The International English Language Testing System 大綱 • • • • • 簡介與考試方法 評分標準 問題範例:Task 1, Task 2 注意事項與 Writing Strategies 線上資源 簡介 • IELTS 雅思(The International English Language Testing System) 國際英語測驗系統,原本是設計用來評估欲前往英語 系國家求學或工作者的英語能力,現在為世界認可的英語考試。 • 目前,有超過6,000個機構肯定IELTS雅思考試為可信賴的英語 測驗指標,也是一個能夠真實呈現考生的英語溝通能力是否已 達到能接受高等教育、移民與從事專業工作的標準。 • 除了在英國、澳洲、紐西蘭、加拿大以及歐洲的教育系統被廣 泛接受之外,美國的學校也有超過2000多所採用或是明文建議 學生在申請入學時使用 • IELTS雅思國際英語測驗是由英國文化協會、劍橋大學英語考 試院(Cambridge ESOL) 和澳洲國際文教中心合辦,在全球超 過120個國家、500多個考試中心提供測驗服務。 IELTS考試內容 測驗內容 考試分鐘數 說明 Listening 聽力測驗 30分鐘 分為四大主題約有40小題 Reading 閱讀測驗 60分鐘 三篇文章,共40題。 Writing 寫作測驗 60分鐘 需撰寫兩篇作文 Speaking 口試 11-14分鐘 由口試主考官作一對一口試。 •對談主題非常口語化,生活化。 •內容大三部分: 1.自我介紹與一般話題交談。 2.依據提示卡做個人表述 3.較深入闡述。 •考試全程:2小時45分鐘 General Introduction • IELTS is the world’s proven English test. Over 1.2 million candidates take the test each year to start their journeys into international education and employment. • IELTS is recognised by more than 6000 institutions across 120 countries. • IELTS is owned and managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. • 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of IELTS (1989 ~ present) IELTS雅思報考組別 IELTS雅思組別分為學術組(Academic) 及 一般訓練組 (General Training) 兩組。無論選擇何種組別,都必須經 過聽力(Listening)、閱讀 (Reading)、寫作 (Writing)和口 試(Speaking)四個部份。 學術組 (ACADEMIC) • 適用於欲申請正式課程者,如研究所、大學、專科或學校要求此組別之成績。 目前美國、英國、澳洲、紐西蘭、加拿大及歐洲等教育系統都廣泛接受。 一般訓練組 (GENERAL TRAINING) • • 適用於申請移民、欲前往英語系國家工作、及非學位取得為目的者。 兩個組別最大的不同在於閱讀及寫作部份會因報考組別不同而給予不同題目。 建議你在報名前,請先查詢欲申請單位之要求,再決定所報考組別。 2 Formats in IELTS • General Training - for school, work or migration The General Training format focuses on basic survival skills in a broad social and educational context. It is for those who are going to Englishspeaking countries to do secondary education, work experience or training programs. People migrating to Australia, Canada and New Zealand must sit the General Training test. • Academic - Institutions of Higher and Further Education The Academic format is for those who want to study or train in an English-speaking university or Institutions of Higher and Further Education. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the results of the Academic test. IELTS Writing-General Training • Task 1 Candidates are asked to write a personal informal, semiformal or formal letter, responding to a given problem or situation. Input to Task 1 includes a brief description of the problem or situation followed by 3 bullet points which tell the candidate what information is required in the letter. Candidates must write at least 150 words for this task. • Task 2 The input to Task 2 consists of a statement of a point of view, argument or problem about a specific topic. This is followed by instructions asking candidates to discuss the topic by providing general factual information, outlining and/or presenting a solution, justifying an opinion, or evaluating ideas and evidence. Candidates are expected to produce a discursive piece of writing. Candidates must write at least 250 words for this task. IELTS 寫作學術組整合表 Task 1 Task 2 20 分鐘 40 分鐘 寫作長度 至少 150 字 至少 250 字 寫作型式 圖表的描述和比較 申論、表達立場、解決問題 評分範圍 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 段數評分 1) 兩部分都必須完成 2) Task 2 的分數比重大於 Task 1 3) 從 0 段 到 9 段 (段數以0.5進位,例:5 段 或 6.5段) 時間 回答是否切題 連貫性及流暢度 詞彙使用量 文法運用範圍及其正確性 字數是否達到要求 回答是否切題 連貫性及流暢度 詞彙使用量 文法運用範圍及其正確性 字數是否達到要求 IELTS Writing-Academic Task 1 Task 2 Timing 20 min 40 min Writing Length at least 150 words at least 250 words a descriptive academic report of a table or diagram an academic essay in response to an opinion or a problem Writing Style Grading 1) Task Achievement Criteria 2) Coherence and Cohesion 3) Lexical Resource 4) Grammatical Range and Accuracy Score 1) Both tasks are 2) Writing Task 2 Task 1 3) From band 0 to whole bands or 1) 2) 3) 4) Task Response Coherence and Cohesion Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy compulsory is worth more marks than Writing band 9 (band scores are reported in half bands) 評分 熟練的使用者 非常好的使用者 良好的使用者 極佳使用者,能將英語運用自如;適切,精確,流利並能完全理解. 非常良好使用者,能將英語運用自如,只是偶爾有斷續的錯誤和不 適切處,在不熟悉的狀況下可能出現誤解,可將複雜細部的論述掌 握的相當好。 良好使用者,有能力運用英語,雖然在某些情況下有時會發生不精 確、不適當和誤解,大致可將複雜的英語掌握的不錯,亦理解詳細 原委。 夠格使用者,大致能有效地運用英語,雖然有不精確、不適當和誤 解發生,能使用並理解相當複雜的英語,特別是在熟悉的情況下。 合格的使用者 評分 適中使用者 適度使用者,可部份運用英語,在大多數情況下可應付全盤的定 義, 雖然可能犯下許多錯誤,在本身領域內應可掌握基本的溝通。 有限的使用者 有限使用者,只限在熟悉的狀況下有基本的理解力,在理解與表 達上常發生問題,無法使用複雜英語。 非常有限的使用者. 困難的使用者 完全不能使用者 極有限使用者,在極熟悉的情況下,只能溝通理解一般定義。 偶爾使用者,除非在熟悉的狀況下,使用單字或簡短的片語傳答 最基本的訊息,以迎合溝通的需要,實際上不可能有真正的溝通, 在英文的說寫方面有重大的障礙 。 不能使用者,本質上無法使用英語,可能可說幾個單字,經常會 溝通不良。 IELTS 的成績 與其他英語能力測驗之比較 IELTS TOEIC TOEFL TOEFL-CBT GEPT 8.0-9.0 990 660 287 優級 7.0 810 600 250 高級 6.0 660 530 197 中高級 5.0 520 430 117 中級 4.0 380 350 63 初級 Expert user •Has fully operational command of the language; appropriate,accurate and fluent with complete understanding . Very good user •Has fully operational command of the language; with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies .Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations . Handles complex detailed argumentation well. Good user •Has operational command of the language though with occasional inaccuracie inappropracies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. Competent user •Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, and misunderstandings . Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations . Modest user •Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations though is likely to make many mistakes .Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. Limited user •situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language. Extremely limited user •Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communications occur. Intermittent user •No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulas in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs . Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. Non user •Essentially has ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. Task 1 (1) Time Length: 20 minutes Writing Length: 150 words (minimum) Writing Goal: Interpret and describe some given visual information (a diagram or table, etc.) and present the information in your own words. Table Task 1 (2) 4 possible types of the academic writing in task 1 1. Organise, present and possibly compare data e.g. money people spend on different forms of entertainment. 2. Describe stages of a procedure or process e.g. the stages of human evolution. 3. Describe on object or event or series of events e.g. How the water cycle works. 4. Explain how something works e.g. How a car engine works. Reasons for directly penalty – – – – The writing is less than the minimum word limit Off-topic and irrelevant response Plagiarism (severe penalty) Incomplete format (e.g. bullet points, or note form etc.) Example of Task 1 • You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. • The take below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. • You should write at least 150 words. Sample Writing (1) The table shows the details regarding the underground railway systems in six cities. London has the oldest underground railway systems among the six cities. It was opened in the year 1863, and it is already 3l years old. Paris is the second oldest, in which it was opened in the year 1900. This was then followed by the opening of the railway systems in Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto. Los Angeles has the newest underground railway system, and was only opened in the year 2001. In terms of the size of the railway systems, London, for certain, has the largest underground railway systems. It has 394 kilometres of route in total, which is nearly twice as large as the system in Paris. Kyoto, in contrast, has the smallest system. It only has 11 kilometres of route, which is more than 30 times less than that of London. Sample Writing (2) Interestingly, Tokyo, which only has 155 kilometres of route, serves the greatest number of passengers per year, at 1927 millions passengers. The system in Paris has the second greatest number of passengers, at 1191 millions passengers per year. The smallest underground railway system, Kyoto, serves the smallest number of passengers per year as predicted. In conclusion, the underground railway systems in different cities vary a lot in the site of the system, the number of passengers served per year and in the age of the system. (233 words) Task 2 (1) Time Length: 40 minutes Writing Length: 250 words (minimum) Writing Goal: Presented with and respond to a point of view or argument or problem. Task 2 (2) 4 possible types of the academic writing in task 2 1. Present the solution to a problem e.g. You want to persuade someone to study your native language. What reasons would you give? Support your answer with specific details. 2. Present and justify an opinion e.g. Do you think trial by jury should be used in all criminal cases? 3. Compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications e.g. How effective is it to reward good work with extra money? 4. Evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument e.g. ‘Failure shows desire wasn’t strong enough’. To what extent do you agree? Reasons for directly penalty • • • • • Directly copied sentences or phrases from the question The writing is less than the minimum word limit Off-topic and irrelevant response Plagiarism (severe penalty) Incomplete format (e.g. bullet points, or note form etc.) Example of Task 2 • You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: • Governments should make more effort to promote alternative sources of energy. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? • Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Writing Sample (1) • It has been known for some time now that a move towards sources of energy which are not carbonbased is urgently required to stop the effects of global warming. In my view, there are too few governments who seem to be promoting the use of other types of energy such as wind, wave, solar and nuclear sources of energy. • Governments at present are too reliant on coil, oil and gas. Although some governments are doing research into the use of alternative energy sources, many are not. Energy from the wind, the sea and the sun does not pollute the environment and is an everlasting source of power. Nuclear power is clean, and although it is not totally unproblematic, it would provide a large amount of energy and dramatically improve the environment. Countries such as France have made good use of nuclear power. Writing Sample (2) • My feeling is that more use could be made of wind power. In some countries, there has been a reluctance to use wind turbines, even in areas which are not densely populated, as some people believe they are eyesores. Personally, I believe they are not only useful, but beautiful as well. Governments should spend more time and effort promoting the benefits of this source of energy and trying to make the public understand the reason for change. • In conclusion, I believe that, if governments forced everyone to have a wind turbine and solar panels on the building they live in, made more use of wave power and built more nuclear power stations, then they would manage to avert the dangers that are seriously threatening the Earth. (268 words) 注意事項 Writing Strategies • For Both Tasks 1. Read the question carefully 2. Familiarise yourself with descriptions of data – in newspapers, textbooks 3. Practise formulating your own ideas on topics Writing Strategies – For Both Tasks • Device for better coherence Function Cohesive device 1. Addition besides, furthermore, moreover, what is more, in addition, also, both ... and …, not only … but … also 2. Likeness likewise, similarly, in the same way, in addition 3. Contrast however, nevertheless, still, nonetheless, conversely, otherwise, instead, whereas, while, although, in contrast, on the contrary, on the other hand, despite, in spite of 4. Cause and Effect accordingly, consequently, hence, therefore, as a result, for this reason, so, as, because of, due to, owing to, since, given that, thus, thereby, by this means, in this manner, in this case Writing Strategies – For Both Tasks •Device for better coherence Function Cohesive device 5.Reinforcement for example, for instance, such as, a case in point, one example of this, in this way, in fact, in particular, indeed 6. Time/Order meanwhile, then, subsequently, afterward, thereafter, earlier, later, after, before, when, first(ly), second(ly), finally, lastly, from beginning to end, in the beginning, in the end, at last, in conclusion, overall, in summary, on the whole, to summarize, to sum up Writing Strategies – For Task 1 • Words used to describe the given pictures noun verb a graph a diagram show display line graph a figure indicate manifest bar graph a table demonstrate illustrate column graph vertical axis reveal explain a chart horizontal axis represent provide a pie chart percentage imply mark a bar chart proportion suggest denote Writing Strategies – For Task 1 • Words used to describe statistics, to compare results, to describe changes: verbs remain grow multiply fall climb diminish rise decline plunge drop gain slide increase improve slip decrease fluctuate soar Writing Strategies – For Task 1 • Words used to describe statistics, to compare results, to describe changes: adjective/adverb steady/steadily approximately stark dramatically gradually doubly, triply drastically rapidly relatively sharply slowly annually slightly remarkably merely significantly respectively apparently considerably evidently incredibly initially markedly severely correspondingly exponentially frequently heavily widely admittedly smoothly surprisingly Writing Strategies – For Task 1 • Words used to describe statistics, to compare results, to describe changes: phrase rise from … to … fall from … fall to … start at/from … to … range from … to … reach to … be divided into … in the vicinity of … References 網路資源: • IELTS homepage (IELTS官方網站) http://www.ielts.org/index.htm • ELC homepage (香港理工大學) http://elc.polyu.edu.hk http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/IELTS/ • IELTS Exam Preparation http://www.ielts-exam.net/ • University of Leeds: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/languages/resource/english/graphs /tren.htm – 線上英語自學中心 http://ce.etweb.fju.edu.tw/self_learning.html BRITISH COUNCIL (英國文化協會) http://www.britishcouncil.org/tw/taiwan.htm IDP IELTS (澳洲國際文教中心) http://www.idp-ielts.com.tw/web/ I IDP IELTS (台灣雅思考試中心) http://www.idp-ielts.com.tw/web/ Charles, Julian. IELTS Write Right. Taipei: Jon Wen Books,