CAE Paper 2 Writing: assessing & developing writing skills

1 Recap the updated exam (December 2008) The updated CAE exam comes into effect in December 2008: please refer to the updated CAE handbook for full details. Paper 1: Reading Time: 75 minutes (no change) Questions: 34 (currently approximately 45) No change or very similar Parts 2, 3 & 4 retain the same format as in the current CAE exam. The number of questions has now been standardised: Part 2 (paragraph gaps) has 6 Qs Part 3 (multiple choice) has 7 Qs Part 4 (multiple matching) has 15 Qs New: the current Part 1 (multiple matching) has been removed and replaced by a set of 3 themed texts each with 2 multiple-choice questions: the format will be familiar to CPE teachers.

Paper 2: Writing Time: 90 minutes (currently 120 minutes) Words: Part 1 180-220 (currently c 250); Part 2 220-260 (currently c250) No change or very similar Both Parts 1 & 2 remain very similar to the current exam. The Part 1 both the input material and the output has been reduced in word length. New: Part 2 now includes an essay as an option Part 2 also now includes a set reading text option: this will be familiar to both FCE and CPE teachers. Two books, each with its own specific question: 2008 & 2009 Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis) & The Pelican Brief (John Grisham) Paper 3: Use of English Time: 60 minutes (currently 90 minutes) Questions: 50 (currently 80) No change or very similar Parts 1 & 2 remain the same format as in the current CAE exam. Part 1 (multiple-choice cloze) now has 12 items, instead of 15. Part 2 (open cloze) remains at 15 items. Part 3 is now the word formation task, with one text and 10 items, instead of two texts with a total of 15 items, which used to be Part 4. Removed The current Part 3 (error correction), Part 5 (register transfer) and Part 6 (gapped text) have been removed from the CAE exam.

New Parts 4 & 5 are new to the CAE exam: Part 4 (gapped sentences): the format will be familiar to Proficiency (CPE) teachers. Part 5 (transformation sentences using a key-word): the format will be familiar to both FCE and CPE teachers.

2 Assessing writing 2.1 the general impression mark scheme Look at page 33 of the CAE Handbook, and especially at the criteria for bands 3 and 2. List the six criteria focuses that can be inferred from the comments: 1 effect on target reader 2 3 4 5 6 2.2 the task-specific mark schemes * Now look at page 38 of the CAE Handbook: the task (#4) is on page 29. * Match the task, the script and the task-specific mark scheme with the examiner comments. * Now match the examiner comments with the general mark scheme on page 33. * Open feedback/discussion 2.3 Authentic Swiss examination scripts 2.3.1 Work in pairs: look at Paper 2, Part 1 from the June 2007 examination and establish the task-specific mark scheme. Now read script #1 and assess it according to the mark scheme you have established. Now read the examiner comments on this script and compare with your assessment. Open feedback/discussion 2.3.2 Work in pairs: look at Paper 2, Part 2 Question 3 from the June 2007 examination and establish the task-specific mark scheme. One member of the pair should read script 11 and the other should read script 13. Assess your script according to the mark scheme you have established, and then compare the two scripts. Now read the examiner comments on these two scripts and compare with your assessment. Open feedback/discussion If time permits, we shall repeat the procedure with another Part 2 task.

3 Improving performance: moving into the next band Treat scripts 1 and 11 as pieces of homework from one of your students: what keeps them in band 3?

What specific help or activities would you suggest for these two students, in order to consolidate the band or even move them up into band 4?

4 Preparing for writing, improving writing 4.1 What Cambridge say: look at the advice on preparing candidates on pages 24 & 25 of the CAE Handbook. 4.2 Task types: look at pages 26 & 27 of the CAE Handbook What problems for your students can you identify here?

5 Six focus points when improving writing Here are six areas that could be developed for most learners: can you add further suggestions under each heading? 5.1 Focus on task & key task content How can we help learners to deal with the task effectively? * identifying key content * identifying writers role & persona * identifying readers expectations/needs etc (see also 5.6 below) * integrating the input text into the output text (Part 1) * * 5.2 Focus on coherence, cohesion and organisation Organisation is important at 3 levels: text, paragraph and sentence: * teach/practise/review linking words & expressions * teach/practise/review relative clauses (including co-ordinating clauses) * punctuation (especially semi-colon) * * * 5.3 Focus on vocabulary Vocabulary requires range, accuracy and appropriacy: * developing word fields & topic vocabulary * collocation activities * * * 5.4 Focus on grammar and (functional) exponents Grammar also requires range, accuracy and appropriacy. In addition, the learners need functional exponents (eg making recommendations): * relative clauses (see 5.2) * gerund/infinitive complementation patterns * gerund as subject * wh clauses as subject and object * perfect modals * participle clauses (non-finites) * conditional substitutes * inversion and other fronting * * *

5.5 Focus on register Register, style and appropriacy are essentially interrelated: * features of formal / unmarked / informal registers * correction tasks: inappropriate register * use register transfer tasks from current syllabus * * * 5.6 Focus on the target reader Who the reader is, and her/his expectations are key issues here: * see above task (5.1) * inappropriate register (see 5.5) * reader/writer relationship peer? hierarchy? etc * * * 6 Feedback Discuss different approaches to giving feedback on writing tasks. Have you tried targeted feedback? See also the feedback sheet on page 6. 7 Part 2 Question 5: the two set texts Some teaching suggestions for the new Part 2 Question 5 * try www.sparknotes.com for help with Lucky Jim * download a pdf on using best-sellers (eg for Grisham) its for graded readers but will have some useful ideas for authentic texts too: www.penguinreaders.com/downloads/prteachersguides/PRTGUsingBestsellers.pdf * The OWL Writing Lab has resources on writing about fiction: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/616/01/ * download a Research Notes pdf discussing set texts in a CPE context: www.cambridgeesol.org/rs_notes/offprints/pdfs/RN18p12-14.pdf * use Exam Reports (mainly at CPE) for insights into candidate strengths and weaknesses you can download CPE Exam Reports here: www.cambridgeesol.org/support/dloads/cpe_downloads.htm

8 Blended learning The new e-media are also a means of developing skills: see the list of web sites too. 8.1 e-mail support: very simple indeed. 8.2 using blogs: simple and usually free. See Illyas CAE blog in the list of web sites. 8.3 using wikis and setting up your own wiki: slightly more complex; some are free, some charge a monthly fee. The wiki hosts provide online tutorials and help, and there are also some online tutorials by ETp columnist Russell Stannard see the list of web sites. 8.4 setting up your own web site: will incur costs, and requires some IT skills, plus some regular commitment to maintaining and updating the site. 8.5 using a moodle platform: needs institutional support, and some basic skills, but once set up it has enormous potential. My CAE course at KV Zurich has moodle support.

CAE writing checklist (handout to students) 1 read the task very carefully, underline key words/points, perhaps make a separate list of the key content points 2 make sure you identify the context: who you are, why you are writing, to whom you are writing, what s/he may expect, etc 3 check that you know the type of text you must write (letter/report/proposal/ article/essay/competition entry/guidebook entry/leaflet/review/etc) 4 check that you know the appropriate format and layout for this type of text 5 check that you know the appropriate style/register for this text and task 6 check that you have sufficient vocabulary for the task (questions 2 - 5) 7 are there any set expressions for this task? (eg for a report, for a formal letter) 8 make a brief outline of the number of paragraphs you will need, and check that the key points are all covered and developed in a logical way 9 remember to use suitable linking words and expressions 10 try to use a range of grammar (eg some modal verbs, conditionals, passives, relative clauses, gerunds etc) 11 try to use a range of vocabulary, and if possible good collocations (words that frequently appear together, such as: serious problem, acceptable solution, appropriate action, necessary measures etc) 12 be careful not to lift too much directly from the input texts in question 1, and always check that anything you do take from the input text is used in the appropriate register (eg great for kids > excellent/very suitable for children) 13 dont attempt the set books question (question 5) unless you feel secure about the book and answer the question: dont simply retell the story of the book! 14 try to check your work for your typical mistakes 15 try to respect the word limits

WRITING TASK REPORT Class: Task: Task completion: all points are covered & developed points are covered sufficiently

Name: Date: Standard: some points are missing task is not achieved

Organisation layout & format paragraphs

logical sequence linking words

Language appropriate style vocabulary spelling

grammar range grammar accuracy punctuation

Effect on reader: Overall comments:

Some web sites for CAE 2008 Mainly for language learners: About learning English http://esl.about.com/ Activities for EFL students http://a4esl.org/ BBC WS - Learning English www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish British Council (learners) www.learnenglish.org.uk Cambridge ELT resources www.cambridge.org/elt/resources/exams/ English Page www.englishpage.com/index.html Flo-Joe www.flo-joe.co.uk Guardian Weekly www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=classmaterials Longman Exams www.pearsonlongman.com/exams/ Macmillan Resource sites www.macmillaneducation.com/resourcesites/ One Stop English www.onestopenglish.com OUP Exams website www.oup.com/elt/teacher/exams OUP Resources www.oup.com/elt/global/products/students/ Penguin Readers www.penguinreaders.com Study Centre www.allenandunwin.com/eStudy/estudy.asp Swiss Educ: English Page www.swisseduc.ch/english/ On-line learner dictionaries: Cambridge Dictionaries http://dictionary.cambridge.org Dict.cc (translation) www.dict.cc/ Dictionaries www.dictionary.com Leo (translation) http://dict.leo.org/ Longman Dictionary Online www.ldoceonline.com Macmillan English Dictionary www.macmillandictionary.com Oxford Advanced Learner's www.oup.com/elt/oald/ Phrase Finder www.phrases.org.uk Slang www.peevish.co.uk/slang/index.htm Non-ELT resources: About Answers CH Clusty Digital Education Network Ethical Consumer Famous People Grokker How Stuff Works Information Please National Geographic Lyrics World Lyrictracker Spark Notes SwissWorld Urban Legends Wikipedia YouTube www.about.com www.answers.com/ www.ch.ch/index.html?lang=en http://clusty.com www.edunet.com/elt www.ethicalconsumer.org/ www.biography.com www.grokker.com www.howstuffworks.com www.infoplease.com/ www.nationalgeographic.com www.lyricsworld.com www.lyrictracker.com www.sparknotes.com/lit/index_author.html www.swissworld.org/eng/index.html?siteSect=100 www.snopes.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page www.youtube.com/

Media: you may have to register, but the services here are free BBC News news.bbc.co.uk BBC Radio www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ BBC World Service www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice Breaking News www.breakingnewsenglish.com/ CNN www.cnn.com Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/ Independent www.independent.co.uk/

New York Times NZZ English Window Los Angeles Times Swiss Info Telegraph Travel-related sites: British Tourist Authority Lonely Planet on-line My Switzerland Rough Guides Time Out

www.nytimes.com www.nzz.ch/english/index.html www.latimes.com/ www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=100 www.telegraph.co.uk www.visitbritain.com www.lonelyplanet.com http://uk.myswitzerland.com/en/welcome.cfm www.roughguides.com www.timeout.com

Course book companion/resource sites Advanced Masterclass CAE www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/exams/resources/exams_mb_caeadvanced/?cc=gb CAE Result www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/exams/resources/exams_mb_caeresult/?cc=gb Gold resources www.pearsonlongman.com/gold Inside Out resource site www.insideout.net/ Reward resource site www.reward-english.net Language Common Errors in English www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/index.html Confusing Words www.confusingwords.com/ English Grammar Book www.englishpage.com/grammar/ Grammar basics www.edufind.com/english/grammar/toc.cfm Grammar & writing http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm Internet Grammar www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar Online English Grammar www.edufind.com/english/grammar/toc.cfm Online Style Guide www.ece.utexas.edu/~beer/curriculum/sguide.html Online Writing Lab (OWL) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ OWL grammar http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar Plain English Campaign www.plainenglish.co.uk Study & writing skills www.allenandunwin.com/eStudy/estudy.asp Writing skills www.eslplanet.com/teachertools/argueweb/frntpage.htm Cambridge exams CAE teacher resources CAE examination resources Cambridge ESOL On-Line Cambridge exam centres Blogs and wikis Blogger Illyas CAE blog pbwiki Teacher Training Videos Wikispaces www.cambridgeesol.org/resources/teacher/cae.html www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/cae/index/htm www.cambridgeesol.org www.cambridgeesol.ch

www.blogger.com/start http://illyasenglish.blogspot.com/ http://pbwiki.com/education.wiki www.teachertrainingvideos.com/wikis/index.html www.wikispaces.com/

My websites, wikis & podcasts www.johnpotts.info www.futureprogressive.org http://learning-space.wikispaces.com/ http://web.mac.com/johncharlespotts/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

This list compiled by John Potts, March 2008

John Potts, 2008 8