Programa del curso

1.- Hobbies and free time: Part 1

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Hobbies and free time collocations

After completing this unit, students will better understand and use the most important collocations related to the topic of hobbies and free time, demonstrating a broader knowledge of expressions and collocations commonly used in the Speaking test and Part 4 of the Use of English paper.

Language focus: Expressing likes, dislikes and preferences

By the end of the students will have gained a deeper understanding of the differences between different expressions of preference, therefore improving written and oral communication. This will allow students to better express themselves in Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper, the Writing paper and the Speaking test.

They will also be better equipped to avoid the most typical mistakes made by candidates in the exam when using this language point.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 4

Students will have a greater understanding of the structure of, and what is expected of them in, Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper, allowing them to:

• approach this part of the exam in a logical way, following an established and effective technique of identifying which structure needs transforming in each sentence.
• have a clear idea of what language points are most commonly seen in this part of the exam, thus maximising their study time and effectiveness at home.
• gain practical experience of Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper, therefore improving their effectiveness, and reducing exam-day stress and nerves.

Contenido

1. Hobbies and free time
1. Vocabulary focus: Collocations
2. Language focus: Expressing likes, dislikes, and preferences
3. Language focus: Linking words
4. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 4
5.  Summary

2.- Hobbies and free time: Part 2

Objetivo

Language focus: Adverbs of frequency and time expressions

By the end of the unit, students will be better equipped to use adverbs of frequency and time expressions in their oral and written English, with a deeper knowledge of how to correctly answer questions in the Speaking test. They will also have a deeper knowledge of the most typical mistakes made by candidates in the exam when using this language point.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 2

Students will have a greater understanding of: 

• the structure of, and what they have to do in, Part 2 of the Reading and Use of English paper.
• a useful technique for approaching Part 2, specifically identifying what type of word is missing in each gap.
• what language points are most commonly seen in this part of the exam, thus maximising their study time and effectiveness at home.

Exam focus: Listening Part 1 (Multiple choice)

Students will have a greater understanding of: 

• the structure of, and what they have to do in, Part 1 of the Listening paper.
• the type of techniques employed by Cambridge to make this part of the exam more difficult for candidates.
• how they can approach this part of the exam, so as to improve their mark.

Contenido

1. Hobbies and free time: Part 2
1. Language focus: Adverbs of frequency and time expressions
2. Language focus: Linking words
3. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 2
4. Exam focus: Listening part 1
5. Summary

3.- Travel and holidays

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Collocations and useful expressions

After completing this unit, students will better understand and use the most important collocations and expressions related to the topic of travel and holidays, with a focus on their use in the Speaking test.

Vocabulary focus: Describing a holiday experience

By the end of the unit, students will have a broader knowledge of adjectives which can be used to describe a holiday experience. This will improve their communication in the Writing and Speaking parts, as well as helping them with oral and reading comprehension tasks.

Language focus: Talking about experiences (Present perfect simple)

Students will gain a deeper understanding of the present perfect simple tense, allowing them to better express themselves in the Writing paper and Speaking test.

They will also be better equipped to avoid the most typical mistakes made by candidates in the exam, when using these language points.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 3 (Word formation)

Students will have a greater understanding of the structure of, and what is expected of them in, Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper, allowing them to:

• approach this part of the exam in a logical way, following an established and effective technique of identifying what type of word is needed in each sentence.
• have a clear idea of what language points are most commonly seen in this part of the exam, thus maximising their study time and effectiveness at home.
• gain practical experience of Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper, therefore improving their effectiveness, and reducing exam-day stress and nerves.

Exam focus: Listening Part 2 (Sentence completion)

Students will have a greater understanding of: 

• the structure of, and what they have to do in, Part 2 of the Listening paper.
• how to identify what type of words are missing in each gap.
• the type of techniques employed by Cambridge to make this part of the exam more difficult for candidates.

Contenido

1. Travel and holidays
1. Vocabulary focus: Collocations and useful expressions
2. Vocabulary focus: Describing a holiday experience
3. Language focus: Talking about experiences (present perfect simple)
4. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 3
5. Exam focus: Listening Part 2
6.  Summary

4.- Where you live and getting around

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Where you live and getting around

After completing this unit, students will have a broader knowledge of vocabulary related to where they live, cities and getting around a city. They will therefore be better prepared to use this language in the Speaking and Writing papers.

Language focus: Conditionals

Students will better understand the structure of, and difference between, first, second and third conditionals, allowing them to communicate more effectively in the Speaking test, Writing paper, and Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Exam focus: Listening Part 3 (Multiple Matching)

Students will have a greater understanding of:

• the structure of, and what they have to do in, Part 3 of the Listening paper.
• the type of techniques employed by Cambridge to make this part of the exam more difficult for candidates.
• how they can approach this part of the exam, so as to improve their mark.

Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Informal letters)

Students will have a greater understanding of: 

• the format of the Writing paper.
• how to structure and organise their letter.
• the register, or formality, needed in this part of the exam.
• the language (grammar and vocabulary) expected of them.

Contenido

1. Where you live and getting around
1. Vocabulary focus: Where you live and getting around
2. Language focus: Conditionals
3. Exam focus: Listening Part 3
4. Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Letters/emails)
5. Summary

5.- Money and shopping

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Money and shopping

After completing this unit, students will have a broader knowledge of vocabulary related to the topic of money and shopping. As such they will be better prepared to express themselves throughout the exam.

Students will also have improved their knowledge of word formations commonly tested in Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Language focus: Comparatives

By the end of the unit, students will have a better understanding of how to correctly use comparative structures, as well as practising how these structures can be tested in Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

They will also see the importance of using comparatives when doing Part 3 of the Speaking test.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 5 (Multiple choice)

Students will have a greater understanding of the structure of, and what is expected of them in, Part 5 of the Reading and Use of English paper, allowing them to:

• approach this part of the exam in a logical way, following an established and effective technique of avoiding distractors in the text, which will help them to choose the correct option.
• gain practical experience of Part 5 of the Reading and Use of English paper, therefore improving their effectiveness, and reducing exam-day stress and nerves.

Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Articles)

Students will have a greater understanding of: 

• how to structure and organise an article.
• the register, or formality, needed in this part of the exam.
• ways to improve their range of vocabulary and grammar, therefore improving their overall mark.
• the importance of double checking their writing task.

Contenido

1. Money and shopping
1. Vocabulary focus: Money and shopping
2. Language focus: Comparatives
3. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 5
4. Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Articles)
5. Summary

6.- Sport and fitness

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Sports and fitness vocabulary and collocations

After completing this unit, students will have a broader knowledge of words, expressions and collocations related to the topic of sports and fitness. As such they will be better prepared to express themselves throughout the exam.

Students will also have improved their knowledge of word formations commonly tested in Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Language focus: Infinitives and the gerund

By the end of the unit, students will have a better understanding of how to correctly use verb patterns (infinitive/gerund) both in speech and the Writing and Reading and Use of English papers.

They will also have a better idea of how to structure their English when giving opinions, as well as how to start a sentence with a verb.

Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Reports)

Students will have a greater understanding of: 

• how to structure and organise a report.
• the register, or formality, needed in this part of the exam.
• phrases they need to write an excellent report.
• the importance of brainstorming before writing.

Contenido

1. Sport and fitness
1. Vocabulary focus: Sports and fitness vocabulary and collocations
2. Language focus: Infinitives and the gerund
3. Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Reports)
4.  Summary

7.- Work and education

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Work and education

After completing this unit, students will have a broader knowledge of words, expressions, phrasal verbs and collocations related to the topic of work and education. As such they will be better prepared to express themselves throughout the exam.

Students will also have improved their knowledge of word formations commonly tested in Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Language focus: Present perfect simple vs continuous

By the end of the unit, students will have a better understanding of how to correctly use present perfect to talk about ongoing actions and states.

They will also be able to contrast this with the use of past simple for finished actions.

Students will also be better prepared to use the present simple in Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 6 (Gapped text)

Students will know exactly what is expected of them in this part of the exam, and will be armed with techniques to approach this reading activity in the best possible way.

They will have a better understanding of the clues hidden in the text, allowing them to match the missing paragraphs to the correct gaps more easily.

Exam focus: Listening Part 4 (Multiple choice)

Students will have a greater understanding of:

• the structure of, and what they have to do in, Part 4 of the Listening paper.
• the type of techniques employed by Cambridge to make this part of the exam more difficult for candidates.
• how they can approach this part of the exam, so as to improve their mark.

Contenido

1. Work and education
1. Vocabulary focus: Work and education
2. Language focus: Present perfect simple vs continuous
3. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 6
4. Exam focus: Listening Part 4
5. Summary

8.- Entertainment

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: Entertainment

After completing this unit, students will have a broader knowledge of vocabulary related to the topic of entertainment. Useful words and phrases related to cinema, theatre, the internet, books, TV and newspapers will be studied. As such they will be better prepared to express themselves throughout the exam.

Students will also have improved their knowledge of word formations commonly tested in Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Language focus: Extreme adjectives

By the end of the unit, students will have a broader knowledge of extreme and gradable adjectives. This will improve their communication in the Writing and Speaking parts, as well as helping them with oral and reading comprehension tasks.

They will also have a broader vocabulary when talking about films, shows etc., which they will be able to use if they choose to write a review in the exam.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 7 (Multiple matching)

Students will have a greater understanding of the structure of, and what is expected of them in, Part 7 of the Reading and Use of English paper, allowing them to:

• approach this part of the exam in a logical way, following an established and effective technique of identifying key words in the 10 statements and matching them to the texts.
• gain practical experience of Part 7 of the Reading and Use of English paper, therefore improving their effectiveness, and reducing exam-day stress and nerves.

Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Reviews)

Students will better understand:

• how to structure and organise a review.
• the register, or formality, needed in this part of the exam.
• phrases and vocabulary they need to write an excellent review.
• the importance of using descriptive and expressive language.

Contenido

1. Entertainment
1. Vocabulary focus: Entertainment - cinema and theatre
2. Language focus: Extreme adjectives
3. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 7
4. Exam focus: Writing Part 2 (Reviews)
5. Summary

9.- The environment

Objetivo

Vocabulary focus: The environment

After completing this unit, students will have a broader knowledge of words, phrases and phrasal verbs related to the topic of the environment. As such they will be better prepared to express themselves throughout the exam.

Students will also have improved their knowledge of word formations commonly tested in Part 3 of the Reading and Use of English paper.

Language focus: The future

By the end of the unit, students will be better equipped to use the future tense, seeing how it can be used in the Speaking test and Writing paper.

Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 1 (Multiple choice cloze)

Students will have a greater understanding of the structure of, and what is expected of them in, Part 1 of the Reading and Use of English paper, allowing them to:

• approach this part of the exam in a logical way.
• find clues in the test which can help them narrow down the options.
• gain practical experience of Part 1 of the Reading and Use of English paper, therefore improving their effectiveness, and reducing exam-day stress and nerves.

Exam focus: Writing Part 1 (Essays)

Students will have a greater understanding of:

• how to structure and organise an essay.
• the register, or formality, needed in this part of the exam.
• phrases and vocabulary they need to write an excellent essay.

Contenido

1. The environment
1. Vocabulary focus: The environment
2. Language focus: The future
3. Exam focus: Reading and Use of English Part 1
4. Exam focus: Writing Part 1 (Essays)
5. Summary

10.- The Speaking test

Objetivo

At the end of this unit students will be better informed about the four parts of the Speaking test, gaining more in-depth knowledge of what to expect, and learning techniques of how to get the best mark possible.

Part 1: Interview

Students will:

• study the format of Part 1 of the speaking exam.
• understand what is expected of them, studying the most typical questions asked in this part of the test.
• be more prepared to extend their own answers in Parts 1,3 and 4 of the test, thus satisfying one of the four marking criteria (Discourse Management) used by examiners in the Speaking test.
• better understand what to do and what not to do in this part of the test.
• be more capable of expressing their likes and preferences.
• be able to organise their ideas and answers more effectively.

Part 2: Long turn

Students will:

• study the format of Part 2 of the speaking exam.
• understand what is expected of them, studying sample questions from previous exams.
• be more prepared to speculate in this part of the test.
• be armed with useful phrases to organise their long turn.  
• better understand what to do and what not to do in this part of the test.

Part 3: Collaborative task

Students will:

• study the format of Part 3 of the speaking exam.
• understand what is expected of them, studying sample tasks from previous exams.
• be more capable of interacting with their partner, thus satisfying one of the four marking criteria (Interactive Communication) used by examiners in the Speaking test.
• be able to more effectively give and ask opinions politely.
• be more capable of responding to their partner’s ideas.
• better understand what to do and what not to do in this part of the test.

Part 4: Discussion

 Students will:

• study the format of Part 4 of the speaking exam.
• understand what is expected of them, looking at the topics most typically seen in this part of the test.
• understand the importance of using a range of appropriate vocabulary and grammar, improving their overall mark in the Speaking test.
• be able to more effectively give reasons for their opinions.
• be more effective when developing their partner’s comments.
• better understand what to do and what not to do in this part of the test.

Contenido

1. The Speaking test
1. The different parts of the Speaking test
2. What to expect on the exam day
3. How you are marked in the Speaking test
4. Part 1: The interview
5. Part 2: Long turn
6. Part 3: Collaborative task
7. Part 4: The discussion