Presentation Transcript

1. The US Says Yes to IELTS EducationUSA Triennial Workshop Doha, Qatar Beryl E. Meiron, IELTS International and Stephen Carey, British Council
2. Today’s Agenda Introduction to IELTS What makes a good language proficiency test? History, statistics and US recognizing institutions 2. IELTS Fundamentals and Format The test modules: listening, reading, writing and speaking Band scores A look at the speaking test in detail 3. Stakeholder services IELTS in MENA –test centers, preparation material, web services Stakeholders in the US 4. Your questions / our answers
3. What is IELTS? A test of English as an international language designed.... To assess the English language ability of non-native speakers who intend to study at undergraduate, graduate and professional schools where English is the language of communication To test communicative language proficiency As a 4-skills test including listening, reading, writing, and a live, face-to-face speaking test performed by a trained, certified ESL professional
4. What are the characteristics of a good English language proficiency test? …and why are more and more US schools recognizing IELTS? Validity (content and construct) Reliability Impact (positive classroom/learning washback) Practicality
5. Validity Ongoing research and continuing development into construct and content validity (see Research Notes) Test content matched to test taker and stakeholder needs Task-based items using multiple task types (geared to different learning and test taking styles) Integrated skills Face-to-face speaking Pen-and-paper delivery in all regions (not dependent on infrastructure or keyboard familiarity)
6. Reliability Test material production Test paper production process is a 2-year process International item writing teams – US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and UK All test versions are unique Assessment Clerical markers (listening and reading) Certified examiners (writing and speaking)
7. Practicality 48 test dates annually – Saturdays and Thursdays Registrations accepted close to test day Results available in 13 calendar days; results available online Special needs candidates Security
8. Impact High stakes test=high impact on takers/teachers/parents Positive washback - consequences on the teaching / learning environment Positive impact (washback) on teaching and learning of English Is academic English enough? Will student have skills to survive on campus/in the local community? Students need to interact with native and other non-native speakers during their higher education experience and beyond
9. Global Candidature Breakdown (2010) General Training Academic
10. “Top 10” Nationalities of US-bound IELTS Test Takers (Global)
11. Texas Tech University, Undergraduate
12. The Graduate College, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Graduate
14. How is IELTS Scored? Band Scores IELTS has used the same 9-point scoring system to measure and report test scores for the last 22 years, achieving familiarity with and confidence in the test scores by test users 9 Expert User 8 Very Good User 7 Good User 6 Competent User 5 Modest User 4 Limited User 3 Extremely Limited User 2 Intermittent User 1 Non User 0 Did Not Attempt the Test Most frequently used scores for US admissions
15. What scores do US schools require for academic success?
16. Listening 4 sections, 40 items, 30 minutes Test Format (Academic Module) 2 hours, 45 minutes Academic Reading 3 sections, 40 items, 60 minutes Academic Writing 2 tasks, 60 minutes Speaking 1:1 oral interview, 11-14 minutes
17. An issue of fairness in language testing Variety of task types in listening and reading address the variety of learning and test taking styles short-answer questions sentence completion notes, summary, diagram, flow chart, table completion classification matching multiple choice identification of writers’ views, attitudes, claims
18. Writing Assessment Criteria Written performance is assessed using detailed performance descriptors on four analytical subscales for assessment. Task achievement or task response Cohesion and coherence Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy Access Public Band Score Descriptors http://www.ielts.org/PDF/UOBDs_WritingT1.pdf http://www.ielts.org/PDF/UOBDs_WritingT2.pdf
19. Speaking, 11-14 minutes
20. Speaking Assessment Criteria Spoken performance is assessed using performance descriptors on four analytical subscales: Fluency and coherence Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation Access Public Band Score Descriptors: http://www.ielts.org/PDF/UOBDs_SpeakingFinal.pdf
21. Your turn—speaking test example
22. Candidate A, Part 1: Band 5.5 …not really willing to respond at length; many of her answers are short. She responds directly to the examiner’s questions…Some hesitation and although some markers are used effectively, there is occasional loss of coherence(loud … because ... annoying sometimes). …Mainly demonstrates very simple vocabulary in this part of the test, but used effectively to talk about a range of topics. There is some inappropriacy(they’re trying us to speak) but there is also evidence of appropriate noun modification and less common expressions (I’ve got my own room; younger brother; once in a while; really unclear; nearly everyone; it’s always good to …). Overall, she tends to use simple structures with a high level of accuracy. However, there are hardly any examples of complexity in this part of the interview and many sentences are incomplete. Her pronunciation is clear throughout with only minor mispronunciation of phonemes. However, her responses are short and there is insufficient evidence of a wide range of phonological features used to convey meaning. In spite of this candidate’s confidence, she does not demonstrate the features of performance that are necessary to reach Band 6.
23. IELTS in MENA IELTS in MENA – what services and support are available to you and your advisees? Schools and stakeholders in the US – what services are available to them?
24. www.ielts.org Country search
25. www.ielts.org Test center search
26. www.ielts.org Test date search
27. Support for test takers Face-to-face delivery, fax or registration by mail with cash payment options: youdon’tneed a creditcard to take IELTS! Online IELTS preparationathttp://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ielts Preparation courses and study packs available IELTS Study Pack and How to Prepare for IELTS Advice on test dayprocedures Off-site testingavailable Online resultspreview for all test takers
28. EducationUSA.state.gov
29. Services for receiving organizations Test Report Form Verification Service (TRFVS) Electronic score downloads Recognizing institutions can request TRFVS access and receive secure pin access codes for verified key staff Institutions can receive free electronic downloads upon request
30. Support and services for EducationUSAadvisors Center contacts are listed on the website: www.ielts.org Hard-copy information for test takers (Information for Candidates) Briefing sessions for advisors and staff: Pleaseask us! IELTS presentations (students and/or EdUSA staff) Your questions are alwayswelcome
31. Very Fast FAQs How often is the test given? IELTS is offered up to 4 times per month (see website) Saturday and Thursday test dates available globally How much does the test cost? Fees are set locally by country to reflect the local economy and payable in local currency See the IELTS test center in the country of choice for cost Where can test takers find information on test centers and dates? Search for test centers on www.ielts.org Test center information includes email, phone and contact information
32. IELTS puts people first ...and we want to assist whenever you if you have a question or concern Beryl E. Meiron, IELTS International E-mail: bmeiron@ieltsintl.org Stephen Carey, British Council E-mail: stephen.carey@britishcouncil.org