Module 1: Introduction to Teaching IELTS

What is IELTS? International English Language Testing System Over 25 years IDP: IELTS Australia / Cambridge English Language Assessment / British Council Accepted by over 9000 organisations worldwide Over 1000 test centres, over 140 countries Tests four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking Two different IELTS Tests: General training and Academic

What is assessed and how does it work? Academic Reading: 3 long texts, 60 minutes, 40 questions Academic Writing: Task 1 (report of graph, chart, table, diagram) Task 2 (essay – argument, problem, point of view, formal style) General Training Reading: 4 – 5 short texts, 1 long text, 60 minutes, 40 questions General Training Writing: Task 1 (letter, semi-formal, personal, formal) Task 2 (essay – argument, problem, point of view, less formal style) Listening: 4 recorded texts, 30 minutes, 40 questions Speaking: 3 parts, discussion and monologue, 11- 14 minutes

Band Scores (no pass or fail) Band 9 – Expert User Band 8 – Very Good User Band 7 – Good User Band 6 – Competent User Band 5 – Modest User Band 4 – Limited User Band 3 – Extremely Limited User Band 2 – Intermittent User Band 1 – Non User

Band Scores are averaged and rounded Listening 7.0 Reading 6.0 Writing 6.5 Speaking 8.0 Total = Band 7 Listening 3.0 Reading 4.0 Writing 4.5 Speaking 5.5 Total = Band 4

Who takes the IELTS exam and what scores will they need? Many different types of students – examples: doctors, nurses who need registration in an English-speaking country students who want to study undergraduate or postgraduate courses at English- speaking universities people who want to migrate to the UK, Canada, Australia or New Zealand students who want to challenge themselves Students who need an certain IELTS Band score to graduate from their course students who have been placed in the class by their parents Therefore motivations may be very different and the scores they need will vary greatly.

Before you teach… Find out as much about your students as possible! Are they going to take the exam, if so when? Will they take the General Training exam or the Academic exam? Why are they taking the exam? Is it high stakes for them? Do they know what Band Scores they need to get in each skill? How long do you have to teach them and prepare them for the exam?