IELTS - Setting Standards Around the World. · 4 What does IELTS do ? • “ assesses the English...
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www.ielts.org 1 IELTS - Setting Standards Around the World. Hotcourses UK NARIC International Student Seminar 11 September 2013
Transcript of IELTS - Setting Standards Around the World. · 4 What does IELTS do ? • “ assesses the English...
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IELTS - Setting Standards Around the World. Hotcourses UK NARIC International Student Seminar 11 September 2013
www.ielts.org
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Aim of this session To give you an understanding of:
• The background to IELTS; a few facts and figures
• What makes IELTS a proven, trusted, fit-for-purpose,
high quality test for your recruitment purposes
• IELTS format, content and scores
www.ielts.org
What is IELTS? • The ‘International English Language Testing System’ • Jointly owned by 3 partners:
• Extensive collective experience in language testing and delivery internationally
• Delivery worldwide – British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia
• Test production, development and research - Cambridge English.
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What does IELTS do ? • “assesses the English language ability of people who
intend to study or work in countries where English is the language of communication”
• Test of communication in English • Tests the full range of proficiency levels from non-user to
expert user, reported with an overall band score
• Takes 2.5 hrs plus 14 mins face to face speaking test with examiner
• Covers the 4 skills in 4 papers: L, S, R and W
• Provides a valid, reliable and global standard
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International English •A test of international English:
– cultural or linguistic bias minimised – content produced and checked internationally – variety of accents used – only test with a 1 to 1 speaking element
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Most tests taken in 2012 • Stephen suggested to say top places candidates taking
test
• Insert where candidates are coming from – Pamela to send figs
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The Top Ten
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Success has been built on systems that deliver quality and integrity
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200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,00019
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1996
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Num
ber o
f tes
ts ta
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Year
2012
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Top destinations, IELTS Academic 2012
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IELTS by numbers: what do you think?
13 2m 135
130+ £130 2
48 7000+ Up to 5
8000+ 800+ 3 and 1
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Facts and figures • Tests administered in 130+ countries and 900+ locations
worldwide • Over 2 million tests taken in the last year • Costs approx £130 but this differs from country to country • Up to 48 Global Test Dates available per year on 3
Saturdays and 1 Thursday every month. • Recognised by 8000+ organisations in 135 countries • Results released 13 days after test • 7,000+ examiners • Up to 5 TRFs can be sent electronically/paper to receiving
organisations • 2 versions – Academic and General Training
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Academic or General Training IELTS? Academic: • Entry to University / College
/ professional registration
• Assesses ability to study or train at undergraduate or postgraduate level
General Training: • Immigration, vocational,
secondary education, language training and work experience
• Assess survival skills in a broad social, work and educational context
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Test format
Listening 30 minutes, 4 sect ions, 40 items
General Training Reading 60 minutes, 3 sect ions, 40 items
Academic Reading 60 minutes, 3 sect ions, 40 items
General Training Writing 60 minutes, 2 tasks
Academic Writing 60 minutes, 2 tasks
Speaking 11 - 14 minutes, 3 parts
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IELTS 9-Band Scale
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The face to face speaking test
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Examiner Comments on Candidate Stephen, China Band 6 • This candidate is willing to speak at length but there are moments when coherence is lost as a result
of repetition, self-correction and hesitation and he is unable to answer the question about why people need a hobby. He is able to use a variety of markers to link his ideas (first of all; I guess; like; it depends; at least; so), although these are not always used appropriately. Limitations in his performance are evident when he falls back on fillers such as (how to say; how do you say).
• He has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length (China opening up to the world; cut down the working shifts; more work opportunities), but while he uses some natural colloquial expressions (some other guys; that’s sweet), there are also some collocation errors (broaden your friendship; kill the spare time; in the past times; make more troubles). These rarely cause comprehension problems.
• He produces a mix of short and complex sentence forms with a variety of grammatical structures. However, overall his grammatical control is variable and errors recur (you are make trouble to the society; people like spend; in the past … people work more … there is a period; may go travel round; we have also get), though these do not impede communication.
• His pronunciation is generally clear and he divides the flow of his speech into meaningful word groups with good use of stress and intonation (normally we work eight hours a day, five days a week – that’s forty hours in total). Generally he can be understood, but occasionally some words are hard to catch because of mispronunciation of sounds (bose for ‘both’; yoursels for ‘yourself’; cupper years for ‘couple of years’; zen for ‘then’; word for ‘world’).
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Commonly-used minimum band scores
