English as a Second Language

– 0510/0511
Reading & Writing (Paper 1/2):
Reading: Exercises 1 & 2 (Comprehension & Multiple-Matching)
Reading: Exercise 3 (Note-taking)
Reading & Writing: Exercise 4 (Summary writing)
Writing: Exercise 5 (Letter writing)
Writing: Exercise 6 (Writing an article)
Writing: Exercise 6 (Writing a Report)
Writing: Exercise 6 (Writing a Review)
Listening (Paper 3/4):
Listening
Speaking (Paper 5):
Speaking

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 Reading: Exercises 1 & 2
(Passage & Multiple-Matching)
The first two exercises of the IGCSE English as a Second Language Paper 2 are two reading
exercises, where you have to answer direct questions based on the text given.

These are reading exercises, because it tests your understanding of the contents of the
passage – what it is about, what point the author is trying to make, etc. This is the easiest
section in the entire paper so it is important that you nail it and gain maximum marks.
 First, simply skim through the texts and get an idea of what it is about. Skimming, is
simply glancing through the text to catch words and phrases. Find out what kind of text it
is (travel brochure, newspaper article, leaflet etc.) and the main idea of each paragraph.
For exercise 2, the texts are very similar, designed to confuse you, so it’s easier to look
through the questions first and then read the text.
 Read the questions. Underline the keywords in the questions. Understand what the
question is asking you; is it, what, why, when, were or how? Also underline the other
key phrases or words (nouns and verbs that tells you what you should look for).
Questions can be confusing sometimes so make sure you read the question thoroughly
and can pinpoint on what exactly they are asking for. Be wary of questions with signpost
phrases like ‘apart from’, ‘rather than’, or ‘according to the graph’; they tell you what
exactly you need to find. For exercise 2, be very careful when marking points because
they tend to be very similar and requires detailed examination.

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 s17_qp22 Exercise 2 (current syllabus’ Exercise 1)

 For exercise 1, find the answers, by locating the keywords (noun and/or verb) from
the question, in the passage. Then read that sentence properly to get the answer. It is
also worth noting that, usually, answers will be found in chronological order
within the passage. The first questions’s answer will mostly be in the introduction
paragraph and the next one in the second paragraph and so on. (However, for the last
question of Exercise 2 you will need to scan the entire passage to find the answer).
Some questions are very specific, so the answers are very easy to find.
Others you will have to read between the lines– you have to look at what the author
is implying- what he means. Some questions will also use synonyms of the words
used in the passage simply to confuse you! So make sure you know your vocabulary!
Remember, you don’t have to come up with your own answers, everything is there
in the passage itself; it’s a reading exercise, not writing.

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 For exercise 2, you have to match each point to the corresponding person/thing. You
will have to examine each paragraph closely and choose which para the given point
matches to.
 Write the answer of a question once you’ve found it from the passage. You won’t
lose marks for spelling and grammar mistakes, again, because it is a reading
exercise. You can copy the text from the passage itself; you don’t have to write in
your own words! You don’t even have to write in full sentence! As long as the answer
is correct, no worries! For exercise 2, just write the person/thing the point corresponds
to, given in the text. Nothing more.

Time Management
For the core paper 1, spend about 15 minutes on the first two reading exercises.
For the extend paper 2, spend around 20 minutes on the first two reading exercises. The first
passage is relatively easy to find answers for. So quickly finish it up. The second exercise
requires a little more detailed reading, so allot more time for it.

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 Reading: Exercise 3 (Note-
taking)
Exercise 3 of Paper 1 is a reading task, where a short passage is given and you are asked to
make notes on it under the headings given. This is again, an easy enough task but you need to
be careful to ensure that you’re writing the correct points.
Let’s dive straight into it.

 Read the headings

First, reading the headings given in the question will be the best course of action. It will
tell you what information you need to find from the passage and copy into your answer.

I have colour-coded the headings with their corresponding points from the passage
below.

 Read the passage.

As you go underline the points that you can write down under each heading. Answers
could be found anywhere, but usually goes in a chronological order.

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 Write down the points under each heading.
 You don’t have to write in full sentences
 You can copy the text as it is from the passage
 No marks will be deducted for spelling/punctuation/grammar errors
 You should only write one point per line given. Thus, all points that you could write
do not have to be written. In the example above, for heading one I have marked three
points, but there are only two lines, so write any of the two.

That’s about it. Again, like the previous question, an information transfer. You just need to
know what the relevant information is and where you should put it.

Time management
For the core paper 1, spend about 10 minutes on this question.
For the extended paper 2, spend 12 minutes on this question.

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 Reading & Writing: Exercise 4
(Summary writing)
Now, it gets hard!

Exercise 4 of ESL paper, is summary writing. A passage will be given, on which you are
required to write a summary.

What is a summary? The formal definition is: a brief statement or account of the main points
of something. And that’s exactly what you have to do. Identify the main, relevant points and
write them in your own words in an organized manner.
This is the part of the paper I, personally, had the most trouble with. It is not as easy as it
looks. So, let’s get to it.

 Read the question properly.

What exactly do you have to write a summary on. In the question, they could specify one
or more detail. So you need to write the summary on just those details. Leave out the rest.

w17_qp22. See the emboldened part? That’s what you have to focus on.

 Read the passage.

As you go, underline the points that you need to include in your summary, that are
relevant and important to the question.

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 Write the summary.
That’s easier said than done. You have got all your points, now you need to collate and
organise it into one write-up using your own words.
 Write a one-line introduction that tells the examiner what you’re writing a summary
on. Keep it short. In the example above, you could start the summary by writing:
Poon Lim, a ship-wreck victim, managed to survive an astounding 133 days on an
island all alone.
 Start organising the points. You could do it chronologically, advantage-
disadvantage format or problem-solution format- whatever works for the task at hand.
In the example above, writing points in their chronological order seems to be the right
choice since it’s a narrative type of article.
 Use connectives, lots of them, to organise your points and add a sense of continuity.
Some examples are: Firstly/Secondly/Thirdly, In Addition/Also/Furthermore,
Consequently/As a result, Thus/Hence etc.

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  Use your own words. Use synonyms of word in the passage, if possible. In the
example above, the phrase ‘invented ways to find food and water’ can be changed to
‘came up with a system to obtain food and water’.
 You don’t have to write a conclusion. If the question asked you to write the
summary on the entire passage, then maybe a conclusion would be fitting. But in
questions like the one above, it is irrelevant to the question.
 Stick to the word limit. For the extended paper you have to write at least 100 words
but not more than 120 words. For the core paper you need to write at least 70 words
but not more than 80 words. Don’t write too much; scrap unnecessary points not
relevant to the question; cut short words.

That’s all about Exercise 4! The best way to get better at it, is to keep practicing past paper
questions, nothing more. Polishing up your vocabulary skills might be helpful in using
your own words.

Time Management
The summary writing exercise in the core paper 1 is too easy, so it should only take about 5
minutes to attempt it.
Spend about 15 minutes on this exercise, in the extended paper 2. Reading the passage
should take about 5 minutes and the rest 10 minutes should be used to write your summary.

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 Writing: Exercise 5 (Letter
writing)
Exercise 5 is a letter writing task. This is almost always an informal letter. (We’ll detail
formal letters here as well, just in case!)

INFORMAL LETTERS
These are usually to your friends or family, usually asking you to detail a recent event you
took part in and they didn’t.

w17_qp22. An email and letter will be the same, it’s just that your method of transmission is
different!
 You must be familiar with the format of an informal letter: salutation (Dear/Dearest, ),
introduction, body (maybe two paragraphs), conclusion, signature (With Love/Yours
Truly, )
The salutation and signature are simple. What about the others? Let’s take a look.

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  Introduction:
 Start with a warm, friendly opening. Ditch the boring ‘How are you doing?‘ Go for
these:
 It was good to hear from you.
 Sorry for not replying sooner. I have been very busy.
 I’m so sorry for taking so long to reply. I have been revising for my exams.
 Congratulations on your award! It’s been a hectic week over here. So sorry I
couldn’t write to you earlier.
(This is a good opening, because it tells the examiner that you know this
person well).

 Tell them why you’re writing the letter. This will be specified in the question paper
itself. Keep it very short. In the example above, you could say:
 I’ve been dying to tell you about this circus that came to town last Friday!!

 Body: This is the actual content of your letter. Provide more details about the topic.
Use lots of adjectives and verbs and really relay your thoughts and emotions. Use
the prompts and pictures in the question. You can write it in two paragraphs to
organise your ideas. In the example above, you could write:
Nobody knew about the circus arriving. But the moment they opened the entrance, all
the villagers started flocking in. Steve and I begged for mom and dad to take us there!
It was magnificent, in every sense of the word! There were talking parrots, tigers
jumping through fire hoops (Steve ran away scared when he saw the Tiger!), an
elephant that could predict your weight, a fortune teller and all sorts of things you see
in the circuses in movies!
Mom was fascinated by the ‘Guess the Price’ tent and spent a lot of money on it but
didn’t guess a single one right. Dad and I went to every single tent. My favourite was
this magic show! The magician literally turned a rat into a rabbit! I have no idea
how. It was truly magical! We stayed there till dusk and then very reluctantly went
back. The circus clearly had won the hearts of all villagers!

 Conclusion: The conclusion has to wrap up the letter. For example, I really wish you
were there! You would have loved it! Send my regards to Margret and Aunt Marie!
Reply soon!

TIPS
 Take care of spelling, punctuation and grammar. It’s a writing task after all.
 Don’t use abbreviations and slang such as ‘u’ and ‘OMG’! This is an international
exam, not an actual email to your friend!
 Keep the tone very light and warm. An informal letter should be informal.
 Writing a paragraph for each bullet point (given in the question) can be a good
method of keeping the letter organised.
 Give personal anecdotes. Add details that tell the examiner you really know each
other. In my sample answer above, I used the names Steve, Margaret and Aunt Marie
without giving any explanation for who they exactly are, because my friend knows
who they are!
 Try using time phrases. E.g.: shortly after that/later/that afternoon/after dinner etc.
 Keep to the word limit. It should be at least 150 words and shouldn’t exceed 200
words. However, I remember my teacher telling me it was alright if I wrote 10-15
words in excess. Any more than that, they would deduct marks.

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FORMAL LETTERS
These will be written to somebody in a position of authority, usually to your school principal,
the manager of a company etc. I’ll give a very brief idea of how to write one.

 Salutations and Signatures: use either of this format

 Dear Sir or Madam……. Yours faithfully
 Dear Ms Weasley………….Yours sincerely

 Introduction: Dive straight into the point. Why are you writing? To appreciate,
complain, suggest, request or disagree? What are you writing in regards with? A new
project, a newspaper advertisement, an article or an event? Mention it. That’s your
introduction.

 Body: This can be divided into two paragraphs

 Details of situation: give previous history of event or your background or experience.
Say what happened exactly if you are making a complaint, or focus directly on the
text you are arguing with. This section should include specific data such as names,
dates, facts and details.
 Further development: Give further support to your claim or request. Summarise the
current situation and why you should be given consideration. Persuade the reader.

 Conclusion: Say what you wish to happen next. Suggest, firmly but politely, what may
happen if you do not receive a response to a complaint. Wrap up by once again, stating
your request/complaint/suggestion and politely say something along the lines of ‘I hope
you will consider this and take action as soon as possible’.

TIPS
 Use formal vocabulary only. Instead of ‘can’t wait for your reply’ say ‘I hope you
will consider the above suggestion and take prompt action‘.
 Don’t use contractions like can’t, won’t, don’t, we’re etc. Use their full forms.
Contractions are informal.
 Don’t use exclamation marks.
 Your tone should be serious and respectful.
 Keep to the word limit.

Time Management
For the core paper 1, take about 20 minutes to attempt this question.
For the extended paper 2, spend about 30 minutes.

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Writing: Exercise 6 (Writing an
article)
This is the final exercise of Paper 1 and 2. It can be an article, a report or a review writing.
We’ll look at articles here.
You will be given a topic (more like a question to ponder up on) on which you have to write
your views and opinions. This can either be a two-sided article (for and against) or a one-
sided article (just your opinion). It is up to you to decide.
The topics usually given for this exercise are easy enough that you can come up with points
right there in the exam, but it is good if you read upon various issues from around the word
(obesity, technological influences, environmental issues, animal welfare, teenager issues etc).

So, here’s how to attempt this question:

 Before you start it is a good idea that you come up with a plan. Use the blank space
below the question to make your plan, in pencil. In your plan write down the answers to
these questions:
 The audience: this will be specified in the question (it is almost always a school
magazine). So, when you write, keep in mind that you need to write to that audience.
Your language, tone and vocabulary should reflect this.
 Is my article going to be two-sided or one-sided? If you know a lot about the topic
and can weigh up the pros and cons, then go for two-sided. If you’re not too
knowledgeable about it, stick to one-sided.
 How do I introduce the topic? Start off by saying what the topic is and how important
the topic is in today’s world. Why it is such a problem? Or is it a problem?
 What’s in the body? Write down three points. (If it’s two-sided write two pros and
two cons). You will develop your body based on these points. A few points will be
given in your question paper, and you can use those!
 How will I conclude the article? You need to sum up your points and give your final
opinion (even if it’s two-sided, give your final opinion on the matter).

 Organise. By now, you’ve pretty much come up with the contents of your article. Now
organise your points into paragraphs.
 One-sided Article: Paragraph 1: Introduction
 Paragraph 2: First point with justification (or counter-argument)
 Paragraph 3: Second point with justification (or counter-argument)
 Paragraph 4: Opposing point which you contradict (here, you state a point said by
people who have a different opinion from yours and explain why they are wrong.
This is called argument and counter-argument)
 Paragraph 5: Conclusion- summary, (solution?), repeat your opinion
 Two-sided Article: Paragraph 1: Introduction
 Paragraph 2: Advantages/’For’
 Paragraph 3: Disadvantages/’Against’
 Paragraph 4: Conclusion- Summary and final opinion

 Write. Use a variety of connecting words and argumentative phrases. Examples:

 Expressing opinions:

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  I agree/ disagree with the above statement that
 In my opinion
 I believe that
 I am in favour of
 I am against the idea of
 It seems to me that
 I sympathize with
 Presenting and contrasting opinions:
 The main argument in favour/ against is
 It is often said that
 First of all I should like to consider
 Apart from that
 Even though
 Furthermore
 In addition
 Moreover
 Nevertheless
 And
 Or
 But
 Finally
 Lastly
 Despite the fact that/ In spite of
 On the other hand
 On the contrary
 Whereas
 What is more
 What matters most in this case is
 It is a fact that
 Besides
 After all
 There is no doubt that
 Reasoning:
 Because of
 As a result of
 Owing to
 Through
 Due to
 Consequently
 On account of
 Therefore
 Hence
 Concluding:
 To sum up
 To conclude
 It can be concluded that
 I believe that
 Thus, I am of the opinion that
 Argumentative verbs (use these instead of say/tell):
 Claim

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  Assert
 Insist
 Argue
 Allege
 Suggest
 Point out
 Maintain

Here’s an example of a one-sided article. This is one-sided because, even though it weighs
up both ‘for’ and ‘against’ points, in each paragraph it contradicts the ‘for’ points and alludes
to the same conclusion that zoos should be abolished. This is called the argument/counter-
argument format.

This is an example I found on the internet; not mine!

Tips
 Use your own points, words and phrases as far as possible. The more original your
content is, the better.

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 Give a suitable title
 Keep to the word limit 150-200 words. Exceeding a little over 200 is not a problem.
 Always have an introduction and conclusion
 Always organise your points into paragraphs. One para for each point (one-sided) or
all advantages in one para and disadvantages in another para (two-sided) is the ideal
format.
 A final opinion has to be given.
 Punctuation, spelling and grammar is very important. Check your writing once you’re
done.

Time Management
For the core paper 1 take 20 minutes for this exercise
For the extended paper 2, 30 minutes should suffice to answer this question. Spend 10
minutes to come up with a plan, 15 minutes to organise and write your article. Use the 5
minutes left to read over your article, make changes and correct spelling, grammar and
punctuation errors.

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 Writing: Exercise 6 (Writing a
Report)
From 2019 onwards, Exercise 6 could also be a report-writing task.

You will be given a particular context and asked to write a report on it. You are expected to
write 150-200 words, and the exercise is worth 16 marks.

Let’s look at a sample question:

sp19_qp02

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Follow these steps to answer the question:
1. Read the question carefully and ensure that you know what it is asking for. It may be
helpful to underline the important points in pencil.
2. Make a plan and spend not more than 5 minutes on it. It should give you a rough idea of
the details you want to include in your report, what you want to write in your
introduction, body and conclusion. Remember, the purpose of a report is to reflect on
and evaluate something, so make sure you keep that in mind when drawing up your plan.
3. Come up with a title. It should be brief and relevant and will give you a good start.
4. Write a strong, but concise, introduction. This paragraph should include the most
important details of the event that you are reporting on – the ‘who’(your class), ‘what‘(a
trip), ‘when‘(last week? last month?), ‘where‘(large recycling centre) , ‘why’(learn about
recycling)’ and ‘how‘(if applicable).
5. You need to then organise your body according to what the question is asking for. For
example, you are asked to write a report on what you did on the trip (write about three
points. Example: spoke to employees, visited sorting unit, watched a plastic recycling
process etc.) and what you learned from it as well (write about two points. Example: only
50% of materials brought in are recycled, recycling helps the environment). You could
have one paragraph on the former and one on the latter. Be clear.
6. The ending paragraph should briefly conclude the report. In the sample question above,
you are asked to write a suggestion for improvement, so this could be your conclusion.
Write a couple of sentences outlining your views on how the trip went (example: very
informative or too long) and one or two suggestions (example: hands-on-experience,
watch a video etc.).

Other Tips:
1. You can use the picture prompt as well as the written prompts, but you can score higher
marks for your own ideas.
2. Keep the language reasonably formal and direct, but there’s no need to use jargon or big
words.
3. Keep in mind that the exercise is to write a report. Be direct and straightforward in
your approach. Don’t overthink your points and add unnecessary comments and opinions
of your own.
4. Keep your points concise. There should be only 150-200 words, after all.

Time Management
For the core paper 1, take about 20 minutes to finish this exercise, 5 minutes to plan, 10
minutes to write and 5 minutes to check your writing.
For the extended paper 2, take 30 minutes for the whole exercise. Take 5 minutes to plan
your report, by coming up with points to be included in the introduction, body and
conclusion. Use 20 minutes for writing the report and the final 5 minutes to proofread and
edit your report.

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 Writing: Exercise 6 (Writing a
Review)
Exercise 6 of the ESL paper could also be a review writing.
The review could be for a book, movie, restaurant etc. that you enjoyed (or didn’t!)
The exercise is worth 16 marks and you should write about 150-200 words.
Let’s dive Let’s dive right in. I will be using a book review for examples. I have included a
sample review at the end.
 Introduction: state the book’s title, author’s full name, the setting of the story, giving a
one-line description of what the story is about. Use adjectives to describe the book such
as insightful, beautiful, controversial etc.
 Brief description: give a one-paragraph synopsis of the plot of the book, shortly
expanding your one-sentence description in the introduction. Don’t write the whole story,
only the beginning! Use the present tense of verbs and linking words to outline the story
chronologically. Bonus points if you can use words that fit the theme of the story. If, for
example, the book is of the fantasy genre, use words like magic, summon, fate, spells etc.
 Opinion: this is where you have to write down how the book impacted you. Was it
inspiring? Thought-provoking? Life-changing? You could praise the book or criticise it,
stating why.
 Recommendation: you must state whether you would recommend this book, to whom
and why.

Let’s look at a sample. See if I’ve stuck with the points above.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini has to be the most devastatingly beautiful book I’ve had
the pleasure of reading. Set in 20th century Afghanistan, it tells the story of how a young
boy’s friendship is tested by war and betrayal.
Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan, shares a close friendship with their household servant’s
son, Hassan. But a fateful kite-flying competition tethers their bond, and as war forces them
to part ways, the boys’ lives take them on a journey of love and redemption.
The book made me realise how precious yet fragile the relationships we build are; and that
we must always take a chance on our loved ones. It taught me the importance of the people in
our lives and how they shape us to be who we are.
The Kite Runner is a beautifully narrated tale, the writing just as simple as it is heart-
breaking, the characters realistically portrayed. I would definitely recommend this book to
those who enjoy character-driven stories set in troubled times.

Time Management
For the core paper 1, spend about 20 minutes in this exercise.
For the extended paper 2, spend 30 minutes on this exercise. Allot 5 minutes to plan the
points you will include in each paragraph. Take 20 minutes to write your review, keeping in
mind all the above tips. Use the final 5 minutes to proofread and make any changes.
That’s the end of the ESL paper. Good luck!

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 Listening
Questions 1-4
This is a fairly easy exercise. It’s the easiest part of the paper, so I’m just going to be brief.

In the first exercise, you will hear four short recordings, to which there will be four two-part
questions each. These recordings are in no way related to each other. You need only write a
very short answer, in no more than three words. Each recording will be played twice, so if
you don’t catch the answer the first time, there’s the second time.

Before each recording starts, quickly read the question. Underline the keyword you should
look for, including the what/where/when/which/how, so you’ll know what exactly you
should answer. Concentrate on the recording (closing your eyes while listening will help) as
the questions are very specific.

Question 5

This is a note-taking exercise. A long recording will be played and you will be required to fill
in the gaps given on the note by listening to the contents.

First, read the note. Get an idea of what the note is about and the kinds of information and
terms you will expect to hear.
On the first recording, listen very carefully. Don’t write anything just yet. Grab all the
information. Once the recording is over, fill in the answers you now know. If you’re not very
sure of the answer write it in pencil and confirm it in the second recording.
On the second recording, look out for the information you didn’t remember the first time.
Since the answers will be found in chronological order, you will get a sense of when they
will come in the recording. Once again, listen very carefully and latch onto the answers.
Answers that involve numbers can be tricky, so be careful on those.

Question 6
This is easily the most confusing exercise of the entire paper. You will hear a handful of
speakers talk about a particular topic and you have matched the speaker with their opinion,
using alphabets.

First, read the options- the opinions. Understand what each opinion is and underline the
keywords (the keywords in each opinion should be different so that you can distinguish them
from each other). Example:

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While listening to the first recording, you need to concentrate very well. Jot down the
number of the speaker right next to the opinion as soon as they finish speaking. It is easier
and quicker to write down the speaker number (as it goes in order in the recording) next to
the opinion rather than find out the right alphabet and write it next to the speaker.
On the second recording, confirm your answers and clear confusion, again by numbering the
opinion. Once the recording is over, write down the matching alphabet next to each speaker.

Question 7
This question involves the recording of an interview based on which you need to answer
multiple-choice answers. This is easy because you don’t need to write anything, just a tick
against the answer, leaving you time to listen to the recording properly. But the catch is that
every option given in the question will be mentioned in the recording, confusing you.
You need to very carefully listen in order to catch the right answer.
Thus, it is important that you read the questions before the recording is played and underline
the keyword.

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There’s really not much to say here, other than concentrate and understand what the
interviewee is saying. They might mention all the options in the question so you need to
listen to everything to get what the exact answer is. A small, seemingly insignificant ‘but’,
‘however’ etc mentioned can be the key to finding the right answers.

Question 8
This is again, a note-taking exercise, but a much harder one, split into two parts- both related.
The answers will NOT appear in the recording in chronological order.

Read the questions before the recording plays.

The best way to approach this question is to listen to the meaning of what is being said
rather than just listen! Actually, absorb the information and be genuinely interested in the

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topic. (This can be used in Question 5 too!) This way you will want to know the details and
there is lesser chance of you forgetting them. If there are numbers that you need to fill in,
quickly jot them down in the gaps.
Listen very carefully during the first recording and write down the answers you remember
afterwards. But there’s going to be a lot of information that will confuse you.

Think about the type of word that is required. Is it a noun, verb, adjective or a number? If
a sentence says “In America, the sport was first introduced by people from ……………..”,
then you should expect a noun- place- to fill the gap – e.g. Europeans, Asians etc.
When the second recording plays clear up the rest. There may still be answers that you don’t
know but you have no option but to guess them. Make a guess of the answer from what you
heard. You need only write one or two words for each.

GENERAL TIPS
 Read the questions, underline the keywords. I cannot stress this enough!
 All you need are brief answers, not more than three.
 Part of listening, is to predict the answers. You can almost always guess the kind of
word that is going to be said next. Use this to guess your answers if you haven’t yet
gotten the answer even after the two recording plays. I, myself, have had to predict and
guess certain answers because there would be that ONE word I couldn’t quite catch. But I
ended up being right many times!
 Notice any question that needs two details to get one mark or two marks, and make sure
you separate the answers clearly.
 CONCENTRATE. Look up ways to increase your concentration and memory power.
One suggestion from me would be to picture what the speaker is saying. Make a mental
model or map of all the information. We all have some visuals of certain things in our
mind, whether physical or abstract. Put them into use.
 Be attentive, but relaxed. If you panic, you’re just got stress and miss important
information.

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 Speaking
Speaking can be quite nerve-wracking, because everything you say is being recorded and
marked, and for some reason human beings find speech more vulnerable and personal than
text. I mean, ‘texting’ people is so much easier than talking to them over the phone, right?

For paper 5 of the IGCSE English as a second language, you will be given a topic card based
on which you and the examiner will have a conversation.

 The examiner will start with a informal chat just to get you settled down and comfortable.
This warm-up session will not be marked, so you should make use of it to calm yourself
down and get ready. Be free and open with the examiner. Know that you’re just having a
conversation.
 You will then be given a topic card by the examiner. (During my speaking test, the
examiner understood from the warm-up that I loved reading, so she gave me a topic that
related to fact & fiction. You could do this in the warm-up- give a hint of your interests or
a topic you’re very comfortable talking about).
You will get a few minutes to read the topic and prompts and to come up with your
points. You can add your own points that are not prompted in the card, to get higher
marks!
 These topics tend to be ones you can easily develop a conversation around, so don’t
worry about them! The speaking test is not about how well you know the topic, but how
well you can have a conversation about it – your vocabulary, fluency, structure. As
such, don’t blabber.

This was the topic card I was given in my w15 IGCSE exam!
 Have a stress-free genuine conversation. Don’t make it a speech, just simply have a chat
with your examiner. Answer her questions. All those talk shows you watch and wanted to

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 be a part of? Well, this is the time! Don’t get worried about how good you sound in the
recording. There are going to be thousands of such recordings coming in for examination
and every one of them is going to sound different from the rest. Different accents,
pronunciations, styles, speeds. There’s nothing you have to worry about. Just chat.
 Do avoid ‘umm’ ‘ehh’ ‘err-‘ and all that. Instead, pause.
 If you feel like you’ve had a good conversation keeping to the topic given, then it is
likely that you’ve done a good job!

The speaking tests are one of the first exams in the IGCSE exam sessions. It is perfectly
normal that you will be a bit nervous about it since it’s your first ever board-examination. But
once you’re done, I assure, you will feel silly that you worried about nothing. What’s more, it
helps set the mood for the rest of the exam session. So, calm down- that’s the key to nailing
this test.

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