The noontime #ELTchat on 02-03-2011 focused on teaching exam classes, a topic which @sandymillin had been putting up for a vote for weeks!!!!! Well, its time came eventually, or we all succumbed to Sandy’s obvious keen desire to talk about exam classes \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
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After the chat @BrunoELT offered to write up the summary and here it is, copied from his blog<\/a>! Thanks, Bruno!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This morning\u2019s ELTchat discussion was on the experiences on how to approach exams classes.\u00a0International\u00a0EFL exams is an endlessly growing market in which teachers\u2019 need to be prepared for.<\/p>\n Chatters started sharing their experiences in teaching exams. The range of exams was very comprehensive and included: Cambridge exams (YL \u2013 Starters, Movers, Flyers,\u00a0KET and PET and Main Suite \u2013 FCE, CAE and CPE.) ; TOEFL, IELTS, OTE, Michigan, Trinity, TIE and TOEIC. Needless to say, someone pointed out that not everyone is familiar with all this acronyms. And the agreed definition of an exam class was one where the endgame is to take a pass a specific test but not leaving behind the acquisition of language as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the very beginning of the discussion chatters agreed that concerning exams practice is key and should never be taken for granted. The insights were:<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Some students can develop their own techniques to deal with tests<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Some other students may completely turn a blind eye on the techniques you\u2019ve taught when they actually do the exam<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Sometimes students get bored of all the practice and just want to talk<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Students need to be guided on how to do the test.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0The knowledge students need to have for an exam does not come up naturally. It is about the combination of what they can learn generally and the techniques for the exam.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0There seems to be little transfer from what students learn for the exams to real life and perhaps teaching techniques may help<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0A good way to prove that taking exams without practice can be pointless is telling them that regardless their level of the language, if they don\u2019t have the techniques; they\u2019re likely to face big problems.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, it was skillfully pointed out that a lot of teachers focus on practice exercises and forget about teaching the language ad skills. And what chatters had to say about it was:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Sometimes students just want to talk for the sake of talking<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0It is good from time to time to tell your students to throw away the book and watch telly.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Teaching students the necessary skills\/strategies involved is vital as well as practice<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Concerning band exams such as IELTS, teach beyond the exam students are working\u00a0and then they will be comfortable for a lower band<\/p>\n * The points in which teachers felt that were issues in exams were:<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0The maturity of students when taking the test. Some reported that 14 year-old-students wanted to take CPE and failed miserably for lack of experience.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Too much obsession in taking exams<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0The stress and pressure put on students and expectations both teachers and students have towards a great result<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Too often students don\u2019t have the subject knowledge depth for the exam (even in L1)<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Some students who passed the exams can hardly speak<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Students who don\u2019t have a good enough level but are in exam preparation classes and intent on doing the exam anyways.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0When asked to write an essay students can\u2019t even think of ideas in their L1<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Some colleagues find exams classes too serious to make fun and play<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Lack of familiarization with the exams<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Lack of learner autonomy \u2013 work outside classroom is necessary to do well in exams.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0The mindset of result seekers<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Some students only see the certificate at the end important rather than the process<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Students can hardly find time to come to class let alone studying outside the class<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Most of students don\u2019t have enough linguistic resources strategies<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Parents who only care about the certificate regardless their child\u2019s abilities<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Many teachers see little point to the YL exams<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Most of the exam preparation books are not good and interesting enough<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Great ideas to lessen the pressure on students, how to improve their achievements on exams were and to create a less boring environment were:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Have students examine the tests, then make their own projects and items for them, then \u2018test\u2019 each other<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Have students write their own questions in the style of the exam and promote a quiz with classmates<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Use a Task-based approach and let the exam items and formats create some parameters<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Create pop-quizzes<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Teaching unplugged is a great way to approach exams. Teach naturally what needs to be taught going for teaching moments.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Give students advice on what exams they might want to take in the future<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0It\u2019s good for students to start up from the very first tests so that when they get to the advanced ones they are confident enough<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Compare several descriptions of the exam, see if you can spot any contradictions, and then decide which one is the easiest to understand, most comprehensive and\/or concentrates on the most important points.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Get exam preparation students to be responsible for themselves<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Photocopy each text and blow them up. Put each one on a different wall and give students the questions can be very dynamic.<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0The potential vagueness\/looseness of Dogme and the constrained\/contrived nature of exams make for a positive mix<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Exams have to be looked at differently depending on whether formative or summative; different psychological effects and practical purposes<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Talk about your own experiences in taking exams with students<\/p>\n –\u00a0*\u00a0Do the “getting to know the exam” exercises for students in textbooks and self-study book<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Useful links:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n www.flo-joe.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n www.fotobabble.com<\/a><\/p>\n www.cambridgeesol.org<\/a><\/p>\n www.ielts.org<\/a><\/p>\n www.ets.org\/toefl<\/strong>\/<\/a><\/p>\n www.splendid<\/strong>–speaking<\/strong>.com<\/a><\/p>\n Resources for FCE, CAE, CPE:\u00a0http:\/\/esl.about.com\/od\/cambridgeexams\/<\/a><\/p>\n On-line CPE grammar:\u00a0www.examenglish.com\/cpe\/CPE_grammar.htm<\/a><\/p>\n On-line CPE vocabulary:\u00a0www.examenglish.com\/cpe\/CPE_vocab.htm<\/a><\/p>\n FLO \u2013 JOE place for teachers and students\u00a0www.flo-joe.co.uk\/cpe\/students\/tests\/index.htm<\/a><\/p>\n Wy\u017csza Szko\u0142a Informatyki in Bia\u0142ystok provides the following CPE tests:www.wsi.edu.pl\/dydaktyka\/english\/testy\/przy_testy_cpe.htm<\/a><\/p>\n Project Gutenberg gives opportunity of reading classics:http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/wiki\/Main_Page<\/a><\/p>\n Collection of FCE and CAE tests:www.jezykniemieckinet.webpark.pl\/angielski.htm<\/a><\/p>\n They h<\/strong>ave\u00a0hundreds<\/em> of classic books you can read now:www.pagebypagebooks.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Cambridge exam (FCE\/ CAE) style exercises: www.parapal-online.co.uk\/cambridge.html<\/a><\/p>\n Churchill House test for Cambridge exams:\u00a0www.churchillhouse.com\/tests\/<\/a><\/p>\n Better writing:\u00a0www.askoxford.com\/betterwriting\/?view=uk<\/a><\/p>\n Free on-line tests:\u00a0www.it.uom.gr\/elu\/online.htm<\/a><\/p>\n On-line exam (KET\/ PET\/ FCE\/ CAE\/ CPE\/ IELTS\/ TOEFL\/ tests)\u00a0www.english-online.org.uk\/exam.htm<\/a><\/p>\n Longman exam centre:\u00a0www.longman.com\/exams\/teachers\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The noontime #ELTchat on 02-03-2011 focused on teaching exam classes, a topic which @sandymillin had been putting up for a vote for weeks!!!!! Well, its time came eventually, or we all succumbed to Sandy’s obvious keen desire to talk about exam classes \ud83d\ude42 After the chat @BrunoELT offered to write up the summary and… <\/h3>\n
ELTchat – How to approach exam classes<\/h3>\n
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