Exam registration

For all of you taking either the Cambridge or Michigan exams this May the deadline for registration is fast approaching. For those taking the FCE, CPE etc it is 29th of february. For those taking the ECPE it's the 25th.

For more details on registering click here for Cambridge (you can now do this via the internet).

For Michigan click here. You can't register on the internet unless you do it via a school.

Blogs as course book supplements

This year I've decided to try something new with the class blogs. I thought that it could be used as a kind of wiki page in order to compliment the course books we're using for the Proficiency course. The basic idea is that either I, or preferably the students, post links to anything we see on the internet that is connected with the subject matter in the unit we're doing.

For example, we happen to be on unit two of the Masterclass Proficiency book (as dull as ditch water, to tell you the truth) and we've covered topics such as Stephen Hawkings, Frankenstein and women in science. In each case we found some links that help students do some extra practice at home, if they wish. So, they are links to a free audio book version of Frankenstein, videos of women scientists presenting their work at TED and the like. The emphasis is on enriching audio/video content of the course as listening skills are woefully neglected in most course books at this level.

In addition I want to include more videos from YouTube and Google Video in the future.

Exam day

Today my students at school were taking their interviews for PET, FCE and CPE interviews. happened to have my camera with me. Surprise, surprise!! Chatting to them afterwards, it seemed that they did pretty well and the preparation we did paid off.

CPE interview

Thankfully the written CPE exams are over and done with. Good luck to all my students who took them on Sunday. All that is left is the interview so i thought I'd re-post some useful advice on how to approach paper 5.

CPE interviews do's and don'ts

PART ONE


1 Be friendly, be polite. This is a chance to show the examiners how well you can speak English, not a fight to the death.

2 Learn some words that may come up, e.g. the name of the subject you are studying or the job you want to do in the future.

3 DO NOT learn a little speech by heart. It sounds unnatural and you'll get even more nervous than you need to be trying to remember it.

4 Keep eye contact with the examiner. That means looking him or her in the eye rather than staring at your shoes or some point on the wall behind them.

5 Remember there are no wrong answers here, only well- expressed and badly expressed ones.

6 DO NOT give short, monosyllabic answers, nor tell them the story of your life.


PART TWO


1 If you don't understand the question ask the examiner to repeat it. You'll not lose marks for this. However, you will lose marks for answering the wrong question.

2 To make sure you've understood the question discuss with your partner what you have heard. Agree on what you have to answer before starting.

3 Move your chair so that you are facing the other person. Remember what we said about eye-contact.

4 Start with a question, not a monologue.

5 Listen to what the other person says, comment on it, ask them questions.

6 Disagree with the other person whatever they say. It's always easier to have something to say if we disagree.

7 Give the other person chance to speak. You'll lose marks if you monopolise the conversation.

8 DO NOT stop speaking until the examiner tells you that your time is up.


PART THREE (part one)


1 Make sure you understand the question before you start speaking. If necessary, ask the examiner to explain it.

2 Give yourself a few moments to think about what you want to say.

3 Remember there are no wrong answers. Nobody expects you to be an expert on the subject of the question.

4 Feel free to ignore the prompts suggested. You do not have to use them, if you do not wish.

5 DO NOT stop speaking until the examiner tells you that your time is up.

6 Listen to what the other person says as you will be asked to comment on it.


PART THREE (part two)


7 Remember the longer questions asked towards the end of this part are always connected with the topic discussed in the prompt cards.

8 Give full answers, not just short, monosyllabic ones

9 Comment on what the other person says, use their name.

10 There are no wrong answers, only badly-expressed ones.

Free FCE listening test downloads

While surfing I came across the Weberberg site which as a lots of useful links for EFL/ESL listening exercises. Amongst them are links to the Cambridge ESOL site which has complete listening tests (including mp3 downloads) for the KET, PET, FCE, CPE,

Photo by a*c