Preparing for international exams Higor Cavalcante DISAL Auditorium February 18th, 2011

 the EXAMS

How much do you know?  IELTS International English Testing System  TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language  KET Key English Test  PET Preliminary English Test  FCE First Certificate in English  CAE Certificate of Advanced English  CPE Certificate of Proficiency in English  TKT Teaching Knowledge Test  CELTA Certificate in ELT to Adults  CELTYL Certificate in ELT to Young Learners  ICELT In-service Certificate in ELT  DELTA 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 - TrinityCert  ICELT – 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 with a partner whether or not you agree.

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 observation (feedback and action plan)

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 Proficiency – Cambridge  Gold 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)