RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS

WITH LIMITED TIME

Rahima. Given her current level (Pre-Intermediate and above), she must study 2 to 3 hours
daily over the next three months to meet the CEFR framework recommendations. This equates
to 14–21 hours of study per week. Currently, we have 5 hours of lessons weekly, supplemented
by 2 hours of passive practice, which amounts to only half of the recommended study time.

Her lack of engagement in homework (HW) practice, particularly in grammar, is concerning. She
does not read the rules or refer to the examples provided, and her HW performance over the
past month has shown no improvement. Therefore, relying on HW practice alone is
unproductive and risky, as it is unlikely to yield meaningful results without a change in her
approach.

When preparing for IELTS, students should not be learning grammar from scratch. However, her
understanding of grammar is minimal—partly due to the limitations of CELT’s textbooks—which
makes progress more challenging. To address this, we must focus on targeted grammar
practice during lessons while working on IELTS modules.

In terms of vocabulary, she must learn the words in the textbooks and specific vocabulary lists.
Unfortunately, as with grammar, her progress in vocabulary acquisition has been limited. This
suggests that additional support and accommodations are necessary in this area.

Her father must be consulted to determine whether university lessons consume the amount of
time she claims. If confirmed, we can create a study schedule that balances her university
commitments with her IELTS preparation.

The proposed practice schedule is as follows:

This schedule adds up to 17 hours of total study time, including HW practice and official lesson
hours. Additionally, there is one day left for self-study.
During these sessions, we will prioritize Reading, Listening, and Writing modules, while
Speaking practice will be conducted with Mike.

Rafiq. Another student whose homework (HW) practice results do not align with their
performance in extra practice sessions. We are focusing exclusively on SAT Math with him, and
while completing the entire syllabus in just three months is an achievement, his progress is not
fully reflecting his potential. After finishing the topics, he scored 590, significantly improving from
his initial mock exam score of 380. However, his potential is above 700.

Despite many hours of practice, there is a clear need for more targeted preparation. I have
created a document to compile his conceptual mistakes, which require discussion.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we are unable to address these issues thoroughly. During
lessons, we focus on evaluating HW; if time permits, we review additional practice questions.
Even with an extra official study hour, there is still insufficient time to cover everything. The
following pictures illustrate the situation:

All these papers, solved as part of passive practice, require review. However, we cannot do so
because we must also discuss both HW and specific questions, leaving no time for a detailed
analysis. Additionally, the student does not work on addressing their weaknesses at home.

The only way to cover these issues would be to add one-on-one official practice hours.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely, as we expect new students in January, further limiting our
availability. This underscores the necessity of hiring a second teacher, as mentioned in a
previous report. Similar cases occurred with Javad and Ilkin. Despite consistent reporting and
informing the parents, the students were not completing their HW effectively, ultimately leading
to suboptimal results.
Afat. To increase her score by 300 points, she must engage in more than 10 hours of practice.
Currently, we have only 4 hours of lesson time available. Due to her college commitments,
allocating additional practice hours is impossible. Moreover, she does not complete her
homework effectively, particularly struggling to learn the grammar rules specific to the Digital
SAT—an issue commonly observed among SAT students.

The situation is further complicated because lessons are conducted online from a different
country with a 4-hour time difference. Additionally, her foundational math knowledge is so weak
that it aligns with the Pre-SAT level. She requires extra practice hours, which can only be
scheduled after 7:00 PM Baku time.

As a result, her case is currently at an impasse. Without resolving these challenges, the
intended score improvement is unlikely.

Umut. Although he does not do his study abroad with us, Umut is another SAT student with
whom we have lessons. His case is particularly important due to his weak academic foundation.
As I mentioned in a previous report, the pre-academic materials provided to him were not
appropriately chosen. However, this issue must be revisited to avoid similar consequences in
the future. Students preparing for the SAT should not be assigned Speakout books, as these
include unrelated modules such as Listening and Speaking, which are irrelevant to SAT
preparation.

For students with only one year or less to prepare, it is crucial to use pre-academic textbooks
like English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Over the past two years, all the students I have
worked with had minimal vocabulary knowledge, primarily due to low exposure to textbooks like
Speakout and English File. This lack of vocabulary depth creates challenges in the IELTS
Writing and SAT Reading sections, as it consumes extra time and makes it harder for students
to acquire the necessary knowledge within a short timeframe.

In Umut’s case, we have not started the Verbal section because he is still completing his
General English lessons. His vocabulary is also weak, partly for the reasons mentioned earlier.
This is a significant issue, considering he has been with us for over a year, yet no steps have
been taken to address this gap.

Compared to other students, Umut completes his homework independently, without relying on
third-party assistance. However, his math skills are weak and require additional practice. I have
added two hours of passive practice to his schedule, but his time is limited due to a demanding
school schedule. More adjustments need to be made to create room for practice. Once he
begins the Verbal section, achieving satisfactory progress will be even more challenging.

Intervention must occur as early as 9th or 10th grade to produce the desired outcomes for
students like Umut. We must create informational videos for parents to address this issue,
something we have not done before.