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[LarssonCrew]

I'd also make a point if I may that many of the students are studying IELTS or TOEFL to go abroad. A huge majority, either for high school or university.

I therefore find improving their overall English through a foreign teachers class who knows what he or she is doing will also benefit their overall English. Listening to everyday English spoken [not the IELTS listening section, for instance] will enable them to have a better time when studying abroad.

This is a huge factor I would always point out to parents who complained that the Chinese teacher basically just ran the CD for the IELTS listening or reading part and sat and drank tea at the front.

[jimpellow]

[Non Sequitur]

Point of information guys.
If you were doing private IELTS prep would you expect students to improve their official score?
Or is that impractical or too expensive?
NS

[jimpellow]

[LarssonCrew]

I agree with Jim.

Just explaining a basic template that they can apply to writing, for instance, or even telling them to remember to use past present and future tense in a spoken answer, can bump them.

It's crazy that the writing ends up nothing like a university would expect, but as long as the first sentence explains what the paragraph will be about etc. then their score will improve

I generally say for a person level 6 or above you're looking at 6 months to go up half a point, and that's what I generally found.

[Non Sequitur]

Thanks.
You don't 'market' your IELTS prep by guaranteeing a one point improvement?

[LarssonCrew]

No, I don't like to do that.

Generally I have a pretty good rep, and the parents know I turn up on time, their kids enjoy the classes and I wil often stay for coffee or dinner if they invite me, they'll often ask me about travel and tips and advice on applying and what's going to happen when their kid goes abroad.

I also insist on ten hours up front. I had a couple of flakes, one kid who found it just way too hard [he was probably a level 2 no joke], and gave up after 4 classes and I pocketed the rest.

Most students probably repay 4 or 5 sets of 10 classes, so normally 3 months or so, possibly more because many take it once then the second time. Normally after they've secured their score they'll use the remaining classes to free talk and generally chat over what's going down when they arrive in the UK or USA.

[Non Sequitur]

Sounds like a happy win-win LC.
I assume you have been an IELTS examiner?

[LarssonCrew]

Nope. I am fortunate that I work at an international school so even if my students don't need it, alot of their rich friends who attend other international schools need help too.

I found one student studying a level Law and cleaned him out for 500 plus an hour.

I basically am lucky that referring parents lay out the amount I expect to parents, and I have a goodish reputation.

[jimpellow]