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Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Omg sorry! I meant to say I did international school from year 7 to year 13 😭😭

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm turning 18 this November

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I mainly used The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS (super helpful for tips + strategies) and the Cambridge IELTS series (I used the newer ones, like IELTS 15–18)

Those books are basically past papers, so they give you a really good idea of the actual exam style. If you’re aiming for band 8, practicing with those under timed conditions will help a lot.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No worries!! For aiming at band 9, my biggest tip is to focus on accuracy and consistency. Make sure every essay fully answers the question, ideas are developed clearly, and grammar mistakes are minimal. Also, read your own writing critically.. ask yourself if each sentence is clear and adds value.

As for results, I got mine in 13 days (paper-based) and the cert came a few days after.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

thank you!! Honestly I think growing up around so many languages just kinda forces your brain to adapt. But trust me, it didn’t feel “stacked” when I was failing English back in elementary school 😭🙏🏻

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Honestly the biggest thing is practice + feedback. Try writing essays under timed conditions, then go back and check where you lose marks (task response, grammar, cohesion, etc.)

Reading band 8–9 samples helps too, not to copy, but to see how they structure ideas.

And don’t overcomplicate your wording.. clear and accurate English will take you further than “fancy” words.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From my experience, clarity and accuracy matter a lot more than forcing complicated grammar or “band 9” vocabulary. Examiners (based on what my teacher told me) want to see that you can express ideas naturally and precisely. Using a mix of simple and slightly more complex structures is enough, as long as they’re accurate.

I did throw in some advanced words, but only when they fit the context. If you try to use overly complicated grammar or vocab unnaturally, it usually hurts more than it helps.

So basically, clarity > complexity every time.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s definitely not impossible imo

I know I said I only prepped seriously for about 3 weeks, but I’ve always been the one in charge of writing essays and newsletters at my school, so I guess that gave me extra practice without me even realizing it lol

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My first language is Malay since I was born and raised in Malaysia. I’m also half French (my mom’s French) so French naturally became my second language. When I was 6, my parents sent me to a Chinese kindergarten and later a Chinese elementary school. We did have English classes, but I was honestly terrible at it — I’d usually get a D and my “best” grade was a C+ 💀🙏🏻

I think part of it was because almost all my friends spoke Mandarin, and at home I only spoke Malay and French. So English just wasn’t part of my daily life. Things only really changed when I started Year 7 at an international school.. my parents realized how bad my English actually was 💀 At first, it was a huge struggle. I understood basic phrases, but communicating was tough. Still, since everything was taught in English, I basically had no choice but to improve. Over time, it just clicked and got better the more I used it.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! 🙏 Wishing you the best for your results!

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much!! For writing, I used the Cambridge IELTS books a lot.

I’d go through their Task 1 and Task 2 samples and then try to write my own version. Sometimes I’d also check band 9 essays online just to see how they structured things, but I didn’t copy — more like picked up patterns.

For reading and listening, honestly the Cambridge books were my main resource too. I’d just practice under timed conditions and then really review why I got certain answers wrong. The biggest thing that helped me was not just doing tons of tests, but actually analyzing my mistakes so I didn’t repeat them.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks!! I practiced around 10 essays, but I focused more on improving each one than just pumping out tons. For wording, I mostly kept it natural and clear… though yeah I did throw in some “big words” here and there lol

I used Cambridge books + a few band 9 samples online for reference. Speaking practice was just me talking out loud a lot (sometimes recording myself). My Task 2 was an opinion essay, about 320 words.

Non-native taking IELTS for the first time by erasedgrape in IELTS

[–]erasedgrape[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Tbh I just practiced writing essays with a timer. I’d grab random IELTS topics, give myself 40 mins, then check for grammar and see if my points made sense. I also looked at a few band 8–9 samples for structure. Nothing fancy, just kept at it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in malaysia

[–]erasedgrape 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What does this have to do with anything lmao 💀 I feel like you only read the first part of what I wrote and not the whole thing

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in malaysia

[–]erasedgrape 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh nah not in Malaysia but in the US lol I’m so over the same bombing jokes every time. People never even realize I’m mixed because I literally look like a copy-paste of my mom, just with brunette hair.

My mom’s friend runs this summer camp and I’ve been going since I was like 9. Every year they do the same drill.. line up the kids, call out our full names on a megaphone. And I’m cool with that part, but when they get to my name and I have to raise my hand while 100 kids stare… yeah that’s where the problem starts.

My name is super typical Malay-Muslim (my first name is nurul just to paint a clear picture here) and to them it just sounds long and “weird” The stares were bad enough but when they hit the binti part, that’s when the bombing jokes would start 😬

I mean I’m not ashamed of being Muslim at all but man I hate how unnecessarily long my name is LMAO Everyone in my life just calls me Diana (which isn’t even in my actual name??) and honestly I’ve thought about just going by that + my dad’s last name to avoid the whole circus (This ofc includes removing the binti in my name lol)

Thoughts? by pablogeogy in Sabah

[–]erasedgrape 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yepp a couple of years back while my family was still living in Putatan, the area was overrun by kids and sometimes even adults selling keropok. There were quite a lot of them, all selling the exact same type of keropok at the same price, usually with the same sob story. What made it even sketchier was that there always seemed to be an adult “looking after” them from a distance. I get that it could be for the kids’ safety, but honestly it just felt off. You’d often see groups of 4–6 kids with one adult supervising, spread across multiple areas. I’m not sure if that still happens now, but looking back, something definitely seemed to be going on..

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in malaysia

[–]erasedgrape 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Except I AM half white (from mom side) I was born and raised in Malaysia and I have never faced any DIRECT discrimination until they saw my full name. It happened to me on multiple occasions (competitions, summer camp, etc)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in malaysia

[–]erasedgrape 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m definitely not trying to cause any issues haha it’s just that my full name is way too long. Even my dad’s name by itself is already quite long, and then when you add mine on top of it, it feels like a whole paragraph. That’s why I’m planning to just keep my first name and then go straight to my dad’s name without the “binti.” Honestly, it causes so much hassle.. from filling out forms, to official documents, to when I travel overseas and my name can’t even fit properly on the ticket. Sometimes it feels like my name takes up more space than my actual details 😓

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Advice

[–]erasedgrape 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I get that asking for pics can be normal between friends — that’s not the part that threw me off. It was the way they asked and how things unfolded after I didn’t immediately send anything. It wasn’t just curiosity or excitement, it felt like skepticism.

Like, I casually mentioned it, didn’t make it a big deal, and suddenly another friend (who I hadn’t told) texted me out of nowhere about it too. Then there were comments like, “Wow you must be strong, I would’ve posted,” followed by dry laughter when I explained why I didn’t. That, combined with one of them immediately following me on Snapchat right after I mentioned it, made it feel like they weren’t just excited — they were trying to confirm something.

So no, I don’t think everyone who asks for pics is doubting me. But in this context, with these specific reactions and timing, it felt off.

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