An investigation into the correlation between IETLS test preparation courses and writing scores

Abstract

English language usage is becoming a priority in higher education studies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Testing English skills for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has been given greater attention as a requirement for students’ admission and graduation. Moreover, the need to develop language skills through preparation for the test is important, since it adds to the language knowledge of EFL learners and trains them to deal with skill-related tasks. The preparation courses can change students’ attitudes toward language learning for academic purposes, which can also affect their learning of other courses at universities. That can impact the students’ written texts and assignments that require writing reports and understanding specific genres. This study investigated the correlation of IELTS test scores and preparation courses, and students’ writing of reflective journals in education. A discourse analysis of reflections levels was carried out on three participants from one of the federal colleges in the UAE. The data were gathered from students’ scores in IELTS reports, samples of preparation course materials, and interviews with participants. The results showed that IELTS test scores cannot be guaranteed to measure students’ actual ability. Preparation courses seem to have an impact on language learning ability, writing performance, and understanding. Two participants benefited from taking the IELTS preparation courses, while the third had good language skills developed due to other factors such as college studies, strong language foundations in schools, and a desire to learn English. The study also revealed that there are other challenges affecting IELTS test reliability and the correlation with reflections, such as the test assessors, different marking schemes, and different requirements of IELTS test and academic assessments.