Preparare esame first da autodidatta
Buongiorno , avrei urgentemente bisogno del certificato b2 in lingua inglese . Purtroppo frequentando l'università (ho lezione fino alle 18:00), non ho la possibilità di frequentare corsi a pagamento
Tuttavia potrei dedicare massimo 1 ora al giorno per lo studio dell'inglese (il sabato potrei studiare anche 2/3ore) possedendo attualmente un livello b1 e non avendo mai sostenuto un esame Cambridge , secondo voi con 1 anno di tempo ce la farei ? Quale metodo di studio dovrei adottare? Quali libri dovrei leggere ? E quali film dovrei guardare? Vi ringrazio davvero tanto per le risposte
Tuttavia potrei dedicare massimo 1 ora al giorno per lo studio dell'inglese (il sabato potrei studiare anche 2/3ore) possedendo attualmente un livello b1 e non avendo mai sostenuto un esame Cambridge , secondo voi con 1 anno di tempo ce la farei ? Quale metodo di studio dovrei adottare? Quali libri dovrei leggere ? E quali film dovrei guardare? Vi ringrazio davvero tanto per le risposte
Risposte
Hi,
I took and passed the B2 exam in april this year and I agree with everything has been said previously in this conversation, nevertheless I think it's fundamental to make this straight: succeed in a Cambridge exam is not about mastering grammar rules, achieve good pronunciation and knowing a great deal of terms and collocations. Well, yes, those issues are important and yet, what really matters is practice: it's imperative to have plenty of it through sample tests. When you'll be there, filling your answer sheet, either you are feeling like "it's the umpteenth time I'm doing this in my life" or you are bound to fail. Preparing for this test alone isn't ardous, especially if you have one year and one hour a day to spend in your preparation but I think some suggestions are in order. Many are the "pills of wisdom" that might come in handy, and is impossible to list them all:
-Remember to take a bottle of water and a box of paper handkerchiefs and a sandwich with you the day you'll be attending the reading, writing and listening part: it lasts approximately three ours (more, actually) and there is only a short break in the middle.
-Do not forget about training your writing skills, and make sure someone corrects your writing exercises.
-The same of the previous, but referring to speaking skills: it's a good idea to make yourself heard by someone else while practising, so (s)he can tell you what's wrong in your grammar, pronunciation,...
-Don't practice listening skills always in the best audio condition: the day of the test the audio is bound to be disturbed by tons of factors such as the testing room rumble, a chair moving slightly, the heavy breath of the student sitting back to you,...
-The topics of writing and speaking parts are pretty much always the same ones, that's why practice is important.
-Make sure you sound natural when telling about yourself in the brief presentation at the beginning of the speaking part and, well, don't forget manners in that occasion either (for instance say good day, ask whether you may sit,...).
-I used this book ( http://ngl.cengage.com/search/productOv ... allpartial ) ( and I think is a well-structured book with really good tips embedded, but for sure there are many others similar to this, you can find).
-Read in English. It's important.
Bye.
I took and passed the B2 exam in april this year and I agree with everything has been said previously in this conversation, nevertheless I think it's fundamental to make this straight: succeed in a Cambridge exam is not about mastering grammar rules, achieve good pronunciation and knowing a great deal of terms and collocations. Well, yes, those issues are important and yet, what really matters is practice: it's imperative to have plenty of it through sample tests. When you'll be there, filling your answer sheet, either you are feeling like "it's the umpteenth time I'm doing this in my life" or you are bound to fail. Preparing for this test alone isn't ardous, especially if you have one year and one hour a day to spend in your preparation but I think some suggestions are in order. Many are the "pills of wisdom" that might come in handy, and is impossible to list them all:
-Remember to take a bottle of water and a box of paper handkerchiefs and a sandwich with you the day you'll be attending the reading, writing and listening part: it lasts approximately three ours (more, actually) and there is only a short break in the middle.
-Do not forget about training your writing skills, and make sure someone corrects your writing exercises.
-The same of the previous, but referring to speaking skills: it's a good idea to make yourself heard by someone else while practising, so (s)he can tell you what's wrong in your grammar, pronunciation,...
-Don't practice listening skills always in the best audio condition: the day of the test the audio is bound to be disturbed by tons of factors such as the testing room rumble, a chair moving slightly, the heavy breath of the student sitting back to you,...
-The topics of writing and speaking parts are pretty much always the same ones, that's why practice is important.
-Make sure you sound natural when telling about yourself in the brief presentation at the beginning of the speaking part and, well, don't forget manners in that occasion either (for instance say good day, ask whether you may sit,...).
-I used this book ( http://ngl.cengage.com/search/productOv ... allpartial ) ( and I think is a well-structured book with really good tips embedded, but for sure there are many others similar to this, you can find).
-Read in English. It's important.
Bye.
Also, I found something which might be helpful. Many of these websites are free, so I think trying out a few of them won't do you any harm.
"giordixasd":
Do you know a good website or app for mobile to have a conversation in english with international people?
There's plenty of that stuff online. If I may suggest a couple, Italki and Conversation Exchange are both good choices.
Of course, it's even better (certainly less expensive) if you do manage to find someone to practice with offline.
Taking some classes is certainly a good way to meet people who might be willing to become your partners, but if you are too busy for that, or for anything else, then practicing on your own is better than nothing. Stand in front of a mirror and talk about something in English, or sing American songs while taking a shower... the possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination
I've never used websites to talk to people. I advise you to have evening classes in case you don't have time to attend a course.
Begin taking FCE sample tests, will you? Check the score you get in every paper and spot the skills you need to strengthen. Let us know how your work is getting on. In this way we can give you some advice about how to move on...
Begin taking FCE sample tests, will you? Check the score you get in every paper and spot the skills you need to strengthen. Let us know how your work is getting on. In this way we can give you some advice about how to move on...
Thanks MisterK . Do you know a good website or app for mobile to have a conversation in english with international people? Last year i found some things but they were all useless. Grazie anche a te cooper per le correzioni
Hi giordixasd, in my opinion you have a pretty good command of English.
You're likely to pass the exam on the condition that you study further in a year's time.
I passed FCE several months ago.
Talking about your questions, I think that one hour a day and two or three hours at the weekend
is plenty of time to pass the exam. Constancy is probably the most important thing you need to tackle
this kind of test and improve your level.
You should know that the exam is divided into four parts: Reading and Use of English, Writing,Listening and Speaking.
For the reading part you're expected to know a huge number of English words. You might train yourself reading books basically.
You may find useful to study books for English learners such as 'English Vocabulary in Use - Upper intermediate',
'Oxford Practice Grammar'. You may like reading books. To prepare my exam I had read Hemingway (The old man and the sea), Fizgerald (The strange case of Benjamin Button and six other stories).
For the listening part you should take confidence with spoken English. Test your skills taking FCE listening papers. Look up the words you don't know
on a dictionary. Play the recordings again and again. Set your score target. In order to pass this part
you're asked not to make more than twelve mistakes (18/30). Watch the series you like with English subtitles, follow tv shows, Letterman is perfect, interviews by actors, politicians, singers, pop stars and so on.
Watch the news. It's important to listen to British English. Exercise with American English as well, if you have the chance.
As far as I'm concerned I had followed (or attended) a forty-hour English course given by a brilliant English teacher. That helped me a lot to pass the exam. Moreover I'd had a twenty-hour course for the preparation of the test.
For the speaking part you need to speak putting into practice everything you learn during your studying. It's vital to have a teacher for this part ready to point out your mistakes and how to correct.
The writing part is the hardest. Train yourself by writing. A teacher who checks your writings can make a big difference for this part.
You're likely to pass the exam on the condition that you study further in a year's time.
I passed FCE several months ago.
Talking about your questions, I think that one hour a day and two or three hours at the weekend
is plenty of time to pass the exam. Constancy is probably the most important thing you need to tackle
this kind of test and improve your level.
You should know that the exam is divided into four parts: Reading and Use of English, Writing,Listening and Speaking.
For the reading part you're expected to know a huge number of English words. You might train yourself reading books basically.
You may find useful to study books for English learners such as 'English Vocabulary in Use - Upper intermediate',
'Oxford Practice Grammar'. You may like reading books. To prepare my exam I had read Hemingway (The old man and the sea), Fizgerald (The strange case of Benjamin Button and six other stories).
For the listening part you should take confidence with spoken English. Test your skills taking FCE listening papers. Look up the words you don't know
on a dictionary. Play the recordings again and again. Set your score target. In order to pass this part
you're asked not to make more than twelve mistakes (18/30). Watch the series you like with English subtitles, follow tv shows, Letterman is perfect, interviews by actors, politicians, singers, pop stars and so on.
Watch the news. It's important to listen to British English. Exercise with American English as well, if you have the chance.
As far as I'm concerned I had followed (or attended) a forty-hour English course given by a brilliant English teacher. That helped me a lot to pass the exam. Moreover I'd had a twenty-hour course for the preparation of the test.
For the speaking part you need to speak putting into practice everything you learn during your studying. It's vital to have a teacher for this part ready to point out your mistakes and how to correct.
The writing part is the hardest. Train yourself by writing. A teacher who checks your writings can make a big difference for this part.
if I may:
1. "I" needs the capital letter as well as English, Sunday and probably First
2. instead of "follow" it's better to use "attend" an English course
3. Sunday=domenica, Saturday=sabata, your choice
4. "Do you think that in a year i will manage to pass the exams ?" It's only one exam, isn't it?
5. "Actually i'm b1 livel", firstly say it without "actually". why did you use it BTW? and secondly it's "lEvel"
6. "What do you suggest to me to pass the exam , and to improve my english?" the use of suggestis very particular: I suggest you look for its construction
7. "What kind of movie do i have to see for b2 livel?" you want to "watch" a movie generally, not "see" it. plus it would be more than only one, right? moreover: "for A B2 level" I'd say
Hope it helps and doesn't sound pretentious.
1. "I" needs the capital letter as well as English, Sunday and probably First
2. instead of "follow" it's better to use "attend" an English course
3. Sunday=domenica, Saturday=sabata, your choice
4. "Do you think that in a year i will manage to pass the exams ?" It's only one exam, isn't it?
5. "Actually i'm b1 livel", firstly say it without "actually". why did you use it BTW? and secondly it's "lEvel"
6. "What do you suggest to me to pass the exam , and to improve my english?" the use of suggestis very particular: I suggest you look for its construction
7. "What kind of movie do i have to see for b2 livel?" you want to "watch" a movie generally, not "see" it. plus it would be more than only one, right? moreover: "for A B2 level" I'd say
Hope it helps and doesn't sound pretentious.
Grazie mille cooper
"MisterK":i have to prepare first exam of english , i can't follow an english course because i'm a university student and i have no time . I can study english only 1 hour per day except on sunday in which i can study 2/3 hours . Do you think that in a year i will manage to pass the exams ? Actually i'm b1 livel. What do you suggest to me to pass the exam , and to improve my english? What kind of books do i have to read ? What kind of movie do i have to see for b2 livel? Thank you very much for the answer , excuse me for the errors
Oh I'm sorry but I'm not good at Italian. To begin with you may rewrite your message in English.
Oh I'm sorry but I'm not good at Italian. To begin with you may rewrite your message in English.
premetto che non ho mai sostenuto il first però credo di poterti dare qualche consiglio su come migliorare il tuo inglese.
prima però..
quando lo si fa alle superiori spesso e volentieri si fanno corsi di 2/3 ore settimanali e non di un anno, quindi il tempo dovrebbe essere dalla tua, anche in caso di imprevisti.
non è facile dare una risposta anche perchè una giusta non c'è. l'apprendimento delle lingue varia molto da persona a persona, ognuno ha dei metodi che sono più efficaci di altri. personalmente il metodo che trovo migliore è quello di guardare film/serie TV in lingua. cosa guardi è indifferente, purchè ti piaccia e non ti pesi. questo ti permetterebbe di migliore l'ascolto ed allargare il tuo vocabolario (per le prime volte magari usa sottotitoli in inglese così se non capisci qualche parola la vdi scritta e andandola a cercare hai una parola in più nel tuo vocabolario). in aggiunta/alternativa ai film potresti ascoltare dei video della BBC, li ho sempre trovati particolarmente efficaci e mirati (in più ti informano)
dato che poi ci sarà anche una prova scritta è necessario imparare anche regole grammaticali, ma per quelle qualunque libro delle superiori (3-4 superiore) con i relativi esercizi dovrebbe essere sufficiente. per migliorare ulteriormente e mettere in pratica vocaboli e regole grammaticali studiate puoi per esempio fare il riassunto di qualche video della BBC o di qualche libro che ti è piaciuto o magari ancora cercare sul testo delle superiori qualche esercizio di produzione scritta che sicuramente c'è.
di libri da leggere ce ne sono una marea, basta che ne scegli uno che ti piaccia.
il parlato forse è la parte più delicata... trovo comodo prendere un qualche video (BBC, interviste varie o altro) e ripetere ciò che dicono. prima stoppandolo e ripetendolo e poi, magari con i sottotitoli, cercando di seguire il discorso a mano a mano che va in modo da aumentare la rapidità e la fluidità del parlato.
se poi dovessi stilare un programma settimanale opterei per alternare queste attività di giorno in giorno. se poi al sabato hai 2/3 ore ad ogni ora cambi attività.
prima però..
"giordixasd":
Tuttavia potrei dedicare massimo 1 ora al giorno per lo studio dell'inglese (il sabato potrei studiare anche 2/3ore) possedendo attualmente un livello b1 e non avendo mai sostenuto un esame Cambridge , secondo voi con 1 anno di tempo ce la farei ?
quando lo si fa alle superiori spesso e volentieri si fanno corsi di 2/3 ore settimanali e non di un anno, quindi il tempo dovrebbe essere dalla tua, anche in caso di imprevisti.
"giordixasd":
Quale metodo di studio dovrei adottare? Quali libri dovrei leggere ? E quali film dovrei guardare? Vi ringrazio davvero tanto per le risposte
non è facile dare una risposta anche perchè una giusta non c'è. l'apprendimento delle lingue varia molto da persona a persona, ognuno ha dei metodi che sono più efficaci di altri. personalmente il metodo che trovo migliore è quello di guardare film/serie TV in lingua. cosa guardi è indifferente, purchè ti piaccia e non ti pesi. questo ti permetterebbe di migliore l'ascolto ed allargare il tuo vocabolario (per le prime volte magari usa sottotitoli in inglese così se non capisci qualche parola la vdi scritta e andandola a cercare hai una parola in più nel tuo vocabolario). in aggiunta/alternativa ai film potresti ascoltare dei video della BBC, li ho sempre trovati particolarmente efficaci e mirati (in più ti informano
)dato che poi ci sarà anche una prova scritta è necessario imparare anche regole grammaticali, ma per quelle qualunque libro delle superiori (3-4 superiore) con i relativi esercizi dovrebbe essere sufficiente. per migliorare ulteriormente e mettere in pratica vocaboli e regole grammaticali studiate puoi per esempio fare il riassunto di qualche video della BBC o di qualche libro che ti è piaciuto o magari ancora cercare sul testo delle superiori qualche esercizio di produzione scritta che sicuramente c'è.
di libri da leggere ce ne sono una marea, basta che ne scegli uno che ti piaccia.
il parlato forse è la parte più delicata... trovo comodo prendere un qualche video (BBC, interviste varie o altro) e ripetere ciò che dicono. prima stoppandolo e ripetendolo e poi, magari con i sottotitoli, cercando di seguire il discorso a mano a mano che va in modo da aumentare la rapidità e la fluidità del parlato.
se poi dovessi stilare un programma settimanale opterei per alternare queste attività di giorno in giorno. se poi al sabato hai 2/3 ore ad ogni ora cambi attività.
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