Job Discussion Forums

[choudoufu]

some of our students will be taking the IELTS next april, and the
school has asked me to help prepare the little ones. not having
taken the test myself.........

i was given a photocopy of page 33 from some unnamed training guide.
that page has part 1: real-life reading aloud, and part 2: career-oriented
presentation. simple enough.......in part 1, read the text aloud, and in
part 2, describe the chart.

they don't want me to help with that part. i am to help with (and this
is handwritten at the bottom of the page, cause it's too expensive
to photocopy page 34!) part 3: situational interaction.

are there any IELTS'ers here who can explain this? i assume this would
be some sort of spontaneous dialog......em, you know, sorta kinda like
interacting in a situation.

when i asked, i was told to ask them questions about the chart in part 2.

that can't be right.

[Guerciotti]

I have a strong suspicion that they're referring to the speaking parts of the test. I previously tutored IELTS for a year. I teach TOEFL now and I regret to say I forgot the details of the IELTS speaking parts, but here's a start:

http://www.goodluckielts.com/IELTS-speaking-topics.html
http://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts_speaking_samples/387/

Go to the IELTS website for the format. Sorry I forgot the URL.
As you may have guessed or know, there are many similar sites from which you could secure an almost endless supply of topics.
In short they ask a series of related questions ending with the test-taker's opinion on a related question.
Ask the students to show you any study materials they have or websites they know. Often they are useful.
You can do a darn good job and have fun with it. I sure did.
I found that changing their short 'yes' or 'no' answers to 'why' answers with details presented a challenge, but also a goal definitely within reach. I wonder where I saved all my IELTS files? But I digress ...

I know there are many others here with likely more useful and current input.

[Sashadroogie]

Nothing in the OP refers directly to anything in IELTS.

Might be a good idea to start getting information here:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/burma-exams-ielts-frequently-asked-questions-general-questions-related-to-the-ielts.htm##5

[Guerciotti]

[Sashadroogie]

Choudoufu mentioned that he was told his students would be taking an IELTS test, but nothing he described in his opening post remotely comes close to what an IELTS test actually is. Drink or no drink - hic!

[Guerciotti]

[Sashadroogie]

Being a god amongst men, I could not expect any mere mortals to re-pay all or any debts of gratitude owing. Re-read the OP though, and you'll see that there is much confusion on what the nature of IELTS is, and it is not totally clear what Choudoufu's level of awareness is of that. Snippy remarks seem uncalled for, especially as I did not comment at all on your contribution, though you seem to think I did.

So, I would ask of Choudoufu - are your 'little ones' under the age of sixteen? IELTS, while not officially off-limits to children, is certainly not a suitable test for them to be subjected to. If they are adults, then familiarsation on the teacher's part as to what IELTS is will go a long way towards helping the potential test-takers. Also, are they to take the General or Academic module of the test? This is important for preparing them appropriately. Describing a graph is a staple of the Academic module, but in Writing task 1 - not in speaking.

Here is a link for basic info: http://www.ielts.org/PDF/Information_for_Candidates_booklet.pdf

A good understanding of the criteria used by examiners can be of benefit also. Here's a link for the public version of these criteria. Typically, Chinese test-takers score around the Band 4 or 5 area, though different sources differ slightly on the exact numbers.

https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.org/ts/digitalAssets/114292_IELTS_Speaking_Band_Descriptors.pdf

http://www.ielts.org/pdf/UOBDs_WritingT1.pdf

http://www.ielts.org/pdf/UOBDs_WritingT2.pdf

Most basic advice could only be - get an official IELTS preparation course book and follow it. There are many on the market, many divided according to the test components, i.e. Writing, Speaking, Listening, Reading. Here's as good a resource book as any:

http://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/project/item404890/New-Insight-into-IELTS/?site_locale=en_US&currentSubjectID=2489426

All the best to you, Choudoufu. I hope it all works out for you.

[Guerciotti]

I think you completely misapprehended his message, though I'm at a loss to explain how. Further, you made obvious remarks on my posts. How could anyone miss that? You are completely unconvincing.
At any rate, you finally posted something useful, and for that I am eternally grateful.

[zactherat]

[spiral78]

[Sashadroogie]

There is no part of the IELTS Speaking test where a test-taker has to describe any chart. There is no read-aloud part. These have a very distant bearing (if even that) on IELTS only in that there is a Reading test, and there is sometimes a Writing exercise to write a report based on data illustrated by charts and graphs. There is no 'situational interaction' at all, whatever that may be.

As far as I could see, Choudoufu didn't know any of this very well and asked for help. My contributions have been offered with the single aim of offering that assistance which was requested.

[choudoufu]

goldang, leave you guys alone for a few minutes and you're at each
others necks. fortunately, i'm back in the neck of time.

a couple hours before the 6-day break, i'm handed a photocopy of
page 33 (test 13). i know not from where the page from comes.
"IELTS" does not appear anywhere on that page.

i'm told to prepare the little ones (19-20 year old chinese kiddies)
for their IELTS test. no further information other than what you can
read in the OP.

i was tolded this was the general (not academic) IELTS.

are they taking an IELTS or some other test? i dunno.
did they photocopy this from an IELTS manual? i dunno.

there ain't nobody at school all during the break. the training class
will be friday, on the day we return.

thanks, GC, for the links. may i call you GC? anyways, the
second link is pretty much what i was planning for our little
session. there's no point in trying to have the kiddies talk
about a chart entitled "Survey Findings: How familiar are you
with credit cards? Subjects: Chinese University Students"

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Stay on topic. Avoid the personal, inappropriate and derailing asides and this thread will continue. Do the opposite and this thread will not continue and sanctions will be issued, as appropriate.

Sanctions have been known to include permanent banning along with one's ISPs.

[choudoufu]

good news, everyone!

finally managed to reach mama duck. 'pears this isn't actually an
IELTS test; they just called it that, 'cause it's a test and it's in english.
only it's not a test, it's the annual nationwide vocational college students
english competition.

oh, joy.