I keep hearing the same question from (IELTS) teachers:
“How exactly is TEACHING different from TESTING?”
Well, I think the difference between the two lies in
• how AWARE we (teachers) are of the ‘mini-steps’ involved in acquiring a new SUB-SKILL,
and
• our capacity to take the learners on a journey TO it.
That is, as opposed to just ‘ADMINISTERING’ stuff (exercises, past papers) …
…and only THEN spending THE MAJORITY of our class time ANALYZING the RESULTS.
This, in many ways is often ‘too little, too late’, actually, because by this point the learners might have got
• thoroughly DEMORALIZED, :((
and
• ‘FOSSILIZED into’ the (wrong) conclusions they have been trying to draw about the PROCESS, on their OWN…
Much as though I love, love, LOVE all things ASSESSMENT, when I work with learners, I prefer to TEACH them.
And you? Do YOU test, or teach?
(P.s. In my IELTS teacher training course, How to Teach IELTS –The Ultimate IELTS Teacher Training Bootcamp– I train teachers about the ins and outs of HOW to be mindful of this difference in PRACTICE).
#showmehow #skillsfirst #IELTSTeacherTrainer #TeachingIELTSafterCELTA
#testingisntteaching
