Introduction of IELTS Test Group 3 林正昀 Adam, 李燕俞 Amber, 李季樺 Gina, 徐家慧 Alice

What is IELTS? IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication.

IELTS Characteristics A variety of accents and writing styles have presented in test materials in order to minimise linguistic bias. IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English. Band scores used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 ("Did not attempt the test") to 9 ("Expert User").

IELTS Test Structure All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a band score, which is shown on the IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.

Listening The module comprises four sections of increasing difficulty. Each section, which can be either a monologue or dialogue, begins with a short introduction telling the candidates about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through questions. The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing candidates to look at the remaining questions.

Reading In the Academic module the reading test comprises three sections, with 3 texts normally followed by 13 or 14 questions for a total of 40 questions overall. The General test also has 3 sections. However the texts are shorter, so there can be up to 5 texts to read.

Writing In the Academic module, there are two tasks: in Task 1 candidates describe a diagram, graph, process or chart, and in Task 2 they respond to an argument. In the General Training module, there are also two tasks: in Task 1 candidates write a letter or explain a situation, and in Task 2 they write an essay.

Speaking The first section takes the form of an interview during which candidates may be asked about their hobbies, interests, reasons for taking IELTS exam as well as other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers and the internet or family. In the second section candidates are given a topic card and then have one minute to prepare after which they must speak about the given topic.

The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the candidate, generally on questions relating to the theme which they have already spoken about in part 2.

Duration The total test duration is around 2 hours and 45 minutes for Listening, Reading and Writing modules. Listening: 40 minutes Reading: 60 minutes. Writing: 60 minutes Speaking: 11–14 minutes.

Scoring Band score: 1~9 Listening 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0 Reading Writing 0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 ,4.0 ,5.0 ,6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 Since 2007/07/01 → 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0 Speaking

The band scoring system Listening & Reading Number of Correct Answer Score 20 5.5 21~25 6.0 26~28 6.5 29~30 7.0 31~33 7.5 34~35 8.0 36~38 8.5 39~40 9.0

Overall Band Score = (Listening + Reading + Writing + Speaking)÷4 e.g. (6+5.5+6+6.5)÷4= 6 5.75~6.25(not include 6.25)→6 6.25~6.75(not include 6.75)→6.5 6.75~7.25(not include 7.25)→7

IELTS Band Levels 9 Expert user Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. 8 Very good user Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. 7 Good user  Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

6 Competent user Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, in appropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. 5 Modest user  Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. 4 Limited user Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.

3 Extremely limited user Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur. 2 Intermittent user No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. 1 Non user Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. 0 Did not attempt the test No assessable information provided.

The Reliability and Validity of the Language Test It is impossible to produce tests which are 100% reliable. According to Cronbach’s alpha, a reliability estimate which measures the internal consistency of the 40-item test, we can know that if the coefficient were over 0.7, the test would have a greater reliability.

The Reliability and Validity of IELTS The IELTS homepage (2009) showed:  IELTS seem to be a relatively reliable measure of language proficiency. 2007 2009 Listening coefficient 0.89 0.91 Reading coefficient 0.88 0.90 Speaking coefficient 0.86 Writing coefficient 0.85

Correlations between IELTS and TOEFL iBT Section and Total Scores IELTS Listening & TOEFL Listening Correlations between IELTS and TOFEL iBT 0.63 IELTS Speaking & TOEFL Speaking 0.57 IELTS Reading & TOEFL Reading 0.68 IELTS Writing & TOEFL Writing 0.44 IELTS Total & TOEFL Total 0.77

IELTS Score TOEFL Score 9 30 8.5 29 8 28 7.5 27 7 24-26 6.5 20-23 6 12-19 5.5 7-11 5 4-6 4.5 3 ＜＝4 0-2 IELTS Score TOEFL Score 9.0 30 8.5 28-29 8.0 26-27 7.5 24-25 7.0 23 6.5 20-22 6.0 18-19 5.5 16-17 5.0 14-15 4.5 12-13 ＜＝4 0-11 Table2 Listening Section Score Comparisons Table3 Speaking Section Score Comparisons

IELTS Score TOEFL Score 9 30 8.5 29 8 7.5 27-28 7 24-26 6.5 19-23 6 13-18 5.5 8-12 5 4-7 4.5 3 ＜＝4 0-2 IELTS Score TOEFL Score 9.0 30 8.5 8.0 7.5 29 7.0 27-28 6.5 24-26 6.0 21-23 5.5 18-20 5.0 14-17 4.5 12-13 ＜＝4.0 0-11 Table4 Reading Section Score Comparisons Table5 Writing Section Score Comparisons

Table 6 Total Score Comparisons IELTS Score TOEFL Score 9 118-120 8.5 115-117 8 110-114 7.5 102-109 7 94-101 6.5 79-93 6 60-78 5.5 46-59 5 35-45 4.5 32-34 Table 6 Total Score Comparisons 0-4 0-31