BEC Higher Reading Part 2 - Teacher’s Notes

Description
Students brainstorm different discourse markers, and categorise them according to function. They look at
the Sample Part 2 text and identify more discourse markers, then do an exercise on internal cohesion of
one paragraph, finding words or phrases which link ideas together.

Time required: 60 minutes

Materials  Worksheet 1
required:
 BEC Handbook sample paper: Reading Part 2
Aims:  To highlight the importance of discourse markers in texts
 To give practice in categorising discourse markers according to their
function.
 To familiarise students with Part 2

Procedure
1. Ask students to work on their own and make a list of as many different discourse markers as they
can. Discourse markers are words and phrases which are used to organise a text, and to clarify for
the reader or listener where the text is going. Discourse markers are frequently used to refer to
something already mentioned, or to highlight something new. You can get your students started by
offering a few examples: however, furthermore, etc. After a minute or two, put students into pairs or
small groups to compare their lists.
2. Now get students to focus on the meaning of the discourse markers they have listed. Ask students if
any of the discourse markers can be grouped together. If so, under what headings? Distribute the
Student’s Worksheet, Exercise 1, and tell students to add the words from their lists to the
appropriate column in the table.
3. Ensure that students work together and discuss in which column(s) the various discourse markers
fit. Hold a brief class feedback at this stage to compare ideas (see Key).
4. First, ask students what they know about Reading Part 2. Elicit (or tell them) that it involves reading
a text with six sentences taken out, and identifying the correct sentence to fill each gap from a
choice of 8 sentences. Ask them what will help them to match the sentences? Elicit that discourse
markers play a big part.
5. Ask students to look at the Reading Part 2 section of the sample paper in the BEC Handbook.
Students scan the text and the sentences A-H and identify as many of the discourse markers as
possible.
6. Students work with their partner to compare their answers, and then to add the discourse markers
from the text to the table on the Student’s Worksheet.
7. Class feedback (see Key). This activity will probably raise quite a lot of discussion about (a) what
constitutes a discourse marker, and (b) what category each discourse marker fits in, so it is

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 important to allow for some differences in opinion. The important thing is recognition and
understanding how discourse markers help to interpret information in a text.
8. Now ask students to focus on the second paragraph of the text in the Part 2 section of the sample
paper in the BEC Handbook, beginning: How do such … Get them to number the lines in the
paragraph 1-19, for easy referencing.
9. Distribute Student’s Worksheet, Exercise 2. Explain that students are going to match the words
and phrases in Exercise 2 to discourse markers in the statements. This activity shows the
importance of understanding how words link ideas and meanings in Reading Part 2. Students then
check with their partner and after with the whole class (see Key).
10. Finally, students take one of the other three paragraphs in the text and design a similar activity to
Exercise 2, for their colleagues to complete.

Suggested follow-up activities:

1. Students complete the Part 2 Sample Task in the BEC Handbook, either for homework or in another
lesson. Give out copies of the Answer Sheet for them to practise filling it in.

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use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms and Conditions.
BEC Higher Reading Part 2 - answer keys

Key to Student’s Worksheet – Exercise 1

Step 3 (various answers are possible)

contrast / similarity change of sequencing adding other summing
contradiction subject fillers up /
giving
opinion
But … Similarly Now, to First … Coupled So In
move on … with this … conclusion
However In the same Finally Such
way … In addition as In my
opinion

Steps 6 & 7
1. There are many discourse markers in the text, some of which may not be immediately obvious to
everyone:
First / Coupled with this / One reason / Once / After all / But / Because / So / So / One solution /
Another / Such as / Though / But
contrast / similarity change of sequencing adding other summing
contradiction subject fillers up /
giving
opinion
But First Coupled So After all
with this
Though One reason Such Because
Another as
Once One
solution

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use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms and Conditions.
Exercise 2
his or her name (5) the leader (4)
a project (5) (support) it (7)
these doubters (8) people who persistently point … (F)
group members (11) they (12)
they (13) group members (11)
these intelligent people (15) committees (11), group members (11),
they (12), colleagues (14)
their (18)
committee members (18)

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BEC Higher Reading Part 2 - Student’s Worksheet
Exercise 1

Add the discourse markers you listed to the correct column in the table below. Three examples have
been done for you: but, first, and coupled with this. You will find that some columns will have far
more discourse markers than others.

contrast / similarity change of sequencing adding other summing

contradiction subject fillers up /
giving
opinion
But … First … Coupled
with this …

© UCLES 2009. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom
use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms and Conditions.
BEC Higher Reading Part 2 - Student’s Worksheet
Exercise 2

Look at the words and phrases from paragraph 2 in Reading Part 2. For each word or phrase in the
list, find at least ONE other word or phrase in the text which it refers to. Look at the example first.

Example:
the people in control (line 2) their (line 3)
his or her name (5)
a project (5)
these doubters (8)
group members (11)
they (13)
these intelligent people (15)
their colleagues (18)

© UCLES 2009. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom
use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms and Conditions.