ACLES SPEAKING AND WRITING TEST GUIDE

Hello, everyone.
Our colleague, Elizabeth Sholto Douglas has prepared this guide to the Speaking section of our ACLES C1 exam. (It's in Spanish, so you shouldn't have much trouble following it.)

Destreza: Expresión oral

Duración:  10 - 13  minutos

Número de tareas: 3

Modalidad:  En pareja

1ª Parte: Introducción

Tiempo:  3 -  4  minutos

El examinador les pedirá su carnet de identidad (u otro documento identificativo con foto), y a continuación les hará tres o cuatro preguntas a cada uno sobre temas cotidianos, por ejemplo, sobre su trabajo o estudios, sus planes para el  futuro inmediato o a mas largo plazo, las ventajas o características de la ciudad donde vive etcétera



2ª Parte: Producción Oral

Tiempo:   4 - 5   minutos

Los candidatos hablarán en solitario durante  ** minutos aproximadamente. El examinador le proporcionará

unas imágenes sobre las cuales tendrá que hablar o sobre un tema relacionada con las imágenes.

A continuación, su pareja hará lo mismo con otras imágenes u otro tema.

Al final el examinador le podrá hacer una o dos preguntas más si lo considera necesario.

2ªParte: Ejemplo con imágenes:

DIFFICULTIES

Compare these images and say how you think they are related to one another. Talk about the importance of making our cities accessible for people with disabilities.

Photo A                               Photo B

 

Photo C                                              Photo D

  

Possible follow up question to other Candidate:  Do you think your workplace/campus is designed to make life easier for people with mobility problems?  OR  What type of difficulties can people with disabilities experience when they go on holiday?

2ªParte: Ejemplo con imágenes:  OR IF YOU PREFER

HELPING MAKE THINGS ACCESSIBLE

Compare these images and say how you think they are related to one another. Talk about the importance of making our cities accessible for people with disabilities.

Photo A                                Photo B

        

Photo C                                                            Photo D

          

Possible follow up question to other Candidate:  Do you think your workplace/Campus is designed to make life easier for people with mobility problems?  OR  What type of difficulties can people with disabilities experience when they go on holiday?

3ª Parte: Interacción Oral

Tiempo: 6 - 7 minutos

El examinador les propondrá un tema o una situación que tendrán que debatir con su pareja dando sus opiniones sobre el tema elegido.

No es necesario llegar a un acuerdo.

Ejemplo de tema para debatir:

Internet shopping has its drawbacks. Look at the diagram and read some of the negative aspects of Internet shopping.

Talk together about these different aspects and what can be done to avoid them.

Now talk together about the positive aspects of Internet shopping.

A continuación el/la examinador/a posiblemente preguntará a los candidatos sobre otros aspectos relacionados con el tema y por experiencias personales etcétera.

Destreza: Expresión escrita

Duración: 1 hora 30  minutos

Número de tareas: 2

1ª Parte: Se redactará un texto como por ejemplo un ensayo argumentativo o un artículo, un informe o una contribución (una narrativa o una crítica de una película o un libro) para un blog, una revista o un periódico,

La redacción debe tener entre 270-300 palabras.

Se aconseja realizar un esquema antes de escribir la redacción.

El tiempo recomendado para esta tarea es de *** minutos.

2ª Parte: Se redactará un e-mail, formal o informal.

La redacción debe tener entre 180-220 palabras.

Se aconseja realizar un esquema antes de escribir la redacción.

El tiempo recomendado para esta tarea es de  *** minutos

Ejemplo de tarea:

Un informe

You are the leader of a team working in a laboratory. Recently two members of the team were made redundant and now there is no-one responsible for their experimental work.

A young trainee laboratory technician has taken over the research which often requires spending weekends and doing 24 hour shifts. This person is not qualified and does not earn extra money for doing the additional work.

Write a report to the head of the laboratory and include

the following:

·       a brief introduction to the situation

·       what the situation was before and what is happening now and possible consequences

·       a request for some action

·       a conclusión/recommendation

Use between  270 – 300 words

Ejemplo de un informe

To: Doctor Ecaterina Constantinou Introduction: In September of the current year two members of the PPLO team were laid off due to government spending cuts in scientific research projects. The two team members were both experienced PhD holders with over 15 years´ work experience between them. The PPLO team has asked me to write to you to explain the situation and to request that a solution be found for the FGGS projects Situation: Due to the fact that Dr Yang Lee and Dr Singh were working on the FGGS projects this field of research is now in danger of failing. Drs Yang Lee and Singh had been working together on these projects for over 8 years when they were dismissed, and it would be a tremendous loss to the laboratory to lose this line of research. You are no doubt aware that Mr J Perez joined the team last year as a trainee technician and due to the pressure on the team he has assumed responsibliity for maintaining the projects. Unfortunately Mr Perez has neither the experience nor the know-how to be in charge of these projects and he is also currently finishing his own research for his PhD in a completely different field. Petition and Conclusion. Three members of the PPLO team are prepared to continue the projects but feel they must be recompensed economically (Mr Perez has not received any increase in salary ). As you will be aware, the FGGS projects require round-the-clock supervision. The PPLO team takes the opportunity of inviting you to visit the laboratory where the FGGS projects are currently running, to see for yourself the extent of the research and to discuss with us a possible satisfactory solution. The PPLO team: Drs Akagündüz, Bobrinsky, Bucciarelli, Fujiwara, Jaskolski Obasanjo, and Smith.                                                                           300 words

Ejemplo de tarea

Un artículo para un blog

During your last summer holidays you worked in a bar for three months. It wasn´t a pleasant experience because one of the other students working there was mobbed.

You are going to write an article for the Psychology Faculty blog, on the phenomenon of mobbing in the workplace.

Include the following in your article:

·        a profile of the type of person likely to be mobbed

·        a profile of the type of person who may mob another person

·        how other employees often react when they know someone is being mobbed

·        how employers often react to this type of situation

·        what often happens in the end

Don´t forget to include personal information where this is appropriate.

Use between 270 – 300 words.

Ejemplo de un artículo para un blog

Who gets mobbed and what happens? Why do some people get mobbed and others don´t? This is a question I´ve often asked myself and after a recent person experience where I witnessed a continued case of verbal abuse in a work place, I´m no nearer to an answer. People often believe that those who are in some way weak or different from the majority are more likely to be mobbed than the more sterotypical “stronger” types. We all remember a person from our school days who was in some way different and who had to put up with cruel jokes from bullies. But statistics for the workplace don´t reveal any common profile of victims of mobbing. Difficult also to establish is the type of person or people likely to carry out a sustained campaign of subtle or unsubtle abuse which may take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People capable of harrassment are frequently described as charming by those not affected so once again a personality type is difficult to specify. Oddly enough, abuse in the workplace is frequently tolerated by a larger group of people than one might imagine. These passive observers of cases of mobbing often feign ignorance of an obvious case of abuse - if and when things blow up. Employers are generally the last to know. As it is unusual for a third party to intervene and victims themselves are reluctant to involve their bosses, cases of abuse may last years. Mobbers never get tired of their cruel and cowardly game, so often it is not until a mobbing victim goes off sick that an employer may find out  - and even then employers frequently take no action against the perpetrators of this type of abuse.                                                       294 words

2ª Parte: Se redactará un e-mail, formal o informal.

Ejemplo de tarea: email formal

You are a young physical education teacher working in the United Kingdom. You have received a telephone call from a worried parent who claims that his child is being bullied at school.

Write an email to the parent and include the following:

·        express the appropriate sentiments and level of interest

·        say what action you are going to take yourself

·        inform the parent that you will ask the school psychologist to act accordingly

·        suggest the parent ask the Head of Studies for an interview

Use between 180 – 220 words

Ejemplo de un email formal

To: Mr S. Black  simon.g.black@parallel .com

Subject: Telephone conversation

Dear Mr Black, I am writing with regard to our telephone conversation yesteray afternoon. First of all I would like to thank you for the confidence you have shown in me as one of Christopher´s teachers. I am also pleased to know that Christopher is aware that you have contacted me. I was very concerned to learn that you believe Christopher is suffering from bullying on the part of three other members of his class, and particularly that he has developed a number of worrying symptoms which might  be related to a possible case of peer group pressure. Although all teachers are attentive to their students I will pay particular attention to Christopher´s classroom and sporting interaction. I have not noticed anything unusual about Christopher´s behaviour recently and he appears active and happy in class. However, I have observed that Christopher often lingers around the school gates after school and seems to reluctant to walk home by himself. I will advise the school psycholgist of the  situation. If you think it is a good idea she could call Christopher to talk to her. Could I suggest that you contact the Head of Studies (Ms Audrey Buffle tel 330809897543) for an interview if Christopher continues to be upset? Please do not hesitate to contact me again. Yours sincerely, Lucas Fernández                                                                       218 words