雅思考试考倒了谁？(上)

IELTS Test or Learn for Life?

IELTS is becoming a major factor in many Chinese students’ lives. Previously the majority of Chinese students were content on taking the National Exam and then wait for placement to a selected University. Now however the times are changing.  It is my opinion that for many students the Chinese educational system offers them no challenge. They see themselves as being permanently rooted in a go-no-where job after gradation due to the lackluster education they receive in the “traditional” Chinese university. Therefore they are looking abroad to further their skills both in language and practical knowledge. This is where IELTS comes into the picture.

IELTS is an examination, which in theory, impartially evaluates the examinees’ English language skills. The areas that are stressed are reading, writing, listening and speaking. All of these areas are in theory impartially evaluated and an overall level of communication skills is given. The score is then used to apply to a college or university abroad. This score is the most important factor in the acceptance/denial process of the school. Acceptable scores range from 5.0 for schools that may have dubious educational facilities, to 7.0 and above for those schools who are of high educational repute.

To most students the IELTS exam results, just like every other educationally based exam in China, if the ONLY reason for studying English. Upon successful completion of the exam, most students have the idea that the SCORE will enable them to successfully compete with Western students after their acceptance to the university. This however is FAR from the truth. The IELTS exam is only the key that opens the door of opportunity to attend a Western university. What remains behind the door is much more difficult, time consuming and possibly frustrating. Chinese students and certainly their parents are not accustomed to failure. However if the student views the Exam as being the most important thing to attending the university they will most certainly face failure at their university and their Western educational experience may be short lived. Many students and certainly their parents are “Examination” -focused due to the present way of evaluating the Chinese educational system. If you just read what I said and you are saying to yourself “the educational system” don’t you mean the Chinese students? No I mean the system. It seems that only the students that attend the “better” schools receive the better scores. Even the brightest students who attend some schools of lower repute never seem to attain the highest scores. This however is for another article.

Certainly to score well in the IELTS examination the examinee must attend training outside the traditional Chinese educational system. The current systems methods of teaching English may not be sufficient for the student to acquire the skills needed to achieve an acceptable score. The reading and writing skills that most students attain through current methods may enable them to attain a score in these areas that is marginal at best. But most certainly their listening and speaking skills need to be developed. But how far should this training go? Just for the Exam? Then what?

If the student enters IELTS training with their focus on the “exam” as being their goal, they may not have the correct attitude. We at Learning Education Center approach this problem in a different light. Certainly we train the students in ALL aspects of the IELTS examination. However we also stress “learning for life.” The concept is to educate for IELTS and beyond. We stress the development of the learning skills, not brute memorization. By engaging the student in day to day situational activities the process will enable the students to learn how to cope with any question, not just an exam question. We highly recommend that “AFTER” the student successfully passes their IELTS exam that they continue their language studies to further prepare them for university life or for that matter any life abroad. It is the author’s personal belief that the IELTS exam is a static way of evaluating a persons communication skills. It is designed to take place over a specific period of time, on a specific day and in a sterile environment. No talking, no laughing etc. just take the test and good-bye. Where and when the student enters the real world of Western education this concept is useless. They will be in a dynamic environment. Day to day situations will change; no one will ask them to describe their hometown. They will be put into a learning environment which is totally foreign to them. Not only will they be expected to learn a specific subject they will be expected to do this learning in English. The professors have little concern that the English level of the student is poor. Their only concern is to teach the subject NOT English. They will not slow down their speech because the students can not understand. In the university in the Western world it is either sink or swim, be the shark or be the bait. No one cares.

Having spoken to numerous students who have passed IELTS with flying colors and are now attending schools abroad, I hear the same thing again and again. “I should have continued studying after my IELTS exam. I came to this school and due to my lack of English skills; I was required to attend language school here. The costs were considerably higher and my real education has been delayed due to my inability to listen and learn in a dynamic environment. Classes that I would like to attend are not offered to me because I can not understand the professor in a class room environment. No one is here to help me, I must work twice as hard and still I can not cope with some of the materials that I am required to learn.”

So with this in mind Learning Education Center highly recommends an IELTS plus program. The program utilizes a teaching methodology that teaches “how” not “what”. Western teachers are more fully utilized in this program to enable the students to continue learning after the exam. Post IELTS students are encouraged to develop their communication skills through more interactive situational conversations. The students are subjected to more complex levels of subject matters that they may encounter while being abroad. This program has a twofold purpose. It prepares the student for life abroad, but also enables them to save money in the process.

So in conclusion Test or Life. Still your choice, but the logical choice is the latter. Being prepared is far better than failure. Ask anyone who has failed, they will certainly say.. “IF only I had known I would have done…” It’s you choice!!