If English is not your first language, you may find that you need to take an English proficiency test such as IELTS or TOEFL as part of your application to study abroad. These tests may seem straightforward, but learning to write and speak in a complex and fluent manner is not an easy task. To be successful, you will need to make a continuous effort to learn a new language, but there are some quick fixes that can help increase your test performance in the short term.

If the test is just a few weeks away, here are some ways to quickly improve your English language skills.

Watch movies in English

Watching the series on Netflix may not improve your debate skills or the official register, but it does help you to understand the language better, become more familiar with English conversations, and get a more fluent language experience. Also, you can try to choose words that sound random and look for more experienced colleagues. Of course, there are also dozens of documentaries that will also be available online. Exposure to the length of the film may help you to start thinking in English.

Practice speaking Hinglish

Switching directly to English can be very difficult, hence you can start with adding English to your native language like Hindi. For Hinglish typing you can use Hindi typing keyboard app.

Adding a language little by little is very much easier than suddenly switching to one.

Focus on English language issues

Try to take a broad sample of English language newspapers, including broadsheets and magazines and tabloids. As well as helping you stay up-to-date with current affairs, this list of media outlets will also expand your vocabulary. Another benefit is that you will be more comfortable with spelling and grammar.

Start a vocabulary book with useful words

In your notebook or computer, start making a list of useful words and phrases. Each time you hear or see an unfamiliar word, write it down. Focus not on the word itself, but on the words that are similar to the phrases. Well, you may understand what words like “start” or “fun” mean, but can you really use them correctly?

Have conversations in English

While listening and reading activities can be helpful, you also need to use English in conjunction and practice your speaking skills. If you are lucky, you will be friends with a few native speakers who can help you, but if not try to meet someone who is learning English. Another option is to talk alone in the mirror or record yourself. Listening to the sound of your voice may be difficult at first, but you will be able to hear mistakes you did not know before.

Get used to it, get used to it, get used to it

Let’s face it, academic phrases will not just fall from the sky and go straight to your brain. Even if your English is already very good, do not overdo it and look down on the stressful aspects of the test. You still have to exercise, no matter how much time you have left before your big day. Try to come up with a word for the day, and try to use it as often as possible. If you do this, don’t waste time with very specific words that you will never use. Instead, focus on conversational English that may be important in the test.

Curiosity does not always kill a cat

In order to make rapid progress, you need to ask a lot of questions and resolve them. Do not simply read phrases. Ask why they are used in a certain way, or other structures may also occur and do not trust everything you read online. Yes, it is tempting to be satisfied with the initial response from Google, but you will receive many rewards if you show curiosity.

Do not forget to have fun while reading

If learning English only sounds like a chore, it will seem boring and you will not do well. That is why it is so important to stay motivated and to enjoy learning a new language. Find ways to add entertainment to your lessons, such as playing word games with friends that will improve your thinking skills.

Obviously, learning a new language is a long-term task and you cannot start from zero and write an academic paper a week later. However, when you build on a good foundation, you can achieve great results faster if you work hard. Especially in tests like IELTS, you really need to know exactly what questions will be asked, what the formats look like and how you can handle the right tasks. Try to stay focused and improve certain areas, rather than trying to get everything at once.

Lastly, do not lose the love for your native language in the process. In fact, it is actually better to type in the font of the language itself rather than sticking to English fonts. Like for example, you should type Malayalam in Manglish keyboard app itself to help your brain understand that this font is associated with the formal language.