IELTS Preparation

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Course Information | Course Outline | Frequently Asked Questions

Course Information:

Greenwich's IELTS courses have two levels, a lower level called Pre-IELTS Preparation and an advanced -IELTS Preparation.

The IELTS course helps students prepare for the IELTS exam. This exam is used for similar purposes to the TOEFL examination. There are two modules, General and Academic. Students must have an Academic IELTS result between 6.0 or 7.0 for university entry. Students planning to enter TAFE, business or other colleges or who are seeking residency in Australia need between 5.0 and 6.0 in the General IELTS module. High school students need 5.5 in the General module for most schools. The exam has four parts: speaking, reading, writing and listening.

The Greenwich IELTS course prepares students for the exam. It  trains students to understand the exams structure and the expectations of the examiners, as well as the language and the time needed for each part of the exam. Entrance to the course is possible at any point in the course's 16-week cycle.

Course Outline:

 Students will learn:
- An understanding of the structure of the exam
- Strategies to do the exam: timing, organization, etc
- Competency in the four exam skills
- A better understanding of grammar, vocabulary, functions, register and discourse
- The main vocabulary used in the examinations themes
- Western academic writing skills
- Development of speaking fluency and accuracy

Your Improvement
Trial interviews and exams will demonstrate if the students are ready for the exam.
Real IELTS tests correlate highly with final practice tests (r=0.91).

Average student improvement is 1 band score in 8- 10weeks.

Curriculum
Reading, writing, listening and speaking plus grammar and vocabulary extension are skills needed for the IELTS exam. These skills are practiced Monday to Thursday through relevant weekly topics. Trial examinations are held on Fridays. Each day is structured into three lessons of one hour and forty minutes, making five face-to-face classroom hours each day. Students also have to complete homework tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1) Why should I study IELTS at Greenwich College?
Studying IELTS with Greenwich College will help you get the IELTS score you need to take your next educational step. Greenwich's IELTS teachers are experienced: they know the IELTS system and can direct your study in the areas you need to maximize your score. At Greenwich you study with a teacher for 25 hours a week. That's 25 hours with a professional IELTS teacher; there is no "self study" time.

2) How quickly will my IELTS score improve?
This varies from student to student, but in our experience you can reasonably expect to raise your score by 1 point for every 8 to 10 weeks of study. However, like most study, the harder you work the faster your progress will be.

3) What do we do in IELTS classes?
Each week's work is based around a typical IELTS topic. Every week we focus on things like: improving your listening, essay writing, IELTS speaking, building your vocabulary, test strategies and overcoming weaknesses in your grammar.

4)How long are the Greenwich IELTS courses?
The higher course is 16 weeks and the lower course is 12 weeks. It is possible to attend for a shorter period of time, but you will get the most benefit by taking the course the way it has been designed.

5) Is the IELTS course difficult?
Yes. Our teachers work hard, and they expect our students to work hard too. This is not a laid back course: our goal is to get you the best possible IELTS score we can. Having said that, most students enjoy the classroom atmosphere and have a good time.

6) Can Greenwich Help me enter University or TAFE?
Yes. You need an IELTS score to enter many courses and Greenwich can help you achieve the score you need. You will also receive regular individual academic counseling on your progress, and advice/assistance on how to enter the course you want.

7) Will I take practice IELTS tests at Greenwich?
Yes, every Friday there is a practice IELTS test under exam conditions. This is to give you a chance to improve your exam strategies and become comfortable for the real test. It also helps you monitor your progress, and lets you know when you are ready to try the real IELTS test. This is important, because you can only take an IELTS test every 3 months, so you need to be certain you will get the right score.