Monday, March 23, 2009

All about paper 5


click here to find out all about the Speaking Paper













Post comments asking Angela Dias any further questions and earn a medal for your relevant particpation!

6 comments:

Analu said...

Well Angela,
speaking should not be a matter of concern to us teachers,but as I´m trying my best to be calm on the day of CPE, I wonder if the examiner´s interruption will not harm my performance.Do I lose points if I´m cut short? How can I time my long turn speech? Is it possible to practice it at home? I´m also worried about the card topic selected. Imagine if it´s a medical, a pharmaceutic or a legal issue? I don´t know a thing about these!

Angela said...

Hi, Ana!
Let me try to answer your questions:
1. Don't worry about being cut short. Candidates don't lose marks if they have to be interrupted.
2. Ideally, you should aim for 30 seconds on each of the ideas on the card (which are not mandatory), with a short introduction (e.g. That’s an interesting question. There are several aspects to consider here.) and conclusion (e.g. All in all, In a nutshell)
3. Of course you can practise by yourself. Have you ever tried recording your long turn using an MP3 player?
4. You won’t be asked to talk about “a medical, a pharmaceutical or a legal issue”, as the long turn is about a general interest topic. However, if you get a topic like the one below, you should be prepared to talk about medical breakthroughs like cloning and the use of stem-cells, genetically modified food and invasion of privacy on the Internet. But remember you just have to spend 30 seconds on each idea and you’re not expected to give specific details. You can use info you’d find in a magazine article, for instance (So it’s a good idea to read articles about a wide range of topics). Giving examples helps a lot!

How might some technological advances be regarded as going too far?
• medicine
• agriculture
• data collection

Check out these sites:
http://www.splendid-speaking.com/exams/course/report.pdf
http://www.splendid-speaking.com/exams/cpe_speaking.html
And, as Levi would say, keep on blogging!
All the best,

Levi Ramos said...

Ana Lucia, You got a shiny one for your relevant question!!

Angela, have I told you're the best yet? I don't think I have this week!
BTW, I'll drop by Meier ONE tomorrow morning to bring you a little something. So don't get surprised as you open your locker!!

Angela said...

Levi dear,
Thank you so much for the wonderful present!You shouldn't have ...
Who's the best? LEVI!!!

Analu said...

Well, let me interrupt this exchange of praise between two amazing masters! Angela, thanks for the tips, I`ll try the thing about the MP3 player...I haven´t recorded my voice since I was a student at that "four-letter English course". God bless you TWO for your consideration with us.
Hugs and Kisses!

Angela said...

You're welcome, Ana. My pleasure!