Aptis for Teachers: Test 3 with Sample B2 Answers

Aptis for Teachers Test 3 with Sample B2 Answers: Script

Part One

30 seconds per answer.

What do you like about your job?

Well, the thing I’ve found most rewarding is working with teenagers and seeing how their characters develop over the years. I enjoy the challenge too. But I’d have to say that the real bonus is the holidays – having a long summer break is fantastic, and I’m sure all my colleagues would agree that we need it!

Highlighted structures

I’ve found … over the years – present perfect

I’d have to say / they would agree – second conditional

having – gerund noun

What did you do in your last lesson?

Let me think … I explained what ‘false friends’ were, as we’ve been studying a lot of vocabulary recently and a few examples had come up in class. So I told them about one of my own mistakes. I once said I was ‘embarazada’, not realising it doesn’t mean ‘embarrassed’ in Spanish – it actually means ‘pregnant’!

Highlighted structures

I explained what … were – indirect speech

we’ve been studying – present perfect continuous

had come up – past perfect (phrasal verb)

*False friends are words that look or sound the same as words in the learner’s first language, but in fact are different in meaning. You often find them in tests. We’ll soon be publishing a post on these.

Tell me about a teacher you didn’t like

To tell the truth, I couldn’t stand any of the teachers at secondary school. I always had the impression that they weren’t interested in educating us – they were just intent on getting through the day. There was one teacher I especially despised, as he used to hit the kids with a belt. Just as well that’s not allowed any more!

Highlighted structures

couldn’t stand / despised – hated

interested in educating / intent on getting – adjective + preposition + verb + ing

that’s not allowed – passive voice

Part Two

45 seconds per answer.

Describe this picture. 

There are five children sitting in a line and looking at mobile phones or gaming devices. They could be playing the same game. They’re wearing old-fashioned costumes, which makes a strange contrast with the modern technology! One boy’s dressed as an admiral, and the other looks as if he’s from a royal court. Two of the girls are in ankle-length dresses, and the third is in tartan – it might be a school uniform, so maybe they’re in a school play – perhaps it’s a dress rehearsal.

Highlighted structures

might be / could be – modal verbs of speculation

which makes – relative clause

he looks as if he’s from a royal court – look like + clause (or + noun)

What type of games do children in your country play?

Well, I’d say that video games are probably the most popular type nowadays, especially among older children … all my teenage students seem to be addicted to screens! But during the school break, you can still see children playing active games like football or skipping. And traditional games like hide-and-seek, hopscotch and rock, paper, scissors are still popular. Most younger kids also play make-believe games, like ‘teachers and students’ or ‘doctors and nurses’.

Highlighted children’s games

In British English we call the activity you can see in this video ‘skipping‘. Americans call it ‘jumping rope’.

Here’s how to play hide and seek.

This video shows how to play hopscotch.

And this one explains the game rock, scissors, paper.

Make-believe games involve taking on an imaginary character and/or situation.

How have children’s games changed in the last fifty years?

I think they’ve changed a lot in general, especially since I was a child. These days you hardly ever see children playing in the street, but we were always playing sporty games outside. The other main change is who they play with. At home we used to play cards and board games with all the family together, but nowadays children often play online games alone in their rooms. Well, I say alone – in fact they’re usually connected with kids from all over the world … so that’s different!

Highlighted structures

they’ve changed – present perfect for changes

we were always playing – past continuous

used to play – past habits

Part Three

45 seconds per answer.

Tell me what you see in these two pictures

Both pictures show women teaching, but the types of classes are very different. The first photo shows a typical primary classroom with quite a lot of students, whereas the second looks like a one-to-one class with a tutor and a teenager or young adult. Maybe it’s an adult education course. The tutor’s sitting next to the student, giving her individual attention and probably helping with her writing, while the primary teacher’s standing at an interactive whiteboard and talking to the whole class.

Highlighted structures

whereas / while – contrasting connectors

looks like a one-to-one class – looks like + noun or noun phrase

maybe / probably – alternatives to ‘it could be / it might be’

What would it be like to be a teacher in these two classes?

Teaching the large group would be more tiring because students nearly always have different educational needs. You’d need a tight lesson-plan, as it may be too challenging for some, and too easy for others, so you’d have to consider what extra activities you could give fast finishers. For a one-to-one tutor, it depends how well you get on with the student. If they’re keen, friendly and hardworking, the time flies. But if they’re bored, unfriendly and lazy, the lesson seems to last forever!

Highlighted teaching lexis

different educational needs – this could apply to level or behavioural needs

tight lesson-plan – a well thought-out plan that covers all possibilities

one-to-one tutor – a teacher who works with only one student

How important is it to keep classes small?

It’s really important, for several reasons. Firstly, there’s more opportunity for student-teacher interaction in a small class. Interacting with the teacher can really help students feel better in class, especially younger learners who are new to school. What’s more, having smaller classes allows us to concentrate more on the material we’re teaching and less on classroom management. And with a large class, it’s much harder to give students individual attention and keep track of their progress.

Highlighted teaching lexis

student-teacher interaction – how students and teachers relate to each other

classroom management – keeping order and discipline in class

keep track of – observe and remember, monitor

Part Four

One minute to think & take notes,two minutes to answer all three questions. 

Tell me about a time when you observed or were observed by another teacher.

How did you feel about it?

How important is other colleagues’ advice?

I clearly remember the first time I was observed. It was when I was doing the practical part of my teacher-training course. The classroom was tiny, and there were 20 students, the course tutor, and six other trainees. Everyone had been really supportive throughout the course, which gave me some confidence. I’d spent ages preparing the class, even though I only had to do a 15-minute slot, but I was still so nervous that when I wrote on the board my hand was shaking, I was sweating and I nearly lost my voice! Luckily it all went well in the end.

It’s very important to take notice of your colleagues’ advice, especially when you’re a novice teacher without much experience. I used to work in a school that had a mentoring scheme where they paired you up with an experienced teacher. You’d go and watch each other teach every fortnight, and then meet straight after the class to discuss how the lesson had gone. She gave me lots of tips about lesson-planning and classroom management, especially about how to deal with disruptive students. I’d had some problems with teenage classes when I started teaching, so that really helped. Now I try to pass her advice on to other new teachers.

Highlighted teaching lexis

trainee ­/treɪˈniː/ – someone who is being taught to do a particular job by a trainer. Other common ‘er/ee’ endings are: examiner/examinee, interviewer/interviewee, employer/employee

a 15-minute slot – you can divide a class into short slots. Notice that there’s no plural ‘s’ on minute, as this is a compound adjective

mentoring scheme ­– organised sessions with more experienced colleagues

disruptive students – those who behave badly and interrupt the lesson