Archive for the ‘CAE’ Category
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8
Dec
2009
English Reading Skills
Reading Skills
There are four main types of reading skills. When you read something in your native language, you usually don’t read every word or even have to understand every word. When reading a document with words you don’t understand, it is possible to guess the meaning of a word from what the sentence is saying, what the paragraph is about, and what the topic of the document is overall. The same goes for reading in English. The four reading skills are skimming, scanning, extensive reading and intensive reading.
Skimming is when a reader only reads key sentences or words to grasp what the main ideas of the text is. It is used to understand current events quickly or understand the main outline of a business situation. People will often skim newspaper articles and business brochures.
Scanning is used to find a specific piece of information. Your eyes glance over the text to pick out the specific facts or information you need. People will typically scan bus timetables, TV guides, travel guides, web sites and so on. Extensive reading on the other hand is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject, and is usually used for longer texts. These could be textbooks, business procedures, manuals or even novels.
Intensive reading is used with shorter texts to extract specific and detailed information. When reading a text intensively it is important to understand every word in order to grasp all the relevant details accurately. Examples of occasions when people read documents intensively can include accounting records, contracts, or an article in a comprehension exam.
English Exams
Reading is usually one aspect of English exams, whether the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). These English exams demonstrate English proficiency for entrance into tertiary institutions, whether a university or a TAFE college, gaining employment and applying for permanent residency in English-speaking nations.
The reading sections of these exams test your understanding across different types of texts, requiring you to answer questions on them. This could be in regard to vocabulary, grammar or overall understanding of the content.
10
Nov
2009
Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English
CAE
CAE is an exam for advanced users of English and stands for Certificate in Advanced English. It is designed to test a candidate’s English abilities for work or study purposes, including reading, writing and listening skills, as well as English grammar and vocabulary. It is widely recognised by both the corporate and academic worlds, is widely available with testing locations in over 127 countries, and is available twice a year.
The CAE is for those who have a confident grasp of English at the Level C1 of the CEFR, or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Candidates should be able to understand complex opinions, produce clear and well-structured pieces of writing, read quickly enough to keep up in a tertiary course, and be able to speak English in business situations.
The test consists of five components, each worth 20% of the total marks. The reading section (1.25hrs) requires the candidate to understand a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The writing section (1.5hrs) requires the candidate to produce two pieces of writing in different formats. This is followed by a component that consists of a series of tasks to test their grammar and vocabulary. The fourth component involves listening and understanding a range of oral texts. Finally, a 15 minute speaking exam will test the candidate’s conversational skills.
CAE Courses
CAE preparation courses focus on the language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. These preparation courses are useful for those wanting to take the test and want to improve their English quickly. Students who take the course usually have upper intermediate English skills already, and want to round off all areas of their language skills.
Apart from the 4 skills mentioned before, the course also includes a component based on real, everyday language used in workplaces and for employment purposes, as well as language used in further education. By taking a CAE course candidates can be confident of having sufficient skills to take the test.