Part 2 and 3 of the Aptis Speaking test

Part 2 and 3 of the Aptis Speaking test

Part 2 sample:

Part 3 sample:

Tip: Make sure you answer the questions using the appropriate tenses or language structures.

 

Speculating and using language of deduction for pictures

Things, events and places	People
·         It must be a Christmas celebration. ·         It might be/ it may be a Thanksgiving celebration. ·         Perhaps/ Maybe it is a Christmas celebration. ·         It’s almost certainly not a Halloween celebration. ·         It could be a canyon/ a desert. ·         It can’t be near the sea as it is dry and barren. ·         It’s probably (not) a lighthouse. ·         It seems to be a celebration of some sort. ·         It appears to be a desert/ a huge garden/an abandoned building.	·         She/they must be celebrating something important. ·         She/they might… ·         She/ he is/ they are (almost) certainly (not)…. ·         He/ she could be ______ing…. ·         He is probably (not) the father of the family. ·         It seems she is extremely happy ·         She seems happy. ·         They seem to be celebrating… ·         It appears to be a family celebrating a special occasion. ·         There appears to be a woman praying in the background/ foreground.
Make sure you are accurate when using ‘look’ ·         It looks + adjective It looks dangerous/ scary/ gloomy/ dark ·         It looks like + noun or clause It looks like a dangerous/ scary/ gloomy/ dark place. It looks like the sky is on fire. ·         It looks as if / though + clause It looks as if/though the clouds are about to burst into a huge rainstorm. It looks as if/though there is a storm in the background. It looks as if/though it is a fairytale landscape.	Look +Adjective ·         She looks miserable/ unhappy/ stressed/ tense/ terrified/ satisfied/ Look like +Noun/ noun phrase/ clause ·         It looks like the father is carving the turkey…. ·         She looks like she is about to cry. ·         They look like they are about to find out the results of…. ·         She looks like she has just seen a ….. ·         They look like they have just heard some bad news. ·         He looks like a cat. ·         He looks like he is having the time of his life. Looks as if/though + clause ·         He looks as if/ though he is having the time of his life. ·         They look as if/though they are watching an important show on TV.

Photo 1: Read the picture description below. Find the errors and correct them with a partner. Can you make the sentences better?

“1.For the foreground of the picture we can see two people walking in the rain. 2. It seem like a coastal town in the background.3. They walk along the sea shore 4. It look like very windy. 5. The two people seem sharing one  umbrella and they look like very cold because they wear coats. 6. Maybe they had gone to the supermarket because the woman carry a bag.7. Perhaps now they go home. 8. I don’t think they are happy. 8. I would not be happy if I am them.”

 

Practice activity

For each sentence, choose between can’t, could, must, looks, look like/ look as if, to fill each space.

1. The man at the table in the picture looks too young to be the father and is definitely not the son. He __________ be the grandfather of the family then.

2. In picture A, we can see the glow from the sun. It __________ either be the sun setting or the sun rising, I’m not sure.

3. The house in the 2^nd picture  __________ abandoned and run-down. No one seems to be living there.

4. The man and the woman in the picture ____________ they are arguing. They ___________ be a married couple.

5. They all __________ they are really enjoying themselves. They _______ be celebrating a happy occasion.

6. The street __________ busy and crowded. A lot of people are coming out of the station. They _________ be going to work but I’m not sure. They________ also be returning from a big sporting event.

7. The girl __________ she has just received some bad news. She ______ sad and disappointed.

8. The monkey in the picture _________ a human. It is standing on two legs and ________________ it is washing the dishes.

9. The woman standing next to the man ________ be his wife as she looks too young. It _____________ be his daughter.

10. The woman in the picture ____________ she is dressed in expensive clothes and jewellery. She__________ be very rich!

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 2:

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Why is friendship important? (45 seconds)

• Tell me about a close friend of yours. (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 3: Practise Part 2

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Why do people become emotional when watching sporting events? (45 seconds)

• Tell me about an event that produces a lot of emotions in your country. (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 4: Practise Part 2

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Why do people own pets? (45 seconds)

• Tell me about the types of pets people have in your country. (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 5: Practise Part 2

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Why is it important to do exercise at any age? (45 seconds)

• Tell me about how people keep fit in your country. (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 6: Practise Part 2

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Why is it hard to say goodbye? (45 seconds)

• Where do we often see people saying goodbye to each other? (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 7 : Practise Part 2

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Does love get stronger in old age? (45 seconds)

• How do people celebrate love in your country? (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 2 of the Aptis Speaking Test!

Photo 8: Practise Part 2

• Describe this picture (Speculate as you describe) (45 seconds)

• Why do people celebrate New Year’s? (45 seconds)

• Tell me about how people celebrate New Year’s in your country. (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 3 of the Aptis Speaking Test:

Photos 1:

• Tell me what you see in the pictures (describe, speculate compare and contrast) (45 seconds)

• Which of these two children is happier? (45 seconds)

• What would it be like to grow up as these children? (45 seconds)

Let’s practise Part 3 of the Aptis Speaking Test:

Photos 2:

• Tell me what you see in the pictures (describe, speculate compare and contrast) (45 seconds)

• Which of these diets is healthier? (45 seconds)

• What would the effects of eating these diets be? (45 seconds)

Vocabulary log

Photo 2: Friendship

Positive	Neutral	Negative
Good mates Lifelong friends Close friends Friends for life True friends/ true friendship Good pals	An acquaintance A companion	A fair-weather friend A backstabber A two-faced ‘friend’

Expressions/idioms about friendship /relationships
A friend is a person who stands by you through thick and thin. “A friend in need is a friend indeed” Man’s best friend. (usually about a dog) I have friends in high places. They struck up a good friendship.	They get on like a house on fire. When they met, they clicked straight away. A good friend gives you a shoulder to cry on. You can lean on your friends/A friend is someone you can lean on.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Photo 3: Reacting to an event.

Expressions/ Idioms about reactions
She looks like she is on tenterhooks awaiting the results of the match. They look like they are waiting with bated breath for the result of the match. They look like they are in a state of suspense.	They look like they are waiting with trepidation for …….. She looks fraught with stress/ worry.
Adjectives
She looks: tense/ stressed/ anxious/ troubled
Adverbs
They look like they are anxiously waiting for the outcome of the match. They seem to be desperately praying for a positive result. They look like they are nervously awaiting the results of the match.

Vocabulary log: Note down any new grammar structures/ vocabulary/ idioms

Photo: _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Photo: _____________

Aptis Speaking Exam – Final Preparation

 

Aptis Speaking Exam – Final Preparation

 

 

1 – Refresh your memory

You are going to try out a real Aptis exam on the internet which will be very similar to your final exam. Before you do, let’s prepare you for it so that you can get the most out of it.

Quick quiz – in pairs

1)     What is the total time for the Aptis speaking exam?

2)     How many sections are there?

3)     How many questions in each section?

4)     Can you pause the clock during the exam if you need time to think?

5)     What are the 4 areas on which your exam performance will be evaluated?

The answers are at the end of this booklet.

 

2 – Most Common Reasons for Losing Marks

In the Aptis exam, there are several common reasons why people lose marks. Look at the list of 7 reasons in the table below and discuss in pairs:

1)     Which of these are technical issues?

2)     Which are likely to be caused by a lack of practice?

3)     Which may be caused by nerves?

4)     Which are probably caused by the candidate’s level of English?

a)     not doing a proper sound check

b)    not speaking clearly

c)     not answering the questions

d)    giving under-length answers – not using the full amount of time to speak

e)     overusing words such as ‘and’ and ‘so’

f)     speaking in simple sentence lists

g)    not using a variety of sentence structures

Source - Aptis Candidate Guide Online Version:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/documents/aptis-candidate-guide-web.pdf

The answers are at the end of this booklet.  Check them and then complete the following sentence:

Successful Aptis candidates…

 

Compare what you’ve written with colleagues. Remember this advice today

and on the day of your exam!

3 - The Sound Check

Take time to do a proper sound check before you begin. Poor sound quality is one of the most common reasons for candidates losing marks. Note the following from the Aptis Candidate Guide:

Make sure your test is taken in a quiet room. When you click to start the speaking test, screen A appears. This allows you to check the sound recording system on your computer. When you have recorded a sample of speech, screen B opens. Replay the sound. If you can hear it properly click on Yes (take me to the exam), if not click on No (let me try recording again). During the microphone check, make sure you say a whole sentence and not just one or two words. Assessing the quality of the microphone needs more than a few words.

The recording bar should look like this:

If the line takes up all the space, then there is a loud noise (usually a technical issue)

and we are not able to hear the recording. You should alert the invigilator if the

recording bar looks like this:

If the recording is a flat line then the recording is not loud enough. The microphone may

be too far from the mouth. A complete flat line means there is no recording, which is

usually a technical issue. You should alert the invigilator if the recording looks like this:

  

 

4 - Do the Aptis Website Practice Speaking Exam

Work in groups of 3 or 4. Each member of your group will do a full Aptis speaking exam, using real past exams on the internet, with the other two listening, performing specific roles and providing feedback afterwards. Here’s how you’ll do it:

Stage	Time from start of activity (time per stage in brackets)	Teacher A	Teacher B	Teacher C	Teacher D
1	0:00-0:15 (15 mins)	Candidate	Invigilator	Evaluator	Evaluator
2	0:15-0:25 (10 mins)	Receives feedback	Provide feedback	Provide feedback	Provide feedback
3	0:25-0:40 (15 mins)	Evaluator	Candidate	Invigilator	Invigilator
4	0:40-0:50 (10 mins)	Provide feedback	Receives feedback	Provide feedback	Provide feedback
5	0:50-1:05 (15 mins)	Invigilator	Evaluator	Candidate	Evaluator
6	1:05-1:15 (10 mins)	Provide feedback	Provide feedback	Receives feedback	Provide feedback
7	1:15-1:30 (15 mins)	Invigilator	Evaluator	Evaluator	Candidate
8	1:30-1:40 (10 mins)	Provide feedback	Provide feedback	Provide feedback	Receives feedback

The roles

 Candidate

You are the one taking the exam. Choose one of the following exams on the internet:  

1) Aptis practice exam from Aptis website - just like the real exam. This exam is automatically timed, so there’s no need to use a stopwatch:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/aptis-practice-tests/AptisSpeakingPractice/

2) Aptis simulation exams from the Pro ELT Aptis Practice website – the page layout is slightly different to the real exam. Use these if you don’t want to repeat an exam that one of you colleagues has done or if you want to use the Vocaroo voice recorder that is provided:

http://proelt.byethost7.com/speaking_exam_1/part_1.htm

http://proelt.byethost7.com/speaking_exam_2/part_1.htm

 Invigilator

You are in charge of the following:

1) Record the performance of the candidate. You could use a mobile phone, Sound Recorder on a PC or Vocaroo. You will need to share the recording with the teacher doing the exam (either via email, memory stick or other means).

2)  If the candidate is not doing the exam from the Aptis website, it’s also your job to time the candidate for each question in the exam. Make sure the candidate can see how much time they have left for each task!

3) While the candidate is doing the exam, answer the following questions. If you tick ‘No’, note why you ticked ‘No’:

1)     Did s/he speak for the full time allowed?               c Yes  c No   Notes: ______________________

2)     Did s/he begin speaking straight after the time started?     c Yes  c No   Notes: ______________________

3)     Did s/he answer each question appropriately?                   c Yes  c No   Notes: ______________________

(Evaluator role on next page)

 Evaluator

You are in charge of the following:

Evaluate the candidate’s performance in the following areas:

1) Range and accuracy – Does s/he use appropriate vocabulary and grammar and make few errors?

Score	c 5	c 4	3 c	2 c	1 c	0 c
Descriptor	Yes, all the time	Nearly all the time	Most of the time	Some of the time	Rarely	Never

Notes/examples of good range/accuracy and poor range/accuracy:

2) Pronunciation – Does s/he speak loud and clear so that you can easily hear and understand him/her.

Score	c 5	c 4	3 c	2 c	1 c	0 c
Descriptor	Yes, all the time	Nearly all the time	Most of the time	Some of the time	Rarely	Never

Notes/examples of words that were difficult/easy to understand:

                                               

3) Fluency – Does s/he speak without too many long pauses or without speaking too slowly?

Score	c 5	c 4	3 c	2 c	1 c	0 c
Descriptor	Yes, all the time	Nearly all the time	Most of the time	Some of the time	Rarely	Never

Notes:

           

4) Structure – Do her/his answers have a clear beginning, middle and end as well as some useful cohesive devices (e.g. discourse markers, conjunctions, etc.)

Score	c 5	c 4	3 c	2 c	1 c	0 c
Descriptor	Yes, all the time	Nearly all the time	Most of the time	Some of the time	Rarely	Never

Notes/examples of good structure or poor structure:

                                               

At the end, invigilators should make sure the candidate they invigilated can listen to the recording they made. If necessary, email / transfer the recordings to your candidate’s computer.

 

 

5 – Listen back to your Performance

Now listen back to your performance and self-evaluate it. Use the pause button whenever you want to make notes. If you are not sure about something (e.g. errors), ask your trainer for help:

Part 1

What I liked:

Any difficulties?:

Any obvious errors?:

Part 2

What I liked:

Any difficulties?:

Any obvious errors?:

Part 3

What I liked:

Any difficulties?:

Any obvious errors?:

Part 4

What I liked:

Any difficulties?:

Any obvious errors?:

6 – My Self-recommendations

Based on the feedback from your invigilator, evaluator and also your self-evaluation, write some ‘self-recommendations’ below:

(e.g. ‘I will practise using present continuous to describe photographs.’ / ‘I will practise making quick notes in 1 minute for part 4 of the exam.’, etc.)

1) I will…

2) I will…

3) I will…

Tell a colleague how you self-evaluated and what recommendations you made to yourself.

7 – Further Self-study Ideas

Here are some ideas for how you can keep learning between now and the speaking exam.

1) Use the exams on the Pro-ELT Aptis Practice website:  http://proelt.byethost7.com/

2) Practice comparing and contrasting photographs using practice materials for the Cambridge FCE speaking exam. Google ‘FCE speaking exam part 2 practice’ and use the photos you find to help you prepare.

3) Improve your accuracy and range by writing your answers to the exam questions. Here’s how you do it:

• Find an Aptis practice exam (you can use the Pro-ELT Aptis Practice website given above if you like)
• Instead of speaking your answers, type them up in a Microsoft Word document. Write quickly giving yourself twice as much time for each task (e.g. if the time for the spoken task is 45 seconds, give yourself 90 seconds).
• Don’t edit your text until you’ve finished.
• When you’ve finished, read your text. Edit it by correcting errors (you can use Track Changes in the Review pane if you like) and also by looking up words in a dictionary that you didn’t know or couldn’t remember when you were typing your initial answer.

4) Meet together with each other to practise doing the exam and provide feedback (see Our Speaking Practice Timetable below).

 

8 – Our Speaking Practice Timetable

Today you proved that you can work together in a team to prepare effectively for the speaking exam. You can meet up together between now and the exam to get further practice and provide each other with useful help. Check your diaries / timetables for the period between now and the exam and choose at least 3 occasions when you will meet up to practice the exam. If possible, the final occasion should be a day or two before the exam:

Meeting 1 - Date:	Time (allow 2 hours):	Location:
Meeting 1 - Date:	Time (allow 2 hours):	Location:
Meeting 1 - Date:	Time (allow 2 hours):	Location:

Quick Quiz Answers

1. What is the total time for the Aptis speaking exam?	12 mins
2. How many sections are there?	4. 1 – Personal information-giving; 2 – Describe and compare (concrete topic); 3 – Describe, compare and speculate; 4 – Discuss an abstract topic.
3. How many questions in each section?	Part 1 – 3; Part 2 – 3; Part 3 – 3; Part 4 (1 task with 3 questions)
4. Can you pause the clock during the exam if you need time to think?	No. If there is a technical problem you can inform the invigilator. But you can’t pause to think of ideas.
5. What are the 4 areas on which your exam performance will be evaluated?	1) Grammatical and lexical range and accuracy 2) Clarity of pronunciation and intonation 3) Fluency 4) Structure of speech and use of cohesive devices

Source - Aptis candidate guide:  http://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/documents/aptis-candidate-guide-web.pdf   

Most Common Reasons for Losing Marks - Answers

1) Which of these are technical issues?	a
2) Which are likely to be caused by a lack of practice?	a, b, c, d
3) Which may be caused by nerves?	all of them, but especially e and f
4) Which are probably caused by the candidate’s level of English?	g (and possibly f)

Trainer Supplement - Complete Online Speaking Exam

This is a copy of the exam online at: http://www.britishcouncil.org/aptis-practice-tests/AptisSpeakingPractice/

It can be used instead of the online exam if teachers cannot access the online exam.

Part 1

30 seconds per question.

Part 2

45 seconds per question.

 

Part 3

45 seconds per question.

Part 4

1 minute preparation, then 2 minutes to answer all 3 questions.