Page 9 - ELG2404 April Issue 489

NEWS
Prediction their predictions leading to some management). Clearly, however,
Pr
ediction
dubious practices: ‘Some private
to the test’ in response to student
agencies – maybe due to the there had been a lot of ‘teaching
The crystal ball method of purpose of attracting students – demand and consequently 36% of
will send someone to wait outside
students agreed that the ‘IELTS
IELTS preparation. each examination site, asking test has limited my English
information from students who just learning scope’. Apart from the
tudents preparing for with higher IELTS scores. These finished the test and telling other use of practice materials, students
the high-stakes IELTS IELTS-specific materials often students which topics have been also gained firsthand experience:
exam, by focussing on used past papers and as well as the tested, so you don’t need to prepare 33% had already taken the IELTS
Saccessing and preparing official textbooks, and students also such topics anymore today.’ exam more than four times.
predicted answers, increase exam practised using test items that had Familiarisation with the exam The problem of exam versus
proficiency at the expense of been memorised and shared online: format and preparing rote learned subject proficiency is not
language proficiency, according to Jijing. ‘Predicted’ test answers were answers featured strongly in particular to English language
a study by Hui Ma and Sin Wang also bought online. accounts of exam preparation. exams, but the breadth of the
Chong at Southeast University, Students also attended test- This tended to be done working potential ‘curriculum’ does pose
Nanjing, China and Queen’s training classes at their own alone rather than via interacting particular challenges. Many
University Belfast, UK. college or privately elsewhere (in- with teachers or fellow students – students apparently see repetitive
Students all around the world person or online) with the aim of even for speaking practice. ‘’The exam practice and memorising
take the IELTS (International improving scores by ‘achieving speaking score can be easily and banks of rote answers as a reliable
Language Testing System) exam test-wiseness’. Of the students that quickly improved. The person and relatively fast way to exam
as part of their requirements for used such training courses, 52% only needs to rote-learn the success, a gamble that may pay
higher education and a broader achieved higher IELTS scores. predicted speaking materials well off for some but not others and
range of employers. This study Private teachers were deemed enough and perform it in front increases the distance between
especially astute in monitoring
recruited 101 Chinese third and
ESE | AD VER T F OR EL GAZETTE | J ANU AR Y 2 0 2 4 of the examiners for around ten IELTS scores and general
fourth year undergraduate students the IELTS test item bank that minutes.’ Analysis of the results language proficiency.
at a Chinese University to take an changes every four months. From confirmed students’ general
online survey and 53 students also an interview: ‘My teachers from impression finding no relationship REFERENCE
took part in small group interviews the private IELTS training agency between interactive behaviours n Ma, H. & Chong, S. W. (2022)
to investigate how students told us that in August the writing and IELTS scores. Predictability of IELTS in a high-
prepared for the exam and whether topics will be education and On a positive note, students stakes context: a mixed methods study
S I Z E : 189 × 135 mm
their methods were effective. government, [so] we only need to comment that becoming of Chinese students’ perspectives on
Results from the online survey focus on these two.’ thoroughly familiar with the test preparation. Language testing in
showed that students’ use of The reputation of private exam format frees them to focus Asia 12, 2 https://doi.org/10.1186/
preparatory materials was associated courses rests on the accuracy of on answering the questions (test s40468-021-00152-3

editorial@elgazette.com 9

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