Lesson 7
Unfortunately everyone except Amir was unable to join our seventh lesson. I went through the Writing Tasks with Amir, and we spoke about the Speaking Test.
We then began to look at the Speaking Skills section of the textbook. Please finish the exercises in this section for your homework.
In your Speaking Test you will be assessed according to the following criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Here is a brief explanation of what these criteria mean.
Fluency and Coherence – Do you speak in a fluent way that is easy to understand? Do you link your ideas together clearly?
Lexical Resource – Can you accurately use or attempt to use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and effectively? Can you explain your ideas even if you do not know a particular word? Can you use or attempt to use a higher-level vocabulary accurately?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Can you use a wide range of grammatical structures rather than repeating basic structures? Are your sentences accurate, or do you often make grammatical mistakes?
Pronunciation – Is your spoken language clear and easily understood? Do you use stress and intonation to add extra meaning? With individual words, do you use stress accurately?
Click here for a link to the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors.
In our final lesson I will discuss the Speaking Test with you, and then you will do some Speaking Practice Tests with each other. In preparation you should work through the Speaking Skills chapter of the textbook.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 6
In our sixth lesson I gave you some feedback about your second Writing Task 2 homework. You all showed improvement compared to your first effort, which was pleasing. If you haven’t already, please read through previous blog entries for advice on how to maximise your score for this task.
After that, we did a Practice Listening Test.
Here are some tips to help you to maximise your Listening Score:
- Listen to all the instructions you hear during the recording. Read questions when told to do so. Check your answers when told to do so.
- Follow the specific instructions in the question booklet for each question carefully. Do not write more words or numbers than you are allowed.
- Be sure you use the correct noun form: singular or plural. Only one form is correct for each question.
- Spelling is important in the Listening Test. Grammar is also important. Incorrect spelling or grammar will not be given a mark.
- Do not leave any question unanswered. You do not lose marks for incorrect answers, so if you don’t know an answer you should at least have a guess (especially for multiple choice, T/F/NG, or Y/N/NG questions).
During the Listening Test it is important to understand the spoken alphabet, as during the listening test you will hear people spell names, addresses, or other words, which you will then need to write on your answer sheet. Here is a video with a broad British accent and abroad American accent pronouncing the letters of the alphabet:
I recommend that you listen to a variety of English accents as possible. English, American, Australian, and New Zealand accents are most likely to be heard in the listening test. You should easily be able to find videos (or audio recordings) of these various accents either by streaming TV programs or movies from these countries, or by playing videos from news websites from these countries, or even by searching on Youtube.
Here are some news website options that will have videos that you can listen to (and articles to help your reading):
bbc.com (English/British)
abc.net.au (Australian)
edition.cnn.com (American)
stuff.co.nz (New Zealand)
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 5
In our fifth lesson I gave you feedback from your Writing Task 1 homework from Practice Test 2, and also from your Writing Task 2 homework from Practice Test 1. Some of you need to work on your English grammar. Unfortunately this is not an English course, so I am unable to explain all these issues in great detail as this is not the focus of this course, and we are limited for time. It is also unfair on other students. You will need to either study more by yourself at home, or take an English language course to improve your grammar.
While I spoke to you individually, the other students were asked to work through the exercises in the Listening Skills chapter of the textbook. We will be taking a Practice Listening Test in our next lesson.
Some key points to remember for Writing Task 1:
- You should begin your essay by describing very generally in your own words (as best as possible) what data has been presented to you in the question.
- Each paragraph should have a SINGLE identifiable main topic.
- You should describe the key points of the data (referencing the specific data details to support your observations).
- Your essay should contain an overview of the data. This overview does not provide specific details, and should be in it’s own paragraph separate from the paragraph/s that outline the key points of the data.
- Punctuation is important! It is assessed as part of your Grammatical Accuracy Score. Click here for a quick revision of English punctuation rules.
- Grammar is very important! Sentence structure, verb tenses, and prepositions are all looked at very closely in assessing your writing. Bad grammar can also affect your Coherence & Cohesion Score.
Here is a good video which will help you describe data for your Academic Task 1 essay:
Some key points to remember for Task 2:
- Your introduction should always contain a paraphrasing of the question. You can also have a brief general analysis of the topic if you wish and/or a brief description of what you will talk about in your body.
- Each paragraph should have a SINGLE identifiable main topic.
- You should give a balanced analysis of the issue: you need to consider and discuss OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW on the issue, not just the view that you agree with.
- Your conclusion should not raise any new ideas. It should simply give an overview of your essay, and your own personal opinion on the issue.
- You MUST complete all requirements outlined in the task, otherwise you will immediately limit your Task Achievement score. If the task asks for an opinion on 2 or more views, you must give an opinion on which view is the best. You can not ‘sit on the fence’.
- You should avoid repetition where possible. Try and use a variety of synonyms rather than repeating the same words throughout your essay. Higher level words receive higher scores than lower level words.
- Using adjectives and adverbs is an easy way to improve your Lexical Resource.
- Be careful using examples that only apply to the culture in your country/region. It is okay to do so, but you should also discuss issues from a global perspective.
- Punctuation is important! It is assessed as part of your Grammatical Accuracy Score. Click here for a quick revision of English punctuation rules.
- Grammar is very important! Sentence structure, verb tenses, and prepositions are all looked at very closely in assessing your writing. Bad grammar can also affect your Coherence & Cohesion Score.
You need to have your Writing Task 2 homework sent to me by Friday morning at the latest. Also for homework, you should finish as many exercises as possible in the Listening Skills chapter of the textbook. We will be taking a Practice Listening Test in our next lesson.
That is all for today.
Steve
Lesson 4
Welcome back to the blog.
In our fourth lesson I began by reminding you of some tips to help you during your reading test.
- Follow the specific instructions in the question booklet for each question carefully. Do not write more words or numbers than you are allowed.
- Be sure you use the correct noun form: singular or plural. Only one form is correct for each question.
- Spelling is important in the Reading Test. Grammar is also important. Incorrect spelling or grammar will not be given a mark.
- Do not leave any question unanswered. You do not lose marks for incorrect answers, so if you don’t know an answer you should at least have a guess (especially for multiple choice, T/F/NG, or Y/N/NG questions).
We then did a Practice Reading Test. After the test, you went through the answers and counted your correct answers. This should have given you an indication of the reading speed and time management skills required to complete all of the test within the allotted time.
Some of you made avoidable mistakes even though I specifically reminded you of the above tips before the test. This shows how easy it is to make silly mistakes under the pressure and stress of an exam situation.
I then used your correct answer totals to give you an estimated Band Score based on average Band Scores awarded for previous IELTS Reading Tests. This information should give you an excellent guide as to your current reading skill level, and how close it is to the level required for the Band Score that you need.
Here is the table used for IELTS Rading Scores (Academic):
Correct Answers Band Score
39-40 9
37-38 8.5
35-36 8
33-34 7.5
30-32 7
27-29 6.5
23-26 6
19-22 5.5
15-18 5
13-14 4.5
10-12 4
8-9 3.5
6-7 3
4-5 2.5
We will not be taking any more Reading Practice Tests in this course, however I strongly recommend that you take more of these tests when you self-study at home. The more practice you have taking these tests, the less stressful the real test will be for you on your actual official exam day.
After we finished discussing the exam I gave you some general feedback on your first Writing Task 2 homework. I have already emailed you your individual feedback.
You will receive feedback on your second Writing Task 1 homework for our next lesson.
For homework I asked you to complete Writing Task 2 on page 188. As usual, please complete the task under exam conditions. Please try to send this homework to me by Wednesday evening (or by Thursday 2 p.m. AT THE LATEST).
In our next lesson we will also begin to look at the Listening Skills chapter of the textbook.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 3
Hello again.
In our third lesson I began by giving you back the Writing Task 1 exercise that you had completed for homework for our first lesson.
I had made SOME corrections and changes to your essays, but please remember that I did not correct ALL your mistakes. (I’m not going to re-write your whole essay for you! 😀 )
I also made some comments which you should read and compare with the Band Score Indicator sheet that I gave you in the first lesson. I gave you a score for each component (Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy). I then used these component scores to give you an overall score. These scores are only to be used as a rough guide. I am not a qualified IELTS Writing Examiner. I simply used my experience as an English teacher, and the Band Score Indicator sheet, to give you my opinion as to what I believe would be your approximate score.
After I spoke to you all generally about the first Writing Task 1 homework I then spoke to you all individually. While I was speaking to individuals the rest of you began to look at the IELTS Reading Skills section of the textbook (which starts on page 42).
For homework I gave you a writing task. You need to complete WRITING TASK 1 of the Practice Test 1 for Academic Training (page 188). This writing task needs to be handwritten, and completed under exam conditions. You should try to complete this essay in 20 minutes. Please send a copy of you homework to me by no later than Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.
Also for homework, you should continue working through the Reading Skills section of the textbook and complete as many exercises as possible.
In our next class there will be a Reading Skills Practice Test. We will then go through the answers together afterwards.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 2
Welcome back to the blog.
In our second lesson we focused on Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2. Writing Task 1 has different expectations depending on whether you are taking the General Training Exam or the Academic Training Exam.
For both tasks you should spend a short amount of time planning your response. Click on the links for a copy of the public version of the Band Descriptors for the Writing Test Task, the Writing Test Task 2.
ACADEMIC TRAINING WRITING TASK 1
For the Academic Training Writing Task 1 the following things need to be included to achieve a good Task Achievement score:
- Give an overview of the main information provided (summarise describing main trends, differences or stages)
- Describe the most relevant and significant information using data to support your observations (select and report key features)
- Point out the key differences and similarities in the data (make comparisons)
- Only include information that is given in the data
- Write at least 150 words
For a high Coherence and Cohesion score your writing needs to be easy to understand, organised in a logical way and with appropriate use of paragraphs, and you should use appropriate cohesive devices to connect your ideas. Planning your essay is the best way to ensure it is coherent. Click here for more information about cohesive devices. You should also read page 124 of the textbook for useful examples.
To achieve a good Lexical Resource score you need to display a wide range of vocabulary, using a variety of less common (or better yet, uncommon) terms accurately. This is an Academic Writing test, you you should be writing in a formal style. You also require minimal (or better yet, zero) spelling errors, and to avoid repetition of terms where possible. Your introductory statement description should use your own words, and avoid simply copying words and phrases from the question.
To achieve a high Grammatical Range and Accuracy score you will need to accurately use a wide range of grammatical structures, and also be accurate when referencing data to support your observations.
WRITING TASK 2
Writing Task 2 consists of:
- one or two statements on a topic OR a direct quotation giving someone’s opinion on a topic
- a specific task or question for you to answer
- the types of idea you need to include in your answer
Task Achievement is assessed on several criteria. You need to fully address all requirements outlined in the question. This includes giving a balanced analysis of the statements and/or quote given in the question. You must offer your own opinion with relevant ideas about the statements and/or the quotation, and the reasons for your opinion. You can support your opinion using examples from your own personal experience BUT these must be relevant to the question.
Your essay should be logically organised, and use paragraphs appropriately. Your essay should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
The best way to start your introduction is by restating the question in your own words (paraphrase the question).
Coherence and Cohesion is assessed by generally the same criteria as Task 1. Planning your essay is the best way to ensure it is coherent. There is a greater focus on the use of paragraphing. Paragraphs must be used sufficiently and appropriately. Each paragraph should have a clear central topic.
Lexical Resources are assessed by the same criteria as Task 1.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy are also assessed by the same criteria as Task 1.
Your conclusion should be a brief summary of your argument and ideas, and is often a good place to give your own opinion.
For homework I asked Academic Training Candidates to complete Writing Task 2 on page 171 of the textbook. You should also try to complete as many of the exrercises as possible in the Writing section of the textbook.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 1
Hello everybody, and welcome to the course blog!
This blog is intended to help you get the most out of this course. I will update it with a brief outline of what we cover in each lesson, as well as inform you of the homework that has been set. In future blogs I may also include links to videos or other web pages to read to assist your learning.
This course is very intensive. You will be expected to do a lot of reading at home, as there is too much information to cover in only 8 lessons. Furthermore, this course’s only goal is to prepare you for the IELTS Test. It is not an English course – we will not be studying grammar, vocabulary etc. If you need to improve your English skills, you will need to take a separate English language course to do so.
The textbook we will be using is The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS for Academic & General Training.
You can buy the book from various sources, but if you haven’t already, I recommend buying it from Studium Bookshop, Karlavägen 4, Stockholm. You should telephone them first (phone number: 08-660 03 86) to ensure they have the book in stock. If you tell them that you are a student at Folkuniversitetet you will receive a discount. If you purchase the book from the store it may cost slightly more than an online retailer, but you will be able to receive a copy of the book immediately without having to wait for delivery.
The book has a DVD-ROM. However, you can download the accompanying mobile app instead which is much more convenient.
Click here for the link to the App for Apple devices.
Click here for the link to the App for Android devices.
Here is a list of several websites which should be able to answer all of your questions about the test itself:
www.britishcouncil.org/takeielts
www.ieltsessentials.com/prepare
www.cambridgeenglish.org/ielts
If you are taking the IELTS test at Folkuniversitetet and you have any administration related questions related only to taking the test at Folkuniversitetet, you can send an email to ielts@folkuniversitetet.se and they can help you.
For each section of the test you will be assigned a Band Score based on specific criteria. Click on the links for a copy of the public version of the Band Descriptors for the Writing Test Task, the Writing Test Task 2 and for the Speaking Test.
In a future class I will also give you information about Band Scores for the Listening & Reading components of the IELTS exam. *PLEASE NOTE: The raw score required to hit a particular band score in Listening and Reading will vary slightly from examination to examination.
Each examination is rated by Cambridge as being of a particular level of difficulty and this will be a determinant on raw score requirements. This calculator in the link is based on average scores over multiple tests.
We began to look at the IELTS Writing Section for Task 1 in the textbook (pages 91-112 for the Academic Test, or pages 113-118 for the General Training Test). You need to finish reading the relevant section and do the exercises for your homework . There is a LOT to read, so you will probably not finish it before our next lesson.
I also gave you a writing task for homework. You need to complete WRITING TASK 1 of the Practice Test 1 for Academic Training (page 171 of the photocopies I handed out) or Task 1 for the General Training Test (page 299), depending on whether Academic or General is applicable for you. This Writing Task needs to be handwritten, and completed under exam conditions. You should try to complete this essay in 20 minutes. Please email me a scan (or photograph clear enough to print) by Wednesday evening if possible, or Thursday at the latest. If I have not received your Writing Task 1 by Thursday you will not receive any feedback for the task.
That’s all for today. I’ll see you in our next class!
Steve