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Common problems

Here is a selection of some of the common problems that learners have in the test and some tips for helping to avoid them.

Gaps in vocabulary knowledge including spelling

• Give your learners regular spelling quizzes.
• Play well-known word games with the vocabulary like hangman, Pictionary, putting letters in order and matching words to pictures. See Activity 3 and Activity 4 for ideas.
• Use the wordlists in the Handbook for teachers to help you plan and tick off the vocabulary you cover in class.

Grammar errors that affect understanding or communication

• Use songs and communicative activities to help learners get more familiar with different grammar structures. See the Resources page to help you find resources.
• Make a ‘right or wrong’ quiz out of learners’ common errors, for example, Activity 6.
• Use the grammar lists in the Handbook for teachers to help you plan – tick off the grammar you cover in class.

Not reading the text as a whole in the gap-fill task (A1 Movers and A2 Flyers Reading and Writing paper)

When you practise this type of task in class, give learners the text before you give them the words to put in the gaps. Before they do the gap-fill, you can:

• ask them to tell you what the text is about
• ask them to guess words that might fit in the gaps.

Not answering all questions

Try Activity 1 to give learners lots of practice with the type of tasks they didn’t answer.

Shyness or lack of confidence in the Speaking test/giving very short answers (A1 Movers and A2 Flyers)

• Try games that help learners talk for 30 seconds on topics they are familiar with.
• Give time to prepare before speaking. For example, learners can write all the vocabulary they need first or make notes.
• Build repetition into speaking activities. For example, learners mingle and ask and answer questions with different classmates or try a Pyramid discussion – see Activity 5.

Not listening to all of the recording carefully in the Listening paper but writing the first answer they hear

Give clear feedback on listening tasks – make sure learners know why their answer is correct/incorrect. For example, give learners the chance to find answers in the audioscript and underline them.

Writing too much/too little in the story-writing task (A2 Flyers)

• Show pictures and ask your class for ideas about a story first before they write – encourage them to use their imagination.
• Give learners plenty of timed practice.
• Encourage Flyers to count their words so they know what 20 words or more looks like in their handwriting.

Unclear handwriting

• You can find many handwriting worksheets online to help learners practise by tracing or copying letters.
• If your learners can access a smartphone or tablet, there are also free handwriting apps they can download.
• Writing imaginary letters in the air with a finger adds movement for young learners and helps them learn where each letter starts and ends.