AUS Achievement Academy selected to develop training materials for IELTS teachers

The American University of Sharjah Achievement Academy has been selected by the British Council to help develop training materials for International English Language Testing System (IELTS) teachers worldwide.

As part of this project, three representatives from the Achievement Academy (AA) attended the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Global Content Development Conference held in Edinburgh. Dr. Christine Grosse, Director of the Achievement Academy, and senior instructors Claire Murphy and Peter Bull flew to Scotland at the invitation of the British Council. During an intensive four days of meetings, presentations and seminars, the participants focused on the writing of materials and the standardization of content for an expansion of the global IELTS Master Trainer course.

"We feel honored to be chosen as the only external institution worldwide invited by the British Council to participate in this conference and in the ongoing project to develop definitive training materials for IELTS teachers around the world," said Dr. Grosse. "It is both a testament to the reputation of AUS and a solid vote of confidence in our future partnership," she added.

Over two million IELTS tests are taken annually, and as this number is projected increase substantially, there is a growing need to train teachers to deliver effective preparation courses. As senior partner in the delivery of IELTS exams and training, the British Council is working on a comprehensive, yet standardized, training package for teachers around the world. Over the coming months, the delegates from AUS will be working alongside colleagues from IELTS Canada to produce a new and improved version of the existing training course.