(job) Qualifying to be an IELTS examiner

[Dave-208]

>In some areas of Guangdong, the Foreign Expert Affairs people are now
>requiring ``approved`` or qualified schools and a minimum of 100 to 150
>hours IELTS or TESOL programs

That's fine with me :-) since I've more than that, 2 TELFS, a pGDipTEFL
and even one from CAIEP, a subsidiary of the FEB in Beijing :-) but it may
explain all the Guangdong adverts that are still appearing in my jobs
feed...but I've too old for G-D hahaha..and the IELTS examiner job advert
today..

Dave Nevin

[Don williamson-2]

Here is an interesting little story of perceptions from the Chinese student side. I taught one IELTS class of non-achieving Ss. Lol here. Then I sub-ed one day for another Class that had just recently taken their IElTS oral exams. One student approached me with a story of woe. He had failed the test (so....) but he complained about the attitude examiner and blamed same for his failure. How, I asked? He gave the following story:
 
"When I sat down in front of her she did not look at me and just yawned. I waited for her directions but she just mumbled something I could not understand. I said, please say again but she said go ahead. I was really confused and nervous now. I didn't know what to do. Finally she told me to talk about anything I wanted to. So, I talked about my family and home life but while doing this she never looked at me and I didn't think she was even listening. Then she started picking her nose.  This upset me greatly and I began to mistake on my words."

At this point I could listen no longer as I was cracking up /laughing so hard I had to turn my back on this poor student. I could just picture his whole story and understand to, the boring life of an IELTS Examiner that has been too long in the business of hearing student dissertations over and over again. Ntl, there was something to be learned here from the perspective of your Ss. We really must respect them at all times.

Perhaps this is something to be remembered by any of you aspiring Examiners.

I have done mock exams and personally, it is a job I wouldn't care to do for long term.

Don

<<<<<<< On Tue, 10/6/09, Lynn Ogden <lynnogden1@...> wrote:

Dave
 
In some areas of Guangdong, the Foreign Expert Affairs people are now requiring ``approved`` or qualified schools and a minimum of 100 to 150 hours IELTS or TESOL programs with third party verification as the minimum for anyone wanting to be able to get an FEA certificate, etc.
 
Dave Nevin

[karenstanleyma-3]

Don reported a student story about an IELTS examiner:
>  
> "When I sat down in front of her she did not look at me and just yawned. I waited for her directions but she just mumbled something I could not understand. I said, please say again but she said go ahead. I was really confused and nervous now. I didn't know what to do. Finally she told me to talk about anything I wanted to. So, I talked about my family and home life but while doing this she never looked at me and I didn't think she was even listening. Then she started picking her nose.  This upset me greatly and I began to mistake on my words."
> > > > >

The student couldn't have been a candidate at a real IELTS.  The interview is HIGHLY scripted.  You have a notebook with set questions that you (essentially) can't deviate from, except to choose a set on one topic or on a different topic.  Even the opening (where you are required to ask for certain student information and ID to verify that you are interviewing the correct student) and the transitions between questions are scripted.  Only in the very last part is the examiner supposed to ask any unscripted questions.  

The student probably had a non-IELTS placement test of some kind, and simply lumped all placement tests under the name IELTS.

Karen Stanley
Academic ESL
http://karen.stanley.people.cpcc.edu
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

[Don williamson-2]

You are quite right Karen on how scripted an oral IELTS exam is supposed to be. In this case the student got an examiner (and it was a real test) that was either inept or having a bad day but the test was official. In a way I can understand the examiner's attitude. After listening to many  hundreds (even thousands) of 4-5 minute oral dissertations for final exams I could tell in 30 seconds what score I would assign the S +/.5. I soon became brain dead (bored) but yet one must maintain a professional demeanor. This must apply to an IELTS Examiner also and my whole point on remarking on this thread on those that aspire to become examiners. It is, indeed, a demanding and responsible job. It is why I am not cut out for it and being honest about it.

Don

   
--- On Fri, 10/9/09, karenstanleyma <karen.stanley@...> wrote:

Don reported a student story about an IELTS examiner:>>>>>

<<<<The student probably had a non-IELTS placement test of some kind, and simply lumped all placement tests under the name IELTS.

Karen Stanley
Academic ESL
http://karen. stanley.people. cpcc.edu
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA