- you have done a Module One course previously but need some "refresher" input or practice before taking the Module One exam
- you are self preparing for Modules One or Three
- you are preparing for any of the modules and need extra help with a specific area
- you have been referred in or failed any of the modules and need to retake
Material will be added regularly and gradually - for the moment here are some questions that might help you if you're preparing for the Module One exam this June. So have a look at them think about how you might answer them. Sometimes there’s a direct link to the answer, otherwise he next day a suggested answer for that question is published and a new question goes up. Here's a selection of them - eight questions which you can try, all relevant to different tasks on the exam. The suggested answers can be found if you click on the links or afterwards (don't cheat!). How would you do if they did come up on the exam?
The Questions (scroll to the end for the answers if there's no link)
1. Relevant to Paper One
Task One
What
are the terms for :
a) A test in which every nth word has
been removed from a text. It tests a range of language knowledge such as
grammar, vocabulary or discourse. Click here for the answer.
b) An activity or test in which the materials writer has removed specific words (eg all the prepositions, or all the intensifiers) from a text and the learners have to replace them with a correct or appropriate word. Click here for the answer.
2. Relevant to Paper One
Task Two
Can
you give a definition and example for the term:
Click
on the link for the answer
3. Relevant to Paper One
Task Three
In Paper 1/3
you are asked to identify key language features that learners would need to use
in order to complete a task. 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 – holidays, transport,
entertainment, shopping, the workplace.
How many
marks would the following answer get ?
Expressing
likes and dislikes. Eg I loathe
shopping online. I’d much rather be able to see the goods for myself.
4. Relevant to Paper One
Task Four
A learner says He asked me if that’s why I worked there,
pronouncing it as: /hiːjɑːskt
miːjɪf dæts vaɪjaɪ vɜːkt deə/
Identify one consistent
strength and one consistent weakness in the learner’s use of liaison and dental
fricatives.
5. Relevant to Paper One
Task Five
Identify
the form of the highlighted words in the following sentence and three problems
they might cause for learners: We’re
used to taking command.
6. Relevant to Paper Two Task One
A
B1 class of ten adult Ls, who have 60 min lessons, has been working on a
number of units including lexis in the field of travel and sightseeing, and
making suggestions. As the speaking part of a progress test, the T. asks them
to imagine that they are going to either London or Paris for a weekend and, in
pairs, to plan what they want to do.
They will, in turn, hold their conversation in front of the class, each pair
speaking for about 5 mins.
Using the heading
Coverage identify two negative features of the
test and state their impact on the learners.
7. Relevant to Paper Two
Task Two
A unit with the overall aim of teaching the infinitive
of purpose includes:
Ex 1) a listening including several examples of the
target structure, with the topic of the human body's need for water
Ex 2) A guided discovery activity focusing on
form and use
Ex 3) an activity where there are various objects
connected with water which they are unlikely to know the names of (eg a watering can, a hosepipe, a snorkel)
In a box there are various phrases (breathe
under water, water plants, wash your car etc). An example is given
for the watering can (You use this to
water plants) and they have to discuss the uses of the objects in the other
pictures using the structure
Ex 4) An activity where they have to complete
sentences like He's learning
English to.../ I went to the shop to... in as many ways as they
can.
State the purpose of each activity in relation to the
overall aim.
8. Relevant
to Paper Two Task Three
Imagine Paper 2/3 focused on Guided Discovery and asked
you to explain :
a) the principles behind GD
b) its advantages over i) deductive approaches
and ii) T-led inductive approaches
c) when you might choose to use a deductive approach rather than any
type of inductive approach.
Could you make 10-15 fully explained and/or exemplified points in
answer?
Try and then see: here, here -
p.268, here, and here – p.
216ff for more ideas.
Suggested Answers
Questions
1 and 2 – click on the links in the question for the answers.
Question
3
= 0. While
this is something that might well be said in the activity, it is not “key”. The
learners could do the activity successfully without discussing their own
current preferences.
Question
4
Strength : Liaison - consistent use of “intrusive” palatal approximant /j/ to create liaison between adjacent vowel
sounds : /hiːjɑːskt/
/miːjɪf/ /vaɪja[M1] ɪ/
Weakness: Dental fricatives – consistent use of voiced alveolar plosive /d/ where voiced dental fricative /ð/ is
necessary: /dæts/ /deə/
Question
5
Form
Be
(main verb) present tense, 1st person plural are, contracted to ‘re
after the pronoun + adjective (used)
+ preposition (to) + gerund of the
irregular verb take – in writing the
the “e” is dropped before the addition of the –ing suffix.
Problems (any three of
the following)
1.
Confusion
between the meanings of be used to
(ie be accustomed to) and the
defective verb used to (used to
express past habits/states)
2.
Confusion
over the form of to – it is liable to
be seen as an infinitive particle and the L may therefore say be used to take
3.
Belief
that used is a form of the verb use and consequent mispronunciation - the
/s/ may be pronounced as /z/ ie /ju:zd/ rather than /ju:st/
4. … together with possible
mispronunciation of the –ed ending as /ɪd/
producing /juːzɪd/
rather than /juːst/
5.
In
connected speech the gemination of the two /t/ sounds in used to and
the weakening of the vowel
to the schwa (ie /juːstə/)
may make the expression difficult for the L to decode and therefore to
understand.
Question
6
Negative: As the learners have been working over a
number of units, they have presumably also studied a larger number of items than just those
stated. The speaking test has no “fresh starts”
and therefore does not give the learners the chance to demonstrate their
competence in relation to those other items – which may be stronger or weaker
than those actually tested. This could result in a false view of the extent to
which they have assimilated the material taught.
Negative : While the Ls are listening to the others they
are really wasting time which could be spent doing other test sections
individually (eg Use of English, Reading, Writing) leaving the final part of
the lesson to finish these and/or do a listening in full class mode. This would
mean much greater coverage of items /skills during the test and would therefore
give greater reliability to the test.
Question
7
State the purpose of each activity in relation to the
overall aim.
Ex 1. To provide a context for the presentation of the
infinitive of purpose (Target language – TL).
Ex 2. To ensure that Ls have “noticed” and fully
understand the form and use of the TL.
Ex 3. To provide controlled practice of the TL (the Ls have to produce meaningful sentences
using it, but have no choices to make as to the language to use) which will
consolidate the use of the form in their minds.
Ex 4. To provide semi-controlled practice of the TL.
(The Ls must use the infinitive of purpose, but the choice of what ideas and
therefore lexis to use to use is their own)
Question 8 - Follow the links provided in the question.
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