Preparation: IELTS

The globally recognised IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination was specifically designed to target the skills that students need in international educational programmes. The course will focus on helping you to develop essential academic skills in areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as exam techniques to provide you with all the tools you need to optimise your IELTS grade. This course is also useful for those who would like to improve their academic skills in English.

The lecturer, Carol Daubney, has many years' involvement with the IELTS exam in Switzerland.

Prospective participants are advised to contact the Language Center for consultation about suitable intensive courses during the semester break that will prepare them for this course. It is recommended that participants also attend English: Speaking and Writing I or English: Speaking and Writing II and/or English: Advanced Grammar and Vocabulary.

In general it is realistic to expect that the 42 hours of work planned for this course (12 lessons of 90 minutes each plus 12 times homework of 120 minutes) may allow candidates to improve their level on the IELTS band score by half a band score. For example a candidate starting with B1+ (IELTS band score 5) may reach a lower B2 (IELTS band score 5.5); a candidate with B2+ (IELTS band score 6.5) may reach a lower C1 (IELTS band score 7).

Internal exam: The internal exam (Reading and Listening) will be held in the final course session.

Course information

Course level
B2+
Date
25.09.2018 - 11.12.2018
Dienstag, 18:15 - 19:45
24 Lessons
Lecturer
Carol Daubney, MA
Credit points
2 ECTS
Registration deadline
Wednesday 19.09.2018
Course fee
Students and PhD candidates: CHF 291.00
Members of staff: CHF 579.00
Alumni: CHF 579.00
Registration

Course materials

You can choose to order the course book either with or without audio download of the listening tests:

  • Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic, (with CD); Cambridge University Press 2017; ISBN: 978-1-316-63786-9
  • Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic, (without CD); Cambridge University Press 2017; ISBN: 978-1-316-63782-1
  • Script

If you do not buy the audio download of the listening tests you can use the Language Center copy on site at the Language Center, Totentanz 17.

Further details will be found in the course confirmation. Please do not acquire the course materials before then.

Attendance

Number of absences allowed: 2

Coursework

Participants are expected to:
  • participate actively in class;
  • complete learning assessments;
  • spend 3 hours per course session on preparing and reviewing the lesson and on autonomous learning.

Credit points

To earn the credit points, students must fulfill the attendance requirement, complete the coursework, and pass the required number of assessments. The course is graded on a pass-fail basis.

Homework

± 120 minutes / week

Placement test

This course requires either an obligatory computer placement test or completion of a preceding course. If you have not attended a preceding course, a computer placement test has to be taken prior to registration.

Date for rescheduled sessions

The supplementary replacement date for lessons that might not take place is: 01.12.2018 from 10h - 16h

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