Dreaming and Living the Globalized World Through IELTS: A Case Study of Bangladeshi Test‐Takers

ABSTRACT

This case study investigated the lived experiences of 10 IELTS test‐takers from Bangladesh. It explored their motivations for taking the test as well as their test experiences during and after the test. It demonstrates how the participants sought to position themselves in the imagined community through renegotiating their identities to climb up the ladder of success through higher studies by taking IELTS. However, not all participants’ dreams to live in a globalized world could come true either due to visa rejection or refusal of admission from universities. The study also reveals challenges that these test‐takers faced during the test because it was unrelated to their education system, raising questions around whether tests can be distanced from test‐takers’ lives and realities. This study argues for a global test that not only measures English proficiency authentically but also aligns with the education system that test‐takers are familiar with.