# As a native English speaker, should I be concerned about the IELTS?



## james.elsey (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi All,

I'm a native English speaker, however my migration agent has advised me that I still need to sit the IELTS as part of my application.

I've been advised that I also need to score a minimum of 8 in each component of the exam to gain enough points to qualify for GSM. If I score 7 or below, I'd have to apply under state sponsorship. I'm aiming for GSM.

I see a lot of IELTS discussion on this forum from non-native speakers (most of which score rather well), but I'm wondering if any native speakers can give me some pointers?

Kind regards


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## Guest (Jun 20, 2012)

Yes, its not as easy as turning up and speaking English. Local accents, failure to listen or read something properly, rushing or being overly confident 'because' you are English can lead to poor results.

That said, take a leaf out of the books of the many non english speaking folks on here and read the booklets and study hard for it. Practice lots with someone you know and you should be OK. 

Why do you need IELTS, not enough points or for your skills assessment?


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## af73 (Apr 2, 2012)

Hi, 

First time poster, long time lurker!

I took the IELTS in May and faced the exact same situation as you. A native English speaker requiring at least 8.0 in each category.

It is quite nervy as you can't convince yourself there is no reason why you, as an English speaker, shouldn't do well.

If you can, get plenty of practice at the listening and reading tests. There are few good online resources that have free samples. That should familiarise you with the format of the test and ensure 'no surprises' on the day.

The listening test will probably feel like its going quite slowly for you and that's the biggest trap to be wary of - losing concentration. Have a scan through the question before the tape starts and try and guess how the conversation might go. The answers are usually signposted and the clue is often in the question.

For the reading test my advice would be to answer exactly what the question and the text says. As a native speaker used to reading English you might be tempted to 'read between the lines' and second guess what you think it means.

For the writing, if you get a subject you are familiar with use it as a chance to express yourself. If you write freely and say what you think there is a good chance your written English will reflect that and you will score well. Again the advice is not to try and be too clever. Write to 'express' not 'impress'.

The speaking test you will find quite conversational. It starts off simply and adds complexity following the long turn. I was worried that I hadn't spoken for anything like the 2 minutes but the interviewer said its more about content than being able to waffle for 2 minutes.

After a nervous 2 week wait I was relieved to find that by applying these tips and doing the practice I achieved 9.0 in each category.

I've since secured SS for Western Australia and plan to submit my 176 to DIAC this week.

Good luck with your test and future plans!

Andrew


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## irishshoegal (May 30, 2012)

Good advise from Andrew and also as a native English speaker (I'm Irish) here is my two pence worth. I got a cancelation the day before the exam so no prep time whatsoever, I lost concentration more than once & tried to infer in addition to completely messing up the map part of the listening test so basically and quite possibly did rubbish - I'm getting my results on Friday so can advise further


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

I'm also a native speaker and while I didn't spend any time focusing on re-learning English grammar or doing vocab drills, I did spend about a week or so before the test actually doing practice tests. I highly recommend Cambridge IELTS 7 and 8. The format of the practice exams was identical to that of the actual one, so when I actually sat the test, it felt familiar. I was lucky enough to score 9's in every section.

Some tips that helped me tremendously:

- On the listening section, as someone else mentioned, it can seem a bit slow at first and your mind might start to wander (especially if it's 9 in the morning on a Saturday and your coffee hasn't kicked in yet). Resist the urge to think about something else - you need to concentrate. Fill in the handout as you hear the answers - you'll have time to transfer them to the answer sheet at the end of the section.

- On the reading section, the questions most people struggle with are the dreaded "true/false/not given" questions. A lot of people answer these questions based on what they think is correct. Remember that the answer is in the TEXT. I found that skimming the text once and underlining key phrases along the way, and then starting to answer the questions, was a much better usage of my time. You don't need to spend a lot of time reading the text since not every part of the text is going to be tested.

- For the writing section, make sure you outline what you're going to write before you actually start writing the essays. The first essay is always a letter to someone - for example, you might have to write a letter to a store where you bought a TV because when you brought it home you realized it was defective. You're allowed to be creative. Try to have a bit of fun with it (if that's even possible). For the second essay, it's always about a very general topic that everyone has some opinion on. If the question asks you to relate your personal experiences to the topic, make sure you do that or you'll lose points.

- For the speaking portion, as a native speaker, you'll more than likely get a 9 - it's very conversational. Try to treat it like you're talking to a friend. It makes it feel less like they're testing you.

Good luck!!


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

As the others have already said. Personally I don't think it is that difficult for a native speaker. That said, you do need to be prepared! The toughest part is understanding what you will need to do and what they are expecting from you.

You will walk the oral, even if you waffle, a few errrm, umm or stutter it is part of a normal, natural conversation so it can be forgiven. Take a few seconds before speaking so you can structure the conversation in your head and do not repeat things.

The listening is not too tough, you just need to listen. practice a few and you will understand the structure and then you will be able to understand how the conversation fits into the blanks you will be required to fill in. You need to listen very hard though, the accents are not a problem but sometimes there is a lot of text to read to make a selection, so being a man I found it hard to multi task 

Same with the reading, it's mainly a case of a lot of text and short time.

I needed a mere 5 points for GSM 175 application, so a band of 7 but ended up getting 8 overall. I spent maybe 3-4 evenings practising. I found the written the hardest but only because of time pressure and the fact I am not a very good creative writer. If it is a subject I am interested in then I can write all day but become stuck when I cannot go over my text and make corrections to make the text flow better. Understand how to structure and flow your writing, this is the most important part.

Practice, practice, practice. You don't need to do a lot since you are miles ahead of most people since it is your first language, but understand what you need to do.

Some resources I used, hope they help.

Posts from mcb71, invaluable IMO
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...iving-australia/107511-ielts-frustration.html

Very useful info, tips and videos on writing. Watch the videos for writing, they are very useful to help getting you understand what is required.
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...alia/105568-ielts-getting-band-8-writing.html


I also had the following bookmarked. The practive tests were very useful, it's difficult to practice writing but there are links to help structure your argument vs opinion essays:

Free IELTS Practice Tests

IELTS Exam Preparation - Web Links

IELTS Essays - Band 8 | IELTS-Blog

How to get 6.0 AWA....my guide : Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)

IELTS Writing Blog – Model Task 1 and 2 responses Original IELTS writing resources provided by an IELTS instructor

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...iving-australia/107511-ielts-frustration.html

---> What do I write about!






I know if seems like a lot, but you should be fine. Like I said I spent 3-4 evenings practising and that is all!

Good luck.


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## SGAus (Mar 20, 2012)

*I am not Native english speaker*

I am not the Native English speaker but I did it. 
For sure it will be easy for you. But you need just half of the preparation time than we we did. 

I worked for 2 weeks but you can easily get prepared in less than a week if you sit with concentration. You just solve the previous papers, that will be enough I think.


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## irishshoegal (May 30, 2012)

Results are in : listening 8.5; reading 8; writing 7.5; speaking 9 - overall 8.5 - pretty gutted with the writing part I thought that was my strongest - does that mean I only get 10 points or as its overall 8.5 do I get 20?


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

irishshoegal said:


> Results are in : listening 8.5; reading 8; writing 7.5; speaking 9 - overall 8.5 - pretty gutted with the writing part I thought that was my strongest - does that mean I only get 10 points or as its overall 8.5 do I get 20?


Unfortunately you would only get 10 because you would need to have gotten at least 8 in each section to get the 20 points. Sorry. 

You might want to consider getting your test re-scored because your writing score was so much lower than the other sections. It could bump that up to an 8...


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## irishshoegal (May 30, 2012)

Yes I thought that  This gives me 70 points in total but I think I will go for a recheck as I thought the writing was my strongest section


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

irishshoegal said:


> Yes I thought that  This gives me 70 points in total but I think I will go for a recheck as I thought the writing was my strongest section


If you have 70 points and you have all the required paperwork (i.e. skills assessment) then don't bother with a re-mark and just get your application in before the 1st July changes. Remarks seem to take 4-6 weeks.


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## irishshoegal (May 30, 2012)

Unfortunately I am waiting on VETASSESS and as my occupation is on the SOL2 I reckon 80 would put me in a much stronger position under the new system? Although I'd appreciate your thoughts & input


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

irishshoegal said:


> Unfortunately I am waiting on VETASSESS and as my occupation is on the SOL2 I reckon 80 would put me in a much stronger position under the new system? Although I'd appreciate your thoughts & input


If you're on SOL2 then you need state sponsorship to apply. From what I've been reading, if you have state sponsorship you'll immediately be invited to apply.


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## irishshoegal (May 30, 2012)

Thanks Oz that's my understanding too, you never really appreciate how long this process takes until you are in it. Once


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

irishshoegal said:


> Unfortunately I am waiting on VETASSESS and as my occupation is on the SOL2 I reckon 80 would put me in a much stronger position under the new system? Although I'd appreciate your thoughts & input


Fair enough. If you're having to wait about then might as well go for the remark.

Problem with SkillSelect (as far as I've read) is that no one really knows how the system will work, I think so far it's guesswork that having more points will put you up higher on the list... but it can't hurt right.

And as ozbound has said, having SS should get you an immediate invite to apply.

My application initially started off at snails pace, I knew what documents I needed but it was a case of waiting for employers to provide the documents. Since I've applied it all going lightning fast, I'm actually have yo re-plan since I was not expecting to get the visa till beginning of next year earliest! Hopefully SkillSelect won't be too painful!

Good luck and keep us posted on your IELTS results.


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## thomasvo (Nov 8, 2013)

Im not a native speaker but my English is pretty good. The only thing I did for it was that I read a couple of example exams + comments on the IELTS website. I was only nervous about the writing test, since it requires a bit of structure (introduction, subject, conclusion).
I had a 9 for speaking, 9 for listening, 7.5 for reading (in my opinion some questions were not entirely clear and open for interpretation) and 8 for writing.
If you're a native english speaker you shouldnt worry too much about it


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## AncientGlory (Aug 23, 2012)

This thread is two years old. . Good pointers given though. Cheers.


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