Job Discussion Forums

[migot]

So I have been told that IELTS and TOEFL tutoring are massive business in China. To understand the market more deeply, I would like to know the following. Do Chinese students start taking IELTS preparation courses having appropriate English skills, or do their parents force them to attend courses even when those students have no realistic chance of passing the exam?
Teaching the latter group must certainly be a joyride.

[Sashadroogie]

Test-takers get a band score. They don't pass or fail as such.

[Capt Lugwash]

OP they may not fail "as such", rather they fail to achieve the required mark to apply or get admission to their preferred foreign university.

Thus far I have had five Chinese colleagues whose young relatives scored 5.0 or 5.5 in IELTS and who have approached me over the past two years for help. Funny it is only AFTER they fail and no, before NiHao man says. it was not for pay, just the odd working lunch.

In every case what had let them down was their oral English, just as well because there is no way I can work miracles with writing in a month or five weeks of a couple of hours every four days over lunch. My worst result was an increase from five to six ( still enabling the lad to gain admittance) and the other four went from five or 5.5 to 6.5. I have not had a seven yet but to be quite honest I would rather not be given these cases as any failure may be seen as mine even though miracles are expected.

One of the cases had taken IELTS five times and couldn't progress beyond a score of five. His father, although wealthy, had issued an ultimatum that he would only pay the 1,700 yuan once more and after that the boy would get no more. His uncle is a colleague and muggins got the job. I did what I was asked to do and heard no more from either the boy or the colleague which just goes to show how some people are.

I only found out the result by overhearing a conversation in which it was mentioned the lad had jumped up from five to 6.5 and was off to America. Really nice of both the student and the colleague to let me know.

[Welcheronymus]

@Migot:
As others have said, the IELTS isn't a pass/fail type test. Universities in Australia, New Zealand, UK, etc generally want students to have an overall band score of 6.0 (more prestigious ones want to see a 6.5), as well as scores in each individual skill (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at a 6.0 or higher. If they don't meet both of those requirements, more than likely they will need to take a semester or 2 of English before they can really start classes at the university. I've heard from students who get 6.5 and up for R, W, L but get a 5.5 in Speaking and have been told by their prospective university that they'll need to take an English class. Alot depends on the individual university, the more prestigious the higher the bar.

To answer your question, there are many students who will probably get low scores on the IELTS test who are only preparing for it only because their parents want them to. Their English level and interest in English may be low or non-existent. Seems like most people with money want to get out of China, or at least want their child to get out. And "yes", having students like that in a class with students who do want to improve can be a challenge for a teacher.

[Welcheronymus]

[Sashadroogie]

A good place to start is with the band descriptors, if you haven't already done so:

https://www.ielts.org/pdf/SpeakingBanddescriptors.pdf

[Sashadroogie]

And this book contains practice speaking tasks which are pretty close to the real interview. I'm sure it's in cyberspace if not in the shops.

http://www.cambridge.org/download_file/716268/0/

[Voyeur]

While you cannot pass or fail TOEFL or IELTS, your English can be too weak to benefit (at least to optimally benefit) from studying TOEFL or IELTS material directly. If your TOEFL score is in the 50ish range then what you really need is more basic English practice. Listening to TOEFL passages will help you somewhat, but mostly it will be far too difficult and nearly incomprehensible. Yet many students of that level will be forced into TOEFL classes.
The exception is if you take some kind of 'New Oriental' style TOEFL program where you are essentially trying to 'beat' the test. There is no longer any concern for improving your English per se; the goal is to find a way to get a few more (or even a lot more) points on the test than you really should be getting. This is why such programs are typically taught by Chinese speakers. I would say, however, that in my experience the effectiveness of such programs is oversold. You get a few examples, usually very bright students, who are able to to add 30 points to their score very quickly by utilizing certain test-beating strategies. But most students I have taught were unable to really 'beat' the test. And of course in many cases beating the test is ultimately self-defeating: you end up entering a college program you are unable to succeed at.

[Capt Lugwash]

Welcher I think if I am to be honest the students themselves did most of the work. All those who were sent to me had a book listing the topics the examiners would use to select their oral questions from.