Free online level tests

I am amazed by the wealth of materials that Cambridge English are adding to their Youtube channel and their different websites.

Yesterday, I received an update email telling me about new resources that have been added to Youtube and the website. I immediately forwarded it to schools locally because I thought there were so many interesting bits and pieces in it.

Firstly, the online test for Young Learners.

This is a great addition to the suite of online tests that are available on the website.  It means that there are now four different tests available, for different age and interest groups.                                       

And then, the email shared a resource that I had already accessed myself last week when I was preparing for my seminar in San Sebastian:  

The great thing is that not only do we have the videos, but also the Examiners' comments on the candidates' performance.  This is so useful for us - it helps us get our level of assessment right and really clarifies what candidates need to do.

Many of you will be on holiday this week and/or next.  It's gloriously sunny here in Santander today and I hope you're having great weather too!  Enjoy!!

Creative posters to use in creative classes! - Part 1

This morning, I was checking out some recommended pins in an email I'd received from pinterest

and came across a couple of things that gave me ideas for new collections to start and also inspiration for this post!

What about putting on some stimulating music (I'll leave you to choose suitable music for yourself and your students!)

Tell students to think about things they love doing........ something they haven't done for a while - because they haven't had time, someone they haven't seen for some time and they enjoy being with and doing things with.  They could share their thoughts with a partner or in a small group.

Then, show students these 'thoughts': 

You could focus on the structure and how it is repeated throughout:

I still find each day too short for 

                           all the  +  plural noun  +  I want to  +  infinitive

The plural noun needs to collocate with the verb - you take walks, read books, see friends.

Then, you could give them the skeleton for their thoughts and they write them down, using the same structure.

Here are my 'thoughts':

I'd better get on otherwise I won't have time to phone, chat, try out or develop!

Happy Monday!!  

Working on feelings and attitudes

One comment that is often expressed at Cambridge English seminars is that students find it hard to pick up on feelings and attitudes.

When I saw these pictures and the video they come from, I thought they would make great material for class and for working on feelings and attitudes.

First, show students the pictures (preferably one by one):

What's the matter with this man?  How is he feeling?

Who is the man in the light blue T-shirt?  What's the problem?What's the man in the jacket saying to him?

And this woman?  How does she feel?  What's she saying?  

Why has the man's expression changed?

Why is this man looking so happy?  What sign is he making?  Why?

Then, show them this video:

Students could 'become' one of the people who was parked.  They have just arrived home.  They are telling their family/friends about what happened to them today.....

All photos and video taken from: http://designtaxi.com/news/363706/A-Parking-Ticket-Prank-That-Puts-Smiles-On-People-s-Faces/

Which language is Arsene speaking? What's he saying?

In my previous post, I sang the praises of Arsene Wenger, coach at Arsenal Football Club.

When I was searching for a photograph of Arsene Wenger, I came across lots of very expressive photos of him.

It occurred to me that they would make a fun classroom activity!

Start by asking students if they recognise the man in the photos.  Tell students about this man.  His achievements:


He was born in a village near Strasbourg, France.

He can speak 3 languages (English, French and German) fluently.  He can also speak Spanish and Italian and a bit of Japanese.

When he was 29 years old, he did a 3-week English course in Cambridge.

He works in London.

He is the manager of an important football team there.

He has been manager at that club since 1996.

• Honours: English Premier League: 2004, 2002, 1998; FA Cup: 2005, 2003, 2002, 1998; FA Community Shield: 2004, 2002, 1999, 1998; French Ligue 1: 1988; French Cup: 1991; Japanese Super Cup: 1996

The players at Arsenal now can speak 12 different languages.

Next, in pairs or small groups, students discuss what language they think Arsene Wenger is speaking or thinking in in each of the photos.  They imagine that there is a speech or thought bubble coming out of Wenger's mouth.  They draw a bubble for each picture and write what he is saying or thinking in each one.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQT2x6pu1PM18ifo_ZYUvRCu5cfBG5UiDs8l5AUz-VqcKz2i2xf

clipartsfree.net

2 pairs or groups join to work together.  They take it in turn to show their thought or speech bubbles to the other pair/group.  They try and match each bubble to the picture it was written for.

http://www.herald.co.zw/arsene-wenger-purring-2/

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00796/arsenewenger2708reu_796444c.jpg

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/jan/02/arsenal-arsene-wenger-transfer-window

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02104/th_2104704b.jpg

http://www.inthestands.co.uk/news/arsenal-and-arsene-wenger-are-doomed-warns-emmanuel-petit.html/attachment/wengercry_415

2 weeks ago, I wrote a post about the collaboration between Nissan and Amazon and how the secret got out before it was due to.

I said I'd keep an eye out for the advert when it came out and share, so here is the link!

Even more teaching material on this story I felt when I saw it!

There is no talking, just images.
You could do an ordering activity - what are the stages of buying something online and then actually getting it and using it?

You could get students to think about what each person in the video is saying or thinking - the man taking the small box out of the mailbox, the woman and the boy watching out of the window, the buyer when he sees the lorry pull up and then when he gets into the car to drive it for the first time.


And then, at the end, there's a brilliant question for discussion:

It'll be interesting to see what suggestions people come up with!

This story and the video provide discussion material about how much our shopping habits have changed and what things you would/wouldn't buy online.


Enjoy!  And enjoy the weekend too!

Anne

Speaking Test videos for Starters, Movers and Flyers

Back in October, I sang the praises of Cambridge English TV.

In my previous post, a link to some new speaking test videos was mentioned in the January 'Enseñamos Juntos' newsletter.

I have just watched the Starters video on the Cambridge English TV youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHAnqjI4cU8&feature=youtu.be

It's a great way of showing students and teachers what to expect in the test and Olivier's answers and the examiner's reactions and responses really illustrate how candidates need to respond in each part of the test.

For example, if they have to put a small picture next to something in the big picture, then it should be next to that thing, not on it.  In that part of the test, candidates' understanding of prepositions of place is tested and the examiner can really see if they understand them well.

We can also see how the Starters Speaking Test moves from understanding and doing (pointing to things in the picture, identifying the small picture and placing it somewhere in the big picture) to speaking more about things related and familiar to the candidates (eg  What colour are the buses in Luxembourg?) to questions about the candidates themselves (eg  How old are you?, Who do you play with at school?)

And seeing the new visuals for the speaking tests, I'm impressed!  Very attractive and colourful!!

Preparation is the key - tips from the Examiners

I was busy going through the seminar I'll be giving in Bilbao tomorrow, and was checking links to speaking test videos that I'd written about before on this blog, when I came across a clip that I hadn't seen or heard about before.

3 examiners who often appear on Cambridge English speaking test videos appear in a short video giving tips to help candidates do well in speaking tests.

The tips they mention also appear on screen.

http://www.thefutureworkplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/hints1.jpg

I noted some down and am sharing them here:

Listen carefully.  (Photos)  Maintain the flow for a full minute. Know how long your answer should be.

Know when and how you have to expand your answer.  Move the interaction forward or to a conclusion.

React.  Don't be put off if the examiner interrupts.

Keep the conversation going.  Extend.  Paraphrase.  Find a way of keeping the conversation going.
Ask questions if you don't understand.

Interact.  Use eye contact and body language to encourage your partner.  Overcome nerves.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLpAmvxF3s1O2AGba5Qib5zHqGgMZvp6syaqCToNz3JQdJ4K3XZdGjOi6Pw9iXwQO_E8MmAAa3EfYhWtcbp7EkXQTng07zIgNlnXBw8imjfMMNRXUaY1LfVSiSIdOahq9fh0lYdLaqPU/s1600/EyeContact.jpg

Balance accuracy and fluency.


Some good advice!  From the examiner's mouth!

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!

More useful resources from UsingEnglish.com

I'm back from holiday.  Had a great time in Madeira.  Great weather, food, experiences.  Loved the decorations in the streets and around the churches for August 15th.

I won't be working flat out yet, but I will try and write a couple of articles per week.

I've written before about Using English.com and the resources they have.  I have about 50 pdf documents that I've saved in a file on my computer.

Recently, I've had 2 emails telling me about articles with tips for approaching Parts 1 and 2 of the Cambridge English: First speaking test.  I especially liked the suggestions for useful language and approaches for Part 2.

Part 1
http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-cambridge-first-certificate-fce-speaking-part-one.html

Part 2
http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-teach-cambridge-first-certificate-fce-speaking-part-two.html

With many students taking the Cambridge English: First exam earlier this year (I know lots of candidates for October 2013), no doubt many of you are already priming them for the different parts of the exam. The two articles on UsingEnglish.com will be very useful for focusing on the Speaking Test.

Just out - TESOL Spain articles about exams

I must apologise for being a bit 'missing' as people in Spain would say.

But at the moment, my waking hours are taken up by finalising Young Learner timetables and dashing around Cantabria running sessions for the Cambridge English: Young Learners English Tests.

I keep an eye on the emails I receive and answer the urgent ones as they come in, but many are left in my inbox, waiting for a bit of spare time to look at them in more detail.

But I thought I'd mention a couple of articles in the latest TESOL Spain e-newsletter because they are both exam-related.  (And one of them happens to be written by a great friend and fellow Cambridge English: Language Assessment Presenter -  Rosie Burke)

100 Years of Cambridge English talks about how different the exams our students take nowadays are from the Certificate of Proficiency in English when it was first taken in 1913.  I for one have seen so many changes in the Cambridge English exams during the time I've been involved them and the changes seem to happen more and more frequently to keep up with changes in technology (and language too of course!)


The second article, by David Bradshaw links to his blog and includes lots of tips for things to do (and NOT to do) in a speaking exam.   David's post is very attractive, with links to videos with advice and sample speaking tests and his blog looks as if it contains lots of useful materials and ideas.  I'll be bookmarking it in my 'for later' file.

http://davidbradshawenglish.org/2013/05/27/speaking-exams-what-to-do-and-what-to-avoid/

Right - time to switch off the computer, check through the box of materials for tomorrow and switch off my mind!!!

Another great photo resource!

I was reading through some emails I'd received over the past few busy days in order to try and reduce the number of emails in my inbox.  (None of them urgent - I deal with those as they come in!)

While I was reading through one of the emails, I clicked on the link and read another of the tips submitted to the Cambridge English Language Assessment UK and Bell Teaching Ideas Competition.

The tip itself is a great one.  I've taken note and added it to my teaching resources.

And then, I tried out one of the suggested sources for photos for students to choose and compare.

I had never seen Tag Galaxy before.  I'll certainly be using it again (and again!)

Here is a description of how it works:

What it is: Tag Galaxy is a neat little tool that helps students to explore relationships between words and ideas as well as view pictures related to that word.  Type in a word to search and immediately you are transferred to a galaxy with the original word at the center and the associated ideas orbiting around it.  When you click on the word in the center, a globe populates with pictures from Flickr that are tagged with that word. Click on one of the orbiting words and tags related to that word start to orbit.  Tag Galaxy is a very neat way to view information!                    http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=3506

Here are two screenshots for the tag 'speaking'.  The first screenshot shows the original word 'speaking' with the related words around it.

The second shot shows photos 1 - 235 from flickr tagged with 'speaking'.

You can click on any of the photos to see it closer up and then you can go the original photo on flickr.  If you want to see more photos, you can choose the next batch of matches, or spin the globe to see the other side of it.

I'll DEFINITELY be using this resource a lot.

Great, simple idea for Describing photos in Speaking Tests

I have just finished reading another post from the Cambridge English South East Europe Blog.

(I mentioned the tips for teaching YLE a couple of weeks ago here.)

I really liked a new tip for preparing the photo task for the Cambridge English: Preliminary exam.

Laura Casetti from Argentina submitted this tip. I thought it was great and well worth a mention on this blog.

Exam preparation idea for:
Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET), Speaking paper, Part 3

Summary:
1. Ask students to bring in a topic-related picture.
2. Divide the class into pairs and ask the students to swap pictures.
3. Ask the students to describe their partner’s picture.
4. Ask each student to describe their own picture to the class, and then explain how their partner described it.
5. Encourage the class to discuss further ideas.

Materials needed:
A picture or photo from home

Describing a personal photo
“I usually ask students to look for a picture at home, related to a given topic (usually the one we are dealing with in class), and bring it to the following class. This gives them the chance to choose a picture that, in a way, inspires them. The class works in pairs, exchanging their pictures, which, as I said before, have a topic connection.

Once they have done this, I give them a task for Part 4. After they have finished this, they are asked to tell the group how they would have described the picture they brought, and how their partner actually did this. Then, they can ask the rest of the group for further ideas.

This activity proves quite fruitful, since it allows students to open their minds to new ideas about what to say about a picture, enlarging the scope of possibilities. If this is done regularly when we finish dealing with a given topic, at the end of the course they will have a folder with their own pictures, which will be useful for revising the topics, prior to the oral interview.”

I would suggest that the same idea could be used with groups of Cambridge English: First, Advanced and Proficiency students.

With these groups, you could either ask them to bring in two related photos or they put their photos together and make pairs of photos and think of a question that could be asked in the style of the Cambridge English: First, Advanced or Proficiency photo tasks.

Useful preparation resources for Advanced Speaking

A few years ago, I subscribed to a site called Splendid Speaking.

Every week,  I received an email with a link to some resources for working on areas to develop Advanced students' speaking skills.

On the site, you can find 26 Get Speaking Task Sheets, working on different topic and functional areas. (You only get access to the Task Sheet being emailed that particular week).  You can see some of the areas covered below:

I have saved all the task sheets on my computer.
In Task 5, as well as talking about role models, the task sheet suggests a range of expressions to agree and disagree.
In Task 6, expressions for thinking out loud are considered and provided.

So, when I received an email from Splendid Speaking on Saturday telling me about a new website  for IELTS Speaking, I clicked on the link and discovered some great stuff.

In the free Weekly Vocabulary Practice, holidays and relationships have been covered so far.

And the resource that I really liked and found quite novel is the Five Minute Functions.
To date, there are two videos - Using fillers and Expressing likes and dislikes.   You can watch them on the IELTS Speaking website or on Youtube.

I would say that it's definitely a site to bookmark and revisit.

Yesterday, I was along the coast in San Sebastian (for the second time in a week!).   Beautiful city (in fact, the first city I visited after I first came to Spain all those years ago to work in Madrid!)

Yesterday, I was there to give two seminars:  Teaching Cambridge English: Advanced for the First Time and Teaching Cambridge English: First for the first time.

Many of the participants attended both sessions.  I knew this was going to be the case, so I made sure that the sessions complemented each other and didn't repeat materials or ideas.  I also knew that 95% of the people who were coming WEREN'T new to either of these exams, but rather, had come along for advice and ideas for them to train teachers new to the exams.

Near the end of the second session, on First, I asked different groups to discuss their ideas, tips and advice for each of the five Papers of the Cambridge English: First exam, using this handout.  (I adapted this from a document for IELTS I downloaded from Usingenglish.com here.)  Precisely, I wanted to draw on their experience and expertise (there was a lot of this in the room, believe me!)

What I suggested to the people at the seminar was that I would share this document via the Teaching Together Blog.  Then, I will write up the suggestions that the groups in San Sebastian came up with and consider each of the five Papers in five separate blog posts.

It would be great if readers of this blog could also send in their ideas!  We can learn so much from each other!

Coping with cold weather

While I was checking my emails, I was listening to Sky News and in the review of the paper, they were discussing the impact of cold weather and snow.

Here in Cantabria, the temperature dropped by 10º(C) yesterday.  Brr!!!!  Many places both in Spain and the UK have had their first snow falls.

http://www.picturesofwinter.net/snow_pictures.html

(There are some great photos of winter on the website I downloaded the above photo)

This reminded me of an article I had saved to share with you via this blog.  I came across it back in September and thought it would make great classroom material.

How does the chef at the British Antarctic Station feed 90 people when the nearest supermarket is 4,000 miles away?


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2195789/British-Antarctic-Station-How-does-chef-feed-90-people-nearest-supermarket-4-000-miles-away.html

I suggest that you could start off by showing students the following subheading:

Antony Dubber works in one of the most remote, dangerous and beautiful places on Earth

Ask them to suggest where Antony works.  
Which remote places can they think of?  
Why might this place be dangerous and beautiful?  
What job does Antony do there?

Then, show them this photo and discuss whether they guessed this place:

Next, they could read the article and find out what makes the South Pole beautiful and dangerous, and why Antony's work as a chef there is challenging.

To follow up and focus on language, I thought students could look at the combinations of adjectives and nouns in the text.  (You could give them a list of adjectives used in the text and  they look for which nouns they describe).

For example:
a varied  (menu)
leading (centre)
fresh (fruit and vegetables) (herbs)
spectacular (night sky)
the nearest (supermarket)
the closest (supermarket)
the most popular (treats)
huge (freezers)

Well, I'd better wrap up because I have to pop out now!  Have a great teaching week!




 

Spain seen from two sides

After watching the news yesterday evening, I switched on the computer to take a look at the photographs that have been submitted to Antena 3, the Spanish TV news channel's website, in response to the article and the pictures that appeared in the New York Times on September 24th:

Spain Recoils as Its Hungry Forage Trash Bins for a Next Meal

(See this and the other photos here)

One of the biggest criticism's of the photos is that they paint a very one-sided picture of Spain and they are all in black and white.

There are 150 photos on the antena3.com website.  They are all in colour - some of them are very colourful indeed.

After looking through all the photos, my teacher's brain began thinking about how I could use them in class.

One way would be to use a couple of them to illustrate ways of completing three different sentences about Spain:

1  Spain, the perfect place to ...

 (ride a bike)

2  In Spain, we still have ......

 (bubbles and smiles)

3  Visitors to Spain should see:

(Granada)

As a follow-up, students could be asked to find three images of Spain to submit to Antena 3 for the campaign (1 picture for each sentence).

And the pictures make great material for the speaking tests for Cambridge English: Preliminary, First, Advanced and Proficiency.  Either the teacher or each student/pair of students could choose a pair of related pictures and then be asked to write the intoductory rubric (and follow- up question) for the pair of photos.

For example:  (For Cambridge English: First Speaking Practice)

I'm going to give you two photographs.  Both your photos show people from different generations spending time together.  I'd like you to compare your photos and to say what things the two people in each picture can learn from each other.   You have about a minute for this.

I hope you enjoy looking at the (Antena 3) photos as much as I did, as well as reflecting on the photos from the NYT.

  

Great source for examples of answering questions

I have spent most of the day looking at some different web tools and pages.  One of the things on my 'to do' list for this academic year is to start using some new tools and applications with my students.

I was revisiting a favourite of mine - Nik's Daily English Activities.

I mentioned Nik back in a post in January this year.  I had been watching a recording of a webinar Nik gave and had really enjoyed it.

Anyway, today, I clicked on Nik's link to VYou.  

First, I watched the questions asked by Oprah Winfrey, then I looked at some other questions and answers on the site.

I thought that it would be a great page to use with students preparing to take the Cambridge English: First, Advanced and Proficiency exams, in particular when preparing them for the first and final parts of the Speaking Tests.

For example, someone out there has set the following question:

If a book has been made into a movie, which do you prefer to do first, see the movie or read the book? Why?

http://www.odcpl.com/index.php?p=1_81_Books-into-Movies

As I write this post, 4 people have recorded their answer with a video camera.  You can watch them here.

I think that this and similar questions and answers could be a great source for discussion in (or outside) class.
Students could be asked to 'give marks' using the criteria that Speaking Examiners use:

- Grammar and Vocabulary
- Discourse Management
- Pronunciation

(It's a bit difficult to evaluate the answerers' interactive communication because they are monologues!!!)

And I also think that the site could provide us teachers with some interesting discussion and opinion questions to put to our students (or they could each choose a question to ask the teacher and/or their classmates!)

And if you're feeling brave, they could also record their own answers and share them!

(Note:  Some of the questions (and answers!) might not be suitable for sharing with your students, especially with teenagers, so I suggest you choose the ones you can use carefully! )

Painting

One of the first things I came across when I switched on my computer this morning was this:  

I like it, so I shared it on Facebook and now I'm sharing it with you via this blog!

And here is an activity based around the subject of paintings:

The two paintings below have something in common.
What?

- Can you see them in the same museum?  
- Are they the same style?
- Were they painted by the same person?  

Click on the link below to find out!!!

ABC News Article

The paintings in this article could be used in class.

Each student (or group or pair of students, depending on the number of students in your group) could read about a different painting and note the following information:

Who painted the painting?
Where was it stolen from?
How much is the painting worth?

Students can then discuss which of the 7 paintings they like or dislike and why and whether they think it's right that a painting or violin should be worth so much money.

If you want to continue with this debate, you could also show students pictures of the most expensive works of art sold at auction here.