Experts present at the discussion session "Ready for countless opportunities with IELTS" at IELTS Day 2024 taking place on March 16
On March 16, the British Council organized the IELTS 2024 Fair in Ho Chi Minh City, attracting about 1,000 parents and students. Here, IELTS experts gave many opinions about the story of studying and taking this certificate, as well as the opportunities it brings to candidates after completing the test.
Candidates are getting younger and younger, is it worth worrying about?
A notable trend in IELTS test preparation today is that candidates are getting younger, according to Ms. Denise Thomson, Manager of KTDC IELTS Center (HCMC). For example, in 2018, only 1.5% of students at the center were between the ages of 16 and 18. But in 2022, this number increased dozens of times, to 30%, and continued to reach 34% by the end of 2023.
"IELTS is not only for those who want to study abroad as before, but is playing an important role in the domestic education market. That is thanks to the recognition from the Ministry of Education and Training (allowing exemption from foreign language exams and converting them into 10 points for high school graduation - PV) and the admission methods combined with IELTS of Vietnamese universities," Ms. Thomson explained.
However, this trend also creates a phenomenon where candidates start practicing and taking the IELTS test very early, sometimes at the age of 13 or 14 in secondary school. And this is absolutely not recommended because IELTS is recommended for candidates aged 16 and above, according to Mr. Andy Milner, global IELTS training expert at the British Council. "IELTS is not suitable as a criterion for admission to high school," Mr. Milner emphasized.
Mr. Andy Milner, global IELTS trainer at British Council
The male expert said that IELTS's recommendation comes from the fact that the topics and questions require candidates to have a certain understanding and explanation of global issues, thereby expressing them with personal views in the test. "This makes IELTS much easier for an 18-year-old candidate preparing for university, instead of a 12 or 14-year-old," Mr. Milner added.
IELTS should be considered as just a stepping stone.
According to Andy Milner, the IELTS test is just a stepping stone to what candidates really want to do, such as studying in an English-speaking environment or working in a multinational company. "To achieve your goals, you need more than just a piece of paper with the words 'IELTS' written on it. You need to know how to perform the necessary skills in English, such as academic thinking or reading research, and IELTS preparation will help you practice this," he said.
The male expert also noted: "IELTS is not really necessary until you are 17 or 18 years old, and it only takes a few weeks to get used to the structure of the IELTS test. However, to build a language foundation and practice English skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, such as skimming, speed reading, predictive listening or organizing a long speech, candidates need to practice for a long time and the lessons do not need to be related to IELTS. These skills are also useful for later life."
Sharing the same view, Ms. Denise Thomson said that it is important to realize that IELTS is not just an English proficiency test. Because, most of the test requires candidates to know how to think critically, solve problems, reason, argue logically and look at situations from many different perspectives, not just memorize. This is something that many people forget when preparing for the IELTS test, Ms. Denise noted.
Ms. Denise Thomson, Manager of KTDC IELTS Center (HCMC)
"The above skills will be transferred to your studies after completing the exam, because university studies do not stop at multiple choice questions. And take risks, try to learn these skills, do not just aim to enter a certain high school or university thanks to IELTS", Ms. Denise advises young people today.
Be careful when self-studying
Thanks to the development of technology, many candidates are now practicing IELTS at home through self-study channels. However, Mr. Andy Milner noted that candidates need to be especially careful with some online services. "They make commitments, claim to have confidential information and promise that you will receive it before the exam. But this is completely untrue," a representative of the British Council affirmed.
According to Mr. Milner, with its position as one of the oldest and most prestigious exams in the world, IELTS co-organizers provide a lot of free support for candidates. Therefore, if you want to get your questions answered and find the necessary documents, look for reliable sources such as Cambridge, IDP or British Council and "try to stay away from suspicious things".
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