Table 3: The history of IELTS (Davies, 2008; IELTS, 2012; Knapp, Seidlhofer & Widdowson, 2009, p. 631 and 637)


Test name/ Phase


EPTB


(Precursor of ELTS) (1960s onwards)


ELTS (1980)


IELTS (Since 1990s) Approach Content


Structuralist approach Focus on features of language and learners’ challenges. Sampling undertaken of the linguistic features of lectures, textbooks and journal articles.


Shift in the direction of a communicative approach.


Movement away from language uses towards an approach favouring features of language use.


IELTS (Since 2005)


Focus on ESP. Provision of texts for listening and written assessment from a series of supposed authentic domains.


Changing focus from situations of subject-specific language use in academic contexts towards a more general and more abstract view of what constitutes academic discourse.


Computer-based IELTS is developed and trialled, although not yet fully launched.


A frank critique of some of the potential shortfalls which can be associated with IELTS was presented in a radio broadcast by Ingram (2005), Australia’s representative on the British–Australian research group that developed the IELTS Test and Australia’s chief IELTS examiner for a period of ten years. These concerns are summarized below in Table 4 (ibid.).


Table 4: Ingram’s concerns about the use and misuse of IELTS (Ingram, 2005) Ingram’s concern


Advice


IELTS is designed to be administered globally on a large scale. Consequently, the test’s design had to make compromises to meet these administrative demands.


Many universities fail to require a proficiency level in IELTS sufficient to enable students to manage academic study without English hindering their performance.


IELTS should not be considered a perfect measure. Proficiency levels set for university admission should be sufficiently generous to allow some level of variation from the actual levels specified in the students’ results.


The minimum required level for students entering academic programmes should be an overall band score of 7. If students are to be accepted at 6.5 or 6, they should be provided with ongoing English language support.


Chapter 14: Learning from large-scale standardized EAP tests 169


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