Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass

The provided text is an excerpt from the “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass – Student’s Book,” a comprehensive guide designed to prepare candidates for the 2013 Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam, a C2-level English assessment. It outlines the structure and content of the coursebook, detailing various sections like grammar explanations by George Yule, vocabulary development, and exam practice tasks for all parts of the CPE exam, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The material emphasizes high-level language acquisition and offers strategies for effective communication beyond the exam context. Additionally, it highlights the inclusion of online resources such as practice exercises and a digital dictionary to supplement the student’s learning experience.

Proficiency Masterclass: Exam Preparation and Practice

The “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass” student’s book is specifically designed to provide appropriate preparation and practice for the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam, updated for the 2013 format. It also aims to help candidates develop their English skills for success beyond the exam. The book’s units contain practice of exam-type tasks for all parts of each paper, developing high-level vocabulary and grammar, which is supported by a dedicated Grammar notes section. Additionally, a Review section helps consolidate language covered in the main units.

For further practice, the book includes access to Online Skills and Language Practice, offering over 150 exercises, including skills-training, exam practice, vocabulary, and grammar exercises. This online resource also features speak-and-record tasks, an integrated Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th Edition search box, and feedback on answers. A full online practice test is also available via the access code.

Here are general and specific strategies for preparing for the exam papers:

General Exam Preparation Skills

• Understand Your Learning Style: Identify if you are a fast or slow reader, if you visualize what you read, or if you need to revisit material to remember it.
• Time Management: Learn how long to spend on each part of a paper and practice completing full papers (e.g., Reading & Use of English in 1 hour 30 minutes) within the given time limits.
• Vocabulary Development: When learning new vocabulary, try to remember it in context, along with words it collocates with, or as part of word families.
• Reading Widely: This enhances vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and appreciation of different writing styles.
• Proofreading: Always leave sufficient time at the end to check for errors and ensure that your writing makes sense.
• Stay Calm: Panic can hinder performance. If you miss an item during listening, guess or move on and return to it on the second listen. Examiners want you to do well.

Reading & Use of English Paper (1 hour 30 minutes)

This paper has 53 questions and accounts for 40% of the total marks.

• Skimming and Scanning: Practice skim-reading for gist and global meaning without getting bogged down by unknown words. Practice scanning for specific information, underlining it and noting the question number.
• Identifying Opinions: Learn to identify instances where the writer expresses an opinion or adopts a particular attitude.
• Reading Between the Lines: Strive to understand the writer’s views in more depth.
• Text Cohesion: Be aware of text structure, including exemplification and reference, which is particularly helpful for tasks like gapped text.

Strategies for Specific Parts:

• Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze:
• Read each sentence carefully, considering the meaning of each word.
• Try all four options before making your final choice, ensuring the word fits grammatically and semantically with surrounding words.
• Part 2: Open cloze:
• Read the text ignoring the gaps, then reread sentence by sentence, focusing on words around the gaps.
• Think of a single word that fits best, ensuring it is grammatically correct and makes sense in context.
• Part 3: Word formation:
• Identify the required part of speech for each gap (e.g., adjective, adverb, noun).
• Pay attention to affixes (prefixes and suffixes) needed, including negative prefixes like un-, im-, il-, and ir-. Check for necessary form changes and spelling.
• Part 4: Key word transformations:
• Understand the original sentence’s meaning. Brainstorm idioms, phrases, or collocations with the given word.
• The rewritten sentence must have a similar meaning to the original, using 3-8 words, and the key word must not be changed.
• Part 5: Multiple choice:
• Read the text carefully. Turn question stems into questions and try to answer without looking at the options first.
• Multiple-choice questions typically follow the order of information in the text.
• Part 6: Gapped text:
• Focus on text cohesion and links between paragraphs.
• Practice by cutting up photocopied texts into paragraphs and reassembling them.
• Pay close attention to words and information immediately before and after each gap.
• Part 7: Multiple matching:
• Read each section of the text carefully. Identify which section relates to each question, perhaps by underlining relevant information and people’s names.
• Match the meaning of the statements to the text, rather than just exact words.

Writing Paper (1 hour 30 minutes)

This paper consists of two parts and carries 20% of the total marks.

• Task Analysis: Underline key information in the task: context, target reader, points to include, and word limit.
• Planning: Dedicate a few minutes to planning your writing to ensure relevance and good organization.
• Style and Organization: Decide on a suitable writing style and how to lay out your information effectively.
• Variety: Use a variety of structures and vocabulary to avoid repetition.
• Word Count: The word count is a guide; you won’t be penalized for exceeding it, but irrelevant information will cost marks. Estimate your word count per page to stay within limits.

Strategies for Specific Parts:

• Part 1: Essay (compulsory):
• Carefully read the two input texts, identify their main points, and whether they present contrasting or complementary views.
• Integrate and paraphrase the main points from both texts and incorporate your own views and opinions.
• Maintain focus, avoid irrelevant information, and use appropriate register and cohesive devices.
• Part 2: Choice of task:
• Understand the type of text required (article, report, review, letter, or essay for set texts).
• Identify the target reader to determine the appropriate style.
• Ensure all aspects of the question are covered.
• Set Text Task: Only choose this if you have thoroughly read and studied the book. Watch film adaptations as a supplementary tool, but read the book. Keep notes on the plot, key events, themes, narrative perspective, characters, setting, and relevant quotes. Do not simply summarize the plot.

Listening Paper (approx. 40 minutes)

This paper has four parts and carries 20% of the total marks.

• Active Listening: Practice concentrating and focusing on what the speaker is saying, rather than thinking about your own contribution.
• Pre-listening: Always maximize the time given to read through the questions carefully before the recording starts. This helps you focus on the information to listen for.
• Note-Taking: Practice reading questions, listening, and making brief notes simultaneously.
• Accents: Try to quickly tune in to different accents and speaking styles at the beginning of each task.
• No Prediction: While anticipating the type of answer is helpful, do not decide on the exact answer before listening.

Strategies for Specific Parts:

• Part 1: Multiple choice (3-option):
• Read all questions and options carefully before the recording begins.
• Put a dot next to your potential answer on the first listen, and make your final choice on the second listen.
• Part 2: Sentence completion:
• Read sentences carefully and try to anticipate the type of missing information (e.g., names, facts, figures), but avoid guessing the specific word.
• The answers are usually one or two words and must be spelled correctly.
• Part 3: Multiple choice (4-option):
• This task requires a longer period of continuous concentration.
• Read questions quickly but carefully, dotting potential answers on the first listen and finalizing on the second.
• Part 4: Multiple matching (2 tasks):
• Read both tasks carefully and underline keywords. You need to consider answers for both tasks simultaneously while listening to each speaker.
• Match the meaning, not necessarily the exact words, as speakers may use slightly different phrasing.

Speaking Paper (approx. 16 minutes)

This paper has three parts and carries 20% of the total marks.

• Confidence: Keep talking to showcase your speaking skills. Don’t be too nervous, as examiners want you to do well.
• Clarity and Projection: Speak clearly and project your voice so both examiners can hear you.
• Interaction: Maintain eye contact with the examiner (except in Part 2, where you interact with your partner). In Part 2, ensure you give your partner opportunities to speak and politely interrupt if they dominate.
• Flexibility: If unsure about visuals, speculate. Visuals can often be interpreted in multiple ways, and your opinion is valid.
• Fillers and Link Words: Use useful fillers, phrases, and link words to give yourself time to think, agree or disagree, and structure your responses.
• Justify Opinions: Don’t be afraid to express and justify your views on topics.
• Relevance: Listen carefully to instructions and prompts. Irrelevant responses will detract from your score.
• Assessment Criteria: Be aware that you are assessed on grammar and vocabulary (range, accuracy, appropriacy), discourse management (organizing ideas, developing topics), pronunciation (prosodic features, intelligibility), and interactive communication.

Strategies for Specific Parts:

• Part 1: Conversation:
• This part aims to relax you. Expand on your answers rather than giving one-word replies. Start talking as soon as possible.
• Part 2: Two-way conversation:
• Listen carefully to the task. Avoid rigid or dogmatic views; exploring both sides of an issue can provide more scope for demonstrating language. Keep talking, as the examiner will stop you when the time is up.
• Part 3: Individual long turn & discussion:
• Start talking quickly, as silence wastes time. You are assessed on your ability to express ideas, not the ideas themselves.
• Use the ideas on the prompt card to structure your response.
• Use discourse markers as pointers. Correct mistakes if you notice them. Paraphrase if you can’t think of a specific word.
• Listen to your partner’s long turn, as you will be asked follow-up questions related to the topic.
• Developing the Topic: Answer questions directly without going off-topic. Focus on expressing opinions and ideas rather than personal anecdotes, though sometimes personal examples are appropriate. If the examiner asks both candidates a question, contribute, but also allow your partner to speak.

Cambridge English: Proficiency Exam Skills Guide

Exam preparation for the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam, as outlined in the “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass” student’s book, heavily emphasizes the development of comprehensive language skills. The course is designed to provide practice for exam-type tasks and to help candidates develop their English skills for success beyond the exam itself. This includes focused development of high-level vocabulary and grammar throughout the course, supported by a dedicated Grammar notes section.

Here’s a breakdown of the language skills highlighted in the sources for exam preparation:

General Language Skills Development

The course aims to develop English on a broader level. This involves:

• Understanding Learning Style: Identifying if you are a fast or slow reader, visualize what you read, or need to revisit material to remember it.
• Time Management: Learning how long to spend on each part of a paper and practicing completing full papers within given time limits.
• Vocabulary Development: Remembering new vocabulary in context, along with words it collocates with, or as part of word families.
• Reading Widely: This enhances vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and appreciation of different writing styles.
• Proofreading: Leaving sufficient time at the end to check for errors and ensure that writing makes sense.
• Staying Calm: Preventing panic, especially during listening tasks; if an item is missed, guessing or moving on and returning on the second listen.

Reading & Use of English Paper (40% of total marks)

This paper assesses a variety of reading skills, with Parts 1-4 largely focusing on language knowledge (vocabulary and grammar), and Parts 5-7 on more extensive reading skills with longer texts.

• Vocabulary and Grammar Knowledge (Parts 1-4):
• Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze tests accuracy with vocabulary and some grammar, including the meaning of single words, phrases, and phrasal verbs. Strategies include trying all options to ensure grammatical and semantic fit.
• Part 2: Open cloze focuses on accuracy with grammar and some vocabulary in context. Candidates must think of a single word that fits best, paying attention to surrounding words.
• Part 3: Word formation assesses accuracy with vocabulary, particularly word-building, including compound words and the use of prefixes and suffixes. Identifying the required part of speech and appropriate affixes is key.
• Part 4: Key word transformations tests accuracy with a wide range of grammar and vocabulary, including collocation, phrasal verbs, and lexical phrases. The rewritten sentence must have a similar meaning to the original within a 3-8 word limit.
• Extensive Reading Skills (Parts 5-7):
• Part 5: Multiple choice evaluates understanding of detail, opinion, attitude, tone, purpose, main idea, implication, exemplification, and reference. Questions follow the order of information in the text.
• Part 6: Gapped text requires understanding of text structure and links between parts of text. Practice involves focusing on cohesion and connections between paragraphs.
• Part 7: Multiple matching tests understanding of detail, opinion, attitude, and specific information across different sections of text. Matching the meaning, not just exact words, is crucial.
• Core Reading Skills: Skim-reading for gist/global meaning, scanning for specific information, identifying where the writer expresses an opinion or attitude, and reading between the lines to understand deeper views.

Writing Paper (20% of total marks)

This paper assesses the ability to identify, summarize, and evaluate key information and incorporate personal opinions into a coherent essay (Part 1). For Part 2, it assesses the ability to organize relevant ideas and express them clearly within various text types (articles, reports, reviews, letters). Key skills include:

• Task Analysis and Planning: Underlining key information (context, target reader, points to include, word limit) and dedicating time to planning.
• Style and Organization: Deciding on a suitable writing style, effective layout, and linking sentences and paragraphs.
• Variety: Using a range of structures and vocabulary to avoid repetition.
• Paraphrasing: Crucial for Part 1, integrating and rephrasing main points from input texts.
• Developing Arguments: Integrating personal views and opinions with key points.
• Specific Language Use: Applying evaluative language, descriptive language, persuasive devices, exemplification, and hedging.
• Nominalization: Used for conciseness and varied style in reports.

Listening Paper (approx. 40 minutes, 20% of total marks)

This paper tests the understanding of detail, gist, opinion, feeling, attitude, purpose, agreement, course of action, specific information, and inference. Essential skills include:

• Active Listening: Concentrating on what the speaker is saying rather than planning your own contribution.
• Pre-listening: Maximizing time to read questions before the recording starts to focus on information.
• Note-Taking: Practicing reading questions, listening, and making brief notes simultaneously.
• Accent Adaptation: Quickly tuning into different accents and speaking styles at the beginning of each task.
• Accuracy: In sentence completion, answers are usually one or two words and must be spelled correctly.

Speaking Paper (approx. 16 minutes, 20% of total marks)

This paper assesses grammar, vocabulary (range, accuracy, appropriacy), discourse management (organizing ideas, developing topics), pronunciation (prosodic features, intelligibility), and interactive communication. Key aspects include:

• Confidence and Clarity: Keeping talking to showcase skills, speaking clearly and projecting voice.
• Interaction: Maintaining eye contact with the examiner (except Part 2), interacting with partner, giving opportunities to speak, and politely interrupting.
• Flexibility: Speculating if unsure about visuals.
• Strategic Language Use: Employing useful fillers, phrases, and link words to gain time, agree/disagree, and structure responses.
• Justification: Expressing and justifying opinions.
• Relevance: Listening carefully to instructions and prompts to provide relevant responses.
• Discourse Management: Organizing ideas, developing topics, expressing and justifying opinions, using discourse markers.
• Pronunciation: Focusing on prosodic features and intelligibility.
• Interactive Communication: Demonstrating use of general interactional and social language.

In summary, effective exam preparation for the Cambridge English: Proficiency exam involves not just rote learning, but a holistic development of language skills across all four papers, emphasizing accuracy, range, and appropriate use of vocabulary and grammar in various contexts.

Mastering Grammar for Cambridge English Proficiency

In the context of the provided sources, Grammar Focus refers to the systematic development and comprehensive practice of high-level grammar as a core component of preparation for the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam.

Here’s how grammar focus is approached:

• Integrated Development The “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass” student’s book aims to develop “high-level vocabulary and grammar” throughout the course. This suggests that grammar is not treated in isolation but is integrated into various units and tasks.
• Dedicated Grammar Notes A significant aspect of the grammar focus is the Grammar notes section (starting on page 149). These notes are written by linguist George Yule and provide detailed explanations and examples of grammatical structures. The “Review section” (page 166) also contains exercises to review and consolidate the language covered.
• Online Practice The “Online Skills and Language Practice” component includes over 150 exercises, specifically mentioning “grammar exercises” to build on and extend the language and skills from the Student’s Book.
• Assessed in the Exam Grammar is a crucial element assessed in the Cambridge English: Proficiency exam. For example, the Reading and Use of English paper (Parts 1-4) largely focuses on “testing language knowledge – vocabulary and grammar“. Additionally, in the Speaking Paper, candidates are assessed on their “accurate use of grammar”.

Specific grammar topics that are part of the grammar focus across the units include:

• Verb Forms and Tenses
• Narrative tenses.
• Past verb forms with present or future meaning.
• Future forms and time clauses, including future phrases.
• Perfect aspect (present, past, and future perfect tenses).
• Past modals (possibility, speculation, necessity, obligation).
• Defining and non-defining relative clauses, including reduced clauses.
• Stative verbs and the distinction between simple and continuous aspects.
• Gerunds and infinitives, including their different uses and patterns with verbs.
• Uses of “have” and “get” (including passive constructions).
• Reported speech, including verb patterns and reporting questions.
• Counterfactual conditionals, mixed unreal conditionals, and alternative conditional structures.
• Sentence Structure and Cohesion
• Focus and emphasis, such as cleft sentences and inversion.
• Link words.
• Discourse markers (for generalizations, exceptions, giving examples, agreeing/disagreeing).
• Contrast clauses and reason clauses.
• Manner clauses.
• Complex sentences.
• Accuracy and Appropriacy
• The Reading & Use of English paper specifically targets accuracy in grammar through tasks like the Multiple-choice cloze (Part 1), Open cloze (Part 2), and Key word transformations (Part 4).
• The “Exam strategies” section advises candidates to ensure their chosen words fit “grammatically correct” and “make sense in its context” in cloze tasks. For Key word transformations, candidates must ensure the rewritten sentence “means the same as the first sentence” within a word limit, demonstrating a wide range of grammar knowledge.

In essence, Grammar Focus within this curriculum is about mastering the intricacies of English grammar not just for theoretical knowledge, but for its accurate, appropriate, and flexible use in real-world communication and high-stakes exam scenarios.

Mastering Vocabulary: The Cambridge Proficiency Approach

Vocabulary building is a central and pervasive element of language skills development within the “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass” curriculum, essential for both exam success and broader English proficiency. The course emphasizes a holistic and systematic approach to expanding a candidate’s lexical repertoire.

Here’s a detailed discussion of how vocabulary building is focused upon:

• Integrated Development: High-level vocabulary is developed throughout the entire course. It’s not treated as a separate, isolated skill but is woven into the fabric of various units and tasks. The “Online Skills and Language Practice” also includes specific “vocabulary exercises” to build and extend language.
• Exam-Specific Assessment: Vocabulary is a crucial component assessed across multiple papers in the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam:
• Reading & Use of English Paper (40% of total marks): This paper extensively tests vocabulary knowledge.
• Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze specifically assesses “accuracy with vocabulary” including single words, phrases, and phrasal verbs. Candidates are advised to consider the meaning of each word and how it fits the context.
• Part 2: Open cloze also focuses on “accuracy with grammar and some vocabulary in context”.
• Part 3: Word formation heavily emphasizes “accuracy with vocabulary,” particularly “word-building, including compound words and the use of prefixes and suffixes”. This involves identifying the correct part of speech and appropriate affixes.
• Part 4: Key word transformations requires “accuracy with a wide range of grammar and vocabulary, including collocation, phrasal verbs and lexical phrases”.
• Speaking Paper (20% of total marks): Candidates are assessed on their “range and use of vocabulary”. It is important to use a “range of appropriate vocabulary”.
• Writing Paper (20% of total marks): Candidates are encouraged to “use a range of vocabulary to demonstrate what you are capable of”.
• Strategies for Vocabulary Development: The sources provide several key strategies for effective vocabulary acquisition:
• Contextual Learning: When learning new vocabulary, it’s recommended to “remember it in context, together with words it collocates with, or in word families”.
• Wide Reading: “Reading widely” is highlighted as a general skill that “will help you learn more vocabulary and increase your grammatical accuracy”. This exposure to different writing styles also enhances vocabulary.
• Online Tools: The course includes access to the “Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 8th Edition search box” within its online practice, facilitating word lookup and understanding.
• Review and Consolidation: The “Review section” (page 166) contains exercises specifically designed to “review and consolidate the language covered in the main units,” including vocabulary.
• Thematic Vocabulary Expansion: The “Contents” section of the student’s book reveals a structured approach to vocabulary based on thematic units. Each unit introduces and practices vocabulary relevant to its topic, for example:
• Unit 1 (People & places): Focuses on “Describing characters and plots,” “Word knowledge: get,” “Collocations: memory,” and “Word knowledge: would”.
• Unit 3 (Language & culture): Includes “Describing culture,” “Descriptive adjectives,” “Prefixes,” “Idioms for emphasis,” and “Borrowed words”. The review exercises further exemplify this, with a focus on “Negative prefixes”.
• Unit 5 (Safety & danger): Covers “Phobias,” “Ways of looking,” “Word knowledge: weather and storm,” and “Collocations: risk and danger”.
• Unit 8 (Law & order): Features “Collocations: crime, punishment, rights, rules,” “Crime vocabulary and dependent prepositions,” and “Word knowledge: law”.
• Unit 9 (Psychology & employment): Introduces “Suffixes” and “Expressions: listen, hear and ear”.
• Unit 10 (Entertainment & leisure): Covers “Food and drink adjectives,” “Word knowledge: make,” “Money sayings and proverbs,” “Synonyms: rich and poor,” “Collocations with money,” and “Words or expressions connected with trade and money”.
• Unit 12 (Travel & tourism): Explores “Word knowledge: if,” “Word knowledge: cut,” and “Word knowledge: road, path, and track”. It also specifically covers “Success and failure”.

This comprehensive grammar focus, coupled with broad language skills development, is designed to prepare candidates thoroughly for the demanding Cambridge English: Proficiency examination.

Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass: Deep Text Analysis

Text Analysis within the “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass” curriculum refers to a focused and in-depth examination of written and, in some cases, spoken language, extending beyond simple comprehension to a critical understanding of how language is used to convey meaning, style, and writer/speaker intent. It is a recurring activity indicated in the contents and explicitly detailed in various units.

This focus aims to enhance a candidate’s ability to:

• Interpret Implied Meaning and Authorial Intent: Text analysis tasks require understanding what the writer is implying, their attitude, tone, and purpose. This goes beyond surface-level comprehension to grasp the deeper nuances of the text.
• Identify and Evaluate Stylistic and Literary Devices: Students are asked to pinpoint various techniques writers employ and discuss their effectiveness. Examples include:
• Analyzing the effectiveness of similes.
• Identifying rhetorical devices used to engage the reader or create interest.
• Explaining the meaning and purpose of metaphorical expressions.
• Spotting instances of alliteration and considering their impact.
• Understanding the use of euphemisms and understatement.
• Discussing persuasive devices in articles.
• Examine Lexical Choices and Nuances: Text analysis often delves into specific words and phrases, exploring their meaning, connotation, and contribution to the overall text. This includes:
• Understanding the meaning of specific words or expressions in context, such as “unprecedented”, “compelling evidence”, “charged with”, “paradigm shift”, “mere blip”, “epithet”, “on a par with”, “humble”, “from this time on”, “unsettling”, “Terra Incognita”, “mindsets”, “travel game”, “rose-tinted glasses”, “flowery language”, and “losing its lustre”.
• Identifying synonyms and discussing their differing meanings and uses.
• Explaining the meaning of idiomatic phrases and collocations.
• Analyze Grammatical and Structural Elements: The focus extends to how grammatical structures contribute to meaning and emphasis:
• Underlining and explaining focus and emphasis structures like cleft sentences and inversion.
• Analyzing the use of semicolons.
• Explaining the use of pronouns and their reference.
• Discussing the function of specific verb forms.
• Understand Text Cohesion and Organization: Text analysis tasks, particularly those related to gapped texts, train students to understand how different parts of a text link together coherently. This involves identifying connecting words, reference devices, and the logical flow of information.
• Critically Evaluate Written Work: In the writing sections, text analysis involves critically reading sample essays, articles, reports, and letters. This includes assessing:
• Whether main ideas are adequately addressed.
• How ideas are organized within paragraphs.
• The clarity of personal opinions and the use of evaluative language.
• The effectiveness of paraphrasing.
• The appropriateness of the register and style for the target audience.
• Specific words or phrases that indicate informal style.
• Grammatical and lexical accuracy and range in student work.

In summary, text analysis in the “Cambridge Proficiency Masterclass” is a systematic approach to developing a deep, critical understanding of English texts, preparing candidates to interpret complex meanings, appreciate stylistic choices, and produce their own well-structured and sophisticated written responses for the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) exam.

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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