I got two great IELTS questions in my "Teaching IELTS writing" mini-course and thought it would be a crime not to share my answers with everyone.

1️⃣ "Does IELTS writing have sensitive topics? For example, here is a topic a student got in their IELTS exam last week. "Many TV channels show more men's sports than women's. Why is this? Should TV channels allocate equal time for both men's and women's sport?"

No, IELTS doesn't have sensitive topics. And the topic above is not sensitive. Not everything that involves women and/or men is sensitive.

IELTS has more topics about men and women. For example,
- "There are many female students who finish degrees in science and technology courses at university, but few move into the workplace after they graduate. Why is this? What measures can be taken to encourage them into work?"
- "Some people believe that women should be able to join their country’s army and police forces. Others think that only men should be allowed to work in these areas. Discuss both views and give your opinion."

These are not sensitive topics, are they?

2️⃣ "My student was asked a very abstract philosophical question in his speaking test - about living in the world without a monetary system. Is that ok? How common is that?"

I'd say being asked a very abstract philosophical question is a good sign. Such questions typically mean that the examiner sees potential and is probing for a higher score. So philosophical questions are nothing to worry about. Besides, they don's really have a right or wrong answer. So just speculating is fine. Personally, I'd actually be worried and suspicious if I was only asked a bunch of simple questions. But there is an important caveat: there is always a possibility of a student misunderstanding the question or remembering it wrong.

Do you have an IELTS question? If it's a great one - one that many will benefit from - I will answer on my social media. Drop me a line to ask. 💌

Next "Teaching IELTS writing" dates: 16, 23, 30 January. 📅
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