CAE-preparation

Good morning and welcome back after your week-end.

Take a couple of minutes to talk to one of the people sitting behind you or in front of you about your week-end ( at least the parts you remember and cannot be used as evidence against you!)

Now we are going over to the two "production" parts of any language- writing and speaking.

These are the two parts of the Cambridge exam you can best prepare for..


Writing
The writing test consists of two pieces of writing (see the example you have got from a past paper.

In the first section you are given a lot of material which you need to reshuffle into a finished product.. The format of the product can vary but the task is generally very similar.

In the second section you choose one of several topics to write about. 

On page 4 in the "Advanced Gold" book you have the list of the different kind of topics. 

There is also an example of a Part 1 question on page 124 and
an overview of Part 2 on page 186-

However, the best resource I have seen is on the net..

The address is:
http://cae-tips.blogspot.se/

Here you can go through each kind of format and see what is required.

We will try to examine the example questions on the paper you have received today in the light of this...

Today I do not have an online lesson so let's go on to the speaking part.

Today we are going to practice for the speaking part of the CAE.

Here is some general information:
  

www.CambridgeEnglish.org

This document will help you familiarise yourself with theSpeaking
test for  Cambridge English:

Advanced also known as

Certificate in Advanced English(CAE)

How the Cambridge English:

Advanced Speaking test is assessed

Advanced Speaking test

The Speaking test is 15 minutes long and consists of four parts. The standard test 
format is two candidates and two examiners. One examiner (the interlocutor) 
conducts the test, providing you with the necessary materials and explaining 
what you have to do. The other examiner (the assessor) is introduced to you, 
but then takes no further part in the interaction.

Part 1

(3 minutes)

The interlocutor first asks you and your partner a few questions. 
The interlocutor asks candidates for some information about themselves
, then widens the scope of the  questions by  asking about, for example,
 candidates’ leisure activities, studies, travel and daily life.

Candidates are expected to respond to the interlocutor’s questions and listen to
 what their partner has to say.

Part 2

(a one-minute ‘long turn’ for each candidate, plus a 30-second response from the

second candidate)

You are each given the opportunity to talk for about a minute, and 
to comment briefly after your partner has spoken.

The interlocutor gives you a set of pictures and asks you to talk about them for 
about one

minute. It is important to listen carefully to the interlocutor’s instructions. 
The interlocutor then asks your partner a question about your

 pictures and your partner responds briefly. You are then given another 
set of pictures to look at

Your partner talks about these picturesfor about one minute.
 This time the interlocutor asks you a question about your partner’s

pictures and you respond briefly.

Part 3

(approximately 4 minutes)

In this part of the test, you and your partner are asked to talk together. 
The interlocutor places a new set of pictures on the table between you. 
This stimulus provides the basis for a discussion. 
The interlocutor explains what you have to do.

Part 4

(approximately 4 minutes)

The  interlocutor asks some further questions, which leads to a 
more general discussion of what you have talked about in Part 3. 

You may comment on your partner’s answers if you wish

As you do the test, the assessor focuses on these areas of your English;

Grammatical Resource 

Are you using a good range of grammatical structures?

Are you using these structures correctly?

Lexical Resource (vocabulary)

Are you using a good range of vocabulary?Are you using vocabulary which is 
appropriate for the topics you are talking about?

Are you using it correctly?

Are you showing that you can use suitable vocabulary to talk about topics which are 

unfamiliar to you, as well as topics which you are more used to talking about?

Discourse Management

Are you using both long and short answers, depending on the task? 

Is everything you say relevant to the topic of discussion?

Are your ideas expressed in clear and well-organised language?

Are you using a range of language to link and organise your ideas?

Are you able to speak fluently, without too much hesitation?

Pronunciation

You don’t need to have an English accent, but it is important to be clear.

Are you pronouncing individual sounds correctly?

Are you placing stress on the right parts of words and on the right

words in sentences?

Does your voice go up and down at the right times?

Does your pronunciation help you to communicate what you mean?

Interactive Communication

Are you able to interact with the other candidate easily and effectively?

Are you listening to the other candidate and answering in a way that makes sense?

Are you able to start a discussion and help manage the discussion so that 

you and your partner keep it going?

Can you think of new ideas to add to the discussion?

Global Achievement

This is about your general

performance.

How well are you speaking about the topics you are given?

Are your answers clear and fluent?

Are you using language which is right for the

Cambridge English: Advanced level?

When your test is complete, the examiners give you marks for each of these things:

Grammar, Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation,

Interactive Communication and Global Achievement.

Here are several examples of the test materials

 Here is an example of the kind of questions used in part 1

Here is another good resource:

issuu.com/iccic/docs/cae34issuu

To see examples of students doing the exam you can google

"cae speaking test video"
here is an excellent resource with comments 
on a pair of candidates:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nGESyDgmdw

Good luck!

Write your reports and catch up on assignments

Today you have the opportunity to get some work done on your report and catch up with any assignments you may not have done.

I thought I might as well put up the final assignment for "Letters from the Inside" for those who want to get it done.

We now come to the final assignment for the modern novel.

As for the Shakespeare there are three assignments- one based on the language (in this case the etymology of words in "Letters from the Inside").

The other two assignments are based on the material in the book and are designed to give you an opportunity to discuss the content of the work.

Assignment 2 was analysing the letter when Mandy revealed the truth to her parents about Tracey and writing "the missing letter" from Tracey showing her reactions to this revelation.

Assignment 3- choose ONE of the following:

1.
Write a newspaper article about Tracey. You are a reporter from a youth magazine who has interviewed Tracey and then decided to write an article about her.

2. Analyse the concepts of freedom and confinement(isolation) presented in the book. Who is free and who is not? What does the ending of the book say about this theme?


3. Write an alternative ending to the book using the same style as the author...

Good luck!

Have a good week-end and I'll see you on Monday when we 

will talk about language work faced with the CAE exam.

Report writing and other animals

This week you will have the opportunity to work on your report and complete the assignments which go towards your final grade.


Check out the examenglish link if you want to start to prepare for the Cambridge Tests


Let me remind you which those are:

Shakespeare 

1. One page analysis
2. 10 questions
3. comparison- film and book

Modern Book

1. Etymology 10 words from British English, American English and Australian English based on "Letters from the Inside"
2. Assignment 2 for  "letters from the Inside" based on the letter on page 99 and following

1. Final assignment for the book (not given yet)

Formal Writing

1. CV
2. Covering letter

If you missed the lesson on Friday, the instructions for 

the report writing are on the blog.

Some students are still missing assignments from the autumn term such as the writing course or Classic book talk.

Don't risk failing the course because of not handing in these assignments

Good luck!

Writing a report

Today we begin our last major piece of work before tackling some of the papers from the Cambridge Advanced Exam.

This is what is written in the curriculum about writing assignments

• Muntlig och skriftlig produktion och interaktion i olika situationer och med olika syften, där eleverna argumenterar ur olika perspektiv, ansöker, resonerar, värderar, utreder, förhandlar och motiverar sina åsikter.
• Muntlig och skriftlig framställning inom valt fördjupningsområde.
• Strategier för användning av olika typer av källor, med källkritisk medvetenhet och vedertagna sätt att ange källor, inom valt fördjupningsområde och inom andra områden.

That is why we will be writing a report based on your so-called
"Gymnasiearbete".

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE STILL IN YOUR SECOND YEAR YOU SHOULD CHOOSE AN AREA TO WRITE A REPORT WHICH IS CONNECTED TO YOUR AREA OF STUDY-  PREFERABLY AN AREA YOU HAVE ALREADY STUDIED
Here is the basic structure for your report:

Simple Report Writing: Structure

Standardly, your report should contain the following elements:

1.      title page;

2.      contents;

3.      abstract; (summary + key words)

4.      introduction;

5.      findings;

6.      discussion;

7.      recommendations (if appropriate)

8.      conclusion;

9.      references;

 
Since the focus of the report is on CONTENT and not on FORMAL ASPECTS the following applies:

Simple Report Writing: Style

Since the main objective of any report is to present 

information in a most distinct way, mind the following:

• keep the language simple and easily readable;
• avoid heavy constructions and too long sentences.  

 With regard to the presentation of the report the following applies:

Simple Report Writing: Presentation

The way you lay out your report is crucial for its readability:

1.      structure your report with obvious highlighted headings;

2.      use an accepted system for sources and footnotes;

3.      make a glossary of special terms at the end if necessary

How many words?

Your report should be between 600-900 words 

Report- Clarification

4. Introduction
In this section you should include

• Background- some information about why you chose the area/subject you did
• Aims/goals- what was the purpose of doing what you did
• Method- what methods did you use to obtain your goals

5. Findings

This is called "Results" in other reports

Adaptation for different programs 
 For the social science, natural science and technology programmethe report should cover your "gymnasiearbete" as it stands.

For the music programme the report should focus on a general presentation of the concert project but with the possibility of going deeper into one of the following areas:

• The choice of theme and songs/music
• The marketing and preparations for the concert
• the challenges of organising and co.operating in a project like this 

This report will need to be completed after the actual performances in order to be able to conclude it successfully.
 
For the economists the report should focus on the "YE" (Young Enterprise) company where the introduction explains the choice of company (service/retail sector) etc. The findings should cover the actual carrying out of the company activities and the discussion should focus on the problems and possibilities faced.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. We will begin today to focus on the basic materials needed for writing the report and how to start going about it.

As previously stated the focus is on content but, obviously, the report needs to have a clear structure and be consistent in its use of formalia. 

"Letters from the Inside" Assignment 2

Today we are going to look at one of the key sections of the book where Mandy tells the truth about Tracey's situation to her parents (p.99 and following)

Here is a task for you to do about it.

First the link.

As a document:

Your Name………………………………….

Letters from the Inside November 25 Dear Trace, Well, I did tell my parents. Tonight actually, without waiting for a letter from you. I just thought it was the right thing to do. It was a difficult scene. I'm not very good at those 'let's sit down and have a family discussion' situations. Just getting Mum and Dad together without Steve and Katrina wasn't easy. But after tea on Saturday Steve was doing a bit of work (too little, too late) and Katrina was doing a lot of work and Mum and Dad were watching TV. I had to wait for the commercials, then it went something like this. (Well, you said you wanted to hear about a real family!) 'Um, hey, you know Tracey, who's been writing to me?' Mum: 'Yes.' Dad: 'Nuh, who's Tracey.' Me: 'Oh Dad, you know. She put that ad in G.D.Y.(1)' Dad: 'Nuh.' Me: 'And I answered her ad, and we've been, like, pen pals all year.' Dad: 'Oh yeah?' Me: 'Well, I thought I'd better tell you a few things ... it hasn't quite worked out the way I thought it would.' At this point Mum realizes that something fairly heavy could be going down, so she starts paying more attention to me than the TV. Mum: 'What do you mean?' Me: 'Well, I thought she was a normal kid, OK, looking for someone to swap letters with ... ' Mum: 'Yes?' Me: 'But it turns out she's in Garrett.' Dad, sitting up: 'You mean, Garrett, where they put the girls ... the ones who've been in court?' Me: 'Yeah.' Mum: 'But you mean she's been there all along? And you didn't know?' Me: 'Yeah. I didn't know at first. But she told me a while ago.' Dad: 'How could you not know?' Me: 'Well, I was writing to a post-office box. And she was writing like she was in a normal family.' Pause. They're trying to figure out what line to take. Dad: 'Well, what's she in for?' Me: 'I dunno. She won't tell me.' Now they start to bubble, and the steam's not far away. I gotta act fast. Me: 'But it's OK. She doesn't have to tell me. I like writing to her, and they're the only letters she gets.' Mum: 'But what happens when she gets out?' Me: 'Well, she won't, not for a long time.' Dad: 'How long?' Me: 'Four years.' Dad: 'Four years! I don't like the sound of that. She's not there for jaywalking.' Me: 'I don't care. It doesn't matter to me.' No-one knows what to say. Dad: 'I don't know what to say.' Me: 'Well, I thought you should know.' Dad: 'Maybe we should contact the place, Garrett, and ask them about it. Get their advice.' Me: 'No! No way! Don't you dare do that. She's my friend, and I'm going to keep writing to her no matter what, and I don't want her to think I'm spying on her.' Mum: 'Well what do you want us to do then?' Me: 'I just thought you should know.' Mum: 'Well I'm glad you did. I'm glad you told us. And it says a lot for you that you've been loyal to this girl.' (Sorry Trace.) 'But naturally we're worried about how it's come about. It doesn't sound like she's been too honest with you.' Me: 'No she wasn't at first. I think she is now.' Dad's been sitting there for a while, not saying anything. Now he suddenly stirs into action, like he's made a big decision. 'Mandy, none of the kids know this, but maybe I ought to tell you.' Me (scared): 'Tell me what?' Dad: 'When I was a kid I got put in one of those places for six weeks. I was only 15, but I'd been truanting a lot, and I'd been warned a few times. Then I got caught knocking off bikes and selling them. So in I went.' At this point Mandy falls to the ground in a dead faint. No she doesn't, but it's only her amazing self-control that saves her. My dad in a kind of Garrett? Or Ruxton, I should say? This is about the most amazing thing that's ever happened in our family. Anyway, as time goes on the full story comes out. He went to a training farm in the country for his six weeks. It was probably mild compared to your A Block but he said it was horrible and he hated every minute of it. He said he only got one letter a week, from his mum, and letters mean so much in those places that if I'm the only one writing to you, I'd better keep writing. But he also said that some of the people in there are hopeless cases and he doesn't want to make me a suspicious type of person, but I should be careful. So, there it is. I've always tried to be honest with you and so I swear that this is a true and honest account of our conversation, for better or for worse. Mandy From: John Marsden, Letters from the Inside, New York, 1996 Annotation 1 G.D.Y. youth magazine

Working on the text

Answer the questions and tasks, using your own words as far as possible.

• What set of circumstances (omstandigheter) does Mandy think is essential to discuss her problem?

• "I just think you should know." What has Mandy just told her parents and what feelings and thoughts does she convey?

• Describe in detail the development of the parents' behaviour during the talk.

• Identify the values guiding Mandy in the relationship with her parents and Tracey.

• What does Mandy's father reveal in his confession? How does she react to it?

• What is so special about the way Mandy writes her letter? And what is her intention in doing so?

Composition

. Write about 100 words.

• Write Tracey's reply bearing in mind Mandy's letter. How would you have reacted?

and you can even get it on paper if you like!

So that is all for today... You will have plenty of time to get the work done.

This Friday I will inform you about how we will work with the Report about your final project...

Film, discussion and short assignment

Thanks for your poems and feedback!

This week-end is the last chance to get your Shakespeare assignments in...

In spite of missing a fair number I have to correct the ones I have received.

Today we are going to watch a documentary film together.

It is the story of Rocky from USA and his best friend Steve.

They are blood brothers.

Rocky has made a bold decision - to return to India and continue to work as a volunteer at an orphanage for kids with HIV.

How will things go for him?

You can find the film at the following link:-

http://urplay.se/Produkter/184605-Varlden-Blodsbroder-volontarliv-i-Indien?play_category=dokument%C3%A4r

Afterwards I want you to discuss in small groups Rocky's decision and commitment to the kids in India. 

Could you imagine doing something like this?

How do you think Rocky's decision has affected his relationship with his best friend?

Finally if you were to write a letter (email) to Rocky what would you say?

Have a good weekend. 

On Monday you will get a new assignment for "Letters from the Inside" and time to do it.

Then on Friday and the following week we will work on your report.

Have a good week-end!

Feedback and P-Day!

Today we want to start off by giving a bit of feedback on the interviews from Friday's lesson.

Those of you who participated can write a short comment on today's blog.


Secondly those who missed last Monday's lesson will see that I put out the document we did studying the etymology of words from "Letters from the Inside"

Your task is to find 10 words/phrases from British English, American English and Australian English on pages 60-90.

I will help you today with one of each from page 60....

And now to something completely different- POETRY Day.

You have all probably seen the film "Dead Poets Society" starring the late Robin Williams. The film examines poetry in the light of personal development and growth....

So welcome to P-Day! It would appear that poetry is a very universal means of expression. It appears in every language and culture in one shape or another.

It goes back to the ancient languages of Greece and Rome; yet it is still with us today...



Back to our poetry. The first relevant question must be to ask ourselves is:
"What is the point in studying poetry?"

Check out the following website:
http://www.virtualsalt.com/usefulpoetry.html 

In small groups discuss which of Robert Harris's arguments seem most relevant (if any!).

The second question ought to be:
How can we study poetry?

Have a look at:
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/ 

Here you will even find my favourite poet- Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Look at any of the poems/poets mentioned.

What aspects of the poems do they concentrate on?
Why do you think this is? 

Your next stage is to look at some poems.

Use the following resource:

http://poetry.about.com/od/poems/u/readpoems.htm 

You can choose 2 different paths-

Decide in your small group if you will:

i) look at one of the theme poem collections

 OR

ii)  choose one of the collections of classic poems.

Read some poems and discuss them.


Finally
Look at some of the poetic forms described on the website and try your hand at writing your own poem.

Hope you have an enjoyable experience!

Don't forget to fill in your Monday journal and keep it up-to-date.

On Friday we will be watching a documentary film and then afterwards there will be an assignment.