Taming the IELTS speaking section

The Importance of being “international”

This essay is the first in a series of weekly articles aimed at improving the Speaking skills of potential IELTS candidates and students of English in general. Allow me to begin by welcoming all the readers into the dynamic world that is encompassed in the English language.

The IELTS is the abbreviation for the International English Language Testing System. I feel however that the word “International” is something of a misnomer. This is because I think that in many ways there is a cultural bias with respect to the IELTS that is reflected in the kinds of questions that are asked. It should be noted however that the motives behind this bias are neither entirely malicious nor skewed. After all, the purpose of the exam is to test the candidate’s ability to survive in an English speaking country for an extended period of time, may it be for immigration or study purposes. Therefore, it is only natural that the questions bear a somewhat westernized perspective.

However, this choice on the part of the British Council has led to no end of problems for English students. Bear with me while I relate an anecdote to illustrate this point. A few years back, a friend of a friend approached me to help her improve her general English skills as she was facing an upcoming interview by Immigration Canada. I readily agreed and after a few months I felt most impressed with her progress and she was certainly Band 7 material. Soon, the day of the interview came and she went to it with full spirits.

Some time later, she came to me, obviously distraught and flustered. It seemed that her application was rejected and this stemmed mostly from the results of her interview. In the hopes of calming her down, I asked her to relate the entire conversation she had with the immigration officers, which she readily complied. As she came to one question midway though, it all became clear to me. The interview went something like this: “What is your opinion concerning the China one-child policy?” Her response was equally simple: “I don’t know, I think it is a good policy.” “What about the human rights issue?” “Human rights? I think that it is important for everyone.” “Do you think that the one-child policy should be implemented in other countries?” “Yes, I think so. It’s good for everyone.”

For me, the differences in viewpoints are strikingly obvious. My student’s nonchalant replies suggested an ignorance of the magnitude that westerners place on the human rights issue. Unfortunately, this ignorance cannot be forgiven.

Therefore, I urge that all students of the IELTS understand that the questions we ask are neither trivial nor frivolous. Any child of 16 in western society could speak at great lengths on any of the topics. The fact that Chinese students may not perform well is not a reflection of their abilities. Rather, it is in view of the fact that the cultural backgrounds differ. So there is little choice in the matter. In order to do well in the IELTS, you must begin to understand the mindset of the examiner. You must understand what issues he considers important. The methods are relatively easy. By the topics we pick, you know what we deem significant. As for the answers, simply read newspapers. Go online and see what we discuss and the solutions we propose.

In closing, my point is rather straightforward. If you cannot answer the questions in Chinese, it is unlikely you will do so in English. Therefore, while learning to understand the English language, also seek to understand the English speaking mind. Having done so, there will be no room for failure.

Patrick Tan
21st May, 2003

Next week: Getting the score you want by understanding the Band descriptors