Week 9 - Speaking parts 3 and 4 tips and expressions

Speaking part 3

•4 minutes for pairs and 6 minutes for groups of 3.

•Spend 2 minutes discussing and 2 minutes making your decision.

•The candidates complete the task without any input from the interlocutor. 

•A number of words related to a theme will be provided you have to discuss the ideas, give your opinion, and make a decision about the pictures.

•Turn your chair to face your partner. This will provide a physical reminder of what is important in this task, which is to interact with your partner.

•Start the task with a question about one of the pictures to your partner. Try to involve your partner and respond to what he or she is saying during this task.

•Discuss all of the pictures before discussing the decision or you will run out of time!

•You DO NOT have to agree on your decision! In fact, agreeing and making a decision too early would be a bad thing.

•If your partner talks too much: Interrupt them using appropriate phrases to get a good mark. Can I make a point? I’d just like to say… Excuse me, but I have to disagree…

•If your partner doesn’t talk at all: you can still receive a good mark if you encourage them to speak and give them time to answer.

•Remember, this is an interactive task and you must demonstrate your awareness of how to participate in a discussion.

Speaking part 4

•4 minutes for pairs and 6 minutes for groups of three.

•The interlocutor will join in the discussion on the general theme of the pictures from part 3. 

•The interlocutor will ask the candidates questions and encourage them to share their opinions about the questions and each others’ answers.

•Relax!  The “hard” parts of the test are over, now you can just have a normal conversation with the people sitting at the table with you.

•Give your honest opinion and don’t hesitate to react to what the other candidate says.

•Don’t dominate the conversation, the other candidate deserves a turn to speak as well.

When you finish

•The interlocutor will say, “Thank you.  That is the end of the test.”

• Thank the interlocutor and the assessor and leave.

•Don’t ask your score.

•Don’t say, “Oh my god, I’m so glad that’s over!”

•Behave like you are at a job interview, go outside before you stop “taking the test”.

Expressions for part 3

Listening to your partner:

"That's an interesting point."
"I was interested in what you said about ..."
"So, when you say ........, do you mean ........?"
"Could you explain what you mean by .......?"

Giving yourself time to think:

'That's a good question.',

'Well, let me think ...'

Discussing and giving opinions:

Up to the problem in question …

The main problem centres around …

It’s my belief …

For my part …

As I see it …

As I was saying …

I forgot to mention …

I’m of the opinion that …

To my mind …

To my way of thinking …

I am convinced that …

I am inclined to believe that …

Don’t get me wrong but shouldn’t we … ?

Judging by … they must be …

… is a separate issue.

Moving on to …

Taking everything into account …

I couldn’t agree more.

I agree up to a point.

I think I see what you mean, but …

I’m in two minds about it. / I’m ambivalent about …

I don’t see eye to eye with you here …

That’s true in a way, I suppose, but …

I don’t feel convinced …

That’s one way of looking at it. On the other hand …

Can you take a clear stand on that matter?

It brings to the question / idea / problem of …

Perhaps we should put … first? What do you think?

A strong point in favour of … is that …

What do you think should go next?

Are you happy with this order then?

Do you go along with that?

Coming to a conclusion:

"So, weighing up the pros and cons, do you think …?"
"Are we generally in agreement that …?"
"So, all in all do we feel …?"
"Essentially, do we all agree that …?"
"So, to sum up …"
"So, in general …"
"It seems we’ve reached the conclusion that …"

Week 8 - Report Writing

Use of English Structures to Learn

•To carry out an experiment – to do an experiment

•To carry out a survey

•To be put off – to cause to lose interest

•For the time being – at the moment

•To take something INTO consideration – to take something into account

•To give someone a hand – to help someone

•To raise one´s voice – to shout•To be responsible FOR something

•To be dependent ON

•The implications OF – what this means

•Heart rate – the speed of your heart

•To evolve FROM

•For battle (uncountable)

•To cope WITH/ to deal WITH

•A vital part of

•Followed by

•To be shortened/abbreviated TO

•Drawbacks – negative aspects

•To be allergic TO something

•To swell/ swollen/ a swelling – inflated

How to write a report

•Audience -  Usually your boss, a professional group, a school administrator or a group of your peers.

•Purpose - You need to summarise information and make a recommendation in a concise and well-organised manner. Your target audience usually does not have time to read all the information. Use headings and bullet points to help the audience find what they want.

•Formality – Formal!!

•How to start -  “The aim of this report is [paraphrase the relevant information from the prompt].”  This sentence will help you get directly to the substance of the report.

•How to finish – Make your recommendation.

YOUR TASK:

You have just completed six months in a new job. In preparation for a progress meeting, you have been asked to write a report to your manager.

Your report should explain:

1)What you feel you have achieved in the job so far (developed subject knowledge, recognition from colleagues, integrated into work environment – fit it, implemented a new system/idea)

2)Describe any problems you have had

3)Suggest any future training that would be suitable.

Useful vocab

Drawbacks

Training courses

Keep up to date

Relationship with colleagues

Salary

Possibilities of promotion

How you feel about your role

Subject knowledge/ enough qualifications

Working hours/ shift patterns

Environment and facilities

Week 7 Reading and Listening tips

Reading tips Part 6

Quickly read each of the extracts and describe each one with one word, for example: supportive, critical, sceptical, undecided, etc. This will help you form a general impression of each writer.

•Now read the question stems on the next page and underline the key words and the author which the questions relate to.

•Return to the texts and find the sections related to the key words. Underline them, compare them, and choose your answers based on the evidence in the texts.

Listening tips part 3

•Quickly read the task introduction to learn the context of the recording.

•Read the question stems carefully (not the answers yet) and underline important information.  The recording will answer the questions in order, so it is important that you know when the questions are being discussed.

•Skim the answers quickly. It is unlikely you will have enough time to read them carefully.

•As you listen, identify the question you are waiting to answer and the part of the conversation that contains the information you need.

•Mark possible correct answers as you hear the recording for the first time then listen closely to the relevant sections to confirm your answers the second time.

Listening tips part 4

•Remember that there are two tasks you must complete simultaneously. All five speakers will be heard once before the recording is repeated.

•Quickly read the introduction and the headings of the columns.  Context is extremely important in this part so you must clearly understand the situation and the nature of the two tasks.  Underline the important expressions in the headings for tasks one and two.

•As you read the answers don’t focus on these words but think of synonyms and similar expressions to these. It is highly unlikely that you will hear the exact words that are written on the question sheet in the recording.

•Don’t be afraid to choose more than one possible answer as you listen to the speakers the first time.  Decide between them as you listen again.

Week 7 listening tapescript

Part 3 Tapescript

Int:

Today we’re looking at careers in journalism. My guests are

Jenny Langdon and Peter Sharples, both regular columnists on

major publications. Jenny, you made your name really young,

didn’t you?

F:

Relatively, yes. I was a raw recruit on the local paper when

a scandal broke concerning a celebrity living nearby. Out of

the blue I found myself with a scoop on my hands. Basically, I

found the guy, interviewed him, then hid him someplace where

reporters on rival papers wouldn’t find him. When the story

broke next day, the editorial team had actually cobbled the

front-page story together from my notes, but it was attributed

to me by name. Before I knew what was happening, I’d been

headhunted by a national daily. It was a turning point alright –

but I can hardly claim it as a shrewd career move or anything!

Int:

And the editor at that national daily was a notoriously bad-

tempered individual...

F:

Well, there’s no denying he deserved that reputation! I mean,

having landed a dream job, I was really thrown in at the deep

end! My desk was right outside his office, so I was first in the

firing line if anything went wrong – even stuff I’d had no hand

in! But I knew better than to argue, and was thick-skinned

enough not to take it personally. Anyway that’s what the paper

was like, always on the edge, and I really flourished in that

environment.

Int:

Eventually getting your own daily column...

F:

... and that’s where I really came into my own. I mean, I’d done

stints on the sports desk, been celebrity correspondent – the

works. Actually, I only got offered the column as a stop-gap

when my predecessor left under a cloud. But I was desperate

to hold on to it. And it came at just the right time – if it’d been

earlier, I’d never have had the nerve or the experience to make

it my own.

Int:

Let’s bring Peter in here. You started off on the celebrity

magazine called

Carp

, didn’t you?

M:

I did. Ostensibly thanks to a speculative letter to the editor

when I was still a student. Actually, I’d been doing stuff for a

student newspaper all through university. Skills I learnt there

stood me in good stead. When

Carp

Magazine

 called me for

interview, my approach to college news convinced them I

was in touch with reality – you know, budgets, deadlines, all

that – that’s what swung it in my favour – it wasn’t just having

my finger on the pulse as far as youth culture was concerned –

important as that was at

Carp

.

Int:

Can I ask you both whether you’d say courses in journalism are

worth doing? Jenny?

F:

Well, I wanted to write and a journalism course seemed

a reasonable enough starting point. Journalism is at least

paid up front – unlike some forms of writing, and there’s no

denying that was an incentive. So, yes, I did one. And, you

know, if I hadn’t, who knows if I’d have been able to handle

the stuff thrown at me when I first arrived at the newspaper

– it does give you that grounding. But I wouldn’t say it taught

me everything I needed. Fortunately a stint on the student

newspaper filled in the gaps.

M:

... as is so often the case. They’re often criticised for taking too

strong a line on issues, but they’re invaluable because they give

you that free rein, and you’re generally writing from the heart

rather than for the money. I’d say by all means do a course,

theorise all you like in the classroom, but just bear in mind that

it’s no substitute for getting out there – for developing your

own style.

Int:

Now you’ve both recently published novels – is this a change of

direction?

F:

People keep asking that. I like to think that, much as I rate

myself as a journalist and feel I have nothing left to prove, I’m

still up for the next thing that comes along. I’ll never be a prize-

winning novelist, but having a go at it keeps me on my toes. It

would be easy enough to get stale doing a column like mine,

but that does remain my grand passion – I don’t know about

you Peter, but I’m hardly thinking of moving on.

M:

Well, I expect there’s people who’d say we should stand aside

to give up-and-coming writers a chance. But, no, I’m not. I’d

go along with the idea of diversification keeping you nimble

though, and I’m not making great claims for my novel either.

But I would take issue with the idea that journalism itself holds

no further challenge. I wish I had your confidence Jenny – I’m

always telling myself that I’m only as good as my last piece and

there’s no room for complacency.

Int:

And there we must leave it. Thank you both... Coming up now...

Part 4 Tapescript

Speaker 1

PAUSE 2 SECONDS

After college I worked in a bank to make money. It’s a great job

if you like sitting at the same desk every day, surrounded by the

same familiar faces. I got plenty of annual leave and the work

itself was quite demanding, but one day I woke up and realised

that it didn’t amount to much, and was really pretty pointless.

Handing in my notice was the next logical step. I set up as a

freelance photographer – a job I’d always dreamed of. After the

first six months or so of sheer panic, I feel much calmer; this

will always be a risky job, but ultimately a far more rewarding

one – not financially, mind you!

PAUSE 3 SECONDS

Speaker 2

PAUSE 2 SECONDS

The family car sales business was the obvious and safe career

route for me, even though we didn’t always see eye to eye.

I’d no complaints about the money, but that didn’t stop me

looking at what other people were doing and thinking ‘Now

that’s something I’d really like to get my teeth into’. And that’s

how I got into rally driving really. I went to rally school part-

time, then got signed up by a rally team. That’s when I left the

motor business, not without a bit of soul-searching! I miss the

family, but looking at myself now – travelling the world, maybe

even having the chance to make millions, living on the edge –

what’s not to love?

PAUSE 3 SECONDS

Speaker 3

PAUSE 2 SECONDS

I’ve always worked in the music industry – but was never

made to feel very welcome in the marketing department.

I guess my face didn’t fit, although I was doing well enough.

Then by chance I heard a band playing in my local venue and

thought they were great – I got them signed up and suddenly

realised this was exactly the type of work that suited me and

my abilities – searching for talent, giving kids a start in the

business I loved. So, after a while I left the company to do

just that – on a freelance basis. Pay’s not bad – it’s possible to

negotiate good percentages – but that’s not why I do it.

PAUSE 3 SECONDS

Speaker 4

PAUSE 2 SECONDS

I worked in a busy studio as a radio copywriter – it was

challenging and fun, but frustrating because it wasn’t leading

anywhere career-wise. I was spotted by one of the radio

executives – he liked my way with words and gave me the

chance of a presenting slot on a general interest show.

I jumped at it, but underestimated the skills involved – without

training it’s proving a steep learning curve! It would’ve been

better to work as an intern for free for a while to learn the

ropes, but it’s all about seizing the moment – too good an

opportunity to miss. Now I’ve got a foot in the door, I’m pretty

optimistic about making a go of it.

PAUSE 3 SECONDS

Speaker 5

PAUSE 2 SECONDS

I had a responsible job that I’d worked hard for – most people

would consider being an eye surgeon pretty rewarding, both

financially and emotionally. I wasn’t keen to leave, but the

long shifts and the sheer volume of patients got me down.

I wanted to use my knowledge and experience in other ways.

I did some research on the effects of sunlight on children’s eyes

and eventually started up my own business. We manufacture a

range of sunglasses designed to protect children’s eyes against

harmful rays. I’m my own boss, so I call the shots, which suits

me down to the ground. I have to be strict with myself about

taking holidays though!