COMUNIDAD DE MADRID

Práctica
LENGUA EXTRANJERA
INGLÉS
Ejercicio
Modelo de examen

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EXERCISE

LISTENING
1. LISTENING SKILLS
Listen to the following oral text and answer the questions below:

‘Technology in classrooms’

a) What are the advantages of bringing new technology into the classroom?
b) What are the downsides to it?
c) Which language skills should not be disregarded and why?
d) How can money be better used in order to make it a better investment?

READING AND WRITING

Read the following text about ‘Language change’ and answer the questions below.

Language change
The phenomenon of language change probably attracts more public notice and criticism
than any other linguistic issue. There is a widely held belief that change must mean
deterioration and decay. Older people observe the casual speech of the young, and
conclude that standards have fallen markedly. They place the blame in various quarters
- most often in the schools, where patterns of language education have changed a great
deal in recent decades, but also in state public broadcasting institutions, where any
deviations from traditional norms provide an immediate focus of attack by conservative,
linguistically sensitive listeners.
It is understandable that many people dislike change, but most of the criticism of linguistic
change is misconceived. It is widely felt that the contemporary language illustrates the
problem at its worst, but this belief is shared by every generation. Moreover, many of the
usage issues recur across generations: several of the English controversies which are the
focus of current attention can be found in the books and magazines of the 18th and 19th
centuries - the debate over it’s me and very unique, for example. In 1863, Henry Alford
listed a large number of usage issues which worried his contemporaries and gave them
cause to think that the language was rapidly decaying. Most are still with us, with the
language not obviously affected.
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There are indeed cases where linguistic change can lead to problems of unintelligibility,
ambiguity, and social division. If change is too rapid, there can be major communication
problems, as in contemporary Papua New Guinea, where by some counts over 800
languages have evolved, most spoken by fewer than 3,000 people. But as a rule, the
parts of language which are changing at any given time are tiny in comparison to the
vast, unchanging areas of language. Indeed, it is because change is so infrequent that
it is so distinctive and noticeable. Some degree of caution and concern is therefore
always desirable, in the interests of maintaining precise and efficient communication;
but there are no grounds for the extreme pessimism and conservatism which is so often
encountered.
For the most part, language changes because society changes. To stop or control one
requires that we stop or control the other - a task which can succeed to only a very limited
extent. Language change is inevitable and rarely predictable, and those who try to plan
a language’s future waste their time if they think otherwise - time which would be better
spent in devising fresh ways of enabling society to cope with the new linguistic forms
that accompany each generation. These days, there is in fact a growing recognition of
the need to develop a greater linguistic awareness and tolerance of change, especially
in a multi-ethnic society. This requires, among other things, that schools have the
knowledge and resources to teach a common standard, while recognizing the existence
and value of linguistic diversity. Such policies provide a constructive alternative to the
emotional attacks which are so commonly made against the development of new words,
meanings, pronunciations, and grammatical constructions. But before these policies can
be implemented, it is necessary to develop a proper understanding of the inevitability
and consequences of linguistic change.
Some people go a stage further, and see change in language as a progression from a
simple to a complex state – a view which was common as a consequence of 19th-century
evolutionary thinking. But there is no evidence for this view. Languages do not develop,
progress, decay, evolve, or act according to any of the metaphors which imply a specific
endpoint and level of excellence. They simply change, as society changes. If a language
dies out, it does so because its status alters in society, as other cultures and languages take
over its role: it does not die because it has ‘got too old’, or ‘become too complicated’, as is
sometimes maintained. Nor, when languages change, do they move in a predetermined
direction. Some are losing inflections (endings, like ‘s’ to indicate plurality); some are
gaining them. Some are moving to an order where the verb precedes the object; others
to an order where the object precedes the verb. Some languages are losing vowels and
gaining consonants; others are doing the opposite. If metaphors must be used to talk
about language change, one of the best is that of the tide, which always and inevitably
changes, but never progresses, while it ebbs and flows.
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2. CULTURAL AND USE OF ENGLISH ACTIVITIES

a) What points does the writer make about languages and how is it connected with
changes within society?
b) Use of English: Complete the dialogue. Choose the correct answers (a, b, c or d).

Leo What the photos have in1 ___ is that they both show protests.
Clara Yes, I think it’s a march against climate change in the first photo,2 ___ that they
are carrying giant globes painted like planet Earth. The second photo shows a
group of people outside a farm and they seem to be protesting against factory
farming.
Leo The clearest difference between the photos is that in photo 1 the protestors are
marching peacefully,3 ___ in photo 2 it looks like quite a violent protest. One
police officer is using a4 ___ stick to hit back at a few of the protestors.
Clara When it5 ___ to protesting, I think peaceful protests are always more effective.
People won’t want to participate if they are worried that it will turn violent.
Leo That’s6 ___ point, but I still think there are times when you need to do more than
march. In all7 ___, those protestors were trying to help the animals escape and
the police stopped them.
Clara I8 ___ what you mean, but at the end of the day, you need to get public sympathy
to change things and violence won’t achieve that.
Leo Yes, I suppose you’re right. But one of the major9 ___ of peaceful protests is that
the media never reports on them.
Clara That could well be true, but even10 ___, I don’t think violence is ever the answer.

1. a.  similar b.  common c.  similarity d.  contrast

2. a.  seen b.  helped c.  given d.  taken
3. a.  as b.  so c.  during d.  while
4. a.  look like b.  look as c.  kind of d.  seems like
5. a.  goes b.  comes c.  considers d.  tends
6. a.  a just b.  an even c.  a fair d.  a clear
7. a.  probably b.  probable c.  probability d.  probabilities
8. a.  see b.  hear c.  imagine d.  guess
9. a.  minus b.  drawbacks c.  benefits d.  downside
10. a.  as b.  that c.  such d.  so
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c) Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first sentence.
Use 3−6 words, including the word in brackets.
1. The medicine didn’t have much effect. (LITTLE OR)
The medicine …………………………………………… effect.
2. We wouldn’t have finished all this work without you. (BEEN)
If it ……………………………………………, we wouldn’t have finished all this work.
3. Reece said we shouldn’t forget about the band practice. (REMINDED)
Reece …………………………………………… about the band practice.
4. The teacher has probably marked our tests by now. (WILL)
The teacher …………………………………………… our tests by now.
5. Someone stole Jane’s bag from under a table in the cafe. (HAD)
Jane …………………………………………… from under a table in the cafe.

3. PHONOLOGY AND LANGUAGE FUNCTION

a) Write a short definition of the words highlighted in the text on ‘Language Change’,
firstly indicating their word class within the sentence.
b) Write the phonetic transcription of the words highlighted in the text on ‘Language
Change’.

4. METHODOLOGICAL QUESTION
Languages are constantly evolving and so is the use of technology in the classroom.
In addition, it is becoming increasingly harder to offer students enough opportunities to
practice the foreign language they are studying. Write a proposal to the head teacher of a
school, describing what opportunities currently exist, suggesting further opportunities
to practise the language and saying how your suggestions might benefit the rest of the
school community.
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ANSWER EXERCISE

1.
a.
Bringing new technology into the classroom can teach students to navigate, analyse
and filter information. It also empowers students — creating a student-centred learning
environment instead of teacher- centred. In addition, it gives students 21st century skills
they’ll need in jobs and finally students can be more engaged.
b.
There are quite a few disadvantages to it. Firstly, it needs a change in students’
behaviour. Students will have to learn to see technology as a learning tool not a means
of entertainment. It also can distract and not instruct. In addition, it is hard to know if a
student is really thinking about what he/she sees on a screen. Teachers might also not be
trained well enough and therefore poorly trained teachers could struggle. A computer
can’t measure a student’s ability in the way a good teacher can. To finish, more money
would be better spent training teachers instead of buying new technology.
c.
Even though technology encourages self-study, good writing and interactive language
skills should not be forgotten – as a computer can only tell if an answer is right or wrong,
it can’t guess the student’s intention. Therefore, a teacher is needed for such role.
d.
It would be wiser to put the money for the funds that would be required for such
innovation into teacher training, so they are better prepared in their jobs.
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2.
a.
Firstly, the writer states that there is a broadly held idea that language change must
mean ‘deterioration and decay’. This idea is reinforced by suggesting that older people
consider that standards have evidently descended and thus blame such deterioration on
schools and public broadcasting institutions. Nevertheless, even though a certain level of
concern is desirable, due to the fact that communication must be precisely and efficiently
maintained, there are no reasonable arguments for such stubborn and pessimistic stance
on language change.
The write clearly explains that language changes because society changes, and as the
latter develops, so does the former. The multi-ethnic society, in which most of us living in,
require a wider linguistic awareness and tolerance of change. One suggestion made is that
schools should not only teach a common standard form of a language but also recognise
the existence and value of others. The writer concludes by restating that languages simply
change as society does – and if a language dies out or it modifies, it happens because its
status and/or usage changes within the members of society, thus resulting in a change in
linguistic behaviour.
b.
1. a.  similar b.  common c.  similarity d.  contrast
2. a.  seen b.  helped c.  given d.  taken
3. a.  as b.  so c.  during d.  while
4. a.  look like b.  look as c.  kind of d.  seems like
5. a.  goes b.  comes c.  considers d.  tends
6. a.  a just b.  an even c.  a fair d.  a clear
7. a.  probably b.  probable c.  probability d.  probabilities
8. a.  see b.  hear c.  imagine d.  guess
9. a.  minus b.  drawbacks c.  benefits d.  downside
10. a.  as b.  that c.  such d.  so

c.
1. had little or no
2. hadn’t been for you
3. reminded us not to forget about
4. will (probably) have marked
5. had her bag stolen
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3.
a.
1. widely - adverb; to a large degree; in or too many places; by a lot of people.
2. broadcasting – noun/adjective; the business of making and sending out radio and
television programmes.
3. misconceived – adjective; badly planned or judged; not carefully thought about.
4. decaying – verb; to be destroyed gradually by natural processes; to become less
powerful and lose influence over people, society, etc.
5. evolved – verb; to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated
form; o develop over time, often many generations, into forms that are better adapted
to survive changes in their environment.
6. noticeable – adjective; easy to see or notice; clear or definite.
7. devising – verb; to invent something new or a new way of doing something.
8. cope –verb; to deal successfully with something difficult.
9. endpoint – noun; The final stage of a period or process.
10. ebbs – verb; to become gradually weaker or less; (of the tide in the sea) to move away
from the land.
b.
1. widely – /ˈwaɪdli/
2. broadcasting – /ˈbrɔːdkɑːstɪŋ/
3. misconceived – /ˌmɪskənˈsiːvd/
4. decaying – /dɪˈkeɪn/
5. evolved – /iˈvɒlvd/
6. noticeable – /ˈnəʊtɪsəbl/
7. devising – /dɪˈvaɪzɪŋ/
8. cope – /kəʊp/
9. endpoint – /ˈendpoint/
10. ebbs – /ebs/
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4.
Identifying and suggesting more opportunities to practice a foreign language.
This proposal is intended to outline the possibilities students have to speak their chosen
foreign language, make some recommendations as to how the situation could be
improved and explain how the improvements might be good for the whole school.
Comments made during focus groups show that students do not feel confident about
speaking the foreign language they are learning. They mentioned that the only chance
they had to practise was when answering their teachers’ questions in class.
Key needs to be addressed:
Students learning a foreign language should have the opportunity to listen to and repeat
new vocabulary to perfect their pronunciation. It would also help if they could practise
with a native speaker. What would motivate them even more, however, is the opportunity
to interact with foreign students of their own age.

Recommendations:
I would like to suggest the following:
−− Some language classes should be held in the IT department so that students can use
computer software to improve their pronunciation.
−− At least one native speaker should be employed in our school to help students with
speaking.
−− The school should start an exchange programme to give students the opportunity
of speaking a foreign language with people of their own age. This would benefit the
whole school as it would give all the students a chance to learn about another culture.
Also, the teachers could refresh their own knowledge of the language by travelling
once a year to the country concerned.

If these recommendations are carried out, the integration of new students is bound to be
smoother. In addition, and more importantly, the opportunity for practicing the foreign
language will almost certainly be a success.