IELTS as an indicator of written proficiency levels: A study of student teachers at the National Institute of Education, Singapore

•205 student teachers’ English language proficiency was examined using the IELTS.•Writing scores were weak as compared to listening, reading and speaking.•It is crucial to equip pre-service teachers with the needed language proficiency.•Key directions to raise language proficiency were discussed.

A quantitative study that examined the communicative proficiency of graduating secondary student teachers at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore was commissioned in April 2009. While the main study covers a much wider scope, this paper discusses and presents the data of the writing component of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This study considers the writing proficiency levels of graduating teachers as measured by their IELTS writing scores. Specifically, the paper addresses the following research questions:•What is the English language written proficiency level of graduating teachers as measured by their IELTS writing scores?•What can the scores tell us about baseline levels of a pre-service teacher education programme that prepares teachers to use English as the medium of instruction?Teachers are facilitators of student learning and co-creators of productive classroom environments in which students can develop the skills they will need to function in the global workplace. To gain a more accurate language profile of student teachers, student teachers from the 1-year Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) pre-service teacher preparation programme were invited to participate in the study.The IELTS exam consists of 4 components: listening, speaking, reading and writing and the students in this study scored lowest on the writing section. Measures are recommended to further develop this important skill. This study emphasizes the need to improve communication skills of pre-service teachers to be effective in their professional environment and to serve as good role models in schools.