Are you getting the IELTS Reading scores you need on practice exams?
This is not just a reading comprehension exam.
In order to get the score you need, you must be reading!
Today you’ll learn what you should read in order to score 7 or higher on IELTS Reading.
1500 episodes of IELTS Energy!
This is the 1500th episode of our podcast.
That’s 22,500 minutes!
We’re excited to continue providing you valuable tips for the IELTS exam!
If you missed last Friday’s episode, you may have missed our announcement.
Jessica has moved on to other opportunities.
We are grateful for her contribution to IELTS Energy.
Check out episode 1498 if you missed it to get all the details.
Lindsay will be taking over as cohost for the second time.
She was cohost from 2015 until 2019.
Today’s question
Today’s question was asked by Sardor in one of our webinars.
I have a question for you.
What books do you recommend reading to improve our vocabulary?
We’ll recommend some books, but it’s less about specific books, and more about the level and your interest.
#1: Level
You must be reading books that push you a bit but don’t frustrate you.
If it is too difficult, you will dread reading and might put it off.
Once you are reading, you won’t spend enough time with the text.
If you are engaged, you will spend the time necessary to boost reading fluency.
If the level is too easy, you won’t improve as quickly and won’t learn as much new vocabulary.
As your level increases, look for slightly more difficult books.
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Book recommendations by level
For lower level, read Young Adult novels.
We recommend the following series:
- Harry Potter
- The Uglies
- The Hunger Games
For higher levels, read more difficult books in the genre you enjoy.
- Thrillers by Freida McFadden
- Sci-fi books by Orson Scott Card
- Fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan
- Self-help books
- Biographies
#2: Interest
It is vital that you read books that engage you.
You must look forward to reading.
Thrillers by Freida McFadden are page-turners with great plot twists.
If you like historical fiction, we recommend The Nightingale.
It is about a Belgian woman, Andrée de Jongh.
She risked her life helping downed pilots escape Nazi-occupied France and Belgium on foot.
Find something that you look forward to reading!
#3: Topic-specific ideas and vocabulary
In addition to novels and books you look forward to, you must read a variety of resources.
This is vital to help you acquire topic-specific vocabulary.
When reading the news, be sure to avoid media bias.
You can check out the Ad Fontes media bias chart for an in-depth study of bias and reliability of news sources.
Among publications reported as having the least amount of bias are the Wall Street Journal and The Globe and Mail.
Beyond current events
Read the economy section as well as articles about environment, technology etc.
Wired magazine is a great resource for the tech world.
You can also read self-help books about anything you are interested.
Read a biography about whomever you find fascinating.
All of these will help you acquire topic-specific vocabulary.
Takeaway
There’s a lot to think about when deciding what to read to prepare for IELTS.
Find a good level that pushes you a bit but doesn’t frustrate you.
Find a page-turner you look forward to reading.
Look for a news source or two and read all sections for ideas for Task 2 and Part 3 with high-scoring vocabulary.
For all the strategies you need on IELTS, sign up for our online course!
What questions do you have from today’s episode?
Please leave a comment below.
