And I am quite certain that the majority of you haven’t either. For most of us, there is one and only one pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. Day in and day out you are told that IELTS is a route to a life abroad, a life of unending fun and happiness, an end to this rat race of unbearable competition, long working hours, low pay, and what not. These days, this is the main reason why anyone thinks of taking the test. I myself write quite regularly on this aspect of the test.

While all that is correct, there is a hidden, unexplored significance of the IELTS. A significance usually ignored by the general public is the fact that it is an equally wonderful way to develop one’s own English proficiency level for purposes other than going abroad, whether it be for completing higher studies or attaining permanent residency. Let’s suppose you do not wish to travel abroad. So, does IELTS have no use for you? Not really. May be you wish to appear for the UPSC examination in the near future? Or what about those various competitive. examinations where scoring well in English is a requirement? No, no, not those exams where only multiple choice questions are asked. On the contrary, we are talking about competitive tests that require the candidates to write essays. And then there are those who speak English passably well, but seek to better their hold of the language for professional or social reasons.

The majority of my students learn IELTS to take the test. Still, the number of those who pursue it to simply develop their overall English skills is on the rise. Most of us are somewhat familiar with English and can understand what is being said. But suffer from ‘hesitation’, especially when faced by people who converse in the language fluently. Learning ‘Spoken English’, as it is often described, is woefully inadequate to address this deficiency which, in turn, engenders a deep-seated lack of confidence. In the long term, this can become a debilitating handicap, preventing an individual from achieving her fullest potential. Yesterday only, a gentleman contacted me. He will be appearing for the UPSC test in the near future, and wanted to sufficiently develop his spoken and writing skills. So yeah, some are indeed beginning to see IELTS in a new light.

Learning IELTS – practicing all 4 aspects of a language – will result in a person’s holistic development. If you listen well, it positively contributes to your speaking skill and vice versa. When we attempt to master the Reading module, new sentence structures and words/phrases become familiar and eventually become a part of our everyday vocabulary. Finally, when you write well – always relevant and comprehensive, avoiding repetitions, and aiming for precision and clarity – your study projects, office reports, and presentations are bound to stand out from the crowd. Confidence develops. Personality flowers. You come into your own.

And then, who knows what wonderful things may happen? I am like the rainbow. Catch me, if you can.