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Task Strategies Encourage students to read through each extract carefully, not forgetting the title, to get a general idea of the text type and meaning before looking at the options. Train students to think about the possible forms and meanings of the gapped words before looking at the options. Remind students to check the words around the gap carefully because the missing word must fit the whole context of the passage. Remind students to re-read the whole text once more to check that the completed sentences make sense in the passage as a whole. This is particularly important in the case of linkers.
Task Strategies Train students to read the title and the entire text to get an idea of the subject and style before answering the questions. This will help them to understand what the text is about, and make it easier for them to fill in the gaps. Emphasise that they should always keep in mind the meaning of the whole text when doing the task. Remind students that they should always read the complete sentence that contains the gap before deciding on their answer. Remind students to read the text again to check that their answers make sense. Remind students that they must only use one word to fill each gap. Remind students to answer all the questions. Tell students to copy their answers onto the answer sheet when they have completed all eight gaps.
Task Strategies Encourage students to pay attention to the title as it will indicate the main theme of the text. Encourage students to read through the text carefully before beginning to answer the questions so that they have a clear idea of what it is about. Encourage students to answer all the questions. Encourage students to write clearly and to check all spellings carefully. Train students to copy their answers carefully onto the answer sheet. Remind students to check they have recorded their answers on the answer sheet in the correct order.
Task strategies Train students to read the instructions carefully. Candidates must use the key word in their answer and they must not change it in any way. If they do not use it or if they alter it, they will not be awarded the marks. Remind students to pay careful attention to the frame for the answer. They should also take particular note of the words immediately before and after the gap. When they write their answers on the answer sheet, candidates should only write the words that are needed to fill the gap and not the whole sentence. Remind students to transfer their answers carefully to the answer sheet.
5 Train your students in the reading skills necessary for this part of the paper: understanding detail, opinion, attitude, tone, purpose, main idea and implication as well as text organisation features such as exemplification, comparison and reference. Students can also be encouraged to identify similar features in texts of their own choice, and to work in groups to prepare questions (not necessarily multiple choice) focusing on these features. Train students to read the text quickly for an initial impression followed by close reading of the text in order to prevent any misunderstandings which may lead them to choose a wrong answer. Students must be aware of the need to check each option against the evidence of the text. Train students not to see all multiple-choice questions as being the same but to identify the required reading skill behind the question, e.g. by reading the stem and the appropriate section of the text, they should be able to identify whether they are reading to find someones feeling, the main idea or a detail. This determines whether they should skim a section of the text or scan it. Point out that if there is a question which tests understanding of the whole text, it will be the final one. Train students to consider them individually and to justify their choice of answer by underlining the section of the text where they find the answer. Ask students to say why wrong answers are wrong. The texts in this part often contain complex ideas. Encourage classroom discussion both before and after reading and ask students to justify their answers to the rest of the class. This makes students refer to the text and to locate the answer rather than just choosing an answer which might reflect their own opinion Students will find it helpful to analyse and discuss structural/ organisational features of texts, at paragraph level and beyond. For example, there may be a question which tests the ability to recognise a main idea and an example of it, or one which involves comparing or contrasting ideas or examples.
Task Strategies Encourage students to read the text twice before attempting any questions, first to skim it for a general understanding and then to read it for a more detailed understanding. Encourage students to read the stem of the question first and locate the relevant section of the text. They should then read the options carefully and consider each one individually before choosing the answer. Remind students that the stem in a multiple-choice question is very important and that the four options can only be considered in light of a clear understanding of the stem.
6 Remind students that in multiple-choice questions they need to consider and eliminate distractors as well as selecting the correct answer. It is important to be able to justify why a distractor or wrong answer is wrong.
Task Strategies
Encourage students to read through the whole text first. Encourage students to read more than just the paragraph before or after the gap when placing paragraphs in texts. It is important that they understand the development of ideas, opinions and events within the text as a whole, rather than the superficial recognition of individual words. Encourage students to place paragraphs provisionally, to avoid the danger of 'squeezing' later paragraphs into gaps they don't belong in. Remind students that they should use each paragraph once and that there is an extra paragraph which doesnt fit at all. Warn students of the dangers of merely matching words in the extracts with sections of the text containing the same words, names and dates, etc. After placing all the paragraphs, students should check the overall consistency of the text and that the extra paragraph doesn't fit anywhere.
8 Task Strategies Train students to think about possible paraphrasing of the language in the questions and to underline key points in the questions. Remind students to avoid choosing an answer just because it matches a word in the question. It is unlikely that a match will be based only on this. Remind students to check that questions with more than one idea in them match a text with the same two ideas. Sometimes, one of the ideas in the question might appear in several of the texts, but without the second idea also present. Train students to underline the sections of the texts where they find a match to a question. This will help them to eliminate texts, or sections of text more quickly.
9 Make sure students are aware of paragraphing and that they should develop each point they want to make in a separate paragraph. Make sure that when students are planning to do two writing tasks, they need to balance their answers so that one part does not dominate at the expense of the other. Provide practice in using a range of cohesive devices so that they can use a variety of linking words and phrases to ensure that the flow of ideas in their writing is logical and is easy for the reader to follow. This is assessed in the marking of the Writing test. Encourage students to use a range of complex language. If in doing so they make mistakes, this enables you to target lessons on areas of the language which they need to improve. Encourage students to use a range of vocabulary. Practice of synonyms and paraphrasing is very useful. Remind your students that correct spelling and punctuation are important. If spelling errors or faulty punctuation impede communication, then this will be reflected in the mark awarded. Both British and American spelling and usage are acceptable. Remind your students that correct spelling and punctuation are important. If spelling errors or faulty punctuation impede communication, then this will be reflected in the mark awarded. Both British and American spelling and useage are acceptable. Make sure students have practice in writing without dictionaries as these are not allowed in the Cambridge English: Proficiency exam. Use a variety of assessment techniques, for example, sometimes focusing on particular structural areas and at other times looking at the development of the argument in a whole text. Ask students to write a diary in English if they wish. Read but don't correct it, offering comments if the author asks for them. This helps the students develop their own personal style and 'voice'. Incorporate checking and editing into all writing work you do, so that students get used to reviewing their work as a matter of course. Encourage students to assess each others' work before you see it in order to gain exposure to other ways of approaching a task and to develop a critical faculty which they can apply to their own writing. Familiarity with the assessment criteria can be another useful part of preparation. The General Mark Scheme gives information about the linguistic aspects that examiners will consider, including range of vocabulary and expression, collocation, variety of structure, organisation and cohesion, register and format; the Task Specific Mark Schemes in the Cambridge English: Proficiency Handbook also show examples of what is required of specific tasks in terms of content and target reader. Task Strategies Train students to read the questions carefully and to underline the key words or phrases. They should identify, before they begin to plan their answers, what they hope to achieve through
10 writing (the purpose of the task), to whom they are writing (the target reader) and their role as writer. Encourage students to plan their answers so that they address all the points in the question. Remind students that the time, 2 hour 30 minutes, is designed to be sufficient for students to make brief plans, write two answers and to make any corrections clearlyRemind students that the time, 1 hour 30 minutes, is designed to be sufficient for students to make brief plans, write two answers and to make any corrections clearly. Ask students to check that any corrections they have made are clear to the examiner. Remind students that they should plan the time they spend on each question carefully. Warn students against counting words; it wastes a lot of time. By practising writing within the range of words, students recognise when they have written enough in their handwriting. Train students to read through their answers on completion to check for possible errors and omissions.
Writing Part 1
Classroom Preparation Remind students that Part 1 of the Writing test is always an essay. Point out to students the importance of reading the input carefully and of identifying the main points which need to be included. Remind students that the object is not merely to restate the input, but to summarise and develop the key points, evaluate the abstract arguments involved and integrate them into a piece of coherent, discursive writing. A successful answer should also refer to the writers own ideas and opinions. Remind students that they may use key words from the question, but must avoid lifting whole segments of the input. No credit will be given for language or ideas that have not been appropriately expanded on or integrated into their writing. Because of the discursive focus of this part of the paper, students need to be equipped to discuss a range of topics. Reading and discussing articles in English on a variety of issues will help them to develop their ideas and extend their vocabulary in order to cover the points raised in the questions. Task Strategies Train your students to read all the instructions, and both input texts, first and to think carefully about what the key points are.
11 Train students to read the questions carefully and to underline the key words or phrases. Encourage students to plan their answers so that they address all the points in the question. Remind students to check their answers at the end for any errors or omissions.
Writing Part 2
Classroom Preparation Make sure that your students familiarise themselves with the characteristics of the different task types that appear on the paper, and that they are confident that they know the differences between them. Since not all task types appear on every paper, it is important for them to have experience of writing all the different types. As there is considerable choice on this part of the paper advise your students to choose task types and topics that appeal to their interests and personal experience. They should also consider which register, functions, grammatical structures and vocabulary are required by each task. They can then select the task which they feel they can complete most successfully. Make sure students learn to read each question carefully as it identifies the context, the writers role and the target reader, which helps the candidate to choose the appropriate register. Candidates who do not read a question carefully enough may seize on a familiar topic and start the task before they have identified exactly what is required. There are always at least two, if not three, elements in Part 2 questions, and only candidates who produce an answer dealing adequately with all elements of the question can expect to gain a higher mark. Provide practice of language functions, for example the language of persuasion, description, recommendation, comparison, as these are needed for many of the task types. Students need to be familiar with the grammatical structures and vocabulary relevant to the required functions and know how to express levels of formality. Reading extensively will help students develop their writing. The option of writing about one of the set books in Question 5 offers the opportunity to encourage more extensive reading. Using film versions of set books, where available, is another way of incorporating them into a course.
Task Strategies Remind students to select the task carefully. They should choose a task and topic that they are familiar with. Train your students to read all the instructions and input in the task first and to think carefully about what their role is and what the purpose of the task is. Who are they writing to and why? What are they trying to achieve in the task? MAPS International High, Male, Republic of Maldives
12 Remind students to start the task only when they have identified exactly what is required. It is always the case that there are at least two parts to these questions, and only candidates who produce a balanced answer dealing adequately with all parts of the question can expect to gain a mark in the higher bands. Encourage students to plan their answers so that they answer the task set. Train students to use a format appropriate to the task type. This may include the use of organisational features such as section headings in reports and proposals. Remind students not to attempt the set text question (Question 5) unless they are familiar with one of the texts. Remind students to check their answers at the end for any errors or omissions.
Task Strategies Candidates should listen to and read the rubric to make sure they understand what they are listening for and what they have to do.
13 Candidates should follow the questions through as they listen to a text, so that they can locate the answer to each question. Candidates should think about the topic, the speaker(s) and the context as they read the questions. This will help them when they listen. Candidates should concentrate on understanding what speakers say, and listen for both stated and implied attitudes or opinions. Candidates should answer the questions on the question paper at first. There is time to transfer answers to the answer sheet at the end of the test, when more care can be taken. Candidates should use the second listening to check their ideas from the first listening. Answer all the questions even if candidates are not sure, they have probably understood more than they think. Remind candidates to copy answers accurately onto the answer sheet. Candidates should avoid thinking about questions from one part of the Listening test when the next part starts. Candidates shouldnt choose an answer too soon.
Listening - Part 1
Classroom Preparation Make sure students practise listening to a range of short extracts of speech and concentrating on the main points of what they hear, as well as predicting the purpose of the text and the attitudes and opinions expressed. Working with the audioscript, marking where the correct answer is located and then discussing why they made this choice, can help candidates gain confidence in their listening skills and greater insight into the way the tasks are constructed. This could then be followed by discussion of the reasons for the distractors being wrong. Task strategies Train students to use the time allowed before hearing each recording to read through all the questions carefully and think about the type of answer thats required. Candidates should be very wary of choosing an answer just because it contains a word or phrase which they hear on the recording. They should listen to the whole text carefully and then choose the answer. Similarly, they should not answer the question too soon, and perhaps jump to the wrong conclusion. Candidates should use the second listening to check their ideas from the first listening.
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Listening - Part 2
Classroom Preparation Tasks such as gap-filling exercises, which focus on retrieving facts from an informative text, will prepare students for this part. Candidates need to get into the habit of reading what is before and after the gap in the sentence, so that they do not attempt to repeat information which is already in the sentence, and to check that what they have written fits into the grammatical structure of the sentence. Candidates should be discouraged from attempting to write long or complicated answers. The size of the boxes on the question paper and answer sheet should serve to remind candidates about the relatively short length of expected responses. Exercises where students predict information can be useful preparation.
Task Strategies Candidates should use the time allowed to read the questions carefully, underlining key words or expressions. Candidates should write the actual word or words they hear. Candidates should check the spelling of answers in Part 2 before transferring them to the answer sheet. Remind students that they should write their answers clearly when they copy them onto the answer sheet, using capital letters.
Listening - Part 3
Classroom Preparation Encourage students to focus first on the question and not the options. This enables them to concentrate on the focus of the question and really listen to what the speaker says about this point. Students should listen carefully to locate where the answer to the question lies. During practice tests, you could ask students to raise their hands when they hear the cue (the first reference) for the next question. Summarising what the speaker(s) say is valuable practice for this part.
15 It is useful for students to work with texts where opinions are stated indirectly rather than directly and to practise listening between the lines. If the answer to a question cannot be heard during the first listening, encourage students to mentally leave that point and refocus on the next question. The second listening allows students the opportunity to finalise their answers.
Task Strategies Candidates should use the time allowed to read the questions carefully, underlining key words or expressions. Candidates should think about the topic, the speaker(s) and the context as they read the questions. This will help them when they listen. Candidates should concentrate on understanding what speakers say, and listen for both stated and implied attitudes or opinions. Candidates should not choose an answer too soon. Candidates should use the second listening to check their ideas from the first listening. Candidates should answer all the questions.
Listening - Part 4
Classroom Preparation Make sure students are thoroughly familiar with the organisation of the task and what is required of them. Remind students that they will hear five different speakers, but that the texts have a thematic link. In this part of the test, the whole series of texts is heard once and then the whole series is repeated. There is not a new series of speakers for the second set of questions. Remind students that they must answer both tasks and that they will only hear the series of monologues twice. They can choose how they approach the tasks: approaching both tasks simultaneously, or answering the most accessible questions on the first listening and the more challenging questions when the recording is repeated, or attempting one task on each listening. Research has shown that different candidates approach this task in different ways, with equal success, so avoid imposing one particular strategy on them. Classroom activities could focus on helping students identify the best method of approaching this task for them.
16 Encourage students to think about the theme of the texts and to think about the kinds of attitudes and ideas that they expect to hear in connection with the topic in question. Remind students that they will be listening for gist meaning in these texts. Activities which require students to pick out a speakers main point, feeling, attitude or opinion are very useful.
Task Strategies Candidates should use the time allowed to read the questions carefully, underlining key words or expressions. Candidates should think about the topic, the speaker(s) and the context as they read the questions. This will help them when they listen. Candidates should concentrate on understanding what speakers say, and listen for each speakers main point, feeling, attitude or opinion, depending on the task. Candidates should not choose an answer too soon. Candidates should be careful not to choose the same answer twice. Candidates should answer all the questions, even if they are unsure of the correct answer.
17 Familiarise yourself and your students with the assessment criteria, and assess your students speaking with each of them. Students can also evaluate each other in discourse management and interactive communication, as this can help to develop their own skills and awareness.
Task Strategies Encourage candidates to work with their partner in Part 2 and in the general discussion after the long turns in Part 3, i.e. follow up, expand, question, agree, disagree, comment. Avoid always being the first to answer the examiners questions. Candidates should allow/invite their partner to contribute. In order to make a fair and accurate assessment of candidates performance, the examiners must be given a reasonable amount of language to assess. Remind students it is their responsibility to give a good account of themselves. Remind students that they can ask for clarification of instructions before they begin a task. In some centres, candidates from the same school are paired together. However, where candidates from a number of different schools are entered at the same centre, some candidates may find that they are paired with a candidate from another school. Students should check with the centre through which they are entering for the local procedure.
Speaking - Part 1
Classroom Preparation Give students plenty of practice talking about their everyday life, work experience, interests, travel, etc. Examiners will ask candidates questions on these topics. Candidates will also have the opportunity to express what they think in some of their answers. Encourage students to respond promptly to the questions Discourage students from preparing rehearsed speeches, as these answers are likely to be overlong, unnatural and inappropriate. Give students practice with a variety of questions; some of which require general information about themselves and which can be answered quite briefly and others which demand a more extended response. If possible, encourage students to socialise with others in an English-speaking environment. Students can practise interviewing each other using questions similar to those in the sample task in the Handbook.
18 Task Strategies Candidates should practise speaking in English just before the test. Encourage candidates to have a positive attitude in the test in order to create a good impression with the examiners. Students should answer the questions asked and be prepared to expand their answers. Candidates shouldnt worry about the time; the interlocutor will move the test on to the next question when necessary. If possible, candidates should give examples to support their views. Encourage candidates to speak naturally, in a neutral register.
Speaking - Part 2
Classroom Preparation Teach your students to listen carefully to the instructions and to carry them out. Students should be aware that their response to the first 1-minute focus question that accompanies the visuals sheet needs to go beyond the level of pure description and contain a speculative element. Train your students to take notice of the title on the visuals sheet. First of all, it is very useful in helping them remember the examiners instructions. Secondly, information given in the title about the context or audience (e.g. visitors to a library exhibition) will help students to keep their discussion focused, and to ensure that the outcome is appropriate. It is very important that the students interact with each other in this task. All classroom discussion in pairs and small groups provides excellent preparation. Students should know how to make positive contributions to move a discussion forward, and show a willingness to take turns, inviting others to speak, listening and responding, as well as initiating discussion themselves. Encourage students to be good listeners. They should be able to pick up on their partners points. Set up classroom activities that allow students to express their reactions to and opinions about pictures. Encourage students to discuss the messages portrayed in visuals. Choose two or three thematically linked pictures from your coursebook, or cut them out of a magazine (or get students to bring some into class); ask students to talk about the aspects of the theme that the pictures illustrate.
19 Equip students with the functional language needed to manage a discussion, i.e. how to move forward, re-direct if necessary, manage the conclusion, etc. Task Strategies Remind candidates to use the title on the visuals sheet to keep focused on the topic. Remind candidates to talk about the issues/aspects behind the visuals. Encourage candidates to avoid dominating the action in Part 2, or the general discussion after the long turns. They should be a listener as well as a speaker. Candidates should avoid rushing to make a decision without having first discussed all the options.
Speaking - Part 3
Classroom Preparation Brainstorming activities in class will give students practice in getting ideas quickly. After the question on the card, there are three bulleted points; these are ideas which support the question. Remind students that they do not need to use these points if they dont want to. As a classroom activity, remove the bullet points. This focuses the students attention on the main question. Encourage students to focus on structuring extended contributions, for example by using linking, counter-argument and summing up. Provide students with the appropriate language tools for these skills. Make sure students have a good range of discourse markers, such as, 'firstly', 'moreover', and 'finally', that they can use to guide themselves and the listener through their long turn. In order to give students practice in getting the feel of how long 2 minutes is, put students in pairs one as a speaker and one as a time-keeper. In the discussion that follows the long turns, the interlocutor will ask questions addressed to both candidates. He/she might not use the candidates names so students must be prepared to take it in turns to be the initial responder and the one who reacts to that response. In class, make sure paired students get practice in being both the first speaker to react to a question, and the second. Remind your students that this is not a test of knowledge. It is quite acceptable to admit to not knowing much about a particular topic, but this should be followed by some sort of opinion in order to provide a large enough sample of language for assessment.
20 After your students have both done their long turns, read them the rubric that introduces the discussion phase (Now, to finish the test, were going to talk about in general). Ask pairs of students to write five or six discussion questions on the topic. These sets can be exchanged within the class and discussed. Task Strategies Remind students they can allow themselves up to 10 seconds before they need to speak. Some students find it helpful to read the question out loud as a way of getting started. Remind candidates to stay focused on the main question on the card in Part 3. Candidates should be prepared to speak for 2 minutes in Part 3. Candidates should listen to what their partner is saying during his/her 2-minute turn so they can comment afterwards. Candidates should not start answering their partners long turn question when invited to comment by the examiner. Their remarks should be comments, additions, etc. Candidates should not speak during their partners 2-minute long turn. Candidates should use (but not overuse) their personal experience to back up some of their points in their long turn.