IELTS Reading Practice: 5 Great Resources To Boost your Reading and Writing

Before opening this link, you may have expected links to mock tests of IELTS of reading tests. That is not the case. There is no denying that you will eventually need sample tests to test your reading and writing ability. However, the step that comes before that is to master reading and writing in GENERAL first, not to test yourself straight up without any work. Why? Testing yourself consistently with a skill based test will always return the same result while improving you very slowly. It is like a person trying to lose weight, but instead of following a diet, simply tests himself everyday by only weighing himself. No. Weighing yourself is important, but alone, it is completely pointless. Below is a group of activities that will directly improve your reading ability, and indirectly improve your writing one, because the more you read, the better at both reading and writing you will become.

1. Surf the web by specific interests using Stumbleupon

Stumbleupon is an excellent website that shows you great content on the internet by learning what you like. Simply pick a topic, and when it shows you a page, tell it if you like or dislike the content. It will continue to show you more of what it thinks you might like, and less of what it thinks you might not.

2. Read opinion articles on Huffington Post

Although Huffington Post is not a good resource for scientific fact, it is nonetheless a good source of opinion based articles. Literally every single post on that site is what a typical writing Task 2 should like, and can be good practice for you to grasp the meanings of introduction, arguments, paragraphs and conclusions.

3. Laugh out Loud with Cracked

Cracked is a website that focuses on extreme, bizarre humor. If you like to laugh while reading, while checking scientific and social facts with proven sources at the same time, cracked is the site for you. It is worth noting that this website, in spite of its goal, follows very strong practices when checking its sources for correct information. If you find cracked too crude, try listverse.

4. Extremely interesting content with Brightside and Bored Panda

They know exactly what the majority of people are super curious to click on and read. In a world filled with videos, these guys can still grab your attention with good old fashioned pictures and text until this day. Check out their websites especially if you have a tendency to hate or be bored of reading, I dare you to find their kind of reading boring as well.

5. Good old fashioned books:

You can do your own research on Good Reads, then after reaching the conclusion. Get the books. Now, if you do not mind reading electronically, I recommend buying a kindle. Why would you buy a kindle even if you have a tablet? Because a kindle does not glare in the sun, much lighter and won't hurt your hand and eyes reading for long periods of time, and has a battery that you only need to recharge ONCE A MONTH. IF you prefer physical copies, go to the nearest bookstore, and use your phone to checkout reviews of books you find interesting. Bonus Point: 6. Reread what you already read in your native language, but in English. Any popular books you've read in your own native language are great to try reading in English. Even religious books such as the Quran or the Bible, you will learn a vast array of vocabulary and language that is accurate and formal. If your country has a popular novel that got translated to English, read that as well, even if you did not read the original version written in your own language. About the Author:

Amr Ayman was a regular pharmacist, until he discovered his gift for teaching IELTS. He created Speak2Me, and now teaches English and IELTS full-time. You can try his lesson here for free.