Transcript the EXAMS
Preparing for international exams Higor Cavalcante DISAL Auditorium February 18th, 2011 the EXAMS How much do you know? IELTS TOEFL KET PET FCE CAE CPE TKT CELTA CELTYL ICELT DELTA International English Testing System Test of English as a Foreign Language Key English Test Preliminary English Test First Certificate in English Certificate of Advanced English Certificate of Proficiency in English Teaching Knowledge Test Certificate in ELT to Adults Certificate in ELT to Young Learners In-service Certificate in ELT Diploma in ELT to Adults The Cambridge Main Suite and the CEF KET (A2) PET (B1) FCE (B2) CAE (C1) CPE (C2) The Cambridge Teaching Awards (and equivalents) TKT CELTA ICELT - TrinityCert – TrinityCert DELTA – TrinityDip (Master’s UK) preparing for language EXAMS Without a course Reading vastly and variedly is the most important thing one must do when preparing for an international examination. Discuss agree. with a partner whether or not you Get to know the test! Cambridge Main Suite (FCE, CAE, CPE) Reading Writing Use of English Listening Speaking Reading a lot will help with ALL of them, especially Reading, Writing and Use of English. Reading READ a lot! Magazine, newspaper articles Books (different genres: thriller, romance, (auto)biography, chick-lit, classic etc.) Intensive and extensive reading Exam-like exercises Full mocks (timed, with answer sheet) Writing READ a lot! Texting, sexting, scrapping, list-making, MSNing etc. NOT EXAM GENRES! Writing Different genres: letter, proposal, report, article, essay etc. Style (layout) Register Cohesion & coherence Punctuation Target audience (objective) Writing (cont.) Extensive practice (exam-like and not – writing for language) Blogging (practice & motivation) Exposure to models (exam-like) Full mocks (timed) Correction & feedback (course/peers) Example: An international film magazine wantes readers around the world to contribute a review to a special edition entitled The Art of Advertising: Selling Products through Film. Write a review of a memorable advertisement you have seen at the cinema or on television, evaluating its visual impact and its other features. You should also assess how much influence such advertisement have on us. Use of English READ a lot! Vocabulary & grammar Collocations Phrasal verbs and idioms Conjunctions Word formation Paraphrasing Synonyms Varied grammar (inversions, participle clauses, varied conditionals, sound knowledge of tense and aspect – not terminology!) Use of English (cont.) Vocabulary notebook (recycling) Extensive exam practice Full mocks (timed) Part 5, CPE: Summary (correction – course; peers) Example: Could you tell her my address if, by any chance, you see her. Should ________________________________. My advice to you is to get another job. If ______________________________________. Example: Students are advised to keep their options __________ and not to take the first offer of a university place they get. It is also important to find a doctor who is prepared to be frank and __________ with you and answer all your questions. His interpretation is ____________ to criticism on two main grounds. Listening Only British English? Exposure to lots of authentic English (podcasts, radio, movies, series, news programs, CNN, BBC etc.) Sub-skills: gist, specific information, inference, deduction, attitude etc. Extensive exam-practice Speaking Is teaching good speaking practice? Seize every opportunity to speak advanced English! Speak to native(-like) speakers as often as possible Accept peer correction Study exam Discourse Record yourself, transcribe and comment. With a course teaching CERTIFICATES TKT Only theory (no practice) Exam, not a course Preparation course (studying TESOL) Vast reading IHSP IHTC IHTC & CELTA Theory and practice Course, not an exam Written assignments on various aspects of teaching and learning Lesson plan) observation (feedback and action Diplomas (DELTA, TrinityDip) Initial certificate (CELTA, TrinityCert) + 2 years’ experience C2 level of English (CEF) International DoS, teacher trainer Certificate-level tutoring Reference Material (language) How to Teach for Exams, Sally Burgess & Katie Head English Collocations in Use – Advanced, Felicity O’Dell English Vocabulary in Use – Advanced, Michael McCarthy Advanced Language Practice, Michael Vince & Peter Sunderland Reference Material (exam practice) Books of mock exams FCE/CAE Result – Oxford Objective Gold Proficiency – Cambridge series – Pearson Spotlight on FCE/CAE - Thomson Reference Material (teaching awards) The TKT Course, Mary Spratt & Alan Pulverness & Melanie Williams (CUP) Learning Teaching, Jim Scrivener (Macmillan) How to Teach English, Jeremy Harmer (Pearson) – with DVD The Practice of ELT, Jeremy Harmer (Pearson) – with DVD A Course in Language Teaching, Penny Ur (CUP)