Learn to spell

When you learn a new word don’t forget to learn its spelling. Of course in these days of automatic spell checkers, students are becoming much less interested in learning spellings. But if you don’t know how to spell words, you will find it impossible to score well on a paper-based test like IELTS. It is true that spell checkers and grammar checkers are great software, but if you are serious about learning English, you must not depend too much upon them.

English has one of the most difficult spelling systems in the world. While some words are pronounced exactly like they are written in the case of many words there is absolutely no relationship between the spelling and pronunciation. It isn’t quite so in many other languages. For example, in Indian languages, words are pronounced exactly like they are written. But in English, you have to learn both spelling and pronunciation.

Learn the right words – the Academic Word List

If you are preparing for a test like TOEFL or IELTS, you have to learn the right words. Standardized tests like TOEFL and IELTS give importance to academic words. So what are academic words? Well, these are the words that are more likely to appear in academic textbooks. You can find a list of these words in the Academic Word List. Refer to it. It has got 570 words in it. Learning them is a must if you are preparing for TOEFL, IELTS or GRE.

Be an active learner

Set aside some time each day to learn specific vocabulary. Make it a point to learn at least 5 words each day. Learning words that are related to one another in some way is easier than learning words that have absolutely no relationship between them.