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will have to read about various topics at the university. (Review glossaries/lists of terms used in academic texts.)

-Develop a system for studying new words. (Write each word on a card and mix up the cards each time you study them. Write the context (the sentence the word was used in) to help you learn correct word usage. Group the words according to topic or meaning and study the words as a list of related words. Study vocabulary by making a list of opposites (words with different meanings) and synonyms (words with similar meanings).

-Expand your vocabulary by analyzing the parts of a word. This will help you understand some unknown words that you see.

-Use the context to guess the meaning of unknown words.

-Use resources to help you study vocabulary. (Use an English-English dictionary to learn correct meaning and word usage.)

-Practice correct usage by making sentences with new words.

3. Study the organization of academic texts and overall structure of a reading passage.

-Read an entire passage from beginning to end. (Look for the main ideas of the article. Look for the supporting details. Pay attention to the relationship between the details and main ideas.)

-Learn to recognize the different styles of organization that you find in articles in English in order to understand the way an article is structured. (Pay attention to the connecting words/transitions used for specific relationships.)

-Outline a text to test your understanding of the structure of a reading passage. (Begin by grouping paragraphs that address the same concept. Pay attention to how the key ideas in one paragraph relate to the main points of the next paragraph. Write one sentence summarizing the paragraphs that discuss the same idea. Look at connections between sentences. Look at how the end of one sentence relates to the beginning of the next sentence. Think about the connection between the ideas of the two sentences. Combine the sentences using appropriate transitions words to show the relationship between ideas.)

-Write a summary of the entire passage.

Group 2. Listening skills

1. Practice listening to something in English every day and gradually increase the amount of time that you listen.

- Listen to different kinds of materials. (Listen actively. Try to answer the “wh” questions. Listen passively to get the general idea of what’s being

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said.)

-Keep a listening log (a list of everything you listen to each day/week). (Write a one-sentence summary to remember the main idea of what you heard. Write down new expressions, idioms, and vocabulary that you hear.)

-Use dictations and other exercises to help your listening ability. (Ask an English speaker to dictate an article to you. Good sources of material are newspapers, magazines, and textbooks. First, write down exactly what you hear. Then only take notes on the important points that you hear. Do information gap exercises, using unfamiliar content and complex structures.)

2. Use the resources in your community to practice listening to English.

-Visit places in your community where you can practice listening to English.

-Watch or listen to programs recorded in English. (Watch television programs. Rent videos (turn off the captions!) or go to a movie in English. Listen to a book on tape in English. Listen to music in English and then check your accuracy by finding the lyrics on the Internet (e.g., www.lyrics.com). Listen to English language recordings that come with a transcript. Listen to each recording at least three times. The first time, take notes about the main ideas you hear. The second time, read the transcript and listen for the ideas you wrote down. The third time, write down any words and phrases that you didn't understand and look them up.)

-Go to Internet sites to practice listening. (National Public Radio (www.npr.org); CBS News (www.cbsnews.com); Randall’s Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com); BBC World Service.com Learning English (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish ).)

-Practice speaking English with others.

3. Begin to prepare for academic situations. (Visit academic classes in English. Record lectures or presentations and replay them several times.) 4. Listen for signals that will help you understand the organization of a talk, connections between ideas, and the importance of ideas. (Pay attention to the connections between examples. Pay attention to intonation and other ways that speakers indicate that information is important. Listen for pauses between important points.)

Group 3. Speaking skills

1. Look for opportunities to speak to native speakers of English. Interaction with others will improve your speaking ability. (Ask a native speaker to provide feedback on your pronunciation problems (if any). Join

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an Internet voice chat.)

2. Listen to the radio, and watch TV and movies. Pay attention to idiomatic usage of the language and different accents or speech patterns that are used.

-Write down new expressions you hear. Use the expressions in your everyday English conversations.

-Choose a character from a film or TV show. Repeat the character's words, following the intonation patterns, as he or she speaks. Include the gestures or other body language of the character you are imitating.

3. Practice speaking for a limited time on different topics without a lot of preparation. Time your responses to questions.

-Make a list of questions on topics that interest you (for example, hypothetical situations or academic topics). Answer each of the questions aloud. Try to speak for at least one minute.

4. Use books that come with audio recordings to study pronunciation, stress, and intonation in English.

5. Record yourself and then listen and transcribe what you said.

-Read a short article from a newspaper or textbook. Record yourself summarizing the article.

-Transcribe the recording and review the transcription. Think about other ways to say the same thing.

-Ask a teacher or English-speaking friend to review the transcription and mark any errors.

-Pay attention to your vocabulary and grammar mistakes.

-Correct the errors and check your pronunciation.

-Write down any changes to vocabulary and grammar you think will improve the recording.

Group 4. Writing skills

1. Practice listening to lectures and conversations in English.

-Record news and informational programs in English from the television or radio, or download talks or lectures from the Internet.

-Listen to these programs and take notes on the important points. Summarize the programs in English.

-Listen to them again to check your notes and summaries for accuracy.

2. Practice analyzing reading passages in English.

-Read two articles or chapters on the same topic or issue.

-Write a summary of each, and then explain the ways they are similar and the ways they are different.

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-Practice combining listening and reading by searching for readings related to talks and lectures you or a friend or a teacher can find.

-Develop your vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, and writing skills through extensive reading and listening in a variety of increasingly challenging academic areas.

-Write summaries and comparisons of what you have read.

-Get feedback from a teacher or friend on your comprehension, language, and writing.

22.Project task. Work in 4 groups. Prepare exercises (about 5 – 7) for training in reading/listening/speaking/writing skills according to the information you have read. Exchange your worksheets and do all the assignments. What tasks seem to be more helpful? Why?

23.Do you like or hate to take exams? Are you always nervous? What do you do to pass your exam well? What tips can you share? Brainstorm ideas!

To pass

exam well

24. Look through the tips below and add some ideas to your list. A month before the examination

Your final review should start a month before the examination. Make a planned programme for your revision work.

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Start by thinking about what you can do well and what you do badly. You can gain more marks by improving on your weaknesses than by polishing things which you can already do well. Make sure you understand the exact requirements of the examination and your own strengths and weaknesses. Make a focused revision programme which concentrates on the things which can gain the most marks.

Don't overwork! Always build some relaxation (not too much!) into your revision programme.

If you like working with friends, don't let your revision programme be a lonely time. Work in cooperation with other students. You can learn as much through helping as by being helped!

Use multi-sensory revision

We learn and remember information as pictures, sounds and movements. Think about linking the things you have learnt to pictures, diagrams, music, sounds, movements or sensations. You will find they are easier to remember.

Think of past events in black and white, present events in real colour and future events in strange futuristic colours.

Memorising vocabulary

You can memorise vocabulary by making pictures in your mind or on paper and labelling the different things in the picture. Test yourself regularly. Vocabulary cards, with the word on one side and an example sentence, translation or picture on the reverse, are very useful for revising vocabulary when travelling (NOT if you are driving!). Practise making word families like happiness, happy, happily.

Understanding Grammar

Check through your grammar reference notes and tick off the things you really understand. Concentrate on the areas where your understanding is not so clear. Try to make examples from your own knowledge or experience to help you remember the forms.

Use past papers

Practice exams are very useful for your revision particularly if you time yourself strictly. Don't let practice exams make you depressed. They can be really useful in showing what you need to practise and learn.

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Use your teacher

Your teacher knows you very well. Ask your teacher for advice on your revision programme.

Build some 'rewards' into your revision programme!

Make a tough revision programme for yourself and work hard but build in some rewards for yourself after you have completed each stage of revision satisfactorily.

A week before the examination

Look back at your revision programme. Is it complete? Aren't there some things you want to look at again? Use this week for some focused revision.

Review your revision notes every day. Try reviewing your notes without looking at them. Which parts are difficult to remember? Concentrate on learning those parts.

Remember that the examination asks you to do things in English. It is not a test of how well you remember your notes. Use your time to do some relaxing things in English.

Look back at the written work you did a year ago. Do you see how much you have improved? Think positively about yourself and your achievements.

Think about what you are going to wear for the examination. You should be comfortable, but try to choose something special for this special day. This means that when you put on those clothes, you will already be preparing yourself for the examination.

Get as much sleep as you can. Don't waste time worrying about the examination. You will not learn anything by worrying. Find some time to take exercise. You can try to remember phrasal verbs when you are jogging or plan a composition whilst you take a walk.

Travel to the place where you will take the examination. Check that you know the way and the time. Use the journey time to plan your examination strategy.

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Remember to send 'good luck' messages to all your friends who are taking the same examination.

The night before the examination don't eat a heavy meal. Eat something light but nutritious. Avoid alcohol. Take some exercise and go to bed early.

On the day of the examination

Dress in your 'examination clothes' and prepare yourself for this special day. Open and read the 'good luck' messages from your friends. Have a good breakfast but don't drink too much. You shouldn't feel hungry or uncomfortable in any way during the examination.

Check through the 'time plan' you have made for the examination. Know how much time you will give to each question. Check you have given yourself time for checking and correcting.

Check that you have all the pens and papers you need for the examination. For many examinations you may need some identification papers.

As you travel to the place of the examination, remind yourself of your examination strategy.

During the examination

Focus your mind on what you have to do. Don't be distracted by outside things or by other students.

Keep an eye on the clock but try not to hurry. Always give yourself time to check your work.

Remember you will get no marks for any questions you do not attempt so make sure that you complete as much of the examination as possible.

After the examination

Don't worry about the mistakes you made and the things you got wrong. You will have a long wait for the results so go out and enjoy your freedom! The results are not as good as you expected? Well, you can always take the examination again. You are now a better, more organised person and a better learner. It will be much easier next time.

The results are good? Congratulations!

25. Read the text again and find the words in the text that mean:

-the process of going over a subject again in study or recitation in order to fix it in the memory or summarize the facts;

-a plan or schedule of activities, procedures, etc., to be followed;

-relief from bodily or mental work, effort, etc.;

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-to bring all efforts, faculties, activities, etc., to bear on one thing or activity;

-examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition;

-to move or act with speed or haste.

26. Is it true or false?

1.Make sure you understand the exact requirements of the examination and your own weaknesses and strengths.

2.Work as much as you can.

3.Vocabulary cards are useless for revising vocabulary.

4.Ask your groupmate for advice on your revision programme.

5.Review your revision notes five times a day.

6.Your clothes should be special for the day of examination.

7.Eat more meat the night before the examination.

8.During the examination try to do everything very quickly.

9.Don't worry about the mistakes you made.

27.Design a poster for your friend to help him/her to get good results at the examination. As a group, choose the best poster.

28.Read the text about our memory and answer the questions:

1.What are the three ‘Rs’?

2.What types of memory do you know?

3.Can you match the pictures (pic. 17, a – c) with memory types?

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Medium term memory ('Chemical' memory)

Medium term memory can store more data (information and ideas) for longer periods. Data can only be received into medium term memory by regularly activating and using the data. Even if we activate the material regularly over a period of time, a long period of inactivity will cause the memory to disappear. We can all remember how to ride a bicycle, but do we remember the colour of our first bicycle? Medium term memory is like the hard disk on your computer.

Long term memory ('Structural' memory)

Long term memory is so deep that it actually changes the structure of our brain. In computer terms the memory is 'hard-wired'. Even if the power is switched off and the computer is left unused for many years the memory is retained within the structure (circuits) of the computer. In Italian, people talk about the 'incarnation' of memory – where the memory becomes part of our own flesh.

Receiving multi-sensory experience

Your working memory receives information through your senses. If you see it, say it, hear it and do it in a revision session, you will create a four-lane motorway into your medium term memory.

This is why you should try to learn in a multi-sensory way and use them all to make as many different 'mental' connections as you can. So sitting for hours just reading will take you four times as long to memorise the same information! See it, say it, hear it, do it!

Why do we forget?

-Poor understanding

-Poor attention, poor listening

-Distractions

-Tiredness, anxiety, emotions, mood and stress

-Interference new information being confused with existing information

-Poor learning strategy – not having cues or memory triggers to unlock and retrieve the facts

-Disuse or insufficient rehearsal or practice using a review cycle

-Lack of importance – you don't remember what you don't value

-Improper organisation – trying to cram too much information into your brain without sorting it into categories

-Dehydration – the brain needs water to conduct electrical pulses fast

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