Sometimes we hear the complaint from our IELTS students that the exam requires too much ‘TECHNICAL’ knowledge (of engineering, biochemistry, architecture, neuropsychology, etc. …).
And while it’s true that (the ACADEMIC module of) the exam might tackle topics from all these areas, students need to understand that it isn’t their SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE of these fields that’s tested (of course), but their English (reading, listening, etc.) SKILLS.
To prove this to an especially skeptical student or group, feel free to run this exercise with them. 😉
(If you want, lead in to the lesson by asking just how much they know about rockets… ;))
Are you trying this?
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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:
