Exam practice material can be soulless and dry at times, and the tasks we get our students to do can be divorced from their lives and personal experience. In this session, we're going to look at the essentials of exam preparation (both in terms of language skills development and exam skills confidence). We'll then look at how to bring in a simple but effective element of student-centred personalisation to exam practice. This can help create a cohesive and coherent thread through disparate tasks and topics. It can also aid motivation, encourage the use of skills such as critical thinking, cultural awareness and research, and consolidate exam skills too.

Key learning outcomes: exam prep essentials; how to bring in student-centred personalisation to exam practice

Length: 30 mins (approx.) + 15 mins Q&A

Watch this webinar again where you can download the certificate at the end!

Author Profile

Malcolm Mann is an English language teacher and materials writer. He is the co-author of numerous ELT courses, including the Laser and Destination series (both published by Macmillan), and has given presentations in many countries round the world. Malcolm lives and works in Greece, where he holds joint responsibility for the production of the L.A.A.S. English language exams. He is a former Chairperson of TESOL Greece. In his spare time, he's a partner in a bike shop and a cafe/bar in Athens.

Teaser questions

1.  Exams test language skills, but require students to have specific exam skills. How can we best make sure they acquire both?
2. How closely do the tasks/topics of exam practice materials relate to your students own lives? Does this sometimes lead to motivational problems?
3. How can we make exam practice material more relevant to our students' lives and experience?
4. What would be your 'top ten' tips for a group of students about to take an exam?

Download the presentation