Let's take for example this dialog witch is almost the same with the one I had in the exercise:
"... - Our working months are beginning with June and we finish in September. When would you like to begin?- I think is best for me to start in the second month."
The question to this dialogue was "John wants to start working in ...",
...And the correct answer to this question is not "second month", is actually "July"
My problem regarding this types of dialogues is that they actually could not be real. In a real life situation any normal person would answer as clear and simple as possible "In July" or at a specific date of that month. All other themes are the same, for instance somebody says for 3 times that something is wrong, after that says that it could be brought to normal and the correct answer to that statement, is the person actually likes that something. Isn't this stupid?
...And the correct answer to this question is not "second month", is actually "July"
My problem regarding this types of dialogues is that they actually could not be real. In a real life situation any normal person would answer as clear and simple as possible "In July" or at a specific date of that month. All other themes are the same, for instance somebody says for 3 times that something is wrong, after that says that it could be brought to normal and the correct answer to that statement, is the person actually likes that something. Isn't this stupid?
My suggestion with this is to send all these problems concerning this exam directly to the House of Commons, They have already received complaints regarding these exams from fluent English speakers with proof of their good skills in English from other sources, therefore inconsistent with the test's results.
ReplyDeleteThey can be contacted here:
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/pcfs/contact-us/
Also, it would be important to request feedback under the Data protection Act 1998, specially if there are concerns that there could be something fishy going on.
IELTS have created a system for failing people and making money, specially in the reading part, where they can apply very subjective criteria. Moaning wont stop them and they are becoming stronger and stronger, therefore the UK parliament must be aware of this circumstance.
I tried Toefl and Ielts I ain't no fan of either test but in the end of the day if I had to pick i'd prefer Toefl. What I don't ffken understand Ielts is their listening section- their obsessive compulsive need for the exact wording. If it says "John went to see a film" you can't write "a movie" I mean what do they test- your dictation skills or language understanding?
ReplyDeleteListening test is extremely great, I liked it much. You need to listen to the text, in the same time to remember all the details, in the same time to predict what questions may be asked to write some things down, while you are listening. If they tell some numbers, like street address or a phone number, they tell these digits as fast as possible. It the real life, I've never heard a phone number pronounced in such a great speed and if I've heard, I would have simply ask to repeat.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a listening comprehension, it is mostly a kind of sport, measuring your ability to make a number of activities in the same time - that may be great for some people working on phones, but is very different from what is needed in the real life.
To make the test even more advanced, they could only ask us to stay on our heads while we pass this test -- that was my feeling when I prepared myself for IELTS.
I did not pass TOELF, but I worked with their materials, including listening tests. They are incomparably more sane and better. Not "easier", just more sane.
There listening test is also full of shit the first part of the question is fine u can understand them what they say but second and third part they fucking talk so fast cant even get what there saying WTF really ? this is the most fail system i have ever seen and why the fuck does it epire after 2 years 1 word IELTS SHOULD CHANGE THERE NAME TO IMMTS=INTERNATIONAL MONEY MAKING TESTING SYSTEM
ReplyDeleteI sat in the back coner of a classroom doing my ielts test today and the test venue was Au100.
ReplyDeleteDuring the listening test I was unable to hear the conversation clearly as the sound was echoing. I scored listening 8.5 in listening last time while I was wearing a headset, but today, I missed pretty much about 50% of the anwsers. I was very upset about the poor quality of the speakers at front and the substandard soundtrack that was playing. I could perfectly locate the key words that I was gonna write on the answer sheet, but I just could not hear what word they just said as the sound was very fuzzy and unclear.
Just could not do it!!!!
I have filed a complaint about this issue. Let us see what they are gonna do about it.
I would appreciate if anyone could give me some suggestions on dealing whit this issue.
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I agree. The IELTS exam is a joke. I'm a native English speaker, and I agree completely with your comments on how they ask trick questions and make the situation unrealistic so that the answers are unreasonably hard. I got caught up in one question similar to the one you described where the answer was "July" and could not for the life of me figure out what the answer should be. So I understand your pain.
ReplyDeleteDear chat community
ReplyDeleteI am conducting objective, confidential and independent research about the IELTS examination.
The scope includes an assessment of IELTS's strong points and its challenges.
Please continue to post your feedback on this chat forum. I am reading them all.
I welcome you to visit my web page at:
http://www.thefreeschool.education/language-tests-review.html
Yours sincerely,
Jay
Dr. Jay Jericho
The Free School
jay@thefreeschool.education
I have since created two new YouTube channels.
ReplyDeleteThe IELTS 9 project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yFdx1NqMwM&list=PLFIWRX1bpbm1CN6EzeT_lRA8grqbIAcmf
And the IELTS 6.5 research investigation project.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFIWRX1bpbm1KrJuelL2k0oDU5dqFshHx
Regards
Jay
Thank you for your nice post .
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ReplyDeleteI have tried to find out what test system it is .My conclusion is:It is completely disgusting because it creates mental torture for students.
ReplyDeleteHello, I have passed the exam twice. My listening score normally is 8-9, when I am training, but I got 7.5 a month ago and today the listening was just terrible!!! I have studied in the UK and have a good ear, but that dialogue was a nightmare. A woman was both extremely fast and swallowed some of her words (they were key words!)). I hate this exam and the whole system. Moreover, there were around 20 questions with multiple answers! I will complain and will not give them another penny because the system is clearly broken and considering the political situation it is corrupted. Oh and when I had a speaking test my examiner was EATING in front of me and at the very exam he choked with his nuts. Can you imagine this?
ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI have been training myself for three weeks, but I feel absolutely frustrated. One of the ressources I found is actually a teacher from the British council giving advice about listening. She says that if the right answer for a question is, for instance, "3o seconds", and a student writes 30s that answer is wrong. Why? Because, as she said, "s" doesn't mean anything to her. However, and this is the point, that person understood the listening activity. IELST mixs skills. Listening is about understanding not writing.
Clearly, this institution is a business. Better for them if we need to pass 5 times instead of 1.
IELTS sucks totally. The 2 minute speaking thing sucks - you have to make shit up because unless the topic is really familiar to you, you mostly cannot come up with a legit 2 minute monologue for something that you haven't personally experienced recently and something that is of very little interest to you. I don't want to talk about a "zoo I've recently visited with my family" - the last zoo I visited was when I was a small child.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the "score" that they have to give you. If it was just a minimum criteria they do not have to resort to such bullshit.
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ReplyDeleteIt’s been another tough day, with me tumbling through IELTS listening. I really think those question designer guys are a bunch of mind-bent geeks. As I was doing the listening, I could understand the content most of the time, but I felt like the script was twisted in a way that was meant to crush and torture the listener’s brain. I guess many people would be tempted to give the guy a punch straight in the face if they dare talk like that in daily life. The whole thing is totally beyond reality; it’s not even remotely related to the test of one’s real language proficiency. I really think that those guys are ruining English, the language I’ve been passionate about for so many years.
ReplyDeleteI’m not going to let these dumb-asses screw up my honeymoon with this beautiful language. I will just treat this test as something distinct from English as a medium for communication, something resembling a lagoon or swamp that I have to waddle through before I can finally reach my dreamland and merge with my goddess. Yes, English is my goddess, and I won’t let anything or anybody defile her!!!