NET LANGUAGESdownloads.netlanguages.com/downloads/resources/Section 4 - Tut… · Web viewNET LANGUAGES. IELTS ACADEMIC Practice Tests 2 and 3. Guide for tutors. Contents: Sample

NET LANGUAGES

IELTS ACADEMIC Practice Tests 2 and 3Guide for tutors

Contents:

Sample marks and written work.......................................................................2

Practice tests..................................................................................................8

General information..........................................................................................8

Practice Test 2.................................................................................................9

Practice Test 3...............................................................................................17

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Sample marks and written workSample answers to writing tasks 1 and 2 of the writing module of the IELTS exam.

A. Writing task 1 – a sample question and answers with feedback

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the number of weeks of maternity leave that mothers are entitled to in different countries.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

SAMPLE ANSWER 1:

Weeks of statutory maternity leave allowance in different countries

A survey was carried out in eleven countries to find out the number of weeks women have for maternity leave. The countries are: Sweden, Norway, Italy, Finland, UK, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Spain, Indochina and Sri Lanka.

The results are shown on a bar graph where we can see the enormous difference between Sweden, the country with the largest number of weeks for maternity leave -

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98 - and Indochina and Sri Lanka, the countries with the shortest period, lasting only 15 weeks.

Other countries, such as Norway, Italy, Finland and the UK follow Sweden with periods ranging from 52 weeks in Norway to 40 weeks in the UK. These European countries are still far below the maternity leave allowance legally established in Sweden.

On the other hand, Brazil and Canada are nearly the same, with 20 and 19 weeks, respectively, while Japan and Spain are both the same, with 18 weeks for maternity leave.

Marking criteria and feedback

Band: high 8

Task fulfilment: Does the student follow the instructions and give a clear and relevant description of the information? -Yes, this describes the information required in a clear and organised way, and is written in an appropriate formal academic style.

Coherence and cohesion: Is the writing well organised and logically linked? -Yes. The text is logical, cohesive and very easy to understand.

Vocabulary: Does the student use a range of appropriate vocabulary? -Yes. The student has used a range of appropriate vocabulary effectively and correctly.

Grammar: Are sentences formed appropriately and accurately? -Yes. The language used is appropriate and, in fact, there are no grammatical errors.

SAMPLE ANSWER 2:

This is a bar chart showing mothers with the number of weeks of maternity leaves in different countries. As you can see, Sweden has most number of weeks followed by Norway, which is twice fewer but it is still relatively high together with Italy, Finland and UK. This shows that these countries are more developed because government can sustain and provide the best medical care to its mothers.

The bar on the right shows that countries as Indonesia and Sri Lanka have the least number of weeks of maternity leaves. This tells us that the poorer the country is, the least the government could sustain their medical benefits such as child birth.

Countries as Brazil, Canada, Japan and Spain falls in the middle of the bar graph. This tells us there is a big number of urban poor too, even from developed countries like Canada, Spain and Japan. So government can provide just enough maternity care just not as much as Sweden and Norway.

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Band: 6

Task fulfilment: Does the student follow the instructions and give a clear and relevant description of the information? -Yes, on the whole this describes the information required in a clear and organised way. However, on a number of occasions the student draws conclusions, something that the task does not require. The answer should be limited to describing the information given.

Coherence and cohesion: Is the writing well organised and logically linked? -Yes. In general, the text is logical, cohesive and reasonably easy to understand.

Vocabulary: Does the student use a range of appropriate vocabulary? -Yes. In general, the student has used a range of appropriate vocabulary effectively, though there is some inaccuracy in the choice of words, which leads to confusion in one or two places.

Grammar: Are sentences formed appropriately and accurately? -Yes. The language used is generally appropriate, though there are a number of grammatical errors, some of which make the message unclear.

B. Writing task 2 – a sample question and answers with feedback

WRITING TASK 2


Write about the following topic:

The purpose of schooling should be to educate children in practical ways; schools should focus less on theoretical subjects, such as mathematics and literature, and more on teaching practical skills which will prepare children to be effective adults.

Discuss this view and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.


SAMPLE ANSWER 1:

The problem most countries are facing at the moment is that school leavers are not prepared to compete in job markets. High school students are thought too many academic subjects instead of learning practical and useful skills needed for jobs.

Present job markets require a great deal of people with practical skills such as computer systems, electrical and electronic techniques, mechanics, pluming, sales

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and marketing, catering, hotel management, travel agents, tourism promotion, urban planning and development, social workers, nurses, etc.

I personally believe a significant change in the secondary education curriculum is needed for students to be prepared for current work situations. Governments should be more in touch with employers in their own countries to see what changes should be made in education in an effort to reduce the high levels of unemployment caused by lack of necessary skills.

In my country, for example, we have a state training institution called SENA (National Apprenticeship Service) where all people with certain educational requirements can go to learn and develop one or several skills free of charge. This national institution works in connection with employers, who sponsor training programmes and offer job opportunities for the trainees. I strongly believe, this is a very good example of practical education that yields excellent results in any country.

Another example of how a country can succeed in training people for the right jobs is India. It is well known that this country has become the IT centre of the world. Many companies in foreign countries contract their computer services in India because it is cheaper than at home. This has contributed to improve the standard of living of many people in India and at the same time has allowed them to use and enjoy the latest technology available.

Finally, if all governments gave more priority to practical education and saw more clearly the needs in their own countries, there would be less unemployment and social problems in the world.


Band: high 8

Ideas, arguments and evidence: Does the student evaluate different arguments and ideas and compare or contrast them effectively? -Yes. Evaluation is very concise and effective, as are the arguments and personalisation (speaking from experience and giving evidence).

Communicative competence: Does the student organise the text logically and present his/her ideas clearly and coherently? -Yes. The text is very logical and coherent, both in terms of the development of the arguments presented and the language used to connect them.

Vocabulary: Does the student use a range of appropriate vocabulary? -Yes. There is an excellent range of vocabulary here, and only the occasional inaccuracy. Errors do not, however, make it hard for the reader to understand the message at any point.

Grammar: Does the writing demonstrate a variety of sentence structures that are reasonably accurate? -Yes. The text is highly accurate and demonstrates a wide range of language. Some phrases sound a little unnatural when compared to native speech, but do not require extra attention by the reader.

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SAMPLE ANSWER 2:

Children spend most of their time in schools. It is in school that they get most of the influence and trainings from. Although we as parents should be of greater influence to our children, it is a fact that it is the other way around. It is in school that they develop social interaction and some other things they do not learn from home.

I believe that schools should educate children in both practical and theoretical or academic skills like mathematics and literature. It goes hand in hand. One cannot work without the other. For example, an individual does well academically but needs EQ or emotional intelligence. They tend to have not much friends and leads them to become loners or depressed in later life. We have documented cases of doctors and other professionals committing crime like rape etc.

On the other hand, we also know the importance of learning theoretical subjects like mathematics and literature etc. We want our children also to be successful and competitive in their own right when they grow up. They need the necessary skills to be competitive by having formal trainings and these theoretical subjects are just as important to achieve this. It is in school that they get these kinds of trainings.

The school plays an important role in our lives. They serve as second “guardian” to our children. They have the right skills to train and mould our children. Therefore, I believe they should focus in these two important aspects evenly because it is in their hands how our children would fare in their adult lives.


Band: 7

Ideas, arguments and evidence: Does the student evaluate different arguments and ideas and compare or contrast them effectively? -The student’s introductory paragraph is very good. She argues quite effectively, but perhaps she can back up her ideas with more personal experiences. Making the text more personal would make it more convincing.

Communicative competence: Does the student organise the text logically and present his/her ideas clearly and coherently? -The text is logically organised and ideas are presented clearly.

Vocabulary: Does the student use a range of appropriate vocabulary? - Yes. The student has used a range of appropriate vocabulary. There are some inaccuracies, but in general they do not lead to confusion, and there are also a few spelling errors.

Grammar: Does the writing demonstrate a variety of sentence structures that are reasonably accurate? -Yes. The writing demonstrates a variety of sentence structures that are reasonably accurate. There are occasional mistakes, but these do not impede communication.

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Give the student an approximate grade according to the IELTS exam criteria. (See the table of approximate equivalences of Net Languages courses and a summary of the IELTS criteria below.)

Table of approximate equivalences of Net Languages courses General English courses IELTS band scores Council of Europe

frameworkPre-Elementary 0 - 2.0 A1Elementary 2.5 - 3.5 A2Lower Intermediate 4.0 - 4.5 B1Mid Intermediate 4.5 - 5.0 B1+Upper Intermediate 5.5 - 6.0 B2Pre-Advanced 6.0 - 6.5 B2+Advanced 7.0 - 8.0 C1Proficiency 8.5 - 9.0 C2

The IELTS 9-band scale:9: Expert user

Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

8: Very good userHas fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

7: Good userHas operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

6: Competent userHas generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

5: Modest userHas partial command of the language. Copes with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.

4: Limited userBasic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.

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3: Extremely limited userConveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

2: Intermittent userNo real communication is possible expect for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty in understanding spoken and written English.

1: Non-userEssentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

Practice testsGeneral information

Contents:

Details of student tasks for writing and speaking subtests Feedback for the practice tests Marking guidelines and criteria

There are two additional IELTS Academic practice tests available: Practice Test 2 and Practice Test 3. Practice Test 1 is included in the Preparation Course package and should be done after completing the course. Practice Test 2 and Practice Test 3 can be done independently from, or before or after, the Preparation Course. The practice tests consist of the following parts:

Listening test Reading test Writing test Speaking test

Both the listening and reading subtests are self-correcting. This means that there is no tutor involvement in these parts of the practice exam. However, during the speaking tutorial for the speaking subtest, it would be appropriate for the tutor to ask students how well s/he scored in these tests.

Practice Test 2

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Writing test

There are two tasks in the writing test. See the tasks below for the word limits, content and timing. Here are the instructions that students are given for the writing test:

WRITING TASK 1


The graph below shows the number of weeks of maternity leave that mothers are entitled to in different countries.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.


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WRITING TASK 2


Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic.

The purpose of schooling should be to educate children in practical ways; schools should focus less on theoretical subjects, such as mathematics and literature, and more on teaching practical skills which will prepare children to be effective adults.

Discuss this view and give your own opinion.



Marking criteria

Task 1Task 1 texts should be assessed using the following criteria:

Task fulfilment: Does the student follow the instructions and give a clear and relevant description of the information?

Coherence and cohesion: Is the writing well organised and logically linked?

Vocabulary: Does the student use a range of appropriate vocabulary? Grammar: Are sentences formed appropriately and accurately?

Task 2Task 2 texts should be assessed using the following criteria:

Ideas, arguments and evidence: Does the student evaluate different arguments and ideas and compare or contrast them effectively?

Communicative competence: Does the student organise the text logically and present his/her ideas clearly and coherently?

Vocabulary: Does the student use a range of appropriate vocabulary? Grammar: Does the writing demonstrate a variety of sentence structures

that are reasonably accurate?

The overall result is translated into a score on the IELTS 9-band scale. (See the 9-band scale below, at the end of the speaking test section.)

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Speaking test

Here are the instructions that students are given for the speaking test:

SPEAKING TEST

TIME ALLOWED: 1 hour

The speaking test interview between the candidate and the examiner takes from 11 to 14 minutes.

Remember, there are three parts to the speaking test:

Part 1: the introduction and interview Part 2: the individual long turn, using a task card Part 3: the two-way discussion

Your performance is rated according to four different criteria:

Fluency and coherence Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation

All criteria have equal weighting. The final result of the test is given as one score, or band.

Familiarise yourself with the part-by-part description below. Then contact your tutor to arrange your test simulation.

Part 1: Introduction and interview.

This part of the test lasts 4 to 5 minutes. The examiner will ask general questions to which you should give full, expansive answers.

Step-by-step approach to interview:

Step 1 The examiner introduces him/herself and the candidate does the same.

Step 2 The examiner will ask the candidate questions about her/himself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics. For example:

Your home

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Where do you live? What is your town or city like? Who do you live with? What type of building do you live in? How long have you lived there? What interesting things are there to see where you live?

Free time How much free time do you have? How do you spend your free time? Do you prefer to spend free time alone or with other people? Do you think that people have enough free time these days? What do you usually do at the weekend? What did you do last weekend?

Computers Do use a computer at work or at home? What do you use a computer for? Do you like using computers? When did you start using a computer? How important are computers these days? What jobs do computers do better than people?

Education What subjects did you study at school/university? Did the style of teaching suit the way you learn? What was your favourite subject? Why? What would you like to study in the future? Do you think that your education has prepared you for the world of

work? How is education changing?

Holidays Are there many public holidays where you live? Do you think there are enough public holidays? Do you like going away on holidays? Where did you go on your last holiday? What interesting place would you like to visit on your holidays? Do you think it is important to have holidays?

Shoes What shoes do you like wearing? Do you have different shoes for different activities? What type of shoes do you buy? Do you buy shoes online? What shoes are comfortable? What shoes do you never wear?

Music What music do you listen to?

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When do you usually listen to music? How do you listen to music? Do you buy music? Do you listen to live music? Has your taste in music changed?

Weather What type of weather do you like? What was the weather like at the weekend? What do you do in rainy weather? Do you dress differently for different types of weather? What is the weather like in autumn where you live? What season do you prefer?

Friends Do you have a large circle of friends? Where did you first meet these friends? How often do you see your friends? What things do you like doing together? How important is it to have close friends? What makes a good friend?

Part 2: Individual long turn.

You will be given a card and will have 1 minute to prepare a talk of 1 or 2 minutes, using the card as a guide. You are permitted to make notes during the minute preparation time. At the end of this time, the examiner will ask one or two questions to begin your long turn.

Part 3: Two-way discussion.

After the talk in Part 2 is over, the examiner will ask further questions related to the topic of the talk. The questions will relate to the personal experiences discussed in Part 2, and to more general aspects of the topic.

Now contact your tutor to arrange your test simulation. After the simulation, your tutor will give you your score and feedback on your performance.

Speaking test procedure:

The student will contact the tutor and arrange a time for the test interview. The day before the interview the tutor sends the student by email the

sample card below, with strict instructions that the student must not look at the card until 1 minute before the phone interview. (See standard email below.)

The student phones the tutor and after checking that the student is ready, the interview begins:

o Part 1 (4-5 minutes of general questions)o Part 2 – individual long turn (1-2 minutes)

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o Part 3 – 2-way discussion around theme (5 minutes) At the end of the interview (15 to 20 minutes) give the student some

feedback (5 minutes) and follow this up with detailed written feedback and a mark using the IELTS band score criteria.

STANDARD EMAIL

Dear [student’s name],

Here is the card we are going to use in the speaking test. DO NOT READ BELOW THIS LINE UNTIL 1 MINUTE BEFORE YOUR PHONE INTERVIEW!

Regards,

[tutor’s name]

______________________________________________________________

1 MINUTE BEFORE THE PHONE INTERVIEW:

You will have 1 minute to prepare a talk of 1 or 2 minutes, using this card as a guide. You are permitted to make notes during the minute preparation time. At the end of this time, you must phone your tutor and begin the tutorial.

[Copy and paste the text of the following card here. Do not send the SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS:]

______________________________________________________________

Interview card:[Copy this card and email it to your student the day before the phone interview/speaking test. Do not send the SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS. You will ask the student these questions in Part 3 of the speaking test.]

CARDDescribe a learning experience you have had where you learned a new skill.

You should say: what exactly you learned to do how you learned to do it your particular learning style and how you apply this to your daily life

and explain what skills you need or would like to learn in the future.

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Rounding-off questions Why is it important to learn new skills? What skills could you teach another person?

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS:

Education systemsWhat is the education system like in your country? What are the different options for students who complete compulsory education?When you were at school was the approach to teaching and learning suited to your learning style?How is education changing where you live?

Education in societyWho has the most important role in encouraging learning skills in children, teachers or parents?Are there problems with student behaviour in schools or universities in your country?Education is not preparing people for their role in society or in the workforce. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

For Parts 2 and 3, the tutor should use the card above. The speaking subtest is graded according to the following four criteria:

Fluency and coherence Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation

All criteria have equal weighting. The final result of the test is given as one score, or band. Here are descriptions of the bands according to which students are graded:

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The IELTS 9-band scale:

9: Expert userHas fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

8: Very good userHas fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

7: Good userHas operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

6: Competent userHas generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

5: Modest userHas partial command of the language. Copes with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.

4: Limited userBasic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.

3: Extremely limited userConveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

2: Intermittent userNo real communication is possible expect for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty in understanding spoken and written English.

1: Non-userEssentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

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This should be followed up by written feedback sent to the student as an email. This should include some error correction for the student as well as a score for the oral based on the criteria above and given as a band score. It should be mentioned that this in no way guarantees that students would score in the same band in the IELTS exam itself.

Practice Test 3

Writing test

There are two tasks in the writing test. See the tasks below for the word limits, content and timing. Here are the instructions that students are given for the writing test:

WRITING TASK 1


The table below shows the percentage of 5- to 16-year-olds who had meals with their families at least five times a week in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.


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WRITING TASK 2


Write about the following topic:

There is a wealth of information on the Internet; however, some people suggest that it is not the best place to look for information.

How far do you agree with this view?



Marking criteria

See notes above in Practice Test 2.

Speaking test

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See instructions and notes above in Practice Test 2.

Interview card:[Copy this card and email it to your student the day before the phone interview/speaking test. Do not send the SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS. You will ask the student these questions in Part 3 of the speaking test.]

CARDDescribe a book or a film that you have read or seen recently.

You should say: the name of the book or film and the author/director or actors a brief outline of the story if it was typical of the type of book or film that you usually like

and explain what made this book or film memorable.

Rounding-off questions When and what do you normally read? Do you prefer to watch films at home or at the cinema? Why?

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS:

Reading habitsDo people in your country generally read a lot?Have other activities replaced reading in much of the world today? If so, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why?How has the way people read changed over the years?

Reasons for readingWhat are different reasons for reading?What role do books and films play in people’s lives these days?What can we learn from reading fiction? Some people say that in the near future books will not exist. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

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NET LANGUAGESdownloads.netlanguages.com/downloads/resources/Section 4 - Tut… · Web viewNET LANGUAGES. IELTS ACADEMIC Practice Tests 2 and 3. Guide for tutors. Contents: Sample