I have back in Taiwan for 10 days, which means I have to quarantine 4 more days. I found it is very difficult that keep using English every day. At least, academic English. The daily English is super easy if you only attempt to be understood. However, it far away forms the advance English skill that you will use in IELTS. The exam requires you have to use academic and range vocabulary, also grammar. In other words, it requires you to show off your English skills.
The key point of having perfect English ability is to practice. When I studied in Dublin, my teacher told me that. Nevertheless, the way of how to practice is crucial. If you use the wrong way, you are only waste your precious time. For example, you must try to use new words and unfamiliar grammar while you speaking and writing to make your mouth and brain get used to it. Otherwise, you just repeat words that you already knew and it is hard to have any progress for your English skill.
It reflects the book that I read recently Peak: How All of Us Can Achieve Extraordinary Things. One of the main ideas is mentioned in this book is purposeful practice. Using new words and unfamiliar grammar in our speaking and writing is exactly purposeful practice. Our goal is to achieve higher English skills, isn’t it? The other idea in this book is asking for feedback. It can help us to realize what is our weakness, and how to improve it, which points out the direction of the practice and we can go directly to the goal.
To summarize, there are two essential ways to help us horn English skill more efficient. First, use the new word in speaking and writing to make our moth and brain get used it. Second, ask for feedback that can make you aware of what is your weakness and try to improve it. I hope you can achieve your goal soon! Cheers!