PREPARING FOR PROFICIENCY
Paper 1
Paper 1 has nine texts from a range of different sources, so it is vital to read as much and as widely as possible. You should look at different types of text - novels, short stories, magazine articles, reviews, advertisements - to become familiar with different styles of writing. You will not have to identify the source of a text in the exam, but in Parts 2 and 4 you may have to identify the writer's purpose, and what sort of reader the text is aimed at. In Part 3 you need to understand the underlying organisation of the text (e.g. chronological or flashback). Short stories provide narrative in condensed form, so read as many as you can and think about how each one is organised. You could also look at the set texts, even though they are not tested in this paper.
Part 2
Wide reading will help you to become families with different genres and with the style appropriate for each. The compulsory question in Part 1 may provide input in one genre and ask you to write in another, so it is important that you are comfortable with different styles and registers.
Use the Internet to help you find examples of different text types. Useful addresses are:
http://www.bbc.co.uk
http://www.sunday-times.co.uk
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk
http://www.the-times.co.uk
http://www.independent.co.uk
You could also use search engines and key words to find other articles.
Work on organising your writing clearly, planning your ideas and using connectors where appropriate. it is a good idea to exchange your writing with a friend so that you get used to editing each other's work. Use the editing checklist and list of linking words on pages 230-233 to help you.
Paper 3
Wide reading may enable you to come up with some answers almost instinctively. Remember to note new vocabulary in phrases rather than in single words, and use the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English to find examples of the most frequent contexts in which words are found.
For Part 4, practise writing sentences in as many different ways as you can. Look at the 'Say it Again' sections in this course book for ideas on how to do this. This will help you develop the facility to manipulate language, which will also help you with the summary task in Part 5.
Paper 4
Listen to as much English as possible in as many different situations as you can. Use satellite television or the Internet to watch films without subtitles. Listen to the news on the BBC World Service. Songs are a good source of natural idiomatic language and collocations and they will also help your pronunciation.
Paper 5
To prepare for Part 2, collect photographs or pictures from magazines and then record yourself speaking about each one. Listen to yourself for fluency and general accuracy, but make sure that you focus on general issues suggested by the picture rather than just describing what you see.
You will need to have ideas for the long turn in Part 3, so read a wide range of newspapers and magazines. You do not have to find these ideas in English magazines - for this paper you will need to have a lot to say, so you may find it easier to read magazines in your own language and discuss the issues with friends and family.
You can practise using the prompt cards given on pages 226-229 of this coursebook by making notes the recording yourself. (Do not write out a script).