Pro-ELT Upskilling Project

APTIS Speaking Exam1) Overview of the Exam

1a) The APTIS speaking exam has 4 sections. Your trainer will explain about these sections. While you listen, complete the table below and add any additional notes you may need:

PartName / NotesTime

1

2

3

4

1b) Now compare your notes with another teacher. Share any important information. If you have any differences, check them with your trainer. 1c) Discuss in pairs / 3s Which parts of the exam did you find most difficult when you first took it? Why? 2) Part 1 - Personal Information GivingHere are some typical questions from part 1 of the exam. Notice that they all require information about you. They should be easy to answer. Try to use it as an opportunity to relax and get used to talking to a computer! 2a) Working in pairs or 3s, take turns to ask each other the questions. Use the stopwatch on your mobile phone to time your answers. You have 30 seconds for each one.

1. Please tell me about your family.

2. Please tell me about your hobbies.

3. Please tell me about your work or studies.4. Please tell me about your favourite food.

5. What do you like doing in your free time?

6. What is the weather like today?

7. What is your typical day like?8. What is the food like in your country?

9. What is your village / town / city like?

10. How do you like to spend your holidays?

Tip: If you feel nervous at this point, begin by repeating / reading out the question, and then answer it. If you need time to think, say:

Let me see

Hmm I would probably say

Well

3) Part 2 - Basic Description of Picture and Comparison with own situation

3a) Below are 3 tasks from part 2 of the exam. Notice that the first task is always to describe the picture. You have to speak for 45 seconds, which can be quite difficult! Your trainer will provide an example of how to do part 2 of the exam. Listen to her/him and make notes on any useful language that s/he uses for this part of the exam:

Notes: E.g. In the foreground

It looks as if he/she is

Image 1 - Celebrating Special OccasionsDescribe this picture. (45 seconds)Why is it important to celebrate special

occasions with family or friends?

(45 seconds)

Tell me about a celebration in your

country. (45 seconds)

Image 2 - Relaxing in NatureDescribe this picture. (45 seconds)

Why are natural places important to us?(45 seconds)

Tell me about a place you like to go to

relax. (45 seconds)

Image 3 - A Sporting Event

Describe this picture. (45 seconds)

Why are sporting events like this popular

in many countries? (45 seconds)

Tell me about an important sporting event

in your country. (45 seconds)

3b) Compare your notes with these ideas below. How many of them did your trainer use?

Useful structures and vocabulary for describing a photograph

Beginning your description

This is a picture of (main topic)

It shows (describe key features)

Key tenses & structures

Present continuous: Hes riding a bicycle. Theyre running under a bridge.

There is / are + object + verb+ing:

Theres a man serving the food. There are several people walking along the path.

Speculating (making guesses)

It looks as if + a sentence (he / she / it is +ing / they are + ing / there is/are etc.)

He/She/It looks/ They look like + a noun

He/She/It/looks/They look + an adjective.

I think hes /shes/theyre probably (verb + ing)

He / she / it / they might be / must be

Spatial language

In the foreground / background

Next to / Behind / In front of this, there is / are

Paraphrasing (explaining a word that you cant remember)

Its a thing that you use for (pushing babies / carrying shopping)

Its similar to a It looks like some kind of3c) Practise using these structures to make sentences about the 3 pictures.

3d) Now try doing part 2 of the exam working in pairs or 3s. Use the stopwatch on your mobile phone to time your answers. You have 45 seconds for each one. While you listen to your partner, answer the following questions and give feedback at the end:

1. Does s/he speak for the full 45 seconds?

Yes / No

2. Does s/he use several of the expressions in the box above? Yes / No

3. Does s/he have difficulty remembering any vocabulary? Yes / No

4. Does s/he make any obvious errors with English?

Yes / No (If yes, note them down)

4) Part 3 - Describe, Compare and Speculate

4a) Look at the 3 example sets below and discuss with your partner:

1. What do the two photographs in each set have in common? (e.g. They both show restaurants.)

2. In which of the 3 questions do you have to

a. speculate or imagine a situation?

b. describe and contrast the photographs?

c. choose one (and provide a reason for your choice)?

3. What photographs did you get in your exam? Were the 3 questions similar?

Set 11. Tell me what you see in the two pictures. (45 seconds)

2. What would it be like to live in these two places? (45 seconds)

3. Which of these two places would it be better to bring children up in? (45 seconds)

Set 2

1. Tell me what you see in the two pictures. (45 seconds)

2. What would it be like to play these two sports? (45 seconds)

3. Which of these two sports would you prefer to take up? (45 seconds)

Set 3

1. Tell me what you see in the two pictures. (45 seconds)

2. What would it be like to do these two jobs? (45 seconds)

3. Which of these two jobs would be most rewarding? (45 seconds)

4b) Complete the following description of the photos in set 3 using expressions from the box below. Feel free to change them to fit the context:

_____________________ people at work. _______________ computers _______________. However, _____________________________. In ________________________ the woman looks quite relaxed. I think she is probably a receptionist or a secretary, whereas, ______________________ the man looks very excited. He probably works in banking or on Wall Street. He might be celebrating a deal or a successful decision. ________________, the picture of the secretary looks like a nice peaceful office, _________________________ looks like a crowded, stressful place to work. Useful structures and vocabulary for comparing and contrasting two photographs

Note: You can use a lot of the vocabulary from the box above (Describing a Photograph)Things in common

Both pictures show / have

I think they are both (in / on / of)

There is / are in both pictures.

Contrasting the pictures

There are several important differences.

In the top picture whereas, in the bottom picture

The picture of is / looks like however, the picture of is / looks like

Adding ideas

In addition,

Whats more,

One more thing

4c) Think of 2 or three sentences to say about each of the pictures using the expressions below.Useful structures and vocabulary for speculating and choosing

Speculating

I imagine it would be (adjective)

I would find it (adjective)

Choosing one image / situation

I would choose the top / bottom situation / image because

I think Id prefer to (verb) because

It would probably be better to because

4d) Your trainer is now going to provide an example of how to do part 3 of the exam. As you listen to him/her, circle true or false for each statement in the checklist below:

1. S/he keeps talking for the full 45 seconds for each question.

True / False

2. S/he avoids pausing for more than 3 seconds.

True / False3. S/he structures her/his answer well.

True / False

4. S/he speaks loud and clearly.

True / False

5. S/he uses appropriate vocabulary, grammar and expressions.

True / False

4e) Work in pairs / 3s. Take turns to choose different image sets and do part 3 of the exam. Use the same checklist while you listen to each other. 5) Part 4 - Discussion of Personal Abstract Ideas5a) In part 4 you will be shown an image, and presented with three points to discuss. You will have one minute to prepare, and you can make notes. Look at the example below and the notes that someone has made.

Notes:

Award - Bachelor education programme 3 years ago. Certificate framed on wall at home.Feelings - proud - useful to community; respect from family / friends etc.

Encouraging? - Of course. Help in difficult times. Discipline to complete. Even those that dont win work hard. E.g. School debating society - improved Ss English.

If time - weekly award for hard work in my class.

5b) Notice that the notes are not full sentences - you dont have time for this. They are just key points to help you structure your answer and remember ideas or vocabulary. In pairs, turn the notes into full sentences, speaking only - no writing!5c) Quick thinking is essential to the preparation phase for part 4. Look at the 3 sets of questions for part 4 below. Try to decide what you would talk about as quickly as you can. If you spend too much preparation time thinking of the topic, you have less time for note taking. Try to choose your topic in just 10 seconds!5d) Working in pairs / 3s, try doing part 4. Take turns to choose one of the sets below. Prepare for 1 minute (use the stopwatch) and then keep speaking for 2 minutes. Listen to your partner and provide feedback on the following:

structure of answer - does it cover all 3 questions in the same order?

choice of vocabulary - is it appropriate to the task?

fluency - does s/he keep speaking without too many pauses?

accuracy - does your partner make any mistakes?

Part 4 Set 1

Tell me about an ambition you have for the future.

Explain why you have this ambition and how long for.

Are ambitions necessary to keep people motivated?

Part 4 Set 2

Tell me about an important event in your life.

How did the event make you feel when it happened?

How do events like this bring people together?

Part 4 Set 3

Tell me about an important object you own.

How would you feel if you lost it?

Do you think that non-electronic devices have lost their importance in society?

5d) Its difficult to speak for 2 minutes. Here are some useful ways to extend your answer:

Extending your answer in Part 4

Add another sentence

Another important point to make is/thing to say is

Disagree with yourself

If you find you have over 30 seconds left, try expressing a different opinion to the one you originally expressed:

On the other hand, sometimes I think thatThen again, its also true thatComing to a conclusion

So in conclusion, I would say

So it has to be a balance.

It depends on

6) Quick Fire Mingle

One important skill you will need in the speaking exam is the ability to answer questions without much thinking time.

Task: Stand up, taking your notes with you. Mingle with the other teachers. Find somebody and ask them any question from parts 1, 2, 3 or 4 of the exam. See if they can think of an answer quickly!7) Personal Preparation Notes

Make notes here on how much work you need to do on the speaking exam before you take it.

Which part do you find most difficult? How can you make it easier?

What research and practice can you do a) on your own b) with a colleague?How can your trainer help you?

Compare your notes with your colleagues. Do they have any good ideas you could borrow?

The British Council, 2013The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.

British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)