TOEIC or IELTS certificates are now considered passports to the 4.0 era, but getting a high IELTS score is not easy. However, Tran Duc Hoa, a young Teaching Assistant from the DTU International School, recently obtained a perfect score of 9.0 in March, due to his unique lexical learning technique and his gift for foreign languages.
His journey to 9.0 points at IELTS started from zero
Duc Hoa comes from the Mo Duc district of Quang Ngai province. When he was young, his parents read him many English story books and translated them into Vietnamese for him at the same time. He was extremely inquisitive and soon started reading more English books alone and watching English films. 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, chose Monash 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
Tran Duc Hoa, a Teaching Assistant at the International School
With a view to the future, Duc Hoa studied for a double major degree in Linguistics and in English as an International Language. He graduated magna cum laude, with a GPA of 3.33/4.0 and continued pushing his limits one by one, deciding to return to Vietnam to the DTU International School.
In his recent IELTS exam, Duc Hoa scored 9.0 for listening, reading, and speaking, and 8.0 for writing. He had previously scored 8.0 in 2016 in the 11th grade, and 8.5 in 2019.
He explained: “When I researched IELTS, I was rather confused, because there wasn’t much information about the exam or ways of approaching it. However, I decided to use my limited abilities and learnt more and more each time I took the exam. IELTS is not a test of general knowledge, but requires some to understand and answer the questions. This was initially a problem, but studying intrigues me, and I considered each new topic an opportunity to gain extra knowledge, without considering myself inferior or ignorant.
A perfect IELTS Certificate of 9.0
“I think to prepare for the IELTS exam effectively or to study English in general, you need to start early and learn a 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. Although the study time is the same, the first method is much more effective, because more time is needed to remember, understand and apply what we learn.”
Ways of improving the English proficiency of DTU students
After graduation in Australia, Duc Hoa was eligible for a variety of different jobs in foreign companies, but he dreamt of a career in education and joined DTU. “I noticed that the student English levels are just about equal,” explained Duc Hoa. “Most students at the International School communicate freely, and most DTU programs include supplementary activities for students in addition to lectures, such as field trips and cultural exchanges, which are a vital part of career planning and enable graduates to quickly find very attractive job positions”.
Studying hard to improve English proficiency
“After graduation, students may have different career plans. I believe that students should take the IELTS exam if they want to continue in academia or broaden their common knowledge, however, it really depends on each individual’s orientation. Future academic study definitely requires a broader understanding of written data and documentation, and how to present arguments convincingly.”
Currently, with his deep experience sitting the test and mentoring IELTS candidates, he has created a few new lessons that they can make use of, if necessary:
Firstly, Listening: There is no magic trick that lets you go from zero to hero in a short time. Good listening skills come with a familiarity of English sounds, a rich vocabulary, and regular practice. YouTube should be used to watch videos about personal interests in history, geography, the economy, culture and technology. Limiting listening to topics that are specifically of interest is important in maintaining a daily practice routine.
Secondly, Speaking: An interesting method is to repeat actors’ lines, giving examples of natural language, the way natives actually speak and can be done alone, preventing shyness and apprehension. You can also research the elements of pronunciation, such as stress, intonation and pronunciation to get it right. Limiting listening to topics that are specifically of interest is important in maintaining a daily practice routine.
Secondly, Speaking: An interesting method is to repeat actors’ lines, giving examples of natural language, the way natives actually speak and can be done alone, preventing shyness and apprehension. You can also research the elements of pronunciation, such as stress, intonation and pronunciation to get it right.
Duc Hoa won first prize at the for Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands OTE in 2016
Thirdly, Reading: There are two mistakes many IELTS students make in the reading section. The first concerns vocabulary and structure, which occurs when examinees know where to locate the answer to a question but unfortunately do not fully understand the question itself. To alleviate this, students must write down words and structures in a notebook and memorize them fully. The second, more serious mistake, is carelessness, when examinees cannot find the information they are looking for because they read too fast and merely skim and scan the articles. IELTS tricks participants by putting keywords in the actual text and use different words with the same general meaning in the associated question.
Finally, Writing: Start with small steps, write a simple sentence, write a multi-clause sentence, connect clauses, and apply the grammar points just learned. Sentence-rewriting exercises are especially helpful, as well as broadening social knowledge. The IELTS writing test usually focuses on eight or nine familiar topics, so read articles on those topics, and take notes in preparation.
(Media Center)