>> Announcer: You're now listening to the IELTS Podcast.
>> Alejandro: It was really, really, really helpful.
Actually my wife also got to a band 7.
Yes, because it was so simple.
So clear.
>> Ben: Okay, right then.
So let's talk about IELTS.
>> Alejandro: Okay.
Perfect.
>> Ben: And how many times did you take it?
>> Alejandro: Well luckily, just one.
>> Ben: Just once.
>> Alejandro: Yes.
I got an 8.5 for listening, I think I had an 8 for reading, and 7.5 from 7 in writing.
Something like that.
8.5, 8, 7.5, 7...
The whole spectrum of IELTS bands.
>> Ben: Yes, the whole spectrum.
>> Alejandro: And the overall, I think I was 8.
>> Ben: Right.
That's very good.
Very good.
Well done, Alejandro.
Excellent.
>> Alejandro: Thank you.
>> Ben: What was your biggest challenge when you were preparing for it?
>> Alejandro: I started by learning how to pass the exam, you know?
Reading...
Making a lot of research online on the internet...
I have to say, there's plenty of material there.
Podcasts
Blogs
Websites
I started by doing some mock tests.
Then I noticed that I hadn't any problem with the reading and the listening part of the
exam, because it was kind of easy for me.
And then I started writing some essays with my wife.
Me and my wife were trying to correct ourselves.
And I noticed that I had a tendency to over-complicate my sentences.
Also lack of structure in my essays.
And my speaking part, I had some problems with fluency.
>> Ben: I see.
And how did you overcome the issue with the fluency?
>> Alejandro: I was doing some essays by myself for maybe a month or two, and then I realized
that I need some help.
So I looked for a private teacher here in Barcelona.
I have to say that she really put me on the track.
She made me be aware of my most common mistakes in writing...
I mean speaking.
But I got about (I don't know) 15 private lessons, kind of.
And after that, my teacher went back to Russia.
She was from Russia.
>> Ben: What?
>> Alejandro: Yeah.
And after that...
Well, you know August.
It's not a really good month for studying in Spain.
>> Ben: No, it's not.
>> Alejandro: Then I decided to go back to my idea in September.
So in October, I was kind of lazy.
I had to do some really real pressure.
So what I did was to set up a date for the exam.
And that really helped me a lot.
Because when I have said, "Okay, on January I'm going to take the exam."
And then I started to work a lot.
For the speaking, I had one application on my cell phone.
And it's the part 1, part 2, and part 3.
And I had an application on my cellphone which had a lot of topics.
So for the part 1: Tell me about your work.
And it was about 50 questions about work,
50 questions about travelling,
about family,
about studies...
So when I came home, I started to talk aloud by my self.
I just hit the play and there was a voice saying,
"What is the main benefit of going to work by bus?"
... or something like that.
And then I answered by myself here.
It was kind of crazy but it was really helpful, but for my fluency.
>> Ben: You just spoke to yourself (like in the kitchen or whatever) answering the question?
>> Alejandro: Yes.
>> Ben: With the main objective or getting fluent?
>> Alejandro: Yes.
>> Ben: That's interesting.
>> Alejandro: And with my wife because she also had to take the IELTS.
I'm trying to fit-in the time that you're supposed to answer.
And to try to look for ways to develop a better answer.
That kind of stuff.
I had to brush up on some of my grammar as well.
I was following an English course (maybe you know) with a really famous English teacher
here in Spain.
His name is Balham.
>> Ben: Ah, yes.
Yes.
>> Alejandro: And I used to listen to these lessons on my way to work.
And for sure, your podcast was really helpful.
I have to say, it was really helpful for my ways.
Trying to find ways to develop my answer,
trying to find ways to improve my speaking skills,
and also my writing skills.
And in my writing skills, I have to tell you there's a lot of materials there on the internet.
And after a lot of research, I have to say
not all are really good material.
Whatever it was, I spent some small money (in my opinion, at least)
small money on a few things I bought.
This is Splendid Speaking.
You know the website?
Splendid Speaking.
So I got enrolled in a course for the IELTS Preparation.
For the Writing Part 1, I got Graham.
He has more books about how to prepare your writing the Part 1 or your writing test.
For the Part 2 (maybe you know), a really good guy whose name is
Ben Worthington.
>> Ben: Oh, yeah.
I know him.
>> Alejandro: He has this unbelievable...
I have to say, I'm not being paid.
No, really.
You have a really, really good essay about how to prepare for the essay...
I don't know.
How do you call it?
Essay or course?
>> Ben: Yeah.
>> Alejandro: You have a course for preparing yourself for the Part 2.
Because when I was reading, I've been reading a lot of things about how to prepare for the
Part 2 of the exam.
And some people say,
"Okay, you have to focus on these..."
"You have to make a brainstorm of your ideas..."
And it was kind of messy.
I didn't know which way to follow.
I didn't know if I had to write 15 sentences...
13... 20...
I didn�t' know.
And after listening to your podcast, I decided to give a try to your course.
And I have to say this is my opinion and my wife's opinion:
It was really, really, really helpful.
Actually, my wife also got a Band 7 on the writing.
Yes.
Because it was so simple,
so clear,
effective,
efficient...
And I have to really thank you for this course because it really made me feel focused.
I got rid of all the other ideas and I decided to...
Maybe it worked for me.
But maybe for some other guy worked some other method.
But your method really worked for me.
>> Ben: That's good.
That's good.
>> Alejandro: Yeah.
Because sometimes it's kind of you're overwhelmed with so much materials on the internet saying
"Do this."
"No, no, no.
Do this."
"You have to learn 20 words everyday for the vocabulary, for enlargement of your."
"No, you have to do this."
"This is wrong."
"This is good."
"This is bad."
So it was kind of...
You know?
>> Ben: I know exactly what you mean.
I know exactly what you mean.
It's crazy.
Every blogger, every IELTS teacher has a different idea.
And I think if you don't (sort of like) sit down and focus and choose one that you believe
the most (so that you have the most confidence in),
and you just try and follow maybe 3 or 4,
you end up nowhere.
You know?
And completely overwhelmed.
And especially with the Task 2 question because there's so much to think about and incorporate.
And then if you add to following the advice of maybe 3 or 4 different tutors, you end
up crazy.
I can totally understand what you mean there.
>> Alejandro: Yeah.
Especially as you said, on Part 2 there are some methods (I have to say) that in my opinion
really, really bad.
Which in essay:
First, analyze the question.
They are asking for discuss and opinion
or contrast 2 opinions
or find a solution (problem and solution)
And it was kind of...
I don't know.
I don't know which kind of essay this one is.
So I was trying just because they say
"If this is a problem + solution essay, you have to write this, and then you have to write
this, and then you have to write this, and at the end, and the last part of that is like
that."
"But in case there's a contrast of two opinions, you have to write this other thing, and then
you have to write this other thing..."
It was kind of crazy trying to figure out which kind of essay the question was.
And your method is not like that.
It's just...
Well, I'm not going to say what your method is, but it's really helpful because it doesn't
matter which kind of essay they are asking you.
What kind of question they are asking you.
It's always the same.
>> Ben: Yeah.
It's just following simple steps which will just make it automatic to write a clear, coherent
essay
that's gonna get the points for the task response.
That was the idea when I started doing it.
Well, thank you.
Thank you very much for that, Alejandro.
>> Alejandro: No.
Thank you.
And I have to say, it really works.
For me and my wife, even during our preparation
we noticed how much we improved our essays.
>> Ben: Uh-huh.
Yeah, that's good.
That's good.
I'm really happy.
But I just have to mention that there was a lot.
There was work involved.
You were writing essays.
And it wasn't like a quick fix.
There was work involved.
You were writing.
I was correcting.
Just so the lesson is understood that it's a not "Buy the E-book and then sit at home
and watch the television."
It's "Buy the book and do the work involved."
>> Alejandro: Yes.
And there's something really good about your course: That is your deadline.
You have to have a deadline.
Just say, "Okay, I'm here at your disposal for one month," or something like that.
"one month"
or "three weeks"
or something like that.
And I have to send you...
I still have to send you an essay within a week.
Or within two weeks (or something like that).
That's really good because it helps you.
It gives you a little motivation to do your homework.
Because it says, "Hey, I'm paying for this teacher."
"Having this teacher at my disposal, I have to make the most of this course."
Because if you say, "Here's the course and you can read the course whenever you want,"
you can say, "Okay I procrastinate.
I'll do it tomorrow."
But in case you have to do it as soon as possible because there's a deadline, I think that's
a really good point.
>> Ben: Yeah.
Yeah.
Definitely.
I know, 'cause I was...
Well, just from Uni.
I realized that there's no deadline.
I just say in Spanish "Manyana, manyana."
It's just borrow and you just push it over...
Just push it over...
But if there's somebody there on your back,
"Okay, you've got a week to respond to this essay.
To this essay question."
"Get it done, or you lose your cash."
Simple as.
>> Alejandro: Yes.
Same with the IELTS.
What I did to push me to study and to do my homework.
It was, "Hey, I'm going to lose almost 200 Euros."
So I have to study for January,
and I have to study on Christmas time.
It doesn't matter.
I had to do it because I knew my exam was just around the corner.
>> Ben: Exactly.
And the good thing as well, what you did was you set the date way, way, way, in the future.
I think you gave yourself 3 months.
3 months for solid preparation.
And just work, work, work, work, work, rather than sort of like:
Doing the exam, seeing your grade, and then putting in to do the exam straight away.
Just buying another exam for 3 weeks later and then study like mad.
It's best to be prepared and to patiently prepare for it.
With 3 months long-term preparation and you'll see a better improvement in your English,
and better practice as well.
'Cause with more time and more patience, you're gonna get better results.
So that was a good point that you did there.
>> Alejandro: Because when it was on February, March, April, I was saying "Okay, I'll do
it when I'm ready."
But I wasn't going to be ready, ever.
I didn't have the pressure to study.
>> Ben: Right.
And Alejandro, what are your plans now?
Are you going to Australia in the end?
>> Alejandro: Well...
I don't know.
At the end...
I don't know, actually.
Because after we got the IELTS, we were really happy.
In our opinion, it was the only obstacle in our way to Australia.
Okay?
>> Ben: Right.
Right.
I'm gonna have to go now.
But...
>> Alejandro: Okay.
Okay.
Thank you, well.
Thank you.
Really.
>> Ben: Have a good weekend, it's a pleasure and yes, keep in contact if you need anything.
>> Alejandro: Yeah, yeah.
Sure.
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