What is the importance of vocabulary in IELTS?

Introduction:

Often, when students decide to pursue their higher education in a foreign country, the first thought that comes to their mind, especially those living in Gujarat, is about the language barrier they may have to face. To help them put their best foot forward, universities and colleges require proof of language proficiency, whether in English or another language. IELTS is the oldest and most widely used English language test, comprising four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. If you are the one who faces a problem in getting a better score due to a lack of lexical resources, then this blog will surely aid you in knowing the severity of using various glossaries along with the most commonly utilized words and idioms.

Skill-wise significance of vocab

Vocabularies play a very crucial role in all four parts of the IELTS exam. Understanding its influence will help you figure out the amount of effort you need to put in.

1. Listening: In this skill, where you will listen to an audio just once and then answer the questions, you are bombarded with a lot of words, which are the exact synonyms of the words in the question. The paraphrasing technique is frequently used in listening to distract students. Thus, making yourself aware of a different set of words assists in scoring more.
2. Reading: In reading, candidates are given quite long passages from which they are supposed to choose the answer to the question. Failing to comprehend distinct types of words will lead to confusion and frustration. Hence, possessing fine knowledge of the lexicon will help you save time and spot the correct answer quickly and accurately.
3. Writing: In writing, either AT or GT, students are given two tasks to perform. You need to write properly worded statements with the inclusion of unique words, as it is one of the evaluation criteria. 25% of the weightage is allocated to the lexical resource. Consequently, applying the range of vocabulary leads to an increased band score and clarity in your thoughts.
4. Speaking: A diversity in the employment of words helps in portraying your ideas without repetition of words, which ultimately spikes your band score. Moreover, in speaking skills, too, you will be judged based on the precise selection of words that display your word bank, helping you land on higher bands.

How does it impact your overall bands?

When calculating the overall score, apart from content, task response, fluency, pronunciation, and grammar, something that gets highlighted is your command over the language and the game of words you play. Overall, the choice of words decides your bands, as in listening and reading, you require to perceive the given information through which you respond to the questions asked, while, in writing and speaking, the ball of lexical resource is in your court, where you need to participate intelligently and with utmost correctness. Nevertheless, vocabulary supports in illustrating your proficiency level with lucidity and validity. The higher the grip on words, the higher your bands.

What are some common words and idioms to learn?

Listed below are the most typically used words and idioms, along with their synonyms, that can help you in all areas of the IELTS exam.

• Believe – deem, suppose, presume, think, opine
• Important – significant, vital, crucial, pivotal, paramount
• Children – kids, juveniles, young ones
• Harmful – detrimental, dangerous, perilous, deleterious, hazardous
• Problem – difficulty, trouble, issue, predicament
• Benefit – merit, boon, advantage, perk, privilege, pros
• Drawback – disadvantage, demerit, downside, pitfall, cons
• Obstacle – hurdle, hindrance, barrier, impediment
• People – humans, human beings, persons, individuals, mankind, ones
• Population – inhabitants, residents, citizens, citizenry, public, populace, denizens, society
• Basic – fundamental, rudimentary, primary
• Piece of cake – a simple/easy task, a child’s play
• Put all eggs in one basket – to risk everything in a single idea, plan, or investment
• Over the moon – very happy, on cloud nine, in the seventh heaven
• Once in a blue moon – a very rare occurrence
• To cost an arm and a leg – to be extremely costly
• To cut corners – to take shortcuts
• Cup of tea – area of interest

Please note that these are just a few samples of some regularly used lexicons. Ensure that their application is relevant to the topic asked.

Strategies to learn good vocabulary

After knowing the necessity of wordiness in your IELTS exam, it is also equally important to familiarize yourself with the ways through which you can make your own dictionary. Follow the points mentioned below:

• Read every day – Inculcating the habit of reading in your daily life will help you in developing better ideas, gathering new words, and enhancing your grasping power. Newspapers, periodicals, magazines, case studies, and novels can serve your purpose. Allot at least an hour for this task.
• Listen with all ears – Indulge yourself in the listening activity for almost 30-45 minutes. This will inform you about various slang being used in the listening skill and upgrade your hearing abilities.
• Watch English movies or web series – This will give you both entertainment and learning. Watching an episode of a web series or a movie can educate you to use words appropriately and situationally.
• Engage yourself in a conversation with a native speaker – Try to make friends living in a foreign country, and talk to them frequently to improve your proficiency in the language.

What if you fail to use a lexical resource?

Lexical resource is considered to be one of the most essential aspects in the IELTS exam. As there is no negative marking in the examination, not using the range of vocabulary will hamper the band score a little. A minimum score of 6 bands is guaranteed if you are clear in presenting your thoughts with proper grammatical structure. Still, taking the assistance of the best study abroad consultancy , where you will be guided by a certified faculty, can ameliorate your band score from 6 to 7 and above.

There is nothing like passing or failing in IELTS, but the more the inclusion of vocabulary, the higher the bands.

Conclusion

Vocabulary holds extreme importance to students willing to study abroad while scoring the maximum in the language proficiency exam. It also lends a helping hand in sharing your viewpoints in a clear and informative way. Follow the steps mentioned in this blog to scale up your bands and demonstrate your readiness to start your educational journey abroad. A study abroad consultancy in Ahmedabad can be the best choice to execute your plan of action.