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There are a variety of reasons why students often underperform on the IELTS Speaking exam. As teachers, we want our students to be as well-prepared as possible for such exams. While there has already been a growing trend in recent years towards online teaching, this has become even more popular of late due to covid-19, and likewise, online testing will also be much more common in the future. Whether you teach students online or face to face in preparation for IELTS tests or other speaking exams, introducing IELTS SpeakUP as part of that preparation will be beneficial.
It’s quite common to encounter students that underperform in spoken tests such as IELTS because they feel nervous from the sheer pressure of test day. It’s quite understandable, given that even doing something like a job interview in one’s mother tongue is a daunting experience for many people. This nervousness along with the pressure of reaching a target score and communicating in a foreign language can lead to significant underperformance. IELTS SpeakUP is the preparation tool that most closely simulates that interview experience. It is conducted by an interlocutor in a lower-pressure setting, and the experience provides students with an idea of what to expect on test day – thus making it less daunting.
There are two types of assessment: summative assessment (final exams) and formative assessment (such as feedback, and coursework to measure progress). The IELTS test is an example of summative assessment, and classroom tasks/test during an IELTS preparation course are examples of formative assessment. Having SpeakUp sessions included at certain stages of a course could be a very effective type of formative assessment since these sessions will provide the student with targeted feedback that will address specific issues the student has with his or her spoken English. The SpeakUp interlocutor can help detect common errors, in the same way that students often ask someone to proofread their essays. The feedback received can then be passed on to the teacher, who can use this feedback to help tailor lessons specifically towards the areas that need improvement.
To summarise, IELTS SpeakUp, in conjunction with a well-prepared course and a solid understanding of IELTS public band descriptors, will give your students the most comprehensive preparation they need to take the IELTS test and reach their goals.
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