Transcript Slide 1

English language
requirements in immigration
Focus on IELTS
UKNARIC Annual Conference
2009
www.ielts.org
Aims
To give staff working with English language assessment an
understanding of:
– PBS & English language requirements in Tiers 1 & 2
– What makes IELTS a proven, fit-for-purpose high
quality assessment of English language ability
– Assessing English language ability
• IELTS format, content and scores
• Test Report Form (TRF) Verification Service
www.ielts.org
The importance of language
skills
• English language proficiency – a necessary standard
• Required by:
 Employers
 Professional registration bodies
 Education institutions
• Incorporated into the Points Based System (PBS)
www.ielts.org
What is IELTS?
• The ‘International English Language Testing System’
• Jointly managed by 3 partners:
• Experts in language testing internationally
• 20th anniversary!
www.ielts.org
What does IELTS do?
“Designed to assess the English language ability of people
who intend to study or work where English is the
language of communication”
• Test of communicative proficiency in English
• Original 4 skills test covering:
• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking
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The increasing popularity of IELTS
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
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400,000
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Aug'02 to
Jul'03
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Aug'06 to
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Aug'07 to
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Aug'08 to
Jul'09
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Candidate top destinations 2008
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Proven track record
• Tried, tested and proven for over 20 years
• Over 6000 recognising organisations worldwide
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Comprehensively researched
Research and Validation Unit:
• Maintaining quality
• Continuity and innovation
• Ongoing research programmes
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Successful communication
involves interaction
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Face-to-face speaking test
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Globally accessible and convenient
• Tests administered at centres and venues worldwide
• Up to 48 test dates per year (4 per month)
• Results released 13 days after test
• TRF can be sent directly to receiving organisations
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Question Paper Production
• 3 – 4 years to develop one item (question) - rigorous
standards applied
• Item writers in Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and
now Canada
• Content sourced globally
• Topics or language context which may introduce a bias
against any group are avoided
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Academic or General Training
IELTS?
Academic:
General Training:
• Entry to University /
College / professional
registration
• Assesses ability to
study or train at
undergraduate or
postgraduate level
• Immigration, vocational,
secondary education,
language training and
work experience
• Assess survival skills in
a broad social and
educational context
www.ielts.org
Test Format
Listening
30 minutes, 4 sections, 40 items
Academic Reading
General Training Reading
60 minutes, 3 sections, 40 items
60 minutes, 3 sections, 40 items
Academic Writing
General Training Writing
60 minutes, 2 tasks
60 minutes, 2 tasks
Speaking
11 - 14 minutes, 3 parts
www.ielts.org
PBS Tiers 1 & 2
and English language
www.ielts.org
PBS for workers
• Highly skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs – Tier 1
• Sponsored skilled workers – Tier 2
• Temporary workers – Tier 5
• EEA & Switzerland & Other
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Tier 1 – Highly Skilled
Designed to allow highly skilled people to come to / remain
in the UK to look for work or self-employment opportunities.
General, entrepreneur, investor, post study worker
•75 points for attributes (age, qualifications, previous
earnings, UK experience)
•10 points for English language skills
•10 points for available maintenance (funds)
•Requirements differ for initial and extension applications
www.ielts.org
How to achieve 10 points
1. be a national of a majority English speaking country
OR
2. hold a degree assessed by UK NARIC as being taught
in English and is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree
or above
OR
3. pass an English language test on UKBA approved list
Minimum IELTS score 6.5
Academic or General Training
www.ielts.org
Tier 2 – Sponsored Skilled Workers
Designed for workers with a job offer from a licensed
sponsor, valid certificate of sponsorship and who pass the
points-based assessment
Categories
•Work permits – Bulgarian and Romanian nationals
•General, Minister of Religion, Sportsperson, Intra-company
transfer
www.ielts.org
Points for Tier 2
General, Minister of Religion, Sportsperson:
• 50 points for attributes (e.g sponsorship, qualifications,
future expected earnings)
• 10 points for English language
• 10 points for maintenance (funds)
Intra-company transfer:
• English language only required if stay is longer than 3
years.
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How to achieve 10 points
1.
be a national of a majority English speaking country
OR
2. hold a degree assessed by UK NARIC as being taught
in English and is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree
or above
OR
3. pass an English language test on UKBA approved list
Minimum IELTS score 4.0 – general, ICT, sportspeople
Minimum IELTS score 5.5 - Minister of Religion
Academic or General Training
www.ielts.org
Let’s discuss
• When assessing international applicant’s qualifications,
how do you assess their English language ability?
• How important is English ability to their success in your
profession/organisation?
• What would your international applicants need to be able
to do in English / what activities or tasks do they need to
be able to do?
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How does English ability relate
to an IELTS Score?
9 band scores:
9 – expert user
8 – very good user
7 – good user
6 – competent user
5 – modest user
4 – limited user
3 – extremely limited user
2 – intermittent user
1 – non user
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Mini assessment!
We will watch three short clips of candidates at three
different IELTS levels
Discuss:
• What impressed you in terms of their ability?
• What do you think limited their ability?
• What IELTS score do you think they are?
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IELTS Band Score Quiz
6.5
5
4.5
Reveal
Your thoughts
Think again about what your international applicants
need to be able to do in English / what activities or tasks
they need to be able to do.
Discuss:
• What’s a realistic score to set?
• How do your think these candidates would cope in your
profession or organisation and what role would be most
suitable for them?
• Have the clips made you reassess your English
language requirements?
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Ensuring you are
assessing genuine
qualifications
IELTS Test Report Form
Verification service
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On-line TRF Verification Service
• Log in at www.ielts.org/TRF and click on TRF Query
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• Enter the TRF number
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• A match is found
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• No match found
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Test Report Form
(TRF)
What security features of
a TRF are you aware of?
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Contact us
• Carly Moulding – IELTS Stakeholder Relations
Manager
• Chris Chivers – IELTS Client Relations Officer
[email protected]
www.ielts.org
Thank you!
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