In this episode of PASS FCE….7 reasons why you should study for the FCE exam at a language academy and not prepare by yourself.

Welcome to PASS FCE, a Mansion Ingles podcast specifically created to help you pass the Cambridge First Certificate in English Exam.

I’m Craig, I’m a teacher at the British Council in Valencia, Spain, a Cambridge Oral examiner with over 20 years of teaching experience.

1. Organization
2. Motivation
3. Teacher and peer support
4. Speaking
5. accountability
6. consistency
7. fun

1. Organization

Your teacher is responsible for the course – My classes, for example, are adapted to the needs and abilities of the students.

You still need to organise your vocabulary, grammar etc

2. Motivation

You have your motivation (get a better job, study abroad etc), but there is also external motivation (provided by your teacher, your classmates etc)

Imagine there’s something good on the TV or your mate comes to play a video game. It’s easier to say no if you have a class to go to.

Your teacher motivates you

Your classmates motivate you

If you need a support group and/or have questions while you’re studyng, you can ask us and the Mansión Inglés community on Facebook.

3. Teacher and peer support

Help from teacher to answer your questions

You can learn from your classmates and they learn from you. Human interraction more powerful than interacting with a computer or doing exercises in a book at home

4. Speaking

You can prepare the other parts at home, but what about the speaking?

There are examples of the speaking test on YouTube, Search YouTube for “FCE speaking exam” or “FCE speaking test”

The teacher will make sure you have the speaking practice you need in class before the exam.

5. Accountability

You do homework

Your teacher gives you assessment and tests, you do practice exams in the class before the exam.

6. Consistency

Study for 2 hours twice a week AND do homework (every day if possible – better half an hour a day than 4 hours at one time.)

Studying at an academy is not cheap! When you pay for a class and you miss a lesson it really hurts!

If the teacher is fun, and your classmates, are nice you look forward to studying and you’ll go every lesson.

7. Fun

Lessons are social and should be fun.

You meet people who are also studying for the exam – you have the same goal.

You can perhaps go out for meals together.

In the next episode: Organizing Vocabulary

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