Passing of IELTS and preparation for its speaking section as initial stage of students’ integration in global higher education area

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Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University

Passing of IELTS and preparation for its speaking section as initial stage of students' integration in global higher education area

Bogachevska L.O., Candidate of Philological Sciences,

Ph.D. Associate Professor

at the Foreign Languages and Translation Department

Abstract

Global educational system and the Bologna process as its part develop very important tendencies for inclusive study process where all the students have equal possibilities for learning, staying in a comfortable educational environment where they may feel valued and supported gaining University qualification and for innovative approach as a crucial factor of acquiring new knowledge and competence.

The article covers various themes such as presenting informative stuff about IELTS, regarding speaking as a very important skill in the language learning process, singling out the constituent components of Speaking section and giving some recommendations as to the preparation for the exam in the best possible way.

So, fluency, an important element in Speaking assessment, is the ability of expressing thoughts and ideas straight away. Coherence and cohesion help to organize oral speech logically with “linkers” and “discourse markers”. Rich lexical resource may ensure the ability to speak much more vividly with expressive means in the foreign language.

A wide range of words will help to express thoughts. Another aspect of speaking is grammatical range which involves usage of complex and compound sentences with subordinating conjunctions, prepositional phrases with different parts of speech, and relative pronouns to join the subordinate clause to the main one. All of these components can provide the exam taker getting a higher score while being assessed on the grammatical component of Speaking section of IELTS.

All means of practicing which may help to make some progress are beneficial: recording one's answers to possible questions; continuation of imaginary further discussion with examiner; expressing one's thoughts on some certain topics or trying to share all above mentioned types of speaking with an English native speaker or a good adviser for analyzing himself or herself positive and negative moments or taking into account feedback given competent listeners in order to consolidate and feel strong with the right things gained and to work more on weak side, as a result of hard study to feel confident and get a high band score.

Key words: the Bologna process, Speaking section in IELTS, fluency, coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range.

Анотація

Складання АІЛТС і підготовка до його розмовної секції як початковий етап інтеграції в глобальну зону вищої освіти

Глобальна освітня система та Болонський процес, як її частина, виявляють дуже важливі тенденції для інклюзивного процесу навчання, де всі студенти мають рівні можливості для навчання, перебування в комфортному освітньому середовищі, де вони можуть відчувати цінність і підтримку в отриманні університетської кваліфікації, а також для інноваційного підходу як вирішальний фактор набуття нових знань і компетенції.

Стаття охоплює різні теми, такі як представлення інформативних матеріалів про АЙЛТС та розгляд мовлення як дуже важливої навички в процесі вивчення мови, виокремлення і вивчення складових компонентів розділу Говоріння та подача рекомендацій щодо підготовки до іспиту найкращим чином.

Вільне володіння мовою - важливий елемент оцінки мовлення та здатність одразу висловлювати думки, ідеї. Зв'язність допомагає логічно організувати усне мовлення за допомогою «лінкерів» і «маркерів дискурсу». Багатий лексичний ресурс може забезпечити можливість говорити набагато яскравіше з більшою кількістю експресивних засобів на іноземній мові. Широкий вибір слів забезпечуватиме вільне висловлювання думок. Іншим аспектом мовлення є граматичний ряд, який передбачає використання складносурядних і складнопідрядних речень із підрядними сполучниками, прийменниковими словосполученнями з різними частинами мови та відносними займенниками для приєднання підрядного речення до головного. Усі ці компоненти можуть забезпечити учаснику іспиту отримання вищого балу під час оцінювання граматичного компоненту розмовної частини IELTS.

Корисними є всі способи практики, які можуть допомогти досягти певного прогресу: запис відповідей на можливі питання; продовження уявної подальшої бесіди з екзаменатором; висловлювання своїх думок на певні теми або намагання поділитися всіма вищезазначеними видами спілкування з носієм англійської мови чи хорошим порадником для аналізу позитивних і негативних моментів або врахування відгуків компетентних слухачів для засвоєння та праці над слабкими сторонами, в результаті наполегливого навчання почуватися впевнено та отримати високий бал.

Ключові слова: Болонський процес, секція Говоріння в АЙЛТС, вільне володіння мовою, зв'язність, лексичний ресурс, граматичний ряд.

Introduction

Problem statement emphasizes that the Bologna Process is aimed at reforming the educational policy at global scale; improving the quality of teaching process; overcoming obstacles for learning mobility; building “no boundary” academic cooperation; unification of degree structure; the academic recognition of qualifications in higher education systems in EU member states and beyond. “The Bologna Process also provides a forum for dialogue with neighboring countries regarding higher education reforms and questions related to shared academic principles, such as the independence of universities and the participation of students in civil society activities” [1, p. 1]. It should be noted that the European government's reform is thoroughly worked-out due to modern and democratic principles.

Fortunately, Ukraine has been a full member of the Bologna Process since 2005. “Participation of Ukraine at the Bologna process is a huge advantage for all students who graduate from its universities” [2, p. 1]. So, Ukrainian education becomes much closer to the European Higher Education area as it is also trying to implement all the necessary steps for becoming an integral part of the Bologna Process and this gives us a chance for integrated transnational cooperation in education, research and innovation.

Stressing on the paramount importance of the recognition of Ukrainian diplomas of higher education in Europe provided by our state which are the basis for further development abroad for young generation, nevertheless bachelor, master applicants should get prepared for the oversea study themselves and the first step to achieve the goal is taking international test in English and IELTS is one of many of such exams.

Analysis of recent research and publications. Actuality of the research subject reveals itself in the fact that speaking was mostly regarded as an element of communication and as a useful skill to be developed and in our article more practical side of developing speaking ability for passing IELTS and thus, becoming a participant of global educational integration within the Bologna process is presented.

British philologist and methodologist R. Allwright stresses on the importance of speaking skill for language learners and states that “language teaching, globally, has not led to a satisfactory level of communicative skill in the vast majority of cases” [3, p. 167]. He addresses to the scientists to pay special attention to the development of the speaking skill which is the basis for international oral communication.

A team of Oxford scientists S. D. Krashen and T. D. Terrell presented “acquisition-learning” hypothesis. They explain that human beings “not necessarily aware that they are acquiring language” [4, p. 26] and “language acquisition” is “natural way” to develop speaking abilities and this belongs to “a subconscious process”. On the contrary, referring the process of learning “explicit knowledge of rules, being aware of them and being able to talk about them” [4, p. 26] and this is “a conscious process”. Their strategy explains the connection of speaking process with our mental abilities and truly shows that language reveals itself through both subconscious and conscious brain acts.

American philologist D. Nunan gives the following definition: “Speaking is a productive aural/oral skill and it consists of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning” [5, p. 48]. In the interaction process the information is conveyed verbally and shared with the listener for his or her understanding. So, in order to communicate effectively in everyday life speaking skills should be developed and it gives the feeling of confidence and fluency. Speaking skills are very important because this is an opportunity to express thoughts and ideas both in formal and informal environment. In family circle and with friends we may develop some emotional connections and at work place or with unknown people we should talk politely and officially.

Cambridge scientist S. Thombury remarks that words, phrases, clauses and sentences are “glued together by the insertion of the appropriate grammatical markers” like articles, auxiliary verbs and word endings [6, p. 4]. His conception explains speaking as “an essentially linear” that is pronounced “utterance-by-utterance” [7, p. 13].

The aim and task statement of the article is to emphasize on the importance of educational integration; to describe the peculiarities of the fourth part of IELTS exam which is Speaking section; to present some practical recommendations; to stress on some organizational moments; to motivate young people to study foreign language and prepare successfully for the exam where English is tested as a foreign language; to arouse interest of students in further studying abroad. In our paper we will talk about Speaking section of IELTS.

Presenting main material

The material presented in the article explains the essence of the Speaking section of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). IELTS proposes both computer-based tests and test performed in some Language centers where one can use paper and a pencil. So, this opportunity gives some space for a choice. For a student with great typing skills but a bad handwriting it is better to take test on the computer though the skills of using headphones are very important in this activity. The one who feels comfortable for in-person communication may use the alternative way which is off-line and fulfill the speaking tasks in a real classroom.

Awareness of the structure and constituent components of Speaking section (which is number four in order of test course) is of great value for an exam taker. It is held as an interview with an examiner and all the communication is recorded. In Task 1 “Introduction and General Questions” questions about the work, family, studies, and interests are asked. Task 2 “Long Turn” involves a card with a topic for the student's discussing (one minute to prepare, two minutes to speak up, then one or two follow-up questions from the interviewer must be answered). In Task 3 “Analytical Discussion” where a deep discussion of a topic in Task 2 by an exam taker and an examiner for 4-5 minutes is performed. In the preparation process a student should pay attention to all types of tasks and find the best way on how to get prepared for them.

One of IELTS Speaking assessment criteria is “Fluency and Coherence” which involves speaking at length; logical idea formation; expressing and justifying ideas; discussing and speculating on different issues. All of these abilities of a speaker should be performed without long pauses and word repetitions.

Fluency is a natural arrangement of proper language flow without hesitation. As it is natural to avoid unnecessary pauses English native speakers usually use fillers such as: “well”, “ummm...”, “I guess”, “It's a tricky question, actually, basically”. Speaking at slower pace is also possible but with appropriate tone and intonations, so, a speaker may stop, also take some pauses in between the sentences or between the words during exam as well. Thus, fluency is not about the speed at which one can speak, it is the flow of consistent thoughts revealed in speech. It is advisable to take persistent efforts to think everything in English without translating which is difficult at the beginning but it is one of the ways to improve fluency. It is also useful to get engaged in conversations with English native speakers.

A good recommendation is to ask someone to listen to the speaking on a certain topic or to the answers of the discussion, afterwards the listener will explain if it was easy to understand or not and it will become clear how to develop the skill. Another way to analyze and enhance the ability is to simply record the speech, then to listen to it, find some mistakes and to make some progress in the future. It is sometimes beneficial to think less and to speak right away for better fluency. “Fluency is the ability to hear words and understand them straight away” [ 8, p. 1]. An exam taker should feel free to express himself or herself, to speak up one's mind, to be open-minded without being worried of what the listener might think about him or her. It is well-known fact that improvements go with some practice.

Coherence is the logical organization of your speech or conversation and the connection of the sentence with one another. When it is difficult to understand one's speech, the listener would get confused and if it is easy to follow the flow of thoughts that means the speaker expresses himself or herself coherently.

To make speaking clearer for the listener it is recommended to use connecting words, so called “linkers” or “discourse markers”. They could make a person sound much more natural in English if used correctly. For example: “well, let me see” (giving yourself time to think); “I have to say” (giving opinion); “The thing is” (focusing on an idea); “and”, “also”, “in addition”, “furthermore” (adding ideas); “but”, “however”, “In my view there are two differences” (contrasting ideas); “I agree because...”, “I am sure I agree with that...” (responding to a point); “I think we'll probably see..”, “Maybe there will be.”, “It's unlikely that we'll have.” (speculations on the future). Cohesive devices used in speaking are usually simpler and more informal than those used in writing.

It is advisable to listen for “discourse markers” that people use when they are speaking in the sample IELTS speaking test tasks and to make some notes of them and then to write down some of own examples. After that it will be good to try using them, both when you are doing IELTS speaking practice and when you are speaking to anyone in English. Such practicing will help you speak more cohesively and naturally.

Using of familiar linkers or “discourse markers” when speaking will help to feel more confident, but it is also important to avoid overusing them. It is helpful at first to record oneself saying these example sentences in order to get used to them and also to analyze how to pronounce them correctly. It is recommended to single out them in speech, to think if they are used in a proper way and to analyze which “linkers” would be preferably to use more.

For getting better band score for coherence, one should remember that general information is given first, then more specific details with some life examples may follow. It gets logically clearer this way. Listener's understanding can be seen on facial expression and moreover this can even expand the answer if the speaker can see that ideas and information is correctly perceived.

Cohesion and coherence are assessed under “Fluency and Coherence” in the IELTS Speaking descriptors. The highest-level candidate usually speaks coherently with fully appropriate cohesive features, a bit lower than the highest-level candidate uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility as a rule. The middle-level candidate may sometimes use a range of connective and discourse markers, but not always appropriately, and somewhat lower than the middle-level candidate may overuse certain connectives and discourse markers. All of these criteria are described in the requirements for the assessment of this section for the examiner and an exam taker should take this into regard.

Another assessment criterium is having a sufficient lexical resource. It is essential for all parts of IELTS for Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading. The more words and phrases you know, the better you'll go through the test. To get a higher band score an exam taker needs to use collocations, linking words, complex language. Using of synonyms and being able to incorporate them into speech are of great importance. Repeating of some words over and over again while speaking will lead to a low band score in IELTS. A big weight is given to vocabulary or lexical resource in the final grade.

A person who is getting ready for IELTS should work with the list of topics which may become the subject of speaking on the exam. One should keep in mind the main ideas or issues to talk about on a certain topic and also get ready to use some relevant words and phrases.

An exam taker may be proposed to speak about “Friends; Family” describing relations, values, people's characters, appearance and importance or meaning of friends and family. To speak up on the topic one should have a number of ideas which are appropriate to mention and also apply some of collocations prepared in advance as a topical vocabulary. For example, one can use: “Long lost friend” or “A lifelong friend” talking of connections with a friend; describing friendly relations one may say: “Close knit family”, mentioning that not everything is so good in the family just say: “Relationship problems”. Talking on “Food and nutrition” it is good to remember different kinds of food which may be healthy or junk; and its role to the health of the body; eating habits; serving foods manners. So, if someone wishes to speak about good food he or she may say: “balanced diet”, “packed with vitamins” or “homemade food”.

Also the following topics may also be proposed in speaking section: “Modern technology”, “Coronavirus”, “Pollution and the environment”, “Fitness and health”, “School and education”, “Work and careers”, “University and student life”, “Accommodation”, “Books, film and art”, “Climate change”, “Working from home”, “Social media”, “Advertising”, “Fashion and shopping” and others. It is useful to have a phrase book and write down unfamiliar words and expressions. As for collocations and idioms, they can be extracted from books, films, songs, videos and English podcasts, however, it is recommended to use audio material more because there are no visual clues, making listening a little harder.

A person should practice reading of textbooks, science fiction or fiction as a result he or she acquires reading skills and also absorbs lexical units which were used there. If the exam taker comes across any unfamiliar word in the text, it is good to try guessing otherwise finding them up in the dictionary. “Vocabulary development is where students understand the meanings and pronunciations of words necessary for communication” [8, p. 2].

When the utterance is clear an exam taker can keep up a conversation. “If they understand what the other person is saying and they know what vocabulary to say back, they are halfway there to communicating effectively” [8, p. 2]. A wide range of words and phrases which were learnt before the exam will help to express thoughts and ideas in a proper way.

It is good to emphasize that if one finds the vocabulary of terminology in different fields or subjects, it is just enough to try to understand or interpret the meaning, it is not necessary to enlarge one's active vocabulary with scientific terms as a learner may not often see these words again.

While reading and listening in English you constantly build passive vocabulary. “A couple of weeks of listening and reading, and perhaps speaking a bit, and it comes back stronger than ever before. It's in there soundly because it's built up based on this very large passive vocabulary” [9]. After accumulating of passive lexical resource try to implement it in your utterings this way changing passive vocabulary into active. “When you are ready to speak, and as you speak more and more, the vocabulary will activate naturally”. So, carrying out discussion or conversation try to incorporate new vocabulary and add it to your speech in a proper way. Nevertheless, keep in mind forcing new words into the language may lead to sounding odd and artificial.

Mastering of grammar in the students' preparation for international exam such as IELTS is rather difficult and challenging. “You may think that grammar is something we only need for written language. But grammar includes lots of important areas for spoken language such as an understanding of tenses and the correct way to structure sentences. Grammar helps us to convey information in a way that the listener will recognize and understand” [8, p. 2]. It should be noted that two essential components are to be taken into regard: variety of grammatical structures (grammatical range) and avoiding of grammar mistakes (accuracy).

Being able to incorporate simple (one clause), compound (two and more main causes), complex (one main clause and one or more subordinate (dependent) clauses) sentences into oral speech during exam is of a great importance. The following coordinating conjunctions, such as “and”, “but”, “or”, “yet”, and “so” are used to join some parts of grammatically equal sentences within one compound sentence. education teaching language вologna

It is usually not so difficult for high-level and middle- level speaker to use them. It is often much more challenging to operate subordinating conjunctions for making up a complex sentence where they help to join a subordinate (or dependent) clause to a main (or independent) clause.

To present a good fluency in Speaking section an exam taker should be able to show how nine different parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections and articles) can function depending on their position in a sentence and their connection to other words. It is a standard direct word order in English where subject is followed by a predicate and then also direct or indirect object can follow.

To enrich the grammatical potential of the language one may use different parts of speech so they will change the pattern of most common sentence structure as a result this will demonstrate the high- level skill of incorporating of various grammatical patterns. Usage of prepositional phrases which is composed of a preposition, and a compliment which is most commonly a noun, a pronoun, an adverb or a verb in the -ing form. Common prepositions include: “about”, “among”, “at”, “in”, “of”, “since”, “through”, and “with” (since the start of the semester; from house to house; with regards to; in time of; among them; at first glance; until quite recently).

Another way of showing one knows how to operate grammatical structures efficiently is usage of relative pronouns: who, whom, which, whoever, whomever, whichever, and that to link subordinate clauses in sentences.

Repeated errors in verb tenses, adjectives clauses or any other grammar forms show that the exam taker has profound gaps in specific aspects of grammar. Some occasional, isolated mistakes may occur in those whose answers will be regarded as high-scoring responses. One of main aims of exam taker is using grammar with minimal error.

It is advisable to improve grammar skills by record one's speech, then listening to it, trying to understand the mistakes and avoiding them for the next time. Recommendations from English native speakers, some teachers' corrections and also rules from the textbooks can also be of great value in polishing grammar.

Conclusion

In conclusion it should be said that, first of all, during Speaking section of IELTS fluency is assessed. This ability is to accept what was being asked, give answer straight away or continue discussion on the topic proposed. So, expressing one's thoughts and ideas clearly, coherently “linkers” or “discourse markers” help, moreover there should be a good balance on how to use them in a proper way though not in abundance. Secondly, sufficient lexical resource counts as it enables the speaker to express his or her thoughts vividly with various synonyms, collocations, idioms, showing a great vocabulary enriched in the thorough process of study through listening, reading, speaking with English native speakers. Thirdly, not only limiting grammar mistakes is essential but also usage of a wide range of grammatical constructions in an appropriate and accurate way. To get a high band score you together with simple sentences it is good to master also compound and complex structures, show ability to use different tense forms and some advanced grammar patterns such as prepositional phrases and others.

Thus, motivation and desire to get some progress in the future career to improve employment prospects can lead a person in doing great things in their life such as studying international language which English truly is and consequently to become an integral part of global higher educational area.

Bibliography

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