End of course

Both in our B2 and C1 classes we've reached the end of the book, which means that it's time to look back, take stock and make sure that you're ready to face an exam. Since the production skills are traditionally the most challenging, we will devote the remaining classes to working on your writing and speaking skills.

On a different note, I would like to let you know that I'm going to give a series of mini-talks (only 15 minutes long) on some of those topics that are rarely discussed. As some of you know, self-promotion is not exactly my strong suit. Two years ago I even failed to inform my own students of the existence of this very blog (they found out about it in the month of April). Anyway, the talks will take place in Laredo (the library) and Castro Urdiales (classroom B5). Those of you that are interested in what the level C2 like and want to know what lies beyond that level may find my little talks useful. Everybody is welcome.

Words that should exist. May 9. 19:00 in Laredo

Beyond C2. May 10. 19:00 in Castro Urdiales

What is C2. May 16. 19:00 in Laredo

What is C2. May 17. 19:00 in Castro Urdiales

It's all about highlights

Be alert, my beloved learners, for the exam season is nigh!

Indeed. So, what are you expected to do in the dreaded oral exam? For starters make "the right mistakes". By that I mean that some blunders are unacceptable. For instance, at the B2 level you cannot afford any singular/plural mix-ups. Even if you are nervous you should have no problem saying "men and women". A B2 student who still produces atrocities like mens and womans or childrens or childs, etc. shows unresolved issues that do not belong in the upper-intermediate level. Conversely, a mistake like the key to pass the exam is a good mistake. Just do not abuse extremely broad terms (people, place, go, do, have) and, every now and then, drop a simple collocation and prove that you know how to use two verbs (I remember swimming in that lake) and prepositions (Rebecca dreamed of Manderlay again). It's all in the highlights.

The same applies to my C1 class. I wouldn't want you to pack 23 idioms into your monolog. That would be insane, wouldn't it? Your job is to show that you can handle some specific terms and, if need be, some "C1 stuff". What is C1 stuff? Well, the ability to hesitate, to interact, to emphasize and the use of obviously accurate vocabulary. Not all the time. I repeat: not all the time. A B2 sentence with one C1 word is a C1 sentence.  The sequence a lot of people are coming from Syria because there is a war is not complex enough. Sounds a lot like B1, right? In contrast, this alternative is a tad more sophisticated: due to the civil war in Syria large numbers of refugees are coming to Europe. You can, of course, improve on that sentence, make it more "fancy"... but the fact that you mention who those people are (refugees) and specify that it is a civil war they flee from shows your command of the necessary vocabulary. And let's not forget: the sentence does not have that quintessentially intermediate mistake: a big amount of people. In short, do not make horrible mistakes and give the examiners some hints that you know what your target level is all about.

N.B. 1. Homework. B2: movie review. C1: discuss the statement "art is fundamentally elitist".

N.B. 2. Yes. The expression is "if need be".

Descriptions of people

So, we’re back to square one. Yep! I’m afraid we have to revisit the one area that we tackle every year: descriptions of people. When you’re a beginner you learn how to say that some people are tall and some are short. Some are blond and others are dark-haired. You then realize that physical appearances are not enough and you are taught some terms that describe psychological traits, words like easy-going, shy, etc. So far so good, right? The problem, of course, is that many students seem to get stuck in that level. They won’t hesitate to say that someone has curly hair or is quite smart but that’s about it. And that, let's face it, tends to be a bit boring.

It is on the bumpy road to B2 that students wake up to alternative ways of talking about other people (I keep myself to myself) which show that a sentence is a perfect way to describe a person. Then comes the advanced level, in which certain labels are presented. Expressions like sponger, party crasher, the life and soul of the party become part of their vocabulary. Why this gradual process? The answer is rather obvious. Students must first make sure the learn the verb to be in order to master structures like she is generous. Then they are ready to deal with phrases like he is a bit of a nerd. Only when your English is idiomatic does it make sense to tackle nouns that refer to social types (i.e. lone wolf).

In the interview below you’ll hear actress Eva Green characterize herself in several different ways. In the first 15 seconds of the clip she says that she was not popular and shy (adjectives), a geek (a noun), I couldn't speak (a short sentence) and I was blushing when the teacher was asking me a question (a long sentence). So now you know: if you want to start to sound natural (and more interesting) just do what Eva Green does: mix it all up.

From A1 to C2 (and beyond)

Hello. How are you? Are you happy with your English? I don’t know the answer to that question but I suspect that your English is better now than it was in October. Is it true? If that is the case I suppose that you are doing something right. Of course if you find these opening lines a little too simple you have probably passed the B1 level, which is great.

Some people believe that a learner’s command of a foreign language depends on his/her grammar and vocabulary and there is some truth to that. However, I have seen talented students get the upper-intermediate blues. This happens because the more you progress the more you become aware of how much there is to know. In other words, the initial false sense of security starts to fade away. In the B2 classes it is usual for pupils to have the sneaky feeling that they might never get to the advanced level. The pressure soon becomes utterly overwhelming. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Your self-esteem hits an all-time low and you begin to toy with the idea of quitting. You draw the conclusion that it is pointless to do any more fill-in-the-blanks exercises nor is it useful to audit an advanced course because you know full well that one can’t make much headway just by being a fly on the wall.

Furthermore you understand you are prone to expressing yourself in a much less demanding register, which favors the views of those who seek to bolster the contention that a glut of ill-advised C1 graduates on the market is lowering the bar. And then it dawns on you: you’re far more versatile than you thought you’d ever be. All those years of devoted learning are finally starting to pay off. In a moment of clarity you realize what the key to your success is and, consequently, decide not to hold yourself to unreasonable standards, like the perfectionist who shies away from any open debate lest a blunder tarnish their already frazzled self-image. So one day you choose to speak out.

Long gone is the crippling sense of unease, the feeling of being perpetually stricken with self-doubt. You vanquish your worst fears and manage to dazzle headhunters, examiners and professors alike, all of whom feel the irrepressible urge to sing your praises. It is then that your neurons in the pleasure centers of your brain fire off like the fountains in front of the Bellagio. Your speaking skills are, once and for all, off the charts. You’ve reached nerdvana.

B2 and C1

If you are struggling to obtain a B2 certificate you shouldn’t be happy with simple expressions because you want to produce sentences like I wish you hadn’t brought up her name. That is B2. If you don't believe me, check our textbook.

Let’s suppose an English speaker addresses another person by shouting “get down!”. What does she mean by that? It all depends on the context. Is that person up on a fence? Is he standing? Does the English speaker want the other person to avoid being shot or seen? How does she expect the person to get down? All those doubts can be dispelled by her choice of words. There are multiple options, all of which mean “get down”. Here is a selection of them:  Duck down!  Crouch down! On your knees! Climb down! Do you notice the different meanings? Do you get different mental pictures? Of course that’s what the C1 level deals with. Similarly, a B2 student who says "he showed me his ID” doesn’t make it clear if he refers to someone who showed his identity card to a bouncer or if he’s trying to describe a police officer who flashed her badge.

So… What are the defining characteristics of the B2 level? Well, for starters, you get your verb patterns right (I suggest going to the movies). You can handle conditional sentences  without hesitation (If I were you I’d take it). You know your prepositions (the key to your success). You also know some collocations (I stick to my principles) and you are able to use a couple of phrasal verbs (he turned down the job). And that’s about it. Your vocabulary is pretty unspecific but it kind of does the trick.

Then there’s the C1 level, which is all about accuracy, idioms, lots of collocations and the ability to emphasize certain elements of your speech. In short, you are supposed to have range, i.e. a significant number of options whenever you decide to say something and, yes, you sound (sort of) natural.

As for the video below, I agree with 96% of what the speaker says. The C level (C1 and C2) consists of exactly everything she says. The only thing I must disagree with is her estimate regarding the number of hours that an average learn needs to study in order to transition from the B2 level to the C1 level. That, I’m afraid, depends on many, many factors which vary greatly from one student to another.

Practice

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Just a reminder. All of you are expected to write an essay:

C1 students: 250 words on homeless people or gun control

B2 students: 150-200 words on any of the topics in Exercise 4C on page 101 of the textbook

And now today's post:

What happened to the Titanic? Yes. I know you know the story (who doesn’t?) but… Could you report it in acceptable English? Just bear in mind that, in order to tell the story successfully, you need to tackle at the very least the three points below:

1. WHAT was the Titanic? You should use any one of these words: boat, ship, vessel, liner…
2. What did she DO? Your options can include phrases such as: she hit an iceberg, she collided with an iceberg, she struck an iceberg…
3. What HAPPENED to her afterward? You may say: she sank, she went down, she foundered…

Clearly those three elements are absolutely key. Okay. Let’s take a gander at an “official” version of the accident. Here are the first lines of the Wikipedia article on the Titanic:

RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912, after it collided with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.

Okay. It might not be necessary to mention that it was her maiden voyage but you do get my point, don’t you?

Sometimes we think we can tell a simple story just because the plot seems uncomplicated and straightforward enough but the truth is that even the most basic story demands the use of a limited but specific set of terms. If I say that one particular tale features a “big bad wolf that wants to eat both a little girl and the food she carries in her basket” chances are you know exactly that I’m referring to “Little Red Riding Hood”. So, go and practice. Tell someone a story. Here are some ideas: what happened on August 15, 1947? what happened on September 11, 2001 in New York City? what happened on October 1, 2017 in Catalonia? Can you give an account of the basic elements?

You may find yourselves at a loss for words. It happens. So first make sure you jot down those necessary words before you begin to think about opening your mouth. The rest is practice. Just practice. Seriously, only practice. Some people believe that there is a chromosome makes it possible to excel at story-telling but I think it's all a matter of practice. Just practice. Plain and simple: practice. You know, practice. Remember... practice.