Before you think of starting an IELTS coaching center, there are certain things you need to do, such as find out how much it will cost you and acquire the human resources needed. In this guide, we’ll be looking at the requirements and necessary steps to be taken before starting an IELTS coaching center.
According to the British Council, more than 5 million people across 140 countries take the IELTS each year. The cost of taking the IELTS ranges from $215–$250. Having an IELTS coaching center won’t be a bad idea after all!
Before we go on to list the steps to start an IELTS coaching center, you must understand the duties of an IELTS teacher, the requirements to become an IELTS teacher, and how to obtain an IELTS teaching certificate.
Table of contents
What Do IELTS Teachers Do?
IELTS teachers train students and candidates who intend to write the International English Language Testing System exam with the necessary knowledge. Being an IELTS teacher involves teaching IELTS exam skills as well as grammar and vocabulary. You will have to impart knowledge and exam skills to the learners.
The IELTS exam is designed to assess the English language ability of non-native English speakers and English speakers who want to further their studies or work in a native English-speaking country. This helps non-native English-language speakers improve their English generally.
The four sections of the IELTS exam, which are: reading, listening, writing, and speaking, assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication. Therefore, IELTS teachers in IELTS centers now must prepare the candidates for the exam.
There are two types of IELTS: Academic and General Training. Listening and speaking are the same for both tests, but the subject matter of the reading and writing sections differs depending on which test you take. Academic training is meant for candidates who wish to further their studies, while general training is designed for those who wish to migrate to a native English-speaking country for work or any other related reason.
Lastly, IELTS coaches are people who have the correct type of instruction to prepare candidates for IELTS exams. They teach students the right pronunciation of vowel sounds and English words in general. It, in effect, makes students communicate confidently, understand more, and write better English to pass the English test.
What are the Requirements to Become an IELTS Trainer?
Qualified and experienced ESL teachers frequently seek opportunities outside of the classroom. One of these options is to become an IELTS Examiner. It’s both financially and emotionally rewarding.
Although there is no prerequisite for IELTS trainers, it is very pertinent that IELTS trainers undergo some form of English language training. In general, you should have a good command of the English language. As a result, if you sit for IELTS yourself, you only need to be good enough to score at least a band 8.
Also, aspiring IELT trainers can practice with past IELT exam papers. In addition, reading good IELT books and visiting the Cambridge English Teacher platform to take online IELT training courses will be highly valuable.
Succinctly put, to become an IELTS trainer, you need to have a good grasp of the English language, a sense of responsibility, a commitment to teaching, and particularly consistency.
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Full Guide On How Start IELTS Coaching Center
After you have gained the necessary knowledge and qualifications to teach IELTS, the next step might be to learn how to start an IELTS Coaching Center. An IELTS Coaching Center represents a place or forum where intended IELTS candidates are taught and trained for the IELTS exam. To set up a standard IELTS center, there are certain steps to be taken.
The key prerequisites for an IELTS Coaching Center are:
- Trained Teaching Staff
- Spacious Study Environment
- Audio Visual Equipment
- Strong Marketing
- Active Management
1. Trained Teaching Staff
To sustain the idea of setting up an IELTS Coaching Center, you need the services of well-trained teaching staff. With a trained teaching staff, your candidates will perform well on the test, and their amazing performances will speak volumes, which will, in turn, bring more students to your center.
2. Spacious Study Environment
If you want to open an IELTS study center, you should think about the environment and location. It is in your best interests to locate the IELTS Coaching Center in a location where students can learn in a relaxed environment. This will benefit the learning process as a whole.
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3. Audio-Visual Equipment
You need to get audio-visual learning equipment to facilitate the teaching and learning process. With audio-visual equipment, students will become more involved and practical in the learning process. It will assist in the reading, writing, speaking, and listening sections of the test.
Strong Marketing
To attract a large number of students, you must provide effective marketing services. This will assist you in publicizing and advertising the services you provide. Without strong marketing, you won’t get enough IELTS candidates to teach.
Active Management
While the first four points might be easy to figure out, most IELTS coaching centers lack proper management. This is one of the factors thdifferentiatesate a good IELTS institute from an amateur one. Therefore, you must put proper management in place. To solve the problem of management, you can use the software “Your Class Manager.”
Therefore, I’d like to recommend a software solution to the IELTS management problem:
Your Class Manager:
This software helps in keeping the daily tasks of an IELTS center, such as fee collection, attendance, progress tracking, etc., under your control. The software is an online SaaS App and just like you log in to Facebook, you can log in and control your institute from end-to-end using Your Class Manager.
Its key features include:
- Dashboard
- Admission Manager
- Fee Manager
- Track Student Progress
- Attendance Manager
- Send SMS Notifications
Most IELTS coaching centers begin with a small group of 5–10 students and grow in size, while some IELTS coaching centers become extremely successful. In any case, the goal is to put the necessary infrastructure in place and gradually ramp up. A well-established IELTS coaching center will always grow in strength over time.
How To Teach IELTS
Here are some useful tips that can bring you quickly up to professional speed as an IELTS trainer:
1. Find out the test your students are interested in
The IELTS test is available in two formats: academic and general training. People take IELTS Academic to gain admission to an English-speaking university or to work in a profession such as healthcare abroad. They will need to practice appropriate academic English usage, such as presenting a written or spoken argument. IELTS General Training is intended for immigration and citizenship purposes, and the reading and writing tasks are more focused on everyday English usage.
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2. Get familiar with the test structure
The IELTS exam is divided into four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The test lasts about three hours in total, with the Speaking portion usually taking place on a separate day. Having an understanding of the sections in the IELTS gives you an area of focus as you get to understand how to channel your energy while teaching.
3. You can get the students to take the IELTS practice test
To ensure your students are catching up, you can ask them to take the IELTS practice test using verified IELTS study past questions. This gives them a practical view of what the team is like and the types of questions to expect. At the end of each practice test, you can score the students just as it appear on the IELTS score range
By doing so, students will focus on their weaknesses and improve on their strengths.
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4. Improvise practice opportunities
You don’t necessarily need an IELTS textbook to start helping students to prepare. You can begin by selecting materials or designing activities that correspond approximately to the tasks students will face in the test. Many of these are quite common tasks in EFL classrooms:
- Listen for information
- Read and comprehend lengthy magazine-type articles (IELTS Academic only)
- Read and comprehend simple written texts (IELTS General Training only)
- Write a short description of a diagram (IELTS Academic only)
- Answer personal questions in an interview
- Write a short informal letter (IELTS General Training only)
- Write a short essay
- Speak about a personal topic for 1-2 minutes
- State opinions on a variety of discussion topics
FAQs On How To Start IELTS Coaching Center
The major requirements for an IELTS coaching center are trained teaching staff, a spacious study environment, audio-visual equipment, strong marketing, and active management.
You can choose to take IELTS on a computer or paper for both the general training and academic tests. The test format, question types, time allocated to each test part, and content are the same for both IELTS on the computer and the paper test.
To become an online IELTS teacher, you should have a good grasp of the English language. You don’t need to be a native speaker, but training helps.
To become an IELTS coach, you need to satisfy the following:
A TEFL/TESOL qualification from a recognized institution (certificate level or above).
A degree in education (if supported by an undergraduate degree which includes studies focused on English Language).
Substantial relevant teaching experience, the majority of which must relate to adult students (16 years and over)
Conclusion
IELTS is a fast-growing test around the world, influenced by growth in international student mobility. Therefore, the idea of starting an IELTS coaching center will thrive if done well.
References
- ielts-academic.com – How to Teach IELTS: The Basics
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-become-online-ielts-teacher-karandeep-singh
