Aptis for Teachers: Test 2 with Sample B2 Answers

Speaking Part One

30 seconds per answer.

Please tell me about your typical working day.

I get up early, grab a coffee and drive to school. At 8.30 we have a short briefing with the head of department. My classes start at 9.00, and the first thing I do is take the register. I have an hour for lunch at 12.30, and at 3.30 it’s everyone’s favourite time of the day – home time!

Highlighted vocab

grab a coffee (idiom) – get/buy/drink a quick coffee

a briefing – a type of meeting where you are given instructions

take the register – check students’ attendance

What do you usually do in your free time?

I love going to the gym – I train around five times a week. I also enjoy going out with my friends. We normally meet every weekend in the city centre, then have a bite to eat. After that, we go for a wander around town and often go window-shopping, as we don’t have much money to spend.

Highlighted vocab

have a bite to eat – have a light meal

go for a wander – walk slowly, often without any particular sense of purpose or direction

go window-shopping – look at the goods in shop-windows, usually without intending to buy anything

Please tell me about the last course you took.

The last course I took was an Aptis preparation course in a language school in Tashkent city centre. I hadn’t done a language course since university, and I felt my English was getting a little rusty. The lessons were fun and the teacher was funny – she really made an effort to involve everybody.

Highlighted vocab

rusty – when you haven’t practised a skill recently, you describe it, or yourself, as rusty

make an effort – really try

fun vs. funny – ‘fun’ refers something you enjoy, while ‘funny’ makes you laugh

Speaking Part Two 

45 seconds per answer.

Describe this picture.  (It shows three girls dressed as chefs, standing behind a table covered with cakes.)

The picture shows three girls who look about 12 years old. They’re standing behind a table in a garden, decorating cakes. They could be at a party, or maybe it’s a wedding reception, as there’s an enormous pink cake covered with flowers. The girls are all wearing brightly-coloured aprons and chef’s hats. The tall one on the left is smiling and holding out a plate of cup-cakes. The one in the middle looks a bit angry, but the other girl is smiling too.

Highlighted language

look about 12, looks a bit angry – look + adjective

an enormous pink cake – adjective order. When there’s more than one adjective, they normally follow this order*: opinion, size, physical qualities …

(*We’ll be posting an explanation with a mini-test about adjective order soon.)

What practical or real-world skills, such as cookery, are taught in your country?

Let me think … I’m not sure many of the subjects children do at school do prepare them for real life! Maybe I.T.? Computer skills are definitely vital in the real world. Students are also taught financial literacy, which is a necessary real-world skill. And arts and crafts isn’t only creative – children learn how to follow processes too. They also learn teamwork through sports and games. Some schools teach cookery – I wish more did, as it seems to be a lost skill.

Highlighted vocab

Let me think … – this is a good way to give yourself some thinking time!

I.T. – Information Technology

financial literacy – managing your money and planning your spending

Do you think schools should each these skills, or should parents teach them?

Well, that’s an interesting question. I’d say learning how to manage finances is something we should do at school, but it’d be great if parents taught kids basic money skills too, like how to save. Similarly, art should be taught in school, but parents should teach pre-school children simple craft skills, like how to use scissors and glue. Off the top of my head, other things parents could teach are cookery and simple D.I.Y., like bike maintenance.

Highlighted vocab

Well, that’s an interesting question – another good way to give yourself some thinking time!

off the top of my head – without having planned what you’re going to say

D.I.Y. – stands for ‘Do It Yourself’, for example home decorating, repairs, etc

Speaking Part Three 

45 seconds per answer.

Tell me what you see in these two pictures. (They show schoolchildren about to board a bus to go on an excursion, and a group of students on a school trip in an art gallery.)

Both pictures show students on school trips, doing out-of-school activities. In the first photo a group of young teenagers are waiting to get on a coach. They’ve got luggage – suitcases and backpacks – so they could be going on a long trip like an exchange programme … whereas in the second photo the children are probably only on an excursion – they’re in an art gallery. They look interested in what the guide is saying, as one of the girls has got her hand up to ask a question.

Highlighted vocab

school trip – a trip is a journey to a place and back again, especially a short one for pleasure or a particular purpose. Other common collocations are camping trip, boat trip, business trip and shopping trip.

coach – a coach is a more comfortable type of bus for carrying passengers over long distances.

excursion – this is usually just an organised day-trip, or even shorter.

How do trips help with a child’s development?

Days out are good, as they break the monotony of being in the classroom. And as they’re often to museums and galleries, they’re educative too. But to my mind, a trip away from home really helps their development, especially if it involves going abroad. Children’s sense of independence often grows when they have to spend some time away from their family. And having the chance to practise a foreign language reinforces what they’ve done in class and gives them confidence.

Highlighted vocab

days out – day-trips or excursions

break the monotony – collocation

to my mind – synonym: in my opinion, I think, I’d say …

What other extra-curricular activities are important, and why?

Well, I’d say all sporting activities are increasingly important these days, as students have far more sedentary lives than they used to, and many of them really need the exercise. Playing any active games is good, but team sports like football, basketball and netball are best in my opinion, as students have to work together to achieve their goal. It’s also important on a social level, as it often gives them the opportunity to get to know people they wouldn’t normally meet.

Highlighted vocab

lead sedentary lives – collocation

achieve a goal ­– collocation

get to know ­– become familiar with

Speaking Part Four

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

NOTE: You must ensure you answer all three questions, but you don’t have to answer them separately. Often it’s much more natural to address the first two questions at the same time, as your feelings will reflect the narrative of your story.

Tell me what you can remember about starting school.

How did you feel about it?

Do you think children have to start school at too young an age?

I remember it as if it were yesterday. The night before I was so excited that I could hardly sleep. I woke up really early and was ready to go to school about two hours before it started. When I got there I was surprised to see so many kids crying when they went in. But I was the opposite – I loved school from the very first minute. I don’t think I’d ever felt happier! Though when the bell went at the end of the day I felt really sad, and started to cry because I thought it was all over. I hadn’t realised I could go back again the next day!

In my country children usually start school at three years old. I think there are pros and cons to starting at such an early age. On the one hand, being with other children all day really helps with their social skills, like making friends and learning to work together as a team. But on the other hand, a full school day is too long for them to be away from home, in my opinion. They miss their parents, and they get very tired and are more likely to misbehave. So I’d say three years old is a good age to start, but that school days should be shorter for the under-fives.

Highlighted vocab

I remember it as if it were yesterday – it’s a really clear memory

I don’t think I’d ever felt happier – a great way to emphasise a feeling

pros and cons – advantages and disadvantages

misbehave – behave badly