Niall Curry and Tony Clark - Best practices for exam preparation: Reflecting on the human learner

Research on exam preparation usually aims to prepare students technically for specific language exams. However, research on the psychological characteristics of learners and the role of concepts like emotions, beliefs and anxiety in exam preparation can offer distinct and valuable insights. This talk centres on IELTS exam takers in China, and demonstrates how equipping students technically may not help with issues of stress and anxiety. Based on a meta-analysis, we argue that teachers and students would als