IELTS Research Reports

Glenys MerrifieldThe college does not have a role in monitoring registrants after they commence practising. However,it does act as a grievance resolution body in cases where formal complaints are made. Some of theserelate directly to communication skills, in particular, that communicative competency is not regardedas being sufficiently high to deal with the demands of the profession on a day-to-day basis.The organisation did not consider that there was a need for direct communication with or support fromIELTS administration.4.1.3 Associations of Teachers4.1.3.1 British Columbia College of TeachersThe British Columbia College of Teachers (BCCT) is a self-regulatory body funded by member fees.The college is responsible for certification of individual teachers in public schools and some privateschools prior to teaching in Canada. It also approves teacher education programs.When assessing eligibility for teacher certification the college examines academic background,professional competency and evidence of professional practice within the previous ten years. Whilethere is provincial autonomy in education, in the interests of labour mobility the provincial Colleges ofteachers are seeking to move to a common standard. Language skills are considered to be crucial formaintaining professional standards in the classroom.Evidence of English language competency must be provided with either an IELTS Test Report or theoutcomes from any of the three versions of the TOEFL. Currently, the college accepts an IELTS standardof 6.5 in the Academic Module with no less than 6.0 in the Reading and Listening components and aminimum of 7.0 in Writing and Speaking. The macro skills of speaking and writing were consideredmore important than the receptive skills because of the need for teachers to speak professionally, toconfer with parents, to communicate with children and to write reports. These scores must be gainedwithin one sitting of the IELTS. Acceptable language assessment is required for all applicants forcertification whose education was not conducted in English. At the time of the study, between a hundredand fifty and two hundred candidates annually were required to present a language assessment report.The band scores required were reviewed upwards in 2007 to bring them into line with other similarorganisations. IELTS test centres are available in British Columbia at the Simon Fraser Universityand the Victoria University. TOEFL, on the other hand, which is also accepted by the BC Collegeof Teachers, is available at fifty centres throughout British Columbia. However, many applicants forregistration gain evidence of language competency prior to moving to Canada, so that the availabilityof IELTS internationally works in its favour.The BC College of Teachers has not requested or received specific support from IELTS administrationapart from a package of information provided in 2003 when the original minimum standards were set.It was considered that occasional updates would be helpful.There were no immediate plans to reassess the testing systems which were accepted. Any feedbackabout the testing system or any complaints against a particular teacher would be considered by theemployer rather than the College of Teachers. The only perceived drawback of IELTS was the lack ofsubject specific content for those teaching in a particular discipline.40 www.ielts.org