Abstract
The International English Language Teaching System (IELTS) examination in Academic English includes two writing tasks: summarizing information from a graph or chart, and writing a short essay to support a position on an issue of opinion. The aim of this small-scale exploratory survey was to find out from teachers and students their attitudes towards the usefulness of, and preparation for, the two IELTS writing tasks. ‘Usefulness’ and ‘impact/washback’ are components of test validity, thus eliciting responses (via questionnaires) from 2 major stakeholders (teachers n=17, students n=36) in this high-stakes benchmark exam would provide information about perceptions of validity. The results indicate that both IELTS task one and task two are perceived by teachers and students as having a positive effect on class-based writing skills and bearing a reasonable relationship with skills needed at faculty level. Lack of usefulness was reported mainly by students in the Sharia and Law and Business faculties.
Highlights
In 2004 the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) introduced the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam as the major benchmark examination for students proceeding to undergraduate level studies
I agree /disagree that there is a reasonable correspondence between the skills needed for this and for faculty writing tasks. (Consider that IELTS candidates need to discuss issues, construct an argument with plentiful relevant ideas and evidence and use appropriate paragraphing, style and format)
Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives 4(2). http://www.zu.ac.ae/lthe/lthe04_02_03_lewthwaite.htm page. This small-scale study found a strong overlap between what the IELTS writing tasks required and what students and staff thought was needed in a writing course
Summary
In 2004 the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) introduced the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam as the major benchmark examination for students proceeding to undergraduate level studies. It was anticipated that the introduction and influence of such an exam would reach across many areas of the educational process - affecting teachers, teaching and learners and shaping curriculum design, material resources, staff resourcing, course delivery and the attitudes of various stakeholders. Such a wide and profound influence has - anecdotally at least - been the case. This exploratory study focuses on how the introduction of the IELTS writing exam has impacted on two of these areas, namely the attitudes of teachers and learners. I will explore staff and student perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the usefulness of the IELTS writing exam not so much as a benchmark exam but in preparing candidates for university level studies in an English medium university
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