FCE Preparation Course Programme THIS GUIDE IS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH (Check the Centro Superior de Idiomas website or your MiAulario Resources) 1. Introduction This is a B2 level course orientated towards passing the Cambridge First Certificate exam. There are 120 hours of classes beginning on September 10 and finishing on June 7. There will be 2 classes of 120 minutes a week and students are also expected to do individual study tasks as homework. UPNA students who pass the course successfully will get 3 ECTS credits. 2. Requirements This course is directed to people who need an international qualification to certify their level. They must have accomplished a B2 level before taking this course. 3.. Objectives and competences The course aims to provide students with a B2 level with the specific skills and strategies to pass the Cambridge First Certificate exam. Those strategies are aimed at enabling students to make the best of their deduction, language use and expression abilities. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, [1] abbreviated as CEFR Outlines the levels a B2 speaker must have as the following: Reading: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Speaking: Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible, and can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining their views. Listening: can understand extended speech, follow even complex lines of argument, understand most TV news and follow the majority of films in standard dialect. Writing: Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. [1] 4. Methodology Classroom work: At the start of the course, after a short introductory session on all papers, the students take a diagnostic test in order for them and the teacher to know and analyse their strong and weak points. During the classes, special emphasis will be put on specific problem areas for the class. Through specifically designed exercises students are encouraged to think about their exam preparation and find new ways of practising their language skills. These training sessions are designed to help them become more independent learners. There will also be additional resources on
Mi Aulario. Students will use a wide range of internet resources which will be integrated into the course and indicated on Mi Aulario. Students will have access to magazines and books and they can also borrow films and series from the Centre s library Autonomous work: It is essential for students to work on their own to improve the weakest aspects of their knowledge/skills. They are required to work regularly on the contents presented in class and to do regular exam practice. 5. Contents Vocabulary topics: Compound adjectives, Modifiers. Illnesses and treatment. Clothes and fashion. Air travel. Adverbs and adverbial phrases. Crime and punishment. The environment. The weather. Expressions with take. Feelings. Verbs often confused. The body. Music. Sleep. The media. Collocation: word pairs. Science, -ed/-ing adjectives and related verbs. Expressions with go. Business and advertising. Word building: prefixes and suffixes. Grammar topics: Question formation. Auxiliary verbs.the the..+comparatives. Present perfect (simple and continuous) Using adjectives as nouns, adjective order. Narrative tenses, past perfect continuous. So and such that. Adverbs and adverbial phrases. Future perfect and future continous. Conditionals and future time clauses. Unreal conditionals. Structures after wish. Gerunds and infinitives. Used to, be used to, get used to. Past modals. would rather, had better. Verbs of the senses. Passive (all forms), it is said that.he is thought to etc.. Reporting verbs. Clauses of contrast and purpose. Uncountable and plural nouns. Quantifiers: all/every, etc.. Reading : Articles about current affairs. Opinion articles. Extracts from easy no-adapted novels Listening: Extracts from radio programmes in standard English. Selected clips from TV series and films. Lectures and talks about general topics Unscripted authentic speech when speakers are interviewed in a studio and in the street. Writing: emails Essay Article Review A report 6. Evaluation In order to successfully pass the course, students must demonstrate that they have reached the required level of competence.
The pass mark for the course is 6. The final mark will be calculated as follows: A. Final examination: 50% of the total mark. All students will have to sit a final examination with the following parts: Use of English (Grammar and Vocabulary) 20% Listening 20% Reading 20% Writing 20% Speaking 20% B. Continuous assessment: 50% of the total mark. Students will be required to do the following tasks: 2 Progress Tests 30% 7 Writing Tasks 30% (emails, essay, article, review, report) Monthly tasks 20% (These will include reading, listening and short writing tasks and should be handed in before the last day of the month.) 2 Oral production Tasks 20% Bibliography Course Book: Compact First Student's Book without Answers with CD-ROM Second Edition ISBN-13: 978-1107428423 Complementary Bibliography Apart from the resources available on Miaulario: - Vince, Michael. First Certificate Language Practice. English Grammar and Vocabulary. McMillan. - Mann, Malcolm - Taylore-Knowles, Steve. Destination B2. Grammar and Vocabulary.. McMillan.
- Prodromou, Luke. Grammar and Vocabulary for First Certificate. Longman - Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate students of English. Cambridge. - Shovel, Martin. Making sense of Phrasal verbs. - Really learn 100 Phrasal Verbs. OUP. - Thomas, Barbara and Matthews, Laura. Vocabulary for FCE. CUP - Evans, Virginia Successful Writing Upper-Intermediate. Express Publishing - First Certificate in English for updated exams 1/2/3. Cambridge books for Cambridge exams. Cambridge - Wrangham-Briggs, Catherine. How to Pass FCE. Listening and Speaking/ Reading/ Use of English/ Listening. ( not updated!) - Magazines (available in the centre) - Hot English - Speak up Readers (available in the centre) - FCE simplified Readers Interesting Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/ http:// www.elllo.org http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/ http://www.cambridge.org Relevant information in relation to your professional life Students who successfully complete the course will receive 3 ECTS credits, and be given the opportunity to sit the UPNA (B1 / B2) level exams, as well as the EOIDNA examinations in collaboration with the UPNA for B2 and C1. Upon completion of the course, students may solicit a document that states their language level, which is recognized by the UPNA for admission into degrees and Master degrees organized through the University- Society Foundation. The CSI level certificates are beneficial to student who are entering the labor market and wish to apply to companies which collaborate with the University-Society Foundation through the Tripartita Foundation. 1. Council of Europe (2011). Common European Framework of Reference for : Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Council of Europe. B1 Level Accreditation According to article 3 g of the regulations for B1 level competence accreditation for degree studies, the Centro Superior de Idiomas, is entitled to give approval in the following cases: A) Students who have already completed the B2 course:
Have successfully completed the B2 course with a pass mark. Those who have not obtained a pass mark must comply with the following requirements: o Have completed either the annual course or the autumm or spring semester and have attended 50% of the classes. o Have sat the final exam or handed in successfully between a 30% and a 50% of the continuous assessment tasks as stated in the course programme. B) Students who are in the process of completing the B2 course: Have already complied with the following requirements upon application for accreditation: Have successfully completed 50% of the continuous assessment tasks as stated in the course programme. Have attended 60% of the classes during the teaching period considered (annual or semestral) In case A, accreditation will be issued upon application. In case B, students can apply for it from the 1st of April onward in order to facilitate the registration for the accreditation exam, if necessary.