Below, you'll find a question relevant to each task on the two papers. Scroll down past the questions and you'll find the suggested answers.
Notice that though the situations/texts used for the task are sometimes the same as in previous weeks, the questions are different, which week by week helps you build up a complete answer to the task. If you missed them, you'll find the questions for Week One and Week Two if you click on the links.
The Questions
Paper 1/1
When you answer this question, your answer must be 100% accurate to gain the marks - and that includes spelling. Here are some definitions and examples of commonly misspelt terms. Write your answers down, and when you check them (scroll down) make sure that the spelling is exact.
a. Definition: The omission of a sound. Example: the pronunciation of chocolate as /ʧɒklət/ rather than /ʧɒkələt/, omitting the first /ə/.
b. Definition: A vowel sound which, within a specific language, is usually considered to be a "single" sound, but actually consists of two vowel sounds occurring consecutively in the same syllable, which "glide" into each other. Example: /eɪ/ as in play /pleɪ/
c. Definition: two or more words which have the same written form and pronunciation but differ in meaning. Example: bear (animal) / bear (tolerate).
d. Definition: The omission of one or more words from a sentence or utterance because they can be understood from the linguistic or situational context. Example: in Want a biscuit? the words Do you are omitted.
e. Definition: A lexical relationship in which one word describes a category and other words are the members of that category. Example: vehicle / car, bus, lorry, etc
Paper 1/2
Can you give a definition and example for each of these terms:
a. Lateral consonants b. Copulative verbs c. Colligation d. Induced Errors
Paper 1/3
In Paper 1/3, you are asked to identify three key language items/subskills that learners would need to be able to control in order to complete a spoken or written task successfully. Imagine that the task is: A C1 level group are asked to discuss what developments are liable to occur during the next ten years in relation to various topics – the environment, health, education, work, shopping. How many marks would the following answer get, and why would it gain or lose marks?
Structuring the discourse. Eg: Discussing each topic one at a time - Summarising the discussion.
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 Accuracy of grammar and Appropriacy of language, identify at least one 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
Identify the cohesive ties in the following text : The cosmological constant was discovered by Einstein in 1917. He later called it “my greatest blunder”, but the concept has since been proved correct.
Paper 2/1
M wishes to do a 121 course to improve her spoken competence as she wishes to work as a teacher of geography in an English medium secondary school. On the school’s placement test she has tested out at C1 level. On the first day of the course the T. gives her the following test :
- talk about the educational system in your country
- What would you change to improve it
She is given time to think and make notes before starting.
a) Using the heading Communication vs Imagination, could you identify a positive point about this test?
b) Using the heading Relevance to Needs, could you identify a negative point about this test which is different from the point you made in (a).
Paper 2/2
In a unit with the overall purpose of teaching Ls to use question tags to express agreement, activity 1 asks Ls to discuss the topic, answering the questions : Do you like taking photos? Why/Why not? In your opinion what makes a good photo? Do you think you are good at taking photos? Why/Why not? In activity 2 they then discuss a photo where someone is setting up a professional looking camera and decide i) what’s happening ii) why the photographer needs help from a friend. Activity 3a asks them to listen and see if their predictions were correct, and Activity 3b to listen again and answer some true/false questions about the dialogue. Activity 4a focuses on the question tag used in the dialogue – A: …it’s quite difficult. B: Yeah, it’s hard, isn’t it? while in Activities 4b-c the Ls work on some guided discovery questions for both aff/neg and neg/aff tags. Activity 4d is a controlled practice activity.
Identify at least one assumption and a reason for that assumption which underlies activities 3a and 3b
Paper 2/3
How many types of long turn can you name? Are they primarily interactional or transactional? Give an example for each of at least one learner type who might need to use them.
Suggested answers
Paper 1/1
a. elision b. diphthong c. homonym d. ellipsis e. hyponymy
Paper 1/2
a. Definition : Laterals are consonant sounds made by partially blocking the airflow but allowing air to pass down the sides of the tongue. Example : in English the only example is the approximant /l/
Further reading from An ELT Notebook : English Consonant Sounds
b. Definition: A copulative verb is a verb followed by a complement (adjective or noun phrase) which can be "equated" to the subject of the sentence. Example: look in The roses look wonderful (The roses = wonderful)
For more information and examples (which might be necessary in Paper 1/5) click on the link above..
c. Definition: Colligation is the tendency of certain linguistic items to occur in specific syntactic contexts and not in others. Example: Some intensifying adjectives such as mere can only be used in attributive position - It was mere folly but not *The folly was mere.
For more information and examples of colligation (which might be necessary in Paper 1/5) see here.
d. Definition: Induced errors are those which are in some way provoked by the teacher or materials. Example:
Teacher : Davide, ask Yoshi where Heikki comes from.
Davide : Yoshi, where Heikki comes from?
The learner's error is "induced" by the word order of the teacher's prompt.
To see how this could be avoided, see here.
Paper 1/3
Structuring
the discourse. Eg: Discussing each topic at a time - Summarising the
discussion.
= 0 marks. Cambridge state that if this feature is used (Discourse
Structure/Organisation), at least three stages must be mentioned. Compare it with : Structuring the discourse. Eg: Choosing the
topics to discuss – Discussing each one at a time – Summarising the discussion
and drawing conclusions, which would gain the marks
Paper 1/4
1. Weakness: Grammatical Accuracy. Slips (probably) with the 3rd person present simple “s”: If he carry…. (instead of carries)
2. Weakness: Grammatical Accuracy. Consistent omission of will for predictions - If he carry on his oath, the world improve in a good way (instead of will improve).
3. Weakness: Grammatical Accuracy. Frequent omission of articles: This article criticises Nobel Peace Prize committee ( instead of the Nobel...)
NB: Notice that there are three different points here, all from the same category but covering different aspects of that category which a B2 learner would be expected to have mastered. Don't "lump things together". Cambridge will treat them as three separate points
4. Weakness: Appropriacy of Language. Inappropriate and inconsistent expression of negative opinions: I think he hasn’t actually accomplished anything yet; I don’t think Nobel Peace Prize isn’t…
NB: to be either a strength or a weakness, a feature should be consistently correct/incorrect. There will therefore be several possible examples, as in the point above. You should only give one.
Paper 1/5
a) Grammatical ties
He / my – anaphoric reference to Einstein
It – anaphoric reference to The cosmological constant
b) Lexical Ties
Antonymous relationship between blunder / correct. Their antonymous relationship is reinforced by the co-ordinating conjunction but which indicates a relationship of contrast between the first and second clauses in the sentence.
Later / since - elliptical reference to 1917 : later (than 1917) / since (1917)
c) Combined Grammatical/Lexical Ties
The concept – the combination of the definite article the (indicating shared information) and the following lexical item alerts the reader to the fact that concept must refer back to something already stated (anaphoric reference) – ie to the synonymy (in this text) of concept and cosmological constant
Paper 2/1
a) Positive: Communication vs. Imagination - she is asked to talk on a topic she has full experience of and is given time to think of the points she wants to make. Impact on the L: She is therefore unlikely to do badly on the test because she can’t think of anything to say and her performance will reflect her true level of competence.
b) Negative: Relevance to Needs - The test gives no evidence about her ability to discuss geographical concepts in English, or to use language for classroom management, both of which will be essential in her work. Impact on the L: The T will therefore have no idea how much work on these areas needs to be included in the course, and could either exclude important areas from the course or include unnecessary ones, thus lessening the benefits of the course for M.
NB: In various exams and other documents Cambridge often switch terms. They may talk about the effect on the learner, the impact on the learner or the application to the learner. But they all mean the same thing.
Paper 2/2
Either of the following would gain 3 marks.
1) Assumption: A task should always be set before Ls listen to a text (3a,3b) Reason : This gives them a purpose for listening, helping them focus only on specific elements within their comprehension at that stage. The “doability” which results helps prevent demotivation created by awareness of other elements which were not understood.
2) Assumption: Learners cope better with listening texts if gist listening tasks (3a) precede listening for detail (3b) Reason: a) Listening for gist allows them to extract what they can from the text, while ignoring what they don’t understand. This creates a feeling of achievement and is thus motivating; or b) the overall understanding gained at the first listening can make it easier to then listen for precise information. This makes the listening for detail stage more “doable” and means that motivation is liable to be retained
Paper 2/3
Some examples of long turns and the learners who might need to use them are:
Primarily Interactional discourse
- Anecdote telling – eg any learner involved in social interaction in English
- Storytelling – eg parents/grandparents etc of children being brought up speaking English; NNEST teachers of young learners.
Primarily transactional discourse
- Presentations – eg BE learners; EAP learners who might have to give presentations in seminars; learners from other ESP fields (eg doctors needing to present at international conferences); young learners on project based courses; university lecturers working on courses delivered through the medium of English.
- Speeches – eg politicians working at EU, UN etc level.
- Tasks in exams such as FCE and IELTS where candidates have to talk for a minute or so without interruption, for example to describe some photos (FCE) or talk on a specific topic - eg any learner working towards an exam which involves this type of task.
No comments:
Post a Comment