ECPE SPEAKING: EVALUATION AND SAMPLE VIDEO

SPEAKING

• Sample of a test taker prompt
• Sample of an examiner prompt
• Test score and commentary for the sample prompt

The video of the two candidates: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FIY4ZoODfeg

ECPE WRITING AND SPEAKING: SLIDE PHOTOS BY OUR STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED THE HAU SEMINAR IN HERAKLION

Click on the photos to view them in a larger size.

Photos by the amazing Zacharenia.

Writing links

General structure of an essay
http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/advanced-efl-essay-writing/ecpe-essay-writing-advice.html

3 Sample essays on intriguing topics:
http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/advanced-efl-essay-writing/model-advanced-essays.html

Useful essay phrases:
http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/advanced-efl-essay-writing/advanced-essay-phrases.html

Reading techniques in the exams

Basic reading strategies

 1. Skimming – quickly read the text to get the main ideas (the gist)- how?- look at the introduction, the title, the topic sentence of each paragraph (first sentence)

 2. Scanning – quickly read to find a detail- how?- search for key words/phrases


 What to do with unknown words
1. Read the sentences before and after.
2. Think of words in the same family.
3. Figure out what part of speech it is, based on its suffix or place in the sentence.
4. Guess its meaning according to what the sentence is intended to say.
5. Worst-case scenario: ignore it, guess what information may fill this gap and move on.


Advanced exams reading tasks and how to deal with them (You need to have skimmed the text before you do any of the following activities.)

Multiple-choice questions
a. Skim the text.
b. Underline keywords in the question (at first, read the questions only, not the answers).
c. Spot the key words (or their synonyms) in the text – this is where the answer is.
d. Read all options and choose the correct answer that is true based on the text and not your general knowledge. Also make sure your chosen answer matches the question you are answering.

ECPE WRITING: USEFUL INFORMATION

Useful notes for candidates following a webinar on ECPE writing correction offered by the Hellenic American Union:

You can write a rough plan on the last page of your official writing booklet.

One and a half page is required so that the topic is deemed well developed. Otherwise, you lose rhetoric points (content and organisation)

You can leave a blank line between paragraphs or divide paragraphs traditionally. The division must be clearly distinguished.

If the essay is not finished, you lose rhetoric points.

Sample essay commentary:

 

My opinion: Rhetoric: 2 (that was not a for and against essay), Grammar: 5, Vocabulary: 4 ---> Total points: 11

Examiner's total score: 12

Marking criteria:

 

An online GCVR test!

http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/ecpe-grammar-practice-test.html

ECPE Speaking: Two sample videos

The official video: https://youtu.be/FIY4ZoODfeg

An extra one: https://youtu.be/X8do0ilvYNs

Online GCVR test with answers!

http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/ecpe-grammar-practice-test.html

ECPE SPEAKING LINKS

http://markaki-students.blogspot.gr/2014/11/ecpe-speaking-links.html 

Congratulations, Nassia!

Great news on our very first day back to school: Nassia Tournaki has passed the CPE exams with a straight A after only 8 months of (admittedly) hard work! Congratulations, Nassia! We have had the pleasure to teach you since the A' Junior and we can confidently say that you deserve the high grade! In the photo, you can see Nassia providing the world with some serious food for thought.