Top Ten Tips
for teachers
preparing students for
the academic version
of IELTS
Sam McCarter
Macmillan Online Conference 2013
Abstract
The presentation will look at the Top Ten Tips to help
students improve their chances of obtaining a higher
score in the academic version of the IELTS exam. The
focus will be on increasing students’ awareness of
organization and flexibility so that they can use what they
know from the grammar and vocabulary point of view
efficiently across the four components, listening reading
writing and speaking.
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Tip 1
Reading
Text navigation
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Types of passages
Exposition/ Argumentation/ Historical biographical
Text features
• Time relationships
• Problem and solution
• Cause and effect
• Classification
• Comparison and contrast
• Argument
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Description- processes/ sequencing
Narrative
Instruction
Definition
Explanation
Exemplification
Generalization and specificity
Drawing conclusions
Rhetorical organisation
(Weir, C et al. 2009. The relationship between academic reading construct as
measured by IELTS and the reading experiences of students in their first
year of study at a British university. IELTS Research Reports 9: 109.)
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The skills that students need to navigate IELTS reading
passages efficiently
-(surveying)
-prediction
-skimming
-scanning
-close reading
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• distinguishing between:
-factual and non-factual information
-important and less important items
-relevant and irrelevant information
-explicit and implicit information
-ideas examples and opinions
-drawing inferences and conclusions
-deducing unknown words
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-understanding graphic presentation (data, diagrams, etc.)
-understanding text organisation and linguistic/ semantic
aspects,
e.g. relationships between and within sentences (e.g.
cohesion)
-recognising discourse/ semantic markers and their
function
(Jordan, R.R. 1997. English for Academic Purposes: A guide and resource
book for teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.)
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Tip 2
Awareness of information sequences
Past/ Present/ Future
Problem/ Solution
Cause/ Effect/ Solution
Action/Purpose
General/ Specific
Opinion/ proof/ Conclusion
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Tip 3
Writing Task 1
Awareness of :
the purpose of the task
what is being assessed Public marking scores
the sets of data/ maps/ processes
the structure and content expected
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Task 1 Checklist
• Tense range: Simple Present/ Past/ Present Perfect/ Simple Future/
Future Perfect
• Comparison and contrast
• Complex sentences: conjunctions/ adverbs
• Vocabulary range: verbs of rise/ fall
• Writing introductions/
• Overviews/ Trends
• Noun phrases/ nominalization
-synonyms/ paraphrases
• Singular/ plural
• Active/ Passive
• General v specific
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Tip 4
Awareness of nominalization
• Task 1 and across IELTS
Car sales rose gradually in the UK between 2005 and
2010.
There was a gradual rise in car sales in the UK between
2005 and 2010.
• Writing Task 2:
The role of technology in the workplace ...
Some people think that the impact of modern media on
young people’s lives is greater than ...
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• Paragraph/ Section headings
The impact of wilderness tourism
The role of the media in young people’s lives ...
• Speaking:
Do you think that the impact of modern media on young
people’s lives is greater than ... ?
Listening note taking:
the 3 ______ of pollution on the marine habitat in New
Zealand
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Tip 5
Writing Task 2
Skills/ Transfer awareness
• Understanding question types:
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
opinion?
• Reading the whole rubric:
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant
examples from your own experience.
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Tip 6
Understanding the tasks
• Understanding question types:
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
opinion?
• Reading the whole rubric:
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant
examples from your own experience.
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Tip 7
Awareness of paragraphs
The number of paragraphs
Coherence/ cohesion
Paragraph structure
Trigger’ words to create a template rather than a
writing vacuum:
Because/ For example/ For example, if/ Like / such as
But/ However/ As a result/ however/ Moreover
And their synonyms
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Tip 8
Creating/ gathering ideas
• Brainstorming
• Word association
• Perspectives: social, environmental, legal, financial/
economic, educational ...
• Recycling ideas/ concepts
• Question creation
• Start with a word: poverty
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Tip 9
Speaking
Skills transfer Writing/Speaking
Organization
Part 2: making notes
Part 3: development of answer to question
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Tip 10
Listening
Prediction skills
Use of questions
Awareness of structure and nominalization
Listening note taking:
the 3 ______ of pollution on the marine habitat in New
Zealand (See Tip 5 Slide 14)
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Thank you!
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