ERIC Number: EJ1469812
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-1688
EISSN: EISSN-1477-0954
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Test Preparation Pedagogy for International Study: Relating Teacher Cognition, Instructional Models and Academic Writing Skills
Tony Clark1; Guoxing Yu2
Language Teaching Research, v29 n2 p726-750 2025
There now exists an established body of work outlining the challenges international students can face as part of the acculturation process, including a range of academic and non-academic pressures to overcome. For many students, writing essays in academic English for the first time is problematic. This article considers pedagogical approaches for IELTS writing test preparation prior to university admission, and the potential for introducing academic writing skills at an earlier stage of students' learning. Noting implications of test constructs, we investigate pedagogical support for candidates preparing for the writing section of IELTS. Conducted at a test preparation centre in China, observational data from courses across three proficiency levels provided the basis for inquiry, alongside interviews with teachers (n = 2), students (n = 20), and collating homework essays (n = 50). Results indicate that teacher cognition highly influenced pedagogical practice for writing test preparation at the centre involved. It was also evident that (despite variations) overall test preparation objectives were broadly similar. Additionally, higher proficiency learners appeared to be more receptive to -- and capable of -- learning about early-stage academic writing skills. We suggest a series of tentative recommendations for instructors and areas for future research, including looking at other major university entrance tests, newer 'digital first' tests, and the implications of online test preparation.
Descriptors: Writing Instruction, Test Preparation, Essays, English for Academic Purposes, College Admission, Foreign Countries, Second Language Learning, Language Tests, English (Second Language), Teaching Methods, Acculturation, Writing Tests, Language Proficiency, Teacher Attitudes, Language Teachers, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: International English Language Testing System
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Cambridge University Press and Assessment, UK; 2University of Bristol, UK