Friday, April 3, 2009

CPE Speaking Part 3 long run practice

Prepare yourself to talk about one of the following:

1. Are manners and politeness becoming less important in modern society?
  • the young generation
  • the pace of life
  • communication methods


2. How difficult is it to maintain your independence?

personality
finances
family obligations


3. In what ways can an individual's personal freedom be threatened?

  • closed-circuit television
  • urban living
  • computers

CPE part 3 example 2-minute run

Look at the prompt card and talk for about 2 minutes. You can use the ideas listed.

Does money have too much importance In the modern world?

status

materialism

security



EXAMPLE:


I think the statement means that the important things in life can't be bought and, while I think that's true to a certain extent, f also think that money can gp some way to helping os achieve those things. To begin with, it's difficult to have peace of mind if you have money worries. Of course, a lot of other things can destroy our peace of mind which have nothing to do with money, and being at one with yourself and content with your life is far more important than being rich. I also think that, if you have money, you can control the state of your health to a certain extent by ensuring you follow a balanced diet and by having the time to exercise. And should you develop health problems, you can afford to have treatment that might save or prolong your life. Furthermore, although nature is there for everyone's enjoyment, it is becoming increasingly the case that only wealthy people can enjoy nature's gifts, because only they can afford to buy homes in the countryside and travel to unspoilt areas of natural beauty. On the other hand, I do agree that wealth is a hindrance to sincere relationships. Being rich cannot buy you love, it can only buy you companionship and entertainment I imagine that if you're very wealthy, it must be hard to tell whether people are genuinely interested in you or just in your money. / also think that while it's preferable to have money if you are going to have children, very often wealthy people have dysfunctional relationships with their families and all the money in the world cannot make up for the comfort and security of a loving family. In conclusion, I'd say that not all the best things in life are free, but hopefully there will always be some things that money just cannot buy.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

CPE ORAL EXAM OVERVIEW

This article is authored by Peter Travis and is copyright of Splendid Speaking 2009.

Key Facts

Duration: 19 minutes (28 minutes for groups of three at centres where there's an odd number of candidates).
Participants: Candidates are interviewed in pairs. There are two examiners present: one who asks the questions, the other acts as assessor and doesn't speak during the interview.
Format: The oral test consists of three parts.

Part 1 (Interview)

Tests ability to: use language for social purposes, such as in making introductions, answering questions, giving an opinion.

This first section of the CPE Speaking exam lasts about 3 minutes (4 minutes for groups of three). In this section the examiner will ask you at least three questions to give you the chance to introduce yourself and for you to give an opinion on a general topic to do with your life experiences, interests etc.

Example Questions

The interview will begin with the examiner saying something like:

Q: Hello. My name is ........ and this is my colleague ........
Q: And your names are?
Q: Can I have your mark sheets please? ........ Thank you.
Q: First of all we'd like to know something about you.
(Source: CPE Handbook: www.cambridgeesol.org)

The examiner will then ask each of you a minimum of three questions. For example:

Q: Which place would you recommend a visitor to your country see?
Q: How important is it to speak English in your country?
Q: Do you think young people spend their leisure time usefully?

Tips!

You may well be asked questions that could be answered with a brief response. However, try to give full, relevant answers to these questions.

1) Offer more than the bare minimum in your answers.
Q: Which place would you recommend a visitor to your country visit?
A: If someone comes to the Czech Republic they'll obviously want to spend time in the capital, Prague but I'd also recommend visiting Brno. (Don't stop there!) It's in the heart of Moravia and it's full of cultural places of interest. There's a city centre and an old part of the town and they're both full of lovely cathedrals, museums and much more.
Q: Do you think young people spend too much time using technology?
A: Not really, no. It's true that people often say young people are always sitting in front of a computer screen or texting on their mobile phones. But that's how life is now, isn't it? Anyway, I have many friends who play lots of sport so it's wrong to generalise.

2) Offer examples to help you explain a statement.
Q: How important is it to speak English in your country?
A: Speaking English is very important. Children learn it from an early age and many jobs require you to have an English qualification or want evidence that you can communicate in English well. It's not just English though. In my company for example, for business reasons German is also very important.

Part 2: (Collaborative Task)

Tests ability to: use language to discuss and interpret, to agree, disagree or agree to disagree, negotiate and collaborate, to rank or classify, speculate, evaluate, make decisions etc.

There are two sections to Part 2 of the CPE Speaking test, which lasts about 4 minutes (6 minutes for groups of three). The examiner will ask you and your partner to talk about a set of visual prompts together.

Example Task

The examiner will say something on the lines of:

Q: Now in this part of the test you're going to do something together. Here are some pictures showing people in different situations.

Q: First, I'd like you to look at pictures A and C and talk together about why these photographs might have been taken. You have about 1 minute for this so don't worry if I interrupt you.

Then after approximately 1 minute:

Q: Thank you. Now look at all the pictures. I'd like you to imagine the following photographs have been collected together for a campaign to encourage healthy eating. Picture A was one of several pictures used in the campaign the previous year.

Q: Talk together about how each of the other pictures might be used as part of this year's campaign and choose one for the front cover of the campaign brochure.

Q: You have about 3 minutes to talk about this.

Notice there are TWO instructions. You are asked to talk about all the pictures first but also to reach a decision as to which one picture should be used for the campaign. This means you're required not only to discuss but also to show your ability to negotiate and collaborate with your partner. You don't have to reach agreement but you must at least work towards this.

Tips!

The discussion will proceed more productively if you work collaboratively on this task.

1. Ask your partner for his or her opinion rather than simply stating your own. Focus just as much on asking some 'What do you think ...' type questions rather than simply making 'I think ...' type statements.

2. When your partner is speaking listen carefully and 'actively'. Show interest in their opinions by responding to comments he or she makes. This might be by showing you agree or disagree with something they've said but could also be to ask them to expand or clarify a comment they've made. For example:
'That's an interesting point.'
'So, when you say ........, do you mean ........?'
'Could you explain what you mean by .......?.'

3. When giving your opinion, accommodate your partner's views when appropriate. For example, depending upon whether you agree or disagree with something you could say:
'You were saying …'
'You mentioned …'
'That’s a good point.'
'You’ve got a point there.'
'You’re absolutely correct.'
'Precisely!'
'I see what you mean but …'
'I see what you’re getting at but …'
'But don’t you think …'

Part 3 (Long Turn and Discussion)

Tests ability to: speak at length coherently, use language to develop a topic, describe, compare and contrast, hypothesise and comment.

Part 3 of the CPE Speaking test lasts about 12 minutes including 2 minutes for each long turn and 4 minutes for the final discussion. Candidate A is passed a card and has to speak about the topic without interruption, either from the examiner or their partner. When Candidate A has finished the examiner asks Candidate B a brief question about the topic. The roles are then reversed: Candidate B is given a different card and speaks for 2 minutes followed by Candidate A who answers a brief question about the topic. At the end of the long turns both candidates participate in a discussion with the examiner about the theme of the two topics.

Example Task

At this stage of the interview the examiner will say something on the lines of:

Q: Now in this part of the test you're each going to talk on your own for about 2 minutes. You need to listen while your partner is speaking because you'll be asked to comment afterwards.

Q: (Candidate A) I'm going to give you a card with a question written on it and I'd like you to tell us what you think. There are also some ideas on the card for you to use if you like.

Q: All right? Here is your card. Please let (Candidate B) see your card. Remember (Candidate A) you have about 2 minutes to talk before we join in.
(Source: CPE Handbook: www.cambridgeesol.org)

Example (Candidate A Card)

Have our attitudes to food have changed over recent years?

Food production
What we choose to eat
Eating as a social activity

Example (Candidate B Card)

Does travel broaden the mind?

Culture
Mutual understanding
Leisure opportunities

At the end of each long turn the examiner will ask the other candidate a question such as: 'What do you think?' or 'Is there anything you would like to add?'

Following this, the examiner will start the discussion stage and say something like:

Q: Now to finish the test we're going to talk about 'attitudes' in general.

Q: Is it usually simple to change people's attitudes?
Q: How are people's attitudes often formed?
Q: Do different generations find it easier to change their opinions about issues?
Q: Do you find it difficult to change your attitude towards something?

Tips!

1. You will only be given a few seconds to collect your thoughts before being asked to make your long turn so you won't be able to plan your talk in detail. However, you will be able to structure it loosely around an introduction, main body and conclusion. Start by making the topic significant by relating it to a topical news story or with reference to an important event in your life. For example:
Card A
'Hardly a day goes by when we don't hear stories about how unhealthy our diets are these days ...'
'This is a really interesting topic and one that I can relate to .... '
Card B
'This is an interesting question. Probably the most influential experience in my life and one that changed my attitude towards other nationalities was when I spent time travelling ...'

2. Signpost your talk to help the examiner and your partner follow your train of thought. For example:
'Take the way we produce food for example ...'.
'Then there's/Turning to the kind of food we like to buy ...'
Signpost the fact that you're coming to an end with expressions such as 'So ...', 'As you can see ...', 'To sum up ..'.

3. Listen carefully to your partner's presentation and consider your attitude to one or two of the points made. Then, when the examiner asks for your opinion show you've been listening by answering on the lines of:
'The point (Candidate A) made about ... was particularly interesting. In my experience ...'
'(Candidate A) raised some really interesting points. In my view ...'

4. During the discussion phase when your opinion is asked for, use expressions to allow yourself time to think. For example:
'That's a good question.'
'Well, let me think ...'
'It's funny you should ask ...'
'Well, to cut a long story short ...'
'Well, to be honest ...'
'It's difficult to say ...'



Sunday, March 29, 2009

CAE key word transformation 2

1. The weakest part of the show was definitely the choreography. greatest
The……………………………………………………was definitely the choreography.
2. His accomplishment as a young violinist is wonderful. wonderfully
He is ……………………………………………………………young violinist.
3. Large music companies are generally reluctant to tryout unknown artists. general
There is a ……………………………………..large companies to tryout unknown artists.
4. The radio controller's immediate reaction was to sack the two offending DJs. sacking
The radio controller …………………………………………the two offending DJs.
5. Beethoven was probably the most innovative composer of the age. more
Beethoven was probably responsible for ……………………………any other composer of his age.
6. It would be a good idea to give the candidates a compulsory personality test. take
It would be a good idea if the candidates ……………………………a personality test.
7. I think it is better if you don't contact him for the moment. to
I don't think ………………………………………him for the moment.
8. Attending the seminar is optional for first-year students. have
First-year students ……………………………………attend the seminar.
9. If you enjoyed his last novel, how about trying some of the earlier ones? like
If you enjoyed his last novel, you ……………………… try some of his earlier ones
10. It was a bad idea for him to lie to his parents like that. should
He ………………………………………than to lie to his parents like that.
11. He continued to take the medicine even after the symptoms had disappeared. on
He ………………………………the medicine even after the symptoms had disappeared.
12. These areas of the brain are used in recognising facial expressions. allow
These areas of the brain………………………………facial expressions.
13. I don't think that parents should argue in front of their children. avoid
I think that parents ………………………………in front of their children .
14. I have no intention of listening to your excuses. prepared
I …………………………………………………………to your excuses.
15. You can't make him go to the party if he doesn't want to. force
You can't ………………………………………to the party if he doesn't want to.
16. Your questionnaire can remain anonymous if you prefer. have
You ……………………………………………your name on the questionnaire.
17. Their equipment is subjected to more rigorous testing than any other manufacturer's. tested
Their equipment ………………………………………than any other manufacturer's.
18. In the past, she exercised more often than she does now. as
She does not exercise ……………………………………………to.
19. It is commonly assumed that good teachers have to be extrovert. common
There is …………good teachers have to be extrovert.
20. He'll probably forget all about the appointment. chances
The ………………………………… all about the appointment.
21. Membership of the gym has fallen dramatically this year. far
The gym has …………………………………………….than last year.
22. Should you see Keith this afternoon, give him my regards. happen
Give Keith my regards ………………………………….this afternoon.
23. It's a great shame that I didn't ask her for her mobile number. regret
I really ………………………………………..for her mobile number.
24. The exercises were much easier than I thought they would be. nearly
The exercises were ………………………………..I thought they would be.
25. If you've forgotten the combination, you can't open the safe. remember
Unless ………………………………………, you can't open the safe.
26. Support for the Green Party has risen dramatically. rise
There has been ……………………………for the Green Party.
27. We arrived too late to hear the president's speech. could
If we had arrived earlier, we ………………………………….the president's speech .
28. Our high intelligence means that we are able to foresee the consequences of our actions. allows
Our high intelligence ………………………………..the consequences of our actions.
29. I paid too much for the necklace because I didn't know that they were not real pearls. known
Had ………………………….imitation, I would not have paid so much for the necklace.
30. These trainers are much better than any other brand. superior
These trainers ………………………………………any other brand.
31. He was just going to confess that the painting was a forgery. point
He was …………………………………………..that the painting was a forgery.
32. I am not going to put that painting up for auction. intention
I ………………………………………………….that painting up for auction.
33. The first day of the Aztec exhibition is next week. due
The Aztec exhibition ……………………………………………..next week.
34. The bird flew away before I could get my camera out. about
I …………………………………my camera out when the bird flew away.
35. I think she'll be shocked when she finds out how much the painting is worth . for
I think she …………………………..when she finds out how much the painting is worth.
36. You really should apply yourself to some serious studying now. time
It's high …………………………………………….to some serious studying.
37. We were about to reach an agreement when you interrupted us. point
We ……………………………………………an agreement when you interrupted us.
38. The release of his next novel is scheduled for the end of June. due
His next novel ………………………………………………….at the end of June.
39. He finds it hard to use the template on the computer. difficulty
He ……………………………………………..the template on the computer.
40. 'I really think you should go to the police, Mary,' said Felix. urged
Felix ……………………………………………….to the police.
41. I'm sorry that I threw away the instruction leaflet now. kept
I wish ………………………………………….the instruction leaflet now.
42. I am really surprised that you believed his story. surprises
What …………………………………………………you believed his story.
43. She persuaded Nicholas not to take early retirement. talked
She ……………………………………………………..early retirement.
44. We won't achieve anything if we stand around like this. point
There is ……………………………………………………..like this.
45. I find his attitude towards modern education the most irritating part of his work . irritates
The thing ………………………………………….his work is his attitude to modern education.
46. He has a bad leg so I know he has not gone far. have
He ……………………………………….with his bad leg.
47. Going out without your coat and scarf was foolish. should
You ………………………………………….your coat and scarf before going out.
48. It's possible that he was driving the car when you phoned him. have
He ……………………………………………. the car when you phoned him.
49. It was wrong of you to lie to me. to
You ……………………………………………………….. the truth.
50. Maria says that it is impossible that he knew about the meeting. way
According to Maria, there is ………………………………………..about the meeting.
51. As soon as they had closed the door, the alarm went off . sooner
No ………………………………………………………the door than the alarm went off.
52. He writes very original poetry and is a mathematical genius as well. only
Not ……………………………..very original poetry, he is a mathematical genius as well.
53. The president never admitted that his strategy had failed. time
At …………………………………………………………that his strategy had failed.
54. You should never reveal your password to anyone else. circumstances
Under ……………………………………………………your password to anyone else.
55. As soon as his lecture came to an end, the students broke into applause. finished
Hardly ………………………………………………….when the students broke into applause.
56. People only began to realise how intelligent she was after she had left school. start
Only after she had left school …………………………………how intelligent she was.
57. Our memory of the words that someone has used is not usually exact. exactly
Seldom ………………………………………………………what words someone has used.
58. It only dawned on them who he was when he started speaking to them. realise
Not until he started speaking to them ………………………………….who he was.
59. They don't often spend much money on cultural activities. rarely
Only …………………………………………………….on cultural activities.
60. Parents should not let children watch TV before the age of three. allowed
Only after the age of three …………………………………………watch TV.
61. He liked people to think of him as a strong leader. thought
He liked ……………………………………………….as a strong leader.
62. They made previous generations of village children help with the harvest. were
Previous generations of village children ……………………………..with the harvest.
63. It is estimated that over 5000 people were present at the coronation. attended
Over 5000 people are ……………………………………the coronation.
64. No one can decide anything until we hear more news. be
No decision ………………………………………. until we hear more news.
65. People do not feel that the committee has done a satisfactory job. felt
The committee ………………………………………..a satisfactory job.
66. They say that Socrates died from drinking hemlock. said
Socrates ………………………………………… from drinking hemlock.
67. We have to plan for a possible influx of refugees. made
Plans ………………………………………for a possible influx of refugees.
68. People think that someone started the fire on purpose. have
The fire ……………………………………………. on purpose.
69. The original plan was to convert the castle into a hotel. have
In the original plan, the castle …………………………………into a hotel.
70. They heard him say that the king was seriously ill. was
He ……………………………………………………that the king was seriously ill.
71. There have been many debates about the origin of the language recently. much
The origins of the language ……………………………………..recently.
72. People think that the letter was written in a secret code. been
The letter ……………………………………………………….in a secret code.
73. The police brought charges against him for wasting their time. charged
He ……………………………………………….police time.
74. Latin and Greek no longer form part of the curriculum. dropped
Latin and Greek ……………………………………………….the curriculum.
75. She doesn't like it when people tell her what to do. told
She doesn't take kindly ……………………………………..what to do.
76. English is now widely used instead of Yoruba as the language of West African universities. replaced
Yoruba ………………………………English as the language of West African universities.
77. They are doing all they can to ensure that the language does not die out. being
All possible measures ……………………………………….the language from dying out.
78. There will be a clear reduction in productivity if they adopt this policy. should
There will be a clear reduction in productivity ………………………………………adopted.
79. It 's possible that he was waiting for us in the wrong place. could
He ……………………………………………………for us in the wrong place.
80. It is never a good idea to wander away from the path. should
Under ……………………………………………………..wander away from the path.
81. I am sure that it wasn't Roger that you saw at the party. have
It ……………………………………………………..Roger that you saw at the party.
82. I had only just picked up the receiver when I heard the ambulance arrive. lifted
Hardly ……………………………………………… I heard the ambulance arrive.
83. People believe that Alan's wife destroyed his diaries after he died. have
Alan's diaries …………………………………………….by his wife after he died.
84. The moment that they sat down, the chairman walked in. sooner
No ……………………………………………………………..the chairman walked in.
85. The idea first came to her when she was working as a waitress . struck
She ……………………………………………the idea when she was working as a waitress.
86. Both his parents were actors so he is very familiar with the world of the theatre. having
He is very familiar with the world of the theatre, ……………………………………………actors.
87. The original idea was to complete the restructuring by the beginning of March. have
According to the original plan, the restructuring …………………by the beginning of March.
88. It is quite possible that the emergency call was a hoax. well
The emergency call …………………………………………a hoax.