preparing students for new or modified tasks in the cambridge english exams

Preparing students for new or modified tasks in the Cambridge English: First and Cambridge English: Advanced exams

Guy Brook-Hart

Mexico, April 2014.

In this workshop we will look at

where the changes to the First and Advanced

exams may require us to modify the way we

prepare students

ways of effectively preparing for

Reading and Use of English Parts 1 4

Advanced Reading and Use of English Part 6

Writing Part 1.

Examples of teaching materials are taken from Complete First 2nd edition, Complete First for Schools and Complete Advanced (2014)

Reading and Use of English Part 1: multiplechoice cloze

Focus on lexis and collocation

Options form a lexical set

Informed by the Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC)

and the English Vocabulary Profile (EP)

Prepare by working on collocations using the English Vocabulary Profile: http://vocabulary.englishprofile.org/

86

Students can also prepare by

working on dependent prepositions

reading extensively.

Work on words commonly confused by using the Cambridge Learner Corpus

The public were delighted with her performance in

the play.

I hope to get a job where I win a lot of money.

Teaching idea for Part 1:

Students in class should have good learners dictionaries (print

or online).

Divide class into 4, 8 or 12 pairs and give them each 2

questions to work on.

Ask them to look up all the options in their question and look

at the examples to decide which answer is correct.

They then work in groups of 4 with students from other pairs

and explain why they chose each answer.

Finally, round up with the whole class.

Reading and Use of English Part 2: open cloze

focuses mainly on grammar with some focus on

vocabulary

is also informed by the Cambridge Learner Corpus.

Example:

In the second bar you can eat some simple food as

salads, but also you can drink a great number of

different beers.

Preparation involves

teaching grammar

teaching exam technique and

giving practice.

107


Before class, photocopy an open cloze test; make

an alphabetical list of the correct answers on a

separate page plus two distractors.

Give students the list, but not the cloze test. Ask

them in pairs to say what type of word each is e.g.

the article, etc.

Give them the cloze test and ask them to decide

what type of word they need for each space.

Ask them to complete the test with the words from

the list.

Reading and Use of English Part 3: Word formation

tests vocabulary, especially the ability to add

prefixes and suffixes correctly

is also informed by the English Vocabulary Profile.


building up knowledge of prefixes and suffixes

other changes to the word

identifying what type of word is needed in the gap

understanding the meaning of the text

teaching correct spelling.

181, 176


Give students a Part 3 task which has already been

answered by a student, but with the wrong answers.

You will need to prepare this in advance with typical

mistakes e.g. disatisfied, uneccesary, assistence, or the

wrong part of speech, singular where it should be plural, etc.

Students work in pairs and correct the wrong answers.

Follow up with another Part 3 where they exchange answers

at the end and correct each others answers.

Reading and Use of English Part 4

requires candidates to transform given sentences using a key word

tests grammar, vocabulary and collocations.


practising the grammar you are teaching with key

word transformations

understanding the task and learning to avoid

common pitfalls

looking for two parts to the question (there may be

a lexical and a grammatical element).

153/101

Teaching idea for Part 4: Find and if necessary photocopy Part 4 questions which

require a phrasal verb.

Tell students that each answer requires a phrasal verb.

They then work in pairs and decide what the phrasal verb is

in each case and what words it corresponds with in the

question.

Round up with the whole class, then

Ask them to work alone and write their answers to the

questions.

They then exchange their answers with a partner who

corrects them.

Finally, round up with the whole class. 117

Reading and Use of English Part 6: cross-text multiple matching

consists of 4 academic texts and 4 questions

asks candidates to

identify an opinion expressed in one of the texts and then identify which other text shares or contradicts this opinion

identify which text differs from the others in terms of an expressed opinion

tests ability to understand and contrast opinions and

attitudes across texts.

Reading and Use of English Part 6: cross-text multiple matching.

consists of 4 academic texts and 4 questions

asks candidates to

identify an opinion expressed in one of the texts and then identify which other text shares or contradicts this opinion

identify which text differs from the others in terms of an expressed opinion

tests ability to understand and contrast opinions and

attitudes across texts.

Sample questions

Reading and Use of English Part 6: cross-text multiple matching.

Texts have an academic flavour

Texts present a number of opinions or complex arguments

Candidates are expected to deal with a range of genres and

text types as well as complexity of vocabulary, structures

and lexical bundles consistent with academic texts.

Texts have an expository/argumentative purpose and a

detached tone and formal style.

How candidates should approach the task in the exam:

Read and understand the four texts

Pay particular attention to the opinions and attitudes

expressed

Identify any similarities or differences of opinion which are

immediately obvious

Read the questions one at a time and identify / highlight the

aspect of the topic being focused on

Scan the texts looking for the similarities or differences of

opinion. 22,23

Where the question asks which extract shares the view of another extract

Candidates should

identify the view in the named extract

find the other extract which expresses a similar

view

highlight the words which give the answer.

Where the question asks which extract is different:

Candidates should

identify the views in each of the extracts

find the extract whose view is different

highlight the words which give the answer.

A B

C D

Preparing students in class Work on

understanding key ideas and the structure of the

argument in each extract before approaching the

questions

features of internal coherence which allow students

to resolve argumentational and linguistic

complexities:

referencing

linking devices

Preparing students in class

Work on

Understanding the ideas contained in complex

sentences by

offering them alternative interpretations to choose from

asking them to paraphrase them.

154,155

Alternative classroom activity

Students, working alone, read two of the four texts

to find similarities and differences of opinion and

attitude in their texts.

They compare their ideas with another student with

the same texts.

They change partners and exchange information

with a student who read the other two texts.

They look at the questions and answer them in

pairs.

Round up with the whole class.

Writing Part 1 is an essay.

First

Candidates

give their opinion on a subject of general interest

using two ideas which are given plus one of their

own

write between 140 and 190 words

have about 40 minutes for the task.

Advanced Candidates write an essay based on two points given in the

task

must discuss two ideas and support their opinions

with reasons

write between 220 and 260 words

have about 45 minutes for the task.

Writing Part 1: students need to: understand what an essay involves

produce and develop ideas (including those given)

form an opinion and express it clearly

support ideas and opinions with reasons and examples

organise and structure their answer logically

construct logical and coherent paragraphs

use opening and concluding paragraphs appropriately

use linking phrases and other cohesive devices

use an appropriate range of complex sentences

use a range of appropriate vocabulary

express contrasting opinions and evaluate them

use their own words

use an appropriate register.

Understanding what an essay involves:

In class

use Exam information

analyse the task

work on the sample answer.

CF 16-17

Analysing the task:

Students

underline the key points they must deal with

compare what they have underlined with other

students.

To achieve a satisfactory mark, all parts of the task

must be completed.

Producing and developing ideas, opinions:

In class:

in pairs or groups, work on brainstorming ideas

students can change partners and compare ideas

you can round up by putting ideas from the class on

the board

finally ask students to check that the ideas cover all

parts of the task they underlined.

Organising and structuring the answer:

In class, ask students :

to study the organisation / structure of a sample answer and

complete a plan (plans should always be divided into

paragraphs).

Students can then

write their own plans

compare their plans in small groups

round up with the whole class to make sure they have a

logical development, deal with the whole task.

Work on paragraphing

In class

work on ways of structuring paragraphs e.g. topic sentence is

1 a proposition + supporting reason / example +

consequence, OR

2 a statement of what the paragraph will contain +

contents, etc.

Work on opening and concluding paragraphs

60-61

Work on paragraphing

In class

Ask students to work alone and write their own

paragraph

They then compare their paragraphs with a

partners and give each other feedback.

60-61

Taking things forward

Awareness of assessment criteria

Analysis of model / sample answers

Critical analysis of their own / other students answers

Teaching essential language.

Content, organisation, cohesion

Has it covered all the content points? Are there

any areas which are missing?

Is it communicating clearly?

Is it well organised? Do the points follow clearly

and logically one from another?

Is it all relevant?

handout

Cohesion: Is it well organised? Do the points follow clearly and logically one from another? - Is each sentence related to the sentence before it?

Use of linkers, reference devices etc.

- Is each paragraph related to the paragraph before?

Is there something at the beginning of the

paragraph which refers back?

- Does each paragraph have a clear purpose? This

can often be stated explicitly.

Content, organisation, cohesion

With your class

take some of the questions on the previous slides for a

checklist.

discuss with students before the task. Ask students to use

the checklist while writing.

in class, ask students to work in pairs, exchange answers to

writing task, and evaluate each others writing using the checklist.

circulate outstanding answers to whole class with owners permission.

discuss good features, what could be improved.

Work on correcting an answer to a writing task:

Take in an answer from another class.

Underline selected errors and indicate whether students

should look in the dictionary or Students Book to correct them.

Students note errors and corrections in their notebooks

Students work on rephrasing.

Students read a sample answer.

Finally, students correct and revise their own answers to the

tasks based on this session before handing them in.

www.cambridge.org/elt http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/ http://vocabulary.englishprofile.org [email protected]

preparing students for new or modified tasks in the cambridge english exams

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