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Test of Interactive EnglishHANDBOOK

Recognised by ASEP at levels B1, B2, C1 and C2 (CEFR)

CONTENTS

EXAM OVERVIEW & IMPORTANT INFORMATION 02ABOUT THE EXAM 03

PART 1 - THE ANALYSIS OF THE EXAM1.A. THE AURAL-ORAL EXAM 04AURAL-ORAL STEP 1: PERSONAL INTRODUCTIONS 04AURAL-ORAL STEP 2: THE INVESTIGATION 05Examiner frame, AURAL-ORAL step 2 05AURAL-ORAL STEP 3: THE BOOK 06Examiner frame, AURAL-ORAL step 3 06AURAL-ORAL STEP 4: THE NEWS STORY 07Examiner frame, AURAL-ORAL step 4 07AURAL-ORAL STEP 5: THE DECISION MAKING TASK 08Examiner frame, AURAL-ORAL step 5 081.B. THE READING-WRITING EXAM 09READING-WRITING STEP 1: The PREPARED writing task 09WRITING STEP 2: The SPONTANEOUS writing task 09

PART 2 - THE PREPARATION FOR THE EXAM2.A. AN OVERVIEW OF THE PREPARATION 102.B. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE AURAL-ORAL PART STEPS 10 Personal introductions 10The investigation/project 10The book 11The news story 12The decision making task 12Making sure your students are ready 13

PART 3 - ASSESSMENT3.A. ASSESSING THE AURAL-ORAL PART 14 - 15AURAL-ORAL part assessment criteria 143.B. ASSESSING THE READING-WRITING PART 16READING-WRITING part assessment criteria 16SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS 17 - 24

PART 4 - SAMPLE LOGBOOKS 25 - 28Sample writing task types for the TIE unprepared part 29

PART 5 - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 30

Test of Interactive English HANDBOOK

01

THE TIE EXAM AT A GLANCE

THE EXAM OVERVIEW & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

AURAL-ORAL PARTTOTAL TIME: 25-28 min.

The learner READS... The learner LISTENS... The learner SPEAKS... The learner WRITES...

STEP 1Personal introductions(see details page 4)Time for each candidate: 1,5 min.

Both candidates listen and interact with the examiner and each other exchanging personal information.

Both candidates talk about their life and exchange personal information.

STEP 2The investigation/project(see details page 5)Time for each candidate: 5 min.

The learner reads from texts of his/her choice to gather information about his/her project.

Both candidates need to listen so they can ask each other questions and follow the examiner’s questions.

Both candidates present their projects and comment on their partner’s work.

STEP 3The book(see details page 6)Time for the candidate: 4 min. - 5 min.

The learner reads a book/graded reader (could also be a manual) of his/her choice. Course books or magazines are not allowed.

One candidate needs to listen so s/he can ask questions about his/her partner’s book; the other needs to be able to follow the examiner’s questions.

One candidate presents the book, answers questions and discusses the other candidate’s comments.

STEP 4The news story(see details page 7)Time for the candidate: 4 min. - 5 min.

Each candidate must select and follow a news story of his/her own choice.

One candidate needs to listen so s/he can ask questions about his/her partner’s news story; the other needs to be able to follow the examiner’s questions.

One candidate presents the news story, answers questions and discusses the other candidate’s comments.

STEP 5The decision making task(see details page 8)Time for each candidate:2 min. - 2,5 min.

Both candidates need to listen so they can interact with each other commenting on the visuals that the examiner will present to them.

Both candidates express opinions about the topic, make suggestions, express preferences, etc.

READING-WRITING PARTTOTAL TIME: 60 min.

The learner READS... The learner LISTENS... The learner SPEAKS... The learner WRITES...

STEP 1The book/news story(see details page 9)Time: 30 min.

See STEPS 3 & 4 above in the AURAL-ORAL part.

The candidate writes giving their opinion on either the book or the news story.

STEP 2The unprepared composition(see details page 9)Time: 30 min.

The candidate writes a spontaneous composition (letter, article, essay, etc).


02

03

TEST FORMATTIE is in two parts – the AURAL-ORAL Test (25-28 minutes per 2 candidates) and the READING-WRITING Test (60 minutes). All the elements of both parts are compulsory and are designed to build upon learners’ background knowledge, provide relevant language development opportunities to suit the needs of each student and reflect tasks with which they will be familiar from the English language classroom and their daily lives. Both parts of the test must be taken on the same day.

Preparing for the exam:In preparing for the test, the learners are required to carry out three standard, pre-specified tasks. These form the framework within which the learners select their own topics and materials and decide how to develop each task. In addition, there are two spontaneous tasks in the test, which require the learners to respond in speaking and writing to unpredictable situations. Assessment is made according to how well each candidate performs in carrying these out.TIE candidates are required to do the following preparation for the test:

the candidate needs to carry out an investigation/mini project through reading and/or listening to various sources to gather •information.

the candidate needs to read a book/graded reader in English in order to be able to speak or write about it.•

the candidate needs to follow a news story through reading and/or listening to various sources to gather information in order •to be able to speak or write about it.

Candidates are required to keep a logbook, which they must bring with them to the test. This is a folder in which candidates record the information about the tasks they are required to prepare. Candidates are required to produce their logbook in the AURAL-ORAL test. Although the logbook is NOT assessed, it is NOT awarded a grade, the TIE certificate contains the following statement: ’This award is supported by a logbook produced by the candidate in fulfillment of test requirements’.

Candidates must be prepared to present and discuss all three tasks as they do NOT choose to speak about the book or the news story. It is the examiner who lets the candidates know which task they will present during the AURAL-ORAL interview.

Please remember that each candidate chooses his/her investigation, book/reader and news story. The aim is to get students to bring their own interests, opinions and experiences into the classroom and use them in order to perform their best at the test.

IMPORTANT: The candidate who SPEAKS about his/her book in the AURAL-ORAL part WRITES about his/her news story in the READING-WRITING part and vice-versa. The candidates do not know beforehand which one will come up in which part of the test. They must be prepared both for the book and the news story.

SPECIAL NEEDS CANDIDATES: Candidates with dyslexia, mobility problems, etc, may apply for special arrangements on the day of the exam. They must submit the relevant documentation to Gnosis Assessment in order to be entitled to take the test with the use of a scribe in the READING-WRITING part.

WHAT THE CANDIDATE MUST PRODUCE ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM: The candidates must bring their logbooks (investigation, news story) and books to the AURAL-ORAL part, otherwise they are NOT eligible to take the test. In the READING-WRITING part they may bring their book, news story and a dictionary.

CERTIFICATION: All candidates who fulfil the requirements of the test receive a certificate since there is no fail grade and they are assessed on what the ‘can do’ rather on what they are expected to be ‘able to do’.

ABOUT THE EXAM

HANDBOOKTest of Interactive English

THE AURAL-ORAL EXAM

General information:Time: 25 - 28 min. in total. The AURAL-ORAL exam consists of 5 steps:

Step Timing TaskIntroduction(spontaneous)

3 mins Personal introductionsExchange of personal information

Investigation(prepared)

10 mins Presentation and discussion of investigations (both candidates)

The Book(prepared)

4-5 min Presentation and discussion of book(one candidate)

News Story(prepared)

4-5 mins Presentation and discussion of news story(one candidate)

Decision-Making Task(spontaneous)

4-5 mins Candidates discuss the task between each other and makea decision which they present to the interlocutor. The (dis)advantages, reasons for the candidates, choice are discussed and developed.

AURAL-ORAL STEP 1: PERSONAL INTRODUCTIONS

Exam task: Personal questions and ice-breakers.Task type: Unprepared.Time: 3 min. approx.Task description: The examiner invites candidates to introduce themselves. Both candidates listen to the examiner, answer his/her questions and exchange personal information.Materials: None.Sample questions and examiner approach:Hello. Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is (examiner’s name) ....................................Would you like to introduce yourselves, please?What’s your name?/Where are you from?/Tell us a few things about your family...What do you study?/Do you go to school?/What are your favourite lessons, hobbies, studies, work, plans, home, family? etc.Please feel free to ask each other questions or make comments, OK?

THE ANALYSIS OF THE EXAM


04

AURAL-ORAL STEP 2: THE INVESTIGATION

Exam task: Presentation/discussion on project work (investigation on a topic).Task type: Prepared. (Candidates have selected a topic which they have written about and supported with visuals).Time: 10 min. approx. Task description: The candidates bring the investigations/mini projects they have prepared. They must be able to present them in a short and organized way (for at least two minutes), then answer questions and describe the pictures included in them. The project must be of a reasonable size (not too big) and include pictures. Candidates are not checked on the accuracy of the content of their investigation. The material is used by the examiner to guide the conversation and help candidates express themselves in the best possible way.Materials: The project works which candidates have created.Sample projects:Film stars, singers, football players and their lives, football teams, places of interest, Eurovision, hobbies, anything that a candidate may be personally interested in.Sample questions:Why did you choose this investigation?/Tell me some things about the photograph(s) on your project/Can you describe the topic of your investigation?/Was it interesting?/Did you learn something while doing this investigation?/etc.

Examiner FrameAfter the warm-up and before the examiner starts asking about the investigations he may say:‘I see you have your logbooks with you, can you please show them to me?’Candidates give their logbooks to the examiner who opens them, turns them towards the candidates so that they can all see them and continues with the examination.The examiner invites the candidates in turns as follows:Candidate 1: ‘Would you like to present your investigation to us?’Before he/she starts, the examiner turns to the other candidate(s) and says:‘And I’d like you to listen carefully so that you can ask questions to your partner about his/her investigation’.(Pictures in candidate logbooks help the examiner easily guide the conversation.)The examiner allows the candidate to present for about two (2) minutes.Then he may ask one or two general questions on the candidate’s topic;Sample questions (adapted to specific topic):•Whatisthis?(referringtoapictureintheirlogbook)•Didyoufindthistopicinterestingtoinvestigate?Why/whynot?

Then the examiner invites the other candidate(s) as follows: ‘What would you like to ask your partner about his/her investigation?’Candidate 2: ‘Would you like to present your investigation to us?’Before he/she starts, the examiner turns to the other candidate(s) and says:‘And I’d like you to listen carefully so that you can ask questions to your partner about his/her investigation’.(Pictures in candidate logbooks help the examiner easily guide the conversation.)The examiner allows the candidate to present for about two (2) minutes.Then he may ask one or two general questions on the candidate’s topic;Sample questions (adapted to specific topic):•Whatisthis?(referringtoapictureintheirlogbook)•Didyoufindthistopicinterestingtoinvestigate?Why/whynot?Then the examiner invites the other candidate(s) as follows: ‘What would you like to ask your partner about his/her investigation?’

See PAGES 25, 27 for sample investigations/projects.

05


AURAL-ORAL STEP 3: THE BOOK

Exam task: Presentation/discussion on a book/graded reader.Task type: Prepared (Candidates have selected a book/graded reader of their choice).Time: 4-5 min. approx.Task description: The candidate assigned to talk about the book, must be able to tell the story in short (for at least two minutes), describe the front cover, comment on the back cover, photos, if any, and answer questions about it. The examiner then may ask one or two general questions on the book and invites the other candidate to ask at least one question on what’s already been presented.IMPORTANT: The book has to be in English and a whole class should not work on the same book/graded reader.Sample questions:What is the title of the book?/Who wrote it?/What type of book is it?/What is the main plot?/Where does it take place?/Is it set in the time it was written?/Why did you choose this book/reader?/did you enjoy it? Why? Why not?/Can you tell one thing you really enjoyed in this book?/Would you recommend this book/reader to one of your friends?/Who are the main characters?/Can you describe one of them?

Examiner FrameThe examiner invites the candidate who presents his/her book: ‘Would you like to tell us about your book?’Before he/she starts, the examiner turns to the other candidate(s) and says:‘And I’d like you to listen carefully so that you can ask questions to your partner about his/her book’.The examiner allows the candidate to present for about two (2) minutes.Then he may ask one or two general questions on his topic. Examples:•Tellmeonethingyoulikedorfoundinteresting.•Didyouenjoy/Areyouenjoyingthebook?Why/whynot?•Whoarethemaincharacters?•Wheredoesthestorytakeplace?Then he invites the other candidate(s) as follows: ‘What would you like to ask your partner about his/her book?’


06

AURAL-ORAL STEP 4: THE NEWS STORY

Exam task: Presentation/discussion on a news story.Task type: Prepared (Candidates have followed a news story from at least two media sources, such as newspapers, the web, magazines).Time: 4-5 min. approx. Task description: The candidate who has been assigned to present the news story must be able to tell the story in short (for at least two minutes) and answer questions. The examiner then may ask one or two general questions on the news story and invites the other candidate to ask at least one question on what’s already been presented.Materials: The news stories candidates have brought with them.IMPORTANT: The news story must be fairly recent, taken from two different sources (e.g two web sites). Dates and sources must be mentioned. Sample questions:What story did you choose?/Why did you choose this story?/What attracted you in this story?/Who is involved in this story?/What is the case?/What do you think about the continuation of this story?/Did you learn something from this story?/What sources did you use to find this story?/What did you like/dislike about these sources/What sources did you find best/easiest to follow?

Examiner FrameThe examiner invites the candidate who presents his/her news story:‘Would you like to tell us about your news story?’Before he/she starts, the examiner turns to the other candidate(s) and says:‘And I’d like you to listen carefully so that you can ask questions to your partner about his/her news story’.The examiner allows the candidate to present for about two (2) minutes.Then he may ask one or two general questions on his topic. Examples:•Whatdidyoulikemostaboutthisstory?•Whatsourcesdidyouusetofindoutaboutthestory?

Then the examiner invites the other candidate(s) as follows:‘What would you like to ask your partner about his/her news story?’

See PAGES 26, 28 for sample news stories.

07


AURAL-ORAL STEP 5: THE DECISION MAKING TASK

Exam task: Candidate to candidate and problem solving interaction based on visual material.Task type: SpontaneousTime: 4-5 min. approx. Task description: Both candidates engage in a conversation based on a visual presented by the examiner. (For example, a set of pets candidates may like, have at home, etc). Both candidates express their opinion about the topic, make suggestions, express preferences, etc and reach a conclusion.Materials: A visual presented by the examiner.Sample language:Expressing and asking for opinion/agreeing and disagreeing/asking and answering questions/making suggestions/expressing preferences, etc.

The exchange of information is more important than actually arriving at a conclusion. Many candidates feel that, in this kind of problem-solving or decision-making task, there is pressure on them to reach an agreed solution as quickly as possible. This is not the case in the TIE, where the emphasis is on the process by which a conclusion is reached rather than the result itself. The examiner may broaden the topic, prompting further discussion between the candidates. The candidates are required to present their conclusion to the examiner with their rationales.

Examiner FrameThe examiner will present a visual to candidates.

Wording:Now I’d like you to discuss something together while I just listen:“Here are some hobbies. Which of these do you enjoy doing and why?”Sample visual: HOBBIES

Jogging Listening to music Reading Dancing


08

THE READING-WRITING EXAM

General information:Time: 60 min. in total, 2 compulsory tasks (approx. 30 min. for each writing task).TASK 1 - PreparedThe candidate is asked to write either about the book or the news story, from a selection of two topics.TASK 2 - SpontaneousThe candidate writes about one of two given choices.

The candidates need to be familiar with the following genres in order to be successful in the prepared and unprepared writing tasks:• narrative–fictionorfact;• descriptionsofpeople,placesandevents;• descriptionsandpersonalresponsestofilms,booksandtelevisionprogrammes;• simpleargumentation,i.e.expressingownandothers’differingopinions;• Letters(formal,informal)

Approximate word limits: A1 40-70, A2 70-110, B1 100-150, B2 150-200, C1-C2 over 200 words.

READING-WRITING STEP 1: The PREPARED writing task

Exam task: Writing either about the book or the news story.Task type: Letter, article, review.Time: 30 minutes.Task description: The candidate has read his/her preferred book/news story and he/she is asked to reflect on it and write an opinion giving composition. (See sample titles below). Candidates will not be asked to provide detailed descriptions of characters or events in their books/news stories.Materials: The book or the news story.Sample titles:Sample book tasks•Whydidyouchoosethisbook?Wereyouhappywithyourchoice?Why/not?•Howdoesthestoryend?Isitahappyending?•Didyoulikethecoverofyourbook?Didithelpyoutounderstandthestory?Sample news story tasks•Whatdoyouthinkofthisstory?•Ienjoyed/didn’tenjoythisnewsstorybecause...

WRITING STEP 2: The SPONTANEOUS writing task

Exam task: Unprepared writing.Task type: Letter, essay, article, review.Time: 30 minutes.Task description: The candidate is asked to write a composition on a given text type.Materials: None.

See page 29 for task types and sample composition types.

09


AN OVERVIEW OF THE PREPARATIONA logbook must be presented as evidence of exam preparation. The logbook consists of:the investigation/project, the news story and the book/reader. The material in the logbook is intended to support the candidate in presenting his/her information. The material or the way in which it is presented are NOT assessed.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF AURAL-ORAL PART STEPS

Personal introductions

This is the first step of the exam and enough time is given to both candidates to relax and get to know the examiner and each other.

How to prepare the personal information step in class:All course books include materials to prepare students for this part of the exam.

How to know when your learners are ready to take this part of the exam:Use the checklist provided on page 13.

What you should/should not do:You should encourage the learners to talk about themselves and their interests in a natural way and be ready to answer questions such as the ones in 1.A, AURAL-ORAL STEP 1.

The investigation/project

The materials the student needs to prepare:The student needs to prepare an investigation/project on his/her favourite topic. It contains a title, one or more visuals and some text about the topic. The learner is guided by the teacher to find information about the topic of the project through reading and/or listening to various sources.

How to prepare the investigation in class:The learner may choose any topic he/she prefers. All course books have topic-based units. Ask your students to prepare their project using ideas, vocabulary, etc. found in various units according to your students’ interests, e.g, in the unit about Sports you may have investigations such as ‘Ronaldo’, ‘Formula 1’, ‘Handball’, etc. In case you have students who are unwilling to choose their own investigation topic, a text in a course book unit supplemented with one or more visuals can be used as a project.

When and how to practise for the investigation in class:The learner needs to be able to present his/her project for at least two minutes, answer the examiner’s and co-candidate’s questions and be able to ask at least a question to his/her partner about his/her project. (Also see 1.A, AURAL-ORAL STEP 2).

You may use the speaking practice part to get the students to present their investigations, ask questions and discuss each other’s project in class. If this procedure is followed, there is no need for extra time to prepare and practise the projects and students are provided with extra opportunities for interactive communication.


THE PREPARATION FOR THE EXAM


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What you should/should not do:Always get your students to ask questions themselves, answer their classmates’ questions and vice versa. All course book units have ‘Lead in’ questions at the beginning of main reading parts you can use. You may also do the same before the listening and/or writing parts. DO NOT prepare investigations/projects yourself and give them to your students ready-made. Encourage your students to prepare their projects on their own. The projects are not assessed, it is the candidates’ presentation and performance you should focus on.You may start preparing your students from the beginning of the school year by incorporating project work in every unit of you course book and practising presentations and discussions throughout the year. In this way students may have many projects to choose from and are more motivated to talk on whatever they are really interested in.

The book

The materials the student needs to prepare:The learner must read a book or graded reader on any topic he/she prefers (It may be any literary book, a graded reader of any level, an operational manual, a comic book, etc but not a magazine or a course book).

How to prepare the book:The book should be chosen in plenty of time and it may be selected either by the learner and/or the teacher. The learner should make some notes while working on the book and prepare a summary. If a CD or a film of the book is available students should be encouraged to listen to or watch it.

When and how to practise for the book in class:The learner needs to be able to present the book for at least two minutes, answer the examiner’s and his co-candidates questions. Students must also be prepared to ask questions on their classmates’ books (Also see 1.A, AURAL-ORAL STEP 3).The ideal time to engage the learners in practice for this step of the exam is during the speaking part of the unit in the course book.Work with the students to prepare a presentation of the book, referring to the plot, the characters, the ending, the type of story, etc. Practise the presentation during the lesson since the aim of the speaking part of any course book is the students to be able to communicate. Ask and answer questions such as the sample questions in 1.A, AURAL-ORAL STEP 3 and invite the learners to ask each other questions. If this procedure is followed there is no need for extra time to prepare and practise the book(s) and students are provided with extra opportunities for interactive communication.


What you should/should not do:You should treat the reading of the book as a ‘reading for pleasure’ activity, that is why the reading of the book should start well in advance of the test.The books, especially when they are graded readers, may be of a same or lower level than the student’s level. However some students choose original books because they have watched the relevant films (Harry Potter, Twilight, etc). Please remember that knowledge of the content of the book content is not assessed, the learner’s language skills performance is.You should not spend too much time selecting the book because learners, especially children, tend to be indecisive. Therefore, it is advisable to give a number of pre-selected titles to the learners to select from and spend time practising rather than selecting the title.

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The news story

The materials the student needs to prepare:Each candidate must choose and follow a news story of his/her own choice. Anything candidates are interested in their daily lives and follow it (basically over the internet) can be used. The news story must be on current affairs (a few months old). There should be at least two sources and relevant dates mentioned.

How to prepare the news story:Ask your students to tell you about various stories they have read or are following on their favourite websites (yahoo.com, OK magazine, cnn.com, etc).

When and how to practise for the news story in class:The learner needs to be able to present the news story for at least two minutes, answer the examiner’s and his co-candidates questions. Students must also be prepared to ask questions on their classmates’ news stories. (Also see 1.A, AURAL-ORAL STEP 4).

The speaking part of the unit in the course book is the ideal time to engage the learners in practice for this step of the exam.


What you should/should not do:You should treat the research and the reading of the news story as a ‘reading for pleasure’ activity, which is why the learners should be asked to start looking for interesting news stories well in advance from the test. Encourage them to bring their stories and present them in class for fun during the speaking practice.

The decision making task

The students do not need to prepare any materials for this part of the exam. They will be shown a visual card based on a topic. The topics are very similar to the ones appearing in course books according to the candidates’ levels.

How to prepare for the decision making task:The learners need to be able to interact with one another, to agree and disagree, to make suggestions, to take turns and to come to an agreement.

When and how to practise for the decision making in class:The preparation for the decision making task takes place in class throughout the school year provided the students are engaged in speaking.


What you should/should not do:You should encourage the learners to get involved in pair work activities throughout their learning experience.You should teach the functions along with the structures when teaching grammar.You should not ask the learners to, necessarily, reach a conclusion at the end of their interaction either agreeing or disagreeing, however it is important that they consider all options.You should not disregard phonology and turn taking.

For the summary of AURAL-ORAL part assessment criteria please see page 14.


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Making sure your learners are ready

Use the checklist below: while evaluating the ability of each learner, make notes in the form provided and find out what needs to be done for each learner and for which step of the exam.

AURAL-ORAL PART STEP: Have I prepared my candidate/s to... YES/NO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? TIME NEEDED? ALREADY KNOWN?

PERSONAL INFORMATION ...give personal information and cover possible questions asked by the examiner on hobbies, studies, etc?

YES/NO

INVESTIGATION ...present the project, its topic, theme, etc. YES/NO

...answer a variety of questions about the topic of the investigation?

YES/NO

ask question(s) on their partner’s investigation?...

YES/NO

BOOK ...narrate the plot/story read? YES/NO

...write a summary of the book? YES/NO

...give an opinion on the book read? YES/NO

...describe any of the characters? YES/NO

...say what they have learnt by reading this book?

YES/NO

...ask question(s) about their partner’s book? YES/NO

...write: give an opinion about the book YES/NO

NEWS STORY ...narrate the news story read? YES/NO

...provide all the important information on the news story?

YES/NO

...present the sources used? YES/NO

...explain why he/she chose this story? YES/NO

...ask question(s) about their partner’s book? YES/NO

...write: give an opinion about the news story?

YES/NO

DECISION MAKING TASK ...recognise the topic of the photos shown? YES/NO

...express preference? YES/NO

...express agreement and disagreement with his/her partner?

YES/NO

...take turns politely? YES/NO

...express likes and dislikes politely? YES/NO

...ask their partner question(s) about the topic?

YES/NO

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ASSESSING THE AURAL-ORAL PARTThe examiners have been trained to assess the learner’s AURAL-ORAL performance based on specific criteria. For the AURAL-ORAL part these are:

Aural reception (Listening) measures the candidate’s ability to process the spoken input of the other speakers listening for gist, specific information, detailed understanding, implications, etc

Interaction refers to the candidate’s ability to interact with his/her partner and the examiner

Communicative Effectiveness refers to the candidate’s ability to convey his/her message

Accuracy refers to the accurate and appropriate use of the candidate’s grammatical resources

Range and Complexity refers to the variety of language at the candidate’s disposal and his/her ability to select appropriately from it

Phonological Control refers to the candidate’s ability to produce comprehensible speech at word and sentence level to fulfil the demands of the test

Based on the criteria above, the examiner is called to ‘place’ the learner on the scale from A1 to C2 according to his/her performance. To do so, the examiner uses detailed descriptors provided by the Common European Framework (CEFR) listed below.

AURAL-ORAL Part Assessment criteriaC2

Effortless •participation in any conversation with almost entirely appropriate register without any difficulty in understanding any kind of language delivered at fast native speedFluent expression •of meaning with broad range of modification devicesHigh degree of •structural and lexical control (very rare errors)Broad lexical, •structural and idiomatic repertoireConsistently •high level of comprehensibility with fine shades of varying intonation and stress

C1Easy interaction •following extended speech on abstract and complex topics with generally appropriate and consistent register. Use of discourse functions to get the floor and appropriate handling of extensive turnsLengthy •development of ideas with subsidiary details, reasons and relevant examples while recognising a wide range of expressions and colloquialisms.Generally complex •constructions with infrequent errorsBroad repertoire •with occasional miscollocationComprehensibility •only occasionally marred by phonological lapses. Intonation and stress varied appropriately to convey the message

B2Understanding •of main ideas of complex speech on both familiar and unfamiliar topics. Interaction with a degree of ease and spontaneity without imposing strain to participants. Some ability to use appropriate register, ability to intervene in discussionIdeas clearly •marked on a wide range of topicsGood control •despite a few structural errors which rarely obscure the meaningRange of •vocabulary and structures despite some repetition High level of •comprehensibility with accurate control of rhythm and intonation

B1Understanding •of main points of clear, standard speech. Interaction with some confidence on familiar topicsSimple and •straightforward message of immediate relevance without significant misunderstandingReasonable •accuracy and control on frequently used patterns, though meaning may not be clearly expressed at timesFlexible use of •simple vocabulary and structures, despite some limitationsReasonably clear •expression despite some problems with rythm and intonation and occasional inappropriate pausing

A2Interaction •on structured contexts and short conversations with the help of an interlocutorSimple and •direct message with limited information on personal and concrete matters. More complex messages may lead to frequent misunderstandingText with some •control of short, simple structures, although errors often obscure the meaningBasic vocabulary •and structures to convey a simple messageBasic •communication despite word problems, excessive hesitation and inappropriate pausing

A1Interaction only •in a simple way. Can communicate given opportunities for repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repairCommunication •on concrete matters in predictable survival situations, but attempts at complexity generally cause confusionLimited control of •a few grammatical structures, basic vocabulary & connectorsUse of only a very •limited range of vocabulary & structures to convey the most basic of messagesPronunciation •only of simple common words comprehensibly

You may follow the same procedure to assess your learners while gaining experience on working with the CEFR descriptors and criteria. Please, note that the overall grade is a combination of all grades awarded for each discreet criterion.


14

To understand the AURAL-ORAL part of the test better, watch the DVD provided with this handbook which shows students under real exam conditions along with their grading and examiner’s comments:

OTIE: Candidate Record Form 1 (Panagiota - Theodora)

Candidate Name: Panagiota Overall Grade: B2+

Examiner Comments:Investigative Task: Tae Kwo DoNews Story: Michael Jackson faked his own death to escape pressures of fameThis candidate was in the upper B2 band in terms of aural reception, interaction, communicative effectiveness, range of vocabulary and phonological control. Accuracy was in the B2 band with few grammatical mistakes. Some obvious nervousness.

Aural reception (Listening) Interaction Comm. Eff. Accuracy R&C Phon. Control B2+ B2+ B2+ B2 B2+ B2+

Candidate Name: Theodora Overall Grade: B2

Examiner Comments:Investigative Task: BalletBook: The picture of Dorian GreyThis candidate was in the upper part of the B2 band in terms of communicative effectiveness and phonological control although a bit nervous. However in terms of the language resources at her disposal, she remained in the B2 band with a good command of a range of simple structures and vocabulary.

Aural reception (Listening) Interaction Comm. Eff. Accuracy R&C Phon. Control B2 B2 B2+ B2 B2 B2+

DM Task: Films

OTIE: Candidate Record Form 2 (Maria – Kalliopi)

Candidate Name: Maria Overall Grade: C1+

Examiner Comments:Investigative Task: History of ArchaeologyNews Story: Egypt’s famous tomb of Tutankhamun set for 5-year renovation project by Getty museumGood command of language, fluency with good range and complexity, some grammar mistakes, some answers rather short, a bit nervous.

Aural reception (Listening) Interaction Comm. Eff. Accuracy R&C Phon. Control C1+ C1+ C1+ C1+ C1+ C1+

Candidate Name: Kalliopi Overall Grade: C2

Examiner Comments:Investigative Task: FacebookBook: Memoirs of a GeishaA very good C2. Fluency, great range of vocabulary, great command of language, very good pronunciation. Almost no mistakes.

Aural reception (Listening) Interaction Comm. Eff. Accuracy R&C Phon. Control C2 C2 C2 C2 C2 C2

DM Task: Natural Disasters

15


ASSESSING THE READING-WRITING PARTThe examiners have been trained to assess the learner’s READING-WRITING performance based on specific criteria. For the READING-WRITING part these are:

Visual Reception (Reading) measures the ability of the candidate to read for gist, for specific information, for detailed understanding, for implications, etc

Production measures the candidate’s ability to produce clear, structured text

Task Achievement assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly the candidate responds to the tasks set

Accuracy refers to the accurate and appropriate use of the candidate’s grammatical resources

Range and Complexity refers to the variety of language at the candidate’s disposal and his/her ability to select appropriately from it

Orthographic Control assesses the candidate’s control of the conventions of layout, spelling and punctuation

Based on the criteria above, the examiner is called to ‘place’ the learner in the scale from A1 to C2 according to his/her performance. To do so, the examiner uses the detailed descriptors provided by the Common European Framework (CEFR) listed below.

You may follow the same procedure to assess your learners while gaining experience on working with the CEFR descriptors and criteria. Please note that the overall grade is a combination of all grades awarded for each discrete criterion.

To understand this part of the test better, there is a number of corrected compositions along with examiner’s comments in the next pages.

Also note that candidates are not graded on format of the piece of writing, e.g. letter, email format, however layout, paragraphing and basic punctuation are important.

16


Marking Criteria (writing) A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Visual Reception

Understands very short, simple texts.

Understands short, simple texts on familiar matters.

Reads straightforward factual texts on subjects related to his/her field and interest with a satisfactory level of comprehension.

Reads with a large degree of independence. Has a broad active reading vocabulary, but may experience some difficulty with low frequency items.

Understands in detail lengthy, complex texts, whether or not they relate to his/her own area of speciality.

Understands and interprets critically virtually all forms of the written language. Can understand a wide range of long and complex texts, appreciating subtle distinctions of style and implicit as well as explicit meaning.

Production

Writes simple isolated phrases and sentences. (40-70 words approximately).

Writes a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors. (70-110 words approximately).

Writes straightforward connected texts on a range of familiar subjects within his field of interest, by linking a series of shorter discrete elements into a linear sequence. (100-150 words approximately).

Writes clear, detailed texts on a variety of subjects related to his /her field of interest, synthesising and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources. (150-200 words approximately).

Writes clear, well-structured texts on complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues, expanding and supporting points of view. (over 200 words).

Writes clear, smoothly flowing, complex texts in an appropriate and effective style and a logical structure which helps the reader to find significant points. (over 200 words).

Task Achievement

Production is relevant, to some extent.

Production is mostly relevant.

Addresses the question mostly directly, in a clear and relevant manner.

Answers the question almost fully. Covers potential topic points in a relevant and appropriate manner, providing arguments and examples.

Answers the question fully. Covers potential topic points in a relevant and convincing manner, providing arguments and examples.

Understands short, simple texts on familiar matters.

Grammatical& Lexical Accuracy

Errors are very frequent and often impede understanding.

Errors are very frequent and sometimes impede understanding

Errors are frequent and may sometimes impede understanding.

Errors are less frequent. Errors which cause misunderstanding are almost absent.

Errors are uncommon and do not impede understanding.

Errors are rare.

Range & Complexity

Very limited control of simple grammatical and lexical structures.

Some control of basic structures, which are employed appropriately.

A simple repertoire of structures is evident and employed appropriately.

Considerable grammatical and lexical control is evident.

Use of structures is accurate and consistent.

Use of a broad repertoire of structures is accurate and consistent.

Orthographic control

Common words are spelt comprehensibly. A basic understanding of punctuation is evident.

Basic spelling and punctuation conventions are present.

Layout and paragraphing conventions are evident. Spelling errors are present.

Consistent layout and paragraphing. Unobtrusive spelling and punctuation errors.

Layout and paragraphing contributes to communication. Errors are uncommon.

Full control of layout, paragraphing and punctuation. Spelling mistakes are rare.

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

Unprepared Task: Tell a friend about a famous person. Include: the name of the person, what this person looks like, why this person is famous, and why you like this person.

I’m going to ta lk about Leticia: De Princess from Spain. Leticia is not a ta ll person, she is thin, beautiful, her hair is blond and her eyes are braun. She is nice, sweet and very kind to people, before she was princess of Spain she was a journa lis and worked for the TV, telling the news every night at 9 o’clock. She is married with the prince of Spain, Felipe. They have 2 little girls, one is ca lled Sofia, she’s the oldest, and anotherone ca lled Leonora. Leticia is from Asturios.In my opinion I like her because, she is a princess and because she is kind, sweet, she doesn’t seem a bad personI like her!!

(116 words)

Examination level: A2 | Unprepared | Examiner Comments:

Production: The candidate has produced a relevant, clear and organised text, the length of which is appropriate for the level: A2+Task Achievement: Addresses the question in a clear and appropriate manner. Emphasis is placed on description: A2+Accuracy: Some basic errors are present, but mistakes are not frequent: B1Range and Complexity: Some grammatical and lexical control is evident, although attempts at complexity are extremely rare: A2+Orthographic Control: Some spelling mistakes are present. There is evidence of paragraphing. Punctuation is generally accurate: A2

Overall grade awarded: A2+


17

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

18


Unprepared Task: A friend from another country is going to spend the summer in your country and needs advice. Write a letter advising him/her where to go and what to do and approximately how much money he/she should bring.

Dear Dennis

I am writing to you becase in your last e-mai l you told me that you are coming for summer holidays in Volos and I want to give you some adivse of where you can go.

First you can visite the center of Volos to bo your shops in the big clothes shops like BSB, Disel, OGI, Zara then after your shops you can go to have some café in the many cafeterias wich have in the wagto the sant Nicolas. Then you can go to the Alikes beach and have a wa lk in the roads of Alikes the you can go to the mountain Pi lios to go to Ksinouisi beach to have camping or to Ai Giannis beach wich have a very big beach bar banana you can go to Mi lies a vi llage of Pi lios wich is very popular about his sweats.

With LoveName

(147 words)

Examination level: B1 | Unprepared | Examiner Comments:

Production: Text production is appropriate for the level. The text produced is relevant appropriate and clear: B1+Task Achievement: Addresses the question but does not answer it fully: A2+Accuracy: Errors are frequent and sometimes basic, but do not impede understanding: B1Range and Complexity: Some grammatical and lexical control is evident, although attempts at complexity are generally unsuccessful: B1Orthographic Control: Layout, punctuation and paragraphing are appropriate. Some spelling mistakes appear: B1+Overall grade awarded: B1

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

What impressed you most in the news story you read and why?

Luca’s parents, Mo Syed and Sian Wi lliams, are asking people to get involved in the “Raise Your Hands for Luca” campaign. The couple said they were thri lled that Ba le had signed up to help their son. Ms Wi lliams ,33, said:‘It’s amazing that Gareth had done this for Luca at the same time he has become the most va luable footba ller ever.’ He has given our campaign a huge boost and just goes to show what a lovely lad Gareth is.’ Gareth is not the first footba ller star join the ‘For Luca’ campaign-Maradona wrote the slogan on his hand and posted onto the webside as well. Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel, England cricketer Stuard Broad, British Lions captain Sam Warbuston, fi lm star Mickey Rourke, pop stars Olly Murs and Pixie Lott and Jamie and Louise Redknapp have a lso signed up. The ‘For Luca’ campaign was launched last year and has attracted attention from around the world. Mr Syed, Luca’s father, said: ‘Luca is an inspiration to us every day. The courage he has shown has kept us positive and made us proud.’

This article impressed me so much and I think it is very important for everyone to behave in this way to fellow people. To sum up, such articles make many important points to increase the views for charity around the world.

Examination level: C2 | Prepared: News Story | Examiner Comments:

Visual Reception: As the candidate arbitrarily repeats the entire news story, one can only assume that he/she has failed to actually comprehend the essay question. Furthermore, there is no critical involvement with the news story whatsoever. Instead we are presented with a mere repetition, the purpose of which cannot be clear to the marker:

A2

Production: Only text that is a) relevant and b) produced by the learner can be evaluated here: A2Task Achievement: By merely reproducing the content of the chosen news story the candidate fails to produce a full and clear answer to the composition question. Effectively, the candidate addresses the question only in the last two sentences of the composition:

A2

Lexical and Grammatical Accuracy: Some aspects of lexical and grammatical control are evident: B2Range & Complexity: Relevance remains a problem, as the vocabulary produced does not directly relate to the scope of the title: B1Orthographic control: Layout and paragraphing are appropriate, but clearly fail to reflect the scope of the task and certainly do not contribute to the communicative effectiveness of the piece produced: B2

Overall grade awarded: B1


19

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

20


If you were a reporter, would you choose to write this type of news story? Why/why not?

If I was a reporter I certainly write this type of story for a number of reasons. First of a ll, because Pink Floyd is about to return with their first a lbum in twenty years and this is a huge fact for world of music.

The second reason is that the band had just celebrated the 20th anniversary of 1994’s the Division Bell a lbum with an extravagant reissue of the a lbum on November 1st.

The third reason is that Durga McBroom-Hudson, a singer who toured with Pink Floyd in the 1990s and is apparently involved in the new project, announced over Twitter that the band dedicate this a lbum to Richard Wright, keyboardist and founding member, who died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 65.

Another reason is that the new project of Pink Floyd who ca lled Endless River as Polly Samson write on facebook have instrumenta l and ambient music and not only rock.

For a ll that reasons, I would choose to write this type of news story and because a new a lbum of Pink Floyd have internationa l importance not only for fans of the band but for a ll people.

Examination level: Β2 | Prepared: News Story | Examiner Comments:

Visual Reception: Reads with a large degree of independence. Has a broad active reading vocabulary: B2Production: Writes clear, detailed texts on a variety of subjects related to his /her field of interest, synthe-sising and evaluating information and arguments: B2Task Achievement: Answers the question almost fully. Covers potential topic points in a relevant and ap-propriate manner, providing arguments and examples: B2Accuracy: Errors are less frequent. Errors which cause misunderstanding are almost absent: B2Range and Complexity: Considerable grammatical and lexical control is evident: B2Orthographic Control: Consistent layout and paragraphing. Unobtrusive spelling and punctuation errors: B2Overall grade awarded: B2

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

Which of the characters of your book would you most like to be? Why?

It is widely accepted that reading books is an activity of the pastime which help to broaden orinons and to travel to unknown paths with a book as a guide.

Actua lly the last book that I have read ca lled Twi light and it is written by Stephenie Meyer. I must admit that I enjoy this book from the very first time that I opened since the last page. With out any boudt was just my cup of tea. This book tell the story of love, passion fami ly and va lues as elements which can make every person happy. In short it describes an extraordinary love story between a human and a vampire. Additiona lly this story take place in fort wasington where Bella moves to leave with her father. There she met at the high school the handsome and irresistable Edward and they fa ll in love. Under a ll the obstacles the two lovers managed to stay together for a long time and to share their love.

It is a truth that the writter succeed in to make a fantasy scenery believable. Undoubtedly this was accomplished by the use of great and complexing characters.

As far as I am concerns my most favourite character of the book is Edward. I would like to be like him. Mostly I admire him because he is determine, churming and polite. Moreover he is very protective with the woman he is in love. In addition he possesses super human stamina, senses, menta lity and agi lity. Furthermore he tries a lways to do what is good. In my point of view a ll the above are elements which can make everybody attractive. Aside from a ll the others, I would like to be Edward for one last reason. I consider him blest to live such a rea l but a lso uncondition love. He is very lucky to find the rea l meaning of love and happiness.

Examination level: C2 | Prepared: Book | Examiner Comments:

Visual Reception: There is evidence of good understanding and active engagement with the original text. However, references to the book are purely descriptive, and elements of critical involvement are absent from the candidate’s analysis:

B2+

Production: Unfortunately, a disproportionate part of the composition is dedicated to simply retelling the plot of the book. As a result, the text lacks balance and places unnecessary strain on the reader. The question is addressed only in the second half of the text, which, effectively, is that part of the test-taker’s performance which can be taken into account:

B2+

Task Achievement: The candidate answers the question fully in a clear and relevant manner: C1+Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy: A number of lexical, grammatical and syntactical inaccuracies are present. However, errors which impede understanding are not present: B2+Range and Complexity: Considerable grammatical and lexical control is evident. However, the existing attempts towards more advanced use of lexical or grammatical structures are not always accurate or appropriate: B2Orthographic Control: Layout and paragraphing are consistent. Spelling errors are generally unobtrusive: B2+Overall grade awarded: B2+


21

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

22


A magazine has asked its readers to submit articles discussing violence on TV and ways to stop this having negative effects on people’s lives. Write your article.

Nowadays the press, television and genera lly media are the source of information, entertainment and sometimes even communication. TV is the way, the agent we could say, for the creation of model roles, especia lly when we discuss about chi ldren.

It is mandatory to stay in the violence that exists in a lmost every TV channel. It is a common phenomenon for people of a ll ages to addict in violence of TV. There is everywhere in the news, movies, seria ls, documentaries and even on rea lities. In the enlightment of scientific breakthroughs this violence is consider to seem more rea l because of the technologica l development of efes or other machines that help director to be more punctua l in the scenes that he wants to do. There are people that they have on the top of their lists with favourite shows on TV everything that has to do with violence. This is concerning for people especia lly young that they haven’t critica l view to judge this phenomenon.

On the other hand, this situation of course can stop if we consider the steps that we should take. Firstly a significant reason that we should think is the time that a ll these shows are on TV. It would be better if these shows were on late of night in order to protect the little chi ldren who sleep in that time. Furthermore, it would be great if we invest money in order to have more groups of people that they wi ll judge everything that happens on TV. With this way there wi ll be measures and necessarly protection. Of course the most significant thing of a ll is the presedance of parents and role-models, as for the kids parents should give a ll the advises and main knowledge to their chi ldren and with this way kids would not leave any show influence their lives.

In the conclusion of a ll these it is a fact that TV has an important role in our everyday lives! However it is in our hands the way that this machine wi ll effect us and how we wi ll dea l with a ll this procedure.

Examination level: C1 | Unprepared | Examiner Comments:

Production: The candidate has produced a clear and relevant response in an appropriate and effective manner: C2Task Achievement: The candidate answers the question fully in a clear and accurate response. C1+Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy: A significant number of both lexical and grammatical problems are present. Errors are frequent but do not impede understanding: B2+Range and Complexity: Considerable grammatical and lexical control is evident. No significant attempts towards using more complex structures are present: B2Orthographic Control: Layout and paragraphing are consistent. Spelling errors are frequent but generally unobtrusive: B2+

Overall grade awarded: C1

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

“A picture is worth a thousand words”. Is this true for the images of your news story? Why/why not?

I recently read a news story about a big change in homeschooling in Greece. According to this program parents can educate their chi ldren by using private tutors or even themselves.

Having read the news story, I could mention that it is rea lly interesting and attractive. A picture is very important with the colors and the scenes that help the reader to understand the story easi ly and in an amusing way. Also, a picture can attract many readers and it can depict places, people or even a bui lding. On the other hand it can distract the readers’ attention and cannot accurately provide a ll the information needed about a topic.

Moreover, in my news story the pictures give readers the opportunity to see what these lessons are about. As far as I can see, in the picture which accompanies my news story, there is a tutor and a chi ld learning the Greek a lphabet. People often argue that in such private lessons the chi ld is like a fish in a jar. A chi ld is a lone without any friends and without appropriate instruction. It may feel like an anima l in a cage. However this program seems to be an entirely different matter. The pictures show a perfectly happy and motivated chi ld learning Greek. It is not sad, disappointed or frustrated. So, one could easi ly argue that the main objective of the picture is to generate positive feelings in the minds of the readers.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that people should read this news story as it is a positive and optimistic news item. Possibly, this could prove interesting especia lly to non Greek people who come to Greece from other countries and would like to introduce their chi ldren to the Greek language.

Examination level: C2 | Prepared: News Story | Examiner Comments:

Visual Reception: It is apparent from the candidate’s analysis that she has fully comprehended the content of the news story. Moreover, there is further evidence of critical engagement and detailed understanding: C2Production: The text produced is perfectly clear, accurate, both in terms of conveying meaning and addressing the question, and flows smoothly: C2Task Achievement: The candidate answers the question fully and convincingly in a detailed and critical manner: C2Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy: Errors are effectively absent from this composition: C2Range and Complexity: Control of grammatical, syntactical and lexical structures is excellent. The use of more complex structures is also appropriate: C2Orthographic Control: Full control of layout, paragraphing and punctuation. Spelling mistakes are extremely rare: C2Overall grade awarded: C2


23

SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

24


Write a letter to a friend telling him/her who you think is the most important person in your life.

Dear Jenny,

It’s been a long time since I last wrote to you. The truth is that days pass without me noticing that I leave my friends behind. My work is the least I do, because being a mother gets my whole attention.

Needless to say, my son is the world to me and I spend most of my time with him. He is a lready eight years old and he amazes me with his attitude and ideas. I can’t remember myself being so clever at this age! I am sure that right now you’re thinking that’s what a ll mothers say. Maybe you’re right, but I strongly believe that chi ldren nowadays have a higher IQ than we did.

My son made me look at the problems in life differently. Worries I had before seem to have no meaning at a ll. Though sometimes I think of money problems, everything disappears with just a smi le of his.

However, when he has the tiniest flu, I become so upset like it’s the worst that could happen to me. It is more than obvious that when you become a parent a ll the priorities change instantly and everything starts and ends with your chi ldren.

After such a long letter, it is obviously needless to actua lly say that my son is by far the most important person in my life. It would be very exciting if you could visit me one day, so as to see with your own eyes the happyness I feel. All in a ll, I hope and wish to you to be a mother soon. That wi ll be the only time that you’ll forgive my long speech.

I’m looking forward to your response.Yours Faithfully,Maria

Examination level: C2 | Unprepared | Examiner Comments:

Production: This is a very clear, accurate, and smoothly-flowing text. In terms of style, it is appropriate and effective: C2Task Achievement: The candidate answers the question fully and convincingly: C2Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy: Errors are very rare indeed: C2Range and Complexity: Control of grammatical, syntactical and lexical structures is exceptional. The use of more complex structures is limited but appropriate: C1Orthographic Control: Full control of layout, paragraphing and punctuation. Spelling mistakes are extremely rare: C2Overall grade awarded: C2

MY TIE LOGBOOK

INVESTIGATION: STOMP

NEWS STORY: Theotokopoulos before El Greco

BOOK (title of book):

Presented by: ……………..……………..……………..……………..…………………………………………...…..

INVESTIGATIONSTOMP

STOMP has no words – everyonecan understand it. It has little or no melody in the traditional sense, so it doesn’t matter if your taste in music is jazz, classical, dance or pop. STOMP is about rhythm, which is common to all cultures. Everyone knows rhythm, if only from the beating of their own heart–itisthebasisofallmusic. STOMP is a group of people, with very strong personalities, who work together using simple building blocks to create something complex , something everyone can identify with: everyone has, at some time, to engage in group activity, whether they like or know the

people they are working with or not. It’s the little idiosyncrasies, the differences between people, and the games of one-upmanship that ensue, which define the group dynamic.There are several STOMP companies currently performing around the world: up to three working from the UK and two

in North America. Each company has its own style, its own feel: this is because even though the show is very tightly choreographed and orchestrated, there is a lot of room for every performer’s own personality to shine through. The show is as much an expression of eight individuals with very strong personalities as it is a vision of rhythm.

The candidate must

be able to present

the investigation (for

two minutes), then

answer questions and

describe the pictures

included in it.

Over a period of one week, the cast of STOMP goes through quite a few “instruments,” in addition to some other things that keep the show running:


25

HANDBOOK

News StoryTheotokopoulos before El Greco

By Youli EptakoiliThe illustrated codex painted by Greek painter and miniaturist Georgios Klontzas, a work belonging to the Marciana Library in Venice, was being carefully placed in a glass displace case at the Byzantine & Christian Art Museum in Athens ahead of a press conference earlier this week on the El Greco exhibition marking the 400th anniversary of the grand master’s death.“A long, difficult preparation, which lasted nearly three years, has come to a close,” the Culture Ministry’s general secretary Lina Mendoni told journalists ahead of the official opening on Wednesday. Exhibitions on the Crete-born artist, better known here as Domenikos Theotokopoulos (1541 - 7 April 1614), have already been staged on the southern island, as well as at the Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens. Each of these shows casts light on a different aspect of the artist. It is the first time that Greece has staged exhibitions about Theotokopoulos in a systematic manner.The title of this exhibition, “Domenikos Theotokopoulos Before El Greco,” is revealing: The works presented here, crafted by the artist himself as well as his contemporaries, highlight the social and artistic environment of 16th-century Crete. During that time, painting reached stunning levels of artistry. Also, it was the time that shaped the personality of Theotokopoulos before he left for Venice in 1567.The exhibition is divided into three parts. The first section takes us to Venetian Crete in the 16th century. The works on display document the trade routes, military might, social stratification, economy and religion.Section 2 presents the scholarly environment that influenced Theotokopoulos, his readings and cultural events in cosmopolitan Cretan towns. The exhibition showcases the efforts of Cretan painters to bridge Byzantine and Western tradition. “I believe that in terms of research and expressing fresh opinions, this is a very important exhibition,” said the museum’s outgoing director Anastasia Lazaridou.“With works [belonging to Greek collections] and loans from foreign institutions we are trying to recreate the social fabric of Crete in all facets of life,” she said.The exhibition will remian on display at the Byzantine & Christian Art Museum (22 Vassilissis Sofias, tel 210.721.1027, www.byzantinemuseum.gr) through March 31. The catalog will be published in the coming weeks.

ekathimerini.com, Friday December 5, 2014 (18:11)

Four hundred years after his death, Greece reclaims the artist El GrecoFive exhibitions in Athens alone to honour the Crete-born painter

Doménikos Theotokópoulos who lived in Spain.

Helena Smith in AthensEl Greco may have left Crete, never to return, in his early 20s, but 400 years afterhisdeath,Greece–andhisislandbirthplace–areleadingtherestof the world in celebrating the man whose works were widely seen as the precursor to modern art.“The Greeks have been keen to recognise his Greekness,” said Richard Kagan, emeritus professor of history at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who has helped curate one of a number of El Greco exhibitions.“But, in truth, he never lost his Greek identity. Until his death [in 1614], he was a stranger in a foreign land and he always signed his works as Doménikos Theotokópoulos,” Kagan saidfrom Philadelphia. “He was aware and proud of his Greekness.”Few masters have gone in and out of fashion as much as El Greco who, after studying iconography in Crete, moved to Venice then Rome before establishing himself in Toledo, Spain.Embraced by the great painters of the High Renaissance, he was dumped by their Baroque successors, his style subsequently decried during the Age of Enlightenment as overly dramatic and unnatural.“He neither had followers nor supporters in the 17th and 18th centuries when critics regarded him as an oddball, a man apart,” said Kagan, an authority on the painter’s Spanish period. “His work was viewed as capricious, extravagant even.”But now the painter is being hailed as the rule breaker par excellence. From Buenos Aires to Madrid, Washington to Warsaw, exhibitions this year have honoured the man who produced a style so modern it would be taken up by the expressionists and the likes of Pablo Picasso at the turn of the 20th century. In Toledo, his adopted home town, the largest ever exhibition of his oeuvre took place this year.In Athens, where Spain’s Greek-born Queen Sophia, mother of the current King Felipe, inaugurated two major El Greco shows last week, tight budgets have yielded another approach: with works in short supply, the focus has instead been on illuminating the painter’s life. In the Greek capital alone, five major museums are dedicating exhibitions to the artist in this, the Year of El Greco.The Byzantine and Christian museum has announced its retrospective will be called Doménikos Theotokópoulos before El Greco. “The exhibition seeks to shed light on the social and artistic environment of 16th-century Crete where Theotokópoulos’ personality was formed before he left Candia [the old name for Crete] for Venice in 1567,” it said of the show, which opens on 3 December.For a long time, the extent of El Greco’s links to Greece were little known, despite his nickname meaning “the Greek” in Spanish. Just as the artist defied categorisation– viewedas so idiosyncratichebelonged tonoconventionalschool–tracesofhislifeonCretealsoseemedinvisible.In sharp contrast to Toledo, where scholars have discovered his social circleincludedGreeks–withsomeservingaswitnessesintheheadstrongpainter’smanylawsuitswithclients–itwasnotuntil50yearsagothathis apprenticeship in a workshop on Crete came to light. The island, then a possession of the republic of Venice, was the seat of iconographers trained in the Byzantine tradition.“Until 1960, when documents were discovered, we didn’t know anything about his presence on Crete,” said Nicos Hadjinicolaou, Greece’s pre-eminent authority on the artist.Headdedthatitwasnotuntil1982,whentwobookswerefound–oneinabookshopandanotherinthenationallibrary–thatscholarshadanyidea of his personal opinions.In both tomes, unearthed by Spanish scholars, El Greco had scribbled his thoughts on art and architecture. The marginalia debunked the myth that the painter was religious, inspired by Spanish mysticism to draw serpentine figures in other worldly light. “The discoveries were the beginnings of this new burst of current interest in El Greco,” said Kagan.“They led to new interpretations about a man who clearly fashioned himself as an artist philosopher and who, arguably, was Greece’s most famous artist after Phidias.”

www.theguardian.com 26/11/2014

ATTENTION:

News stories must

be no more than

a few months old

from exam date.

26

Test of Interactive English

Two paintings on display at the exhibition at the Byzantine & Christian Art Museum in Athens: ‘St Luke Painting the Virgin’ (1560-1565) (left) and ‘The Dormition of the Virgin’ (1565-1567) (right)

An exhibition of El Greco’s works at the Benaki museum in Athens – a tribute to the 400th anniversary of the death of Spanish Renaissance artist. Photograph: Milos Bicanski/Getty Images

MY TIE LOGBOOK

INVESTIGATION: The Top 3 Football Players

NEWS STORY: Emirates to back second Greek travel road show in Dubai

BOOK (title of book):

Presented by: ……………..……………..……………..……………..…………………………………………...…..

INVESTIGATIONThe Top 3 Football Players

LIONEL MESSI

Messi made his official debut for the first team in a friendly match against José Mourinho’s Porto on 16 November 2003 (at 16 years and 145 days). Less than a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his league debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (a record broken by team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007). When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona until 2007 when Bojan Krkić broke this record, scoring from a Messi assist.

IKER CASILLAS

During the 2009–10 season on 4October in a game against Sevilla F.C., Casillas made an extraordinary save; he ran from one side of his goal to the other and denied Diego Perotti in a one-on-one close range encounter. After the match, he received praise from fellow Spanish goalkeepers and England goalkeeping legend Gordon Banks, who stated “Casillas’ reflexes are incredible. If he continues to play this well he will become one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the game.”

JOHN TERRY First-team regularTerry began to establish himself in the Chelsea first team from the 2000–01season, making 23 starts, and was voted the club’s player of the year. He continued his progress during 2001–

02, becoming a regular in the defence alongside club captain and French international Marcel Desailly. On 5 December 2001 he captained Chelsea for the first time, in a League match against Charlton Athletic. Chelsea reached the FA Cup final, following wins against London rivals West Ham and Tottenham in the fourth and six rounds respectively, and Fulhaminthesemi-final–whereTerryscoredtheonlygoalina1–0victory.

A virus denied Terry a place in the starting line-up for the final, although he came on as a second-half substitute asChelsealost2–0toArsenal.In season 2003–04, his performancesled to him being handed the captain’s armband by manager Claudio Ranieri, when Desailly was out of the side. He played well in the absence of the French international, forming a strong defensive partnership with William Gallas.

The candidate must

be able to present

the investigation (for

two minutes), then

answer questions and

describe the pictures

included in it.


27

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DUBAI,14/01/2015Dubai-based Emirates will support the second Greek Deluxe Travel Roadshow to be held in Dubai, UAE, next month.For the second year in a row, a select delegation of some of the most luxurious hotels, resorts and tourism companies from Greece, will meet with the UAE’s key travel agents, tour operators and trade and consumer media in Dubai to promote tourism to Greece.The event will be held on February 25 at the JW Marriott in Dubai.“Emirates has been serving Greece from the UAE since 1996. With our daily flights to Athens, we are supporting the Greek tourism industry by enabling tourists from new source markets to experience Greece,” said Badr Abbas, vice-president commercial, UAE and Oman. The road show event will be split into two sessions: The morning session will feature a presentation of the Greek deluxe travel product, under the title: “Paint your dreams in the rich colours of the Mediterranean on a luxurious holiday experience in Greece”, as well as overviews from some of the most popular Greek deluxe destinations. The afternoon session will be devoted to pre-scheduled B2B meetings.Ioannis Kofinis, Rollerdeck Associates managing partner and roadshow co-organiser, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Dubai, following last year’s very successful inaugural event. The second Greek Deluxe Travel Roadshow aims at increasing the awareness of Greece as a deluxe travel destination in the UAE, by further educating and training local trade professionals about the unique Greek deluxe travel offering that ensures luxury and comfort at every turn to give visitors a holiday to fit their own specific needs, as well as providing the basis for business to business cooperation between participating Greek and UAE tourism companies.”There were more than 35,000 visitors to Greece from the UAE in 2013, with 2014 preliminary figures showing a further boost in arrivals. With Emirates daily flights to Greece, a further increase in tourism is expected from the UAE to Greece in 2015. –TradeArabia News Service

2nd GREEK DELUXE TRAVEL ROADSHOW IN DUBAI

By Ioanna Zikakou - Jan 27, 2015The 2nd Greek Deluxe Travel Roadshow will be held in Dubai, on February 25, 2015 for the promotion of Greek luxury tourism in the United Arab Emirates market.

The event will take place at the hotel JW Mariott (Deira) in Dubai, under the auspices of Marketing Greece, a financially independent non-profit organization that acts as the official representative of Greek tourism and aims at showcasing the Greek tourism product, along with the support of the Greek Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, the event will be co-organized by Rollerdeck Associates and Amuse Concept Events in cooperation with Emirates Airlines.

The Deluxe Travel roadshow aims to increase the flow of high income tourists to Greece.

Iossif Parsalis, Managing Director of Marketing Greece, stated: “The

Middle East is unquestionably a key target market within the context of positioning Greece as a leading global luxury destination and attracting visitors with a higher travel expenditure. The opportunities are particularly exciting given the ever-improving airline connectivity between Arab countries and Greece.

Our approach to luxury travel does not simply consist of offering high-quality services and comforts, but encompasses seeking to maximize every aspect of the visitor’s personal experience, particularly once they have acquainted themselves with the authenticity and local culture of Greece’s destination.”

The event will be attended by Greek hotel representatives and it will include the presentation of various Greek destinations, as well as meetings with local travel agents.

ATTENTION:

News stories must

be no more than

a few months old

from exam date.

See more at: http://world.greekreporter.com/2015/01/27/2nd-greek-deluxe-travel-roadshow-in-dubai/#sthash.DWsibYp0.dpuf

News StoryEmirates to back secondGreek travel road show in Dubai

WRITING TASK TYPES SAMPLE COMPOSITION TITLESStory telling Write a story beginning with ‘As I was walking home, I heard a noise ... “Review and opinion giving

Write a review and give your opinion of a film you have seen recently. Say when and where you saw it, what type of film it was and what was good or bad about it.

Person/Character description with supporting arguments

Write an article about a person you admire. Describe this person and explain why you admire him/her.

Letter of giving/asking for information

A friend of yours is coming to spend a week in your home town. Write to him/her giving information about the people and local leisure facilities (e.g. cinemas, swimming, etc).

Letter/article of advice Write an article for a student magazine suggesting some places to eat in your town or city. You should include the type of food, the cost and what you like about it.

Letter of thanks Write a letter thanking someone who helped you recently.Letter for lost property You recently stayed at a hotel in Athens. You have just realised you left

your camera behind. Write a letter to the hotel manager saying where and when you think you left it giving a description of it and asking if they have found it.

Letter of complaint You’ve recently bought a mobile phone on the internet. When you opened the box, you discovered the screen was broken and it was the wrong model. Write a letter of complaint to the manager of the company.

Letter of application You have read an advertisement about a job in a summer camp. Write a letter to the manager of the camp applying for the job.

Letter of inviting/accepting/refusing an invitation

Your best friend has moved to another town and has invited you to his/her birthday party. Write a letter accepting or refusing the invitation.

Descriptive article(places, festivals, events, celebrations, buildings/monuments)

A group of students is coming to your town to spend a weekend. Write a article giving information about interesting sights as well as shops and nightlife.

For and against arguments

Staying at a campsite is the best way for young people to spend their holidays.’ What do you think? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Opinion giving Write an article for a school magazine describing what you think is the best way to learn English.

Descriptive - narrative writing (letter/email/article)

Write a letter/e-mail/fax to a friend or a member of your family describing a recent trip or holiday.

Sample writing task types for the TIE unprepared part


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What is the ‘logbook’?The logbook is a type of folder which contains the candidate’s investigation, news story and book. Is the ‘logbook’ assessed for its presentation? NO

Personal informationCan the student narrate rather than answer personal questions? YES, but s/he should also be prepared to ask and answer personal questions.Can the examiner ask candidates additional questions? YES

The investigationIs it compulsory for the candidate to have his/her investigation during the AURAL-ORAL part exam? YESCan the learner use the course book to find a project? YESCan the investigation be hand written? YESCan the investigation be typed? YES

The bookIs it compulsory for the candidate to have the book for the exam? YESCan the candidates have notes with them in the exam? NOCan the book be of any level or type? YESShould the teacher have read each learner’s selected book? NOShould the book be at the candidate’s level? No, it may be of any level.

The news storyMust the candidates bring their news story with them? YESIs there a word limit? NO Can the students interrupt their partner? YESIs it necessary the news story to be authentic? No, it may be adapted especially for younger learners or learners with a low level language level. For authentic material the general rule is ‘grade the task, not the text’.Can the news story be selected from the Internet? YESCan the teacher adapt the level of the news story? Yes, if this is to help the learner. The topic and task could be age and level appropriate.

The decision making taskDo the candidates have to describe the photos shown? Yes, if askedDo the candidates have to come to an agreement at the end of their discussion? NOT necessarily, but they should talk about all pictures.Can the learners use a dictionary during the written exam? Yes, either monolingual or bilingual.What is the pass mark for the TIE exam? There is no ‘pass’ mark. The candidates are assessed and evaluated according to the CEFR descriptors and awarded a grade from A1 to C2 based on their performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

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