Job Discussion Forums

[bograt]

[hdeth]

Criteria/rubrics/whatever can only help so much. I suspect most people have an idea of what they are going to mark first, based on their personal opinion, and then see if they can fit it in that section according to the rubric. Most rubrics/criteria are general enough where there's a bit of flexibility without breaking any rules.

I agree with theoriginalprankster, but would argue that it's not just China but all over the world. Maybe China is worse but you just can't expect there to be a "fair" grade with one examiner. We all know this...it's why pretty much all TV competitions have a panel. I don't know why we expect people involved in education to be less fair....

There was a good interview (I think on the daily show) with some of the "professional" test graders in the US...was pretty revealing. Hired off craigslist, basically no training, given quotas of how many of which grade to give....the whole institution is one big shit pile.

Sucks to be them....my students don't take the GK and still struggle. Would suck to be studying for the GK too.

[theoriginalprankster]

[Neilhrd]

I've been teaching IELTS in Guangxi for nearly ten years and have done the official British Council training, so, although I don't claim to know it all, I do have some experience.

I can't agree with those who say that marking is wildly inconsistent. For a start IELTS operates in regions and the same examiners can and do appear in Nanning, Chengdu, Xiamen or Sanya. This helps assure consistency. Secondly I find that I can predict my students scores within half a band in speaking and writing more than 90% of the time. I have had students try several test centres and in my experience the scores are consistent within half a band. The trick is understanding the band descriptors thoroughly. The odd times a student gets an unexpected score a careful debrief usually finds the reason. Mostly it is something silly like answering part 2 in the wrong tense.

In my experience IELTS is very good at telling the difference between a barely pre intermediate student (around 4) and an intermediate one (around 6). However I do think there is a glass ceiling and it is almost impossible to get more than 7 in speaking and 6 in writing in China. In my view the reasons are partly political and partly linguistic.

Politics first, IELTS are desperate not to be accused of grade infkation which might undermine their credibility with the British government for study visas which, after all, is their main selling point. Therefore examiners err on the side of caution.

Secondly language. In speaking the key is that to get seven or higher students have to be idiomatic and natural. Chinese students don't learn idioms and the best students here nearly always try to be too clever and use a lot of obscure academic words in inappropriate contexts. This exposes grammar and pronunciation weaknesses. The Gaokao and CET4 encourage this habit, unfortunately.

In writing to get higher than six students have to avoid over generalisation by using probability, making concessions, recognising exceptions etc. Most students resist attempts to teach this because they are taught that everything is black or white and truths must be universal. That is a fundamental tenet of Marxism and almost impossible to challenge here.

Secondly, to get higher than six students have to support each main point with relevant examples. Those who argue that IELTS is purely a test of language are deluding themselves here. But in Nanning the average university student has the general knowledge and life experience of a British 10 year old, so of course they can't support their points. Some will try but their total lack of critical thinking skills means that the examples they choose are often irrelevant or even contradictory. Examiners cannot give more than 6 in these circumstances.

It is possible to teach idiomatic speech, automaticity, control of style and collocation, exemplification snd critical thinking but it takes ages. IELTS say that to improve 1 band takes 200-300 hours of classroom study and twice that of private study. I think that is an understatement in China. However my school refuses to consider any IELTS course of longer than 75 hours and most students and parents also refuse to accept reality about this.

I am also frustrated with IELTS teaching but the problem is not IELTS , its the Chinese education system.

[buravirgil]

The metaphor of a glass ceiling is appropriate in my opinion. I find your post informative in regard to issues beyond testing for mechanics. But there is framing I'll contend.

[Sashadroogie]

I'm not convinced by the comments about Marxism either... Grrrrr!

[buravirgil]

[BenE]

Ah a rant about IELTS examiners always makes me smile.

I don't think many examiners are arrogant dicks (a few are true). Most just want to do a job and go home and earn some money. There are endless candidates who come in expecting to get 7+ and leave with 5.5 simply because they speak English in a simplistic way in a robotic monotone and blurt out answers that sound suspiciously familiar (website answers, rote learning etc.)

If you do feel though that the mark was unfair (which it sometimes is) then it's said that the EOR team often mark higher than in country examiners. Yes there is some variation but when there are two marks that are very different (e.g. 8 in reading and 5.5 in Speaking) then writing and speaking are remarked by another examiner.

Otherwise if in China you can try Vietnam. Markers are maybe more generous here.

[Non Sequitur]

My experience of two Chinese speakers of English who were much the same as students ie about 7.0 average IELTS and no score less than 6.0.
One spent a couple of years in the UK and one has yet to venture overseas.
The UK girl has gone on to speaking with idiom and inflexion etc while the non-traveller has plateaued.
Both are early thirties.
So I feel we must keep in mind that the scale is international and not just 'good for a Chinese' at top level.
The top level is someone like a Swede who speaks English effortlessly.