Today I’m going to show you how to improve your PTE score
while travelling in a train. I’m currently back home (in India) spending time
with family. Today, I had the fortune of travelling in a local train.
Now the train was jam packed with a lot of people stuffed in
the compartment. I had to squeeze my way in. Once in, I was surrounded with
people, both my hands were up in the air, holding on to the grab bars.
Now usually, I would have a pair of earphones on me and I’d
be listening to a podcast or an audio book(more on this later) to keep me occupied.
But for today, it was just this jam-packed train and my thoughts.
I resigned to my fate. I just stood there in an awkward
position getting lost in my internal dialogue.
‘-What’s with all the crowd today?
-Where the hell are so many people going on a Sunday
afternoon?
-Why are they all on this train?
-The person next to me could definitely use some deodorant.
-I definitely need a shower after this train ride.
-The people complaining about the trains in Australia should
be on this train.
-You should have put on your headphones on before entering
the train Steven…..’
Now if there’s one thing I hate more than crowded trains,
it’s not making the most of my time. So I struggled to put a hand into my
pocket, pulled out my phone and took an epic photo so you know can see what it
was like.
If you need to improve your score in the PTE Academic, the
next time you find yourself travelling anywhere, I want you to make use of that
phone you bought.
Not by clicking a photo(you can do that after you clear the
PTE), but by plugging in earphones and listening to an audio book. You’ll learn
something new, improve your English and make the most of your time.
For those of you who don’t know, an audio book (or talking
book) is a recording of a text/book being read.
I have been listening to audio books for about 3 years now
and it allows me to expand my English and gives me access to diverse vocabulary
I otherwise would not have come across. It’s one of the tools that helped me to
get a 90 score.
Here’s the best part:
It requires minimal effort from your side. I usually listen
to audio books while doing day to day tasks(commuting to work, buying groceries,
etc). This is a great way to learn and expand your vocabulary without
additional time investment.
I personally use the Audible(an Amazon company) app on my
phone to listen to audio books. They even
give you an audio book for you to try out for free.
Audio books gave me the flexibility and freedom to achieve
this without changing my routine. I used my time wisely. In part 2 of this
series, I go into more detail and cover why listening to Audio books helps you.
Here’s the thing:
Everyone is looking for tips and strategies to clear the
PTE. Now for some questions like the describe image, having a good strategy can
help you up your score. But for other questions there isn’t really a lot in
terms of tips/strategies. For example, in the reading section for the ‘fill in
the blanks’, you will either know the correct answer or you will have to guess.
You can improve your chances of knowing the correct answer
by expanding your vocabulary. To improve you
vocabulary you need to expose yourself to English language
as much as possible. That’s how you learn new words. But not just any English,
Academic English. You see Academic English is a bit different from everyday
English. It’s usually more formal and often uses more advanced vocabulary not encountered
in everyday conversation.
It’s the reason why even test-takers who know to speak
English, struggle to get their desired score.
Now how do you get exposure to Academic English if you don’t
have this environment around you? The answer is you create the environment
required to reach your goal. The reason I recommend Audio books is because it’s
easy to use without changing your current routine. It’s as simple as
downloading an app and getting started.
You can get wide access to academic vocabulary in a shortest
possible time. This is similar to what you encounter in the PTE.
A strong vocabulary is the foundation for all sections of
the exam!!!
Audio books have high production standards, which means you
have very high quality of English.
Let’s look at sections in the exam where this will be
useful:
Listening:
This is obvious. Your brain gets accustomed to listening to
diverse English and over time you understand the subject matter better. This
will help you during the listening section of the exam where these skills are
essential.
Speaking:
You will know correct pronunciation of words. The funny
thing with pronunciation is that you only know the correct pronunciation of a
word once you have listened to it. Have you ever read a word, thought about how
it sounds and then later found out that the actual pronunciation is something
else? (This used to happen to me a lot). Listening to words in Audio books takes
care of this problem.
Writing:
You will build up your vocabulary by listening to diverse
words. You will get comfortable using connecting sentences and vocabulary in
the right way. Once you hear how correct English is used, you will have a
better understanding of how sentences are framed and put together.
Reading:
For ‘fill in the blanks’, the blanks and words around it
usually often have phrases that are frequently used together. If you’ve heard
it or have come across combinations before, then it becomes easier to remember.
Example: The Kangaroos were _____ around the bush. (dancing,
walking, hopping)
Kangaroos hopping is a known fact. You know of it because
you’ve heard of it before. You come across these facts when you start listening
to more English.
To conclude, listening to Audio books on Audible (I still use
it) is something that has really helped me improve my English and learn new
things. It is something I always recommend. Simply plug in your earphone while
travelling to Work/University and your good to go!
Tip: Increase the playback speed in the settings to between
1.5x -2x if you find it too easy. Try to make it difficult for yourself. At
first, it may seem a bit fast but you will get used to it and it will be easier
in the exam when you get audio in normal speed.
While listening keep asking yourself, ‘What was the key
message in the last 3-5 mins’. Pause if you have to. This will ensure you are
actively listening and understanding, which is key. If you hear new words
google them and find out what they mean.
Note: for more details please visit us at http://www.unitedenglish.com.au/ call us @ +61 424 909 070.
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