Another tip I give my students (at all levels) is that you don't have to tell the truth! This means that when it comes to the discussion or the photo speculation, you have scope to say pretty much anything you like!...I was doing a run through with a student at B1 level, and when I asked her where she was from she replied "I'm from Valencia, it's a city in the middle of Spain"...Afterwards I told her that she failed her Geography exam but passed her English!
Thank you for your video, it was really helpful. I actually made notes when I watched it. I passed with a grade A, but my lowest result was actually in the Speaking part. I've made three major mistakes, I think. I was too worried about the young girl that was my speaking partner. I tried to cheer her up before the exam and completely forgot to focus on myself and what I had to do. So don't lose your concentration. In part two I blanked out for a second before I started speaking because (I don't know why) I decided to say what pictures I would talk about and then got confused how to describe their positions because they were not placed in a row. Don't do that, just start speaking about the pictures. And the last mistake was probably my use of English. I should've used more advanced English. But the questions were very simple (What is your favourite city/town to travel to?) and it was surprisingly hard to talk about simple things using advanced English. I was acually pushing myself to do it. So try not just answering the question but actually adding advanced level adjectives and verbs. Push them into your speech as if it was natural to you. I did well, but I could do much, much better and felt faintly ashamed of myself afterwards. Good luck!
Hope to tell the same in a few days. Tomorrow I am having the written part (reading+use of English, writing, listening), on Friday the oral one. Fingers crossed for me!!!
I just took my exam today and I wanted to say thank you, both of the video lessons were so helpful, keep going, your work is appreciated, we'll see about the results tho...
I love this educational channel because the way they demonstrate the topics are really useful and amazing, they all deserve to be a teacher as they are really professional and competent
Some say that it is better to cover all the topics outlining a couple of ideas for each, while others like in this video say that it is better to get in-depth although you might not have enough time to talk about all of them. So who should we listen to?
Good question. I would say go straight to the source and look at the Cambridge scoring scheme. You'll see that there's no need to cover all of the topics in an activity, but there is a need to develop ideas, use rarer/more advanced vocabulary and grammar, and speak at length. It's easier to do those things by going into depth, while if you just make 1-2 points about each topic, it's harder to hit the criteria for the higher scores.
You must remember that a language exam is different to other exams in one fundamental way, it is more about style than substance! It's the way you fill the empty spaces in the conversation rather than the meat of the discussion. You can say almost anything in the exam (within reason of course). A language exam is not about right and wrong answers, but about good and bad ones! Thus, I advise my students to stock up on the language of agreeing/disagreeing, asking for/giving opinions and speculation and to have some knowledge of the most common topics. For example if the question was "Do young people spend too much time on the internet?" and your answer was "Absolutely, no doubt about it, I read an article that said that 88% of 12-16 year olds in the US spend, on average, 6 hours a day on the internet." That would be a good start to your answer, even if studies show that 73.6% of statistics are all made up! heehee..
I teach this. 1 mintue to speak is not enough. Natural conversation btween 2 native English speakers requires more than 1 or 2 mintues to develop. Furthermore, the listening part where one has to fill in the blanks while listening is utterly unnatural. No native speaker would do this in real life. A better way of testing listening skills is thru conversation with native speaker about real life issues that are relative to people. This way one can combine, listening and speaking. Or, we can give candidates several issues to choose from where they have to develop 3 points about the issue with supporting information.
Yeah, language exams are by definition unnatural environments. The bigger issue I have though is the equal weighting of all 4 skills. I would have an expanded Speaking section worth 50%, Writing 30%, and Reading/Listening 10% each. I take your point on the listening. Maybe they should have students listen to a conversation and then ask them to answer verbally a "What do you think happens next? or a "What would you do?" question. As for the Writing, my bugbear is with having handwritten and computer based exams in parallel. This is patently unfair to the former students as illegible handwriting often results in them getting a lower mark. They shouldn't introduce a computer system until they have abolished the handwritten format.
For me, it sounds more like "CIE". I guess it has to do with his accent. He might be from a place or region in the UK where "A" (ei) is pronounced more similar to "I" (ai). Nevertheless, it's not a big issue ;)
@@maraxussrafhael It is a big issue when he is trying to teach others with a bad pronunciation. I suggest watching other people's channels, and most importantly, native speakers of English
@@yaroslavatopikha6746 Terrible, I freaked out like never before and my vocab droped straight to A2 level xD Could not even remember such simple phrase like Apply for a job. I kinda fear the results to be honest
My exam is in 2 days and it’s honestly super terrifying. What’s the worst, it’s a week before the rest of my course group ‘cause of my dumb cousin’s wedding on the same date as the 2nd oral exam date.
Hi Bob, you can treat it like a real conversation. If there are times when you feel they are too dominant, you can use some of the phrases from this lesson along with conversation cues to let your partner know you would like to speak. If they are too shy, you can use some phrases from the lesson to encourage them to share their response in a different way. Practicing with many different types of people before the exam will also help you prepare for any situation!
A lot of really good advice! However, I would take issue with the point that your ideas are what matter. It really doesn't matter what position you take on the topic, it's the language you use and the way you communicate it that matters. In the exam you can actually say the complete opposite of what you really believe and score better.
Thanks for the comment! You're 100% right, but, at least in my experience, it's pretty hard to actually do what you say, i.e. say the complete opposite of what you think. In the exam you already have a lot to think about: what to say, which words to use, avoiding grammar mistakes, etc. Inventing new/false opinions on top of that is challenging. It's better in most cases to use your own ideas and focus on developing them in as much depth as you can. Of course, if you are fluent and confident enough to invent opinions on the fly, then nothing's stopping you :)
@@Oxfordonlineenglish1 My experience is likewise that students find it hard to make things up, but my problem is in the use of phrases such as “it’s about your ideas and opinions” or “try to form your own opinions.” This could be construed (as indeed I have construed it) as meaning that the substance of your argument has to be valid in real terms; so I just fear that students will think they have to be correct in what they say, and lose focus on the fact that it’s not what they say per se that matters, but rather how they say it. Many students may be afraid to use their own opinions as they could fear that the examiners will hold contrary opinions.
I take your point; perhaps it could have been phrased more clearly. On the other hand I still think students do better when they go deeper into their own ideas, rather than trying to guess what the examiner wants to hear (when, as I'm sure you know, the examiner doesn't particularly care). In that sense I think we're saying the same thing, and I think it's useful to stress that point to students, i.e. that there aren't 'right' and 'wrong' opinions. I must admit that personally my experience is mostly with IELTS, but as I understand it the CAE speaking assessment criteria are somewhat similar.
Thank you Jack for your videos. Is it true that in part 3 we should focus going in depth rather than getting worked-up about speeding through it so we can talk about ALL the subjects in the bubbles? Our teacher says that if we miss a subject (here: e-gaming, chess, soccer, swimming, hip-hop dancing, surfing) we would miss points! So we the whole class is speeding through it. Which is actually correct?
It's a good idea to give each subject an equal amount of time when you are moving through them to give your opinions and make a selection. Of course, if you're worked up about speeding through them, that will affect your speaking negatively. So it's a good idea to practice before the exam. Work on phrases go give your opinion, ask for theirs, and move through each subject smoothly.
I'm not a CAE examiner, but I would be amazed if they deducted marks for not talking about one of the topics. In fact what I advise students is to immediately discount one or two of the points, to allow you more time to go into detail on the remainder. That said, in discounting a point or two you are indeed mentioning them (albeit fleetingly) and you have an opportunity to use "discounting" language e.g. "I'm not sure X is really that important nowadays" or "I' don't think Y is that big an issue" (Note: Your partner may very well disagree with your dismissal of the point and a discussion on the dismissal might ensue...but this is good English and good communication practice so you'd be fine!
Thank you both! Update: I passed with "A"! :-) . What happened was: As I expected, we weren't able to talk about all the subjects, but we were fluent and with good vocabulary, so we did great. @Noelf I didn't know about the discounting of one or two points in the beginning, but I see now that yes, it is a good strategy.
Thanks for watching, Pat! Of course, it's harder than it looks, but if you have a plan and some basic ideas you can follow, at least you know how to start practicing, right?
Well I noticed you wrote this comment a year ago , but I wonder if you are still interested in practise via Skype. I am planning to take CAE exam and every practise will be an amazing opportunity
Hi Aurora. It depends on your level and your goals! Feel free to talk to an OOE teacher: www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/about-our-online-english-teachers.
I've seen this expressed before, and it's simply not correct. It does not matter if you use British or American vocabulary during your CAE exam. The CAE marking guide (which is publicly available, if you want to check) does not even mention British/American English. Your vocabulary score depends on the range and accuracy of your vocabulary, and nothing more.
This was really helpful plus it's a great way to go over the key points again.
"Even if you don't have a lot of time until your exam". *watching this video 1 hour before my exam*
Haha, hope it went well Som!
Watching it 30 minutes before entering! I thought i was the only one 😂
We are watching it 2 hours before the exam too!!! Thanks jacks you’re definitely a genius bro💦
me toooo! one hour left! LOL
I watch an evening before, hope it goes well tomorrow :)
Another tip I give my students (at all levels) is that you don't have to tell the truth! This means that when it comes to the discussion or the photo speculation, you have scope to say pretty much anything you like!...I was doing a run through with a student at B1 level, and when I asked her where she was from she replied "I'm from Valencia, it's a city in the middle of Spain"...Afterwards I told her that she failed her Geography exam but passed her English!
Having my speaking tomorrow fingers crossed! Very constructive and informative! Thanks for the tips
Did you pass the test? :)
Wow 3 hours before entering my Cae 1 speaking test today in Australia.
Thanks for the video.
My exam is in one hour! That was very helpful, thanks a lot!!!!
Thank you for your video, it was really helpful. I actually made notes when I watched it. I passed with a grade A, but my lowest result was actually in the Speaking part. I've made three major mistakes, I think. I was too worried about the young girl that was my speaking partner. I tried to cheer her up before the exam and completely forgot to focus on myself and what I had to do. So don't lose your concentration. In part two I blanked out for a second before I started speaking because (I don't know why) I decided to say what pictures I would talk about and then got confused how to describe their positions because they were not placed in a row. Don't do that, just start speaking about the pictures. And the last mistake was probably my use of English. I should've used more advanced English. But the questions were very simple (What is your favourite city/town to travel to?) and it was surprisingly hard to talk about simple things using advanced English. I was acually pushing myself to do it. So try not just answering the question but actually adding advanced level adjectives and verbs. Push them into your speech as if it was natural to you. I did well, but I could do much, much better and felt faintly ashamed of myself afterwards. Good luck!
Having my speaking test tomorrow! Fingers crossed and let's break a leg :)
I have to say, that jack's teaching methods are very clear. This was really helpful for me. Thank you Jack!
I have just got notified yesterday that I passed :) Speaking was my far worst part so don't underestimate it guys! :D
Congratulations, Ally!
Hope to tell the same in a few days. Tomorrow I am having the written part (reading+use of English, writing, listening), on Friday the oral one. Fingers crossed for me!!!
Roberta FI Visone Did you manage to pass? My exam is on Saturday and Sunday and I’m really nervous right now
Completely grateful for this video since my exam is tomorrow! Good luck to everyone taking an exam this year :D
Thanks for this video, made me a little less concerned about my exam tomorrow!
This has helped me improve my skull so much. My head shape is perfect now!
Jokes aside, this video is really useful.
😄
Thanks so much for great tips!
They turned to be really useful at my CAE session. And I'm quite happy with my results 🙂
Great!
It is a very useful video for people that are preparing CAE test. Good tips and advice! thanks
Glad it was useful for you, Fernando!
Yes, I agree with you!
I just took my exam today and I wanted to say thank you, both of the video lessons were so helpful, keep going, your work is appreciated, we'll see about the results tho...
I love this educational channel because the way they demonstrate the topics are really useful and amazing, they all deserve to be a teacher as they are really professional and competent
Watching this while I have my speaking exam in 10 hours and I really need my sleep... but I am too nervous 😭
MauriceRodriquez well, i’m having mine in 3hr. Did you pass?:d
Is it ok if I have a drink before the exam? So my words can flow more easily hehe
😆 We wouldn't recommend it!
I'm just gonna turn up high
I never thoght about that aspect lemme think about it
Tiger I did it, I was high actually, and I approved 😝
@@Thebassist999 ah I have my exam today
Thank you 🙏 so much for sharing these videos. They are so helpful. I hope to pass the exam in a few weeks.
This was so helpful exactly what I needed. I felt like I didn't know what I could expecf
Awesome! I'll do my exam in one month. I feel so nervous!! Thanks for sharing this amazing video! :)
Some say that it is better to cover all the topics outlining a couple of ideas for each, while others like in this video say that it is better to get in-depth although you might not have enough time to talk about all of them. So who should we listen to?
Good question. I would say go straight to the source and look at the Cambridge scoring scheme. You'll see that there's no need to cover all of the topics in an activity, but there is a need to develop ideas, use rarer/more advanced vocabulary and grammar, and speak at length. It's easier to do those things by going into depth, while if you just make 1-2 points about each topic, it's harder to hit the criteria for the higher scores.
You must remember that a language exam is different to other exams in one fundamental way, it is more about style than substance! It's the way you fill the empty spaces in the conversation rather than the meat of the discussion. You can say almost anything in the exam (within reason of course). A language exam is not about right and wrong answers, but about good and bad ones! Thus, I advise my students to stock up on the language of agreeing/disagreeing, asking for/giving opinions and speculation and to have some knowledge of the most common topics. For example if the question was "Do young people spend too much time on the internet?" and your answer was "Absolutely, no doubt about it, I read an article that said that 88% of 12-16 year olds in the US spend, on average, 6 hours a day on the internet." That would be a good start to your answer, even if studies show that 73.6% of statistics are all made up! heehee..
I teach this. 1 mintue to speak is not enough. Natural conversation btween 2 native English speakers requires more than 1 or 2 mintues to develop. Furthermore, the listening part where one has to fill in the blanks while listening is utterly unnatural. No native speaker would do this in real life. A better way of testing listening skills is thru conversation with native speaker about real life issues that are relative to people. This way one can combine, listening and speaking. Or, we can give candidates several issues to choose from where they have to develop 3 points about the issue with supporting information.
Yeah, language exams are by definition unnatural environments. The bigger issue I have though is the equal weighting of all 4 skills. I would have an expanded Speaking section worth 50%, Writing 30%, and Reading/Listening 10% each.
I take your point on the listening. Maybe they should have students listen to a conversation and then ask them to answer verbally a "What do you think happens next? or a "What would you do?" question.
As for the Writing, my bugbear is with having handwritten and computer based exams in parallel. This is patently unfair to the former students as illegible handwriting often results in them getting a lower mark. They shouldn't introduce a computer system until they have abolished the handwritten format.
They test the writing skills in the listening part at fill in the blanks to
I have my test tomorrow, too nervous. But this was really helpful 🙂
T-minus 10 hours until the exam. Wasn't nervous at all until now.
Man, I feel you! Other videos make it look easier...
Волжский Осётр I took it and I have to say, it was *very easy* . Speaking was probably the easiest part of the exam.
Why the guy always mention the name of the exam as C I A instead of CAE ?
For me, it sounds more like "CIE". I guess it has to do with his accent. He might be from a place or region in the UK where "A" (ei) is pronounced more similar to "I" (ai). Nevertheless, it's not a big issue ;)
it is a "medium" issue when he is in an official channel as an instructor haha
Because he is clearly not a native speaker of English.
@@maraxussrafhael It is a big issue when he is trying to teach others with a bad pronunciation. I suggest watching other people's channels, and most importantly, native speakers of English
Because he works for the CIA
Thank you so much. Those tips really helped me!
Thank you very much, i really like how you deliver these tips of yours. I am actually looking forward to use them at my speaking exam this weekend :)
I wish i was able to talk like that my exam is in 30 minutes, plz pray for me🤚🏻😭
How did it go?
@@alicebielli1839 i stammered a little :') i hope it went well💀 i'll have the results on june
@@Riri-hv6cu any results? xd :))
@@bogdan2555 on the 21st of june :')
@@Riri-hv6cu good luck man, i have my speaking exam tomorrow and Saturday i have the others
My CAE starts in 2 hours😱😱😱😱
Good luck!
in 1 hour :)
Oxford Online English thanks😁I’m so nervous now...waiting for results is awful 😭
Jakub Kudlej how was it? :)
@@yaroslavatopikha6746 Terrible, I freaked out like never before and my vocab droped straight to A2 level xD Could not even remember such simple phrase like Apply for a job. I kinda fear the results to be honest
Great material, I use it for all my exam prep.
Thank you for these useful pieces of advice, By the way, how is life down there?
My exam is in 2 days and it’s honestly super terrifying.
What’s the worst, it’s a week before the rest of my course group ‘cause of my dumb cousin’s wedding on the same date as the 2nd oral exam date.
my exam is in a few hours! i'm so anxious right now🤪
Hope it went well, Karen!
Good stuff. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Who else just saw parts 1+2 and has the exam tomorrow
Today :)
Can't thank you enough for these valuable tips
Thanks Jack, very helpful to teach!
Thank you so much for the information and tips given. Do you have any for C2 exam ??? 😅☺️👍💯
Thanks for watching, Jluis. We don't currently have any C2 lessons. However, we might in the future!
Oxford Online English thank you so much , anyway!!! 👍☺️
Oxford Online English thank you so much , anyway!!! 👍☺️
8:24 "...whenever you can (little burp)..." HAHAHAHAHAHA gotcha
what the hell, man? excellent observing skills!
@@michaeladuskova5996 thank you
If my partner is either too shy or too dominant in part 3, what should I do to keep the conversation going?
Hi Bob, you can treat it like a real conversation. If there are times when you feel they are too dominant, you can use some of the phrases from this lesson along with conversation cues to let your partner know you would like to speak. If they are too shy, you can use some phrases from the lesson to encourage them to share their response in a different way. Practicing with many different types of people before the exam will also help you prepare for any situation!
@@Oxfordonlineenglish1 Hi there, thank you so much for the video! The exam went really well, as I used some of the phrases!
Is there a visible timer or a clock during the exam so I could see the time?
I’m from Italy and there wasn’t one when I took B2
My exam is literally tomorrow and I didn't have any time to study, I'm screwed 😭
How was it??
A lot of really good advice! However, I would take issue with the point that your ideas are what matter. It really doesn't matter what position you take on the topic, it's the language you use and the way you communicate it that matters. In the exam you can actually say the complete opposite of what you really believe and score better.
Thanks for the comment! You're 100% right, but, at least in my experience, it's pretty hard to actually do what you say, i.e. say the complete opposite of what you think. In the exam you already have a lot to think about: what to say, which words to use, avoiding grammar mistakes, etc. Inventing new/false opinions on top of that is challenging. It's better in most cases to use your own ideas and focus on developing them in as much depth as you can. Of course, if you are fluent and confident enough to invent opinions on the fly, then nothing's stopping you :)
@@Oxfordonlineenglish1 My experience is likewise that students find it hard to make things up, but my problem is in the use of phrases such as “it’s about your ideas and opinions” or “try to form your own opinions.” This could be construed (as indeed I have construed it) as meaning that the substance of your argument has to be valid in real terms; so I just fear that students will think they have to be correct in what they say, and lose focus on the fact that it’s not what they say per se that matters, but rather how they say it. Many students may be afraid to use their own opinions as they could fear that the examiners will hold contrary opinions.
I take your point; perhaps it could have been phrased more clearly. On the other hand I still think students do better when they go deeper into their own ideas, rather than trying to guess what the examiner wants to hear (when, as I'm sure you know, the examiner doesn't particularly care). In that sense I think we're saying the same thing, and I think it's useful to stress that point to students, i.e. that there aren't 'right' and 'wrong' opinions. I must admit that personally my experience is mostly with IELTS, but as I understand it the CAE speaking assessment criteria are somewhat similar.
Thank you for uploading this vid ;)
Thank you Jack for your videos. Is it true that in part 3 we should focus going in depth rather than getting worked-up about speeding through it so we can talk about ALL the subjects in the bubbles? Our teacher says that if we miss a subject (here: e-gaming, chess, soccer, swimming, hip-hop dancing, surfing) we would miss points! So we the whole class is speeding through it. Which is actually correct?
It's a good idea to give each subject an equal amount of time when you are moving through them to give your opinions and make a selection. Of course, if you're worked up about speeding through them, that will affect your speaking negatively. So it's a good idea to practice before the exam. Work on phrases go give your opinion, ask for theirs, and move through each subject smoothly.
I'm not a CAE examiner, but I would be amazed if they deducted marks for not talking about one of the topics. In fact what I advise students is to immediately discount one or two of the points, to allow you more time to go into detail on the remainder. That said, in discounting a point or two you are indeed mentioning them (albeit fleetingly) and you have an opportunity to use "discounting" language e.g. "I'm not sure X is really that important nowadays" or "I' don't think Y is that big an issue" (Note: Your partner may very well disagree with your dismissal of the point and a discussion on the dismissal might ensue...but this is good English and good communication practice so you'd be fine!
Thank you both! Update: I passed with "A"! :-) . What happened was: As I expected, we weren't able to talk about all the subjects, but we were fluent and with good vocabulary, so we did great.
@Noelf I didn't know about the discounting of one or two points in the beginning, but I see now that yes, it is a good strategy.
Hello , can I agree or disagree on my partner’s idea even in part 4 or only in part 3?
Thanks, you make this seem easy but i'm sorry it's not at all. jajaja.
Thanks for watching, Pat! Of course, it's harder than it looks, but if you have a plan and some basic ideas you can follow, at least you know how to start practicing, right?
Very useful video
I'm having my test in less than 2 hours😅
Hope it went well, Olaya.
Do any of you guys want to practice for the oral part via Skype?
Well I noticed you wrote this comment a year ago , but I wonder if you are still interested in practise via Skype. I am planning to take CAE exam and every practise will be an amazing opportunity
Perfect very helpful
Amazing
thank you
Can i prepare for the speaking exam in 7 days?
Hi Aurora. It depends on your level and your goals! Feel free to talk to an OOE teacher: www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/about-our-online-english-teachers.
tres constructif offre a la reflexion
Anyone knows if I get less mark if I speak too fast?
If you speak in a way that is not understandable, that could have an effect on your marks.
merci
much love
SOCCER?.... football plz
E
🗽
I took you advice seriously until i saw the word soccer. If you say that during your exam it could cost you you vocabulary.
I've seen this expressed before, and it's simply not correct. It does not matter if you use British or American vocabulary during your CAE exam. The CAE marking guide (which is publicly available, if you want to check) does not even mention British/American English. Your vocabulary score depends on the range and accuracy of your vocabulary, and nothing more.
CIA :) exam.
Soccer is American english so that is the wrong word to use
Toon Groenendijk You wont lose points for using Americanisms.