Teaching English as a Foreign Language for Dummies (47 page)

The results of Cambridge ESOL exams are valid for life, unlike IELTS and TOEFL results. The exams are:

✓

KET (Key English Test):
This is an elementary level exam which follows the same pattern as PET. The registration fee is about £40.

✓

PET (Preliminary English Test):
This is for pre-intermediate and intermediate level students building up to higher level English exams in the future. The three parts are Reading and Writing (one paper), Listening and Speaking. The registration fee is about £45.

✓

FCE (First Certificate in English):
This one is for intermediate and upper-intermediate level students. It is a very well-known exam and popular with employers and educators. The registration fee is about £80.

There are five papers this time:

•

Reading:
This is a one hour paper based on general fiction and non-fictions texts.

•

Writing:
This part lasts 80 minutes and comprises two different tasks. You need to train students in letter-writing/emails, stories, essays, articles, reports and reviews. Each style is different and examiners expect candidates’ writing to fit the task in style and register.

Chapter 21: Making the Grade: Handling Exam Classes

305

•

Listening:
This lasts 40 minutes and aims to present realistic contexts such as public announcements and news broadcasts.

You listen to the texts twice.

•

Speaking:
Students have to talk about general topics, compare and contrast two pictures by themselves, and discuss a task with another student. This part takes about 14 minutes.

•

Use of English:
This paper is a tricky one which tests overall knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary. It takes 45 minutes.

✓

CAE (Certificate in Advanced English):
This advanced level exam is almost the same in its format as FCE but of course at a higher level. The registration fee is about £85.

✓

CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English):
This level is close to that of a native speaker and the exam consists of the same five papers as FCE.

However each one is longer. The registration fee is about £90.

✓

Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life:
Speakers of English as a second language in England, Wales and Northern Ireland take these state-run exams. Depending on the level the cost of these exams is approximately

£10 for the Reading test, £15 to £20 for the Writing test and £20 to £25 for the Speaking and Listening test.

Cambridge offer KET and PET exams ‘for Schools’, which means they’re designed specifically for the interests and experiences of students.

Consult the Cambridge ESOL website at www.cambridgeesol.org for more information about these exams. The British Council website at www.britishcouncil.org gives information about most English exams.

Other exams

Students take other exams, although these are a little less prominent than the ones mentioned in earlier sections. Some of these are specific to the student’s (prospective) career or age group. Others are alternatives to the academic and general English exams mentioned above and are also recognised by employers and educators, but are especially favoured by particular EFL colleges.

EDI
(Education Development International) offer general English exams and professional English exams through LCCI (www.lcci.org.uk).

306
Part V: What Kind of Class Will I Have?

✓

English Language Skills Assessment (ELSA): This is a quick, business-oriented English test including Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

Students don’t need to prepare for the test and they get a score of 1-500

on completion.

✓

Foundation English Language Skills Assessment (FELSA): This is a general English test which is suitable for students at low levels, including elementary, and for different age groups. The format includes a lot of pictures and large text and the student’s result is presented as a list of things they can do.

✓

JETSET Certificates in English Language Skills: These are a range of certificates designed specifically for young learners. They cover the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening as well as encouraging knowledge of life skills. Because there are several levels, the certificates can provide evidence of continuous progress.

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (see www.lccieb.com under LCCI International Qualifications) operate several exams for English in the working environment. They are:

✓

English for Business (EFB):
All students take reading and writing tests which are related to business English but the speaking and listening components are optional. The exam is offered at different levels.

✓

English for Commerce (EFC):
This exam is taken by non-native speakers who have a reasonable knowledge of commercial concepts.

✓

English for Tourism (EFT):
This exam is designed specifically for staff who deal with customers and who manage others in the tourism industry and is offered at two levels.

✓

Practical Business English (PBE):
This is an elementary level business English certificate.

✓

Spoken English for Industry and Commerce (SEFIC):
This is an oral exam involving an interview and optional tests in specific areas of work.

City and Guilds run a range of ESOL exams. City and Guilds is an organisation which is largely focused on vocational qualifications helping people to further their careers and their qualifications cater for, among others, migrant workers and non-native speakers settling in the UK

(see www.cityandguilds.com).

✓

ESOL for Young Learners: Children from 8-13 can take one paper for Listening, Reading and Writing skills and take another optional test which is an interview to assess speaking skills.

✓

English for Business Communications: These tests at different levels cover areas such as business letters, faxes and emails.

✓

International Spoken ESOL (ISESOL): This is a recorded interview in general English which can be taken at different levels.

Chapter 21: Making the Grade: Handling Exam Classes

307

✓

International ESOL (IESOL): This is a series of general English qualifications at different levels.

✓

Spoken English Test for Business: The test is a recorded interview at the appropriate level which demonstrates confidence and fluency in business English.

✓

English for Office Skills: This test is especially for office workers who need to show that they can be highly accurate when they write or speak in English.

I mentioned Cambridge ESOL exams earlier in the chapter. Cambridge ESOL

is a highly respected examining body who also offer Professional English exams.

✓

BEC (Business English Certificates): These are certificates for people who wish to use English in their careers.

✓

BULATS (Business Language Testing Service): Employers use this service to assess the language skills of (prospective) employees.

✓

Cambridge ILEC (International Legal English Certificate): Workers in the legal profession who need to make contact with English speakers or speakers of other languages through English benefit from this qualification.

✓

ICFE (International Certificate in Financial English): This qualification is for accountants and workers in the financial sector who want to follow international career opportunities.

✓

ESOL for Work ):This exam is only for non-native speakers who want to live and work in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

✓

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communications): This test is similar in format to TOEFL which I mentioned earlier in the chapter.

However, it is designed to demonstrate students’ readiness for life in the corporate or business world.

Sharpening Study Skills

and Exam Techniques

Before anything else, make sure your students are at the right level to attempt the exam within a few months, otherwise they may become demoralised by the amount of work they have to plough through. A general English course is sometimes a better option than an exam class to start off with.

308
Part V: What Kind of Class Will I Have?

Some general tips to offer students taking exams include:

✓

During the exam, the student has to transfer answers accurately to the official answer sheet. It would be a shame for them to know the correct answer, but lose marks because of failing to do this properly. Towards the end of your course, introduce the answer sheet and get students to practice using it. They should include this in their timing too.

✓

Check whether students need to write in pencil or pen on the mark sheet. It sounds basic but examining boards have different requirements and students need to make sure they have all the right equipment.

Correction fluid is usually banned too.

✓

Remind them not to offer alternatives answers in questions where a short answer is required, unless the question invites them to do so. If they’re offered two options and choose a third, that answer is automatically wrong, whereas if they guess at the right answer, they have a 50 per cent chance of its being correct. So if a question calls for one word, don’t choose two and if it asks for two words, don’t choose three.

Tell them to take note of the grammar in the question as it often indicates singular or plural and other clues. Here is an example: Which person is responsible for the situation?

Answer: Person A or Person B

The question asks about one person but the student has suggested two people. Therefore the answer is automatically marked wrong.

✓

Tell them to pay attention to the word count in short answers too. In some exercises, the student has to write just three or four words per question. If the answer is in good English but contains five words, it’s wrong.

✓

Spelling is notoriously difficult in English but there is no excuse for messing up on words which are actually in the exam paper, so advise your students to pay attention to the text. Sloppiness loses marks.

✓

Recommend that they think of their own answer before using multiple choice options. This is an excellent measure of accuracy.

✓

Warn them not to leave blank spaces. Always guess.

Writing especially for exams

The two main things that examiners want to see are good structure and a composition that answers the question in its entirety.

Chapter 21: Making the Grade: Handling Exam Classes

309

When it comes to structure, the introduction, body and conclusion should stand out at a glance. So, for example, even if the body of the composition is excellent, students are likely to lose marks if they don’t have a conclusion.

Train your students to include at least one final sentence which sums up or restates the ideas raised in the introduction.

Examiners have very limited time for marking each paper so they won’t waste time trying to decipher poor handwriting. When students do homework they should avoid using a computer unless they will be using one in the exam. You need to check that their handwriting is legible and that the punctuation and spelling is accurate.

An additional reason to practise handwriting is to do with word counts.

There is no time to count every word in the exam so students need to be able to see what the appropriate number of words looks like for them. Is it half a page or a page and a half, for example? The quickest way to count is to see how many words you write in one line and then count the lines. And never go beyond the word count by much. It’s a waste of time which would be better spent checking accuracy. The reality is that the more you write, the more mistakes you make.

English exams don’t require complex arguments. Students just need to present a few appropriate points in logical order. The points need to be linked together with expressions such as ‘however’, ‘in addition’, ‘alternatively’ etc.

Many students are repetitious in their writing so flag this when you mark homework. Repetition of ideas reveals poor planning and repetition of words and phrases reveals poor vocabulary.

One overused word is ‘say’. Devote a lesson to using alternatives such as state, utter, complain, suggest and so on.

Writing lessons ought to include information on:

✓

Opening and closing salutations for letters/emails

✓

Saying what the communication is about

✓

Apologising

✓

Requesting

✓

Thanking

✓

Giving details

✓

Arguing for and against

310
Part V: What Kind of Class Will I Have?

✓

Contrasting through tenses

✓

Stating opinions

✓

Giving background information

✓

Concluding

Reading for exams

The biggest problem for students when it comes to reading tends to be speed. Very often they run out of time because they attempt to read each text carefully from start to finish. So you need to train your students in speed reading.

After getting an overview from the headings or opening sentences of each paragraph, the students need to know what they are looking for. They can get this information by reading the questions, so tell them to read the questions before reading the text. Teach students to skim through a text until they find an appropriate section and then read that part more carefully. They should practice timed readings in silence (you would be surprised how many people only study to music).

Get students in the habit of reading with a pen or pencil in their hand for two reasons: