SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello, my dear listeners, and welcome to another enlightening episode of the Kapil Gupta Career Port Show. Today we have a special guest who embodies the essence of language mastery and academic excellence. Join us as we delve into the world of IELTS and English language proficiency with none other than the dynamic and accomplished Miss Pia Bhak Chandan. Get ready to unlock the secrets to soaring high in IELTS and other English exams as we embark on this journey of learning and empowerment. So let me just invite ma'am today and for this enlightening episode of On Isles actually. So just let me get her on board. Hello, ma'am.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Hello, Sam.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Yeah, thank you, ma'am, for in accepting the invitation for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

It's an absolute honor and the pleasure is all mine, sir.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

This is the career podcast. We do it actually to help the students. So all those aspiring students, because we know the English exam is a must for Indians who wish to go abroad. So I thought, who would be better than you to actually give great inputs and learning to students today? So just I would like to introduce you to the world so that they understand what is the importance of listening to this podcast. So today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to an extraordinary individual who has dedicated her career in empowering students with the skills they need to succeed in English language proficiency exams like IELTS. Meet Miss Pia Bhakchandani, an accomplished IELTS English instructor with over seven years of experience, with a background in accountancy and a stellar academic record that includes a gold medal in accountancy. Ms. Pupia's journey into the world of English language instruction is as unique as it is inspiring. Driven by her passion to the English language and a desire to make a meaningful impact, she made the bold decision to transition from a career in accountancy to pursue her teaching. Certified by IDP and PTE, Ms. Pia excels in guiding students through the nuances of the English language and the intricacies of the IELTS exam format. Her dynamic teaching style, rooted in the communicative approach by Cambridge, ensures that students are not only equipped with the necessary knowledge, but also inspired to excel.

unknown 3:25

Ms.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Pia's dedication to her craft extends beyond the classroom. She's a lifelong learner herself, constantly staying updated on the latest trends and developments in English language instruction. She was selected as a freelance presenter by Cambridge University. She's renowned for her exceptional communication skills and instructional prowess. And through her commitment to quality work and continual growth, she's not just a teacher, but a mentor guiding students towards their goals and empowering them to achieve success. It's an honor to have her join us today and share her insights and expertise. So thank you once again, ma'am, for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

Thank you. Thank you so much, sir, for such a lovely introduction.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

The pleasure is all mine, ma'am. Ma'am, you actually deserve it because you have done so much work, and I've actually wanted to give value to my students, to my listeners who aspire to go abroad. So I'm sure this podcast will definitely add a lot of value to their preparation. And without further ado, I would like to begin the interview today. And so that because the even the listeners will be, my watchers, listeners, all will be excited to know what you have to share. But first of all, I would like to know about you, your journey, because this is really amazing that you were into the field of accountancy, then you transitioned to IELTS training. So, how did it happen? What inspired you?

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Yes, so basically, I was uh as a student, I was always inclined towards English language as a subject, and my teacher actually advised me to go for journalism. Okay, however, at that point of time we didn't have a lot of career counselors like you, you know, who can actually guide us and uh you know give us the right suggestion as per our strengths and everything. So being academically well, so my father suggested me to take up commerce as my subject and not arts. And uh I took it up. I further went to I further uh went for my BCOM and MCOM sessions. However, I felt that something was still missing, even though I was scoring well, I got a gold medal in my university, and everything was well in the uh going academically, but something was lacking from inside, and I didn't know like why I was not enjoying. So after completing my MCOM, I first started uh like helping my father with his accounts and bringing all his manual accounts into computerized accounts. So we did that, and uh slowly I was getting some experience over there, and uh then I was also uh looking for a job in the same field. Okay, however, one day that I found an advertisement where they required an English instructor, and it really attracted me so much that I wanted to try uh you know uh taking a lecture over uh there. So I just went there and uh took uh had given the interview, and uh fortunately I was uh selected uh even without having a degree, you know, uh a formal degree in English, I was selected uh there. And um later on, when I for when it was my first session with the students, whatever preparation I had done, it was all because of my, you know, what my passion towards the language. And my first session went on so well and so interactive with the students. The students really loved it, and at that point I felt that how rewarding it is to be a trainer, and uh I should my person I should pursue my career in this field, and why not you know go deeper uh into it and understand the intricacies and everything. So that's how I started.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Okay, great, great. That's actually a very, I would say customized journey that you kind of went with the flow, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Yes, I went with the flow because yeah, I had no like I was not a very career-oriented person in my childhood, although very academically good, but still I was not that career-oriented. But yeah, uh, I went with the flow, and uh fortunate, I mean, I'm glad that I took that decision because I'm very happy with whatever I'm doing now.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Right, right, right, right. That and that I actually I can see because I have been uh reading the reviews, what students have to say about you, so I can actually resonate that how students feel about your interaction with them. But ma'am, as when we talk about the IELTS exam, so we are aware that it's divided into multiple sections, that reading, writing, listening, and speaking. And obviously, every section has its own challenges, right? And as I've seen in India, many uh times students might be good in writing, but because uh it's not our first language, we struggle in speaking, right? So obviously, every section has its challenges. What would you suggest? How to go about you know actually working on those challenges?

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Yeah, so first of all, I would like to address uh some of the challenges that students go, uh you know, they have when uh as far as their ILS uh exam is concerned. So if if I talk about the reading section, the the main challenge that the student faces is first of all the time management because they need to complete the section, they need to complete the entire section within 16 minutes. Okay, and there are in academic tests there are three passages, however, in general there are about three to six passages that they need to complete. So, time management is one of the aspects that they actually uh face most difficult. Then uh secondly, the exam anxiety, like there might be some students who are working well and then doing well during their class, but then if they are very nervous during their exam, then that also creates hindrance for them. Apart from that, in reading, they also face challenges like um not understanding the passage due to the complex vocabulary that they use sometimes in the academic passages and not having the habit of reading themselves. So that itself is a challenge because if they are not used to reading, then it gets difficult for them to solve these practice tests under timed conditions. So, in reading, these are the challenges uh the students face, and uh the advice that I would like to give uh to them in the reading section is I always tell them that uh please start reading more and more. Like it could be newspapers, it could be even fiction or any storybooks. Also, it will give them a lot of exposure towards the language, and uh then we do a practice with on the skills of the listening test that is the skimming and scanning technique, the closed reading technique. So there are certain skills that we need to develop in the readings uh sessions, so that's how you know they should take up reading and give themselves enough time so that they are able to come, they are able to complete the test on time during the exam day. Now, when it comes to the speaking module, the main challenge is that students get a lot nervous, you know, when they face the examiner. So, yes, and uh they treat it like an exam, okay. Like otherwise, when they talk with their friends, it's like uh they it's a casual conversation with them, but then when it is an exam, which lasts up for about 11 to 14 minutes, they uh somehow you know feel it it's since it's an exam, so I have and they have lots of myths about it, so they keep confusing themselves. So these are the you know some of the challenges that they face, uh that they face, and with the of course the uh the nuances uh that are there, that the pronunciation part, this uh the vocabulary, the grammar part, and everything you know, uh they struggle with uh in the speaking session.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Um and speaking is a challenge, right? Because I've seen that uh, like uh in India, the students who belong to government school background, usually it's seen that they are better in uh writing, but uh it's if it's the public school background, they are more confident in speaking than writing. So, do you also uh have exhibited that while teaching students?

SPEAKER_00 14:03

Yes, yes. Uh, mostly the students struggle with speaking and writing both sometimes. Yeah, since uh listening and reading are receptive skills, right? So many of the students are able to cope with those uh skills first, but when it comes to productive skills like uh speaking and writing, they really struggle a lot because they are not exposed to English a lot. Even I come across students who are from English medium, still they don't speak English, they have not spoken English during their school time, so it's like uh very difficult for them to suddenly start speaking in English and have a conversation and that to present themselves confidently in front of the examiner. So that really presents a challenge uh to the students, however, there is a solution towards that. Uh they can actually do a lot of practice with their friends, and uh we usually have a lot of mock tests. I usually take a lot of mock tests, so they can uh take the help of some teacher or someone who's very good with English, they can take their help and ask them to uh simulate those exam conditions for them to get more practice, and of course, improving their vocabulary and grammar and all these things are uh taken into consideration in their scoring. So, all these skills must be improved when it comes to the speaking test, and uh yes, if uh regarding the other two uh sections, the students have other challenges, like uh when I if I talk about writing, so students normally struggle with task response. Okay, okay, yeah, they don't understand uh the question properly because they are under pressure of time, they just have 40 minutes for the essay part, so sometimes they don't understand the prompt, they misunderstand it, and then they write a completely different response uh towards the question, so which gets them a lower score. Okay, so that is one of the main challenges and like coming up with ideas, then again the grammar and vocabulary uh challenge, you know. Especially I live in Gujarat, so students uh normally struggle a lot with their grammar also here.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Okay, okay. And one more thing that is coming to my mind is because usually I have seen you know students talking to get who, or I would say those ones who are more ambitious, like they want to aim for band nine. But is it actually possible to get that? And I have seen that maybe it's an unwritten rule that those students who don't have English as the first language, like it's not Indians' mother tongue, right? So it is that they will never give up uh uh band nine to Indian students. Is it something uh have you experienced uh yourself? Or if as tips, what would you like to suggest so that they can score a higher band?

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Yeah, so as far as a band nine, if you say that they want to score a band nine in all the modules, uh that's a very difficult task because and and most of the students don't even need to do that because they are the universities at the most they ask them 77.5 or 8 bands, right? So band nine is something, yeah, it's it's very true that band uh getting a band nine will require a lot of dedication and effort. It it has to be like a student has to be perfect in all the four criteria and in all the four modules to get a band nine. I have seen some students who have scored band nine in reading and band nine in listening modules, okay, because reading and listening are objective kind of papers where they just need to write one word and then two words or number, okay, and they don't have to write lengthy answers to uh to those. So there it's possible to get a band line, okay. However, when it comes to speaking, even I have not come across native speakers, there might be very few people. Uh, when I check the Cambridge website as well for the data, I found rarely 1% or 2% might have got 9 band because most of the students even don't target a full 9 band. Okay, so for the speaking and writing module, I have seen students getting an eight, but not uh beyond that. Okay, yeah, so it's uh it's a myth that uh that uh they don't give Indian students uh like that. It is it is a myth because ultimately they are not uh checking on your uh pronunciation as a native speaker, so our Indian accent is also acceptable in the IELTS test, so it's a myth that students come to me and they say, ma'am, we need to learn accent. So I tell them that you don't have to learn accent to take your speaking test, but you need to learn connected speech. Now, native uh users they have a habit of using connected speech. We just can't say English like in word-to-word format, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:13

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

There's a string of words, there should be a rhythm in which they speak, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

So those kind of aspects are taken care of when uh the scoring is concerned. So there is no partiality, I would say, that the whether it when when it comes to Indian students or students uh who are natives, even there are native students who get low band scores, uh, like because they might have not prepared for the test. So there could be some native students like that. So it is uh it's a myth, I feel.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Okay, okay, great, great. Obviously, see these kind of apprehensions, doubts do come in the mind of students. So I thought, why not get it cleared from you so that they have that right approach? So, why to feel negative about it, right? Exactly. Now, coming on to the next, that how important is the communicative approach by Cambridge in your teaching methodology? And how does it benefit students preparing for the IELTS exam?

SPEAKER_00 21:27

Okay, so uh the community communicative approach by Cambridge is the cornerstone of my teaching methodologies, okay, and uh it's very close to my heart because when I started teaching, I was not a Cambridge certified trainer, but then I re I I actually used lesson plans from Cambridge, I used lesson plans from British Council, so slowly I developed this habit of. Using the communicative approach. So the communicative approach fosters a learning environment which is very interactive and student-centered. And it gives a lot of opportunities for the students to speak up, to write, and to express their opinions. Because as trainers, we just act as facilitators. Ultimately, it is the student who has to take the test, it is the student who has to learn English. So it is, we as a trainer have that responsibility to give that much of importance to the students and that much of exposure to the students so that they are able to express themselves without any fear. And also the advantage is that the Cambridge approach strongly relies on real-life communication. So students can learn and then implement it straight away in the session itself. So it's highly focused on giving you results so that you can implement it straight away. So it really helps the students, and students really enjoy the sessions rather than a teacher just lecturing them and they are just passively listening to it. Students really enjoy uh these kinds of lectures.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Yeah, because it you're making it interactive, so they get involved in that, right? So it's much more interesting to them. Yeah. Yeah. In any case, that's uh that's a way to prepare for the exam as well.

SPEAKER_00 23:51

Exactly. That's a way to prepare for the exam as well.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Yes. So the same techniques we use for the ILS training as well.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

So and can you shed some light on the specific nuances of English language that students often struggle with during their so that we uh the listeners, you know, they can actually to the point they are able to correct themselves.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Okay, so if if uh there are many uh specific things, the small knitting uh gritties that they struggle with. Uh, if I talk about grammar, firstly, uh, you know, if I talk about grammar, so in grammar, the students have some specific errors, like that. I always recommend the students like you must know, you must brush up your little bit of your grammar, like the tenses and uh the subject verb agreement, they make a lot of errors in that using uh the past tense and using the present perfect tense and uh the usage of the passive sentences, active passive. So, in grammar, these are some of the common errors that they make. So, I highly recommend them that to uh brush up these skills and identify their errors because you don't have to do you don't have to memorize entire Renan Martin for grammar, it's just that know your weaknesses and then target those areas. Apart from grammar, the second area that they actually struggle is their vocabulary. So students uh normally have a very limited vocabulary, and the effort needs to be done right from the beginning, and they need to learn vocabulary in such a way that they are able to implement it. So topic-related vocabulary also helps. Okay, and the apart from this, learning the idiomatic language, phrasal verbs, learning what are collocations, because most of the students are alien towards these words. So if you are targeting high scores, then you as a student should know what are collocations because collocations are highly appreciated when you are speaking, so they must know what are uh collocations. So this will enhance their vocabulary score a lot, right? Right, and apart from that, if I come to the pronunciation part, uh in pronunciation uh students the intonation, uh sometimes uh like speaking the sentence in the right tone and uh you know uh the uh the proper what should I say the proper pronunciation as well as the can using the connected speech that matters because uh some of the students say like word by word. So as I said, as I mentioned previously, it has to be a string of words, right? Learning what is stress in pronunciation, uh learning what is a word stress, learning what is a sentence stress. So by targeting these areas, you know, they can actually improve their scores a lot, and they can get higher scores if they go on to these specific nuances uh into the language.

SPEAKER_01 27:49

Okay, right, right. As uh I've seen you know students in India, and especially I would like to mention about those students who pursue sciences after 11. Now they're so engrossed in you know studying about PCM or PCB, so they usually neglect the language, right? And that is actually the weakest part. But uh while studying at school, they have not paid attention to it, and even if some teachers, and especially the English teacher, would have obviously urge them to at least practice, right? So, according to you, or I would say in your experience, what role does practice play in achieving success in this exam? Because many times students even uh take the IELTS exam, you know, not very seriously. They say, Oh, we'll be able to, you know, crack it, but when the result comes, it's not the desired one. They end up scoring like six or six point five at the max, and so there comes the realization over where we went wrong. So, how do you uh suggest to structure your practice sessions for students?

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Yes, so practice is of paramount importance when it comes to an exam like IELTS. And uh the first and foremost thing that I would advise is please don't take it very lightly, give yourself enough time for the you know to for the preparation of the test, and before even starting uh for the preparation, a student must know what is their level. So the awareness stage is very, very important. So they must understand like Cambridge has CEFR level, so they have a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level, so they should know like where they exactly stand, and from there on, what is the score that they want? So, ideally, what I suggest to students is even when you have not started, after understanding the basic pattern, just take an IELTS test, just take a mock IELTS test first. That will give them the baseline to start, like this is what our score is, and from there they will understand that okay, from now on I need to go to this, so they can uh then decide their goal. What is their goal? Now, in between the this thing, the awareness and the goal stage, practice plays a very important role. So, first of all, learning the concepts properly, understanding each question type, understanding the band descriptors. Now, band descriptors are something that how the uh the test takers are scored in their exam. Those are called band descriptors, and these are available on the uh IDP website.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

Even the mock test is available there, ma'am. Even the mock test is available.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Yes, yes, so the sample questions and the mock tests are available, and uh they can take the sample questions and then uh take and even mock tests is available if they uh just buy one Cambridge book, it comes with four mock tests. So they can if they want to take a paper-based test, they can buy a Cambridge book and they can uh take a mock test. If they come to us, definitely we give them the required material, and then they take the mock test, and then we understand what is their requirement for the thing. And um as far as the practice uh sessions go, there are many students who do daily practice. It's like if they take mock tests today, then tomorrow also they'll take mock tests, then day after they will take mock tests, it's like that, but then that according to me, it's not an effective strategy. Okay, because what I feel is if they are just focusing on practice, practice, practice, then when they will see where they are going wrong. Okay, so targeted practice sessions help a lot. So, what I do is basically I take mock test once in a week, and during the week, uh they analyze for they they first analyze what are their mistakes in particular session, then during I I give them that uh amount of time during the week where they can actually improve upon their mistakes, then take the mock test because that will make a lot of sense. Otherwise, when students come to me and with a low score, then they say I have completed all Cambridge books, still I have not got the desired score. Yeah, I agree, yeah, and then they practice if they are practicing from any other tests, like apart from the Cambridge material. There are a lot of students who don't even use the Cambridge material. Uh, so if they use the other material, uh that is not recommended, it is it doesn't give you the exact score, and it doesn't give you the exact idea where you stand because Cambridge is ultimately going to take your exam. So, why not use authentic materials when you are practicing? So, targeting your errors, focusing on your errors, and how to improve upon your errors, I think that plays a very important role when it comes to the practice sessions, and all four modules should be given equal importance, it's not like that, you know, reading and listening, they'll do, and then writing and speaking, they'll do at the end. It's not like that. They need to pay attention on all the four modules right from the beginning, and apart and over and above, they also need to start preparing for their vocabulary and their grammar and their pronunciation. So there are a lot of skills that they need to improve.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

So, what I understand by targeted practice is that, for example, if somebody has given a mock test and that student hasn't done well, let's say in the writing section, so the student should first work on his mistakes in the writing section. Once he feels or the teacher agrees, he has done with those mistakes, then he should attempt another mock test, right? So that that has been worked out, and then the again the analysis will be that now has he improved in the writing section, or if he's doing not up to the mark in some other section, right? So that's what you mean. That according to the degree areas, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:27

I see there are two ways of doing practice sessions. One is like uh they can do all like like one day, Monday they are doing listening, then Tuesday they reserve it for speaking, then Wednesday they so like these. This also they can do. There is another way where they are just preparing reading at one go, focusing on reading and then completing it, and then going to writing, and then going to listening. Okay, however, I suggest that first I suggest them to improve their reading and listening scores because that uh gets easier, as I as I as I mentioned, it's an objective test. So, in the band descriptors itself, for example, if the student is scoring 30 out of 40, so they are getting seven band. So in the mock test, we come to know okay, that the student is a seven band level in reading. In reading, the same is case with listening academic. The score, if you if they are able to score 30 out of 40, it's a seven band, right? So that way, okay. So, in and in in first, I advise them to go through with the listening and reading sessions, and then you can take up the writing and speaking sessions. And if they have less time, then of course we need to do the practice sessions, we need to do all together, but we need to focus on in writing where they are struggling, in listening where they are struggling, so it happens simultaneously in that case. If they have just one month to prepare, so then we don't have enough time to you know just take it separately.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Great, great, and then nowadays online uh learning platforms are on the rise, and even in the IELTS exam, we see the computer-based test and the paper-based test as well, right? So, how do you ensure effective engagement in learning outcomes in your if you teach virtually as well?

SPEAKER_00 37:38

Yes, so like online platforms, you know, in this era, online platforms are on the rise, as you mentioned, and uh we need to keep stay updated with the latest technology. So, what I believe is if if we take online sessions just the same way as we are taking like the offline sessions, uh the methodology remains the same, only the tools change, right? So we have a lot of tools available these days. It is just that how effectively we are using these tools. For example, when I use Zoom, they have a breakout feature, they have uh breakout rooms, uh, then to further discussion part. We have chat where we can chat with the students, plus uh we have uh I use tools such as uh Google tools, like uh Google Document where I can collaborate with the students, uh Google Drive where we can share the material or anything, or then the student can even submit their uh assignments uh through that. So there are a lot of online tools that are available, and sometimes the students record their speaking, they send it to me. So it in fact becomes very much easier with the online uh sessions because we can use a lot of multimedia sources, it's it's in our hands, so we can use it. Uh, it's very handy to use them. And uh, for the mock test part, also uh there are many platforms which are providing the mock tests, so there they can actually go for the mock test and understand like their uh the pattern on how the computer delivered tests takes place. So, and uh even I have my own videos, so I have my own portal where I share with them the conceptual learning that so that way you know we can use a lot of online tools, and uh, in fact, it it actually creates a very engaging experience by using these tools.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

That was real detailed to the point answer. Could you share any memorable success stories or experiences you have had while coaching students for the IELTS exam?

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Yes, uh, so I'm very fortunate enough to have many success stories, and uh among them there are few students you know who always uh are remembered by me. So yeah, so it's uh one of such students, uh he was actually very good with his English language, okay, and uh he was even part of uh the Toastmasters International, he was getting awards and everything over there, but uh still he was getting a 6.5 in writing and uh speaking. Okay, so he took the test two to three times earlier, and uh he came to me that ma'am, I just can't understand like why am I getting low scores? Right because he was uh preparing on on his own, so then he finally uh you know decided that I want to take help and he needed higher scores. So he came to me, and when I actually interacted with him, even I thought that the like uh band 77.5 student, like why he's getting six, six, why he's getting 6.5. So after working with him, I realized that he's making uh task response errors uh in the writing part, and in speaking, also he was uh speaking as if you know he was using the tone that that he would use in the Toastmasters as if he's giving a very formal speech and all. Okay, so that was the problem because he was not taking the conversation with the examiner like a real conversation, right? Like you know, and um so these were certain areas where he was uh well he was uh not aware of, and we worked upon these areas and plus uh we improved upon his he improved his vocabulary as well during these sessions. And finally, when the student got his score, so he was so happy that you know finally I got my scores, and this is one task that was you know pending since long, and you know, his life was tough, right? So, you know, it's kind of a memorable um incident.

SPEAKER_01 42:50

How much time do you suggest is required for proper preparation of the IELTS exam?

SPEAKER_00 42:57

Uh well, so it totally depends on the student. Some students might uh take longer time, and there might be some students who can take the exam within a week. So it totally depends upon the student, and it also depends upon the requirement of the student. All right, so if a student is at a band six and he wants to go to band eight, then definitely they should give themselves six months of preparation time because that much time they need, and also it depends on how many hours that they are putting into. There are some working professionals who don't have that much of time. They they tell us that we just have two months, or uh we just have two hours in the uh day, so we'll be able to dedicate only those hours. Uh so for them, we ask them that take uh a time limit of two to three months. For them, so it totally depends upon the student's English level. I remember there was one student who actually took one year for the preparation because his English was so weak that I had to work upon his grammar, I had to work upon his vocabulary. But uh there are very few students like that who have that kind of resilience and who have that kind of ambition to you know go abroad, and finally that student is uh got his visa. So, you know, it's it's just it totally depends upon the students, but uh two to three months is a good enough time for students' qualification.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

As you are a lifelong learner yourself, so how do you stay updated on the latest trends and developments in English language instructions?

SPEAKER_00 44:56

Yeah, so honestly, I love you know learning English since English is my passion. So I keep attending a lot of webinars from Cambridge. So Cambridge and British Council, they both arrange a lot of free webinars for the teachers. Okay, so we do attend, you know, I attend those webinars and keep myself updated with the latest trends and practices in the teaching methodologies.

SPEAKER_01 45:28

So is it only for the teachers? Is it uh sorry to interrupt you? Is it uh only for the teachers or anybody can attend them?

SPEAKER_00 45:35

No, anybody can attend. Uh, it is just that you need to register on the website that they you want to uh yeah, you need to register on their website that you want to receive emails, uh, notifications. So any ILS trainer or you know, or any English enthusiast, or even the students can attend and take benefit of uh such sessions. And the Cambridge itself has its on YouTube, they have the recordings of their previous webinars done related to the English language, so that's a very important uh useful resource to me because as on YouTube as well, they have so many sessions targeting particular areas, so uh I do that. Uh plus uh they have uh we have they have a lot of courses also for teachers, okay. The IDP website uh as well as the Cambridge website. So I uh sign up for these courses, I do them, and uh I have joined some communities of language trainers where we train us discuss and give each other feedback and uh you know uh keep abreast with the latest uh technology and the latest trends that are going on. So it's it's like that we you know continually have to keep us uh aware of the uh things.

SPEAKER_01 47:07

And then finally, what advice would you give to students who aspire to excel in their English proficiency exam, like IELTS?

SPEAKER_00 47:18

Yeah, I think uh start early, give yourself enough time, don't rush towards the exam because I have seen students taking the exam four times, five times, then they end up wasting a lot of money as well as efforts and then time. So start early, give yourself that much of time to you know, and uh have a mentor who can actually give you feedback. Okay, because if you don't get feedback, then it it gets difficult for the uh students like to know, especially in the productive skills like speaking and uh writing, it gets very difficult for them, like where they stand. So this is what something, and then you know, consistent practice, focus practice sessions, these are all uh the tips that they can use and right uh higher their source.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

So thank you very much, Piya ma'am. It was really great, you know, talking to you, and your points are so specific. So I'm sure the students who all are listening or my watchers they will actually get valuable inputs and suggestions to actually target their exam and actually uh strategize their preparation. So thank you, ma'am, for coming here and a big thank you to you.

SPEAKER_00 48:57

Thank you so much. It was a pleasure, you know, coming here, and I really hope that our conversation could be of any help to students, then you know, I'd be grateful for that.

SPEAKER_01 49:10

I'm sure it will be because you're just nailed it, everything's and you're so you were so specific in different sections of the exam. So I'm sure that they will definitely get value from this podcast. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you once again. And as we draw this insightful conversations to a close, I hope you've gained valuable insights and strategies from our esteemed guest, Ms. Pia Bhakti Nani. Remember, success in IELTS and English language proficiency is not just about scoring high marks, it's about embracing the journey of self-improvement and continual learning. So go forth with confidence, armed with the knowledge and guidance share today, and let your language skills soar to new heights. And if you have questions, suggestions, or just want to say hello, feel free to reach out. I'm here to help and engage in meaningful conversations with you. And there's a link in the description of the podcast, which has my connection modes and of course of PMMs too. So if you want to connect with either of us, feel free to do that. And you can choose all your most convenient ones. So don't miss out on the future episodes and valuable life insights. Subscribe to the Kapil Gupta Career Pod Show on your favorite podcast platform and stay informed and inspired. And if you found value, help us reach more listeners by sharing it with your friends, family, and colleagues who might benefit from our discussions. So thank you for tuning in, and until next time, keep trying for excellence in your academic pursuits. Thank you.