Now use your host, Ryan.

Hello and welcome to Isles cast.

My name is Ryan and today I am speaking with Sean and Eilts, candidates from China from Inner Mongolia, China and Shawn has taken taken the Isles two times.

His first time was roughly eight months ago when he scored an overall band of about six or 6.5.

And then he took the examination again a few weeks ago and scored an overall band of 8.5.

So you can see that Shawn has made incredible advancements in his English over the past couple of months, and he has been kind enough to share some time today to tell us how he did it.

So hello, Sean.

And welcome tiles cast.

Hi, Ryan.

It's my budget to be here, so let's start by talking a little bit about your your history with the examination.

So you're We were talking before I started the recording and you took the exam first in Wuhan, China on.

Then several months later, you moved to Australia, and then you took the examination again.

So why don't you tell us just very briefly a little bit about your first experience with the aisles exam.

Okay.

And the fifth time I said Rosie was quite intimidating.

I was preparing for the fist time.

I think it was about two or three weeks.

I had a lot of trouble with the speaking there the first time.

I have no idea what was going on, What I was expecting.

Uh, now, when you did the first experience, you were telling me that you scored a boat.

A band?

6.5 and speaking.

Is that correct?

Yes.

Exactly.

Okay.

And then just this recent time, you scored band 8.5, right?

Yeah.

So maybe we can start with that section then, eh?

So why don't you tell us a little bit about you know what happened?

I mean, the first time you were 6.5.

The second time you grew your band bite by 22 entire bands.

So can you just walk us through the process?

What do you attribute?

This growth too?

Well, I suppose during all these months on I've done sufficient prepare operation about this test.

I'm fully aware of all the little details.

I'm going t o face during this interview, and I was doing a lot of imitation from the American movies.

I think, as you can see, when I speak, I speak with an American accent which cannot be learned in Australia.

So, uh, basically, it was like this.

I would find this movie I really love and truth one character.

And I would image it everything he or she set in every single detail I think I am.

I would even imitate their voice.

That's the best way to practice your own Alsatian and intonation and stuff, love.

Really?

Sure.

Insing you are.

Actually, Shawn, I need to comment.

Here you're speaking is excellent.

Really.

I can tell that you're enunciating every single word.

You speak extremely clearly.

So I completely understand why you scored 8.5.

Can you walk us through the east?

The strategy that you would approach that you that you took, uh, you were talking about the movies and the audio.

How did you do that?

Did you take the audio off of the movies and listen to them.

Or were you kind of watching the movies and repeating or well, it was quite simple, actually.

I just find a movie and I wouldn't love it.

Let the actors say their lines and I would just repeat after the but with precise details.

I suppose that I want to talk about the actual Isles test that part the interview later.

It was kind of very nice.

She was friendly, so I didn't feel nervous at all when I was doing the test on Um Okay, so here's my strategy.

I feel like it's not what I said that really matters is horror.

Helena said it, that's that's gonna earn me those points.

For example, if I was thinking, If the Examiner office me.

Okay, so what is a favorite color?

Um, I'm pretty sure she wasn't interested in my preference is about the color.

She actually wanted to know.

If I can use the proof in language to express my you know, preference about this subject that I would say OK, interesting question.

I don't think I've ever think about colors at all before, But for the sake of this question, I suppose I would go with purple and the blah, blah, blah.

It doesn't really matter if I feel the elsewhere with all these redundant words.

The important thing is, well, the way I say it So Okay, so So you kind of lead into your answer with a bit of preamble.

And then and then you're saying that that that's what won you won you marks with the Examiner?

Yes, basically, that's my strategy.

In with every single question.

Who is the oil's interview?

That's wow, that's that's a really good, really good piece of advice.

Okay, It's obviously worked because the thing is, you gotta act as like, a zit you're doing It's punking is like, You can't show the Examiner that you've already memorized all those lines, right?

Because we can tell.

I'm pretty sure they can tell.

Okay, okay, so in, I guess it was about six months you grew the mark by two fold bands by following the strategy of watching American movies and repeating after the actors and and and then following a strategy of how to respond to the to the questions and that worked had got you any 0.5 and speaking Now, why don't you tell us a bit specifically about the different ports of the speaking exam?

So the first part, you know, this kind of a a conversation between you and the Examiner will ask you a couple of pre scripted questions.

Um, now, the second part, you give a monologue, tell us a bit about how you delivered your monologue.

Okay, I remember the question was about talking about this seaside place I have to pick one place on.

I want to go.

Apparently, it has to be a safe place.

And I have to talk about what I wanted doing there, and I couldn't remember exactly.

So my strategy was No.

They give me one minute to let me jot down a few things.

So I fully took advantage of those ton.

I would write down what?

I want to talk it out the place where it is.

Apparently I choose the Gold Coast, which is somewhere near the Brisbane city.

It was an easy target.

Okay, so after thought I would write down a few things about the features of that place or what I intend to do when I do get there.

And okay, so where my time was up.

Late eight interview letting, Uh, well, she asks me to start doing the monologue.

And apparently, after about 20 seconds, I just suddenly ran out of words.

So I improvised a little bit by adding a few more details about, you know, learning how to swim when I do get there.

And the Examiner was kind of Okay, so you must be some kind of loser.

You actually don't have a swim, but really judge me.

She was just lopping and watch me getting embarrassed talking like a fool, like, Okay, Okay.

But let me just ask, was that detail?

Is that Is that a truth teller?

Is that something you just kind of made up a CZ.

You were going through the monologue?

Um, I'm pretty sure I fully Kabul the points on the shopping cart.

Do you call it the top cop in?

Okay, So after I down the topic car, I just kind of run out of words, But I've still got a lot of time left.

And examiner was expecting me to say you bit more, so I just, you know, at a few more details learning how the swing park that wasn't on the topic card.

I guess it does.

I guess it was relevant to the seaside place after all.

So yeah, it sounds like it.

And it sounds like the Examiner saw that way as well, So?

Well, that's great.

Now, when you're giving your monologue, did you use a lot of cohesive phrases like linking words to kind of tie the senses together Or, you know, when it comes to cohesive devices, I suppose I've always been using that kind of words.

Like, for example, during our conversation, I was always using you.

Actually, I'm not sure what I'm using, but I'm pretty sure, uh, what I said, I just do it spontaneously.

Weasel linking words.

Yeah.

Like, for example, or okay, moving on to the next point right off the top of my head.

I'm thinking big.

There's a lot of things.

So now, Shawn, maybe there might be a student listening right now that speaks, but they don't have these cohesive devices that you use very naturally.

Uh, what sort of advice would you give them?

I mean, how can they learn how to use them?

You know, more naturally in there.

Speaking Well, I suppose it can only be achieved by, Well, keep practicing.

You know, when it comes to language learning, I don't really think there's a stop cut.

You're gonna find your own way.

You're on.

Wait.

Thio developed your loan.

Excuse or, you know, incorporating holders linking devises into her own language.

It's a long, painful process.

No short cut, but it's really worse than effort, I think.

Okay, great.

Okay, now, just regarding the interview if we go back to that.

So when you walked out of the the examiners room, how did you feel?

Did you feel confident about your performance?

Or I was pretty sure I was going to stir up, but, um, surprisingly, the honest lady, she actually gave me a score I couldn't possibly ever imagine.

I was kind of a surprise, I think.

Okay, so So you didn't walk out of the room thinking you were gonna get 8.5.

No, I was thinking OK, so it's 6.5 again.

Okay, well, it's a very nice surprise, isn't it?

Is it really taking me?

So I just want to make sure that I've got everything corrector.

So the main preparation strategy used for speaking was to replicate movies.

Was there any other major strategy you followed?

Um, okay, there is this book called Let me think about the name of that book.

Um, okay.

I couldn't remember the exact name of that book that basically that book tells me it's not what you said.

That matters.

It's Hall.

You said that really matters.

So I don't think it's similar to what I said before.

You gotta pay attention to the language itself, not the contents of your pockets.

Let me try.

Try to remember the also Sure was Matt Clark, remember?

Exactly.

Okay.

I'll see if I can track it down and I'll put a link on the site so students can get to it if they if they like.

So you say his book is very good.

You followed the strategy of watching movies.

Were those the two main things?

Yeah.

I suppose that would be my basic strategies.

In the ways is speaking, has, I guess?

Oh, also, I believe the attitude really matters.

You can't like yourself to be nervous.

Okay, So here's what I did about this.

I let myself believe.

Okay, so I come to that interview the examiner was kind of their.

I've already paid all that money.

She's there to serve me.

I'm the monster.

I can't let myself to get nervous.

I'm going to do it.

Right.

So Okay.

So that really helped me overcome that?

No, that is a very, very good piece of advice, I think so.

When you go into the examination, you have to think about Maura's.

The Examiner has been paid by you, and you're the one in control here.

It's It's not the other way around.

Maybe that helps Thio give a bit of confidence.

So that's good advice.

Uh, now, Shawn, did you spend much time talking with other people before you took the exam?

Or was it mainly you were just talking with, you know, practicing by yourself in the mirror or with movies?

What did you do?

Any am talking with others?

Okay, I was taking it.

Has the right off thio the semester.

I suppose.

I've done a lot of practice with Australian domestic students during olders lectures and stuff.

Right.

Um perhaps that would help.

Was improving the pronunciation, your grammar and stuff.

They would really be friendly and correct My English when they do find a mistake.

I find it to be really helpful.

But I suppose, um, it's no major reason I scored.

Well, this is a test.

I think I can figure out what really happened, but I know what I'm talking.

That really helps yet.

No, it does.

John, trust me.

You know, you're giving some really, really good advice today, and I know it's it's gonna help a lot of people.