Much like we SCAFFOLD things in a lesson to make learning easier, we need to scaffold our IELTS students’ EXAM SKILLS.
Candidates need to experience INCREASINGLY (cognitively and psychologically!) more demanding situations leading up to the exam, to do well on exam day.
We don’t want them to get to exam day without having experienced something similar in terms of STRESS.
Some examples of ‘exam skill scaffolding’ to consider might include:
• no dictionary use (or gradually ‘phasing it out’)
• doing parts of e.g. the reading test, untimed
• doing parts of a reading test, timed
• …then the whole reading, untimed
• …then the whole reading, timed
• …
• …then a whole MOCK EXAM (of all four skills), timed.
In the writing exam you might decide to ‘scaffold’ around time, as well as word count and dictionary use.
How do you make preparing for the LISTENING exam more ‘scaffolded’ for your IELTS students?
And what can make preparing, say for the SPEAKING test easier at first?
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Hi. I’m Fatime. I’m an IELTS Teacher Trainer, helping CELTA-qualified English language teachers become better at teaching SKILLS, as opposed to just testing them.
Check out my courses here:
How to Teach IELTS Listening:
How to Teach IELTS Reading:
How to Teach IELTS Writing:
How to Teach IELTS Speaking:
