Choosing the best IELTS books requires consideration of the test’s level, curriculum, and cultural and academic makeup. Books should address the specific nature of the IELTS exam, adopt the British tone, and cover all four categories of the test. They are best used in combination with language preparation courses or workshops.
Choosing the best IELTS books involves selecting materials appropriate to the general level, specific curriculum and cultural and academic makeup of the International English Language Testing System test. The IELTS exam is given to many thousands of students each year, both for academic purposes and to help immigrants or other travelers certify that they can speak the language of a destination country. Anyone wanting to choose the best IELTS books to prepare for this critical English language test should look very carefully at what different books and resources offer.
One of the key issues in choosing suitable IELTS training materials is ensuring that these books address the specific nature of the IELTS exam. Books that only focus on basic grammar or simple English language skills may not have the right targets or focus for anyone wanting to pass the IELTS test. Specialist IELTS books will include the right language level, correctly targeted vocabulary and language skills, and good general strategies for exam preparation.
It is also critical that students review available IELTS resources that appropriately adopt the British tone. Some American textbooks may not be extremely useful for taking IELTS because they may have a different slant that does not complement the IELTS testing team’s specific test-taking criteria, many of which are associated with Cambridge ESOL or a similar school. While the books may not need to be particularly different from a standard resource, it is useful to get books tailored to the specific cultural and dialect-oriented English language standards of Cambridge and the wider UK English community.
The best IELTS books will also cover all four main categories of the IELTS test. The test includes reading, writing, listening and speaking categories. Qualified trainers and educators will prepare students in this way to take the IELTS test; good IELTS books should do the same. It may not be enough for a book to simply delve into the depths of vocabulary, phonics or topical exploration if the book does not prepare students for specific IELTS exercises such as the “long shift” of speaking, or a structured essay to draw Instructor Standard from Cambridge.
Students who are familiar with what IELTS includes will often be able to tell in a short scan of a book whether it goes into sufficient detail in all IELTS categories. By turning the pages and studying the overall progression of the book, the reader can discover how much the product dips into each category and whether it offers a variety of preparation exercises. IELTS books and resources are especially effective in combination with some form of language preparation course or English training workshop.
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