Posted in Conversation Classes, Exam Preparation Class

Decisions, Decisions: More Collaborative Speaking Tasks

Image credit: ignorelimits.com

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is another set of collaborative speaking tasks designed with teenagers in mind. Simply download the powerpoint below, put students into groups of 3-4 and have them discuss the different hypothetical decisions.

decisions-decisions1

Posted in Exam Preparation Class

CAE Use of English Training

Image credit: www.fitxfitnessinc.com

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a lesson plan I have designed for my CAE students who are about to take the exam. It is designed to help them prepare for the four use of English exercises in paper 1. You could set the worksheet as homework or have students complete it stage by stage in class in pairs or individually. Download the worksheet and key below:

CAE Use of English Training

CAE Use of English Training Key

Part 1 – Multiple Choice Cloze

Complete the 4 sentences with the words in the box below:

  1. I’ve been trying to get _______ of my boss all morning but he’s not picking up.
  2. The government realises that homelessness is an issues but has failed to ________ the scale of the problem.
  3. The article gives a fascinating ________ into the lives of the most vulnerable people in society.
  4. The _________ was dawning that this was a major disaster.
Insight Realisation Hold Grasp
  1. It’s just a ________of time before all courses are taught at least partially online.
  2. The police are only beginning to realise the complexity of the _________ now.
  3. The ______ of the accident has yet to be identified, but police have their suspicions.
  4. Since the inconclusive elections the political system has been in a _______ of disarray.
State Situation Matter Cause
  1. After the show I was ________ by an agent from a record company and offered a contract.
  2. Over the course of the trip we _________ many difficulties but we carried on regardless.
  3. After 30 years of service to the company he was _________ with a golden Rolex watch.
  4. They ________ us double what we originally paid for the house so we accepted straightaway.
Presented Offered Encountered Approached
  1. After several attempts to untie the knot I had to ________ defeat and cut the rope with a knife.
  2. I’m afraid I can’t ________ you to enter this area, it’s a restricted zone.
  3. The family will ________ €25,000 in compensation for the damage caused in the accident.
  4. I’m sorry sir but your parking ________ has expired and you have to pay a fine.
Permit Admit Allow Receive
  1. Hi, I’ve come ______ the party, I’m a friend of Josh’s.
  2. When it comes _____ computers, I’m completely useless.
  3. My family originally comes _____ Scotland but I grew up in Birmingham.
  4. The console comes _____ 2 free games of your choosing.
From With To For
  1. University should be _________ to people from all backgrounds to increase equality.
  2. Planning and organising the whole festival in just 2 days is not __________.
  3. The summit of the mountain is only __________ to experienced climbers.
  4. It’s best to use turkey for this dish, but if it isn’t ___________, just use chicken.
Feasible Obtainable Accessible Reachable
  1. We must do more challenge stereotypical gender _______ like male heroes and females needing rescuing.
  2. My favourite comic-book _________ are Batman and Ironman because they’re just normal guys with amazing gadgets.
  3. He is a general in the army and he certainly looks the ________.
  4. Surfing isn’t a hobby dude, it’s a _______ of mind!
Characters State Part Roles

Part 2 – Open Cloze

Complete the sentences with 1 word.

  1. Two students, neither of ______ had done their homework, showed up to class.
  2. The study was carried _____ by a group of scientists from Harvard.
  3. The houses on my street, all of ______ were built over 200 years ago, are painted in a range of colours.
  4. It normally takes me an hour or ____ to get home from school.
  5. Sometimes as _____ as 50 people come to the free dance classes.
  6. The city has many places of interest, _____ the beautiful roman buildings in the centre ___ the ultra-modern harbour side.
  7. I try to do at least a little exercise ____ a daily basis.
  8. The government have cut spending on education. ______ this means is that class sizes will increase.
  9. This part of the building is in the process of ______ repaired.
  10. _____ there were so many people at the concert, people had to sit on each other’s laps.
  11. The problems associated ____ shooting the film underwater were a real headache for the director.
  12. The development of smaller, hand-held cameras led ____ photography becoming a popular hobby.
  13. In the past people _____ have to wait up to a week for their photographs to be developed.
  14. They were ____ the point of calling off the search when they found the missing dog sleeping under a tree.
  15. When taken ____ a whole, the Lord of the Rings saga is one of the most impressive stories ever told.
  16. He has written well _____ a thousand songs in his career. (much more than)
  17. We’re thinking about having our house done ____ this summer, but it might be too expensive.
  18. I’m still not sure ______ or not I lost my phone or someone stole it.

Part 3 – Word Formation

Put the correct negative prefix on the word: in-/dis-/il-/im-/ir-/un-

1.       ____legal

2.       ____secure

3.       ____regular

4.       ____logical

5.       ____predictable

6.       ____pleased

7.       ____sufficient

8.       ____reparable

9.       ____loyal

10.    ____literate

11.    ____rational

12.    ____adequate

13.    ____conventional

14.    ____professional

15.    ____willing

16.    ____capable

17.    ____able

18.    ____precise

19.    ____mature

20.    ____patient

21.    ____complete

22.    ____belief

23.    ____agreement

24.    ____affected

25.    ____pleasant

26.    ____coherent

27.    ____ accurate

28.    ____valid

29.    ____perfect

30.    ____certain

Complete the sentences with one of the words above, check the context, should the word be positive or negative?

  1. Don’t be so ___________! You have to wait for your turn like everyone else. PATIENCE
  2. I’m afraid there is ___________ money to pay everyone this month. SUFFICE
  3. There was a __________ smell coming from the kitchen that made my mouth water. PLEASE
  4. It was very difficult for the _______________ refugee children to fit in at school. LITERACY
  5. We finally reached a(n) ________________ about what to do with the money. AGREE
  6. I’m afraid that the damage to the car is _______________. REPAIR
  7. Your tickets are ___________ for the VIP area, take a glass of champagne and sit down. VALIDATION
  8. He was so drunk that his speech was completely ______________. COHERENCE
  9. Our son is so ___________ compared to the other boys in his class, he never gets in trouble. MATURITY
  10. If your ___________ behaviour continues, you’re going to be out of a job. PROFESSIONALISM
  11. I hate that kind of film, the endings are always so __________ you can see it coming a mile off. PREDICT
  12. What Donald Trump said about Mexican immigrants was completely _____________ and should be corrected at once. ACCURACY
  13. Luckily out area was _____________ by the storm and heavy rain. AFFECT
  14. Your work on the project was _______________ and I expect you to do better next time. ADEQUACY
  15. We should sack him immediately, he’s _____________ of arriving on time. CAPABILITY
  16. Calm down, we need to be ____________ and think about it carefully. RATIONALITY
  17. If they are ____________ to lower the price then we should break off negotiations. WILL
  18. When I was a teenager I felt very ____________ about my body, but I’m fine now. SECURITY
  19. The puzzle is still _____________, we’re missing 4 pieces. COMPLETION
  20. Her methods may be _______________, but they’re very effective. CONVENTION

Part 4 – Key Word Transformations

Choose the correct option to complete the key word transformations:

  1. Mauro says he prefers to do his homework on his own

RATHER

Mauro says that ______________________________________ do his homework with other people.

  1. He wouldn’t rather to
  2. He would rather not
  3. He would rather not to
  4. He rather wouldn’t

 

  1. Clara said that she had not seen the missing letter.

HAVING

Clara ___________________________________ the missing letter.

  1. Refused having seen
  2. Denied having to see
  3. Admitted to not having seen
  4. Denied having seen

 

  1. It took Layla five minutes to find her car keys.

SPENT

Layla ___________________________________ for her car keys.

  1. Spent five minutes looking
  2. Spent five minutes to search
  3. Spent five minutes finding
  4. Spent five minutes to find

 

  1. A short meeting of the cast will take place after today’s rehearsal.

BY

Today’s rehearsal ___________________________________________ a short meeting of the cast.

  1. Will be after by
  2. Followed after by
  3. Will be followed by
  4. Will followed by

 

  1. I’ll be happy to show you round the sights of my city when you come to visit me.

TAKE

It will be a _____________________________________________ sightseeing tour of my city when you come to visit me.

  1. Happiness taking you to a
  2. Pleasure to take you on a
  3. Pleasing to take you to a
  4. Pleasure taking you on a

 

  1. Rousseau painted fabulous pictures of the rainforest although he had never travelled outside Europe.

SPITE

Rousseau painted fabulous pictures of the rainforest ____________________________________ travelled outside Europe.

  1. In spite of the fact that he never
  2. In spite of he never
  3. In spite the fact he never
  4. In spite of never having

 

  1. It is thought that one in every five people cannot control how much they spend.

UNABLE

One in every five people is thought _______________________________ their spending under control.

  1. To be unable to keep
  2. That is unable to control
  3. Of being unable to control
  4. Unable to keep

Key

Part 1:

1.       Hold

2.       Grasp

3.       Insight

4.       Realisation

 

1.       Matter

2.       Situation

3.       Cause

4.       State

 

1.       Approached

2.       Encountered

3.       Presented

4.       Offered

 

1.       Admit

2.       Allow

3.       Receive

4.       Permit

1.       For

2.       To

3.       From

4.       With

 

1.       Accessible

2.       Feasible

3.       Reachable

4.       Obtainable

 

1.       Roles

2.       Characters

3.       Part

4.       State

 

Part 2:

1.       Whom

2.       Out

3.       Which

4.       So

5.       Many

6.       From, to

7.       On

8.       What

9.       being

10.    as/since/because

11.    with

12.    to

13.    would

14.    on

15.    as

16.    over

17.    up

18.    whether

Part 3:

1.       illegal

2.       insecure

3.       irregular

4.       illogical

5.       unpredictable

6.       displeased

7.       insufficient

8.       irreparable

9.       disloyal

10.    illiterate

11.    irrational

12.    inadequate

13.    unconventional

14.    unprofessional

15.    unwilling

16.    incapable

17.    unable (adjective) disable (verb)

18.    imprecise

19.    immature

20.    impatient

21.    incomplete

22.    disbelief

23.    disagreement

24.    unaffected

25.    unpleasant

26.    incoherent

27.    inaccurate

28.    invalid

29.    imperfect

30.    uncertain

 

1.       impatient

2.       insufficient

3.       pleasant

4.       illiterate

5.       agreement

6.       irreparable

7.       valid

8.       incoherent

9.       mature

10.    unprofessional

11.    predictable

12.    inaccurate

13.    unaffected

14.    inadequate

15.    incapable

16.    rational

17.    unwilling

18.    insecure

19.    incomplete

20.    unconventional

Part 4:

  1. b
  2. d
  3. a
  4. c
  5. b
  6. d
  7. a
Posted in Conversation Classes, Exam Preparation Class

CAE Speaking Part 3+4: Phrase Worksheet

Image credit: aliciateacher2.wordpress.com

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a gap-fill worksheet for CAE students to teach phrases for the collaborative parts of the speaking exam. Download the gap-fill and key below.

CAE speaking phrases part 3+4 gap-fill

CAE speaking phrases part 3+4 key

Key

Starting

What shall we do first?

Shall I start?

Do you mind if I start?

We could start by talking about…

Let’s talk about .. first.

Shall we start with this picture

Opinion

As far as I’m concerned,

As I see it,

From my point of view,

In my humble opinion,

I’d say that…

 

Giving yourself time

That’s a big question!

I haven’t given it much thought until now.

Let me see

How can I put this?

Well, it’s difficult to say really.

That’s an interesting question.

Rephrasing

What I mean is…

What I’m trying to say is…

In other words

To put it another way

Basically what you are saying is…

Agreeing

We see eye to eye.

Yeah, I’d go along with that.

Absolutely!

You took the words right out of my mouth.

I couldn’t agree more.

You have a point there.

I’m with you 100% on this one.

Disagreeing

We don’t see eye to eye.

I take your point but…

I tend to disagree with you there.

That’s not always the case

I beg to differ

Isn’t it more a case of…

Starting to make a conclusion

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

The bottom line is we have to choose one…

It’s a tough one, I’m torn between … and ….

Shall we go with ….?

Asking for opinion

What’s your take on….?

Where do you stand on….?

In my opinion…., would you go along with that?

What are your thoughts on this?

Personalising

Speaking from personal experience,…

For me personally,..

This is a topic that is particularly close to my heart…

It’s funny I was just thinking about this the other day.

My gut/initial reaction is…

If I were to choose one of these situations (part 2 pictures), I’d go with… because…

Impressive structures

Another point I’d like to add about … is…

It’s also worth bearing in mind that…

Coming back to what (Javi) was saying about …. I’d also like to point out that…

I think it’s important not to forget that…

The vast majority of people tend to think that…

At the end of the day…

When all’s said and done…

 

Tips

Eye-contact

Active listening

Open body language

Speak up

Don’t dominate

Asking for repetition

I beg your pardon, I didn’t catch that.

Sorry would you mind repeating that?

Could you repeat the question please?

Gap-fill

Starting

What _____ we do first?

_______ I start?

Do you _________ if I start?

We could start _______ talking about…

________ talk about .. first.

________ we start with…?

Opinion

As ________ as I’m concerned,

______ I see it,

From my ________ of view,

In my __________ opinion,

I’d _________ that…

 

Giving yourself time

________ a big question!

I haven’t given it much ________ until now.

Let me ________

How _______ I put this?

Well, it’s difficult to say really.

That’s an ____________ question.

Rephrasing

What I ________ is…

What I’m trying to ________ is…

In other __________

To put it another __________

___________ what you are saying is…

Agreeing

We _______ eye to eye.

Yeah, I’d _______ along with that.

Absolutely!

You took the ________ right out of my _______.

I ____________ agree more.

You have a ___________ there.

I’m with you 100% _______ this one.

Disagreeing

We _________ see eye to eye.

I take your ________ but…

I _________ to disagree with you there.

That’s not always the ___________.

I __________ to differ

Isn’t it more a __________ of…

Starting to make a conclusion

Let’s ________ down to the nitty gritty.

The bottom ________ is we have to choose one…

It’s a tough one, I’m torn ___________ … and ….

_________ we go with ….?

Asking for opinion

What’s your take _____….?

Where do you ______ on….?

In my opinion…., would you go along with that?

What are your thoughts on this?

Personalising

Speaking ________ personal experience,…

_______ me personally,..

This is a topic that is particularly close to my __________…

It’s funny I was just thinking _________ this the other day.

My gut/initial __________ is…

 

Impressive structures

Another point I’d like to add about … is…

It’s also worth bearing in _______ that…

Coming _______ to what (Javi) was saying about …. I’d also like to point ______ that…

I think it’s important not to forget that…

The ______ majority of people tend to think that…

At the _______ of the day…

When all’s said and ________…

 

Tips

Eye-contact

Active listening

Open body language

Speak up

Don’t dominate

Asking for repetition

I beg your ________, I didn’t catch that.

Sorry would you ________ repeating that?

Could you __________ the question please?

Posted in Vocabulary Classes, Writing Classes

CAE/CPE Report Phrase Sheet 2.0

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is an updated version of my CAE/CPE report phrase list. Download it below:

Report Phrase Sheet

Report

Register:

Formal, impersonal, cold and factual.

DO NOT USE:

·         Contractions

·         Colourful language (gorgeous/stunning/awesome etc.)

·         Informal phrasal verbs (meet up/break down/check out etc.)

·         “I/we think….” (too personal)

Forms and Conventions:

Title: Report into …….

Paragraph Titles: Introduction, Strengths, Weaknesses, Conclusion.

 

Fixed introduction: The aim of this report is to evaluate/put forward ideas for/examine etc.

 

Word limit: CAE: 220-260 CPE: 280-320

Introduction:

The purpose/aim of this report is to….

This report sets out to…

The report will comment on…

Below is an explanation of…

The focus of this report is…

This report will offer an in depth critique of…

Fake survey/questionnaire:

It can be a good idea to base the report on a survey/questionnaire.

This report will present the findings of/This report is based on the findings/results of an extensive survey completed by…

Ending Introduction:

1.        It will go on to give recommendations regarding…

Expressing general opinions/info:

….is considered/thought/said to be

…is highly regarded in (place)…(good reputation)

There is widespread agreement that…

Opinions are divided regarding…

It is common knowledge that…

Recent research indicates that…

Interviewees who had first-hand knowledge of the situation stated…

There is considerable disagreement regarding

Survey Results:

Virtually everyone who completed the survey stated that..

Over (60%) of those interviewed stated that…

The vast majority of people interviewed believe that…

A small percentage of those surveyed agree/disagree with…

Strengths:

The (school system) in this country undoubtedly has many strengths such as …. And…

… is particularly effective due to the fact that…

… has achieved impressive results owing to …

Another clear strong point is…

… is something the country can be proud of due to…

Weaknesses:

Despite the strengths mentioned above, there are also some areas that require attention.

… is failing to live up to expectations because…

Another clear weakness is…

… leaves a lot to be desired

… is not up to the required standard

Advantages/disadvantages:

…’s advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages.

advantages

benefits/pros/strengths

disadvantages

downsides/weaknesses/drawbacks

Giving Recommendations:

In light of the above, we believe the following measures should be adopted…

My recommendations are as follows:…

Urgent improvement is needed in the field of…

I highly recommend + bring about change in the area of…

To improve the situation, we recommend…

It is recommended that…

Concluding:

-To sum up,…To conclude,…

-I hope that the plan outlined/presented in this

report meets with your approval…

-I hope that the recommendations outlined/

presented in this report will receive your serious

consideration.

Should the recommendations outlined in this report be carried out, I have no doubt that …. Will be a resounding success.

 

Grammar check list

Have you included?

·         An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)

·         An inverted conditional (Were we to…)

·         A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)

·         A double comparative (The more we… the more)

·         A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)

·         Linkers (Nevertheless/despite/due to/consequently)

·         Impressive verbs (bring about change/undergo development)

Example Introduction

The aim of this report is to evaluate the current state of….. This report is based on the results of an extensive survey completed by (students at … school). It will present the results of the survey and go on to give recommendations regarding…

Posted in Uncategorized

Amazing Resources from Cork English Teacher

I’ve reposted a few of his phrase sheets before but check out this amazing bank of fantastic resources from his Facebook page:

Posted in Uncategorized

Award Nomination

Hi followers, I’ve been nominated for Teaching English British Council blog of the month award. If you think my lesson plan on peer-taught phrasal verbs should win then go the Facebook page below, scroll down until you find mine and give it a like.

Thanks!

Tim

Posted in Conversation Classes

Collaborative Speaking: Planning the School Trip

Image credit: www.rayburntours.com

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a collaborative speaking task for B1+ students in which they decide how they would spend €2500 on a trip to London for their class. Download the powerpoint below.

Collaborate and Negotiate

Put students in groups of 3-4, project the powerpoint. Explain the situation to them: They have to decide how they are going to spend €2500 they have for a class trip to London. The money has to cover their transport, accommodation and activities. They need to reach a decision about how to spend the money and give reasons for their answer. Will they travel by bus? Which takes longer but costs a lot less. Will they stay in a 5* hotel? Or will they slum it in a 1* hostel and save the money for the VIP activity package? Give students a few minutes to make each decision and then present their choice and reasons to the group.

Follow up

Students write an FCE style review or report on the their trip to London.

 

Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Vocabulary Classes

CAE Phrasal Verbs Worksheet #3

Image credit: bemoxie.org

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a worksheet for CAE students in which they learn and practice 12 typical C1 phrasal verbs. Download it below:

CAE Phrasal Verbs 3

Definition Match

Match the phrasal verbs in bold with their definitions.

  1. The comedian did a routine about being drunk at work and the audience lapped it up.
  2. If we get beaten by the junior team we’ll never live it down so we have to play well.
  3. In the past people used to just live off the land, nowadays we’re so dependent on shops for everything.
  4. We spent 3 weeks in India and then we moved on to Thailand. I think we’ve finished talking about that topic, shall we move on to the next one?
  5. As soon as I turn 18, I’m going to move out of my parents’ house and get my own flat.
  6. I lived in Brazil for two months, I didn’t do any classes but I managed to pick up a bit of Portuguese.
  7. You should come shopping with us, we’ll pick you out a nice shirt for the wedding.
  8. Driver! Driver! Pull over! I’m going to be sick!
  9. I’ve got a tonne of work to do but I keep putting it off. I’ll have to do it soon.
  10. I’ve been travelling around all my life. Now I think I’d like to settle down and start a family.
  11. The new school was a bit scary at first but I’m settling in
  12. We finished our drinks, settled up with the waiter and left.
a.        Learn/acquire without effort

b.       Be allowed to forget st

c.        Really enjoy st

d.       Pay what you owe

e.       Leave a house to live somewhere else

f.         To stop moving and permanently live somewhere

g.        To drive to the side of the road and stop

h.       Choose st from a selection

i.         Rely on st to survive

j.         To start to feel safe and comfortable in a place

k.        To postpone

l.         To leave a place and travel to another

Testing

You and your partner have 1 minute to study the phrasal verbs before another pair tests you on them.

Questions

Complete the questions with the phrasal verbs then ask and answer them with a partner.

  1. Do you trust your friends to ______ ______ nice clothes for you when you’re shopping? What about your parents?
  2. How are you _________ ______ in class? Do you feel comfortable? How long did it take you to _______ ___ when you first joined your school/workplace?
  3. What’s the best place to _________ _______ and start a family, the countryside or a big city? Why?
  4. Do you think you could _______ ______ the land? Could you ______ ______ €50 a week?
  5. When was the last time you ________ _____ a performance? What was it? Why was it so good?
  6. Are you _______ ______ any work at the moment? When are you going to do it?
  7. Have you or your parents ever been _______ ______ by the police? Have you ever had to ______ ______ to be sick?
  8. When do you want to/When did you _______ ______ of your parents’ house?
  9. Has anything really embarrassing happened to you that you will never ______ ______? Has anything really embarrassing ever happened to your friends or family that they will never _____ _____?
  10. When you go abroad do you tend to ______ _____ a bit of the language?

Key

Definition Match

  1. C
  2. B
  3. H
  4. K
  5. E
  6. A
  7. H
  8. G
  9. K
  10. F
  11. J
  12. D

Questions

  1. Pick out
  2. Settling in – settle in
  3. Settle down
  4. Live off – live off
  5. Lapped up
  6. Putting off
  7. Pulled over – pull over
  8. Move out
  9. Live down – live down
  10. Pick up