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IELTS vs General English

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Many students come to ask the Academic Department about the IELTS class and how it’s different to the General English classes. With the help of Nadine Coletta from Germany, our ADOS explains the differences:

Our IELTS course is designed to prepare the students to write the IELTS exam. It is very different to the general English classes in that it focuses on Academic English, or the English used at university. You can expect to be exposed to subjects like Sociology, Science, Architecture and History. We recommend that students spend at least a few weeks in Upper Intermediate before joining the class, so that they feel confident in their English ability.

The IELTS class is not designed to simply improve your English ability, but rather it teaches you how to get the best possible score in the exam. The course is best suited to students who need to achieve a particular score, either for a job or in order to enter university.

Here’s what Nadia had to say:

Nadine from Germany
Nadine from Germany

During my journey here at EC Cape Town, I had the opportunity to join the Advanced class and the IELTS class.

I immediately recognized that the classes were totally different. You join the General English class without any pressure and this class helps to improve your English. Depending on the teacher and the number of students in the class, it is up to you to decide what to talk about and which exercises to do. Everybody has a different personal goal to achieve, as opposed to the IELTS class. There, every student has the same aim! The lessons are very structured. You speak about specific topics and get exactly prepared in how to pass the exam. And you get an official certificate, which you can attach to your CV.

 The IELTS class is not suitable for everybody. You need to have an Upper Intermediate level of English to follow the exercises.

So, think exactly about what you need and consider your academic ability. But you can be sure that both classes will improve your English!

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