You may have noticed that I haven't written anything on this blog for several days. I'm currently packing up the contents of our house - we're going to have some serious work done to it so we're moving out for a few months!!! After 22 years of living in the same house, we have accumulated rather a lot of stuff. I wanted to take advantage of the situation to have a sort-out/clear-out! It's nearly done, but has taken up rather a lot of time and energy over the past two weeks!!!
While I was going through my papers - a neverending task! - I came across a note to myself to look again at TeachingEnglish.com posters.
There are 7 'posters' - more than 'posters', they are corkboards with ideas for teaching writing, reading, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, grammar, speaking.
You can find some good ideas on the boards - maybe some ideas that you haven't used for a while.
So, I thought I'd share the link with you via this blog. I hope to get back to writing regular posts!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Revised Cambridge English: First and Advanced from 2015
I am busy preparing seminars for various sessions in Bilbao (at the British Council) 30th October, 13th and 20th November and in San Sebastian (Lacunza-ih), 15th November.
All of these seminars are related to Cambridge English: First and/or Cambridge English: Advanced, so I thought I'd better check out the revised formats of these two exams. (The seminars I'm giving are not about the changes but I try and make sure I'm informed in case anyone asks!)
As from January 2015, both exams will change. Very obvious changes are:
- Candidates will take 4 papers instead of 5. (The Reading and Use of English papers have been combined into a single paper.)
- Both exams will be shorter in total - Cambridge English: First will take 30 minutes less and Cambridge English: Advanced will be 45 minutes shorter.
You can access the Specifications and Sample Papers for both exams:
I am going to look at the Sample Papers and Audio Samples in more detail now. ...
Bye!!!!!!
All of these seminars are related to Cambridge English: First and/or Cambridge English: Advanced, so I thought I'd better check out the revised formats of these two exams. (The seminars I'm giving are not about the changes but I try and make sure I'm informed in case anyone asks!)
As from January 2015, both exams will change. Very obvious changes are:
- Candidates will take 4 papers instead of 5. (The Reading and Use of English papers have been combined into a single paper.)
- Both exams will be shorter in total - Cambridge English: First will take 30 minutes less and Cambridge English: Advanced will be 45 minutes shorter.
You can access the Specifications and Sample Papers for both exams:
I am going to look at the Sample Papers and Audio Samples in more detail now. ...
Bye!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Accessible learning resource - chocolate?
I am in clear-up mode at the moment. I was going through a notebook I'd taken with me on a seminar trip a couple of years ago and came across a web address I'd jotted down.
I've just checked it out and I can see that it would be a useful resource for students to use at home.
The name of the site is attractive too!
Learning chocolate
' to make learning a new language as fun as enjoying a piece of chocolate!'
There are 5 pages of themes - there would seem to be 25 themes per page so.... 125 of them.
Each theme works the same - you see a set of pictures and words (Review). Each word has a speaker icon next to it. You click on the icon to hear the word. The spelling and pronunciation is American English, so make sure students are aware of that if they're more used to British English or another type of English.
Next, there are 3 match up activities. Then a fill in activity and a dictation of the words.
The format is always the same so I doubt if your students would manage to do all 125, but I'd suggest that it would be a useful resource to share with students (and parents).
And Learning Chocolate isn't limited to English - you can also Chinese/Mandarin, German, Spanish and Japanese - I might try learning a bit of Chinese later.......
And - what about this lovely picture on the subject of learning and chocolate? Great idea for working on writing and using interesting words from F is for First-grade Fun!
I've just checked it out and I can see that it would be a useful resource for students to use at home.
The name of the site is attractive too!
Learning chocolate
' to make learning a new language as fun as enjoying a piece of chocolate!'
Each theme works the same - you see a set of pictures and words (Review). Each word has a speaker icon next to it. You click on the icon to hear the word. The spelling and pronunciation is American English, so make sure students are aware of that if they're more used to British English or another type of English.
Next, there are 3 match up activities. Then a fill in activity and a dictation of the words.
The format is always the same so I doubt if your students would manage to do all 125, but I'd suggest that it would be a useful resource to share with students (and parents).
And Learning Chocolate isn't limited to English - you can also Chinese/Mandarin, German, Spanish and Japanese - I might try learning a bit of Chinese later.......
And - what about this lovely picture on the subject of learning and chocolate? Great idea for working on writing and using interesting words from F is for First-grade Fun!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Cambridge English TV - speaking test videos, webinars and so much more!
As I said in my previous post, we Cambridge English Assessment: seminar presenters in Spain and Portugal are gearing up for a new season of seminars and conferences. We're going to be giving more seminars in even more places. Hope to meet some of you there!
I am starting to look at the sessions I'll be giving soon in Bilbao and San Sebastian and at the materials I'll be using.
I took a look at Cambridge English TV on youtube and found some great resources there. Back in February, I mentioned the YLE Teaching Tips available on this Channel.
Today, I found two speaking test videos - one for Cambridge English: Key for Schools
and the other for Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools.
Both show a complete sample speaking test and also provide a link to a pdf. document with comments on the Test and the candidates you see.
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/149448-ket-for-schools-examiner-s-comments.pdf
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/149446-pet-for-schools-examiner-s-comments.pdf
Teachers are always asking for examples of speaking tests to watch and to show their students. Here you have two good examples!
Other brilliant resources on the Cambridge English TV channel are English Language Learning Tips, looking at various areas such as Tips for Listening and Speaking Tests, etc. And recordings of webinars if you didn't catch them live.
Definitely worth a visit and saving to your playlists!
I am starting to look at the sessions I'll be giving soon in Bilbao and San Sebastian and at the materials I'll be using.
I took a look at Cambridge English TV on youtube and found some great resources there. Back in February, I mentioned the YLE Teaching Tips available on this Channel.
Today, I found two speaking test videos - one for Cambridge English: Key for Schools
and the other for Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools.
Both show a complete sample speaking test and also provide a link to a pdf. document with comments on the Test and the candidates you see.
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/149448-ket-for-schools-examiner-s-comments.pdf
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/149446-pet-for-schools-examiner-s-comments.pdf
Teachers are always asking for examples of speaking tests to watch and to show their students. Here you have two good examples!
Other brilliant resources on the Cambridge English TV channel are English Language Learning Tips, looking at various areas such as Tips for Listening and Speaking Tests, etc. And recordings of webinars if you didn't catch them live.
Definitely worth a visit and saving to your playlists!
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