For many candidates the writing module is the most difficult section of IELTS.
Why is this so?
Four reasons why IELTS writing is hard
Essay writing is not a priority at school
When I was at school, decades ago I admit, I don’t remember writing any essays. Things may have changed since then, but I doubt that there have been any drastic alterations to the educational system. Indian schools do not teach academic writing–at least not in any meaningful way.
Young Indians do not learn how to systematically analyze an issue, form opinions, and then defend those opinions. Our educational system rewards memorization and not critical thinking.
IELTS rewards critical thinking.
No habit of reading
After college, there is a mad scramble to get that dream job. For new recruits, the work pressure can be high. If one hasn’t developed the habit of reading in childhood, it is difficult to become a reader later in life.
In general, people have limited exposure to issues outside their domain of expertise. An engineer may know very little about the public healthcare system. A marketing associate may have never read a single article on music or theatre. A chemistry teacher may not be aware of the importance of studying sociology.
People who have a broader understanding of the world find it easier to tackle the wide range of topics in IELTS.
Hardly any meaningful conversations about the news
Often, our conversations tend to be superficial. When the conversation is about politics, culture, or society, we rarely discuss the underlying causes of an issue.
Consider the quality of debate on our national news channels. I rest my case.
People who explore issues in-depth tend to do better in IELTS.
Over-confidence in writing skills
This may be the most difficult point for us to acknowledge. Some people are convinced that their writing skills are quite good. In fact, some are under the impression that their essays are excellent!
Self-evaluation is a tricky business.
When it comes to language skills, we naturally compare our performance with that of our peers. That is a slippery slope for many reasons. One, you may be making errors that you are not aware of. Two, you may have a false sense of security because you feel that you are superior to the person sitting next to you. (That person’s language level may be very low.)
Beware of the illusion of competence.
What do you need to do?
To do well in IETLS (Writing Task 2) you need to form an opinion about the prompt, clearly state that opinion, and present supporting arguments in a persuasive, coherent manner. For that to happen, you need to be familiar with the structure of academic writing. And you need to have a good level of general knowledge.
For example, if the prompt in Task 2 is about space exploration, and you have never, ever in your life thought about the topic, then writing about it under examination conditions will be challenging. No doubt about it.
Start reading on a broad range of topics.
The way forward
There are deep, systemic reasons why candidates from India, and possibly other countries with similar educational systems, find IELTS writing so difficult. That is why it is hard to become an effective writer overnight.
It takes time, patience, practice, and some more practice.
The first step to improving your band score is to understand why you find writing so hard. Consider the four points above. Are there any points you relate to?
Take your time–introspect.
It will help you become a better writer.
Interested in improving your writing for IELTS? Read how following these seven steps can help.
amalfabian 