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7/29/2019 Trinity Topic http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/trinity-topic 1/16 TOPIC Preparation (Grades 4-12) Notes and Advice to Teachers THE TOPIC PHASE of the ESOL Spoken Examination is the ideal opportunity for students to show the examiner their ability to speak freely and for a sustained period of time on a subject that interests them, the student. The student at this point, takes fuller control of the examination because the subject matter has been selected and prepared in advance by the student (with the help of the teacher in most cases) and for a couple of minutes or so, the student speaks uninterrupted, sharing information and ideas with the examiner’ The examiner then gradually joins in to develop the conversation about the TOPIC further. The presentation of the TOPIC is the culmination of all the work that has been going on in preparation for the examination - preparation for the TOPIC may well have involved Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking work in the classroom. The TOPIC may well have been developed outside the classroom by the student, again involving all or some of the four major language skills. The purpose of the TOPIC phase in the examination is to present to the examiner, in oral form, the product of all this work that has gone before. The examiner will assess the quality of the spoken language used to present and to discuss the TOPIC - the TOPIC itself is not assessed. In other words examiners do not make value judgements about the subject matter of the TOPIC. If it is right for the student, i.e. the student can handle the subject matter comfortably and appropriately for the Grade, if it meets the criteria of the particular Grade in terms of content and quality of language produced, then the candidate will receive a positive result for this section. The TOPIC is NOT something to be learned by heart. Of course, students must be familiar with the TOPIC. They must prepare for the examiner’s comments and questions by anticipating what the examiner might say and be ready to give a reply. Candidates may use brief notes to remind them of the main points of their TOPIC presentation but these notes are a reminder, NOT a script. Candidates who simply ‘recite’ their TOPIC will not do well in this section of the examination. Candidates should bring an item with them into the examination room. This object provides a concrete link between the conversation and the TOPIC itself. The object focuses the candidate’s and the examiner’s attention on the subject matter and helps to develop a lively conversation between them. Teachers who do not ensure that candidates choose an object and who do not make sure the candidate brings the object along on examination day are not helping their students get the most from the examination. TEACHERS AND CANDIDATES must be aware that there are time limitations in each phase of the examination. Refer to the syllabus for assistance regarding timing. Make sure that candidates are sufficiently prepared to sustain the conversation for the allotted time.

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TOPIC Preparation(Grades 4-12)

Notes and Advice to Teachers

THE TOPIC PHASE of the ESOL Spoken Examination is the idealopportunity for students to show the examiner their ability to speak freely and

for a sustained period of time on a subject that interests them, the student.

The student at this point, takes fuller control of the examination because the

subject matter has been selected and prepared in advance by the student (with

the help of the teacher in most cases) and for a couple of minutes or so, the

student speaks uninterrupted, sharing information and ideas with the examiner’

The examiner then gradually joins in to develop the conversation about the

TOPIC further.

The presentation of the TOPIC is the culmination of all the work that has been

going on in preparation for the examination - preparation for the TOPIC may

well have involved Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking work in the

classroom. The TOPIC may well have been developed outside the classroom

by the student, again involving all or some of the four major language skills.

The purpose of the TOPIC phase in the examination is to present to the

examiner, in oral form, the product of all this work that has gone before. The

examiner will assess the quality of the spoken language used to present and to

discuss the TOPIC - the TOPIC itself is not assessed. In other words examiners

do not make value judgements about the subject matter of the TOPIC. If it is

right for the student, i.e. the student can handle the subject matter comfortably

and appropriately for the Grade, if it meets the criteria of the particular Grade

in terms of content and quality of language produced, then the candidate will

receive a positive result for this section.

The TOPIC is NOT something to be learned by heart. Of course, students must

be familiar with the TOPIC. They must prepare for the examiner’s comments

and questions by anticipating what the examiner might say and be ready to

give a reply. Candidates may use brief notes to remind them of the main points

of their TOPIC presentation but these notes are a reminder, NOT a script.

Candidates who simply ‘recite’ their TOPIC will not do well in this section of 

the examination.

Candidates should bring an item with them into the examination room. This

object provides a concrete link between the conversation and the TOPIC itself.

The object focuses the candidate’s and the examiner’s attention on the subject

matter and helps to develop a lively conversation between them.

Teachers who do not ensure that candidates choose an object and who do not

make sure the candidate brings the object along on examination day are not

helping their students get the most from the examination.

TEACHERS AND CANDIDATES must be aware that there are time

limitations in each phase of the examination. Refer to the syllabus for

assistance regarding timing. Make sure that candidates are sufficientlyprepared to sustain the conversation for the allotted time.

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Beware of allowing students to prepare so much material that they are unable

to make a concise presentation of their TOPIC and become disappointed.

At the beginning of each Grade page in the syllabus there is a boxed section

which says: ‘Conversation topics appropriate at this Grade’. This means that a

candidate may select ONE of these topics to prepare for the examination if 

they themselves cannot think of a TOPIC to prepare.

This section also means that during the general conversation phase of the

examination, one or more of the boxed topics may come up during the general

conversation. The candidate DOES NOT HAVE TO PREPARE these as

‘TOPICS’. They are simply areas of conversation which are appropriate in

order to explore the demands of the syllabus at this Grade and areas of 

conversation it is reasonable to expect a candidate to manage at this Grade.

The notes and brief exercises contained in this document are designed to help

teachers and candidates think about what to choose as the Prepared TOPIC and

to ensure that, having chosen a TOPIC, the candidate has the language andconversational skills appropriate at that Grade, to present the TOPIC in a lively

and natural way and to take an active part in the conversation about the TOPIC

with the examiner.

Suggestions to Teachers

1. Whenever possible, try out your students’ TOPICS on the whole class when

they have been prepared.

2. Encourage the class to ‘play the examiner’ and ask thier classmates the sort

of questions an examiner might ask.

3. Make sure the candidate can explain jargon words. Pretend not to reallyunderstand what they mean and encourage explanations in simple terms.

4. Timing is important: candidates should practise keeping to time by

overcoming lengthy hesitations. On the other hand, they should not gabble

their TOPIC.

5. Appoint a time-keeper to encourage point 4 above. Appoint another person

to keep a check on ‘gabbling’. They should call out: ‘I can't understand you’.

6. It is acceptable for the whole class to prepare the same TOPIC as a class

exercise as long as each genuinely communicates his/her contribution to the

examiner.

7. Do not encourage students to use long chunks of learned language they

would not normally be able to use.

8. Leave sufficient time for the TOPIC preparation not to be a last-minute

exercise. There are so many useful skills involved in TOPIC preparation that it

is a pity not to take advantage of its presence in the examination syllabus.

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1. Where do ideas come from?

Ideas are all around us-the people we know, the new people we meet,the things

we do, the places we go, what we eat, interests, hobbies, work, our holidays.

The list is endless.

Generating ideas is called ‘brainstorming’. It's fun and good practice tobrainstorm because one idea leads to another.

Exercise:

In 2 minutes list as many ideas for TOPICS as you can think of.

Write them below and continue on a separate sheet of paper if necessary. Here

are examples to get you started:

Exercise:

Another way to generate ideas is to start with general categories. Some

examples of general categories are: Health, Education, Social Issues, Crime.

Can you add some more examples to these general categories? Order them

according to your preferences and interests.

Exercise:

Look at the first three examples you added above. In the boxes below write

what you like most or what you find most interesting about your examples.

XX Do not choose a book for your TOPIC because:

a) at Elementary Stage it is too difficult to talk about for most students

b) at Intermediate to Advanced Stages it is another section of the examination.

If you are really stuck for a TOPIC, then those in the box at the beginning of 

each relevant page of the syllabus are suggestions. Choose one of these if you

wish.

1. Football

2. Rain Forests

3.Summer Holidays

4. ??

5.

6.

7.

8

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

1. Health

2.Education

3. Social Issues

4. Crime

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Example

1.

2.

3.

What I like most/what I find most interesting about this Topic

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2. Eliminating and Selecting Possible Topics

By now you should have a long list of Topics or categories. For the

examination you only need ONE TOPIC. Any TOPIC is acceptable if it is

right for YOU! In other words it is something you enjoy talking about, you

know what you want to say about it and you feel very enthusiastic about it.

The examiner will sense your enthusiasm and ask you to explain points, give

more details and develop your ideas. In this way, a lively conversation will

develop between you and the examiner.

It’s now time to eliminate, to throw out most of your list, leaving your short-

list of possibilities. So, which ones shall we eliminate and which ones shall we

keep? The choice is yours but consider the following questions for each

TOPIC on your list to help you eliminate TOPICS which you do not want to

work on.

Exercise:

Look at the 5 questions below in boxes 1-5. These are just a few useful

questions to ask yourself before deciding on your TOPIC. In 2 minutes think 

of some more useful questions to ask yourself to help you choose a TOPIC.

Write your questions in boxes 6-10 below.

Exercise:

Now look at your long list of TOPICS. Ask yourself the questions above for

each of your TOPIC ideas. Reject TOPICS which are not suitable for YOU,

leaving 5 or fewer possible TOPICS which you feel comfortable with.

Write them in the boxes below.

My Shortlist of TOPICS

1. Is this TOPIC too complicated or too technical

or too difficult for me?

2. Am I really interested in this subject to make

it interesting for myself and the examiner?

3. Do I really know anything about this TOPIC

or .....

4. Can I find out anything about this TOPIC?

5. Am I already bored by this subject?

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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You now have a shortlist of five or fewer TOPICS which are possibilites. You

still have to select just ONE.

Exercise:

Write your 5 TOPICS in the left-hand column below and put a tick or cross

against each in answer to these questions and considerations:

1. Does this subject REALLY interest me?

2. Is this subject one I would like to discover more information about?

3. Is this a TOPIC I can say quite a lot about because I have experience or

knowledge about it?

4.Can I talk about this TOPIC comfortably and freely in English because I can

use the vocabulary and structures for the TOPIC appropriate to the Grade I am

entering?

5. When I talk about this TOPIC in the exam, can I use the sort of language inthe syllabus at this Grade? (Ask your teacher whether you can in fact use the

appropriate language for the Grade.)

6. Will I be able to discuss this TOPIC with the examiner and respond to

questions and comments about my TOPIC because I feel completely

comfortable and knowledgeable about it?

7. Will I have enough to say about this TOPIC for 2-3 minutes before the

examiner joins in the conversation?

Exercise:

Look at your ticks and crosses. Some will have more ticks and crosses than

others. Some TOPICS may have the same number. Use the table you made

above to choose ONE TOPIC for the examination.

Exercise:

Write the title of your TOPIC below. This is simply a working title. You can

improve your title later when we have worked on it some more.

Topics 1-5/  Ú or X

e.g. My Summer Holidays

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

‘WORKING TITLE ‘ for my TOPIC

Q1

ÚÚ

Q2

X

Q3

ÚÚ

Q4

ÚÚ

Q5

X

Q6

ÚÚ

Q7

X

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3. Let your spider do the work for you

You now have your TOPIC and a working title for it. Try and make it as

interesting as possible for you AND the examiner. The best way to do this is to

decide on an ‘angle’. Your ‘angle’ is the way you are going to deal with your

TOPIC. Let’s take a simple idea like ‘COFFEE’. We can generate a list of 

ideas associated with coffee:

1. Coffee is bad for the health 2. Coffee is essential for energy

3. Countries where coffee is grown 4. From coffee bean to breakfast table

5. etc, etc.

Writers often use a spidergram to help them generate angles or more interesting

ways of dealing with the subject. Let us take another popular example:

‘My family’

Exercise:

Complete the empty boxes with other angles about "My Family".

By developing an angle you will find:

a) Your TOPIC will become more interesting for you and the Examinerb) Your angle will help to focus your thoughts and preparation on the TOPIC

c) Your TOPIC presentation will be more controlled

Exercise:

Now go back to the TOPIC you have chosen. Develop a spidergram to generate

some interesting angles on your TOPIC.

In the box below write the title of your TOPIC to show more clearly exactly

WHAT your TOPIC is about.

IMPROVED TITLE FOR MY TOPIC

interesting

peoplestrange

people

successful

people

your

ideas?different

personalities

what annoys me

about my family

your

ideas?

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4. Working on familiar TOPICS

If your TOPIC is very personal, you will probably not need to do much

research but you will still have to generate interesting things to say about your

TOPIC. Here are some of the basic questions you can ask about any TOPIC to

generate interesting ideas.

Exercise:

Try and fill the remaining boxes with as many questions like those below.

Of course, you do NOT need to include all these questions and answers in

your TOPIC to the examiner. You should include this information where it is

relevant and interesting.

Working on less familiar TOPICS

Some TOPICS may need a little research or thought. Maybe you will need to

find material (pictures, newspapers, leaflets etc) to find out more about your

subject.

Researching material for your TOPIC

If you think it is necessary to do some research, you do not need to search for

a lot of material.

Exercise:

Look at the title of your TOPIC. Put a tick or cross in the boxes to show where

you might find some interesting new sources of information on your TOPIC.

In the remaining spaces, add any more sources of information you can think 

of.

Note to Teachers

 Remember, the source does NOT need to be an English publication. Photos,

statistics, drawings, diagrams etc can come from any publication. Articles,

interviews, reports and so on will often come from local sources as they will

reflect local interest and culture.

This is how the TOPIC can become a communication and multi-skill task as

reading (and thinking), writing (taking notes, recording vocabulary, key

structures to imitate, points to expand on), listening (what would the teacher,

class companion and examiner like the candidate to explain, clarify, expand on

etc) and of course speaking.

Who?

What?

Why?

When?

How much?

How often?

How?

With what

result?

Where?

Who with?

books

magazines

newspapers

TV

Radio

Encyclopaedia

family or friends

photos

leaflets

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 It is useful for each student to present the TOPIC to the whole class who can

‘play examiner’, making comments and asking questions. This is valuable oral

group work and helps the candidate to anticipate what the examiner might say.

 Invariably, the quality of the TOPIC phase is related to the work input in

 preparation for this phase of the examination. It is not enough for teachers

simply to tell students to go away and prepare something. They need help and 

a structure within which to work. It is vital that teachers monitor the progress

and the result of the TOPIC preparation in good time for the examination.

Typically, there are 3 categories of production:

1. Students do well on the TOPIC where close attention is paid to the syllabus,

the conversational and linguistic criteria set out on the Grade page and where

students’ ability is properly matched with the appropriate Grade, .

2. Students perform satisfactorily on the TOPIC where there is a clear 

indication that candidates have prepared for their TOPIC to some extent, with

some integration of the structures and features required of that Grade.

3. Candidates’ performance is especially weak where candidates are ill-

 prepared, have little to say on their TOPIC, expect the examiner to sustain the

interest in the subject, have no item to represent the TOPIC and have difficulty

connecting ideas.

The next sections attempt to redress the balance by offering ideas on how to

make the content of the TOPIC relevant, of sufficient length to be interesting

 yet concise and presented in a natural way. These are perhaps the greatest 

challenges to teachers and learners but are useful skills to develop.

5. Too much to say.... too little to say.

By now you have the material for your TOPIC. Perhaps it is all in your head

because it is personal to you. Perhaps you have used some sources of 

information. Maybe it is a combination of both.

Ask yourself:

 Have I got too little, too much or sufficient material to talk about my TOPIC 

 for 2-3 minutes?

 If you have too little look back at the exercises in section 3 & 4 above and create some more ideas and material

 If you have sufficient material, move on to the next stage - planning and 

organising your TOPIC 

 If you have too much move on to selecting and editing.

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Selecting and Editing

You have too much material. Ask yourself:

1. What is relevant to the subject?

2. What is interesting about the subject?

3. What can I edit or cut out without spoiling the effect of my presentation?

4. What can I express more briefly than I thought at first?

5. What will give the examiner something to comment on and ask about which

I can answer comfortably?

6. Planning and Organising your TOPIC

Let us assume you now have sufficient material. Now it’s time to plan your

presentation.

1. What are you going to tell the examiner about and what is the ‘angle’. You

do not need to use the word ‘angle’. For example, you can say something like:

‘I am going to tell you about the strange habits of members of my family’.

This helps to focus the examiner's thoughts on your subject. (S)he now knows

what to listen out for. (S)he will not need to spend time thinking: ‘I wonder

what the point of this TOPIC is’?

Exercise:

In two or three words write down the "angle "of your TOPIC.

e.g. my ‘angle’ is

2. What object are you going to bring into the examination room to illustrate

your TOPIC?

3. How is this object relevant to and related to your TOPIC?

4. What general things can you say about your TOPIC?

(write them on index cards to remind you)

5. What details are you going to include?

6. What examples are you going to give?

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7. Do you need to explain anything to the examiner who often knows nothing

about your subject: e.g. people, places, the name of towns, technical/jargon

words, the rules of a game, the names of food and drinks, customs etc.

8. At what point is it appropriate to give explanations or more details in your

presentation?

9. Are you sure you are not repeating the same information?

10. At what point should you move on to the next point of your TOPIC?

11. Are you going to include your own and other people's opinions?

12. The examiner is willing to become interested in any TOPIC you want to

present. Are you including enough to make it interesting for the examiner? Are

you saying things to keep the examiner interested?

13. Are you giving the examiner interesting material so that s/he can ask you

interesting questions later?

14. Have you got enough things to say about your TOPIC without ‘drying up’

and expecting the examiner to take over? If you ‘dry up’ or ‘run out of steam’,

you cannot expect the examiner to do all the work to keep the conversation

going.

15. How are you going to finish your presentation? Will you quickly

summarise what you have said? Will you give a final opinion on your TOPIC?

Will you make a final statement about it?

16. Have you anticipated some of the questions the examiner might ask? Have

you thought about your possible answers? Many of the examiner's questions

will be predictable.

By practising with your colleagues, classmates, teachers etc, you will have the

opportunity to deal with similar questions and comments from the examiner.

17. Have you used some or many of the language items outlined on the Grade

page? Remember, the TOPIC is the ideal opportunity to use them naturally in a

context chosen by YOU.

17. DO NOT write out your TOPIC either in English or in your language in

order to translate it into English. By all means write some notes in English but

only major headings to help you structure your TOPIC.

If you write down your TOPIC in your own language for translation you

will certainly:

a) produce a translation full of mistakes and need your teacher to correct it.

b) even now it will sound like something written down and then spoken. In

other words it will not sound natural.

c) your ability in your own language is much greater than your ability in

English. The language you present in your TOPIC will not be the sort of 

language you are actually capable of producing in normal conversation.

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When you come to the free conversation part of the examination, it will

become even clearer that your language ‘ability’ for the TOPIC is not your real

language ability. You have been found out!

7. Presenting your TOPIC to the examiner -some Do's, Don'ts and Questions

XXThis is not a drama examination - it’s a language examination. You must

not learn your TOPIC by heart. If you do, it will not sound natural and it will

not reflect your English language abilities.

XXThis is not a memory exercise - it’s a language examination. You should not

learn your TOPIC by heart. Use notes if you wish. You need to prepare

suitable vocabulary and structures for the TOPIC and for your particular Grade

and be able to use these appropriately. Ask your teacher for help.

It is advisable to bring brief NOTES with you into the examination room.You may refer to them to remind you of the points you wish to make about

your TOPIC but ...

XX You may not simply read your notes aloud to the examiner. You do not

need to stand to present your TOPIC.

If you prepare your TOPIC thoroughly and if it is familiar to you, you will

probably not need to use notes. You must, however, bring your object to

represent the TOPIC.

???? What should I do if I forget to bring an object on examination day?

A typical excuse is: ‘I was in a hurry ... I was so nervous that I forgot myobject’.

Simply apologise for not bringing it and tell the examiner what you intended to

bring. If the examiner is convinced this is genuine and not laziness, (s)he will

accept the situation, however you have missed a valuable opportunity to add

interest to your TOPIC. You have certainly not helped yourself and you must

continue to work very hard to make the most of your TOPIC.

You will not lose marks but the object helps you and the examiner to focus the

conversation better. The examiner can also ask you questions about your

object. Because you chose it, you will be able to answer the questions easily.

So remember, do yourself a favour - bring your object.

?? Are you going to bring an object into the examination room?

YES or NO? Why?

Exercise:

Think now: what object(s) would be suitable to illustrate my TOPIC.

Think of two or three possibilities and then choose ONE.

Choice 1.............................. Choice 2..........................

Choice 3.............................. Best Choice ....................

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After a couple of minutes the examiner will join in and have a conversation

with you about your TOPIC.

Listen carefully to the questions and answer them as best you can.

If you do not understand the examiner say:

‘I’m sorry I don’t understand’ or ‘Could you repeat that, please?’

XX Don't say: ‘What?’, ‘Eh?’ or make any other ugly noises! Use appropriate

hesitations.

XX Do not try to quickly pass over questions in order to continue with your

presentation. Candidates usually adopt this approach when they learn their

TOPIC by heart because they are afraid of forgetting ‘what comes next’. Don’t

learn by heart!

When you feel you have answered the question, continue with your

presentation. You do not have to wait for the examiner’s ‘permission’ to

continue.

Remember there is a time limit on the examination. You have only up to five

minutes or so for the whole presentation and discussion of your TOPIC. This

makes it even more important that you are familiar with the subject, you have

organised your thoughts about it and have anticipated some of the examiner's

questions.

You take most of the responsibility for this part of the examination. The

examiner expects you to direct the TOPIC and set an acceptable pace for it

without his or her intervention.

7. What sort of language and what level of languageshould I use for the TOPIC?

The answer is simple:

The sort of language you use should be

appropriate to the subject 

appropriate for the Grade at which you are entering*

language which you can use comfortably and naturally

* If you use language which is NOT really the sort of language you normally

use, this will become clear when:

the examiner asks you questions about your TOPIC 

during the free conversation later 

Use the examples in the syllabus marked ‘Candidate Language’ and the Usage

section in the syllabus for your Grade to decide what level of language you

should try to use.

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Remember: you are entering at this Grade because you/your teacher believes

you can handle this level of language. If you cannot, then you are entering at the

WRONG GRADE. Review what level you should enter at!

XX Do not learn the ‘candidate examples’ by heart but practise this language in

the context of your own TOPIC

You are not exploiting the language fully if e.g. you ONLY use ‘there is ..., there

are ..., I am ... etc’, so vary your expression as much as you can.

Think about your TOPIC. What opportunities are there to exploit the usage

statements in the syllabus e.g.

Purpose: ‘Young people often smoke to prove they are grown up.’

Necessity: ‘Governments have to act now before our environment is completely

spoiled.’ or ‘You’ve got to see this film. The special effects are wonderful!’

Probability: ‘I’ll probably spend the rest of the summer sitting by the

swimming pool.’

Obviously, you have to build these into your TOPIC so that they are relevant

and natural. It is often not appropriate to include ALL the points in the syllabus

for a particular Grade.

Exercise:

Go back and think about all the Wh- question words of your TOPIC. This will

generate many natural usage statements.

Also ask yourself: Is it humorous, sad, scientific, technical, unusual, complex?

Is it a story, a description, an opinion, factual information, a demonstration of how to do something, advice, suggestion etc.?

8. How much specialist Language should I know and use?

Most subjects have their special language or jargon. You do not have to know

large amounts of specialist terms or vocabulary but it is reasonable

to expect some.

For example, your TOPIC is photography: you should know words

such as camera, a photograph (with the stress in the right place!),

shutter , lens, to take a photograph (not make!), to have a film

developed , and so on.

Exercise:

Look at your TOPIC. Does it require your knowing some basic specialist or

‘jargon’? YES NO

Exercise:

Spend 3 minutes or so writing down the more important words and phrases

connected with your subject. Use the boxes below to keep a record of them and

a short, simple explanation. If you do not know the English word, write it down

in your language for now. Later, check it in a dictionary or ask your teacher.

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Exercise:

Are there things you want to say about your TOPIC which the examiner may

not understand because it is not his or her specialism? YES NO

Exercise:

Find a partner and look at his or her list of ‘jargon’ or specialist words. Choose

one and ask exactly what it means. e.g ‘What is a ‘shutter’?’ ‘It is the part

inside the camera which opens and closes to let the light in or shut out the

light.’

Remember: Keep your explanation simple, whatever Grade you are doing.

?? Did you or your partner have difficulty explaining any of the specialist words

or terms?

PRACTISE NOW - DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOUPRACTISE NOW - DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOUARE IN THE EXAMINATION ROOM!ARE IN THE EXAMINATION ROOM!

9. Names, places and International Words

Many candidates like to talk about their national sportsmen and women or

places in their own country. Do not to simply recite a list of names to the

examiner. Have something interesting to add about these people and places, for

example, who they are, what their achievements are, and so on.

The names of places are often unfamiliar to a visiting examiner from England

or they are pronounced in a different way in English. If there is an English

equivalent, use it. If not, say the names clearly and if necessary, explain where

they are.

Beware international words! So many words are used all round the world in

many different languages. The word may be essentially the same, but your

language probably gives them a different pronunciation.

This is an English language examination. International words should have an

English-speaking pronunciation, (English, American, Australian, etc) not one of 

a non-English-speaking country. Some words which cause pronunciationdifficulties are e.g. Radio, Television (you can say ‘TV’), the names of sports

Special Term/Jargon Word(s) Simple Explanation

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(in English we say ‘Basketball’ not ‘Basket’), the names of towns, countries,

 jobs etc.

Always check the pronunciation of words which are likely to be international.

10. Glosses, empty, meaningless phrases and stuff like that

One of the major weaknesses in TOPIC presentation is that candidates use

‘glosses’ or empty-sounding and meaningless phrases which they cannot

 justify or explain.

The major danger area is when dealing with superlatives and qualitative

adjectives: e.g. the best, very (or the most) important and expressions of liking

and disliking with nice, good and so on.

Candidate: ‘I like {name of town} very much’.

Examiner: ‘Really, Why do you like {name of town} so much?’Candidate: ‘Of course, it's my town!’

or

Candidate: ‘{name of sportswoman} is the best. I like her very much’.

Examiner: ‘That's interesting. What makes {name of sportswoman} the best?’

Candidate: ‘I don't know. For me, she's the best!’

These conversations are going nowhere. They are circular. Remember the work 

you did on Wh- question words. Here, somewhere, you will find some

relevant and interesting information to justify or expand your answer.

For example, Candidate: ‘I like {name of town} because there is plenty to do

during the holiday. For example there is ice-skating, an open-air swimming

pool and a lot of cafes where you can meet your friends’.

Sometimes ‘YOU’ doesn't mean YOU. When we speak generally about places

we can ask:

Examiner: ‘What can you do in {name of town}?’

XX Do not reply: ‘I can ...’

The question does not mean YOU. It means: What can ANYBODY do there?

So, the reply is:

Candidate: ‘You can ....................’

And finally ...

Try and relax in your examination. remember the examiner wants to find

out how much English you can speak. (S)he is not trying to trick you or

make things difficult for you.

If you enjoy your TOPIC you will enjoy your conversation in theexamination.