IELTS Research Reports

Wayne Sawyer and Michael Singhmain employer - the NSW Department of Education and Training - has developed its own instrumentaimed at testing language skills specific to teaching: the Professional English Assessment for Teachers(PEAT). It is worth noting that in Australia, certain areas of school education – such as secondaryMathematics and Science – are increasingly heavily populated by LBOTE teachers.This research investigates the question of an appropriate score for graduate entry teacher educationcourses. Through interviewing relevant personnel in universities and teacher registration authorities,the research addresses:1 the extent to which current IELTS scores into graduate entry teacher education coursesare considered adequate by the lecturers of such students, by prospective teacherregistration authorities and by the students themselves2 what an appropriate score might be for entry into such courses.The research recognises that operating in Anglophone schooling cultures is not just a question oflanguage difficulties for LBOTE students. The notion of ‘communicative competence’ is complexfor teacher education students –including not only the ability to comprehend and communicateacademic course material and to function effectively in learning situations such as tutorials, but alsoto comprehend and ‘perform’ English as teachers themselves, operating in front of school pupils whothemselves may represent a diversity of cultural and linguistic experience – and all of this within aschooling culture that may be quite removed from their own schooling experience. The outcomes ofthis research are recommendations about appropriate IELTS scores for entry into teacher education inthe context of other factors impacting on the success of these students.The particular cohorts selected for investigation are those in graduate-entry pre-service courses insecondary education, such as a Graduate Diploma or Masters degree. The phrase ‘LBOTE students’as used here, then, refers to students who have completed an initial degree in a country in which themajority language is not English. Some of these are ‘international students’, though many are alsoPermanent Residents or are Australian citizens. ‘International students’ is a term usually used to referto overseas students on student visas. Many of the students to whom we refer here are not on studentvisas, but are, rather, Permanent Residents or Australian citizens. They have all, however, undertakenearlier education in countries in which English was not the majority language, and hence have beensubject to IELTS testing in order to be accepted into their graduate entry courses in teacher education.In general usage, ‘LBOTE’ may still include those who have been schooled in Anglophone countrieslike Australia. However, we are specifically using the acronym ‘LBOTE’ here to refer to students whowere subject to IELTS or similar testing before undertaking their graduate entry course. This includesboth those who have undertaken earlier education in countries in which English was not the majoritylanguage and, when relevant, international students. Some of those on student visas intend to teachin their home countries; most of the total group under consideration will teach in Australia. All areeducated on the assumption that they will teach in Australian schools. In this report we use the terms‘student’ or ‘student-teachers’ to describe this group of teacher education students. The word ‘pupil’ isused to refer to school children. We also use the term ‘Faculty’ to describe ‘Faculties’ and ‘Schools’ ofEducation in universities, in order to distinguish these from primary and secondary schools.78 www.ielts.org