The secret to achieving 9.0 IELTS: Concretize and find joy in foreign languages

During the interview skills class at Tuoi Tre newspaper on the afternoon of September 6, students of the creative communication department, Nguyen Tat Thanh University had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Tran Anh Khoa share his experience in conquering 9.0 IELTS.

Mr. Tran Anh Khoa answers interview questions from students - Photo: TTD

Tran Anh Khoa achieved 9.0 IELTS after four attempts, thanks to his solid English foundation and the application of "specify" thinking when handling general questions in the speaking and writing sections.

According to Mr. Khoa, knowing English brings benefits in many ways: easy access to international research, reading original documents without waiting for translations, expanding cultural knowledge and global vision.

"If you only study to get high scores, you will quickly get discouraged. The important thing is to find something interesting in a foreign language. The best way is to combine studying with existing passions such as music , movies, cooking or sports. When studying through hobbies, learners will be exposed to a much more diverse vocabulary than in books," he said.

Nguyen Thanh Binh - a third-year student - asked the speaker about the secret to achieving 9.0 IELTS - Photo: TTD

According to Mr. Khoa, for many IELTS candidates, the biggest difficulty lies in developing ideas, especially in Writing and Speaking skills. Mr. Khoa emphasizes the method of "concretizing the problem" to overcome this weakness.

For example, in Speaking, when asked the question "Is money the root of all evil?", learners should specify the "evil" to easily develop the idea.

He also noted that there was no need to be too obsessed with flowery words, as using them flexibly, accurately and in the right context would bring higher efficiency. If you forget a word, flexibly rephrase it using the vocabulary you already have.

Through the lesson, students both practiced their interviewing skills for speakers and practiced English - Photo: TTD

According to Mr. Khoa, learning a foreign language is a long-term journey and cannot be mastered in just one or two months. Therefore, learners need to create a stable learning habit, choose a fixed time and space to study every day. When maintained regularly for long enough, learning will become a natural reflex.

"If you only study for the exam, you will quickly get discouraged when you have the certificate. Consider English as a lifelong journey to stay motivated," he said.

Besides academic knowledge in books, learning through YouTube, TikTok or podcasts is also essential to get familiar with common vocabulary, slang and natural expressions of native speakers.

In particular, when taking the test, he advised candidates to read the questions carefully to avoid falling into traps.

In the Writing section, candidates will be assessed based on four criteria: ideas, coherence, vocabulary and grammar. If you only focus on language and forget about ideas, it will be difficult to get a high score.

In the age of technology, AI can effectively support foreign language practice, but according to Mr. Khoa, teachers still play a special role in terms of emotion and experience in understanding the grading rules, helping students orient themselves more clearly.

"The most important thing is to be persistent, learn the right method, and combine exams with practical application. Don't depend on the old way of learning, take advantage of technology and find joy in foreign languages," said Mr. Khoa.

The activity is part of the interview skills course, a joint training program between Tuoi Tre newspaper and Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

During the time students study at Tuoi Tre newspaper, lecturers will invite speakers who are experts and inspirational people to help students practice their subjects, as well as gain useful stories, knowledge and skills.

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HO NHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bi-quyet-dat-9-0-ielts-cu-the-hoa-va-tim-niem-vui-trong-ngoai-ngu-20250906162226215.htm