Tuesday 29 January 2013

SPEAKING PRACTICE 1

QUESTION SAMPLE FOR TASK A




CANDIDATE A

Situation

There has been an increase in burglaries in your neigbourhood and the residents are very worried about their safety. A committee, suggest ways to make the neighbourhood a safer place.

TASK A       : You suggest the residents improve the safety feautures of the neigbourhoood.
                        Give reasons for your suggestion.

TASK B       : In your group, discuss which one of the following suggestions would be most effective
                       to make your neighbourhood a safer place.


                       The suggestions are:
                       i.      the residents improve the safety feautures of the neighbourhood
                      ii.      a police officer be invited to give a talk on security measures
                     iii.      residents be taught how to defend themselves against intruders
                     iv.     'Rukun Tetangga" teams be set up to patrol the neighbourhood at night








SAMPLE ANSWER:


 GREETINGS    Assalamualaikum and a very good morning to teachers and friends.


 BODY          In my opinion, one way to make the neighbourhod a safer place is by improving the safety feautures. I have a few reasons to support my suggestion.

                         First, burglaries happen because there are no deterrents, for example, no grilles on windows or cheap locks are used. Thus burglars can easily enter the houses. Therefore, to make the neighbourhood a safer place, grilles should be installed on windows as well as at the entrance of back lanes between rows of houses. The cost of the black lanes grilles can be shared by the residents in the houses. Then every house is given a key for emergencies. This will further deter burglars from trying to break  in as it will take longer to cut through he grilles as they might be seen by other residents.

                         Secondly, there are so many dark areas in our neighbourhood where  the    burglars can hide. So, to eliminate all the potential hiding places, the dark areas of the garden and at the back of the houses should be lightup. Besides that, residents must also keep their garden well-maintained and prevent them from becoming overgrown for criminals   to hide in. The clearing of overgrown shrubs on the pavement or roadside must be shared     responsibility of all residents. This can be done by organizing occasional 'gotong royong' session.

                        Thirdly, this is a quite expensive way, but surely an effective deterrent. Residents, who can afford the cost can install burglar alarms that are linked to security companies. Items that are stored outside can be easily carted off  such as bicycles or gas tanks need to chained up. Even expensive shoes should not be kept in public view. Lock them away when not in use. This will deter potential burglars from attempting to steal them.
                     
                         Fourthly, residents can get the authorities to install road bumps to deter cars from speeding away. This will make the burglar's escape difficult.

                        Finally, put in place  system for neighbours to alert one another if they need   help. Each household should keep a whistle handy. If an intruder is spotted at night, blow the whistle to alert other residents and to get help to apprehend  the intruder. If the residents work together as a team, burglars will be deterred from trying to rob that neighbourhood. In addition, residents are also encouraged to carry pepper sprays as this can be used in case of  confrontations with robbers.

Conclusion  Based on all these reasons, I strongly propose that improving the safety feautures  will be the best way to make the neighbourhood a safer place. I hope that my suggestion would be in your kindly consideration. Thank you.



       







LISTENING 800/1



LIsten, LiSten, ListEN

 
 

"in reality, listening is used far more than any other single language skill in normal life. On average, we can expect to listen twice as much as we speak, four times more than we read and five times more than we write"
Rivers 1981 : Weaver 1972




In listening, the following skills are emphasised:

  1. Listening for main ideas
  2. Listening for specific information
  3. Note taking
  4. Paraphrasing
  5. Summarising
  6. Inferencing
  7. Predicting
  8. Drawing conclusions
  9. Recognising speakers' attitudes, roles and relationships
  10. Listening critically



1. Listening for main ideas and specific information
    ~ listen generally in order to find out 
     -the main subject or topic of the news item, speech, talk or discussion you are listening to
     -how the subject or topic is dealt with 

2. Note taking
    ~use short form of words, dashes, arrows and, sometimes, even mathematical symbols to  transer the information effectively.
    - exp : (/) the, (x) do not

3. Summarizing & Paraphrasing
    ~ write something in a shorter, cleaner, and sometimes, different way.

4. Making prediction
    ~ To predict is to guess. Predictions are based on :
        -general knowledge
        -clues ( such as: 'how to' , why , steps to take, etc )
                   ( transition markers, eg. first, finally, so, etc )

5. Making inferens and drawing conclusions
    ~In order to make logical inferences and draw  correct conclusions, you have to 'listen between the lines'. In other words, you have to take note of the following points:
  • Gender (especially where there is dialogue) 
  • tone of voice (angry, happy, sad, anxious, etc)
  • attitude of speaker (indifferent, positive, negative, etc)
  • Interaction between speakers (in dialogue)
  • words used

       

 
 

SPEAKING 800/2 (VIDEO)

gOOD EveNinG eVeryONe!!!
Its VIDEO timeeee...
let see this example of Speaking task together OK.




p/s: credit to youtube.com

SPEAKING 800/2

 '' The secret of successful speakers?
Passion and compassion with a purpose "
Lily walters


" Be interesting,
be enthusiastic...
and don't talk too much! "
Norman Vincent Peale  



TASK A : INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION

PREPARATION ( 2 MINUTES )

  • Study the task given to you. What does the situation require you to do.
  • Then gather as many points as you can for the task or situation.
  • You may want to jot down the points which you wish to elaborate or when you present them later.
  • Give suitable suggestion.
  • Remember that you are given only 2 minutes to prepare

PRESENTATION ( 2 MINUTES )

  • Try to be at ease when presenting your points
  • Speak clearly. Do not rush or speak too softly
  • Speak in complete sentences where possible
  • Present your points logically and in organized way
  • look up at the examiner when you speak.
  • Utilise two minutes given to you



TASK B ( GROUP DISCUSSION )

PREPARATION ( 2 MINUTES )

  • Listen carefully to the other candidates while they are making their presentations
  • Take down notes to support or oppose their viewpoints
  • Then try to decide which of the four viewpoints is best, giving your own reasons.
  • The group is given 10 minutes for the discussion. 
 
PRESENTATION ( 10 MINUTES )

  • Skills that are emphasized:
  1. Observing social conventions
  2. Managing a discussion
  3. Seeking and giving information
  4. Expressing agreement and disagreement
  5. Making suggestion
  6. Justify your point of view
  7. Expressing cause & effect relationship
  8. Presenting factual information
  9. Expressing opinions
  10. Persuading
  11. Drawing conclusion


 

Monday 28 January 2013

READING 800/3 TIPS (2)

READING COMPREHENSION

  • USUALLY THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THE COMPREHENSION PASSAGES WILL INCREASE WITH EACH PASSAGE
  • FOR EACH PASSAGE, THERE WILL BE 7-8 QUEST. THAT COVER:
         1. CONTENT
       2. VOCABULARY
        3. CRITICAL THINKING


READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 1

  • Answers usually follow the sequence 
i.e. Read the passage carefully as the answer for the 2nd quest. is usually found between the answer for quest. 1 and quest 3.

  • e.g if the answer in Q1 is in line 5 and Q3 is in line 20, then the answer for Q2 is most likely around line 6 to 19


READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 2

Use the anaphoric (before) or cataphoric (after) referencing technique to find the answer.

  • ANAPHORIC REFERENCE (BEFORE THE WORD)
A study was conducted on 200 Malaysian respondents. The researchers conducted the survey by giving them questionnaires to answer.

1) The word 'them' refers to

    a) the study
    b) the respondents
    c) the survey
    d) the questionnaires

  • CATAPHORIC REFERENCE (AFTER THE WORD)
It is one of the most common sleep disorders & a major health problem. In fact, insomnia affects normal rest patterns and as a result insomniacs find it difficult to fall asleep

1) The word 'it' refers to

    a) sleep
    b) health
    c) insomnia


 READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 3


When you cannot locate the answer directly, you need to 'infer' i.e. make intelligent assumptions.
e.g. Many people brought the products. Profits increased due to the high sales

All the statements are false except :

     a. the product was a failure
     b. the product was a success
     c. the product was expensive
     d. the product was easy to use

*pay attention to word like 'except' and 'not' as it may trick you into choosing the wrong answer. Other common phrases used include, which of the following is true?


READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 4

  • FOR VOCABULARY
          E.g. The word................. in line 3 refers to
          1. Eliminating impossible answer
          2. identify the root word
          3. identify prefixes and / or suffixes
          4. use anaphoric or cataphoric referencing
          5. select the most likely answer


READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 5

  • FOR PREDICTION
          E.g. A suitable title for the passage is.............
          Read the text carefully before selecting the best title

  • DRAWING CONCLUSION
          Read the entire text carefully before summing it up.


READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 6

  • FOR WRITER'S STYLE
          E.g. The writer develops his ideas using
                  a. Compare & contrast
                  b. Problems & solution
                  c. Cause & effect
                  d. Timeline

You need to read the text carefully to see the writer's line of argument


READING COMPREHENSION TIP NO 7

  • FOR WRITER'S TONE
         E.g. The writer's purpose to
                 a. support
                 b. inform
                 c. go against
                 d. persuade

You have to think about the writer's main intention of writing the text

READING 800/3 TIPS


READING CARRIES THE HIGHEST WEIGHTAGE (40 %)
 - 6 SECTIONS
 - 45 QUESTIONS
 - 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
 - 1 PASSAGE WITH GRAPHIC
 - 5 COMPREHENSION PASSAGES

QUESTION TYPES :

a ) 3 OPTION OBJECTIVE QUEST.
b ) 4 OPTION OBJECTIVE QUEST.



3 OPTION MCQ

~ This quest. is introduced to really challenge candidate ability :
    1. True
    2. False
    3. Not stated

~ Read very carefully before choosing the right answer

~ Do not use your general knowledge to answer the quest.

~Select not stated if it cannot be found in the passage



INFORMATION TRANSFER TIP NO. 1

Identify the type of non linear forms used

                      TABLES
                  PIE CHARTS
                 FLOW CHART
                 BAR CHARTS
                 LINE GRAPHS
                PICTOGRAMS


INFORMATION TRANSFER TIP NO. 2

LEARN THE VOCABULARY COMMONLY USED IN INFORMATION TRANSFER EXERCISES 

  • RISE
  • GO UP
  • GAIN 
  • INCREASE
  • IMPROVE
  • ESCALATE
  • INCLINE

  • FALL/DROP
  • GO DOWN
  • LOSS
  • DECREASE
  • DEPRECIATE
  • DETERIORATE
  • DECLINE


  • CONSTANT
  • STABLE 
  • EQUAL



  • ERATIC 
  • FLUCTUATING

READING 800/3

'' Being able to read is...a skill that every learner must develop over time and with a great deal of practice

David E. Eskey



SYLLABUS SPECIFICATION

The syllabus seeks to enable students to comprehend linear and non-linear texts:

The following skills are emphasised:

  1.  skimming and scanning
  2. deriving meaning of words from context
  3. understanding sense relationships 
                -within a sentence
                -between sentences
                -within a paragraph
                -between paragraph

     4. distinguishing main ideas and supporting details
     5. distinguishing the relevant from the irrelevant
     6. distinguishing fact from option
     7. making inferences
     8. making hypotheses
     9. predicting outcomes
    10. drawing conclusions
    11. transferring information from linear to non linear texts and vice versa
    12. paraphrasing
    13. summarising
    14. using the skills of intertetuality
    15. reading critically

Thursday 17 January 2013

WRITING 800/4 TIPS


                                                                           WRITING


QUESTION 1:Interpretation of information based on the specific stimuli provided
   

 TIPS



1. WRITE IN 3 PARAGRAPHS (MINIMUM, BODY CAN BE MORE THAN 1 PARAGRAPH)

2. WRITE THE TITLE AND UNDERLINE

3. 1ST SENTENCE (OVERVIEW : WRITE THE TYPES OF GRAPHS/DIAGRAMS/HEADLINES  ETC)

4. 2ND SENTENCE (OVERALL TREND : WRITES THE MOST OUTSTANDING POINT)

5. BODY-WRITE ONLY INFORMATION THAT IS OUTSTANDING (KEY FEAUTURES, NOT     FEATURES.....
(* FEATURES JUST MEANS EVERY SINGLE POINT, YOU NEED TO BE SELECTIVE IN CHOOSING THE MOST IMPORTANT ONLY )

6. CONCLUSION IS JUST ONE SINGLE SENTENCE AS SUMMARY

7. ALL WORDS AFTER 200 IS NOT CHECK / READ / EXAMINED. EXAMINERS WILL NOT READ AFTER THAT SO STICK TO THE WORD LIMIT

8. TRY TO LINK ALL THE INFO AND EXPLAIN IT IN A SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE WAY

9.TITLE ARE CONSIDERED 1 WORD


 FORMULA:

PARAGRAPH 1:

TITLE
OVERVIEW (OV) - MEDIA USED ( EXP: PIE CHART / FIGURE / DIAGRAM / BAR CHART )
OVERALL TREND (OT)- THE MOST OUTSTANDING POINT

PARAGRAPH 2:

KEY FEATURES ( THE MOST OUTSTANDING KEY)

PARAGRAPH 3:

CONCLUSION



TEMPLATE EXAMPLE TO WRITE REPORT WRITING





Title

 Paragraph 1 :

                     The stimuli shows / indicate a pie chart on...............and a diagram on.....................
In general / On the whole / In overall / All and all / Generally , there are......................................


Paragraph 2 :

                      According to / As can be seen from the pie chart, the highest amout of................is..............meanwhile the lowest is..................................................................................

Paragraph 3 :

                      In a conclusion / Conclusively / In a nutshell..................................................................


word    choose either one

word    change it according to the questions




WRITING 800/4

WRITING TEST SPECIFICATIONS

      Candidates will be assessed on their ability to transfer information from a non-linear source to a linear text. Candidates will also be assessed on their ability to write a piece of extended writing.
The possible genres for writing are report, article, letter and essay.

Number of questions : 2

Possible rhetorical style :
  • Analytical
  • Descriptive
  • Persuasive
  • Argumentative     

TASK

Question 1: Interpretation of information based on the specific stimuli provided
                    Candidates have to write in about 150 words

Question 2 : Extended writing that is based on a given topic.
                     Candidates have to write not less than 350 words.


Questions 1 : Interpretation of information based on specific stimuli provided.

  • GRAPHS AND CHARTS
- Graphs, charts, and tables are ways of presenting information. Graphs and charts are pictures which show numbers of figures whereas tables are just rows and columns of information.

- Graphs provide information in the form of diagram. It is the candidate's job to work out what the graph is about and write about it. Understanding and interpretting the graph correctly is the most important part of the task.

- There are different types of chart and graph used in the question such as :

       1) Bar graph


    
      2) Line graph


       3) Pie chart


    Question 2 : Extended writing


Ways to write a good essay

1) Well focused
     -Answer the question completely
     -Avoid rambling and ranting

2) Well organized
     -Do some planning
     -State your stand on the issue
     -Write a clear introduction by writing a clear thesis statement
     -State point(s) that you are going to make
     -Write a clear conclusion.

3) Well Supported
    -Points given must be well explained and well supported by giving examples, figures or cases related to the topic.



HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE ESSAY

  • Read the questions carefully
  • Manage your time well. Divide the 50 minutes into 3 parts : 10 minutes to draft and 35 minutes to write and 5 minutes to proofread
  • Underline the key word(s) which tell you what the questions requires you to do
  • Plan and draft your essay in a form of simple points or mind map
  • Write your answers as quickly and legibly as you can; do not take the time to recopy
  • Begin each answer with the thesis statement which summarizes your answer. Support your thesis statement with specific references to the material you have studied or read 
  • Proofread your answer and correct errors in spelling and mechanics

Wednesday 9 January 2013

SkiLLs In MUeT



Assalamualaikum and Hi again!!!!

         Ok, for today, i will explain a little bit about Malaysian University English Test (MUET)

          MUET is a compulsory test for the STPM candidates as well as for the students at the tertiary level. The test is conducted twice a year that are in May and also October. There are 4 language skills tested in muet that are :

 
 LISTENING     



 SPEAKING 



 READING  



 WRITING 


  •     The test gauges the English Language profiency and competency.
  •     All STPM,matricuation students are required to take this test.
  •     Unlike the SPM 1119 English Paper, MUET is a criterion reference test. The bencmarks are predetermined through expert judgement and they ranged from an extremely limited user ( Band 1 ) to a very good user ( Band 6 ).



    Sunday 6 January 2013

    HaPpY NeW YeAr!!!

    Assalamualaikum and hai guys!!!!

     First and foremost,  i would like to introduce my self...
    My name is Farah Najwa Abd Mubin and I'm a teacher at Kulliah Al-Lughah Waddin As-Sultan Abu Bakar Pahang..This is my first time blogging here and i just wanna share some information with all of you about MuEt and my experiences in teaching my student...hope it can give benefit to all of us and you can also share with me some tips on how to  improve English Langguage especially in MUET.. 

    So to start with, I want to wish all of you Happy NEw Year 2013!!!!! i think it is not to late to wish you guys since today is already 6th january 2013..HAha =)
    There are so many ups and down last year
     A year full of amazing and unforgettable memories. 2012 is a mixture of happiness, excitement, new experiences and not forgetting few emotional moments.. Hoping for an adventurous year ahead. Happy new year to everyone.... Waiting to set my 2013 resolution...hope this year will be a better year than last year..daaaa...see u next time..