Creating effective lessons with IELTS practice tests

Practice makes perfect

Which skills are the hardest? •writing •listening •reading •speaking

Academic Writing Part 1

What is the examiner looking for? The task is marked on: • Task achievement – have you answered the question? • Coherence and cohesion – does the writing fit together? • Lexical resource – do you use the right words? Is there a good range of vocabulary? • Grammar – is the grammar flexible and accurate?

For more information To learn more about the marking criteria go to: www.ielts.org

What a task looks like

Class survey 1. What interesting places have you visited in Cambridge? 2. What do you do to stay fit in Cambridge? 3. What do you like to do when you have a free day to yourself in Cambridge? 4. How much time do you spend at home and how much time do you spend outside in your free time? 5. What activities do you do at home?

Student 1 Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4

Question 5

Student 2

Student 3

Student 4

Student 5

Useful language • The majority of the people … • Most of the people … • Quite a few people … • Hardly any of the people … • Almost nobody …

Relating surveys to IELTS

Describing the key trends Lower bands • Fall • Rise • Increase

Higher bands • A slight increase • A massive fall • Increase marginally

The process diagram

Key vocabulary

Key vocabulary • To begin with • Following this • Next • Then • After that • Before • Subsequently • Finally

Using visuals

Dealing with the task • Find the beginning and end of the process • Try to understand the different stages • Organise the description

Answer these questions • What happens? • Is there a change? • How many stages are there? • Is it a simple process or are there a number of variations?

Paraphrase and synonyms

From Cambridge English Dictionaries Online

How it relates to the Listening paper

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Thesaurus and dictionary skills

From Cambridge English Dictionaries Online

A more focussed approach

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Examples from practice tests • Question: What point is made about Australian honey bees? • Correct answer: They are sold to customers abroad.

Multiple-choice format Which sentence does not mean the same as the others? A. The country exports a lot of bees around the world. B. The country sells a lot of bees abroad. C. The country is a big importer of bees.

IELTS and distraction

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What point is made about Australian bees? A. Their honey varies in quality. B. Their size stops them from pollinating flowers. C. They are sold to customers abroad.

Their honey varies in quality.

Different qualities of honey are mentioned but he is contrasting European, Australian and Asian bees. Their size stops them from There is a phrase ‘they pollinating flowers. were too big to pollinate’ but this is speaking about European bees in Australia. They are sold to correct customers abroad.

Reading skills

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True, false or not given

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Some Japanese officials thought that Shirase’s intention to travel to the South Pole was pointless.

For many of them, the question wasn’t could he do it but why would it be worth doing?

For many of them, the question wasn’t could he do it but why would it be worth doing?

So, like the British, Shirase presented his expedition as a search for knowledge:

Shirase found it easy to raise the money he needed for his trip to the South Pole.

The response from the government was cool, however, and Shirase struggled to raise funds.

Classroom application

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Speaking Part 2

Topics in Speaking Part 2 • Describe an interesting news story • Describe an interesting place you have visited as a tourist • Describe a special event in your country • Describe a popular teacher

Topics as a presentation • Tell us about something in the news that interests you as a group • Tell us about a famous tourist place in your country (or the one that you are studying in) • Tell us about a special event in your country (or the one that you are studying in) • Tell us about what makes a good teacher using examples of teachers you have known

Making Notes 1. What is the event? 2. When does it takes place?

3. Why does it take place? 4. What do people do?

5. Why is it special?

A. old tradition, Shang dynasty, fight off monsters, still important B. families meet up, set off firecrackers, red decorations, eat a lot C. biggest and longest holiday, like the New Year, see family from different parts of country D. January, February – Lunar New Year E. Spring Festival China

Making Notes 1. What is the event? 2. When does it takes place?

3. Why does it take place? 4. What do people do?

5. Why is it special?

A. old tradition, Shang dynasty, fight off monsters, still important B. families meet up, set off firecrackers, red decorations, eat a lot C. biggest and longest holiday, like the New Year, see family from different parts of country D. January, February – Lunar New Year E. Spring Festival China

Bringing the talk to a close • So it’s one of the most popular festivals in my country. • To sum up I think it’s popular because families spend a lot of time together. • As you can see, it’s a very popular celebration that everybody can join in.

Further information Preparing Learners for the 21st Century 13 and 15 June 2016 University of Cambridge Cambridge English Language Assessment 1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU, UK Tel: +44 (0)1223 553997 Fax: +44 (0)1223 553621 Email: [email protected] Keep up to date with what’s new via the Cambridge English Language Assessment website: www.cambridgeenglish.org For information on Cambridge English webinars for teachers: www.cambridgeenglish.org/webinars