British council reaches out to partners at IELTS stakeholders' meeting in Qatar

Doha, 4^th of November 2013

The British Council Qatar brought together more than 60 of its partners from schools, colleges and organisations from the public and private sectors recently at an IELTS stakeholder event. IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, is the world's most popular English language test for higher education and emigration.

Held at La Cigale Hotel, the IELTS Stakeholders' Event was the first of its kind in Qatar. During the event, the British Council introduced a number of support programmes and individual training courses for students and their teachers, designed to assist in preparation for the test.

One of the highlights was the launch of the IELTS Ambassador Programme in Qatar. Through this initiative, 10 carefully selected ambassadors, based at a number of key schools, colleges and universities across Qatar, will act as guides to students considering IELTS, giving advice on registration, procedures, preparation and also the numerous benefits that IELTS presents as a language proficiency test. At the event British Council announced, IELTS Train the Trainer programme specifically for the ambassadors.

Martin Hope, Country Director, British Council Qatar said "This event is an excellent opportunity to share information about the International English Language Testing System with representatives from schools, universities and corporate organisations in Qatar. The British Council is committed to increasing the level of support we offer teachers and educators who are helping students prepare for this examination. Today's meeting provides our stakeholders with the opportunity to join an elite group of IELTS representatives who interact with the student community."

Deputy Regional Examinations Manager MENA (South), Mr Dhiraj Gurung added "At the British Council we value the partnerships we have with schools, colleges, institutions and corporations using the International English Language Testing System. This stakeholders' meeting provides a great platform for everyone attending to share their experiences and their best practices. This is the first time we have organised an event of this nature and we are committed to providing similar opportunities such as this one to our stakeholders. This forum takes us a step further towards improving the IELTS journey of thousands of students and professionals in Qatar."

-Ends-

The British Council is the UK's international organisation for education and cultural relations. Dedicated to building trust through the exchange of knowledge between people worldwide, the British Council is represented in 107 countries.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
IELTS is the International English Language Testing System, the world's most popular high stakes English language test. 8,000 organisations recognise IELTS as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true to life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL).

About the test
Candidates are tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking. All tests are scored on a banded system from 1 (the lowest) through to 9 (the highest possible band score).

IELTS offers a choice of two versions, to serve both academic and non-academic purposes. IELTS Academic measures English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher learning environment. The tasks and texts are accessible to all test-takers, irrespective of their subject focus. IELTS General Training measures English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context. The tasks and texts reflect both workplace and social situations. General Training is suitable for immigration purposes to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

A sample of government and professional associations who recognise or require applicants to hold an IELTS test result include:

· Citizenship and Immigration Canada

· Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

· UK Home Office - Border Agency

· New Zealand Immigration Service

· Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), USA

· International Monetary Fund