TIP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL READING (MULTIPLE CHOICE PART)

Natalia Navrotskaya

Yalta, the Crimean Republic,

Russian Federation

TIP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL READING

(MULTIPLE CHOICE PART)

The constituent parts of the Exterior Assessment Test in the English language are Reading, Use of English and Writing. In this article the attention is called to the Part Reading.

The traditional set of tasks comprises the following kinds: True/False statements, Multiple Choice, Matching Headings and Questions, Matching Sentences to the Gaps in the Text, Ordering, Short Answers. As it is explained in the introduction of any training collected volume, all the texts for the Part Reading are taken from the articles of different magazines, newspapers and brochures. So, as a result, all the texts are authentic and require certain stock of not only linguistic knowledge but also background knowledge. The students face different types of difficulties while practising and preparing for the Exterior Independent Assessment. The most typical are the following: a) unfamiliar concept and structure of the texts; b) variety of activities; c) authentic vocabulary; d) grammar.

The latter examples of the difficulties, authentic English vocabulary and grammar, should be excluded not only theoretically but also practically. According to the Common European Framework the pupils graduating from the Secondary School should be the Intermediate Level Students, B1. So, the Exterior Independent Assessment checks the correspondence of the pupils' knowledge of English due to the B1 Level.

The former difficulties, unfamiliar concept and structure of the texts, variety of activities, are to be overcome. But still pupils should have enough practice in order to be well-acquainted with the structure of the tests, types of activities. It will help them save time at the exam and concentrate the attention on the detailed understanding of the texts.

Multiple Choice Part task focuses pupils' attention on the reading for detailed understanding. The following stages may be taken into account during training and preparation courses. Firstly, a teacher or pupils themselves read the pre-task instructions (e.g. So, you are going to read a magazine article about a rally driver. For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text).

Secondly, students get acquainted with the tip recommendations for the successful reading (e. g. 1. Read the questions and mind that they follow the order of the text. 2. Underline key words in the question and then while reading find the part of the text where the answer is and underline words there. 3. Read the text carefully. Don`t worry if you don't understand every word. Pay attention to the most important information, details, numbers, names, etc. Underline key words. 4. Try to find your own answer to the questions before you look at options A, B, C and D. 5. Find the option which best answers the question according to what you have found in the text).

Thirdly, a teacher may suggest extra-questions for more detailed understanding (this activity may be used for weak pupils) (e. g. 1. Read the text carefully. What did she know before she went and what did she discover when she got there? 2. What does the text say about `choosing the right team-mate`. Read what follows to find the answer. 3. Look before the pronoun to find out what it took time to learn. 4. Look for another way of saying `greatest fear` in the text. 5. Read carefully about the writer`s vehicle). Moreover, if it is necessary for a specific group of students, some homework activities may be assigned (e. g. 1. To understand some unfamiliar words better, consult the English-English Dictionary. It will help you understand the meaning of the word and enlarge you vocabulary. 2. Regular home-reading (20 - 30 pages a week) will also help you enlarge you vocabulary (Intermediate Level, B1 (acc. to CEF).

Tip recommendations for successful reading (Multiple Choice Part) may vary taking into account difficulties of texts, levels of students' knowledge, etc. Yet a good trainer should try and work out his/her own tips for each text coaching somebody for an examination (for the Exterior Independent Assessment Test).

LITERATURE

1. First Certificate Plus with Key. Practice Tests / Nick Kenny, Lucrecia Luque-Mortimer. - Pearson Education Limited, 2008. - 176 p.

SUMMARY

The article deals with the problems concerning the preparation to the Exterior Independent Assessment Test (Part Reading, Multiple Choice Part). It is suggested that in order to avoid various difficulties when coaching somebody for an examination a trainer should work out and use certain tips taking into account difficulties of texts, levels of students' knowledge.

Навроцкая Наталья Анатольевна

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