Students say this to me all the time. I always ask why? Sometimes, the students say that they are planning to take the IELTS test soon, to study at TAFE, or university, or to immigrate to Australia. But other times they say they only want to improve their reading and writing. They want to be serious students, and they think the IELTS class is a more serious class.
They are wrong.
Yes, an IELTS class is more serious, but it is extremely important to remember that it is an exam class. The purpose is to introduce students to the IELTS test, and give them strategies, hints and tips to improve their test score. An IELTS class is not designed to improve a students’ English.
So why do students who aren’t doing the IELTS test want to study in an IELTS class? Sometimes, the style of teaching in Australia is difficult for students to adjust to. This is especially true if the student comes from a country, like Japan, Korea or China, where learning English is a very formal experience.
The General English classroom in Australia and other English speaking countries focuses on communication. There is a lot of emphasis on improving listening and speaking skills. There is less focus on accuracy and more on fluency. There is more focus on fun, and enjoying language, than there is on doing millions of useless grammar exercises and getting each one 100% correct.
Some students don’t like this because they aren’t used to it. They’re used to gruff teachers who crack the whip and tell them to work harder, not teachers who smile and say to relax.
So when students like this want to go to the IELTS class where they can ‘work hard’, I understand why they want to do it. But I still always recommend that they try General English for a little longer, because at the end of the day it will be better for improving their English ability. If a student is really interested in improving their reading and writing, my advice is to study an Academic English course.
July 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I always hear students said “I want to study in your class”
Even in the IELS class, you make it fun.
July 6th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Thanks Mon! I try my best!