Loved English since kindergarten and then attached to ILA because of the advanced and open learning environment with foreign teachers, at the age of 15 male student Nguyen Truong Bao Sieu achieved a respectable IELTS score of 8.0 and completed All levels Smart Teens Program at ILA! Let’s “decode” with ILA the secrets of “play and learn” and interesting perspectives to help Bao Sieu make English a joy every day.
“I am ready to take IELTS after a month of practice!”
Hi Bao Sieu, can you tell ILA since when do you love English? And what makes you so passionate about this language?
Since I was 5 years old, I have been interested in learning English. That’s because the teacher at the kindergarten teaching English was very happy. She showed us funny cartoons such as: Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood… Gradually, I found English very new and naturally loved. At that time, I said to my mother: “I just love learning English!” and also just want to study in an international school, communicate with friends in English.
Being exposed to English very early and naturally, in your opinion is English difficult? And is there any pressure from your family when you only like to study English?
English is difficult for me…normally since I was young, I was used to talking in English and thinking in English. I even feel more confident when communicating in this language.
At home, I am very close with my parents and brothers. My parents gave me complete freedom, no pressure at all. My parents always understand and respect all my passions because they know what I like and will go to the end.
Having the freedom to choose the school environment you like and decide to stick with ILA, how has the learning environment at ILA helped you improve your English?
When I studied at ILA Phu Lam when I was 13 years old, I was exposed to native teachers often, 100% of them were native teachers, so I learned the lesson very quickly. I also learned thinking and critical thinking in an open and innovative way of studying at ILA.
I like ILA the most thanks to the comfortable learning environment and good facilities. I always remember the happy memories of studying with friends in class when teachers let me play very funny English games. The teachers are also extremely friendly and create conditions for me. Even seeing that I studied well, the teacher let me “beyond the class” and so far I have completed all the Smart Teens classes of the Center.
About the journey to conquer IELTS, how long do you practice before officially taking the exam? How do you feel when you get the results?
At ILA with an advanced and open-minded learning method, I absorb new lessons very quickly, only about 30 minutes and always do the work in class. When taking the IELTS test too, I only studied for 1 month and was ready to take the test! I have a group of close friends at ILA Phu Lam. We study together and chat funny to help review faster. I took the exam at the end of 2018 when I was only 14 years old, all university or high school students, but at that time I was extremely confident. This result makes me very proud but not surprised!
“Become a pizza!”
If you imagine English as a close friend, what will this friend look like to you?
English as a friend is always by my side, always helping me and many others when possible. If I could describe this friend with three adjectives, I would choose: kind (kind), interesting (interesting) and cool (great). And without English, my life would be boring (laughs)!
As a young generation Z with a lot of changes in technology and approach to human knowledge, to you, who is considered an “idol” who inspired you during your self-study process, not just in school?
I really idolize Youtuber PewDiePie – who used to have the highest number of followers on Youtube. I’ve been watching his video clips since I was little. My favorite quote is also his: “Be a pizza. Everyone loves pizza.” (Be a pizza. Everyone loves pizza).
So do you want to be a “pizza” and be loved by everyone? Is “being yourself” important to you?
Of course. I like being a pie… Meat Lover simply because it has a lot of meat and the more people know about me, the more people can “taste” different flavors of meat on that pizza. I always want to be myself no matter where I am. Not only at home, but at ILA, the teachers always encourage us to do what we like, to develop personally according to our personality and true self, so I feel very comfortable and happy when studying. here.
Can you imagine what kind of person that Bao Sieu will become 5-10 years later?
In the short term, I plan to study abroad in Australia or Canada. The path I chose is also a bit different from everyone else’s is to become a Youtuber (Professional Video Maker on Youtube) and make positive contributions to the community such as creating clean energy cars for example…
Thank you Bao Sieu and wish you more success!
| 4 “PLAY AND LEARN” SECRETS TO ACHIEVE IELTS 8.0 OF 15-YEAR-OLD MALE STUDENT 1. Don’t study English all day, but only study 2-3 hours, spend time in class to understand the lesson or ask the teacher. 2. Watch foreign music and favorite Youtube channels to think in English anytime, anywhere. 3. Have a group of close friends or a group of foreign friends to share all interests with each other in English. 4. When learning any new vocabulary in books or movies, apply it to every context of the day to remember it longer. |
