Faizah and Her Enchanting Journey

Photo by Karla Hernandez on Unsplash

one thing that makes me so astonished in this class is : this class makes me realized that after all this time surprisingly i did not answer the IELTS exam in a proper way. i fail to answer like the way the exam maker expects me to do.  

but this is a common mistake for the IELTS taker. a particular trap to make sure that someone is deserved certain score of the IELTS result.

before we talk that far, please allow me to explain what notorious means. notorious is a term to symbolize a well known someone or something with a bad terminology. a cruel one. like you watch a superhero movie, the boss of the boss of the villain. yup, that character is notorious. an antagonist part of the movie who causes the drawbacks at its best.

in IELTS, the notorious questions are on the reading test. 

in short : this trap scattered properly in four locations : true/yes false/no not given, multiple choice, matching heading/information, and completing summary.

in my journey, completing summary is my best friend. following with T/F/NG. but my real enemy is multiple choice and my notorious character is matching/heading information question type. 

outside my class, i told Betari several times that i always got trapped in question type which containing a choice. i have a constrain to choose the best answer because every choice seems like true answer. everytime i express my frustation, Betari, with her wise smile always reminds me to be patient with myself and trust the process. 

the light will come as long as i stay with this journey.

finally in this meeting lights come to me. as i said in the beginning of this post. i have been getting lost to find the best answer because i don't have the strategy. for the question type with a multiple choice, please do not focus on the passage or question. focus on the choices first. eliminate the incoherence choice that not match with the context of passage, then look what the question wants, finally search it on the passage.

do not answer a multiple choice question type in the IELTS reading like the way you did it on your national exam. it's an entirely different game. 

oh wow, it's exactly what i do all this time. i read the question, search on passage, then deciding the answer by considering all the choices. gotcha, it's understandable why i always get wrong answer in this section.

oke, let me take a breath about my foollies, i personally didn't know where is my brain at that time.

now this is the time to face my personal notorious part : matching/heading information question type. previously, in this question i look at the question first, then try to resume the passage, and deciding which one is the suitable answer.

exactly the same way like i did in my national exam. and i have the same result : none of them is true.

for this kind of question, first thing first is i must understand all the heading/information provided in the box (usually). scan the passage, then answer the question. this kind of question is a little bit trickier than the multiple choice part. in the multiple choice, the challenge is to eliminate incoherence information with the context of the passage, meanwhile in heading/matching the exam point is to find an appropriate heading/sentence who sums up the resume of the passage that asking for. 

literally two parts with different strategy, but i do it like answering the national exam.

the other two parts that are my best friend is quite good, but i keep concentrate while answering the question in order to avoid slipped who leads to wrong answers because of my lack of accuracy.

finally, that is my experience in order to introspect, analyze, and evaluate my IELTS reading strategy. i hope the benefit of this meeting really helps me and i can implement it through my real test.

please, give me an ameeen.

Balikpapan, 25 October 2021

Riffat Akhsan -- who did not finish her IELTS reading homework yet 

 

 

 Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

thank you for waiting. your patient really matters. usually i write my experience of my IELTS journey with Betari Aisah in the same week as the class held. but, due to my hectic work - related activity makes this post got some delayed.

but, i still remember how incredible the experience to crack the speaking test. first, i told you again about the philosophy behind IELTS test. the test is not just a score, it's about a metric to measure how deep your English language acquisition skill. a great framework to help you deliver the idea in your head into an understandable way of communication ; speaking and writing. also encourages you to understanding the English language content appropriately through listening and reading.

this speaking topic is the end of foundation class. the next agenda of this private lesson is about how to implement a good strategy in order to gain a higher score than my previous result. 

let me tell you about the class. first, Betari gives me a basic formula to structure a good sentence in order to answer the examiner's question. the next stages are, Betari convince me to enjoy with the speaking test ambiance. she makes an analogy that the speaking test is pretty similar to coffee shop conversation. you know, a set up meeting talking with a light conversation at the beginning and often end up with a mind blowing conversation at the end. a two way informal communication rather than a formal interview. the speaking test it is. 

one highlighted key takeaways that i want to share is : Betari shows me a video about how the IELTS band score 9 candidate do the test. one thing that i never dare to watch. in my assumptions a perfect score IELTS taker is so natural yet have a bunch of rare vocabularies and deliver it into well flow sentence in the conversation. 

but i was wrong.

through the video i get enlightenment that a great score of speaking test is not about the vocab. but about how far you can show your natural english conversation during the test. hence, the vocabulary is quite basic but very well structured, straightforward, and understandable. like a coffee shop conversation. there is no pretending or nervous gesture. no confusing yet complex explanation. everything in the conversation seems smooth and very natural. none of these people who involve in the test look like have a constrains to understand the content of the conversation.

after some contemplation after the class, i have a conclusion that the IELTS speaking test makes me learn about new mentality : just do my best and try to communicate my idea with a sentence that i am comfortable to say. do not intend to give some impression just to hope a higher score. just be confident and trust myself that i can face the speaking test.

thank you so much Betari for the amazing structure of my IELTS class syllabus. i am such a lucky girl who have a diamond chance be one of your students.

Balikpapan, 25 October 2021

Riffat Akhsan -- who can't stop saying a gratitudes witnessing her dream is getting closer day by day 

  

  

Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash

after my pain from hell because of period, finally I attend to this class. in the middle of our schedule, this is a whole new skill that i must cracking it : IELTS Writing Task 1.

in my opinion, completing IELTS Writing Task 1 is harder than Task 2. because this is about data interpretation. i do not allow to put any other opinion on this task. just pure understanding the visual data shown by chart, graph, multiple chart, map, table, pie bar, or cycle. the shape of a question is a quiet board to predict.

here the challenge. i do not transcribe the data. i must "translate" the data into a narrative passage in my answer sheet. for some people, this is really a piece of cake because all of the material already provides. but, for me. this is the difficult one ; i am on intersection to sort which is the my interpretation and which one is my opinion.

my first step is, i must understand what the question trying to instruct. what must i do with this visual data ? this part contains identifying the superlative, column, bar, percentages, group of process, if there is a map i must implement the compass language (Naughty, Elephant, Splash, Water), 

writing task 1 is really pushing my limits, and Betari shows me that i'm not in the wrong room. because i can identify which one that i must comprehend more and whic aspect i did well.

until today, my IELTS journey is still full of frustating moments because my score is not stable yet. but, i wish i could grit in this process until my exam day.

please, pray for me.

Balikpapan, 11 of October 2021

Faizah Riffat -- still, an IELTS fighter

this meeting is very special. starting with encouraging week, because we had to suspend the class due to my menstrual - hell illness. so, I pay the absence to constanly do IELTS reading and listening test for 4 days. i take IELTS Cambridge 14 Module. test 1 for Monday, Tuesday is test 2, the third test is on wednesday, and the last test at Thrusday. the next day (Friday) is a time to attend my IELTS Class.

my illness like a blessing in disguise. this break surprisingly gives me a courage to enjoy my Natgeo People channel without reading the Indonesian Subtitle. i can close my eyes and feel the vibration of the dialog.  also, i can enjoy reading my favorite novel in English version. this feeling is so satisfying.

the novel and Natgeo People maneuvering my mindset. from make it as my tools to increase my IELTS, to enjoying it and realize IELTS is a foundation for unlocking the cheap yet easy high quality of entertaining content. with my financial situation, it feels so blessed to have a good English to overcomes it. 

so, my fear of IELTS test has already fallen down. I got the essence, the reading passage is shorter than my favorite novel. i must pass the reading passage to make a perfect imagination about the scene that written in the novel. i must pass the listening passage to enjoy the best message about my favorite program : Natgeo People and Gill Clarks's comment for badminton tournament. i must pass the writing to deliver my idea and contemplation in a proper way. i must pass the speaking for communicating well about what i really want.

i need IELTS for unlocking a whole new level of my global dream.

Betari really an answer from my Deity for my prays.  

speaking about writing, yes. demystifiying is a really good analogy. this part of IELTS is really like a misty myth for me. in this class, i know that i have been trapped in this part. i failed to translate and transcribe what the question want. leads me  wrong direction and makes my score stagnant.

from this class finally i know that the Writing Task 2 actually has a particular framework with a particular structure and all i need is to fill the template with a suitable sentence. what a sentence that must put in the template is really interesting . i just know that what a paragraph progression is, and i already know how to identify a sentence that just be an "accessories" because still stick with its previous information.

 

another insight i get from this class is : just like another part of IELTS, type of question leads to a certain strategy. i just realize that this time so far i got trapped in a rush : not understand the instruction clearly and writing without planning. it brings me to more time pressure and stuck in the middle of the writing process. in writing, we must set time allocation to make it right : for planning, for writing, and for proofreading. this allocation is like a guidance for my panic attack, it really like an anchor.

to bridging my understanding of this part and what Betari teach me, i finished two books as my suplement : IELTS Essay Writing written by Mike Wattie and Master IELTS Essays written by Ebrahim Tahassoni. this two books is really a good bridge for me understand what Betari trying to say about.  i feel really blessed with these books and Betari combination. this collaboration is really giving me a light in my dark tunnel about IELTS writing task 2.

another exciting news about Betari is : i can contact her with my pieces of screenshot of the book to ask some enlightenment outside our class. as our agreement in first meeting : this class is about me and Betari. together we will polish my weakness to reach my "less intimidating" IELTS score. but at the end, this exam is about me. how far i can extract what i learned with Betari's guidance in our classes and execute it during the exam's pressure. how deep i can show my ability in this language acquisition process to the examiner. 

in conclusion, all i can say is : you can learn IELTS by yourself. you can download unlimited resources of writing IELTS on the internet and practicing IELTS Writing through https://writeandimprove.com/ by Cambridge English and get diamond feedback from there . but having Betari accompany you through your journey of IELTS is an unimaginable experience. her really incredible for delivering her capabilities and experiences of IELTS and help to escalate your competencies.

thank you for reading, have a nice day. remember : Saturday is Coming Your Way 😇

  

Balikpapan, 29 of September 2021

Faizah -- who very spirited for her next meeting with Betari

this meeting is dominated with we are figuring out what happen in Cambridge IELTS 16 listening test, why my score has extremely dropped. after I and Betari has been done the same test : we agreed that in the 16 series (and most probably in the 17 series, which is held this year) IELTS examiners committee makes some significance chance in IELTS exam. The difficulties are broadenly spread in all the tests. this not like the previous exam, which had particular part that used to be notorious part of exam participant.  there is no more example in the listening test (which is good because for me, an example in the test was breaking my focus LOL) and the speaker talk slower than before. the accent of the speaker also different and challenging to identify what accent is from. the context also very related to real situation. so, yeah. the IELTS Cambridge 16 is more difficult. Betari suggest me to just focus on IELTS Cambridge 16 practices as my preparing tools to face my IELTS real test. because this is a new style of exam. new pattern. 

the evaluation is : sometimes, do not listen to the details. but listen to the context itself. also review again the whole sentences (to make sure the context) before I move in that answer to my answer sheet.

trust my ears, establish my basic listening, try to let go, and do not be stressed about something that i know that is my weakness. indeed. Betari ascertains that there will be a moment, where my IELTS score is stable regardless the situation that surrounds them.  

the next is speaking test. this is my second times i do speaking test. the surprise is, my score is increasing 0.5 points. Ya, Allah. Alhamdulillah. Betari gives me some valuable feedbacks that encourages me, if the speaking test is a chance at helping part of my IELTS score. 

after overcoming my worried in Listening and Speaking, so the reading materials begin. again, we focused on the topics of IELTS Cambridge 16. which is very intimidating and trending at this time. Betari said much of her students' score are dropped while doing this test. like me. my point is drop 1 point. sad 😭.

but, the journey is still long way. i must patiently give a chance again to myself.  Betari gives me three ammunition : first, reading the whole passages of reading test. this strategy is effective to overcome what the main idea, and which are the additional information who stronger the main idea. next is reading the question first for the true/false/not given type of question. this is time efficient. the analogy is like the buy and sell process. we receive the order first and then check to our stock. which one that most suitable for the order. this is also good to implement the type of question who provide a table of answer choice and questioning resume of the paragraph. 

last, the mandatory strategy of reading test : skimming --> resume in one or two words --> read the question --> and scanning again the paragraph to find the answer of questions.

so, yeah. that's my reflection for understanding reading test more. hope this post will help you as Betari's suggestions work for me.

thank you for reading, fellas. have a good day !

Balikpapan, 16 of September 2021

Faizah Riffat -- who has a plan for coming late at work because last night meeting at the ministry's work unit are so tiring 

listening is my first love, but Betari shows me it's not that easy.

you are what you listen to, is a perfectly right quote to describe coherency between you and your IELTS Listening Test. stay calm and trust your ears. you just have one chance to concentrate and write exactly what you listen to. do not ever think that your memoir can save you for listening tests. once you get delayed, you never find out the right answer.

at that time, i lost my motivation. i have been getting a stable listening score during my practice. but one day, it decreases 0.5 points. I still assume that is because I did not get my breakfast before the practice. but it becomes worse when the next day it shows the same score in different listening test (i never repeat my practice with the same test).

and Listening Test from Betari came. i got more surprised when the score is dropping 1 point than before. my total decreasing gap from my stable score to Betari test is about 1.5 points. it's very heartbreaking. 

this is so begin with end in my mind. for the first time i found a coach who willing to learn, to imagine standing in my position. OMG what kind of thing i did in my past life to deserved coach like Betari ?

bukan hal baru, saya harus lembur di hari Minggu. biasanya situasi begini saya kombinasikan dengan so called self reward. dimulai dari saya makan paket bento di restoran Jepang kesayangan saya. dilanjutkan dengan ngopi sambil kerja di waralaba kopi terkenal dunia. yang berada tepat di seberang restoran Jepang itu.

 

nescafe.

and it works...........