ESL/EFL exams may contain writing tasks that require students to write a review of a film or book.  This is an example of a film review intended to give candidates and teachers a springboard for vocabulary exercises and discussions about the organization of reviews.  The topic dealt with in this post is the following: 

Writing stories for fun, for school or for English as a foreign language (EFL) exams.   Stories, or narratives, are a part of several English language examinations such as Cambridge's First for Schools (formerly known as the First Certificate in English or FCE for short), the Learning Resource Network's LRN and the English Speaking Board's ESB.  Apart from exams though, many students are asked to write a short story as a school assignment and find themselves in a bind.  Add to this crowd those who enjoy writing or want to put pen to paper in the hopes of entering a competition or becoming the next book-to-film adaptation tycoons, but don't know where the launchpad is. Well, this post hopes to get the creative juices flowing.  

Examinations for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) are one of the most widely recognized English-language exams that certify one has mastered the language at C2 level (based on the Common European Framework of Reference or CEFR for languages).    It is not without apprehension that candidates sitting this exam prepare to tackle Paper 2 -- the dreaded Writing section.  This post will outline the various points candidates should keep in mind when dealing with the essay in Part 1 of Paper 2 and provide tips to help with the whole task through a step-by-step approach.  

My two previous posts explained how to deal with two distinct types of oral examination questions as part of English-language certification qualifications. The first post gave some tips how to describe a person, place, object or activity while the second how to narrate past experiences or any kind of situations one may have had to deal with.     Though these types of questions are typically part of the English oral examination for the Michigan State University (MSU) certificate at C2 level, this as well as the two previous posts can be used to train candidates of other English-language examinations, be they B1, B2, C1 or C2-level exams. Based on experience, I have seen that helping a candidate develop fluency requires building up their ability to narrate and describe, so whether they are sitting the IELTS or CPE, the ECPE or LRN, LRN, TOEFL, BULATS, TIE, ECCE, FCE and so many others that are out there on the market, knowing how to describe and narrate is a must.   T...

In my last post , I talked about how to deal with oral exam questions that asked candidates of English-certification exams -- such as the the Michigan State University (MSU) exam -- to describe someone or something. The post and questions that accompanied it were meant to help C2-level candidates, but the same questions could easily be used to get B2-level exam takers to speak more. This post now deals with narrations, that is, questions which require candidates to speak about a past experience, a situation they had to endure or they enjoyed. As I said in my last post, the questions that follow can be used by students and teachers alike as discussion starters, so even if you are not planning to sit an exam, you might find this article useful in terms of improving your English. Prepare vocabulary associated with the topic, or think about using linking words to sequence your ideas. These are just two of the "activities" teachers can promote as they discuss these questi...

The English oral examination for the Michigan State University (MSU) certificate at C2 level is a straight-forward affair if you know ahead of time what it is examiners might ask. This applies to all Speaking components of English-language certificate exams which means that the more varied the types of questions a candidate has knowledge of in advance, the more likely he or she is to stumble upon a similar question on the actual day of the test. Thinking about what answers could be given ahead of time and jotting down some ideas in note form lets candidates worry about finding the right words to use during the exam instead of searching for things to say, arguments to give, examples to support an opinion which they might even not have at that particular moment. This post therefore is not only geared towards those taking the MSU exam, but for candidates preparing for the IELTS, CPE, ECPE, ESB, LRN, TOEFL, PTE, BULATS, TIE, and similar tests whose list will doubtless increase with...

Just like the two previous lists with topics that cover the Description section of the MSU-CELC exam in English (if you'd like to take a look, go here and here ), this list moves on to cover the next section of the exam which asks candidates to talk about an event in their lives for approximately one to two minutes. If you are an MSU-CELP candidate, feel free to go over the topics but make sure to extend your answers to cover two minutes for all questions. This narrational task requires sequencing skills in addition to the usual dose of grammatical aptitude and lexical range. In plain English, a candidate must show they know how to use a variety of grammatical concepts correctly as well as vocabulary words, and also place events in a logical order, using time expressions and sequence words like "then", "eventually" or phrases such as "in the end", "all of a sudden". Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips

This is the second list of MSU-CELC examination description questions (Tasks 1 and 2 of the oral exam).   Twenty more questions should help keep candidates on their toes before the exam. If you missed the first post with description questions, you can read it here . This list can also be used by other learners of English to improve their speaking skills. Teachers could use it as a discussion or oral exam practice tool. If you are an MSU-CELP candidate, feel free to go over the topics but make sure to extend your answers to cover two minutes instead of one. Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips

The following list will help candidates practice answering description questions (Tasks 1 and 2 of the MSU-CELC examination ), but can also be used by other learners of English to improve their speaking skills and teachers as a discussion or oral exam practice tool. MSU-CELP candidates could also use the same topics but should extend their answers to cover 2 minutes. Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips How to use the list Students should time themselves and be able to continue to speak for about one minute on the following topics. By practicing regularly, they should be able to know how long their answer should be to cover the time set aside for this task.

Whet her you are preparing for a B 2, C1 or C2 language examinat ion in English, at some point during the test you are required to maintain discussion for about 1-2 minutes on your own. This is so mething students sometimes find difficult to do as they have very few ideas about what to say after having stated one or two basic points.  Regardless of the awarding body and certificate you are sitting an exam in (IELTS , Cambridge CPE or FCE/ First for Schools, ECPE or ECCE, MSU CELP or CELC, LRN, TOEIC, ESB, PTE) , you will have to find ways to ex pand you r answers to show that y ou can speak English w ith out needing a nyone 's help . To do this, you need to keep the examiner from having to ask you o ne o r two follow-up questions in order to el icit a longer res ponse from you. I n oth er words, if a task requires a can didate to speak for about two minutes on a t opic , and the candidate manages to speak for a min ute and 10 seconds only, the examiner wi ll have to ask a...

Please note that the following questions are not only for those sitting the IELTS examination. Teachers, students or anyone who wants to improve their spoken English can use them to practice speaking. All you have to do is practice with a tutor or speaking partner, or even by yourself. Use a stopwatch to time your answers -- a reasonable answer should last 2-5 minutes.  For IELTS test takers, this is the fifth list of cue card questions, so if you haven't seen the previous lists, here are the links:  10 More IELTS Cue Card Questions (part 1) 10 More IELTS Cue Card Questions (part 2) 10 More IELTS Cue Card Questions (part 3) 10 More IELTS Cue Card Questions (part 4) Remember to limit your answers to 2 minutes. IELTS candidates should also read the tips for Part 2 of the Speaking section here: IELTS Speaking: Part 2 Sample Questions (List 1) & Tips.

Please note that the following questions are not only for those sitting the IELTS examination. Teachers, students or anyone who wants to improve their spoken English can use them to practice speaking. All you have to do is practice with a tutor or speaking partner, or even by yourself. Use a stopwatch to time your answers -- a reasonable answer should last 2-5 minutes.  For IELTS test takers, this is the fourth list of cue card questions, so if you haven't seen the previous lists, you can find them here (part 1) , here (part 2) and here (part 3) . Remember to limit your answers to 2 minutes. IELTS candidates should also read the tips for Part 2 of the Speaking section here: IELTS Speaking: Part 2 Sample Questions (List 1) & Tips.

Please note that the following questions can be used by teachers and students or anyone who wants to improve their spoken English. All you have to do is talk about the topic with your speaking partner or tutor or even practice with the help of a stopwatch by timing your answer. A reasonable answer should last about 2-5 minutes. For those preparing for the IELTS exam, this is the third list of cue card questions for Part 2 of the Speaking component. You can find the first list here and the second one here . Practice these questions by timing yourself and sticking to 2 minutes for each topic.

Please note that the following questions can be used by teachers and students or anyone who wants to improve their spoken English. All you have to do is talk about the topic with your speaking partner or tutor or even practice with the help of a stopwatch by timing your answer. A reasonable answer should last about 2-5 minutes. For those preparing for the IELTS exam, this is the second list of cue card questions for Part 2 of the Speaking component. You can find the first list here . Practice these questions by timing yourself and sticking to 2 minutes for each topic. IELTS candidates should also read the tips for Part 2 of the Speaking section here: IELTS Speaking: Part 2 Sample Questions (List 1) & Tips. You can find more information about the Speaking exam if you also read Useful Vocabulary Words for Speaking Exams   IELTS Speaking: Part 1 Sample Questions (List 1)   IELTS Speaking: The Basics

Please note that the following questions can be used by teachers and students or anyone who wants to improve their spoken English. All you have to do is talk about the topic with your speaking partner or tutor. For those taking the IELTS exam, please read the tips for Part 2 of the oral component of the test here: IELTS Speaking: Part 2 Sample Questions (List 1) & Tips. You can find more information about the Speaking exam if you also read  Useful Vocabulary Words for Speaking Exams   IELTS Speaking: Part 1 Sample Questions (List 1) IELTS Speaking: The Basics

Depending on the English exam you're taking, the oral component will include questions that deal with things you already know about because the question will ask for information based on what you do, or about things that have to do with the country or city you live in. As you already know from my blog post IELTS Speaking: The Basics (even though the post deals with the IELTS exam, the main ideas stated also refer to oral exams administered by other examination boards), examiners are looking for variety in grammatical structures and vocabulary as well as good, long answers that show you feel comfortable expressing yourself in English.   The following list deals with a number of topics that could crop up during the oral examination and has therefore been divided into topic categories. Each category is followed by a short list of words that can be used to either add somewhat more advanced vocabulary to your answers or give you ideas how to develop your answer. For instan...

After Part 1 of the oral exam (find a list of questions here ), Part 2 of the IELTS exam requires candidates to talk for about two minutes on a topic given by the examiner.  This blog post will provide you with a series of questions that could be asked at this stage of the test.  Make sure you've read IELTS Speaking:The Basics so your answers will make it possible for you to score higher.  After the questions, read some tips on how to answer your question for Part 2.

In Task 1 of the Academic IELTS exam, candidates are asked to summarize a diagram, graph, table or chart of some sort (oftentimes more than one) in a descriptive text of at least 150 words.  As previously mentioned in my blog post IELTS: How To Grade Your Writing , examiners are looking for a wide lexical range, which in layman's terms means vocabulary. They want to see that a candidate can use a variety of words or phrases to navigate through a factual, academic description. Therefore, a selection of words are bound to be required by candidates so that they can clearly present the most important facts seen in the rubric (i.e. the question given).  In the case of process descriptions , this selection of words is not easy to pinpoint. The only phrases that may be of use for students are ones that have to do with 

The following information can be used by any test taker, not only ECPE candidates.  Taking a C2-level oral examination is never easy. Apart from the usual stress due to lack of time allowed for reflection, uneasiness with regard to face-to-face contact and fear of making mistakes that will lead to failure, there is also the issue of ideas. Candidates often question whether on the actual day of their exam they will be clearheaded and creative enough to have something to say. Not all people are made to respond quickly. This may sound like a prejudicial statement, but experience has shown that people don't make the same connections others do when they hear a word spoken. And I say again, this is not prejudicial because it doesn't imply that someone who isn't quick to respond is slow-witted. No, it just means that different people have different processes unfolding in their minds every second they stand breathing in front of you, so it is natural that while one person...

As mentioned in my previous blog post concerning the Speaking component of the IELTS, the first part of the oral exam consists of general questions about you, your work or studies, your free time activities, family, home and neighborhood, and the like. This post lists a number of typical questions that could land at your feet on the day you present yourself before the examiner.  Don't panic, don't mumble, don't have prepared answers memorized. Just reply honestly having thought about what your answer should include (so memorize key words if you like, but not complete sentences) and also answer at length. Remember, the more you make the examiner work, the lower your grade. Show you can speak fluently and can express your thoughts clearly. Here is a first list of different questions you could be faced with: