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PREPARATION COURSE FOR THE CAMBRIDGE FIRST CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

I. INTRODUCTION
This preparation course for the Cambridge First Certificate Examination (FCE) is 45 hours and is designed to prepare students to sit the official examination. The content and expectations for student performance in this course are described at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students who have completed PEI level 5 may register for this course; however, due to the nature of the course and its short duration, it is recommended that only students who have received a minimum mark of 7,5 in PEI level 5 register for the course. This course is neither a general revision course nor a level course. Students are expected to have a solid pre-advanced level upon entry with the objective of sitting the FCE examining session following the course. The FCE is at an upper-intermediate level, which is adequate for everyday purposes including work and study. The FCE has five parts in the following order:

Reading paper (1 hr 15 min)


The paper contains four parts and thirty-five questions, with a range of texts and accompanying comprehension tasks. One part may contain two or more shorter related texts. Candidates are assessed on their ability to read edited texts of various kinds (informative and general interest).

Writing paper (1 hr 30 min)


The paper contains two parts. Candidates are required to produce two samples of their writing: a compulsory letter or email in Part 1, and another from a choice of four genres in Part 2. Candidates are assessed on their ability to write non-specialised writing tasks such as formal or informal transactional letters, articles, reports and compositions for a given purpose and target reader.

Use of English paper (1 hr 15 min)


The paper contains five parts and sixty-five questions. Candidates are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the language in a variety of tasks: multiple choice cloze, open cloze, key word transformations, error correction and word formation task types.

Listening (approx. 40 min)


The paper contains four parts and thirty questions. Each part contains a recorded text or texts and corresponding comprehension tasks. Each recording is played twice. Candidates are provided with short extracts and longer monologues, announcements, extracts from radio programmes and news features, among others.

Speaking paper (14 min)


The paper contains four parts with two candidates and two examiners. One examiner acts as both interlocutor and assessor and manages the interaction either by asking questions or providing cues for candidates. The other acts as assessor and does not join in the conversation. Task types include short exchanges with the interlocutor and the other candidate, a one-minute long turn, a collaborative task involving the two candidates with visual stimuli, and a discussion.

More detailed information about the Cambridge ESOL examinations may be found at the following web site: http:// www.cambridgeesol.org/index.htm

II. COURSE GOALS


The principal goal of the course is for students to achieve a 70% global mark on the final exam, which is composed of FCE tasks. The minimum mark to pass the FCE is 60%. The approach taken to achieve this goal is threefold: (1) familiarisation with the examination itself, (2) development and practice of skills and strategies needed for the examination tasks and (3)

revision of language appropriate to the level and according to the needs of students and time available.

III. COURSE OBJECTIVES


Certain knowledge, competences and strategies are needed in order to pass each paper of the FCE. During the course the following will be addressed in the context of B2-level FCE texts and tasks:

Familiarisation with the examination


Students will be introduced to the structure, expectations and task types of the FCE exam. Additionally, students are required to do a number of practice examinations including one complete mock examination. In this way, students develop a better awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses in the various parts of the examination. During the second trimester, the focus of the activities is designed to better develop the areas of weakness of each individual.

Reading comprehension
Students will read texts from a variety of genres: Articles Reports Fiction Advertisements Correspondence Messages Informational material Comprehension of these texts will require knowledge and practise of the following: Skim texts for relevant information Scan texts for words, phrases and details Distinguish main ideas from supporting detail Deduce implicit ideas and information Deduce the meaning and use of unfamiliar words from context Recognize text organisation features (exemplification, comparison, reference) Recognize relations within the sentence Recognize relations across sentences and paragraphs Apprehend the purpose of a text Apprehend writers attitude toward topic and tone

Written expression
Students will produce the following text types during the course: Article Book review Essay Narrative Report Transactional letter (non-transactional / transactional) In producing the above text types, students will practise the following: Micro-functions o o o o Expressing opinions Persuading Comparing Recommending

o o o o o o o

Suggesting Advising Apologising Describing Explaining Justifying Comparing

Use cohesive devices appropriately Understand the purpose of a text Produce language in different registers (informal and formal) Implement strategies for inventing and developing content Format texts in different genres Organise discourse at the sentence, paragraph and text level Spell words and punctuate sentences appropriately Analyze audience Comprehend and manage task input

Listening comprehension
Students will listen to a variety of text types during the course: Messages Commentaries Radio documentaries Instructions Short lectures News Public announcements Publicity and advertisements Reports Speeches Stories and anecdotes Talks Conversations Discussions Interviews Radio plays Transactions In listening to these to the above text types, students will practise the following: Comprehend general gist Recognise place, situation or context Recognise relationship between speakers Recognise genre of text Detect agreement / disagreement between speakers Recognize vocabulary used in core conversational topics Detect key words Guess the meaning of words from the contexts in which they occur Recognize major syntactic patterns and devices Recognize cohesive devices in spoken discourse

Distinguish between major and minor constituents of text Recognize the communicative functions of utterances, according to situations, participants and goals Detect attitude of speaker toward subject matter Reconstruct or infer situations, goals, participants, procedures Distinguish between literal and implied meanings Recognize relations such as main idea, supporting idea, given information, new information, generalization, exemplification

Oral expression
Students will practise each part of the FCE speaking paper as well as do other tasks designed to improve accuracy and fluency in speech. In performing these tasks, students will practise the following macro- and micro-functions: Macro-functions o o o o o o o o o Description Narration Comparison and contrast Commentary Exposition Explanation Justification Negotiation Persuasion

Imparting and seeking factual knowledge o o o o Identifying Correcting Asking Answering

Expressing and finding out attitudes o o o Factual (agreement / disagreement) Knowledge (certainty, probability, speculation) Emotions (pleasure, likes, satisfaction, interest, hope)

Suasion o o o o Suggestions Requests Advice Encouragement

Structuring discourse o o o o o o o Opening Turn-taking Closing Thematic development Planning moves Co-operating Gaining time

o o

Marking discourse Adjacency pairs

Communication repair o o o o Asking for clarification Giving clarification Overcoming gaps Adapting

Phonology o o Intonation Sentence stress

Syntax and morphology


Grammar appropriate to the level and frequently appearing in the FCE will be addressed throughout the course. Although treatment of specific grammatical structures will depend on the language needs of course participants, the following points will likely be addressed during the course whether through correction of compositions or other classroom activities. It should be noted, however, that this course is not a grammar revision course. If revision of grammar is necessary, course participants should consult the bibliography below for textbooks that offer revision of specific grammatical structures. Adverbs Affixes Articles Comparative structures Conditionals Discourse markers Indirect questions Infinitives Gerunds Modal verbs Passive forms Relative clauses Reported speech Sentence linkers Structures to express wishes and regret Verbs followed by infinitives and/or gerunds Verb tenses

Lexis
The following lexical fields containing words and phrases that frequently appear in the FCE will be addressed during the course: Animals The arts and cinema Consumer goods and shopping The environment Fashion Friends and family Geography Health and lifestyle Language The media Music and the music industry Personal experiences Sports Study Transport Travel and tourism

History Holidays

Weather Work

It should be noted that from the December 2008 examining session and onward, the focus of the English in Use paper will be primarily lexical and lexico-grammatical. Consequently, lexical phrases and collocations that frequently appear on the FCE exam will also be addressed throughout the course. Delexicalised verbs (have, make, do, put, etc.) High-frequency phrasal verbs High-frequency lexical phrases High-frequency collocations

IV. EVALUATION
70% final exam 30% continuous assessment 5% participation 10% class work and homework assignments 15% writing assignments

V. BIBLIOGRAPHY Course Books


Title: Fast Class Students Book Authors: K. Gude Publisher: Oxford University Press Year: 2004 Title: Fast Class Workbook Authors: K. Gude Publisher: Oxford University Press Year: 2004 Title: Cambridge First Certificate Examination 7 Self-study pack Authors: Cambridge ESOL Publisher: Cambridge University Press Year: 2005

Recommended Reference Material


Title: First Certificate Organiser: Exam Preparation Authors: J. Flower Publisher: Language Teaching Publications Year: 1996 ISBN: 1-899396-25-X

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