4699-7Y01-Reviewing FCE and CAE Bulletin9:FCE and CAE 2008 Leaflet bulletin8 14/11/07 12:11 Page 2
Reviewing FCE and CAE
Bulletin 9, November 2007
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Experts in Language Assessment
General Update
Over the last two years, Cambridge ESOL has carried out a thorough review of the FCE and CAE
examinations and will be introducing updated versions of these examinations from December 2008.
The last three bulletins have focused on the Reading, Writing, and Use of English papers, and the
bulletin previous to these, Bulletin 5, contains an overview of the full FCE and CAE December 2008
Specifications. Bulletin 9 now follows with a detailed description of the Listening papers, along
with a rationale for the changes, and advice on preparing students for the exams. The next bulletin
will focus on the Speaking papers.
Bulletins 5, 6, 7 and 8 are available at:
www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/fce.htm and www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/cae.htm
FCE Paper 4 Listening (from December 2008)
• The paper has 4 parts and there are 30 questions in total.
• There are eight short extracts in Part 1, one long text in each of Parts 2 and 4 and a series
of five related monologues in Part 3.
• Each listening text is heard twice.
• The listening test lasts approximately 40 minutes, including five minutes for the transferring
of answers to the answer sheet. For Part 2, candidates need to write in capital letters.
PART 1 MULTIPLE CHOICE
Part 1 consists of eight short unrelated extracts. Each extract is followed by a 3-option multiple-
choice question which may require candidates to identify detail, gist, function, purpose, attitude,
opinion, relationship, topic, place, situation, genre or agreement, among others; the question for
each extract is both printed on the paper and read aloud thus giving candidates support.
The extract may take the form of a monologue or an exchange between speakers, and lasts
approximately 30 seconds. The listening texts draw on a wide range of topics and sources, and
candidates can expect to listen to a correspondingly varied range of accents and voices.
PART 2 SENTENCE COMPLETION
Part 2 consists of one long listening text which is either a monologue or a text with interacting
speakers and lasts approximately three minutes. This part of the paper tests the candidate’s ability
to follow a continuous text and to show their understanding of what they have heard by completing
10 sentences with specific words or phrases. The missing information is predominantly factual and
the gapped sentences follow the order in which the information is heard in the recording. The
candidate is not required to make any grammatical change to the key information needed to
complete each sentence correctly. Topics which are of general interest to the international
candidature at FCE level are drawn from a number of sources.
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Experts in Language Assessment
PART 3 MULTIPLE MATCHING
Part 3 consists of five short monologues. The five speakers are different, but their monologues are
related either by subject or function. Each monologue lasts approximately 30 seconds and
candidates have to complete a multiple-matching task which contains six options. Candidates are
listening to understand gist, detail, function, purpose, attitude, opinion, relationship, topic, place,
situation, genre or agreement, among others, in order to choose the correct option to match what
each speaker says. As there are six options, one option acts as a distractor, and does not need to
be selected.
PART 4 MULTIPLE CHOICE
Part 4 consists of one continuous monologue or a text with interacting speakers and lasts
approximately three minutes. This part of the paper focuses predominantly on the ability to
understand a speaker’s opinions and attitudes, though it may include listening in order to
understand gist, main idea or specific information. The task consists of seven 3-option multiple-
choice questions which follow the sequence of what is heard in the recording. The multiple-choice
questions are presented in such a way that they either rephrase, report or summarise the ideas
which are expressed by the speaker(s), and candidates are expected to distinguish the correct
option from their understanding of both gist and detail.
Rationale for the format
The updated FCE Listening paper has a fixed format which, with the changes to CAE Listening,
means that all listening tests in the Cambridge ESOL main suite exams are in line in this respect.
The test focus for each part of the test has not been changed, but the standardisation of task in Part
2 and Part 4 means that candidates will know what to expect, so any concerns that alternative task
types may seem different in level to others will be removed. The texts each focus on a type of
listening situation which candidates at this level are likely to encounter when they use English in
a range of real-life contexts.
Part 1 has been retained as it has proved to be effective, with a variety of focuses, topics and
vocabulary areas. The short listening texts are perceived to be more accessible than the longer texts
which come later in the paper as candidates know that each question gives them a fresh start.
The listening texts in this part reflect the need to understand meaning in real-life situations when
conversations, messages or media information are heard or overheard.
In Part 2, the productive task based on sentence completion provides an effective way of assessing
a candidate’s ability to follow a longer continuous text. Note-taking and blank filling have been
proven to be suitable at lower levels, for example in the Preliminary English Test (PET), but the
majority of text types suitable for FCE do not lend themselves easily to a note-taking task.
Candidates also perceive the relative difficulty of these tasks differently in that note-taking does
not require grammatical accuracy while sentence completion does, although this is not supported
by statistical evidence. A further advantage of the sentence completion task is that it constrains the
required answer more successfully than the note-taking task.
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Experts in Language Assessment
In Part 4, the 3-option multiple-choice task represents a reliable method for testing opinion and
attitude. Candidates have already been familiarised with this task type in Part 1; in Part 4, they are
prepared to encounter the same task but this time in a sustained context. The questions are ordered
chronologically according to the information presented in the text, and the multiple-choice task –
as well as allowing for questions to be distributed evenly throughout the text – also allows for
a final global question (where appropriate) based on the complete text.
Recordings contain a range of accents which correspond to standard variants of English. Any accent
use is mild, and all texts are delivered at natural native-speaker speed.
CAE Paper 4 Listening (from December 2008)
• The paper has 4 parts and there are 30 questions in total.
• There are three short texts in Part 1, one long text in each of Parts 2 and 3 and a series
of five monologues on a theme in Part 4.
• Each listening text is heard twice.
• The listening test lasts approximately 40 minutes, including five minutes for the transferring
of answers to the answer sheet. For Part 2, candidates need to write in capital letters.
PART 1 MULTIPLE CHOICE
Part 1 consists of three unrelated short texts. These texts are approximately one minute in length
and involve more than one speaker. Texts are taken from a wide range of real-life contexts and,
therefore, contain a correspondingly wide range of topics, voices and styles of delivery. There are
two 3-option multiple-choice questions on each text. The questions focus on both gist and detailed
understanding as well as asking candidates to identify things such as: the feelings, attitudes and
opinions of speakers, agreement between speakers, and speaker purpose. Each question focuses
on a different aspect of the text.
PART 2 SENTENCE COMPLETION
Part 2 consists of an informational monologue. The text is approximately three minutes in length.
Texts typically take the form of talks, lectures or broadcasts aimed at a non-specialist audience and
are delivered in a neutral or semi-formal style. A series of eight independent sentences report the
main ideas from the text and candidates show their understanding of what they have heard by
completing gaps in these sentences. There is one gap per sentence which is completed by a single
word or short phrase from the listening text. The task focuses on the retrieval of specific information
and stated opinions from the text.
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Experts in Language Assessment
PART 3 MULTIPLE CHOICE
Part 3 consists of one long text involving two or more speakers. The text is approximately four
minutes in length and typically takes the form of a broadcast interview or discussion aimed at a
non-specialist audience, in which attitudes and opinions are explored in some depth. A series of six
4-option multiple-choice questions focuses on both the detailed understanding of points raised,
and on the views and feelings of individual speakers. The questions may focus on either detailed or
gist understanding, and often require the attitude and opinions of speakers, both explicitly stated
and implied, to be identified.
PART 4 MULTIPLE MATCHING
Part 4 consists of a series of five short monologues on a theme. Each monologue lasts
approximately 30 seconds. The monologues represent spontaneous speech, delivered in an
informal spoken style by speakers with a range of backgrounds and voices. There are two parallel
multiple-matching tasks, each with a different focus. In each case, the correct option is chosen from
a list of eight. The series of monologues is heard twice, but candidates may approach the tasks in
either order or simultaneously. Each task focuses on a different aspect of gist understanding, for
example: interpreting context, identifying the speaker, identifying main points, attitudes and
opinions.
Rationale for the format
The CAE Listening paper has a fixed format, each of the four parts focusing on both general and
specific listening skills in the context of defined listening texts and task types. Candidates at this
level should be able to employ a range of listening skills to deal with different types of spoken
language as well as with a range of speakers, contexts and interaction patterns.
The texts in Parts 2, 3 and 4 each focus on a type of listening situation which candidates at this
level are likely to encounter as they use English in real-life contexts: the informational monologue,
the broadcast interview or discussion and spontaneous informal speech. The tasks are designed to
test the skills required to deal with spoken language in each of these different situations, but also
test broader listening skills relevant to a wide range of work, study and recreational contexts.
The inclusion of shorter texts in Part 1 allows a greater variety of text types, contexts, topics, voices
and interaction patterns to be included in the paper, as well as a wider range of testing focus. This
part also offers a number of ‘fresh starts’, with each text having a new context and speakers. This
allows candidates to build up confidence before engaging with longer texts. As each short text has
more than one speaker, with a range of interaction patterns including conversations between
friends and colleagues, transactional dialogues, plus informal media interviews and discussions,
the variety of listening situations across the paper as a whole is increased.
In all parts of the test, texts are delivered at natural speed appropriate to context, with a range
of voices and accents. All texts are heard twice.
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Experts in Language Assessment
Preparing for the Listening Papers
The best preparation for the Listening papers is exposure to, and engagement with, a wide range
of spoken English. It is obviously desirable for students to encounter a variety of different accents:
for example, American, Australian, Canadian as well as regional UK accents – for example, Northern,
Scottish, London – bearing in mind that any accent in the papers will be relatively mild. Successful
candidates are likely to be those who routinely listen to the language being used in a variety of
situations both inside and outside the classroom, and who regularly take part in spoken interaction
in English. Familiarity with what to expect in the test will also bring confidence in tackling the tasks.
A number of the listening texts in the papers have as their context the type of media broadcasts
which are widely available throughout the world via television and the internet. News, documentary
and discussion programmes from a range of English-speaking cultures will therefore provide
exposure to suitable listening material.
For many candidates, the classroom provides the main contact with spoken English, and classroom
discussion activities are an invaluable source of listening practice. However, it is important to
supplement classroom interaction with other resources. These can be drawn from the radio, the
internet, television, professionally published materials, audio books and even English-speaking
visitors who may be persuaded to come and give talks to students.
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Experts in Language Assessment
In choosing study materials and setting tasks, teachers may find that the most useful types
of listening activity are those which:
• draw on the range of topics and contexts found in FCE and CAE;
• introduce and familiarise students with a range of different voices, accents and styles of delivery;
• help students to understand the purpose of tasks and what is expected of them;
• give practice in predicting meaning from context;
• help students write down key pieces of detailed information accurately from a listening text;
• encourage students to read the word(s) which appear after as well as before the gap in Part 2
in order to understand the meaning of the complete sentence;
• develop students’ confidence by helping them to appreciate that gist listening does not rely
on understanding every word;
• alert students to understand that word-spotting, i.e. matching a word they have heard with the
same word printed on the paper is not a reliable way of answering a question; they need a wider
understanding of the piece of text;
• help students to identify text types, e.g., announcements, interviews, lectures, anecdotes,
and adopt appropriate listening strategies;
• increase sensitivity to the role of stress and intonation in supporting meaning;
• make good use of listening twice as a means of checking understanding.
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