English expressions with Spanish translations

There are so many incredible idiomatic expressions in English that are used everyday. I have chosen just a few but there are many, many more. So, have a look at these to increase your vocabulary range.

Do you know anymore?

1. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t - Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer.
2. Don't pull my leg - No me tomes el pelo
3. In for a penny in for a pound - De perdidos al río (UK)
4. In for a dime in for a dollar - De perdidos al río (US)
5. Indeed - Ya lo creo
6. Inside out - Del revés
7. It gives me goosebumps/It gives me the creeps - Me pone la piel de gallina
8. It sounds Greek to me - Me suena a chino
9. It turns out that - Resulta que…
10. It’s a rip off - Es una estafa
11. It’s bullshit - Es una mierda
12. It’s finger licking good - Está para chuparse los dedos
13. It’s high time/about time - Ya es hora / Ya va siendo hora
14. It’s in the hands of the Gods - Que sea lo que Dios quiera
15. It’s my treat / It’s on me - Invito yo
16. It’s not a big deal / It’s not that much of a big deal - No es para tanto
17. It’s on the house - Invita la casa/por cuenta de la casa
18. It’s raining cats and dogs - Llueve a cántaros
19. It’s up to you - Como tú quieras / Depende de ti (en tono amable)
20. It’s worthless - No vale nada
21. I’ve got enough on my plate - No puedo más (en la vida)
22. Just in case - Por si acaso / Por si las moscas
23. Keep an eye on… - Vigila a…/Echa un ojo a…
24. Keep dreaming - Sigue soñando
25. Keep it up - Sigue así
26. Keep you hair on! - ¡Cálmate!
27. Kind of/Give or take - Más o menos
28. Kiss and make up - Borrón y cuenta nueva
29. Knock something in the head / Nip something in the bud - Cortar algo de raíz (algún problema)
30. Last but one - Penúltimo
31. Last night - Anoche
32. Lest you forget - Para que no (te) olvides
33. Like father, like son - De tal palo, tal astilla
34. Like water off a duck’s back - Palabras necias, oídos sordos – British
35. To cut a long story short…- Resumiendo…
36. Long time no see! - ¡Cuánto tiempo!
37. Look out!- ¡Cuidado!
38. Make my day - Alégrame el día
39. Make up your mind - Decídete / Decide tú
40. Make yourself at home - Estás en tu casa (expresión de cortesía)
41. Maybe - Tal vez/A lo mejor
42. Me neither - Yo tampoco (informal)
43. Meanwhile/In the meantime - Mientras tanto
44. Mind the gap - Cuidado con el hueco
45. Moreover - Además
46. Much to my dismay - Para mi desgracia
47. My bad - Culpa mía (USA)
48. My goodness! - ¡Madre mía!
49. Never again - Nunca más
50. Never mind - No importa (tono amable)
51. No bother - No te preocupes / no es molestia
52. No brainer - Sin duda
53. No way - Ni hablar / De ninguna manera
54. No wonder - No me extraña
55. No worries - Sin problema / no te preocupes
56. Nor/neither do I - Yo tampoco
57. Not a chance / No way in hell - Ninguna posibilidad / Ni de coña
58. Not at all/You’re welcome/It’s Ok - De nada (tras agradecimiento)
59. Not Bad - No está mal
60. Not for nothing - No es por nada
61. Not half! - ¡Ya lo creo! / ¡Por supuesto! (Do you fancy a beer? not half – ¿te apetece una cerveza?, ya lo creo)
62. Not my business - No es asunto mío
63. Not my cup of tea - No es lo mío – British
64. Not worth a penny/red cent - No vale un duro
65. Not worth a shit - No vale una mierda
66. Off the top of my head - Así, de cabeza…
67. Oh dear! - ¡Oh Dios! / ¡Dios mio!
68. Oh my Gosh - Forma políticamente correcta de decir “Oh my God”
69. On one hand… on the other hand - Por un lado … por otro lado
70. On the face of it - Según las apariencias
71. On your bike! - Vete por ahí  /no me cuentes milongas/no me cuentes historias
72. Once in a lifetime - Una vez en la vida
73. Once in a while/from time to time - De vez en cuando
74. Out of the blue - Como caído del cielo
75. Over and over again - Una y otra vez
76. Paint from the same brush - Distinto perro, mismo collar – British
77. Pardon my French - Perdón por lo que voy a decir/acabo de decir (palabras malsonantes)
78. Peanut bladder - (Vejiga del tamaño de un cacahuete)… para los que  no paran de ir al baño
79. Phony baloney - Cuento chino
80. Piece of cake! - ¡Está chupado!
81. Piss off - Mandar a la mierda a alguien o cabrear alguien
82. Pleasure/Bless you - Jesús (para cuando alguien estornuda)
83. Point taken - Te entiendo (el punto de vista)
84. Pull your socks up - Mueve el culo!
85. Really? - ¿En serio?
86. Rings a bell - Me suena
87. Safe and sound - sano y salvo
88. Say when - Cuando sirves algo dices “say when” para que te digan cuando parar
89. See you anon - Te veo luego
90. Seen - Ya/’aham’ (forma de asentir en UK)
91. Shake/show a leg! - ¡Espabila! / ¡levántate! / ¡muévete!
92. Shame on you! - Vergüenza debería darte
93. She turns me on - Me pone (cachondo, a tono…)
94. Shoot the breeze - Darle a la lengua
95. Shut the fuck up! - ¡Cállate de una puta vez!
96. Shut up! - ¡Cállate!
97. So bad/badly - Mucho / Un montón (I love you so bad)
98. So do I - Como yo / Yo también
99. So long - Hasta la vista
100. Some other time - Otra vez será
101. Speaking of which - Hablando de lo cual…
102. Start froom scratch - Empezar de cero
103. Stick someone’s nose up at someone - Mirar por encima del hombro – British
104. Stop Messing around - Deja de hacer el tonto
105. Such is life/That’s life/Life’s like that - Así es la vida
106. Suck it up - Te aguantas / Te jodes
107. Take it easy - Tómatelo con calma
108. Talking of the devil - Hablando del rey de Roma
109. Thanks in advance - Gracias por adelantado
110. That’s quite dodgy - Eso es muy cutre
111. That’s the straw that brokes the camel’s back - Esta es la gota que colma el vaso
112. That’s what I mean - A eso me refiero
113. That’s what matters/That’s all that matters - Eso es lo que cuenta
114. The more the merrier - Cuanto más, mejor
115. The seal is broken - Me estoy meando. Lo usan sobre todo las chicas
116. The sooner the better - Cuanto antes, mejor
117. Think twice - Piénsalo dos veces
118. This is my bread and butter - Con esto me gano la vida
119. This is not rocket science - No es tan difícil (si alguien está intentando hacer algo fácil y no sabe cómo)
120. To be water under the bridge - Es agua pasada (cuando se hacen las paces por ejemplo)
121. To ask for the moon - Pedir peras al olmo
122. To bang/screw [alguien] - Tirarse a alguien
123. To be a bellend - Ser un capullo
124. To be between the devil and the deep - Estar entre la espada y la pared
125. To be caught between a rock and a hard place - Entre la espada y la pared – British
126. To be a cunt - Ser un capullo/gilipollas – British
127. To be cutting edge - Es el último grito/moda
128. To be a dickhead - Ser un capullo/gilipollas (se pronuncia dicked)
129. To be down to fuck all - Querer un polvo
130. To be giving him hell - Le hace la vida imposible
131. To be high/stoned - Estar colocado/ciego/borracho
132. To be on the ball- Estar en la onda/al día
133. To be/sit on the fence - Dudar
134. To be over the moon - Estar feliz, contento
135. To be spaced/spacing out - Tener la cabeza en las nubes/ Estar en Babia
136. To be such a [adjective] - Ser un auténtico [adjetivo]
137. To be wasted/blackedout/legless - Estar bastante borracho
138. To be/feel under the weather - Sentirse mal/enfermo
139. To blackmail - Chantajear
140. To call it a day - Dar algo por terminado
141. To cheat on - Poner los cuernos
142. To chew the carpet - Tragarse el orgullo
143. To clutch at straws - Agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo
144. To cut the cheese - Tirarse un pedo
145. To do [alguien] - Liarse (con alguien, plan folleteo)
146. To do (someone) a solid - hacer un favor (a alguien)
147. To feel blue - Estar deprimido, de capa caída…
148. To get along - Llevarse bien
149. To get by - Para ir tirando/Para arreglárselas
150. To get frisky - Ponerse juguetón (en sentido sexual)
151. To get laid - Acostarse, tener sexo con alguien, echar un polvo
152. To get rid of [algo/alguien - Librarse de [algo/alguien]
153. To get the hang of it - Pillarle el truco
154. To give somebody a lift - Llevar a alguien (en coche, en moto…)
155. To go all out - Hacer todo lo posible / Darlo todo
156. To hang around - Andar por ahí
157. To hang up - Colgar (teléfono)
158. To have a blast - Pasarlo bien / divertirse / pasarlo pipa
159. To have a bone to pick (with someone) - Tener cuentas que ajustar (con alguien)
160. To have a finger in every pie - Estar en misa y repicando / Intentar estar en todo a la vez
161. To have a thing about [something] - Estar loco, obsesionado por algo
162. To have an argument - Tener una discusión
163. To have forty winks - Dar una cabezadita
164. To have the face… - Estar de morros
165. To keep at bay - Mantener a raya
166. To make a point - Querer dejar clara una cosa
167. To make do - Conformarse
168. To make out - Enrollarse (pareja)
169. To make something out - Entender
170. To murder something - Modo informal de decir que te apetece comer o beber algo
171. To run an errand - Hacer un recado
172. To see eye to eye with somebody - Tener el mismo punto de vista / Ver de la misma manera
173. To set the (whole) world on fire - Comerse el mundo
174. To shag - Follar – British
175. To snog - Morrearse
176. To sow your wild oats - Ir de flor en flor
177. To spoil [somebody] rotten - Malcriar/mimar/consentir a alguien
178. To sum up… - En resumen…
179. To take [something] with a pinch of salt - Coger algo con pinzas (sobre algo que te han dicho)
180. To tan somebody’s hide - Darle una paliza a alguien
181. Toff/Posh - Pijo
182. Train bound for - Tren con destino a..
183. Upside down - Boca abajo / patas arriba / del revés / invertido (dado la vuelta)
184. Watch out! - ¡Cuidado!
185. We’re even - Estamos en paz
186. What a drag! - Vaya coñazo
187. What a horse’s ass - ¡Vaya imbécil!
188. What a palaver! - ¡Menudo follón!
189. What a pity - Qué pena
190. What a rip off! - ¡Vaya/menuda estafa!
191. What a shame! - ¡Qué vergüenza!
192. What the fuck? - ¿Qué cojones…?
193. What does it have to do with… - Qué tiene que ver esto con…
194. What were you up to? - ¿Qué estabas haciendo?
195. Whatever - Lo que sea (resignado)
196. Who is this? - ¿Quién es? (al responder una llamada de teléfono)
197. Who on earth….? - ¿Quién coño…?
198. Without any doubt - Sin ninguna duda
199. You and whose army? - ¿Tú y cuantos más?
200. You are on your own - Estás solo en esto
201. You never know - Nunca se sabe
202. You rock! - ¡Tú molas!
203. You’ve got another thing coming - Lo tienes claro (connotación irónica)
204. You’re fit - Estás en forma / Estás bueno – British
205. You’re hot - Estás bueno/a
206. You’re on thin ice - Te la estás jugando
207. You run the show - Eres el jefe (sentido coloquial)

Study the CAE or FCE online or through Skype

OSL: The Language Boutique is offering classes to prepare yourself for the Cambridge exams through Skype or online.
This is particularly aimed at those of you who have a work or study timetable that makes it complicated to attend class regularly. The idea is to create a flexible situation where you can learn and improve your English and the techniques to accomplish the exams in your time.
It works like this:

• In the classes by Skype we will practise speaking English, gaining confidence with the use of spoken English in general, in addition to practice of expressions, grammar and vocabulary as well as the parts of the Speaking Paper.

• Grammar exercises will be set for homework: a grammar explanation will be sent out accompanied by grammar exercises, to be done in your free time.

•  By Skype we will go through a review of homework, any problems or doubts about this can be sorted out by questions and answers with an explanation.

• One Writing homework will be done per week, you will be told in advance what will be expected of you in each written paper. The first ones will involve grammar practice, expressions and vocabulary that have been covered in the classes. Nearer the exam, the Writings will be specific exam practice pieces.

• Listening exercises will be sent via email, although it will be expected that you do as much as possible additional listening practice. This will involve listening to the radio, watching the TV in English and downloading various podcasts that are available online.

• In the same way, it is expected that you read as much as possible in English, at your level, to increase your vocabulary and improve your abilities to comprehend English. One problem, especially at the higher levels of the Cambridge exam is the speed at which you need to read, so an ability to read and comprehend quickly is necessary.

• In the 2 month run up to the exam, the classes will be specifically focused on exam preparation and tips for each part of the different papers of the exam: the Reading, Writing, Use of English, Speaking and Listening. The emphasis will be on timing, grammar, expressions, organization and so on. 

If you are interested in taking this opportunity to prepare for the Cambridge exams, please email: briony@onestop-language.com
or check out the website: www.onestop-language.com

Mock practices for the Cambridge Speaking exams

OSL is pleased to announce the start of Mock practices for the Cambridge Speaking exams. We will be performing the Mock practice exams for all levels of the Cambridge exams :- KET, PET, FCE, CAE and CPE.

It will also be possible to do the Mock practices for the YLE range after Easter in 2013.

Mock Practice exams are an essential part of the process for taking the Cambridge exams. There are too many students entering the exams with very little idea of what happens during the speaking exam and this very often negatively affects their performance throughout the exam; resulting in confusion, incorrect style of answers, lack of ideas for things to say, repetition and mind-blocks, which are all due to being nervous in an unfamiliar and unexpected situation, so having an idea of what to expect will help.

It is common for the students who are ill-prepared only to demonstrate a basic range of English instead of taking the opportunity to show themselves at their best by using the grammar, vocabulary, expressions and structures which are demanded at the level of exam they have entered. It is not sufficient for students to just 'speak' during the exam, the Cambridge exams demand a display of knowledge not just the ability to 'chat' well.

Students who have a clear idea of the format, process and what is expected of them do much better.

It is also very important for teachers to enter their students for Mock exams, as it is a way for them to know in advance if there are any problems that can therefore be dealt with before the real exam takes place. It also gives them time to practise in 'real' conditions, as the Cambridge exam style is very different from exams in spain, which is one of the reasons people have problems in the exams - they just were not expecting something so 'serious'.
Therefore, when the time comes to take the real thing, students are prepared and relaxed.

The Mock practices will be carried out by trained Cambridge examiners following the exact requisites of Cambridge in order to give students an authentic idea of what happens in the exam. Feedback and advice will also be given to the Head of Studies after the practice exams so that they have an idea of how well the students have done and, if necessary, so that the students can be further training in exam techniques and procedures.

We also will be available to give Mock exams to individuals, in which case feedback will be given back directly to the student.

If any centre/academy/school or individual is interested, please fill in the form on the webpage www.cambridgemadrid.com

Observations of a Cambridge Examiner: Preparation of Paper 4: the Listening

The next paper on the Cambridge exam is the Listening one.

While it is true that the English language can be a particularly difficult language to learn due to its phonetic peculiarities and numerous accents, it really depends on how you have learned the language. Many people learn through reading at school and so will find listening to English hard because of these idiosyncrasies and lack of practice. However, those who have learned English in a more 'natural' way, by listening to the spoken word and coming to recognize the sounds and meanings, as would a child learning their mother-tongue, then English is, debatably, no more difficult than any other language.

I have written about the importance of listening as a means to learning languages in a previous blog (http://languageboutique.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/listening-to-improve-your-speaking.html), so I won't go into further detail here, but to summarize the main details:-  

When speaking a language, there is no other way a language can enter our receptors except through the ears - by listening to the language. So you need to listen to as much English as possible, in a variety of ways and with a variety of styles and accents: TV, radio, podcasts and so on.

As with all aspects of learning English, and with all aspects of preparing for the Cambridge exams in general and specifically for the CAE exam, the one thing that you need to do is Preparation! Preparation! Preparation!
 ......... and Practise!!

PAPER 4 – LISTENING

Part 1: Multiple choice: the focus on this part is feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function, agreement, course of action, gist, detail, and so on. There are three short extracts from exchanges between interacting speakers with two multiple-choice questions on each extract, totaling six questions. As you are listening for the general gist of the passage, it often helps to also work by eliminating answers which cannot be right as well as choosing the best answer.

Part 2: Sentence completion: The focus here is specific information and stated opinion. There is a monologue lasting approximately three minutes. You are required to complete the sentences with information heard on the recording and not to paraphrase. Be careful, on the other hand, not to give too much information, there is a maximum of three words, it can sometimes result in losing a mark, spelling mistakes will also result in losing marks.

Part 3: Multiple choice: The focus is on attitude, feelings and opinion. There is a conversation between two or more speakers of approximately four minutes. There are six multiple-choice questions, each with four options. The information from this type of text is often summarized in the multiple-choice questions through the use of verbs and adjectives describing feelings and attitudes or the use of abstract nouns to report ideas from the text, but always be careful to listen out for synonyms and rephrasing. So it is necessary to pick up on this when listening. You should be aware of, and sensitivity to, the use of words which summarize and report the ideas expressed in the text as this is an important aspect of preparation for this task. 

Part 4: Multiple matching: The focus is on the gist, attitude, main points and interpreting the context. There are five short themed monologues, of approximately 30 seconds each. Each multiple-matching task requires selection of the correct options from a list of eight. You need to successfully pick up on specific references. This task focuses on gist listening skills. You may not understand every word and expression in the texts, but you have probably understood more than you realize of the speaker’s general message, and will therefore often choose the correct answer even if you cannot be absolutely sure why. As with Part 3, awareness of and sensitivity to the type of language used in the questions will help you feel prepared for this task. A knowledge of how verbs and adjectives are used to express attitudes and opinions is useful, as are the kind of abstract nouns that summarize ideas from the text.

Recommendations for preparation for the Listening Paper:

Listening tests are designed to give an objective assessment of a candidate's listening skills. In preparing for the Listening test, it is important to focus on developing your listening skills in general, as well as on familiarizing yourself with the format of the examination. You should listen to a range of different listening texts, if possible from a range of real-life sources, as each Listening test comprises a range of listening texts on different topics in different contexts. However, the focus of preparation should not be only on detailed listening, gist understanding of a text delivered at a natural speed is a valuable skill.

Your ability to understand what you hear can improve dramatically if you regularly listen to audio or audio-visual materials: the more English you hear, delivered at natural speed in a variety of voices and contexts, the more practised you will become in extracting key information and gist meaning, even if you may not be able to decode every single word or phrase. These skills are essential to students at CAE level. It is also something that few people do. 

You will have to deal with texts in different ways, depending on the nature of the listening task. For example, you might listen to a text once for gist, producing a summary of the main ideas or attitudes expressed. You could then listen to the same text again, this time retrieving specific information. It is necessary to be aware of how much you yourself will bring to a listening task. Make predictions about listening texts from your own experience and world knowledge. In terms of examination technique, read and think about the information provided on the question paper, both in the task instructions and within the questions themselves. A context sentence in the instructions for each task provides information about the speaker, topic and context of the recording. Use this information to help you to tune in to the text quickly when you hear it. 

You should pause before each recording to read through the task carefully, so you are prepared for what you hear. Use the task on the question paper to guide you through the listening text and keep your place as you answer the questions. In Part 2, you can begin to make predictions about the type of information which you need to listen for in order to complete the gaps.  

In Parts 1, 2 and 3, the questions generally follow the order of information in the recording – and therefore reflect the structure of the listening text. Be aware of how speakers provide signals that they are about to change topic, give an example, express a personal opinion, disagree with something, etc. Such signals help us to follow the thread of the speaker’s argument, and also to locate the piece of text targeted by each of the questions. Prepare for a listening task by identifying the focus of each question, so that you are ready to pay attention and retrieve the key information or ideas as you listen. 

In Part 2 sentence-completion tasks, you should write clearly when you copy your answers onto the answer sheet, using capital letters. In this part, answers will be the actual words heard in the recording. Answers generally focus on concrete pieces of information or stated opinions and are designed to be short and to fit comfortably into the space on the answer sheet. Do not give longer answers than necessary. Correct spelling is expected at this level. You should take care, however, not to focus on words that cause undue spelling difficulties as answers, and both US and British English spellings are accepted. 

Answer all the questions, even if they are not sure – there are no marks deducted for wrong 
answers, and you may have been able to predict or understand more than you realize.

DOs and DON’Ts for CAE PAPER 4 – LISTENING

For all parts of the test:

DO listen to, and read, the instructions. Make sure you understand what you have to do.

DO think about the topic, the speaker(s) and the context. This will help you when you listen.

DO use the pause before each listening to read the questions through and think about what

you need to listen for.

DO remember that your final answer is the one on the answer sheet. Copy carefully and

check that you’ve followed the numbering correctly.

DON’T leave a blank space on the answer sheet. If you’re not sure of an answer, you can

guess. You don’t lose marks for wrong answers and you’ve probably understood more than 
you think.

For Part 2:

DO remember that the information on the page follows the recording. It’s there to help.

DO check that your answer makes sense in the gap. Look at the information both before and

after the gap when checking your answer.

DO check that your answer is correctly spelled.

DO copy only the missing words onto the answer sheet.

DO try to use the actual words you hear on the recording.

DON’T try to write a long answer. Answers will be single words, numbers or short phrases which

fit comfortably into the box.

DON’T write numbers out as words – it wastes time and you’re more likely to make a mistake

(i.e. write ‘21’, not ‘twenty-one’).

DON’T repeat information which is already printed on the page.

For Part 4:

DO remember that there are two tasks and that the recording is heard twice.

DO read through both tasks in the pause before you hear the recording for the first time.

DO remember that there are two questions for each speaker, one in Task 1 and one in Task

2. You can choose in which order you answer the questions.

DON’T panic in Part 4. If you’re not sure of an answer, you can guess. You don’t lose marks for

wrong answers and you’ve probably understood more than you think.

For more information please check: www.onestop-language.com

Observations of a Cambridge Examiner: Preparation of Paper 5: the Speaking exam

The Speaking exam often terrifies people.

In the traditional way of teaching English in schools there was a strong emphasis on grammar and written exercises; filling the gaps, conjugating verbs and so on rather than on Speaking or Listening. There are many people who have managed to have passed many years of studying English hardly having ever spoken a word in English. Fortunately, these days in many schools this has changed, there is much more focus on the spoken word and using English in realistic situations resulting in many young people feeling a lot more comfortable speaking in English. Many young people have also travelled and/or studied abroad which has given them an real environment in which to use and improve their English.

However, there are many people who were schooled in the old way, who have not had many opportunities to travel or live abroad where they would have been able to improve their English in a natural, authentic environment.

The problem with the Speaking Paper is two-fold; those who have been abroad and who can defend themselves in real-life situations and those with no confidence or much experience using English orally. The problems are different, in fact almost diametrically-opposed. Frequently, those who are comfortable with English do not realize that in the Speaking exam it is necessary to do more than simply chat. As an examiner a common frustration is their lack of vocabulary usage, lack of variation with and use of grammar, using most commonly quite basic grammar to express themselves; well and quite fluently, but at the Advanced level it is expected that the candidate can use a more varied English with more flexibility and richness than simple expressions and structures. Therefore these people will do well in the Pronunciation part but do much word in the grammar, vocabulary and discourse management parts.

The other types often have a better grammatical level but are uncomfortable using it, there is a lot more hesitation and lack of confidence with English in general. When you are nervous speaking, it is very easy for your mind to block and to go into panic-mode. People spend a lot of time worrying about how good their English is rather than focus more on the ideas they need to express or get intimidated about their supposed inability to express themselves in English. The result between the two groups is often the same with people not using enough advanced level of English.

With preparation and practice and a knowledge of what you will face in the exam helps immensely when doing the exam, you will be more relaxed, better prepared and so will have more mental space to focus on the questions calmly to be able to answer them smoothly.

The Speaking part is often done a week before the writing papers. However, it very much depends on scheduling, so it sometimes happens that everything is done on the same day, which personally I think is a bit too much, but it helps if you must travel to another city to take the exam. So, it is possible to ask for to do everything together if this is the case, especially from the British Council or the Cambridge Schools exam centre in Madrid.

Paper 5: The Speaking Paper

The assessor awards marks to each candidate for performance throughout the test according to five analytical criteria: Grammatical Resource, Vocabulary Resource, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication. The interlocutor provides a mark for global achievement for each candidate, which assesses the candidate’s overall effectiveness in tackling the tasks. These scores are converted to a mark out of 40. Combining the analytical marks of the assessor and a global achievement mark from the interlocutor gives a balanced view of a candidate’s performance.
 

Part 1:  Is a conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions).

It is a general conversation of questions and answers using interactional and social language. A strong candidate is one who will make an attempt to extend his/her answers to the questions without pausing for too long to think about what he/she is going to say. You will be asked questions from a range of topics, for example: homes and families, technology, relationships, and so on. This is to be considered as the warm-up part of the exam where you have the opportunity to start speaking, start relaxing and begin to feel comfortable with using your English in an exam situation.

Part 2:  Is an individual ‘long turn’ of one minute for each candidate with a shorter 30-second response from the second candidate. In turn, you and your partner will be given spoken instructions with written and visual stimuli in the form of a choice of three pictures to talk about and you will select two of them. The examiners will be looking for ability to organize a larger piece of discourse, comparing, describing, expressing opinions and speculating. A stronger, well-prepared candidate will take full advantage of his/her opportunity to talk for one minute, and to respond to the question about his/her partner’s pictures. However, a weaker or less committed candidate will sometimes fail to do what he/she is asked to do, or forget what he/she has been asked to do and so do not refer to the task which appears in written form on the visuals sheet. By omitting to focus on the more speculative elements of the tasks you are losing a great opportunity to expand and demonstrate your language abilities, so may people find it more difficult to sustain their ‘long turn’ for one minute, to express their ideas effectively and to take up the opportunity to show what they could do. By making a very short comment about your partner’s pictures, you deprive yourself of an opportunity to expand on your partner's comments.

Part 3: Is a two-way conversation between the candidates for three minutes. You and your partner will be given spoken instructions with written and visual stimuli in the form of a series of photographs or illustrations based on a common theme, which are used in a decision-making task. It will be necessary to sustain an interaction, exchange ideas, express and justify opinions, agree and/or disagree, suggest, speculate, evaluate, reach a decision through negotiation with your partner etc. This collaborative task gives both of you the opportunity to negotiate and co-operate with each other, to discuss the allotted task fully, openly and clearly. To perform well, it is necessary to not merely agree with your partner but also to express your own views and opinions, or develop on from your partner’s comments. If you have prepared well you will be able to generate more ideas, so as to produce a more varied sample of language with a wider range of structures and vocabulary, and avoid unproductive silences. You must make use of the visuals (without itemizing each one for its own sake, or making reference to them) by including them naturally in their discussion, evaluating them and giving valid reasons for accepting or rejecting them when appropriate. To performed well, you need to follow the instructions you are given and, if necessary, refer to the task which appears in written form on the visuals sheet, showing that you can handle a range of structures and vocabulary, and taking the task seriously. By not doing this, it is easy to run out of things to say because you have not focused enough on the task.

Part 4: This is a discussion on topics related to the collaborative task and is done as spoken questions by the examiner. You will be expected to be able to express and justify opinions, agreeing with an emphasis on agreeing and/or disagreeing.This is where the examiners expect to see your interactive communication skills at work.This is expected in part 3 too, but as there are time restrictions you need to be aware of the time primarily and so you must be careful about getting into a long discussion with your partner over one issue or picture, whereas in part 4 although there is a time limit of 4 minutes and a total of six questions, it is not necessary for the examiner to ask all the questions if the discussion is animated between the two candidates. In general, by this stage of the Speaking test, you should usually be relaxed and more confident and be able to contribute to the discussion with some authority. The examiner may draw out a more reticent or apparently weaker candidates to redress any perceived imbalance in candidate contributions.This is the only part of the exam where the examiner is able to do this, so if you have a dominant partner, the examiner will have noticed this and will try to give you the opportunity to speak, so take it!! You should not assume that you are under-performing if the examiner addresses you first.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CANDIDATE PREPARATION 

You should be aware that Oral Examiners can only base their assessment on what they hear on the day, and that if you do not take the opportunity to show what you are capable of you will under-perform.This happens a lot unfortunately, as an examiner I frequently see people who I suspect have a better level of English, for example they speak quite fluently and confidently, but they just don't demonstrate the advanced range on the day, for example, they use the same adjectives again and again to describe things, the grammar and structures they use are quite basic; as an examiner, this is frustrating as I want to give people as many marks as I can but if they don't show it to me, I cannot. 

You also should not feel disadvantaged because you cannot remember or do not know the

occasional word. This can happen to all of us, but it is how we deal with these situations which is important. Credit is given for paraphrasing and substituting vocabulary, especially if it is effectively communicated. 

Some general advice:

• You should try to avoid strategies which prevent you from producing an extended sample of language, e.g.

Examiner: ‘How important is it for people to start thinking about their future career early in life?’

Candidate A: ‘I think it’s really important.’ 

Say something more extended, explain why you think it is important. Don't worry about 
what you are saying, for example your argument, it is how you say it that is noticed in 
the exam. We are not marking your opinions, but your English.

• You should also avoid merely repeating what you have already said, or echoing what your partner has said, particularly with short responses, e.g.

Examiner (to Candidate B): ‘What about you?’

Candidate B: ‘Yes, I agree.’

• It is however possible to repeat what has been said if you follow it by supporting comments, and, if you can, broaden the ideas to include other aspects e.g.

Candidate B: ‘Yes, I agree. It’s important because if they don’t, they might find they don’t have the qualifications and experience they need to do their chosen job.’

• You should respond to the visual stimuli and express your own personal viewpoints. Again, it is how you express these rather than what you say that is important.

• You should listen carefully to the instructions you are given and refer to the written questions on the candidate’s visual sheet if you can’t remember what they have to do.If you are not sure, ask the examiner to repeat what they have said, we know that people are nervous in the exam and sometimes get confused because of this. We are looking for how you deal with your English, not that you can understand everything first time in a highly stressful environment. It is better to do this than embark on an answer that could be completely wrong.

However, describing visuals is always only a part of a task and you should try to answer the more speculative elements of the task. Simply describing visuals will not give you the opportunity to show your linguistic capabilities.

• You should be aware that long silences and frequent pauses, particularly in Part 2 as there is a strict one minute time limit, will reduce your opportunities to perform well. Even if you only have a few ideas, you should be prepared to comment on what the examiner has asked you or what your partner has said, where appropriate, and ‘think aloud’ rather than say nothing or very little. Practising a lot before the exam is essential as learning to acquire ideas quickly helps a lot with Part 2 and Part 3, so that you don't dry up halfway through.

Familiarity with the format of the Speaking test usually helps you give a more effective performance. Practise! Practise! Practise!

• You must know that attempts to dominate the test, e.g. by not giving your partner an opportunity to speak in Part 3, will be penalized; this will not be regarded by Oral Examiners as advanced spoken proficiency. You should respond appropriately to each other’s utterances, not cut across what your partner is saying, interrupt impolitely, or indulge in long monologues during the collaborative task.We mark 'Interactive Communication' and this is not consider to be 'interactive'. 

• On the other hand, if you find yourself paired with a reticent partner, you are advised
  to try to draw out your partners by trying to include them in the conversation and 
  by creating opportunities for them to speak,e.g. ‘What’s your opinion?’ / 
  ‘Do you agree with me?’ / ‘Maybe you have a different point of view?’ 

• You should be made aware that over-rising intonation can sometimes sound
  rather aggressive and interrogating. it is good to practise appropriate intonation.

• You should speak clearly and loudly enough for the Oral Examiners to hear them, 
  especially when looking at the visual stimuli in Part 2, and during the collaborative 
  task in Part 3. Examiners cannot assess candidates who they cannot hear.

• You will be assessed on your own individual performance according to the
  established criteria and are not assessed in relation to your partner. You are never
  penalized because you have difficulty in understanding your partner. It is, however,
  important that you do not interrupt your partner to ask for clarification in Part 2,
  the ‘long turn’, where interruption would deprive them of the chance to speak for
  one minute.

Furthermore, you should be aware that you cannot ask the examiner to rephrase or

simplify instructions in an attempt to explain their meaning. 

 


DOs and DON’Ts for CAE PAPER 5 – SPEAKING

DO take a deep breath as you enter the examination room, and smile at the examiners as

you sit down. This will help you to relax.

DO take up every opportunity during the test to show what you can do.

DO refer to the written questions on the visuals sheets in Part 2 and Part 3 if you forget

what you have to talk about.

DO listen carefully to the questions that do not appear on the visuals sheets and answer

them appropriately without taking too much time to think of what you’re going to say.

DO speak clearly and loudly enough for both examiners to hear you in all parts of the test.

DO try to use as wide a range of grammatical forms and vocabulary as possible throughout

the test.

DO expand on your answers in the second section of Part 1 and in Part 4.

DO take advantage of the opportunity to speak on your own in the long turn in Part 2 by

keeping talking until the examiner says ‘Thank you’.

DO allow your partner opportunities to speak in Part 3. If necessary, invite your partner to

make a comment.

DO remember that there are no right or wrong answers for the Tasks in Part 2 and Part 3

so you can express your opinions freely.

DON’T begin your Part 2 long turn by saying: ‘I’m going to choose this picture and this picture.’

This wastes precious time and prevents you from changing your mind should you wish

to do so. Just start to do the task and it will become obvious which pictures you are

talking about, or point to the picture you are describing and say ‘In this picture’, etc.

DON’T talk about all the pictures in Part 2. Talking about all the pictures instead of only two

will not give you enough time to do the more speculative parts of the task properly.

DON’T give just a one- or two-word answer to the question about your partner’s pictures in

Part 2.

DON’T cut across what your partner is saying in Part 3. If you wish to interrupt, wait until

he/she has finished their sentence, then do so politely.

DON’T reach a decision too early about the second part of the task in Part 3. Do the first part

of the task and evaluate all the visuals before making your final decision.

DON’T ask the Oral Examiners to comment on how you have performed in the test. Examiners

are not allowed to make any comments on candidate performance.

DON’T worry if you find yourself being examined in a group of three at the end of an

examining session. The examiner will make sure you have the same opportunities as

the other two candidates to play a full part in the test.