One of the best ways to demonstrate English proficiency is to pass the IELTS exam — something that is widely known. However, preparing for the test on your own is one thing, but teaching others is quite another. For many teachers, the preparation process can be just as stressful as it is for students. In this article, we invite you to explore a few recommendations that can help you develop the right approach to delivering the material while preparing your students for the IELTS examination.
Understanding the IELTS Structure
You can't teach something you don't fully understand — and the same holds for exam preparation. That's why it's crucial to have a deep understanding of the test's structure and what the teacher can focus on during lessons.
Our experts suggest reviewing each section of the test as an opportunity for you to practice it with your students.
Listening: One of the most common causes of mistakes in this section is simple carelessness. For example, the student may have been so focused on the audio that they didn’t read all the questions to the end.
To avoid this situation, always encourage your student to read each question carefully before the audio begins. Draw the student's attention to keywords in the text. These can include numbers, dates, places, names, or other specific details that may be important for the answer.
Reading
For the student to quickly navigate through texts, teach them to use the techniques of skimming and scanning.
Skimming is a reading method where you quickly look through the whole text. It’s used when you want to understand the main idea of the material without reading every word. You typically look at titles, subheadings, introductory sentences, and conclusions.
Scanning is a reading method that is done after skimming. Use it when you search for concrete information. It involves looking for specific details rather than trying to understand the overall message. Move your eyes quickly over the text, focusing only on the areas where you expect to find the information you’re looking for.
Writing
Here, the training will depend on the text format.
One of the most common scenarios that may occur with a teacher is a student who doesn't fully understand the writing task structure for the IELTS exam. This could especially apply to tasks like describing diagrams. In such cases, the teacher needs to identify which specific writing format requires more practice and focus on that.
It’s important to note that in this task, you are usually asked to compare two diagrams or charts.
When working with such texts, students can follow this approximate plan:
Introduction – essentially paraphrase the task, without repetition.
Devote one paragraph to each chart. Therefore, if you have two charts, describe each one separately to maintain clarity in your response.
In the conclusion, you can show how two elements are related to each other.
When it comes to essays, it’s significant to introduce idioms and phrasal verbs, as they show the student’s ability to use more advanced language.
Choose topics that closely resemble those found in IELTS, such as society, health, technology, and the environment.
Speaking
Otherwise, known as one of the most complicated sections for many students, it requires regular practice and confidence to manage the pressure.
To practice this section, provide relevant topics for discussion with the student, ensuring that they speak much more than you do.
Focus on the student's intonation. For example, teach them to use pauses when appropriate. Also, help them learn phrases that can help in the quick organising of thoughts:
Well, that’s a good question, let me think for a moment…
I’ve never really thought about that, but I suppose…
That’s an interesting point, and I would say…
When the student is speaking, listen attentively and focus on both mistakes and areas where they could sound more natural. Encourage them to self-correct or offer suggestions for improvement when appropriate.
Final thoughts
On the big day of the examination, if you're a student, try not to succumb to stress. Although it may sound clichéd, focus on the positive outcome. Picture how great you'll feel after the exam, and channel that mindset into your preparation.
There are many qualifications you might need to develop to learn how to become an IELTS trainer, but one of the most important is the ability to understand and support your students throughout their studies.
Exam preparation is a team effort, so the communication between you and the student needs to be transparent to avoid any misunderstandings.
Preparing for the IELTS is both a challenging and exciting journey, offering opportunities that go beyond just improving language skills. It’s also a chance to enhance personal development and problem-solving abilities.