Do you speak English?

Dícese de los políglotas o practicantes de lenguas varias.

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mariki
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Re: Do you speak english?

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Are you gonna enroll in a language school or do it by yourself?

First, you should compare the different tests and think which one you want to do. Then, lots of practice. Try to guess in which skills you have more problems with and emphasize them. If you see, for ex, that you have problems with listening, focus on listen podcast, movies, audiobooks... and work hard.

There are specific books depending on the exam.

For Cambridge, I use one, Objective PET/First/CAE... It has short units, 30 I think, and in each of them there's always activities similar to the exam. Then, there are also some books just composed of tests
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Ratpenat
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Re: Do you speak english?

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I was thinking of a school but they either want me to stay too long or pay too much...

It doesn't scare me to prepare it by myself but my biggest problem is production. I can comprehend almost anything I read or listen.

And also, it's not an easy test and I wouldn't like to fail after all. That's why I thought of a school.
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mariki
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Re: Do you speak english?

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Which level are you thinking about?

Anyway, one thing is to understand the texts/recordings and another thing is to do the exercises :wink:

For writing, there is a website where you upload your writings and native people correct them. I've used it many times. But they correct grammar and vocabulary, not style or register for the exercises. But it's very helpful.

And there is another website to talk via skype with foreign people. I've use it but not much, I'm quite shy.

I think a language school will help you focus on the exam and give you tips to pass it. Also, it forces you to study. Maybe, if you do it by yourself, you don't study as much as you should, because there's no one pressing you to study until last month or so :cunao:

I know the tests are expensive. EOI is cheaper and it's not a bad test, but it is not accepted outside Spain
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Emilio6
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Re: Do you speak english?

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I took the EOI exam and I recommend it to you because it is the only official certificate for public exams. And it is cheaper ;)


I think that IELTS is valid only for two years
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mariki
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Re: Do you speak english?

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Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. That's why I said at the beginning that the exam depends on your needs. Or I wanted to say that and I forgot :cunao:

Cambridge: international value, forever, and you can get a certificate no matter how the test goes. For ex: you prepare for B2 and you do a perfect exam (90% of the mark) they give you a C1 certificate. If you get a 50% or more, you get a B1. I think you need a 70% to pass the exam (well, I think it depends on the level, C1 may be 60% )

EOI: it gives you points in some public jobs. For teachers, you obtain 2 points with a B2 for the oposiciones. Cheaper and you have 2 tries, june and sept, and they save you the skills you have passed.

Trinity, APTIS, and some more... easy ones, recommended to people who want the certificate to obtain their degree, but I don't like them much
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Ratpenat
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Re: Do you speak english?

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I thought of the EOI too.

I will most probably use the certificate for Spain... BUT it is not sure I will. I have done sometimes things outside Spain and while I never needed it, one never knows.

It is for oposiciones, yes. I thought the CAE was good for it too though.
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mariki
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Re: Do you speak english?

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All of this is what I believe, but it's better if you ask someone who knows the facts for sure.

The only test that gives you points for oposiciones (at least, teaching oposiciones) is EOI. 2 points for having a B2 (aprobar quinto). I don't know for other oposiciones and I'm not sure if they have changed this and Cambridge is also valid.

EOI has a little problem, (I'm always talking about the exam in Andalucia, the one I'm familiar with). In every section, there are two exercises: reading, listening, speaking and writing. But you don't know which exercises are going to be. In listening you can have: fill in the gaps, true/false, multiple choice, rearrange the sentences... You only know that there are 2 of them, but not the exact type of exercise. Same for the rest skills. In Cambridge, you know exactly which type of exercises you are going to have, they are always the same and you don't get any surprises there.

But you have 2 chances with EOI. If in June you pass reading and writing and fail speaking and listening, you can do just these two parts in Sept and they save you the pass ones. But only in the same year. Grades are only pass or fail, not marks.

I'm not sure if you can enroll at this time of the year. And I recommend you to go to classes, even at semipresencial. The speaking tests is graded by the teachers. I know someone who went to the exam studying by herself. She was told by one of the teacher that they don't know free style students and maybe you had a bad day which doesn't represent the real level that you have, or maybe you are too nervous. The thing is that she said that with normal students, she knows them and their level and she could be a bit more benevolent at the exam. Here in Andalucia is quite harder to pass the free test than going to classes.
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Ratpenat
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Re: Do you speak english?

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Well, I don't plan on being a teacher...

I called the academy (of oposiciones) that I just joined to ask if there is an exam that goes better for me and they ansewered that it depends on the announcement and that they can't know for sure which certificate could they ask for of if there will be a certificate at all.

It pisses me off! :evil:

How am I going to prepare for something if I can't know what should I prepare??

Thank you for your help, anyway, you've been most kind. :60:
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mariki
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Re: Do you speak english?

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It's normal that you are angry. They should know :roll:

Well, in that case, I imagine that they could ask for a level, not a specific certificate. The only specific case that I know of that they do is teaching oposiciones and EOI (vas a obtener un trabajo en la Junta, paga a la Junta por esos 2 puntos extra :roll: )

Both tests are ok. I prefer a little bit more the Cambridge but because it's international and you know which exercises are you going to face and you can prepare them better. But any of both choice will be fine. Let us know if you go for one and maybe we can help you more :wink:
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Emilio6
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Re: Do you speak english?

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EOI certificate is valid in all Europe and other countries. And, if it is for "oposiciones", I wouldn't think twice because, as far as I know, it is the only certificate that gives you points.

EOI system is based on CEFR:
1st course: A1
2nd: A2
3rd & 4 th: B1
5th& 6th: B2
At least in Asturias it is like this.

Your level when you finish high school is A2, so you could enrol for the third course.
I'm not sure, but you cannot enrol for getting the B2 certificate if you don't have B1.
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lucia
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Re: Do you speak english?

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Ive started practicing writing English now with blog articles in LinkedIn. The first one is about job hunting from an introvert perspective. If I have to reread it, I'll probably delete it now. :oops: :lol:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/job-hunt ... olom%C3%A9
Nuestra editorial: www.osapolar.es

Si cedes una libertad por egoísmo, acabarás perdiéndolas todas.

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Bronia
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Re: Do you speak english?

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I like it, boss. I envy your grammar! :wink: . I think you have a few typoos such as "On clear example is language level."
I use commas the same way you do: like I´m writing in spanish. But native english speakers for what I´ve seen (at least in USA), do not tend to use them as we do. In my previous job my boss used to tell me: please write me this comunication but for god sake spare me the commas! And I was like, ok:
Dear. all
Please. be. advise. that. on. July. 4.t.h. we. won´t. be. working.
thank. you


I´d like to improve in my writing though.
I found myself really confy chatting and speaking english in a informal way... you know, gatherings, friends... talking about personal stuff, maybe politics. But when it comes to be serious, elegant, neat and professional well, I sart my guachiguachi :cunao:
I´ve been practicing improving my CV´s, cover letter and now at my new job. But I want to nail it.
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triste
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Re: Do you speak english?

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lucia escribió:Ive started practicing writing English now with blog articles in LinkedIn. The first one is about job hunting from an introvert perspective. If I have to reread it, I'll probably delete it now. :oops: :lol:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/job-hunt ... olom%C3%A9
10/10 article, Lucía.

"One clear example is language level. If asked if my level is proficiency or first level/advanced, my answer is usually advanced since I know I would fail, as many English speakers would as well, the Proficiency (CPE) exam even though I know many people speaking worst English than mine say that’s their level."

I completely relate to this. Every time someone asks about my level I always say "hmm, I'm not sure, maybe B2" even though I have an advanced certificate and I'm studying for the CPE. My American friends have told me that my English is pretty good and yet I never feel confident enough when it comes to job interviews or things like that. I guess my confidence and skills would improve once I spend more time in a place where everyone speaks English, but for now I'll have to put up with the fact that people with a worst level than mine have way more confidence and they tend to get the jobs I'd like to have but never apply to because of my shyness. :|
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lucia
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Re: Do you speak english?

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You both can click on like there if you want. :lista: :cunao: But I'm glad you enjoyed it :) Next one might be on women in engineering.

Bronia, I can live with a few typos. Speaking, I've been known for changing feminine and masculine and singular and plural almost in the same phrase. Wanting to speak at the same speed as in Spanish doesn't help :shock:

Triste, you write a pretty good English. And if you don't feel too confident about talking, just remember that native Americans can have a lot of problems understanding native English speakers :mrgreen: :mrgreen: I know, because my team mates were of both sides of the Atlantic. I still remember the time we were working on a project on Cheddar and the American asked if he could repeat and spell it. The Brit was 'cheddar, like the cheese' :lol:

I now say that English was my working language or something along that line.
Nuestra editorial: www.osapolar.es

Si cedes una libertad por egoísmo, acabarás perdiéndolas todas.

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Bronia
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Re: Do you speak english?

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I've certainly improved my English since I came to US...
My biggest issues are using the right tenses... I think I use the present perfect and pp continuous tenses more than I should. I feel better speaking than writing as I haven't done a proper study of the language. I did an intermediate English course in Venezuela that helped me a lot to survive but it wasn't enough later on.
And that's one of my problem too, Lucia. I speak Spanish really fast and I try to do the same in English... doesn't help at all. But also, try to talk to a New Yorker in a very slow pace... that's impossible. :cunao:
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