Learner Guide

Revision checklists
The checklists below can be used as a revision checklist:
It doesn’t contain all the detailed knowledge you need to know, just an overview. For more detail see
the syllabus and talk to your teacher.
You can use the tick boxes in the checklists to show when you have revised and are happy that you do not
need to return to it. Tick the ‘R’, ‘A’, and ‘G’ column to record your progress. The ‘R’, ‘A’ and ‘G’ represent
different levels of confidence, as follows:
R = RED: means you are really unsure and lack confidence in that area; you might want to focus
your revision here and possibly talk to your teacher for help
A = AMBER: means you are reasonably confident in a topic but need some extra practice

G = GREEN: means you are very confident in a topic

As your revision progresses, you can concentrate on the RED and AMBER topics, in order to turn them into
GREEN topics. You might find it helpful to highlight each topic in red, orange or green to help you prioritise.
You can use the ‘Comments’ column to:
add more information about the details for each point
include a reference to a useful resource
add learning aids such as rhymes, poems or word play
highlight areas of difficulty or things that you need to talk to your teacher about.

Use the revision checklists on the next pages to help guide your revision.

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Learner Guide

Revision checklists
Reading

You should be able to Ways to pracise the skills R A G Comment

Yeah, I feel that I'm better

Understand main ideas by skim • Read a text quickly, deciding what each paragraph is mainly
reading and select exact details by about. Then read the text more slowly, looking for certain
scanning texts. words, phrases or information.

Yeah, I feel that I'm better

Read short texts. • Read newspaper or magazine advertisements.

Yeah, I feel that I'm better

Read:
Read longer texts. • blogs or web pages
• articles from newspapers and magazines which also state a
viewpoint
• articles in textbooks and journals
• a newspaper or your favourite magazine regularly.

I'll try more and more to be better

Understand certain ideas, opinions Read any text and answer the following:
and views of a writer in a text.
• What specific ideas are included?
• What are the writer s opinions/thoughts on the ideas given?

Yeah, I feel that I'm better

Show some awareness of ideas that Read any text and answer the following:
are not actually written down.
What is the real purpose of this writing?
What does the writer really think/feel?

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Reading and writing (integrated skills)
You should be able to
Make notes based on what you
have read.
Write a summary based on what
you have read.
Learner Guide
Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment
I feel better with this one, I will try
• Fill in forms you find in newspapers and magazines or on
to work more with this one.
websites.
• Read more complex texts and practise finding exact
information and making notes on precise details under
specific headings.
• Read interesting articles about people or places and then
make some notes so that you can write a paragraph about it
in your own words.
• Read a chapter in a textbook from another subject
(geography/history/science) and make notes on the content of
the chapter.
• Read a short story or magazine article and write a summary
in your own words about it.
• Read about your favourite film star/sports personality and
write a short summary of their life.
• Read about an unusual hobby or activity and make notes.
Then write a summary about it.
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Learner Guide

Writing

You should be able to Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment

This one is so hard so I think that I

Write using the correct language for
the audience (informal and formal).
Write:
ll try this one more. Writing is my
worst skill :(
• emails to different people in different situations, e.g. an
email to apply for a job or a letter to a friend about some
work experience.
• about your feelings and opinions, e.g. in diary entries.
• about your experiences in other ways, e.g. internet
diaries/postcards.
• descriptions of events, places or people, etc.
• an email to friends/family explaining about an event which
happened to you recently.

Ok I will try this

Write using language for a Write:
specific purpose, e.g.
• the conclusions of a debate, either from both sides, from
i) to persuade one side or from your own point of view.
ii) to discuss • an article about a specific topic, e.g. to persuade your local
advantages/ council not to build a new road; to argue that smoking
disadvantages should/shouldn t be allowed in a particular place.
iii) to argue in favour/against • a report for your teacher after you have visited a new place
iv) to convince with a strong of learning, e.g. a museum or library.
argument.
• a review of a book you have read, film you have seen or new
app you have used.

Yeah, I can write good about this

Write with some • Re-write a piece of your writing which contains some facts. one, I think I like it.
development of facts or Try to include more detail to support each fact.
ideas.
• Re-write a piece of your writing which contains some of your
own ideas on a topic. Try to include more detail to expand

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You should be able to
Use synonyms (different words that
have different meanings).
Connect phrases to create
sentences.
Connect sentences to create
paragraphs.
Organise your writing in a logical
way.
Learner Guide
Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment
each of your ideas.
yes I can do it well
• See how many different words you can find in place of a
common verb, noun or adjective, e.g. flying , problem or
big .
• Take a paragraph and re-write it, using as many of your
own words as possible.
Yeah, I feel that I'm better
• Write down as many connecting words as you know, e.g.
when , because , although . Write a sentence which uses
each connecting word correctly.
Yeah, I feel that I'm better
• Write down as many words you know which link
paragraphs, e.g. however , secondly , to summarise and
explain when you would each of these words.
I ll try this again later
• Copy a text which has a lot of paragraphs. Cut the text up
to separate each paragraph. Now put the text into a logical
order.
• Write a list of things that you do in a typical school day,
starting a new line for each thing. Now re-write the list as
paragraphs organised into different sections, e.g. getting
ready for school, lessons that I enjoyed, what I learnt.
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Learner Guide
You should be able to
Write with good control of
punctuation.
Write with good control of spelling.
Write with good control of grammar
and sentence structures.
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Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment
• Copy a text which contains a range of punctuation. Tippex Oh I think this one is so so hard
over/remove the punctuation. Now add punctuation to the
text. Compare your punctuation with the original.
• Write a sentence using a certain punctuation mark, e.g. an
apostrophe, a comma, a question mark, an exclamation
mark.
• Read aloud your writing so you can hear where you have
paused and include a comma or full stop as required.
• Learn homophones (words having the same pronunciation yeah I ll be better at that
but different spellings and meanings, e.g. new and knew).
Write a sentence using each homophone correctly.
I ll do more and practise more this
• Write about a topic of interest using as many different one.
sentences as possible, e.g. a statement, a question, an
exclamation.
• Write about a person you know well. Re-write your
description making any simple sentences into more
lengthy sentences.
• Decide which grammar mistakes you make in your writing.
Practise writing on different topics to other people, making
sure that you correct your grammar mistakes.

Listening
You should be able to
Listen for specific information
in short, separate statements.
Listen for specific information in
longer conversations and talks.
Listen for gist – understand the
main idea of a conversation; follow
the overall theme.
Understand what is said in formal
and informal conversations.
Learner Guide
Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment
I"M all good at this
Listen:
• for factual detail (e.g. news, weather or travel reports)
• to announcements (e.g. on the radio, at train stations, at
airports).
• to recorded phone messages
• to recordings of interviews, on news programmes or chat
shows.
• to people (e.g. friends, family, teachers) you are talking to in
everyday situations about a particular topic
• to talks on a particular topic (e.g. history of your local area; a
new invention).n
As you listen to each different source, write down the important
information.
I"M all good at this
• Listen to/watch television interviews where the host is asking a
guest about his/her lifestyle, hobbies, job, future career, etc.
Then write a profile of the guest.
• After a class discussion, write a paragraph outlining your
classmates’ opinions.
• Interview a friend. Then write short sentences to show your
overall understanding of what they said.
• Write some true/false questions, based on an
interview/conversation that you heard.
I"M all good at this
• Listen to different people talking in different situations and
from different places and check that you understood what
was said.
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Learner Guide

You should be able to Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment

Understand ideas, opinions and I ll do this usually

Listen to any text and answer the following:
attitudes.
• What specific ideas are included?
• What are the speaker s opinions/thoughts on the ideas given?

Understand what is implied but not I ll do this usually

Listen to any text and answer the following:
directly stated.
What is the real purpose of what is being said?
What does the speaker really think/feel?

Make notes based on what you I ll do this usually

Listen to:
have heard.
• a range of texts, including a short radio programme or internet
broadcast. Practise finding exact information and making
notes on precise details under specific headings.
• interesting discussions or interviews about people or places
and then make some notes so that you can write a paragraph
about the topic in your own words.
• a podcast about a certain subject, e.g. top 10s, comparing
different mobiles, and make notes on the content.

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Speaking
You should be able to
Be confident when you are
having a conversation with an
adult.
Talk about a topic at some
length.
Keep a conversation going and
develop it.
Connect what you say in
different ways.
Talk using a reasonable variety
of sentence structures and
interesting words.
Answer questions with some
accuracy and clarity.
Talk using enough control and
Learner Guide
Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment
I'm think im good at this and I ll
• Practise role-playing conversations based on a single topic or
practise read at home.
theme, ideally with an adult.
• Get involved in discussions with adults on topics which you are
interested in.
I'm think im good at this and I ll
• Read newspapers and listen to the news and documentaries
practise read at home.
to improve your general knowledge.
• Practise talking for a minute on a topic. Then try talking about
the topic for two minutes. Aim to get up to six minutes.
• Get a friend to ask you questions about a topic you know well.
Answer each question in as much detail as possible using
carefully chosen vocabulary.
I'm think im good at this and I ll
• Write down as many connecting words as you know, e.g.
practise read at home.
when , because , although . Speak a sentence which uses
each of the connecting words correctly.
• Write down as many words you know which link ideas, e.g.
however , secondly , to summarise and explain when you
would each of these words.
• Talk about a topic of interest using as many different I'm think im good at this and I ll
practise read at home.
sentences as possible, e.g. a statement, a question, an
exclamation.
• Talk about a person you know well using sentences which
are always connected. Start by using and , but or so .
Then try to use more interesting connecting words, e.g.
because , although , however .
• Decide which grammar mistakes you make when you talk.
Practise talking on different topics to other people, making
sure that you correct your grammar mistakes.
• Practise answering questions about yourself or people or I'm think im good at this and I ll
places you know, focusing on the information being practise read at home.
understood by the person asking the questions. Be aware of
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Learner Guide

You should be able to Ways to practise the skills R A G Comment

fluency of the way you say you your how you pronounce the words and how quickly you talk. I'm think im good at this and I ll
words. • Practise answering questions about a topic of interest, practise read at home.
focusing on the accuracy of your grammar and your
sentences. It is helpful to record what you have said so you
can listen to your answers again and check where you could
improve. answering questions about yourself or people or

Useful websites
The websites listed below are useful resources to help you study for your Cambridge IGCSE. The sites are useful for practising the main skills that you will need,
and to keep you up-to-date with some of the topics and articles.

www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
Useful for news articles, listening, vocabulary and grammar activities, help in pronouncing words and quizzes.

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/
This is the British Council’s main learning English as a Second or Foreign Language site for teenagers. Lots of activities designed to suit different levels
of language ability aimed at teenagers. It has particularly useful grammar exercises, as well as advice and discussions about exams. You can now
download an app for your mobile or tablet.

www.usingenglish.com
Free resources for learners and an ‘Ask a Teacher’ forum.

www.englishclub.com
This free site is good for listening to podcasts.

www.englishspace.ort.org/launchpad/about_whatis.asp
A free site, containing lots of appropriate activities. Designed for teenage learners. It also puts you in touch with other learners around the world.

www.eslgo.com
Free online lessons and a community discussion forum about grammar and vocabulary.

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