starting sentence. (like : bla bla is compared or shown ... in the given grapghs .... during .... and ....)Starting was always a problem for me. Prepare some finishing senteces as well. (Like :to recapitulate, reiterate etc).First write down the conclusion By glancing through the grapghs and comparing them quickly. Then start to find out the eye catching parts and explain or compare them in the body part. Make sure that in your summury you have a long complicated sentence with good vocabulary and it consicely expalins the graph flows as well. In addition to that, it is a must to use linking word everywhere.(however,In contrast,In addition to that.. etc)

I'll explain part 2 in next post.

Cheers!

[R&J]

Thank you, bavananth!

[LadyJane]

I'm going to take IELTs Jan 17, and really hope to get at least 6 in writing, R&J - good luck to you,
thank you Bavananth for your response.

[wanderlust]

Is it of any help that non-native speakers of english have studied their primary schooling in british english? So would the IELTS be easier for them?