Unit studying Overseas r e a d I n g introduction

2  found reading difficult at first 

3  was afraid of making errors in speech 

4  believes you need to change your style of learning 

5  recommends additional study prior to your main study programme 

6  thinks you can learn skills to develop your reading ability 

7  was worried about joining in discussions even when the topics weren’t unknown 

8  thinks that you should ensure your English ability is sufficient before travelling abroad 

3

List of Students

A Yoshiko

B Tariq

C  Chen Fei

Take part in discussions right from the start

I don’t have problems with reading, as I had already done a lot of that before I arrived here. What I found very hard was 

taking part in discussions. I could usually follow the arguments, and I knew enough about the topics, but I couldn’t think 

of what to say quickly enough or I was too worried about making mistakes or not being understood by the tutor. Here, you 

are really expected to challenge ideas and give your own point of view. I have even seen students disagree with the tutor! 

This was all very strange and uncomfortable for me. My advice to students is make sure your English level is high enough 

before you go overseas, otherwise you waste a lot of time and feel frustrated because you either can’t follow what’s going on, 

or you can’t take part. The other piece of advice I’d give is: don’t be afraid to speak up!

Chen Fei

from Guangdong, China 

01 IELTS Express Intermediate WB TXT.indd   7

01/02/12   5:58 PM

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