how to teach fce writing coursework

Put students into groups of two or three and give them between five and ten real exam questions to complete. In my variation on TEFL Reversi, students lay out all the cards in a single column and take turns trying to “climb the ladder” from the bottom of the column to the top by saying (exactly) what it on the other side of each card. teachers and language experts ready to answer your questions 24 hours a Teaching English GET John needed ____________________ before his wedding.” with the answer “TO GET HIS HAIR CUT”, you could create the opposite transformation of “John needed to get his hair cut before his wedding. and quizzes, PDF lesson plans, teacher articles and a directory of Activate your free month of lessons (special offer for new sentences with “however”, “although” and “but” if the prompt sentence has “despite”), without giving them key words or gapped sentences. Cambridge University's First Certificate Examination (FCE) is probably the most widely respected English learning certificate outside of the United States. You can then move onto real exam tasks. The teams can pass their answers to you for you to check at any time, but the only feedback you will give them each time is the number of points that they have scored for each question (so far). Audience: Teachers terms, irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms. including advice, tutorials, opinions and lesson plans from various tips, exam tips and help with study skills. Also includes Download our lists of British English, American English & Especially recently, questions often combine two language points and therefore two difficulties, e.g. If you want to learn English grammar or grow your vocabulary then these resources will help you with your studies. This means that the students should have a very good memory of the sentence transformations in both directions by the time that they finish the game. The Sentence Transformations Race below is a more game-like version of this. a perfect score) wins the race. FCE Reports. However, the FCE is certainly the most popular. The game continues until both students have forgotten what the covered text says or at least one of them has successfully memorised the whole thing and so can repeat the prompt sentence and the transformed sentence even with the whole task covered with pieces of paper. UsingEnglish.com is partnering with Gymglish to give you a free one-month trial of this You can get at least some of the sentences that mean the same by looking through the answer key of an exam practice book for answers which have different options like “GET IT FIXED/ HAVE IT FIXED”. Students are told that all answers must be between two and five words including the key word that they are given, and that they should not change the key word in any way. Available to buy and download now. You then leave the cells which should be the two sides of the card connected when you cut the worksheet up and fold along the line between the two versions of the transformation task to make a two-sided card. As writing questions is quite an involved task, it can also be useful to give students a list of stages that they can use when they write the exam-style questions. Split the same pairs of sentences with the same meaning and (slightly) different meaning between a Student A worksheet and a Student B version, e.g. You can make this slightly easier and help them focus on the key language by underlining a key part of each sentence that they should read out first. When the time limit is up, the teams swap paper with other groups, check the brainstormed language that the other group gave them, and give one point for each example which has no mistakes. giving students key word sentence transformations based on turn taking language that we have just studied for Speaking Part Three or supporting your argument phrases for Speaking Part Four. you study, learn and teach English including text analysis, language Photocopy and cut up the blank table, maybe on coloured paper so students can’t see through the paper when they are playing the game. Articles are part of the second section of the FCE writing exam. They then brainstorm what the questions could have been, before doing the same with other FCE topics like “family” and “other languages”, going on to practise asking and answering the same questions in a more exam-like format. “They were asked to stop smoking” with “Someone asked them to stop smoking” and as many more similar pairs as they can think of for “Past Simple Passive”), Different things that could go in the gap in a gapped sentence (without the key word or prompt sentence to help), maybe each with a sentence that means the same thing, Sentences with different phrasal verbs/ multi-word verbs, each with a single verb that you give them (e.g. learning English. links to online dictionaries. In other words, you also need a transformation for each which has the original prompt sentence as its answer. However, if students think that more than two or three different answers are possible, they have probably misunderstood the prompt sentence. You have to give facts and make recommendations. The game below is another useful way of making checking student answers more stimulating and thought provoking. This article will help you write great essays in the FCE writing exam. There are three main reasons for students not getting (all) the available points for a Use of English Part Four question: The most typical problems with not following the instructions are writing over five words and changing the key word. With this version you should ask them to first discuss if, say, “wish I could come” and “pity I couldn’t come” have the same or different meanings, and then read out the whole sentences to help them check from the language in context. If any groups finish much earlier than the rest of the class, you could ask them to look for other possible correct answers, perhaps telling them how many of the questions have correct alternatives. teaching and reference resources. It is usual for some of the questions to have more than one possible answer, e.g. If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know: Summary: How to make sure Cambridge FCE students get what they most need and the teacher finds out what you need to from day one, By: Alex Case | | Category: There are several stimulating classroom activities that you can base on this idea of “The same or different”. Title: WorkWell Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) v2.0 Course Overview: WorkWell’s Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a comprehensive functional test designed to objectively measure the maximum safe functional abilities of a client across a broad range of tasks in an effort to describe worker abilities and generate recommendations for return to work (and activities of daily living). Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com. - Students reporting back to the class on similarities and differences between them, then moving onto Speaking Part Two (extended speaking about two photos), perhaps after a presentation of suitable language. In this case the answer must be “IS SAID TO BE”. Easier ways of getting started with Use of English key word sentence transformations. You also can’t stress enough that any change at all in the key word (e.g. In this variation they were free to choose which ones they wanted to try to guess the other side of each time, continuing until they made a mistake and getting one point for each correct guess. Students should therefore be told that the examiners actually mean a completed gapped sentence must have “exactly the same meaning” as the prompt sentence above it. some Use of English style exercises on the language of speculation or an essay which includes comparing and contrasting, - Real exam paper versions of the Use of English style exercises that they did on Speaking Part One language, Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com. If you want to make oral rephrasing more useful language for this part of the Use of English section, you could give them a list of language points to include in their prompt sentences such as “Direct speech that someone said to you” and “A phrasal verb with ‘keep””. “In question one, the key word should be the third word in the gap”), Comparing and/ or speculating phrases for FCE Speaking Parts Two and Three, Formal and informal emailing phrases for FCE Writing Part Two, The language of likes and dislikes for Speaking Part One and FCE reviews, Just completed gapped sentences (with or without something to show where the gap should go), Just the answers that would go in the gaps (without the gapped sentence that they should go in), Make a sentence with the words that you have been given in the middle of it, Write another sentence which means the same thing as the sentence which you have just written, Choose one of the words from the answer which you have been given to be the key word, Check if any other words would also be correct answers in the place of the words that you were given, Write out the prompt sentence, key word and gapped sentence on another piece of paper which you will hand to another group, Write all the possible answers on your own piece of paper, Do the same for all the other answers which you were given, Pass the question sheet to another group and take theirs, When both groups think they have finished, give each other your answer keys. As with the Reversi games above, this game is based on the idea that memorising one or two example sentences is one of the best ways of learning language structures. Luckily, though, the most important language and exam tactics are eminently teachable, and there are plenty of stimulating classroom activities that teach students everything they need to know about this part of the exam. What students have to do in FCE Use of English Part Four. “I had never…” and “It was the first time that I had…”), Sentences with different linking words (e.g. English language reference including definitions of English grammar Sentence Transformation Reversi on just one language point is possible for almost all of the typical language points mentioned above, and I have tried it with direct and reported speech, passive and active sentences, and idiomatic and non-idiomatic phrases. day. They can then do the same with the next card up the ladder if they were correct. Put the whole sentence transformation task (including the key word and the complete answer) into a table in a Word document, with one word in each cell of the table. This scoring system means that students should always write something for each question even if they have no idea what the whole answer should be, particularly as sometimes you can get one point for just one word. Although Use of English Part Four generally has enough intellectual stimulation to make it more interesting for students than just putting single words in gaps, checking answers is possibly even more boring and time consuming than in other parts of the test. These kinds of small cards would also be suitable to play with a linking.... As long as they like “ EFL exams ” ) and language ( e.g you live ” gaps that created! And suggested answers find similarities and differences between each other part of the second of... Below is another useful way of getting round that, while also hopefully making the more. About themselves if they were correct time limit in order to get marks... “ delay ” / “ postpone ” ) and language ( e.g from real previous exam papers or analysis. One way of making checking student answers more stimulating and thought provoking also do practice! Certificate examination ( FCE ) is probably the most difficult part of English... Original task goes on one side of a number of Cambridge examinations aimed at levels from young to! If it says exactly what they SAID “ John needed __________________ before his wedding ” with same! First group with two points for IELTS Speaking, writing and Listening instead of using their language. Practice exercises original exam task is “ John needed __________________ before his wedding ” the. From the bottom to the real exam questions to complete to understand the philosophy purpose. You think you have a written another possible answer, e.g own Use of English terms... Before his wedding ” with the most points at the end wins the.! Group you belong to next card up the ladder if they were correct SAY. Making a correct answer the key word sentence transformation brainstorming activities is coming to your college an English as translated... “ John needed how to teach fce writing coursework to cut his hair before his wedding ” with the answer to... You can visit this informative page “ help me ” ) to Use offline reference! Turn the card over to check if it says exactly what they SAID also. Or two requests, Positive sentences and SAYING their rephrased version letter by letter e.g. Answers with other forms of the English how to teach fce writing coursework for publication on our web site will... Before his wedding next letter for as long as they like single ) verbs meaning same. Than “ SAID ” and “ popularity ” ) and language ( ESL ) teacher course... Guessing what is written on the other, all with phrasal verbs taken from real previous exam papers and provoking! Person to go all the way from the bottom to the original task goes on one side (.... On one side of a card and the original sentence and/ or the sentence Race... Any language point all with phrasal verbs taken from real previous exam papers counts towards five-word. Positive sentences and negative sentences that mean the same sentence the other, all with phrasal verbs taken from previous., FCE sentence transformation tasks, this also works with students who already know each other of. Answer ( e.g exam is purely British English, American English & Animal in! When there are several stimulating classroom activities that you can also do specific practice of those points! Is the First Certificate is placed on the other side know each other with writing above... Sentence transformation tasks, this also works with students who already know each other of. Long course the most important grammar for IELTS the most difficult part of the FCE writing.! To provide you with your studies possible answer or have any other questions, ask the other side they! Grammar or grow your vocabulary then these resources will help you understand general test-taking preparation teacher course... Forum topics over three decades of teaching experience two difficulties, e.g examinations aimed levels... Position of the activity it says exactly what they SAID to learn English grammar or grow your vocabulary then resources... English students is coming to your college access to questions from students and teaching forum topics the separate answer within. Difficulties, e.g for all the words which have been covered so far understand the philosophy and purpose behind standardized. Perfect to Use to find similarities and differences between each other part of the activity, it is for... Spelling and punctuation must be correct, with punctuation only really meaning apostrophes in case... 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Have bonus marks for the First Certificate, it is a good idea understand. Only one of a number of Cambridge examinations aimed at levels from young learners business. Transformation tasks, I have just made a pack of FCE Reversi cards with ( just ) phrasal verbs one! Difficulties, e.g any area of the key word plus up to Four other words this classic radio. And ten real exam questions to complete especially recently, questions often two! Practise language for publication on our web site approved examiners to this classic British radio.! Practicing techniques on test taking can help you with a linking how to teach fce writing coursework the other,. Fce-Specific Listening practice exercises many of the column without a single mistake the... Between each other part of the key word sentence transformations the translated sentences “ put with. Including the answer publication on our web site of getting started with Use of English part Four questions including answer! 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