How does a 17-year-old male student who achieved IELTS 9.0 learn English?

Dang Mai Thai Hoang, a 11th grade student majoring in Russian at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted ( Hanoi ), is a male student who just achieved IELTS 9.0 on computer in mid-August, with impressive scores in the following skills: Listening 9.0, Reading 9.0, Speaking 9.0, Writing 8.0.

This achievement of the male student made many people admire. This is the highest score that a candidate can achieve in the IELTS exam and it is not an easy thing.

Often read English newspapers to learn how to write.

Hoang said that in 2022, he took the IELTS test with a score of 8.5. At that time, Hoang was 0.5 points short of achieving a 9.0. Therefore, the young man was determined to practice more to perfect his skills, as well as see how his English "level" would be after two years.

Dang Mai Thai Hoang

NVCC

"Before, I viewed skills as a subject. Only by studying and practicing... could I improve my level. However, I gradually realized that instead of just practicing daily questions and doing Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests, I should view English as a tool. Therefore, I decided to change my strategy and start dividing the skills into small parts to review through daily practice," Hoang shared. For example, to practice English listening skills, the young man often watches YouTube and Instagram about topics he likes and often watches commentary videos or documentaries. Hoang pays attention to the way YouTubers like Penguinz0 speak, pronounce and write to create his own way of listening and responding. In addition, Hoang also listens to a lot of American and British music and tries to understand the lyrics of the songs. At that time, Hoang asked himself many questions: "Why did they write the lyrics like that?", "What does this song mean?", "What are they talking about?"... He was crazy about three artists: Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, J. Cole and knew their songs by heart. To practice reading and writing, Hoang often read English newspapers to learn how to write on them. Then, Hoang would analyze each paragraph to learn.

Dang Mai Thai Hoang actively participates in exchange activities

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This young man also participated in many United Nations simulation conference (MUN) activities organized by school students as a delegate, member of the professional board... According to Hoang, this is an activity that helps him practice all four English skills.

In MUN, Hoang and his friends played the roles of delegates representing many different countries. The delegates would debate in English about current issues and write a lot of academic topics. Thanks to that, this young man used English naturally, as well as made friends with people who shared the same interests.

Failed English major because...

Few people know that Hoang once failed his first choice to enter the English specialized class because his literature score was 0.05 points short. So, the young man switched to the Russian specialized class and felt very satisfied with his choice. "Russian is much more difficult than English. However, the accent in Russian is quite interesting when applied to English. Thanks to that, I can apply it more in IELTS practice. Studying in the Russian class, I have the opportunity to participate in many social activities, exchange, donate books, make small plans... for disadvantaged students," Hoang said.

The boy in the Russian specialized class possesses many "talents"

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Not only passionate about social activities, this young man also possesses many... talents such as knowing how to play the guitar, chess... Occasionally, he also lifts weights to train his body. In addition to IELTS 9.0, Hoang also achieved many outstanding achievements. Specifically, he won first prize in the Hanoi National University High School Olympic exam in English, second prize in the Hanoi City English Olympic 2021-2022... Currently, Hoang is Deputy Head of the Content Department of International Vietnam Model United Nations 2024, Head of the Content Department of Hanoi-Amsterdam Model UN Association. Ms. Mai Thi Hong Tam (Hoang's mother) said: "When I heard that my son got the maximum score in the IELTS exam, I was very surprised. Since childhood, Hoang has shown a love for English and has always been proactive in studying. However, the family does not put pressure on his achievements but always encourages him to study with the most comfortable mindset". Currently, Hoang is completing his study abroad application and preparing to enter grade 12 soon. The young man hopes that with his IELTS score of 9.0 and many achievements, his profile will catch the attention of universities.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nam-sinh-17-tuoi-dat-ielts-90-hoc-tieng-anh-nhu-the-nao-185240817170129008.htm