Overview
Mindset for IELTS Foundation Level is aimed at students who are thinking about taking IELTS, but who are currently at an A2 level. It teaches students in a linear way and helps them to improve both their general English level and introduces elements of assessment that are helpful for both the IELTS test and English language assessment in general. It is designed for up to 90 hours of classroom use. The topics have been chosen to help students develop their skills and knowledge in connection with everyday topics at the start of the course and introduces topics that will be useful for the IELTS test as they progress.
• Topics have been chosen to suit the needs and abilities of student at this level. They help build confidence at the start of the course whilst stretching them in the later stages, so that they start to get an idea of what they will meet on the IELTS test.
• There is coverage of the type of tasks that students at this level can cope with on the IELTS test and more general activities that will give students the foundation for understanding how assessment items work when they progress to a full lELTS course.
• Each level of Mindset is challenging, but doesn’t push students above what they can do.
How Mindset for IELTS Foundation helps with each skill
In the Foundation level all of the skills are integrated within the unit. This is because students at this level need to be able to see how the skills work with each other. Reading skills help develop the ideas and skills that are needed to complete Writing tasks and Listening skills help to develop the ideas and skills that are needed for the Speaking activities.
• Speaking – Mindset for IELTS Foundation helps students to develop their skills and confidence on familiar topics that they will need to progress their general English knowledge, while also enabling them to become more familiar with the type of questions that they will need to be able to deal with on the IELTS test.
• Writing – In the Foundation level students develop their writing skills for everyday communication; become familiar with the type of tasks for Part 1 and Part 2 of the IELTS test; and learn about how these types of writing can be developed and in respect to exam type tasks, how they will be assessed.
• Reading – Mindset for IELTS Foundation helps develop ideas and language skills that students can use in conjunction with the other skills. It also helps them get used to the types of questions they will face at IELTS in a way that is appropriate for students who are at this level.
• Listening – Mindset for IELTS Foundation helps to develop strategies for listening and makes students aware of the types of activities that are used on the IELTS test. It also helps to build confidence and develop ideas that will help them with their short-term and long-term linguistic goals.
About the author
Jishan Uddin Jishan has been an EFL teacher since 2001 and in that time, he has taught on a range of courses in the UK and Spain including general English, exam preparation and academic English courses (EAP). He is currently an EAP lecturer and academic module leader at King’s College London. He has extensive experience in IELTS preparation classes for groups of students from many parts of the world, particularly China, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan. In terms of material design, he has a great deal of experience in designing resources for language skills development as well as exam preparation and administration. Jishan is also a member of the team of authors who has written on the Student’s Books for Mindset for IELTS.