English

for Exams
EFE 4B*
Course guide


Program: BA. TEFL
Course title: English 4B*
Course code: 4B* (ENG4029*)
Course status: Core
Semester: 3

1. General course information

English 4B* is a course of practical language skills. The course focuses on important
learning strategies and areas of the English language that are helpful for students who will
take high-stakes language tests in the future. The course is particularly targeted to
learners of English as a foreign language at B2+ level in the Common European
Framework of Reference.

2. Course objectives
The course aims at familiarizing students with types of tasks common in high-stakes
language tests and introducing students to effective test-taking strategies. More
specifically, after the course, students should be able to…
1) In terms of knowledge of English lexico-grammar, pronunciation features, genres, and
exam tasks (Bloom taxonomy, Level 2)
O1-1 have a broad range of lexico-grammatical knowledge
O1-2 understand natural English pronunciation, with varying intonation and sentence
stress
O1-3 recognize a wide range of idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms and register shifts;
O1-4 show familiarity with and confidence in handling a variety of language tasks present
in different high-stakes language tests.
2) In terms of communicative skills and exam strategies
O2-1 select appropriate language from a broad range to express themselves clearly with
high degree of accuracy, without having to restrict what they want to say (lexical and
grammatical range); (Bloom L3)
O2-2 show a clear, natural pronunciation, and vary intonation and place sentence stress
correctly in order to express finer shades of meaning (phonological control); (Bloom L3)
O2-3 produce clear, smoothly flowing, well-structured speech, showing controlled use of
organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices. (Bloom L4)

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O2-4 adjust their writing with awareness of genres and registers (letters and personal
correspondence, formal and informal language); more specifically, adjust what they say
and the means of expressing it to the situation and the recipient and adopt a level of
formality appropriate to the circumstances (flexibility) (Bloom L3)
O2-5 layout, paragraph, and punctuate their writing consistently to promote effective
communication (orthographic control); (Bloom L3)
O2-6 effectively apply strategies to enhance their exam performance, including time
management, previewing questions and reviewing answers, using contexts to make
predictions, and paraphrasing. (Bloom L4)
3) In terms of ethics
O3-1 strictly comply with exam rules and codes of conduct.

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 3. Learning resources
3.1 Required resources
- English 4B* Course guide & Course book
- At least ONE reliable English-English dictionary, either paperback or online (such as
those published by Oxford, Cambridge, Longman, and Collins)
3.2 Recommended resources
- Authentic input (both written and recorded texts)
- Official guides to the latest versions of international English language tests (TOEFL,
IELTS, Cambridge First and Cambridge Advanced, TOEIC, etc.)
- A range of exam preparation materials published by trusted publishers (such as
Oxford, Cambridge, Collins, and Longman, etc.).

4. Course syllabus
Week Session Focus Materials

Week 1 Session 1 Introduction to the course

Listening Unit 1: Completing forms/tables
Speaking Unit 1: Introduction to Personal interview
questions
Session 2 Reading Unit 1: Gapped sentences & tables
Writing Unit 1: Introduction to letter writing in
exams; Personal updates
Week 2 Session 1 Listening Unit 2 : Completing notes, Short answers
Speaking Unit 2: Introduction to Individual long turn
tasks; Topic 1 (Hobbies & Activities)
Session 2 Reading Unit 2: Key ideas and text organization
Writing Unit 2: Giving advice and recommendation
Week 3 Session 1 Listening Unit 3: Common mistakes in gap-
completion tasks 4B* Book 1

Speaking Topic 2 (Work, jobs & career) + Exam

practice
Session 2 Reading Unit 3: True/False/Not given
Writing Unit 3: Making enquiries and requests

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Week 4 Session 1 Listening Unit 4: Exam practice (1)
Speaking Topic 3 (travel & cities)
Session 2 Reading Unit 4: Gapped summaries + exam
practice 4B* Book 1
Writing Unit 4: Exam practice
Week 5 Session 1 Listening Unit 5: matching details
Speaking topic 4 (Family and relationships)
Session 2 Reading Unit 5: Matching headings
Writing Unit 5: Explaining problems and suggesting
solutions
Week 6 Session 1 Listening Unit 6: Matching main ideas; Inferences
Speaking Topic 5 (Health & Fitness)
Session 2 Reading Unit 6: Yes / No / Not given; Matching
Writing Unit 6: Apology & Complaint
Week 7 Session 1 Listening Unit 7: Exam practice
Speaking Topic 6 (Food and Diets) + Exam practice
Session 2 Reading Unit 7: Exam practice (2)
Writing Unit 7: Exam practice
Week 8 Session 1 Listening Unit 1: Short monologues and dialogues
(key words and contexts)
Speaking Unit 1: Introduction to ‘multiple choice’
speaking task
Session 2 Reading Unit 1: ‘Detail’ multiple choice questions’
Writing Unit 1: Introduction to essay writing tests,
paragraph, essay structure

4B* Book 2

Week 9 Session 1 Revision

Session 2 Midterm Exam
Week Session 1 Listening Unit 2: Short monologues and dialogues
10 (colloquial vocabulary)
Speaking Unit 2: Introduction to Individual long turn
tasks
Session 2 Reading Unit 2: Key ideas and text organization
Writing Unit 2: Essays to discuss causes and effects

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 Week Session 1 Listening Unit 3: Short monologues
11 Speaking Unit 3: Topic 1 (Education) + Exam
practice 1
Session 2 Reading Unit 3: Implied meaning in reading
questions
Writing Unit 3: Essays to discuss advantages and
disadvantages
Week Session 1 Listening Unit 4: Exam practice
12 Speaking Unit 4: Topic 2 (Environment)

Session 2 Reading Unit 4: Exam practice 4B* Book 2
Writing Unit 4: Exam practice
Week Session 1 Listening Unit 5: Short monologues (understanding
13 details/main ideas and opinions)
Speaking: Topic 3 (Technology)
Session 2 Reading Unit 5: Attitudinal meaning
Writing Unit 5: Essay to discuss different
viewpoints 1
Week Session 1 Listening Unit 6: Exam practice
14 Speaking Unit 6: Topic 4 (Arts)

Session 2 Reading Unit 6: Exam practice
Writing Unit 6: Essays to argue for or against a
viewpoint 2
Week Session 1 Listening Unit 7: Exam practice
15 Speaking Unit 7: Exam practice

Session 2 Reading Unit 7: Exam practice
Writing Unit 7: Exam practice

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5. Assessment
Students must complete all of the following assessment items to be able to pass the
course.

Activity Description Weighting Due

- This is a speaking activity running
throughout the semester.
- Students are divided into pairs. Each pair After week
Mock-interview is expected to perform two mock 10 %
2
interviews in class. The pair who are
interviewers in Round 1 will be
interviewees in Round 2 and vice versa.
Week 9.
- This is a written test of Listening, Reading,
Students
and Writing that covers all the contents of
are to be
weeks 1 to 8. 30%
informed
Mid-term test - Successful test-takers are expected to (each skill
of the
perform at the B2+ level (CEFR). = exact date
- A more detailed description of the test will 10%) & venues
be provided for students in week 5. later.
- This is a written test of Listening, Reading,
After week
and Writing that covers all the contents of
15.
weeks 10-15 (roughly 70% of the test), and
Students
weeks 1-8 (roughly 30% of the test)
are to be
- There is also a separate speaking test that
60% informed
End-term test covers some contents of the speaking
(L, R, W, S of the
lessons in weeks 2-15.
each = exact
- Successful test-takers are expected to
20%, dates &
perform at the B2+ to C1 level (CEFR).
venues
- A more detailed description of the test will later.
be provided for students in week 14.

6. Policies & Guidelines

- Completion of all assessment items is a requirement for passing the course.
- Attendance in class is expected. Students who are absent from more than 20% of the
lessons (~3 lessons or more) are not eligible for the end-term test, and thus cannot
pass the course.

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 GUIDELINE ON THE PROJECT “MOCK INTERVIEW”
1. Description
- This is a speaking activity running throughout the semester.
- Students are divided into pairs. Each pair is expected to perform the role of both
interviewers and interviewees in 2 rounds.
ROUND 1:
Half of the number of pairs will be interviewers. Each pair will collect/ adapt/
compile one speaking test following the format of ‘Mock Interview’ Test Sample
(Appendix 1 & 2). The test includes two parts: Interview and Individual long
turn. References must be cited and all speaking tests need to be approved by
the teacher before being used in in-class mock interviews.
The other half of the class will be interviewees. They are supposed to have a mock
interview in class and their performance will be assessed by the teacher.
ROUND 2:
Students swap their roles, which means interviewers will become interviewees and
vice versa. For this round, the speaking test should be based on the format of
‘Mock Interview’ Test Sample (Appendix 3 & 4) with two parts: Multiple-choice
task and Individual long turn.
2. Timeline
Week Activity Learning evidence
1 - Introduction to the project Pair formation
- Students form pairs and choose topics.
2 Interviewers (half of the number of pairs) submit their Speaking tests
speaking tests in soft copy for teacher’s feedback.
3 Interviewers revise, send the final draft of their speaking Speaking tests
tests to the whole class & submit their speaking tests in hard (revised)

copy.
4 Mock interview 1, 2
5 Mock interview 3, 4
6 Mock interview 5, 6
7 Mock interview …
8 Interviewers (half of the number of pairs) submit their Speaking tests
speaking tests in soft copy for teacher’s feedback.
10 Interviewers revise, send the final draft of their speaking Speaking tests
tests to the whole class & submit their speaking tests in hard (revised)

copy.
11 Mock interview …

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12 Mock interview …
13 Mock interview …
14 Mock interview …

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3. Project assessment
Students will be assessed through their performance in mock interview (when they play
the role of the interviewees). Assessment criteria can be found in Appendix 5.
Note: No submission of package of speaking tests means mark 0 for the project. Late
submission of package of speaking tests will be penalized (minus 1 mark for each day). No
revision of package of speaking tests (after receiving teacher’s feedback) will be penalized
(minus 50% of Mock Interview score)

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 APPENDIX 1: ‘MOCK INTEVIEW’ TEST SPECIFICATIONS (FOR ROUND 1)
l 10 minutes
l Taken in pairs (assigned randomly)
l Part 1: Each student answers a number of questions on a given topic.
l Part 2: Both students have ONE minute to read their task cards and prepare for a short talk lasting up
to 2 minutes. After a student has delivered his/her talk, the examiner will ask the other student one
or two follow-up questions based on his/her partner’s speech. Hence, students are advised to listen
attentively to their partners.
l Assessment criteria: Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy,
Pronunciation.

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 APPENDIX 2: ‘MOCK INTEVIEW’ TEST SAMPLE (FOR ROUND 1)
PART 1.1: Interview (4’)
Note: There is NO need for the examiner to ask all the questions. The time limit for Part 1 means that there is
usually enough time for around three questions. Extra questions have been included in case the candidate
gives very short responses.
A B

Now let’s talk about free time Now let’s talk about evenings

1 Who do you spend your free time with? 1 What do you often do in the evenings?
2 Do you wish you had more free time? Why (not)? 2 Do you often do the same thing every evening?
3 Have you given up anything you used to do in your 3 What is a popular activity for young people in
free time? If so, what? your country in the evenings?
4 Which other hobbies or sports would you like to try? 4 Do you prefer to spend your evenings with family
Do you share similar interests with your friends? or friends?
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5 Do you do the same things in the evening as you
did a few years ago?
PART 1.2: Individual long turn (6’)
Now let’s move on to Part 2.
In this part, I am going to give each of you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes.
Before you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you are going to say.
You can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand?

Give the topic cards to two students and allow them to prepare within ONE minute.

Are you ready?

To Candidate A/B: Now I’d like to you talk about your topic for one to two minutes.
To Candidate B/A: In the meantime, please listen to your friend because I will ask you a number of questions
based on what he/she has just said.

A B
Follow-up questions for B

Describe a useful website you often visit. Do you know that website?
You should say: Do you find it useful to you?
What the website is
How you found it
What it contains
and explain why it is useful to you.

Follow-up questions for A

Describe an interesting conversation that you recently

Do you often have similar conversations? had. You should say:
Who do you often talk to most? Who your conversation partner was
Where it happened
What it was about
and explain why you found it interesting.

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APPENDIX 3: ‘MOCK INTEVIEW’ TEST SPECIFICATIONS (FOR ROUND 2)

l 12 minutes
l Taken in pairs (assigned randomly)
l Part 1: Each student has ONE minute to read a situation and prepare for a short talk
lasting up to 2 minutes, solving the situation. After a student has delivered his/her
talk, the examiner will ask the other student one follow-up question based on his/her
partner’s speech. Hence, students are advised to listen attentively to their partners.
l Part 2: Each student has ONE minute to read a topic card and prepare for a short talk
lasting up to 2 minutes. After a student has delivered his/her talk, the examiner will
ask the other student one or two follow-up questions based on his/her partner’s
speech. Hence, students are advised to listen attentively to their partners.
l Assessment criteria: Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and
accuracy, Pronunciation.

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 APPENDIX 4: ‘MOCK INTEVIEW’ TEST SAMPLE (FOR ROUND 2)

PART 1: Multiple-choice task (6’)
Now the test begins. I’m going to give each of you a situation and I’d like you to talk about
it for one to two minutes.
Before you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you are going to say.
You can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand?
Give the situations to two students and allow them to prepare within ONE minute.
Are you ready?
To Candidate A/B: Now I’d like to you talk about your situation for one to two minutes.
To Candidate B/A: In the meantime, please listen to your friend because I will ask you one
follow-up question.
A B
You and a group of friends are Your cousin is the best student of the
preparing a summer trip from Hanoi to class this year. His parents are
Da Nang. You are thinking of going by thinking of a present for him: a
plane, by train or by coach. What do laptop, a summer trip abroad or
you think is the best option? some money. What do you think is
the best option?

Follow-up question:

Would you make the same choice as your partner?

PART 2: Individual long turn (6’)

Now let’s move on to Part 2.
In this part, I am going to give each of you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one
to two minutes. Before you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you are
going to say.
You can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand?
Give the topic cards to two students and allow them to prepare within ONE minute.
Are you ready?
To Candidate A/B: Now I’d like to you talk about your topic for one to two minutes.
To Candidate B/A: In the meantime, please listen to your friend because I will ask you a
number of questions based on what he/she has just said.

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 A B
Follow-up questions for B
Describe a useful website you often visit.
You should say: Do you know that website?
What the website is Do you find it useful to you?
How you found it
What it contains
and explain why it is useful to you.

Follow-up questions for A

Describe an interesting conversation that you
recently had. You should say:
Do you often have similar conversations? Who your conversation partner was
Who do you often talk to most?
Where it happened
What it was about
and explain why you found it interesting.

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APPENDIX 5. MARKING RUBRIC

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