Hello, fellow lovers of language!
This week, we’ve asked one of our talented teachers here at ELA to speak about the IELTS Exam, a topic that we have frequent questions about. If you have more questions about this popular exam, you can visit the ELA website. You can also find great practice materials on the British Council’s page. And, of course, if you have more in depth questions, or would like to know how to enrol, visit us here.
And now we bring you Jonny’s introduction to IELTS:
What is IELTS? Do I need it?
Well, there are two ‘parts’ to this English Examination, and students choose the exam based on whether they are doing Academic IELTS or General IELTS.
Most students choose Academic IELTS, as they are preparing for an undergraduate or Postgraduate University course, either in Britain or abroad. Students choosing General IELTS usually require it as a VISA requirement or as a quick (but very appreciated) test of their English for an employer, or perhaps because they simply want to test themselves. In reality, the Speaking and Listening exams are exactly the same, while Writing and Reading are slightly different, but we’ll talk about that if you join the course.
You might ask what we do to prepare for these exams. The truth is that it isn’t all Exams Exams Exams. To do well, you need to have a good appreciation of grammar and a wide vocabulary, while also possessing other skills and abilities, such as comprehension, written and fluency skills, with clear pronunciation, for example. You also need to be able to understand the nature of Academic English. So, yes, everyone does practice exams but it is much more than just exams.
At Edinburgh Language Academy, our classes take place from 13.30 to 15.30 every day, although we do intensive courses too – and, if you prefer 1-1 classes, we can be arrange this at a time to suit you.
Thank you for your interest in ELA! We look forward to welcoming you soon!
