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The Full English Experience for FCE and CAE exams and how to get there from Upper Intermediate.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
From FCE to CAE
The following is a presentation by the Eli Director of Studies Elspeth Pollock on the gap between FCE and CAE. It is not my own work I´m simply putting it up here for the students Jesus, Paula and Jose who missed a class the other week.Sunday, June 10, 2012
Dear Carmen,
I
am extremely happy to give David a reference, having worked as his Line
Manager for the past two summers: first in his capacity as a teacher
and then as a Course Director/Teaching
Coordinator for our summer course for 14 – 17 year olds for
international students.
In
2010, David exceeded all expectations as a teacher and provided the
students with varied and interesting classes, adapting his teaching
methods to take in to account student
needs and learning styles. David also assisted other teachers in
planning their classes and developing their teaching skills.
Additionally, David demonstrated that he was a team player and excelled
in building relationships with staff in order to provide the
best possible environment for the students and assisted with welfare
issues. After managing David in his role as a teacher, I personally
recommended David to be promoted to Course Director the following year
and this suggestion was very much welcomed by my
colleagues as he had gained a reputation among staff in multiple summer
schools for his excellent work.
In
his next role as Course Director/Teaching Coordinator, David proved
himself to be an excellent leader and innovator, overcoming staff and
student behavioural issues with
the utmost professionalism and discretion. David understands the
educational and emotional needs of students studying a foreign language
and is able to guide and manage his staff with ease. In this
multi-faceted role, David once again outdid himself by adapting
procedures and implementing working methods which were efficient and
beneficial to students and staff alike. He also provided the school with
useful feedback which we have used to plan our course this year.
We
have offered David the temporary position of Course Director for one of
our largest summer centres this year with students as young as 11 years
old, as we know him to
be an adaptable and efficient leader, capable of thinking on his feet
and ensuring the wellbeing and satisfaction of staff and students alike.
If
you would like me to answer any further questions about David, I would
be very happy to give you more information. I believe that he would be a
huge asset to your team
as a Director of Studies.
Kind regards,
Friday, June 8, 2012
Jose writings
From: Jose
It’s nice to hear from you. All I can say is that I’d love to be painted, especially if you do it. As you have asked me, I’d like to be painted in my grandparent’s countryside, just because there I can get relaxed (and I hope you too) and I could forget about the nerves of being shy. It is a lovely place, quiet and peaceful, with hundreds of pines. I’m sure you’ll love it!
Also, I’d like to be painted with my black rabbit Lissy. I know it’s an animal and not an object, but I love that old-black-rabbit, and ¿he/it? might die this year, so I’d like to have a picture with ¿him/it?. With him-it the picture will be even more perfect.
So, what I want to ask you is how we can go to my grandparent’s countryside and what day would you like to do that.
Please, write me back the sooner the better.
Thank you for considering me an inspiration to you.
Jose.
TEST 2 FROM THE RED BOOK (pg. 37, number 4)
ADELE – 21
Adele is a twenty-four-year English singer who has recorded and published two studio albums: “19” and “21”. “21” is breaking all the charts’ records, as it has sold over 20 million copies in an era where downloading without paying is very common.
“21”, as “19” comes from the age of the artist when she composed the album. It is all about her relationship with her boyfriend, and how they broke. The songs are far away from dance music: they are all slow songs, but each one has a different story to tell. There are just a few instruments, no dubstep either vocoder. Just her voice, and a background choir of three girls.
I love “21” by Adele because it is so different from the 21st century main type of music: dance songs which don’t have anything to tell, just talking about dancing and drinking.
Without any doubt, I would recommend “21” because you can get relaxed and emotional just listening to it. Songs like “Rolling in the Deep”, “Set Fire to The Rain” or “Lovesong” will make you love Adele.
DAVI:
First of them: do I have to write the title? I mean, read number 4 of pg. 37. Do I have to write “The Last CD I bought”?
And the second one is what will happen if I write 190-200 words instead of 180?
Can you believe? I’m not nervous at all. I have already done two tests, and without counting the oral part and the writing, I’ve got 66% and 81%. :) :) :) :)
I’ll write u 2morrow!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Discursive essay by Ana Sousa
Over the past few years we have all become concerned that our planet is
being polluted by human activity like cars and factories, producing terrible
effects.
It is true that nowadays factories and cars are essentials to our life:
Factories can produce much more products than people by hand
therefore these products are cheaper. On the other hand all this is causing
that people buy things without need them, and because of this our
resources will be finished in a near future if we do not do anything.
It is often thought that cars are the only way to go to work or to travel in
a long distance however we must take into account that there are public
transports which pollute less than cars.
It is a fact that our resources are being exhausted this meant that we must
try to use them correctly and also recycle so we will need less resources.
To sum up it seems to me that we must be careful about our actions in the
present because we will pay for them in the future.
Ana Sousa Ortega
being polluted by human activity like cars and factories, producing terrible
effects.
It is true that nowadays factories and cars are essentials to our life:
Factories can produce much more products than people by hand
therefore these products are cheaper. On the other hand all this is causing
that people buy things without need them, and because of this our
resources will be finished in a near future if we do not do anything.
It is often thought that cars are the only way to go to work or to travel in
a long distance however we must take into account that there are public
transports which pollute less than cars.
It is a fact that our resources are being exhausted this meant that we must
try to use them correctly and also recycle so we will need less resources.
To sum up it seems to me that we must be careful about our actions in the
present because we will pay for them in the future.
Ana Sousa Ortega
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Notes for the exam.
If you wanted to know a bit more about how the FCE exam works here are some notes that I've been given.
Below or all the notes in detail but here are some of the things that occurred to me.
Basically you can't leave early! i.e. it's like this. The invigilators have sealed the bridge. http://youtu.be/Spk7MpSpkJ0
Bring ID and leave it on your table.
Bring a pencil. Paula.
Pen for the writing exam only.
We have to check what you do in the toilet cubicle! Blimey.
Notes for Invigilators Hotel Silken Al- Andalus.
FCE
SAT 9 JUNE 2012
|
09.00 – 10.00 Reading
10.15 – 11.35 Writing
11.50 – 12.35 Use of English
12.50 – 13.30 Listening
General Information
- Invigilators will be assigned a group of about 25 candidates. As usual, you must patrol your own zone of the exam room throughout the exam. It is essential that you (a) familiarize yourself with these candidates, (b) give out and collect in in your own ‘zone’ – you are responsible for those particular candidates (and for ensuring that nothing ‘irregular’ happens in your zone).
- After the initial checking of Ids, candidates will leave their ID cards on their tables throughout the exam to enable us to check identification at any time during the 4 papers. It will be one of the duties of the invigilators at the beginning of each paper to (informally) check the IDs of the candidates in their zones.
Staff timetable and notes
Chairs
checked and numbered
07.30
Supervisor(s) pencils/rubbers
08.00 Quick
meeting - supervisor/invigilators
08.30 Admin
staff begins to check candidate Ids. Antonio/ Pepe organises queues. Candidates
enter exam room. Invigilators guide candidates to seats, and deal with problems
with, bags etc. (nothing on the table, only pen/pencil, rubber and exam
papers). Mobile phones must be switched off and left in
closed bags or closed envelopes – candidates have all been
requested not to bring mobile phones to the exam))
08.55 Once
all candidates seated, Supervisor reads out instructions (general and reading
exam) while invigilators give out reading question papers to their ‘zones’
08.55+ Supervisor will tell candidates to write name
correctly if their name on the answer sheet is not correct.
09.00 READING
Exam starts (1 hour). Exam start and finish times written up. Invigilators
circulate in their zones – mentally noting empty seats and becoming familiar
with the faces of ‘their’ candidates. Candidates
not allowed to leave the room within the first 40 minutes or the final 10
minutes.
Invigilators
remind candidates about transferring answers within the time limit (Last 10
minutes). Please check that candidates have signed the answer sheet. ALL
IN PENCIL.
10.00 Invigilators
collect first the answer sheets in
numerical order from their zones (including
absentees), and then the question paper. Candidates leave. Scripts to
Supervisor.
10.15 WRITING EXAM
(1h 20 min):
Candidates
in. Invigilators give out pens. Invigilators give out writing question booklets
to their zones. Supervisor reads out instructions. Pen, not pencil (spares available). Candidates must write name, Centre number (ES040) an individual
candidate number on the question paper. Start and finish times on boards.
Invigilators check for new absences or any other changes in their zones. Candidates not to leave before one hour or
in last 10 mins. Please check that candidates have written the question they
have chosen in part 2 in the box provided. Any rough work must be crossed out
and collected.
11.35 Invigilators
collect writing question booklets in numerical order from their zones
.Candidates out. Scripts to Supervisor. Invigilators then give out Use of
English answer sheets to their zones.
11.50
USE OF ENGLISH EXAM: (45 min)
Candidates
in. Supervisor – instructions. Invigilators give out question papers to their
zones. Start and finish times on boards. Candidates
not to leave within the first 25 min or last 10 min. ALL IN PENCIL.
For questions 13-42 candidates must write the answers in
capital letters.
For questions 13-34, candidates write ONE letter in each
box.
Remind
candidates they must transfer their answers on to the separate answer sheet
within the time limit (last 10 minutes)
12.35 END
OF THE USE OF ENGLISH EXAM, Invigilators collect first the answer sheets in
numerical order from their zones (including absentees), and then the question
paper. Candidates leave the room. Invigilators then give out Listening and CIS
answer sheets to their zones.
12.50 LISTENING +
CIS (40 min + CiS)
Candidates in. Supervisor –
instructions. Invigilators give out question papers to their zones. All
instructions are given with the CD, so please try not to disturb candidates,
again ALL in PENCIL. Please check that
your candidates have marked the test version on the answer sheet.
13.30. End of the listening test. Invigilators
collect first the answer sheets in numerical order from their zones (including
absentees), and then the question paper. Candidates answer to the questions on
the CIS paper. Invigilators collect CIS. Scripts to Supervisor.
Supervisor must give time checks and reminders
of instructions, mark and sign
attendance
registers for each paper, deal with absent candidates’ answer sheets
Notes:
1.
Candidates leaving early (when allowed) must raise their hands to call an
invigilator,
who will check that they have fulfilled all the requirements for that paper
and then remind the candidate of the starting time for the next paper.
In
Writing exam check any rough work is clearly crossed out– collect this
if it is on
separate paper. Make sure the candidate does not interfere with or
disturb any other
candidate while leaving the room. Candidates will only be readmitted for
the next
paper.
2.
Pens,
pencils, tippex, etc.
Pens
ONLY for the writing exam, pencils for ALL answer sheets.
Tippex definitely not on answer sheets
UNAUTHORISED MATERIALS:
Dictionaries, spell-checkers, bags,
food, phones..etc.
3.
Late arrival candidates
– inform supervisor
4. Candidates
who need to go the toilets should be supervised (almost) all the time.
This includes a ‘before and after’ check of
cubicles. Inform supervisor first
5.
Candidates questions. If
candidates ask questions about the exam you must only
draw their attention to the relevant rubric. .
Explain (nicely) that you are not permitted
to say more. DO NOT TRANSLATE.
Friday, June 1, 2012
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