Vera Huehn

Has anyone from a non native english speaking country just done an IELTS
test (General for immigration to NZ) ? Can somebody tell the subject on
writing ?

Rgds-

chicki

Gihan

Best source of information : http://www.ielts.org

Spocit

"Vera Huehn" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Has anyone from a non native english speaking country just done an IELTS
    > test (General for immigration to NZ) ? Can somebody tell the subject on
    > writing ?

1. You are the member of the sport centre. There are some thing that you do
not
like about it. Write the letter to the management saying what is wrong and
suggesting some changes.
2. The employers should provide not only salaries to emloyees, but some
additional
things too. Do You agree or not and why?

Poland
May 2003

Hans de Visser

I'm pretty sure they've got dozens and dozens of different topics to write about, and you just get given a random one, probably not even the same as the person sitting next to you during the test...
For example, on my test report it said I have done writing exercise no. 82 (which was about having left something on the bus, and about whether radio will be replaced by tv and internet in the future).

bubcay

1. You were visiting an English speaking country, and took a taxi. When you got out of it, you realized that you have lost something in it. Write a letter to the Taxi Company requesting them to look into it, and help you out.

2. Some say that the modern technology, in stead of making our lives easier, made them even more busy than before. Do you agree? Give example from your daily life.

Hanna

1. You are enrolled in a foreign country studying languages. You are to write to a friend a letter how much you have learned and enjoyed your course.

2. You are ask which is better: having your own business or being employed.

Michael Hoffman

Hanna wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    > 1. You are enrolled in a foreign country studying languages. You are
    > to write to a friend a letter how much you have learned and enjoyed
    > your course.
    >
    >
    >
    > 2. You are ask which is better: having your own business or
    > being employed.

Stop it, everybody!!

I have my IELTS exam on Aug 23 and I am getting all frustrated at the sheer
stupid banality of these subjects. :-(

I know they can't well pick something like "As a prospective Australian
resident, how do you feel about John Howard being an accomplice to George
Bush's lie about Iraqi WMD?" or "Do you believe North Korean threats about
nuclear missiles hitting Australia? Explain.", but please, there has to be
something less mindbogglingly boring.

Mike

Peter Tomo

Mike, they didn't respond to your questions. How comes you ask them to stop helping others?

I'm very thankful for the topics posted. I will have my 2nd IELTS next week, because my first one expires. I lived, worked and studied in English-speaking settings for about 1 year. However, I didn't need to write complaints/applications/advertisments/... And when I composed English letters or documents, I had plenty of time for that.

I found IELTS General writing quite an anxious part and tried hard to fit in 1 hour time frame.

Peter

Michael Hoffman

Peter Tomo wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > Mike, they didn't respond to your questions. How comes you ask them to
    > stop helping others?

Pure frustration. Maybe it's only me, but those topics listed are so
mindboggingly and stultefyingly boring that I find myself really dreading
the exam. YMMV.

I'm not sure where it helps - do you sit down and write practise essays on
the topics posted?

Whereas, for myself, I get worried reading about these topics. I have a
hard time writing about "nothing". So, I get these anxiety attacks about
sitting in the exam room and staring blankly at some topic like "write a
motivational memo for your co-workers". And then I wake up screaming... ;-)

I guess I should just stop reading the thread.

Cheers
Mike

sk686

Mr. Hoffman,

Your English seems to me to be competent, if not at least vocational. The grammer is correct too.

I find it ridiculous that DIMIA is requiring you to take the IELTS.

I myself am not a Native born English speaker, although I can fluently read, write and speak English, and in many cases, more correctly than the native born English speakers. I did my Bachelors degree in the USA, and worked in major US corporations for the last five years.

DIMIA did not require me to take the IELTS.

Good luck with your exam!

Michael Hoffman

sk686 wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > Your English seems to me to be competent, if not at least vocational.
    > The grammer is correct too.

Thank you for your kind words. I should add that I suffer from severe cases
of "test fever", even when I know the subject matter very well.

I have a tendency to rile myself up to a state of near-panic. It used to be
worse, now I find that exercises, such as yoga and meditation, help.

But, the fear still lurks. I was probably going over board with my
reaction, but it came from a deeply rooted fear that I would sit in that
exam, perfectly fluent in all aspects of the English language - and blow
one part because I couldn't think of any banalities to write on the topic
requested.

Again, your words of encouragement are appreciated.

    > I find it ridiculous that DIMIA is requiring you to take the IELTS.

I would agree, but such is life, as Ned Kelly was said to have said.

    > I myself am not a Native born English speaker, although I can fluently
    > read, write and speak English, and in many cases, more correctly than
    > the native born English speakers. I did my Bachelors degree in the USA,
    > and worked in major US corporations for the last five years.

    > Good luck with your exam!

Unfortunately I did not complete a degree in the US and that seems to be
the main criterion. I might as well bite the bullet, instead of inviting
yet more delays for being told to take the exam some months down the road.

Regards
Mike

ptlabs

Originally posted by sk686
> Your English seems to me to be competent, if not at least
> vocational. The grammer is correct too.

Grammar


> I find it ridiculous that DIMIA is requiring you to take the IELTS.

As ridiculous as it is, and as irritating as it is, how would DIMIA be able to figure out a person's English ability other than via a standard test? DIMIA uses IELTS to verify one's English ability. I know a lot of people from certain places have asked whether an interview or phone conversation with DIMIA will be acceptable as a substitute - this would merely transfer the burden of assessment to DIMIA.

On another note, DIMIA should consider sending some British people for lessons in proper spelling before granting them visas


> I did my Bachelors degree in the USA,

I have friends who did their bachelor's degrees in the UK, USA, and Australia. I don't see any marked improvement in the English standards of some of them...


> and worked in major US corporations for the last five years.

And some people who work in China never learn to read/write Chinese proficiently, for instance. Again, I guess DIMIA finds this too subjective.


> DIMIA did not require me to take the IELTS.

In actual fact, if you do not provide an IELTS score, your DIMIA case officer may choose to exercise his/her discretion to or against your favour. But like I said, it's discretionary.


Peter

Peter Tomo

That's it. I found it quite hard to write 250 or how many words about such trivial issues. It took me more time to fullfil 1st IELTS writing part than putting down about the same amount of text about more interesting issues.

So actually I'm learning what I never wished to - how to lengthen sentence constructions...

Peter

Michael Hoffman

Peter Tomo wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > So actually I'm learning what I never wished to - how to lengthen
    > sentence constructions...

On the other hand, it's perfect practise if you ever want to go into
politics...

Mike

ptlabs

Mike,

Some politicians obviously need more practice (think George W).

Peter