I’ve been teaching IELTS training classes as part of my job
as an English teacher for the last few years. Recently, however, I’ve become a
lot more interested in the deeper aspects and subtleties of the IELTS test and
the worldwide community discussing these nuances. As I've been studying, observing and deepening my understanding of the test, an analogy came to me which I want to share.
IELTS is like an organized religion.
Before you dismiss me as blasphemous or un-academic, or think
I’m trying to start the Church of IELTS, hear out these aspects of the analogy. I'm just being tongue-in-cheek here.
Two major world religions think of God as a unity made from a holy
trinity. Both Christianity and Hinduism see God as three aspects. The “godhead” of
IELTS is composed of a trinity as well: The British Council, Cambridge University
and IDP Australia.
Like a religion, IELTS has its holy scriptures. These are
the tests themselves. Handed down regularly from on high in the form of
Cambridge Practice Tests, now existing in books 1 through 12, these are the
canon from which we hear the word of IELTS.
Most religions also include numerous commentaries on their
scriptures. IELTS is no different. You’ll find these commentaries online and on
bookstore shelves around the world, coming from various experts, and they don’t
always agree with one another. Indeed, the writings of the “prophets” regarding
how to approach IELTS are often very divergent.
The deity doesn’t make it any easier either. IELTS has it “public
descriptors”, but is also secretive. Its “angels”, the examiners themselves, appear among us, but do not reveal all of what the deity requires or despises. In fact, the angels are not permitted to speak
of the secrets of IELTS.
IELTS even has commandments on which pretty much all of the
bickering holy men would agree. They vary by
the skill being tested, and will be a topic of a future blog.
Then there are the clergy, the IELTS instructors. They try to tend to
the day-to-day needs of their flock, the IELTS candidates. They deliver their sermons
in classrooms, and while some listen, others go on to continue to sin. On the whole, they're hopeful their parishioners will achieve salvation
in a 7.0+ score.
IELTS even has it’s blasphemers – the non-official study
material!
