The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a test that measures the language proficiency of people who want to study or work in environments where English is used as a language of communication. An easy-to-use 9-band scale clearly identifies proficiency level, from non-user (band score 1) through to expert (band score 9). Very few students can get band score 9.0 or 8.5. This year, our student Liu Siyu obtains 8.5 in IELTS, and this score includes 9.0 in both reading and listening test. It is believed that this is the highest mark achieved by students of Xiamen University.

Liu Siyu, who comes from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is the third year student. She majored in Global Trade and Business of HND Program in our college. When she is asked why she can get such a good score, she said that the reasons were the free academic environment, great language phenomenon and the qualified faculty of the International College.

The college has set some encouraging regulations for the students. For example, if the freshman obtains band score 6.0, then he or she can apply for other courses and don’t need to attend the English courses in the first year, which means this could make these students have more time to improve their English to a higher level instead of not learning English. Furthermore, every week the teachers have at least twice office hours and students can go to the office to ask their teachers questions face to face. As for the great language phenomenon, this the significant advantage of our college. For the students in the International College is easily to learn and live with the students in Overseas Education College, who come more than 100 countries all over the world. The college always organizes various activities between the students of two colleges, which provide a good platform to make the students communicate with different students throughout the world so that our students could learn language and foreign cultures in a better way. About the faculty of the college, 90% of them graduate from some well-known overseas university. Four teachers of them have been as the examiners of IELTS.

Here is some Liu’s experience to share with students.

To set clear learning goals and be brave to challenge oneself

Liu Siyu said she had a dream that she could contribute herself to the whole society and have a positive influence on it. To realize her dream, she obtained band score 6.0 of IELTS in the first year study at college. Otherwise, she taught herself other foreign languages, such as French and Indonesian. She also recommended us TED activities. Students might go to their website to watch a wide range of videos and be sure to acquire a lot from their speeches. About all, Liu said a large number of famous experts, scholars and successful people domestic or overseas were invited to the university to give lectures. Students are easily to get the chance to talk with them face to face.

To attach importance to the major and application

As a student of HND program, Liu Siyu learns the importance of the knowledge and the practice in the society. Her great effort makes her to learn finance and family enterprise management as an exchange student in The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Liu also shared her experience as a marketing assistant in a consult company.

To be enthusiastic about social public welfare

Talking about doing voluntary work in Indonesia between January and March this year, Liu said that this was the most important volunteer experience. She went into the slums to be a teacher and visited 60 families there, seeing the hardship and bad situation. Furthermore, she launched a series of campaigns of helping the poor and organized 30 teachers and 10 foreign volunteers to make postcards for donations to the charity. This campaign collected 1,400,000 rupees altogether and attracted the focus from local media.

Liu Siyu joined French-International Association of Students in Economics and Commerce (AIESEC), the significant student organization in the world. In AIESEC, she led a team of 20 members to contribute to developing voluntary work. From this experience, she obtained a lot.

At the end of the interview, we get the news that as the distinguished student of our college, Liu Siyu will go to attend Red Star award ceremony hosted by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange and Scottish Qualifications Authority at the end of June this year. Congratulations to her, again. We hope she will live a more wonderful life in the future.