The Distance Delta

Module One

Exam Thread: Revision Programme and Exam Advice

Summary
This unit you will be doing your timed mock exam and uploading it for your tutor to mark and comment on it. You also need to set yourself a revision programme in preparation for the exam itself, and we will be giving you some guidance on this, as well as providing you with additional exam revision material on the website. After working through the threads and receiving regular feedback from your course tutor together with the experience of the mock exam, you should feel well equipped to tackle the exam itself.

Objectives
By the end of this section you should: Have collected some exam tips Have decided on revision strategies and a timetable for revising. Have completed a mock exam. As a result of Tutor feedback, have a clear idea of areas you personally need to focus on.

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Contents

1. Mock Exam 2. Exam Tips and techniques 3. Revision programme

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1. Mock Exam

ACTIVITY 1: Revision Quiz (10mins)

General: 1. How long is the exam? 2. How many tasks in each paper? 3. How are marks allocated?

Paper 1 4. Which task gives you a choice? 5. Task 3 (skills): how many key writing or speaking language features should you aim for? 6. Task 4 (authentic materials): what is the first question on? 7. Task 5 (student text): you should identify all the strengths and weaknesses you can true or false? 8. Task 5 (student text): how many examples of each strength or weakness do you need to give? Paper 2 9. Task 1 (test): you need to evaluate the test with reference to the learner and their situation true or false? 10. Task 1 (test): you must include both positive and negative points true or false? 11. Task 2 (published ELT materials): how many reasons for each assumption about language learning should you aim for? 12. Task 4 (teacher resources): What areas of the syllabus can this task focus on? See Appendix 1

To give yourself the experience of doing a paper under exam conditions, we suggest you organise a quiet place and time in which to do the exam. You will need three and a half hours - one and a half hours for each paper and a half hour break. It is helpful if a colleague downloads and prints the paper for you so that you attempt it unseen. Writing it by hand is vital so you can get a real sense of timing and exam conditions. Before you tackle the exam, take the time to review your Course Tutor's comments on your previous upload tasks and skim through the exam threads.

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When you have done the Mock, please scan it and upload your answers to your Course Tutor. Like the other exam practice tasks, the Mock Exam does not count towards your assessment and so we need to see it warts and all to enable us to give you some constructive feedback. It is important to upload it by the deadline so that you receive feedback in time to act on it before doing the real exam. If you cannot scan it, then you can fax it to the Distance Delta administrator, who will email it back to you in pdf format so you can upload it to the website. Please allow time for this. Please do not discuss the contents of the Mock Exam with any participants from your Centre who may be doing the Distance Delta in future sessions.

2. Exam Tips and Techniques

Two lots of one and a half hours is a long time but it still does not seem to be long enough for many people to write as much as they need/want to and as a result sometimes people spend too much time on the first parts of the papers at the expense of others. Then by the time they get to Tasks 4 and 5 they suddenly panic as there are only a few minutes left. So, try spending a couple of minutes skimming each paper very quickly, noticing any tasks which you think look quick and easy and any which are more difficult. Then get straight into answering the first task. Please don't spend too long on Paper 1 Task 1. It's not worth it! Just do what you can and move on. You can always go back if you remember a term later. It is crucial you put more effort into Tasks which suggest longer timing such as Paper 1 Tasks 4 and 5 and Paper 2 Tasks 2 / 3 and 4, as these carry far more marks. Remember you can tackle the tasks in any order you want, you dont have to follow the numerical order. If there is a task that makes you feel apprehensive, don't tackle it immediately. Do the easiest of the tasks first to give yourself some confidence and then go back and have a go at the difficult one. Remember you will be in good company, as most candidates worldwide will find the task challenging. Aim to answer all the tasks in the paper as this will maximise your chances.

ACTIVITY 2: Identifying Successful Exam Strategies (10 mins)

1. Brainstorm any tips you have for the exam. 2. Share these with your colleagues on the Discussion Forum

3. Revision Programme
In terms of revision, obviously you know what is most effective for you as an individual. Remember it is important to be realistic and honest with yourself. Following are some suggestions, some of which you might like to try. Tick any that you think would be useful for you. 1. Look through all the Exam Training in the units to remind yourself of the key issues you need to remember. 2. Do the self study exam revision packs we upload for you to CP resources.

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3. Read through all your exam answers and Course Tutor comments to see if there are any threads / comments which keep emerging. Plan a strategy for overcoming any recurrent problems. 4. Work on any language areas you lack confidence in. Note items which are likely contenders in the exam: compounds, lexical relationships, cohesive devices, articles, modals, reported speech, -ing forms, perfect and continuous aspect, narrative tenses, futures, conditionals, passives, phrasal verbs, adverbs, relative clauses. Any grammar book will be useful but particularly helpful books are: Carter, R., Hughes, R. & McCarthy, M. 2006 Cambridge Grammar of English Cambridge University Press Parrott, M. 2000 Grammar for English Language Teachers Cambridge University Press Swan, M. 1995 Practical English Usage (2nd edition) Oxford University Press Thornbury, S. 1997 About Language Cambridge University Press* Yule, G. 1998 Explaining English Grammar Oxford University Press *If you only manage to work with one text, this is the most useful in that its tasks reflect the depth and content of Delta exam tasks. Re-read course material on the Verb Phrase, Noun Phrase, as well as Language Systems revision. 5. Below is a summary of the Follow-on tasks from each of the units - if you didnt do these earlier, there is still time to do them now as part of your final revision. Paper 1 Tasks 1 and 2 and Paper 2 Task 4 Look through the Delta topic areas e.g. Discourse, Approaches, Listening, Error and choose the two you feel least confident about. Set yourself a time limit and a specific source (course materials, chapter in a teachers resource book, article) to read up about them it often makes much more sense a second time around. Paper 1 Task 3 Take a couple of coursebooks you are familiar with and find a writing and a speaking task in each. How does the coursebook prepare them for the task? Which language features and subskills does it focus on? Think of your learners at that level. What else would they need to be able to do the task successfully? Paper 1 Task 4 Practise by picking up a piece of authentic material and running through some questions, e.g. What features here are typical of this type of text? What is the form and use of this language item (modal / verb form / determiner, etc.) here? What aspects of cohesion are there in the text? You could do this travelling to work or in a lunch break. It will get you used to working quickly and under pressure on this type of task. Modality often comes up, so make sure you are really clear on how to analyse form and use here. Cohesive devices are another favourite so make sure you remember about referencing, ellipsis, substitution, lexical cohesion and the use of linkers. Also ensure you feel confident in analysing compounds (usually compound adjectives or compound nouns) and phrasal verbs. 5 Unit 8 Exam Training

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As part of this task you are asked to analyse problems learners are likely to encounter with specific items. Here you need to ensure you are confident not only in discussing meaning and form issues but also phonological difficulties such as stress, features of connected speech (weak forms, catenation, elision, assimilation, intrusive sounds) as well as individual sounds. Paper 1 Task 5 Look at some samples of learners written work (perhaps photocopy some from colleagues exam classes if you havent got much yourself) and any transcripts of learners speaking you can get hold of. With a list of the possible assessment categories for this task beside you, look for key strengths and weaknesses and decide what feature you would work on and why. Make yourself do this under pressure, say 15 minutes. Paper 2 Task 1 Think of one of your learners who you know quite well and summarise their situation and needs briefly, including their reasons for studying English. Then get a test for their level e.g. a progress test from their coursebook, your in-house end of level or placement test or part of a practice test for a Cambridge exam. Note down a list of positive and negative aspects of the test in terms of your particular learners situation. Paper 2 Tasks 2 and 3 As you plan your lessons, make yourself look critically at the coursebook material you are using. Run through the underlying assumptions and reasons for these and take the time to look in the Teachers Book and see if your analysis matches the stated beliefs of the writers. Also open a page or double page spread of your coursebook and look to see how the different stages and activities fit together and support each other (grab 10 minutes here and there for that e.g. while travelling, having a coffee etc.) Most importantly, make sure you get a really good nights sleep before the exam so that you feel fresh and able to handle three hours writing. And finally, to reassure you The markers for the Delta exam are instructed to mark positively, i.e. they are looking for reasons to pass you. They are sitting there poised to tick every relevant point you make, every pertinent example, and every plausible idea. Your part is to make sure you give them plenty to tick! You should feel very well prepared by now and we are confident that you have enough training and practice to acquit yourself successfully in the exam.

Good Luck from the Distance Delta team!

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Appendix 1: Revision Quiz

General 1. Three and a half hours: two papers of one and a half hours with a half hour break in between. 2. Paper 1: 5 tasks, Paper 2: 4 tasks 3. Answers are assessed with reference to a Task Specific Mark Scheme. A separate Task Specific Mark Scheme is created for each task in the test. Marks are awarded for appropriate responses in terms of content. Paper 1 4. In Task 2 you choose four out of six terms to define and give an example of. 5. We suggest you aim for six. You are asked for five, an extra one allows for one being wrong 6. Identifying features of genre in a piece of authentic material. 7. False you should focus on key strengths and weaknesses and you need three of each. Again, if you can, it is wise to aim for an extra one in case. 8. Only one for each key strength and weakness you identify avoid wasting time by giving long lists of examples, but make sure your examples does in fact illustrate clearly the strength or weakness you have identified. Paper 2 9. True you need to refer specifically to the learner and their situation e.g. expectations at the level, learner needs etc. 10. True, you must include both, although these do not have to be evenly balanced 11. At least two reasons for each of your assumptions. If you can think of more, then an extra one would be safer 12. Lots! Specifically: resources, approaches and methodologies, learners and contexts, language acquisition and teacher roles

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