This is an IELTS Energy Podcast Episode 1616.
Increase your IELTS scores by getting specific.
Welcome to the IELTS Energy podcast from all ears English.
Downloaded more than 35 million times with examiner trained IELTS whiz Aubrey Carter and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl.
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Today, you'll learn a common student mistake that you might be making too, not getting specific enough.
We'll show you how to provide details and more specific vocabulary to boost your fluency scores on both IELTS speaking and writing.
Hello, Michelle.
I have a question.
This is a little serious.
Do you ever think about how much screen time you or your kids are getting?
Just laughing how you started off.
This is very serious.
It just made me laugh when somebody says something serious and you laugh.
OK, I think about it all the time constantly because, you know, we we actually just got them like a video game system and where we put stuff.
We put limits on it.
And we're just like trying to navigate that whole thing.
So I think about it all the time.
What about you?
Me too.
Because I see their behavior worsen when they spend time on screen.
So I'm like actively trying to get them outside, get them playing, not be on screen as much.
So everyone out there who feels the same and also me, right?
I'll check my screen.
Screen limits And be shocked At how much time I was on
Oh it's horrible When you say And I know I'm a bad example If I'm on my phone Well of course My kids are going to Expect to be able To be on screen more So it starts with us Right
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
So this is interesting.
It's such a common topic on IELTS technology, you are likely going to be asked about this about screen time technology for kids.
And what we have seen getting students very low scores is when you talk about technology in a very general way.
So what you want to do is get more specific.
So today, this topic is a little more specific, modern, and about digital minimalism.
We're going to give you some great vocabulary to talk about this because the more you can get detailed, the higher your scores will be.
Yeah, awesome.
So yeah, around the world, people are trying to reduce screen time and just limit notifications and create a healthier relationship with technology.
So the more specific you can get in your IELTS speaking answers and IELTS essays, the higher your scores will be.
Yes.
And I love you mentioned that this can come up on speaking and writing.
You could definitely get an IELTS task two or task one topic about this.
And also it comes up all the time on the speaking exam.
So you need to be ready with high scoring vocabulary about technology.
So yeah, this pushes you to use sophisticated ideas and higher scoring vocabulary when you try to be detailed.
We are today going to give you five high scoring words and phrases that you can use on almost any IELTS exam.
Technology comes up so often.
And a lot of these words, depending on the questions you're answered, you'll still be able to find a way to fit them.
This high scoring vocabulary in.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
So I love this first one.
I feel like I am constantly this word.
And the word is overstimulated.
It's an adjective.
And it's just that feeling of there's too much going on.
Maybe it's too much noise.
Maybe it has to do with screens and you have too many lights.
Yes, mentally overwhelmed, too much information, too much sensory input.
And yeah, so for example, I always feel overstimulated after spending hours scrolling through social media.
Or modern workplaces can be overstimulating because we constantly receive emails and notifications.
Yes.
And you can see how this adjective can definitely be used for lots of different topics.
Work.
Work culture, mental health, productivity, relationships, education.
There are so many topics where you could talk about being overstimulated or someone else you know who easily gets overstimulated.
Yeah, this is a very, very common one.
And this next one is kind of a new one, but it became such a, you know, typical and trendy word so quickly.
And so this word is doomscrolling.
So this could be a noun or a verb, and it means the habit of continuously scrolling through negative or stressful news online.
Exactly.
Right.
So for example, during the pandemic, I totally got sucked into the habit of doom scrolling late at night.
So yeah, this you can either use it as a verb, I doom scroll, or you can say I'm bad at doom scrolling and use it as a noun like that.
Mm hmm.
Or doom scrolling often increases anxiety and makes it difficult to relax.
Yeah, I think that's true.
Absolutely.
Right.
And this is a band nine where both of these words, like even though they're getting more trendy, they're more common.
Students don't use them a ton.
So they are higher scoring for your exam.
Also, the adjective intentional, right?
This means done deliberately and with clear purpose.
So instead of saying on purpose, we'd say I did this with intention or I was intentional about this.
Use it as an adjective to describe yourself.
So for example, I try to be intentional about how much time I spend on my phone.
Or some families are becoming more intentional about having device free dinners.
Yeah.
Even restaurants, sometimes they'll say like, they'll say you get like a free coffee or something if you put down your device.
Yeah.
Smart to help encourage us.
Yeah, exactly.
And this also is useful across many else topics, right?
Habits, education, communication.
What are you intentional about?
You could describe yourself as intentional about lots of different things.
Many different things.
Yes, exactly.
Like if you're meditating, you might say you're being intentional about your breath.
Meditating.
That is the word I was trying to get out.
Exactly.
Or we have a good noun here, burnout.
So this means this extreme mental or physical exhaustion that can be caused by prolonged stress can also be connected to technology for sure.
You might say constant connectivity can contribute to professional burnout.
So people, when they feel like they always have to be available for emails and texts, they might feel burned out at work.
Yeah.
Or students sometimes experience burnout before major exams, right?
If you're studying all the time, it can get too stressful and they just get tired of it, right?
I'm sure we've talked about IELTS burnout.
You may want to talk about it on test day.
If you're asked about recent activities, hobbies, you could share a hobby and then say, I honestly haven't had a ton of time for that.
I am in full IELTS burnout mode, right?
And use this high scoring vocabulary to be honest about what your life has been like studying for IELTS.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And then I love this next one.
It's unplug.
So this is a verb.
And this means to take a break from technology or digital devices.
Yeah, you're not using that verb.
Outlet.
You're not plugged into anything.
So here's an example.
I try to unplug for a few hours every weekend.
Yes.
Or traveling in nature helps people unplug from their daily routines.
So this is idiomatic because just like we unplug a computer or an electronic device, we talk about unplugging ourselves.
But that is idiomatic language, which also gets you stuck.
That you're required to use idiomatic language on IELTS.
So talk about needing to unplug or a friend you know who needs to unplug.
It means you need a break from technology.
All right, let's do a couple of sample answers here, Michelle.
I will ask you a first one here.
This is for part three.
So of course, you can use personal details, but it's often about sort of society in general.
So here's your question.
Why are many people trying to reduce their screen time?
Hmm.
So I think we're all realizing that constant phone use can be mentally exhausting.
For example, social media and nonstop notifications can make people feel overstimulated.
As a result, some individuals are becoming more intentional about how they use technology.
As for my family, we try to put limits on screen time, especially with video games for my kids.
We put it to say, OK, this is the amount of time you have in the video games.
You can actually control that on the back end.
So that's been good.
Yes, amazing answer.
I love how you started talking about sort of society in general, what can happen in generally, and then you got personal.
And you can in part three, share specific details about what you are doing to try and limit that for yourself, right?
Apply the question to yourself once you have answered about society as a whole.
All right, Michelle, give me a question.
This is also for part three.
Okay, for Aubrey.
Aubrey, do you think technology has made modern life more stressful?
In some ways, yes, right?
Although technology improves convenience and makes communication easier, it also creates this pressure to always be available.
So many employees experience burnout.
I have definitely experienced burnout at work because we're continuously checking emails and messages even after work hours on the weekends.
And this is definitely a problem for me.
I'm able to see my work emails on my phone.
So I find myself checking just regular email and work emails have come through.
And I'm working with, you know, coworkers who might send an email after hours for me, but during their workday.
And I need to be better about switching off so that this isn't a problem.
Ah, okay.
Really good job, Aubrey.
And I'm sorry if I've ever sent those emails.
No, it happens, right?
And I know I do as well.
We're all in different time zones.
Exactly.
I'll think of something and send it later.
I'm like, oh, I hope they don't see this until Monday morning.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, I that's funny.
So I really liked what you said.
I liked how you use some of the vocab, you know, you said burnout, right?
I mean, you can experience burnout.
And then you shared your personal situation as as we talked about with that other and like how I answered it using personal information can also be really helpful.
Exactly.
Part three is interesting where, yes, you have to answer the question.
So you need to share about how does this affect society as a whole.
Use this more formal, higher scoring vocabulary.
But then also don't be afraid to get personal.
You can share personal details about how this affects you, your family, your friends, your co-workers to get more details.
Amazing.
Yeah, love it.
All right.
So takeaway for today is, you know, when you're discussing technology on IELTS speaking or writing about it in the essays, you know, just you don't want to have a generic answer like technology is useful, right?
What should you do instead, Aubrey?
Yeah, that's so low scoring to use that very common vocabulary.
Instead, get specific, right?
Describe specific behaviors, emotional effects, use real life examples that are going to boost your fluency scores and also your vocabulary.
So use today's vocab to boost your answers and then share details, get specific to boost your
Your fluency scores as well.
Yes, exactly.
All right, Aubrey.
Well, this has been really helpful and interesting to talk about technology with you.
So guys, we hope you enjoyed the episode and we'll see you next time.
Yes.
Awesome.
See you guys next time.
Bye.
Thanks for listening to IELTS Energy.
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