Since his childhood, Duc Hoa has developed a unique learning method that facilitates the solution of English grammar and vocabulary issues. Meanwhile, he has steadily integrated English into his daily life and has just attained the maximum overall score of 9.0 on the international IELTS English exam in March.
English gives him access to the world
In his latest IELTS exam, Duc Hoa scored 9.0 in the listening, reading, and speaking sections, and 8.0 in writing. He had previously scored 8.0 overall in 2015, while in the 11th grade, and 8.5 overall in 2019.
Duc Hoa said: " Although I’m happy that I achieved a perfect score, I am still concerned about maintaining it next time and think about how I can improve my own techniques to the benefit of DTU students.”
Tran Duc Hoa scores 9.0 on the IELTS English Exam
When Duc Hoa was young, his parents read him many English story books, and translated them into Vietnamese for him at the same time. When he graduated from high school, Duc Hoa wanted to expand his worldview and, with parental support, he looked for a university where he could freely converse with native speakers. They chose Monash University in Australia. During his high school years, he had already won several national awards:
- A silver medal at the Internet Olympiads of English (IOE) in 2014
- A gold medal at the IOE in 2016
- A gold medal at the Olympiad of Talent in English (OTE) in 2014
- A gold medal at OTE in 2016
- Third prizes in English at the national Skilled-Student competitions in 2016 and 2017
With a view to the future, Duc Hoa chose to study for a double major degree in Linguistics and in English as an International Language at Monash. He graduated magna cum laude, with a GPA of 3.33/4.0 and continued steadily pushing his limits one by one, deciding to return to Vietnam, to the DTU International School.
Duc Hoa won first prize at the for Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands OTE in 2016
Since he was a boy, Duc Hoa has played English games, read English books and watched English films, such as “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”; “Harry Potter, a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling; and several others. He said: "English is a useful tool, it helps me access information internationally and broadens my scope."
How to achieve a perfect score on the IELTS English Exam
Duc Hoa confesses that he did not prepare for the IELTS test the first two times but, for the latest exam, he set his goals early, which he believes delivered the best results.
“I think to prepare for the IELTS exam effectively or to study English in general, you need to start early and learn gradually, day-by-day. For example, compare studying for 10 minutes a day for 60 days with studying for 100 minutes a day for 6 days,” he remarked.
A perfect IELTS Certificate of 9.0
Currently, with his deep experience sitting the exam, Duc Hoa has created a series of new lessons that students can make use of if necessary:
Listening requires daily repetition to keep up with normal conversational speed. “Because it’s a passive skill, it’s easy to get distracted during the exam,” he says. “In order to concentrate and do well, you should take notes of what you hear in conversations as much as you can.”
In reading, examinees should initially study the text carefully without skipping words, and try to understand the article as much as possible, although examinees must complete the answers in each section in only 20 minutes. "If you don’t fully understand the sentence or paragraph in the text, if you can find the related keywords in the questions, it’s easy to choose the wrong answer," Hoa added.
Duc Hoa in Australia in 2018
Being almost a native English speaker has helped Hoa increase his writing score from 7.0 to 8.0. "By observation, I believe that those who frequently watch English TV shows or movies will finally speak English fluently. However, they should avoid imitating actors' voices, just be themselves," Hoa noted.
From his personal experience, Hoa explained that, to prepare students for IELTS, he wouldn’t teach them vocabulary or grammar, but just advise them on how to think logically about solving vocabulary and grammar problems. Students who always repeat the same expressions, for example, need to find alternatives by asking friends or a teacher to correct them, not just learn more and more grammar.
Duc Hoa said: "I personally focus on a lexical approach rather than a grammatical one. If I don’t fully understand the text, it's possible that I don't know the meaning of the words, the pronunciation, the rhythm, the intonation, and the sounds of the language. I sometimes hesitate while speaking, because I’m still thinking about the best words to use. However, I learn from my mistakes and add the unfamiliar words to my vocabulary list,"
Duc Hoa is at TikTok @lyceum.english
With his new IELTS result, Duc Hoa now plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics in Vietnam, through an international joint program with Curtin University in Australia, in July 2023. He is also planning to take the exam for the British CELTA international language-teaching certificate. Meanwhile he will continue to develop his new teaching method, especially focusing on IELTS students. Hoa believes that learning a language should be both fun and effective.
(Media Center)