Don't be surprised if you find yourself needing to use terms that you've covered before in this series. You need to use technical terms throughout the exam, and these tasks are designed so that after previewing a specific concept and the term that names it, you are later asked to apply it to a different task. This checks that you have really assimilated the meaning of the term and will be able to use it throughout the exam. If you come across terms you are not 100% sure of, always follow the links to the explanations.
The Questions
Paper 1/1
How would
you have done in the past exams? Here are some definitions that have come up in
Paper 1/1 in past years. Could you name each of them? Click on the links
to check your answers.
A) A database of real language
samples (either spoken or written) stored on a computer and which can be used
for investigating language use and structure.
B) Using the medium of English to teach a subject such as geography, natural science or history to learners whose first language is not English. (NB: you should give the full name, not just an abbreviation.)
C) The morphological process of adding
a bound morpheme to the stem of a word. This modifies the word’s meaning and/or
changes the word class. Eg: Adding -ful
to use or un- to tidy
D) A consonant sound in which the
airflow is initially stopped, then released slowly with friction. Eg: /ʧ/
E) A sentence which has been split
into two parts, each with its own verb, in order to emphasise a particular
element. Eg, It was yesterday that he
left (rather than He left yesterday)
F) The study of
language use in context. Eg it looks at how, in a particular situation, a
listener might interpret the comment Is that the phone? as a
request to answer the phone.
Paper 1/2
Amongst the
terms in Paper 1/1 and 1/2 there are always one or two which are “harder” than
the others to show who are the really strong candidates. Here are some of them
from the previous exams. Could you define and exemplify them? Click on the
links to check your answers.
Tenor Illocutionary force Contrastive Analysis
Causative have A turn
Paper 1/3
Learners at
high A2 level are given a writing task asking them to write an email to a
friend giving news, describing their new house, and inviting them to come and
stay for the weekend. In Paper 1/3
you are asked to identify three key subskills for the task. Which of the
following would not gain full
marks and why not?
a) Use of the simple past to express past
events. Eg. We lived with my
parents for a month because the house wasn’t ready, but we moved
here six weeks ago.
b) Use of the present perfect to describe
changes made to the house : We’ve
painted the walls in the sitting room and we’ve bought some new
furniture.
c) Lexis in
the field of floors and rooms in the house. Eg. On the first floor there are two bedrooms and a bathroom.
d) Language
for inviting : Would you like to come for
the weekend? We’d love to see you.
e) Lexis describing houses: It's a semi-detached house which has been recently renovated.
Paper 1/4
The text (134 words) for this question is reproduced below. It was written by a Japanese learner in an intermediate class (CEFR B2).
In class, students have been discussing the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to president Obama. They have read an article from The Guardian discussing the award, and seen a video of Obama’s acceptance speech. The writing task set was:
"
Focusing on each of the areas
- Range and Accuracy of Lexis
- Style
identify a key strength or weakness of the text. Provide an example from the text of each choice.
This article was very shocking to me. because this article criticizes Nobel Peace Committee itself. I don’t think Nobel Peace Prize isn’t necessarily specifical estimates. But I learned that this idea is possible. About President Obama, I agree with the article. I think he hasn’t actually accomplished anything yet. But on the other hand, his speech (in the video you showed me) captured me. He said he would accept this awared as call to action. If he carry on his oath, the world improve in a good way. In other news paper, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said “The exciting and important thing about this prize is that it is given to someone... who has the power to contribute to peace.” I agree with his idea, and I hope President Obama contribute to peace! (134 words)
Paper 1/5
Describe the form of the highlighted words in the following
sentences:
a)The plane took off
b) She took off her coat
c) She took it off the hook
d) She takes after her father
e) She takes a rest after lunch
f) Don't take it out on me!
Paper 2/1
An intake of 60 international students about to start a short course at a UK language school are given the following task as the writing component of a placement test to determine their level - which may be anything from false beginners to upper intermediate. Other skills and systems areas are tested in the other components of the test.
Write a letter to your teacher, telling him or her a little about yourself and your family. Describe your journey from your home country to England, and also write what you are planning to do during your time here. You have 20 minutes.
- Using the heading Diagnostic Effectiveness, identify one positive and one negative feature of this task for these learners in this situation.
- Using the heading Task Content, identify one positive and one negative feature of this task for these learners in this situation.
Paper 2/2
A lesson with the overall purpose enabling Ls to talk about quantities starts as follows
1. Ls at A2 level are given ten numbers (eg 6½ 71 749 35,000), and asked to decide with a partner how they are said. Full-class follow-up to confirm or correct.
2. They then read a text discussing the amount of different types of food people eat in an average lifetime. In the text, all the numbers are gapped. As they read, they complete the text with the ten numbers (written in figures) they worked on in activity 1. (The context allows Ls to infer which number must be needed). They then discuss their answers with a partner before a full class follow-up.
Can you identify a purpose of each activity related to the overall stated aim?
Paper 2/3
In this task, Cambridge often includes questions on techniques and activities that were popular in the past but less commonly used now. For example, Drilling has come up three times and Reading Aloud twice. One activity type that falls into this category but has not yet been used (and is therefore a good candidate for the task) is Information Gap Activities. Try the following task. If you want to do it to time, allow about 35 minutes. Then scroll down and compare your points with those in the suggested answer.
Look at the following quote from Scott Thornbury discussing Information Gap activities:
The archetypal communicative activity is the information gap task... where Student A has some information, Student B has some other information, and the task requires that they share this information in order to achieve the designated outcome.
Describe and Draw, Spot the Difference and Find Someone Who... are all examples of information gap activities that meet the criteria outlined above.
Scott Thornbury I is for Information Gap
If Cambridge asked you to describe the principles that underlie the type of information gap activity described above and their uses and advantages, how many points could you make in answer.
The Suggested Answers
Paper 1/1
Click on the links in the letters A-F to see the correct answers and further information on the topic which you may need in other tasks on the exam.
NB: Check your spelling. Remember that in any task on the exam, incorrect spelling of technical terms loses you the marks for that point.
Paper 1/2
Click on the links for the answers. Remember that you do not need to give a full explanation (though this may be necessary in other tasks on the paper). Aim for a definition of one or two sentences plus one example - much like those included in the task for Paper 1/1 above .
Paper 1/3
The points which would not gain full marks are:
(e) The example uses lexis (semi-detached, renovated) which would not be known at A2 level. Compare it with: It's a small house with a big garden and a garage, or the feature and example in (c).
(b) This is also dubious.
Paper 1/4
All of the following points could have gained marks:
1. Strength - Lexical Range and Accuracy: Particularly good range of verbs used
Example : "I think he hasn’t actually accomplished anything yet."
(Other examples in the text which you could have used as your example include criticize, captured, improve, contribute etc.)
2. Strength - Style : a neutral style is chosen, neither too formal nor particularly informal. Eg : blend of contractions with auxiliaries/full forms after nouns : "I don’t think ….I learned that this idea is possible."
(Criticism: This is not one full sentence so Cambridge would count it as two examples)
3. Weakness - Lexical accuracy: inaccurate collocations – "captured me" rather than "captured my attention/interest" or "impressed/struck me"
4. Weakness - Lexical accuracy: choice of wrong words – carry on his oath rather than carry out his promise / specifical estimates
Paper 1/5
Describe the form of the highlighted words in the following
sentences:
a) The plane took off = Intransitive phrasal verb (ie verb + adverb particle)
b) She took off her coat = Transitive phrasal
verb ( ie verb + adverb particle with object). Optionally separable when the
object is a noun (as here) obligatory when it is a pronoun She took it off not *She took off it
c) She took it off the hook = Transitive, lexical verb take followed by prepositional phrase with preposition off as the head
d) She takes after her father = Prepositional verb (ie - verb + preposition)
e) She takes a rest after lunch = Delexicalised transitive verb take followed
by object, and prepositional phrase with after (preposition) as head
f) Don't take it out on me! Transitive phrasal prepositional verb ( ie transitive verb with object + adverb particle + preposition)
Notice the question only asked you to specify the form of these expressions. if you had also described their meaning and/or use, you would have wasted valuable time without gaining any marks - even if what you said was accurate. Marks are only given for the features specified in the rubric. So read the instructions carefully and give all and only the information you are asked for
Need more information about the difference between a prepositional verb and a verb followed by a prepositional phrase?? See here.
Paper 2/1
1. Positive: Diagnostic Effectiveness: The task is "doable" at even lower levels as it only calls structurally for present simple (I come from Italy), past simple and present continuous, plus a few structures commonly taught as "chunks" to beginners - eg I'd like to... Similarly, the lexical range required involves only fields generally taught at CEFR A1/A2 such a family, jobs and studies, age, travel etc. If the learners could not use any or all this language effectively, the T. would therefore know that they need a beginner or elementary class. Effect on the learner: they would be placed in the correct level class where they could maximise their learning.
2. Negative: Diagnostic Effectiveness: However, while the task allows scope for language at intermediate and higher levels (eg I might visit XXX; The journey was smooth with no problems)), this is not necessary - it could be done fully effectively using only the language listed in point one. If a learner achieved the task within these boundaries, the teacher would have no way of distinguishing between B1 and B2 level learners. Effect on the learner: they might be placed in a class which was too easy or difficult for them and need to be moved later in the course - thus wasting time at the beginning.
3. Positive: Task Content - The topics in the task are relevant to the learners' needs, as they are topics they might want to talk about with their host families, with other students or with other people that they meet during their stay. Effect on the learner: The learner will therefore have the chance to think of what they might say and identify any gaps in their knowledge of how to say it before actually needing to do so.
4. Negative: Task Content - this is a writing task and it is very unlikely that the learners will need to write a "letter" in English with this content. As the topics are relevant to things they might need to talk about, it would be better to use the task in the speaking section of the test and choose a more realistic writing task that they might actually want to perform - eg writing a customer review of a place they have visited (a restaurant, tourist attraction, holiday resort etc) in their own country or elsewhere for a site like tripadvisor.com Effect on the learner: This would allow the T. to see whether they had the necessary language to do so and if not, to follow up the task in class so that they could actually write "real" customer reviews of places they visited during their stay.
Paper 2/2
Ex 1. To allow both
the T and Ls to identify any problems the Ls have formulating and pronouncing
cardinal numbers and fractions seen in number format, allowing the Ls to correct
them and practise the correct pronunciation.
Ex 2. To allow the Ls to consolidate their retention of the way the numbers
are said by formulating them mentally as they complete the text, pronouncing
them when checking with their partner, and saying/hearing them again in the
follow up stage.
Paper 2/3
See here (section a) for some points you could have built into your answer,
Sections (b) and (c) go on to discuss criticisms of the activity type and other activities that can be used to supplement them - another possible focus for the task. For this, see also the original article by Thornbury : C is for Communicative
Each principle, use and advantage stated would gain the two marks available for "breadth", up to a maximum of 15 points. So if this was an exam answer, section a would gain full marks (30/30) for breadth. However, it actually makes 20 points - so that the final five would not be read or marked (which would mean you'd wasted valuable time). There are then 10 marks available for the "depth" of the point. See the DELTA Handbook p.16 for a summary of the type of information needed to gain these depth marks, and notice how these categories are built into the answers. What references to sources, to personal experience, to examples of activities etc were built in? And how many did you build into your own points?
If you've missed any of the previous week's sets of questions, or want to review them, you'll find the links on this page. Scroll down till you come to the list.
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