For study abroad applications, generally IELTS 6.5 can apply to most schools in the world, and many prestigious schools in QS100 also require IELTS 7;
In China, an IELTS score of 7 is enough to prove English proficiency with great value.
This inevitably makes us worship the gods of IELTS 7.5 or even 8 or above, and if we can get this score, we must be able to adapt well to the all-English environment, not to mention daily communication!
However, many international students pointed out that although they have good IELTS scores, they often encounter the dilemma of "doubting their lives" in foreign restaurants and other places......
01
Ordered a medium-rare steak, served seven steaks...
@Rosie is not shredded meat: I scored 7 in IELTS, and I think my speaking is not bad. But when I arrived at a restaurant and wanted to order an omelette, the waiter asked if it was cooked. I confidently replied: "seven." (I thought it was 7 minutes cooked) The waiter looked puzzled and confirmed with me, and although I thought it was strange, I firmly answered "yes". Then, I had the most eggs in my life – 7 poached eggs (and very undercooked eggs)
@请叫我公主：我刚留学的第一个星期，看了一遍菜单，然后跟服务员说：“Please give me English menu, thanks.” 服务员回：“This is English menu.”
@TED: Once I ordered a can of Coke and wanted a straw, so I confidently said to the waiter, "Please give me a sucker." The waiter looked puzzled, and then explained for a long time, and she suddenly realized: "Oh! Do you want a straw?” It turns out that everyone usually calls "straw" like this!
02
Does the IELTS score reflect the level of English?
According to the British Council's IELTS scoring scale, a score of 6 is a general use of English, and a score of 7 indicates a good command of English. However, exams are exams, and the actual use of English is often more complex than the test questions.
The IELTS test itself is designed to test whether you can adapt to the study and life of an English-speaking country, and the test itself is relatively comprehensive, and the test itself has rules to follow, and you can grasp the key information through some skills, so that you can get the questions right without being affected by unfamiliar words.
However, in real life, we may come into contact with many words in professional fields, including specific nouns in diet, specific departments and diseases in hospitals, and various items in supermarkets.
For example, in the picture above, the menu is all in English, can you correctly identify each dish without any pictures?
03
"Question foreigners, become foreigners"
留子融入英文环境小tips
In fact, having an all-English language environment is not a bad thing, and international students can take advantage of this precious opportunity to give their English a full "level up". With the rational use of local resources, we will be able to make a qualitative leap in English proficiency in less than half a year, and be on par with native speakers.
1. Speak more English and communicate with locals
For many international students who are socially phobic, even though they know that it is important to practice speaking, they are still ashamed to take the initiative to talk to foreigners. In fact, as long as you muster up the courage and overcome the psychological barrier for the first time, you will find that it is nothing more than that!
无论是问路、点菜还是其他活动，都可以用Excuse me/Sorry to bother you…/May I ask…? /Could you please…? 等等礼貌用语，主动出击；
如果遇到对方有口音、语速太快等问题，也可以说：Would you mind slowing down a bit?
2. Use English websites, newspapers and other information media
Many students use built-in translation software to translate English websites into Chinese for convenience, and some international students also use translation software to translate every sentence of the professor into Chinese during class to facilitate learning.
These methods are actually "lazy" behaviors, imprisoning themselves in the "comfort zone" of the Chinese language environment, although saving time and effort, but in the long run, their English level will stagnate, or even decline.
Websites, newspapers and magazines are all media that carry a lot of English information, and we can use them as authentic English learning materials, develop the habit of reading every day, and expand the memory of unfamiliar words and phrases like the intensive reading training done when preparing for the IELTS test.
The class provides a good English listening training environment, and when you are not comfortable with the professor's accent at first, you can help understand it by recording, previewing PPT in advance, etc., but you still need to really push yourself and "sharpen your ears" more in order to gradually improve your listening level.
Do you have the experience of making trouble because of your English proficiency? Welcome to share in the comment area~
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