INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH TESTS: TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Planning to study abroad and looking to improve your English language proficiency test scores? Many students aiming for international opportunities face the challenge of performing well on standardized English tests such as the IELTS. Recognizing this need, the English Co-Curricular Activities Committee  (ECAC) of the English Language Centre (ELC) , with the facilitation of ELC Visiting Instructor, Mr. Matthew Lambert, organized an insightful and highly practical workshop on April 9th, 2025, dedicated to helping students boost their test performance through expert guidance and hands-on practice.

This workshop served as an excellent opportunity for University of Macau students who are preparing to take the IELTS test for a variety of purposes. Whether it is for a student exchange program, a master’s degree, or an internship abroad, achieving a high score in the test is often a key requirement. The ECAC aimed to support students on this journey by providing direct access to an extensive experience of Mr. Lambert, who guided them through every stage of the test.

The session began with a detailed explanation of the test format, including the four key components: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Mr. Lambert offered valuable advice on how to manage time effectively during the test and emphasized common pitfalls students should avoid. Special attention was given to timing strategies, answer structure, and methods for refining responses to achieve higher scores.

To reinforce the tips shared, the workshop also included practical exercises. Students received practice sheets that replicated actual test questions – particularly those in the listening section. This allowed participants to experience the test environment in a simulated but supportive setting, helping them gain confidence and a clearer understanding of what to expect.

Throughout the workshop, students showed great enthusiasm and active participation. Most of the attendees were planning to take the IELTS in the near future, so they took the opportunity seriously, engaging fully in each mock practice. One of the highlights of the workshop was that it not only allowed students to sharpen their existing skills but also introduced them to new techniques they had never considered before. Many students expressed how useful the session was in helping them prepare the international language tests more effectively.

At the end of the workshop, Mr. Lambert welcomed individual questions from participants. This one-on-one interaction gave students the chance to address their specific concerns, receive personalized feedback, and clarify any doubts they had about the exam process.

(Written by Cinthia Anette Jaramillo Vera, ECAC Student Ambassador)

Did you know that the meaning behind the expression “Goodbye” is “God be with you”? It must be one of the most surprising trivia tidbits brought to us in the latest workshop by the English Co-Curricular Activities Committee (ECAC), “American Ways 2”.

Like last year’s workshop, Mr. Ricardo Ribeiro led us into a deeper look at American social norms, traditions and behaviors via fun and engaging activities. The workshop began with a warm-up activity in which participants formed two circles.  They were asked to pass a soft ball within their group and the person with the ball would say one thing they know about America.  Afterwards, Mr. Ribeiro shared a story about a flock of geese flying in a formation with a little goose straying from the flock and ended up being hunted by a hawk. With this story, Mr. Ribeiro introduced the highlight of the workshop: the characteristics of individualism and collectivism cultures, the two beliefs that characterize the culture of America and China respectively.

Throughout the workshop, Mr. Ribeiro introduced phrases such as “people adhere to tradition” and “people believe that conflict clears the air”.  He asked the participants to interpret the phrases and state whether they reflect an individualistic or a collectivistic culture.  In between sections, trivia questions about the USA were asked as a game for the participants.  A token was given to the team for each correct answer. The winning team collected more than 11 tokens in the entire game!

After the games, Mr. Ribeiro showed two different versions of a TV commercial of a popular soft drink.  The first commercial, which was shown in the US, had an individualist theme.  The second commercial, which was shown in China, had a collectivist theme. This highlighted the importance and significance of the individualist and collectivist ideologies, and how they influence the business world.

Before the end of the workshop, Mr. Ribeiro invited the students to think of a new ending for the ‘geese’ story that he shared at the start of the workshop.  He removed the hawk from the narrative and asked them to come up with a different ending.  The groups presented creative twists and new perspectives to the story, and ended it with happy endings!

The workshop was very interesting, thought-provoking and exciting. It did not only broaden students’ horizons about the US and the American culture, it also helped analyze the contrast between the American and the Chinese cultures in a vivid and engaging way.

Stay tuned for the upcoming announcement about the next ECAC workshop taking place in April. Until then, God be with you!

(Written by Mr. Alan Chan, ELC Instructor)