In March I wrote about how the IELTS exam in Malta can be a stepping stone to higher education worldwide. This week I met with Avie, our star IELTS trainer and found out what it’s like to deliver IETLS training here at inlingua Malta.
Avie, originally from Scotland, joined inlingua Malta over 14 years ago and was soon after assigned to become our dedicated IELTS trainer. Initially a little skeptical about the prospect, she quickly fell in love with the programme and has not looked back since.
“The IETLS test has definitely got a bit harder over the years”, claims Avie, “but they’ve streamlined it a lot- they’ve got rid of some things, like graphs, but have stuck to bar and pie charts which the students really enjoy”. “The reading part has become a bit denser than it used to be as well ”.
So what makes an IELTS preparation course any different to a General English course? “For a start, the subjects are amazing! They’re actually everyday subjects which everyone is going to need for their day to day lives. It’s all genuine- there are no made up names or fake companies- and we cover a great variety of different topics”.
“Students taking IELTS courses are working towards a goal” says Avie, “they’re motivated- at the end of the course they will sit the exam and they will pass. A lot depends on it, their result is the difference between them going to the country of their choice or not, so it’s head down and work!”.
Avie was clear about the main advantages of the IELTS test, “the benefits are threefold: IELTS gets you your visa, it lets you study in the country of your choice and it can help you get a job abroad too”.
So, what makes teaching IELTS so special? “I like it because I get to see the end product”, “ I work very closely with my students- I know where they want to go, I know the score they’re going to need- and it’s my job to get them that mark”. “IELTS students are working towards something specific”.
When it comes to results Avie has cause to be confident, “in 14 years I’ve yet to have a fail”, says Avie. “I’ve seen a few lower scores- when students haven’t put in the work they should have”, “students who put the work in see the payoff- 7.5, we’ve had 8.5 as well- a good result will take you to Britain, Canada, Australia- I’ve got students all over the world- and we still keep in touch”.
Asked what makes her a good IELTS teacher Avie showed no signs of hesitation; “I care!” she exclaimed, “over the course of 14 years of teaching this programme I’ve worked on methods to get the absolute best out of my students- work hard, do the homework, work with me and I’ll get you to your destination”.
inlingua Malta holds regular IELTS test preparation courses. Get in touch with the team at info@inlinguamalta.com to find out more!