SamMcCarter-TopTenTipsforTeachers

8/13/2019 SamMcCarter-TopTenTipsforTeachers

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Top Ten Tips

for teachers

preparing students forthe academic version

of IELTS

Sam McCarter

Macmillan Online Conference 2013


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Abstract

The presentation will look at the Top Ten Tips to help

students improve their chances of obtaining a higher

score in the academic version of the IELTS exam. The

focus will be on increasing students awareness oforganization and flexibility so that they can use what they

know from the grammar and vocabulary point of view

efficiently across the four components, listening readingwriting and speaking.



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Tip 1

Reading

Text navigation



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Types of passages

Exposition/ Argumentation/ Historical biographical

Text features

Time relationships Problem and solution

Cause and effect

Classification

Comparison and contrast

Argument



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Description- processes/ sequencing

Narrative

Instruction

Definition

Explanation

Exemplification

Generalization and specificity

Drawing conclusions

Rhetorical organisation(Weir, C et al. 2009. The relationship between academic reading construct as

measured by IELTS and the reading experiences of students in their first

year of study at a British university.IELTS Research Reports 9: 109.)



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The skills that students need to navigate IELTS reading

passages efficiently

-(surveying)

-prediction

-skimming-scanning

-close reading



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distinguishing between:

-factual and non-factual information

-important and less important items

-relevant and irrelevant information-explicit and implicit information

-ideas examples and opinions

-drawing inferences and conclusions

-deducing unknown words



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-understanding graphic presentation (data, diagrams, etc.)

-understanding text organisation and linguistic/ semantic

aspects,

e.g. relationships between and within sentences (e.g.

cohesion)

-recognising discourse/ semantic markers and their

function

(Jordan, R.R. 1997. English for Academic Purposes: A guide and resource

book for teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.)



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Tip 2

Awareness of information sequences

Past/ Present/ Future

Problem/ Solution

Cause/ Effect/ SolutionAction/Purpose

General/ Specific

Opinion/ proof/ Conclusion



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Tip 3

Writing Task 1

Awareness of :

the purpose of the taskwhat is being assessed -

Public marking scores

the sets of data/ maps/ processes

the structure and content expected



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Task 1 Checklist Tense range: Simple Present/ Past/ Present Perfect/ Simple Future/

Future Perfect

Comparison and contrast

Complex sentences: conjunctions/ adverbs

Vocabulary range: verbs of rise/ fall Writing introductions/

Overviews/ Trends

Noun phrases/ nominalization

-synonyms/ paraphrases

Singular/ plural

Active/ Passive

General v specific



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Tip 4

Awareness of nominalization

Task 1 and across IELTS

Car sales rose gradually in the UK between 2005 and

2010.There was a gradual rise in car sales in the UK between

2005 and 2010.

Writing Task 2:

The role of technology in the workplace ...Some people think that the impact of modern media on

young peoples lives is greater than ...



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Paragraph/ Section headings

The impact of wilderness tourismThe role of the media in young peoples lives ...

Speaking:

Do you think that the impact of modern media on youngpeoples lives is greater than ... ?

Listening note taking:

the 3 ______ of pollution on the marine habitat in New

Zealand



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Tip 5

Writing Task 2

Skills/ Transfer awareness

Understanding question types:

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this

opinion?

Reading the whole rubric:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant

examples from your own experience.



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Tip 6

Understanding the tasks

Understanding question types:

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with thisopinion?

Reading the whole rubric:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevantexamples from your own experience.



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Tip 8

Creating/ gathering ideas

Brainstorming

Word association Perspectives: social, environmental, legal, financial/

economic, educational ...

Recycling ideas/ concepts

Question creation Start with a word: poverty



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Tip 9

Speaking

Skills transfer Writing/Speaking

Organization

Part 2: making notes

Part 3: development of answer to question



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Tip 10

Listening

Prediction skills

Use of questions

Awareness of structure and nominalization

Listening note taking:the 3 ______ of pollution on the marine habitat in New

Zealand (See Tip 5 Slide 14)



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Thank you!


SamMcCarter-TopTenTipsforTeachers

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