Practising Fce Use of English Part 1

Practising FCE Use of English Part 1

Contents

A. TEACHERS’ NOTES ...........................................................................................................2 A1.

Lesson Plan ..............................................................................................................2

A2.

Classroom Handout 1 ...............................................................................................5

A3.

Classroom Handout 2. ..............................................................................................7

A4.

Classroom Handout 3 ...............................................................................................8

B. GUIDANCE FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES.......................................................................9

© UCLES 2011. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms of Use at http://www.teachers.cambridgeESOL.org/ts/terms


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Practising FCE Use of English Part 1 A. TEACHERS’ NOTES Description Time required:

50 - 60 minutes, plus Classroom Handout 3 as homework

Materials required:

Classroom Handout 1 Classroom Handout 2 Classroom Handout 3  to help students prepare for FCE Use of English Part 1 by

Aims:

A1.



becoming familiar with different areas of vocabulary (collocations, partial synonyms, set phrases, linkers, phrasal verbs)



practising a multiple choice cloze task

Lesson Plan

1. Warmer In pairs the students discuss the content of Part 1 of the exam. What type of question is it?

(Multiple choice cloze)

How many questions ?

(12)

What problems do they have with it? Timing: 5 minutes

2. Give out A2 Classroom Handout 1. In pairs, students complete Exercise 1. Check the answers with the whole class. (1.b, 2.c, 3.d, 4.b, 5.b)

Timing: 5 minutes




Practising FCE Use of English Part 1 3. Tell the students that Part 1 of the FCE Use of English paper often tests different areas of vocabulary. The five areas tested in Exercise 1 were 

collocations - a combination of words that are commonly used together example from Exercise 1: heavy traffic



phrasal verbs - a group of words that functions as a verb and is made up of a verb and a preposition, an adverb, or both example from Exercise 1: set out



set phrases/fixed expressions – a well known word or group of words that have a particular meaning example from Exercise 1: make up his mind



linkers – a word or phrase that links together ideas and/or sentences example from Exercise 1:



differences in meaning of similar words – some words have a similar meanings but cannot be used in the same situation example from Exercise 1: pale

Timing: 10 minutes

4. On their own students complete Exercise 2 on A2 Classroom Handout 1. Students compare their answers in pairs or small groups. Teacher goes through the answers with the whole class. Encourage students to write any new vocabulary from the worksheet under the appropriate heading in their vocabulary records. Set Phrases:

I haven’t got a clue, to put your foot in it. to melt someone’s heart, What a pity, to lose your temper, Don’t mention it, Just a minute

Linkers:

even though, as long as, since

Collocations:

to attend lectures, to wear a seatbelt, a happy ending

Phrasal verbs:

to grow up, to give in

Words with similar meaning:

thin/ slim, to think/ to consider, light/ bright, carefully/ thoroughly

Timing: 15 minutes © UCLES 2011. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. For further information see our Terms of Use at http://www.teachers.cambridgeESOL.org/ts/terms



Practising FCE Use of English Part 1 5. Give out A3 Classroom Handout 2. Explain to the students that although this is not an actual exam task it is practising the skills required in Part 1 of the FCE Use of English paper. The students complete the activity on their own. In pairs or small groups they compare their answers and discuss which area of vocabulary they think is being tested in each question. Answers: 1B, 2A, 3B, 4B, 5C, 6A, 7C, 8C, 9A, 10C, 11 D, 12 D Timing: 20 minutes.

8. Homework, give out A4 Classroom Handout 3. These two sets of tips aim to give students strategies for preparing for and taking this part of the Use of English paper. For the first set of tips, students should select the ones which will be most useful for them. There are no correct answers. For the second set of tips, students should complete the blanks. Answers: 1. Always read the title first to help you predict the topic of the text and words it may possibly contain. 2. Always read the whole text through to the end before starting to complete any gap. This helps you get the general sense of the text. 3. The clues to the right answer can be found in three different places: before the blank, after the blank and in the four possible answers. 4. The grammar of the sentence often gives you a clue about what the right answer is. 5. Read all four options carefully before deciding on the answer. 6. Only choose one answer. 7. Always write the letter of the answer in capitals. 8. Always check your answers after you have filled in all the gaps.




Practising FCE Use of English Part 1 A2.

Classroom Handout 1

EXERCISE 1. Look at these five sentences. Which of the four words is the best one to complete each sentence? 1. The traffic was so _____ that nothing was moving. a. full

b. heavy

c. big

d. great

2. She always ate breakfast at home before _____________ for work. a. moving out

b. getting out

c. setting out

d. putting out

3. They agreed to lend him some money _____ he paid it back quickly. a. even though

b. as far as

c. so that

d. provided that

4. The phones all looked so interesting that he couldn’t ______ his mind which one to buy. a. decide

b. make up

c. organise

d. fix

5. She hadn’t slept for 3 days and her skin looked really _____ . a. white

b. pale

c. light

d. faint




Practising FCE Use of English Part 1 EXERCISE 2. Write these words or phrases in the correct box.  I haven’t got a clue  to attend lectures  to put your foot in it  to wear a seatbelt  to melt someone’s  to write/ to scribble heart  to lose your temper  thin/ slim  Don’t mention it  What a pity  to give in  as long as  Just a minute

      

light/ bright carefully/ thoroughly a happy ending even though to grow up to think/ to consider since

Collocations

Phrasal verbs

Set phrases

Linkers

Words with similar meaning

Now work with a partner and at least two examples of your own to each box.





Classroom Handout 2.

For questions 1–12, read the text below about student accommodation in Australia. Decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Prices and availability Prices and availability of housing will 1. ….. on the type of accommodation you seek. For example, a lot of the more expensive types of housing are popular and you will have to book them 2. ….. in advance if you want a 3. ….. place. The most popular type of accommodation is dormitories or university halls of residence. These are typically really popular among students and you will have to apply for them 4. ….. early, whereas renting an apartment or flat is 5. ….. simple and can be done once you arrive in Australia. Boarding schools Cost: AUD$7000–$12 000 per year A lot of secondary schools 6. ….. boarding opportunities. Students who attend boarding schools are fully 7. ….. care of, meaning that meal plans, cleaning and laundry services are offered. All school facilities and social activities are at the student’s 8. ….. if he or she wants to get involved. Boarding fees are included in the students’ tuition fees. Homestay or farmstay Cost: AUD$150–$300 per week If you are 9. ….. live with an Australian family and really dive into Australia’s culture, then a homestay (in city areas) or farmstay (in rural areas) is for you. Costs vary 10. ….. the type of room, and there are single or shared rooms 11. ….. Typically, meals are provided and included in the cost. For most secondary school students and those taking a semester of English courses, a homestay or farmstay is a very popular 12. ….... (From http://www.australia.edu/Travel/guide-to-finding-the-best-student-accommodation.html)

1.

A

rely

B

depend

C

hang

D

count

2.

A

far

B

long

C

distantly

D

extensively

3.

A

good-looking

B

stylish

C

handsome

D

cute

4.

A

largely

B

pretty

C

a bit

D

exactly

5.

A

almost

B

rather

C

quite

D

thoroughly

6.

A

provide

B

supply

C

give

D

handle

7.

A

made

B

had

C

taken

D

got

8.

A

request

B

availability

C

convenience

D

interest

9.

A

looking to

B

looking on

C

looking at

D

looking for

10.

A

in spite of

B

along with

C

according to

D

with reference to

11.

A

accessible

B

vacant

C

free

D

available

12.

A

possibility

B

proposal

C

selection

D

choice





Classroom Handout 3

What seem to you to be good ways to prepare for FCE Paper 3 Part 1? Tick from the following the tips that are a good idea for you.

Tips for preparing for FCE Paper 3, Part 1 Multiple Choice Cloze        

Keep vocabulary lists of collocations, expressions, linkers and phrasal verbs. Keep vocabulary lists of words and their synonyms. Read more outside class. Read the words/ sentences before and after the blank. Do multiple choice cloze on online FCE practice sites. Notice and note down what structure(s) words require, e.g. which preposition, which part of the verb, etc. Read grammar books – just a page at a time. Test myself regularly on my vocabulary lists.

Discuss your answers with a classmate.

Now complete the blanks in these sentences.

Tips for completing Use of English, Part 1, Multiple Choice Cloze 1. Always read the title first to help you ……. the topic of the text and words it may possibly contain. 2. Always read the whole text through to the end …… starting to complete any gap. This helps you get the ……. sense of the text. 3. The clues to the right answer can be found in three different places: before the blank, ….. the blank and in the four possible ……. 4. The grammar of the ….. often gives you a clue about what the right answer is. 5. Read all four options carefully …… deciding on the answer. 6. Only choose ….. answer. 7. Always write the letter of the answer in ….. 8. Always ….. your answers after you have filled in all the gaps. Discuss your answers with a classmate.




Practising FCE Use of English Part 1 B. GUIDANCE FOR FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES 1. In the first activity on A2. Classroom Handout 1, the advantage of working at sentence level is to help those students who find it difficult to focus on vocabulary when they work at text level. 

Once students are used to do this kind of task at sentence level, you could move on to text level only.



To make your own sentences, you could use past exam papers or one of the FCE preparation sites. Search the internet for ‘FCE 3 materials’.



Try to include examples that cover the range of vocabulary areas.



N.B. Many people regard expressions, phrasal verbs and multi-word linkers as kinds of collocation. For simplicity’s sake and for pedagogical reasons, we have kept these categories separate here.

2. You could do the exercise in the second activity on A2. Classroom Handout 1 at any stage during your exam preparation course. 

Students could make poster to put up on the wall, and add words to them regularly.



You can find ideas for suitable words on the FCE preparation sites, in supplementary materials focussing on collocations, phrasal verbs or expressions, or, particularly for phrasal verbs and linkers, in grammar books.

3. The exercise in A3. Classroom Handout 2 is based on a test from the internet You could use make similar tasks of your own, using other past papers from the handbook or from FCE preparation sites.

4. To find more examples of Part 1 tasks, search the internet for ‘FCE 3 preparation materials’. 

You could of course write your own tasks. If you do, make sure there is only one answer and that options are all attractive and plausible.




Practising Fce Use of English Part 1

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