This is a PowerPoint I made a while ago to help C1 students practise making the kind of formal recommendations they often need to include in the formal writing tasks in the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam. Download the PowerPoint below:
Tag: Cambridge C1 Advanced
C1 Advanced: A Mascot’s Life
This is a quick activity I made to revise some emergent language from a C1 Advanced listening task we did in class. I took the interesting expressions from the transcript and got Chat GPT to incorporate them into a new text.
Students read a text about professional sports mascots and then examine some expressions from the text. There is a complete version or a more challenging gapped version. I’ve also included an AI generated recording of the text from play.ht.
Download the handouts below:
C1 Advanced: A Mascot’s Life – Student Handout
Pre-Reading
- What do you think the life of a sports mascot is like?
- What are the pros and cons?
- What skills, abilities or characteristics do you need to do the job?
Reading
- Read the text and see if it mentions any of your ideas from part 1.
“Hi everyone! I’m Jake, and I’ve recently started an exciting new job that I never imagined I’d be doing – I’m the mascot for our city’s professional soccer team! It’s a world full of energy, enthusiasm, and a few surprises along the way.
One major perk of this job is the thrill of entertaining thousands of fans. I seriously get a kick out of seeing their smiles and hearing their cheers. It’s not every day you get to be the heart and soul of a game!
Now, you might think being in such a huge crowd would be nerve-wracking. And you’re right! Initially, I used to get stage fright. The thought of performing in front of so many people would play on my mind for days before a match. But, believe it or not, once I’m in my mascot costume, all that anxiety just melts away.
Let’s talk about the financial side. While I’m not making megabucks, the salary is decent enough, and the joy I experience is worth more than any paycheck.
However, being a mascot isn’t always easy. There are times when the heat inside the costume can really put me off, especially on sunny days. It’s a challenge to stay focused and not get distracted by the discomfort.
Staying in shape is crucial in this line of work. You need a lot of stamina to perform energetically throughout the game. It’s not just about the costume; it’s about being fit enough to bring life to the character. For this reason, I keep trim by exercising at the gym at least 3 times a week.
At times, I can get hung up on small mistakes during a performance. Maybe I didn’t land a dance move perfectly, or I tripped over my giant mascot feet. It’s easy to get flustered in those moments, but I’ve learned to laugh it off and keep going.
The team I work with is a tight-knit group. They’re incredibly supportive and we all get a buzz from creating memorable experiences for the fans. I was taken aback by how welcoming and friendly everyone was from my very first day.
In conclusion, being a sports team mascot is an extraordinary experience. It’s a job that requires energy, dedication, and a love for the game and its fans. If you’re someone who loves to entertain and stay active, this might just be the perfect role for you!”
- Look at the expressions in bold and try to guess their meaning.
Conversation
- Would you ever like to be a mascot?
- How important is it for you to earn megabucks in your job?
- What do you get a kick out of/a buzz from in your job/studies/personal life?
- How well do you deal with stress and pressure? Do you get flustered easily?
- Do you get stage fright when you have to speak in public?
- What can people do to reduce stage fright?
- Do you get hung up on mistakes that you make? Or are you good at forgetting/letting go of past mistakes?
- If you’ve got an important event or deadline on the horizon, does it play on your mind? Or are you good at keeping things in perspective?
- How important do you think perks are when choosing a job?
- Would you choose to work for an unscrupulous company if they offered you a lot of perks?
- company car
- private health insurance
- stock options
- employee discounts
- etc.
- Would you choose to work for an unscrupulous company if they offered you a lot of perks?
- What do you do to stay in shape or keep trim?
- How important is it for you to keep fit?
- Have you ever tripped over in a really embarrassing way? What happened?
C1 Advanced – Letter to the Editor
My C1 students recently completed a mock writing exam in class and I realised some glaring flaws in their approach to the task. The main issues I observed were a lack of planning which led to a lack of coherence in their arguments and no logical throughline. So I designed this activity based on a model answer to offer them some more support.
Students will analyse a model answer to the task, then try to reverse engineer the writer’s plan/brainstorm. They will then focus on useful language for the task and then repeat the planning phase for a similar task. The idea is to model what I expect students to do in the first 5 minutes of the exam: plan out what they want to express then brainstorm advanced language to express it.
Download the student handout and teacher’s notes below:
C1 Advanced: School Trip – Proposal Task & Handout
I was rooting through my over-stuffed Google Drive and found this C1 Advanced writing part 2 proposal task and handout that I made a few years back. Download it below:
C1 Advanced Reading Part 7: Gapped Text – Exam Technique
It’s nobody’s favourite exam reading exercise! This is a slightly tweaked version of a very old lesson plan I use to help C1 students tackle the part 7 gapped reading task. Apologies for the rather ugly PowerPoint template! Download the PowerPoint and handout below:
C1 Advanced: Grammar Range Test
A quick, simple worksheet I’ve created for my C1 Advanced class. They’re in their second year of preparation for the exam and I just want to get an idea of their grasp of some of the typical advanced grammar points that come up in the syllabus so that I know where to focus our efforts in the coming weeks.
I’m tying it into chatting about travelling and holidays and getting them to complete an informal letter writing task. I’ve used this old worksheet that I made years ago for the homework task.
It also serves as some exam practice for part 4 of the reading and use of English paper. You could have students complete it in pairs or individually then check the answers in open class. Tell students not to worry too much if any of the structures are unfamiliar as future lessons will look at them in detail where necessary.
Download the worksheet below:
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first using the word given. You must use between 3 and 6 words, you must not change the word given.
- It took us 6 hours to walk up the mountain.
WALKING
When we arrived at the top of the mountain _____________________ 6 hours.
- It was the first time I had seen such a beautiful sunset.
BEFORE
Never _____________________ a beautiful sunset.
- You mustn’t leave the vehicle while you’re on safari.
CIRCUMSTANCES
Under ______________________ of the vehicle while you’re on safari.
- If I went there again, I’d definitely pack warmer clothes.
GO
Were ______________, I’d definitely pack warmer clothes.
- The water was so clear that we could see all the fish at the bottom.
CLEAR
So _______________ could see all the fish at the bottom.
- I enjoyed going on the roller coasters the most.
WAS
What ____________________ on the roller coasters.
- We had no idea that there were man-eating sharks in the water!
KNOW
Little _____________________ there were man-eating sharks in the water!
- I didn’t pack enough warm clothes because I didn’t know the weather would be so cold.
WOULD
Had _____________________ be so cold, I would have packed more warm clothes.
C1/C2 Review Writing Task: A Life of Crime
This is a writing task for C1/C2 students who are preparing to take the C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency exams and need to practise writing film/TV reviews. You could set it for homework after having used my vocabulary/use of English training activity The Heist. You may also find my lesson plan on incorporating engaging hooks into this type of writing task useful.
Download the handout below:
Task:
Your university’s film club is asking for reviews of films or TV shows on the topic of crime. Maybe you’ve seen a thrilling heist movie, a dark film noir or a TV show about the nefarious adventures of a mafia family. Your review should comment on the plot of the film/show, the quality of the script and acting and recommend the film/show to a specific demographic or warn a specific group against watching it. C1: 220-260 words C2: 280-320 words
C1/C2: Advanced Conditionals Revision
While correcting a mock exam with my C2 group, it came to my attention that they needed a refresher on advanced conditionals. Things like inverted conditionals and also alternatives conditional phrases such as “on condition that”, “supposing…?” and “provided that”. So I put together a little PowerPoint as a refresher. It’s not the most inspired of formats, but I dotted in a few fun speaking activities along the way. Download the PowerPoint below:
You’ll need to prep by coming up with 3 sentences, one with each inverted conditional, here are my examples:
- Should I have time tonight, I’ll watch another episode of Ted Lasso. (inverted 1st conditional)
- Were I to win the lottery, I’d quit my job. (inverted 2nd conditional)
- Had I been born in the 1400s, I would have been an explorer. (inverted 3rd conditional)
The three sentences should be a mixture of true or false bits of information about you.
Read the sentences to your class one by one, students should take no notes, just listen. They should then debate with their partner whether or not the sentence is true. Reveal the truth, then move onto the next sentence.
Once you’ve finished, show the first slide of the PowerPoint (you’ll need to edit the first few slides so that they show your 3 sentences, or just do it on the board). Students have the basic information from the 3 sentences, but none of the grammar, they have to work together to recall what you said. Maybe they’ll remember the “basic” conditional structures (if….), or perhaps the sharper students will remember some of the inverted forms.
Once you’ve revealed and discussed the different forms, lead students through the rest of the PowerPoint, they will get more complete revision of each inverted conditional plus all the other alternative forms already mentioned.
I’m interested to see what hypothetical questions your students come up with for the “suppose”/”supposing” section, let me know in the comments!
Proficiency Phrase of the Day #13: Bury One’s Head in the Sand
Today’s phrase is…
To bury one’s head in the sand
Introduce the expression to your students with some examples.
When it comes to climate change, most governments are burying their heads in the sand and just going on as normal.
You can’t just bury your head in the sand, your symptoms are bad, you should see a doctor.
The expression means: to avoid or ignore unpleasant facts even though they might have a bad effect on you in the future.
Put students in small groups and have them ask and answer these questions. Encourage them to use the phrase of the day:
- Apart from climate change, are there any other major issues that you think governments are refusing to face up to?
- How do you normally deal with potentially scary news or information? Do you face up to it? Or try to avoid thinking about it or discussing it?
- How do you normally deal with strange symptoms or other health problems? Do you get them checked out? Or ignore them and hope they go away?
Here’s the Quizlet set of all the previous phrases of the day.
Proficiency Phrase of the Day #12: To prey on your mind
Today’s phrase is…
To prey on one’s mind
Introduce it with some examples:
The problem has been preying on my mind for over a week now.
You mustn’t let past failures prey on your mind when making big decisions.
The expression is often used with “let” in imperatives: Don’t let it prey on your mind.
Lead students to the meaning: if a problem is preying on your mind it is worrying you or causing you anxiety.
Have students take part in a little therapy session in pairs or small groups:
- Is anything bothering you at the moment?
- Do you have any big deadlines or events looming on the horizon?
- Do you have any big decisions to make coming up?
- Do you have any regrets about recent things that have happened that you need to open up about?
Here’s the Quizlet set of all the previous phrases of the day.