In this edition:
-
Introduction
-
Comparisons Between Bands In The IELTS Test
-
IELTS Tips and Tricks - Doing Well in the Listening Task
-
From the Examiner's Chair
Introduction
This month we continue our section on "Comparisons Between Bands In The IELTS Test". Last month we covered coherence and cohesion in Task 1 of the General Training Writing module. This month we cover the same criteria, but for the Academic module.
In "From the Examiner's Chair" we look at section 2 of the Speaking Module, often referred to as the "long turn", and point out how candidates can perform better in this part of the interview.
New this month, we start a series of very useful articles from an outside writer. This month's article covers the Listening module.
Use this link to read back issues.
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Comparisons Between Bands In The IELTS Test -
Coherence and Cohesion differences between Bands 5, 6 & 7 in the General Training Writing Task 1 test
Now that IELTS have provided public descriptors on their website, it is worth having a look at the differences between some of the band grades. This month we will look at the differences under Coherence and Cohesion between Bands 5, 6 & 7 in the Writing Task 1 test with specific reference to the Academic Paper.
Look at the table below:
BAND 5
Coherence and cohesion
|
BAND 6
Coherence and cohesion
|
BAND 7
Coherence and cohesion
|
Presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or over-use of cohesive devices
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution
|
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
|
Logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under/over-use
|
First you must understand the meanings and differences between coherence and cohesion. The IELTS Handbook explains these as follows:
"Coherence and Cohesion
This criterion is concerned with the overall clarity and fluency of the message: how the response organises and links information, ideas and language. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion refers to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual and referential relationships between and within sentences clear."
If we consider Task 1 for Academic Training, a report from a graph or a description of a process, coherence refers basically to setting out the report in a logical sequence or progression. You should write complete sentences in cohesive paragraphs and not just make a list of bullet points.
You should write an introductory statement, which need not be more than one sentence. The information required for the statement will be found on the question paper but you should not copy out any writing on the question paper word for word; instead you should paraphrase the information, for example, by changing a noun into the verb form.
You should write a summary statement at the end of the report. You are not required to give opinions in report writing and what you say should be factual according to what you see in the diagram or graph. A summary statement for a graph will summarise the main trends; for a process it will describe the main features.
A Band 5 answer shows some attempt at organisation; whereas a Band 7 answer progresses logically in both its ideas and organisation.
Using cohesive devices such as conjunctions, e.g.
and, sentence connectors like
however
and
therefore, and pronouns such as
he,
she
or
it, help us make sentences more understandable linking the whole text logically without being repetitive. A Band 5 answer shows a lack of control of cohesive devices; a Band 7 answer however shows good control by using a variety of cohesive devices though sometimes a better choice could have been made. Some sentence connectors, particularly those used in more formal writing, should be used sparingly. Many students tend to overuse words like
furthermore
and
nevertheless
and analysis of authentic writing would help to overcome this.
In describing a process, connectors such as
first,
second,
next,
then,
after,
when
and
finally
should be used. In addition, the language will be formal and it may be appropriate for the passive to be used.
In describing a graph or information on a table, you should choose the most relevant information and not just list every statistic. Describing the data correctly and clearly in an organised fashion will improve your band score.
For more information on the Writing test check out our
IELTS Writing Module,
IELTS Writing Tips
and
IELTS Writing Preparation
pages.
IELTS Tips and Tricks - Doing Well in the Listening Task
By Svend Nelson
The IELTS Listening test comes first, and many candidates find it a hard, sometime even discouraging, way to get started. The IELTS Listening task tests a diverse range of skills, and many people find it challenging.
There are many ways to prepare for this portion of the IELTS exam. There are, for example, many practice tapes and CD sets on the commercial market. While all of them are helpful to some degree, the one thing you can be sure is that none of them will be the IELTS Listening test you take.
The good news is that the best forms of IELTS Listening practice are available free, or at least readily and at low cost. They’re also more fun. They are radio, TV, and movies!
If you have access to an English-language radio or TV station, listen to it as often as possible. The benefits are many.
- You become familiar with a wide variety of accents and individual ways of speaking
- You get the rhythms of spoken English sentences in your ear
- You become more familiar with the way native speakers pronounce English words
- You start to hear word patterns and notice the way English sentences are put together
- You begin to learn new vocabulary by hearing it in context
- You simply become accustomed to the sound of spoken English, which may be the single most important thing of all
English radio and TV talk shows give you good exposure to the way native speakers – not English teacher – actually use the language. They familiarize you with slang and other colloquialisms.
English radio and TV news programmes give you great background for the multiple-voice, nonacademic setting section of the IELTS Listening test, which often uses a mock radio broadcast. Hearing up to four different individuals talk about the same incident from different personal perspectives, in different acoustical situations, and in a variety of accents (including those of second-language speakers) is exactly the kind of training you need to perform well on this portion of the test, which some candidates find the hardest.
Watching English, Australian, American, and other movies in English – in any format – is also highly useful in giving you exposure to the way “real people” speak English. As with all languages, it’s not the same as classroom English.
If you see such movies in the theatre, try to look at the subtitles as little as possible. If you watch them on DVD, watch them once with subtitles, so you learn the situations and dialogue – and then switch the subtitles off and watch them again and again, until you can understand what is being said without “translating.” Many local cable-TV providers show movies many times over the same time period. If you have access a movie channel on such a service, get the schedule, watch the movies you want once with the subtitles – and then, on repeat viewings, tape over the bottom of your TV screen so you cannot use the subtitles.
What’s important is that you expose yourself to the sound of spoken English as much as possible between now and the time you take IELTS. Use time that you otherwise might waste. When you’re getting dressed or eating breakfast in the morning, have the radio or TV on, set to an English station. If you are doing tasks that don’t require your full attention, like cooking or cleaning your room, have the radio or TV on in the background. If you spend a lot of time stuck in traffic, turn the car radio onto an English news or talk station.
Of course, you will benefit more the more you concentrate on what you hear. But even if you don’t focus on what you hear only, trying to understand what is being said, simply letting the sounds into your ears will help. Educators are now convinced that there is such a thing as “passive listening.” That means that you’re often learning even when you’re not trying to. If you have English on – even “in the background” – your brain is trying to figure out what is being said even if you’re not concentrating on it.
Most important of all, the day you actually tale the IELTS exam, make sure that the first time you hear English that day is not when the tape for the Listening test starts. That may be too late, and you could miss a question or too while your ears “adjust” to the sound of English. Even if you’re nervous and feel like you can’t concentrate on it, have the radio or TV on while you’re getting dressed, eating breakfast, or getting to the IELTS exam. You’ll be glad you did!
Svend Nelson is a university lecturer and Internet entrepreneur. He is director of UniRoute Limited, a Hong Kong based company with offices in Bangkok and London providing
IELTS
preparation and a free online application service to
study abroad in UK
including courses like
tourism management. Svend lived and worked in various countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia and currently lives in Thailand.
Article Source:
Http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Svend_Nelson
For more information on the Listening test use these links:
The IELTS Listening Module,
IELTS Listening Tips,
Preparing for the IELTS Listening Test
From the Examiner's Chair
This month we'd like to focus on section 2 of the Speaking module. This is often referred to as the 'long turn' and is where candidates are given a topic and are asked to talk about it for one to two minutes.
Many candidates are worried that they will be given a topic they are not familiar with. This concern is unfounded as the topics chosen are such that everyone should be able to talk about them without specialist knowledge. Of course you could be lucky and find that your topic is something you are particularly interested in!
When you get to section 2 of the Speaking interview your interviewer will tell you that you need to talk about your topic for one to two minutes, that you will have one minute beforehand to think about it and that you can make notes. You will then be handed a task card and told your topic.
One minute is not very long to plan so make good use of it. Your topic will be written on the card together with some prompts. Some candidates are very confident and feel they don't need to plan. This is unusual but if it applies to you, tell the examiner you are ready to proceed. However, we would strongly recommend making use of the minute to plan and make notes.
So how should you plan? You need to quickly think about what you are going to talk about and make brief notes. Use the prompts to help you. We sometimes see candidates copying from the task card - this is a waste of time as you will have the task card in front of you during your talk.
Don't write out full sentences, just make brief notes to guide you. If you try to write out complete sentences you will find you don't have time to finish your planning. Some people draw 'mind maps' and this seems to be a very effective way of using the time.
Some candidates feel they don't have enough to talk about from their own experience. If you think you don't have enough to say on a subject make some, or all of it, up. Don't feel you have to tell the truth, be prepared to elaborate a little.
The examiner will tell you when your thinking time is up and ask you to start talking.
A couple of comments about timing your talk. The examiner will stop you if you talk for more than two minutes; this will not affect your score. However, if you try to keep going when you have nothing more to say you will become less coherent and this might result in a lower mark for fluency and coherence. Our advice is not to try to keep going but to round off your talk in such a way that the examiner is aware that you have finished. If you have spoken for less than 1 minute the examiner will ask you to continue but, in our experience, this is very unusual. It is much more common for candidates to talk fluently for a bit more than a minute and then become incoherent because they try to continue.
To summarise, in order to do well on your long turn you should make effective use of your planning time to make notes. Be prepared to elaborate and don't feel you have to tell the truth. If necessary, just make it up. If you run out of things to say before your interviewer stops you don't try to continue, just make sure the interviewer knows you have finished.
Take a look at the
Speaking module marking criteria
for more information on how your speaking interview is assessed.
You might also like to look at these pages on our website:
The IELTS Speaking Module,
IELTS Speakinging Tips,
Preparing for the IELTS Speaking Test
