The table below shows the number of students living in the UK gaining English language teacher training qualifications in 2007/8 and 2008/9, and the proportion of male qualifiers.
Sample Response
This report summarises information on the total number of students in the United Kingdom who gained English language teaching qualificationsqualifications for English Language Teachers in two academic years, 2007/8 and 2008/9, with a specific focuswith specific focus on the proportionnumber of male qualifiers.
In both years, the total number of students remained almost unchangedtotal numbers of students remained the same, but there was a large disparity between the numbersgreat difference between the numbers of male and female students who qualified. In 2007/8, out of a total of 32,930 students, only 24.7% were male. The proportion of qualifiers who were male in 2008/9percentage of males who qualified in 2008/9 was even lower. Out of a total of 32,945 students, only 22.7% were maleonly 22.7% of them were male. This is a drop of 2 percentage pointsa drop of 2%.
There was also a clear contrastThere was also a large difference in the types of qualifications that students obtainedqualifications that students studied for. Most students qualified with a TEFL certificate; this was true for male students. The number of students who obtained a TEFL certificatestudents who qualified with the TEFL was roughly three times the number who qualified with a Cambridge UCLES CELTA certificate or another degreewith a Cambridge UCLES CELTA or other degrees, although the total number of students qualifying with the TEFL dropped slightly, from 25,446 in 2007/8 to 24,917 in 2008/9a year later. There was a drop of 0.7 percentage pointsa drop of 0.7% in the proportion of TEFL qualifiers who were malenumber of male students who gained this qualification.
In general it can be seen that the number of males qualifying as English language teachers is vastly outnumbered by females and that the proportion of male qualifiers is gradually dropping.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response gives a clear, well-organised account with accurate headline figures and a useful overview of the gender imbalance and declining male proportion. Its main limitation is selective coverage: it says little about changes in the Cambridge UCLES CELTA and other degrees category and slightly overstates the stability of the total. Prioritise a fuller comparison of both qualification groups, including their contrasting changes.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
A clear overview and accurate main figures address the task well, although one qualification category is underdeveloped.
Compare the increase in Cambridge UCLES CELTA and other degrees with the slight TEFL decline, using both totals and male proportions.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically through totals, gender differences, qualification types, and a concluding overview.
Make the final paragraph a concise synthesis rather than repeating a trend already established in the detail.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, with appropriate language for proportions, qualification types, and change.
Replace slightly imprecise phrases such as totals being the same with language that reflects their near stability.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of sentence structures is used with strong control and only minor awkwardness.
Refine noun phrases and comparison structures so formulations such as qualifications for English Language Teachers sound fully natural.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The table below shows the number of students living in the UK gaining English language teacher training qualifications in 2007/8 and 2008/9, and the proportion of male qualifiers.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.