1 Learning

The theme of the module is learning, particularly in

relation to learning languages. It includes texts on
(Russian, for example, has different words for dark
blue and light blue). If not, tell students that some
learning languages, bilingualism, story telling and languages may have different words for some of
video-based instruction. the colours, while others may use the same word
so that, for example, they might call the orange
Photocopiable pre-course quiz rectangle ‘dark yellow’. Then broaden the
discussion out by asking them to think of other
The photocopiable pre-course quiz (How well do examples of words in their language which have
you know the PTE Academic?) provides an no exact translation in English or vice versa.
introduction to the test. Students find out how
much they know about the test by working in pairs Background
to answer questions 1–13. If they have difficulties, Colour words in languages evolve in a predictable
tell them that they will find many of the answers in order. Black and white come first, then red,
the Test reference section on pages 167–188. followed by green or yellow. There are still some
languages, like Dani, which is spoken in Western
After the quiz, you might like to show students other
New Guinea, which have only two colour words,
features of the book. This could be done as a quick
black and white, which are the same as the words
quiz with questions such as Where can you find the
for light and dark.
Grammar reference? (pages 200–215) or What can
you find on pages 192–199? (the Expert writing 2 Go over the information about skimming,
section, with example answers to PTE Academic emphasising the fact that this is a quick reading
writing tasks). just to gain a general idea of the topic of the text.
Students skim the first and last paragraphs of the
Photocopiable activity 1A text and answer question 1. They then skim the
This activity aims to check students’ understanding remaining paragraphs and answer question 2.
of some of the metalanguage needed to describe 3a Go over the definition of scanning and ask
word grammar, some of which they may need in students to scan the text to find the answers to
order to use a dictionary effectively. It could be questions 1–4. Emphasise that they are not
used as a pre-course activity or as a follow up to actually reading at this point but just looking for
Academic vocabulary 1. one word or phrase. This means that they do not
need to work through the text from the beginning.
It will be quicker if they can look at the whole text
Lead-in p. 7 and use the non-linguistic features like italic print
and capital letters to help them pick out the
Draw students’ attention to the photos and ask for
answers. Point out that once they have found the
some suggestions as to where they might have
word, they may have to read carefully around it to
been taken and which languages are displayed in
answer the question but that scanning will allow
the signs. Then, with books closed, ask students
them to get where they need to go in the text
to discuss the rest of the questions in pairs or
more quickly.
small groups.
3bDiscuss with students how features (e.g. italic
print) helped them find the answer and which were
1A Bilingualism the easiest items to see.
4 Students turn to the text in 5 and look at option A.
Point out that they need to read the sentence
Reading 1 pp. 8–9 carefully and that both the subject (Bilinguals and
1 Ask students how they feel when speaking in monolinguals) and the action (understand the
English or a second language and if they are world differently) are key. Then ask them to
aware of thinking differently or even of a slight identify which paragraph the answer is in. To do
personality change. Then draw their attention to this, they can scan the text again or they may
the colour spectrum, asking them to name the remember from the previous exercise. Students
different colours in English and in other languages then follow the same procedure for the rest of the
they know. This may throw up some differences in options and compare their results in pairs.
how different languages categorise colours 5 Students now complete the test task.

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 8

6 Students compare their answers in pairs and
1
discuss questions 1–3. Point out that answers can
Students’ own answers
be ruled out either because the text contradicts
them or because the information is not in the text.
2
7 Round off with a short discussion of questions 1
1 C This is mentioned in the topic sentence of
and 2. Another good area for discussion where
the first paragraph (and the final part of the last
there are likely to be differences between
paragraph). The other two options are not
languages concerns names of family members (for
mentioned in any topic sentence.
example, is there a different word for male and
2 A Para. 2: the topic sentence gives details,
female cousin, or paternal and maternal uncle?).
such as where the participants were from and
8 Students record the words from the Expert word
what they were asked to do. B Para. 4: this
check box in their vocabulary notebooks, using
point is described in the topic sentence.
dictionaries if necessary. This is a good
C Para. 3: the topic sentence begins ‘Previous
opportunity to discuss more generally how they
research ...’.
should organise their vocabulary learning and
what information they need to record. Point out the
3a
grammar information which it is useful to record for
1 mizuiro, ao 2 Panos Athanasopoulos
resembled (unlike in some other languages, it is
3 Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
not followed by a preposition) and for tend
4 Japanese, English
(followed by an infinitive).
3b
Expert word check Students could mention things like capital letters for
The Expert word check boxes contain vocabulary languages and italics for the non-English words.
words from the reading text which are not tested or
otherwise exploited in the book. They will not be 4a
tested in the book but may be helpful as part of (Key points are underlined.)
general vocabulary expansion. Students should be Bilinguals and monolinguals understand the world
encouraged to discuss definitions of these words differently from each other.
and add them to their notebook. Further ideas for
exploitation of the words are below. 4b
• Use a dictionary to write up word families (Suggested answers; key points are underlined)
(process (v), process (n), processed, processor) B Perfect fluency is needed in order to
experience the effect described.
• Draw spidergrams with common collocations C The professor’s research disagrees with the
(cognitive learning, cognitive processes, results of earlier studies.
cognitive experts) D The professor’s research involved asking
• Hold a weekly spelling bee with these words people about a number of colours.
and ask students to make a sentence using E Different languages tend to describe each
each one. colour in a similar way.
• Find synonyms and antonyms (consequences, F The researcher feels that the results of the
results, effects, causes, reasons). experiment go beyond colours.

5–6
A correct: main point of text B incorrect: ‘it is
Notes from the test developers language use, not proficiency, which makes the
difference’ C incorrect: para. 3, the one about
When scanning for the answers to multiple-choice
earlier research, contradicts this D incorrect: para.
questions, remember that the options will probably
2, the one about how the research was carried out,
use synonyms for the words in the text, not the
specifies that participants were asked about one
exact same words.
colour E incorrect: ‘huge variation’, para. 2
F correct: confirmed by first and last paragraphs

7
Students’ own answers

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 9

Academic vocabulary 1 p. 10 1
1 adjective; it says ‘adj’ 2 adverb (fluently) and
The Academic Word List noun (fluency) 3 uncountable 4 look at the
symbols in square brackets after the headword
The Academic Word List is a list of 570 word 5 in; it’s in square brackets 6 they’re usually in
families that are commonly found in academic text, order, with most common/frequent first
regardless of the discipline. The list was selected by
examining a large collection of written academic 2a
texts. Each Academic vocabulary page introduces 1 proficiency 2 perception 3 concept 4 rate
words from the list appropriate to this level. 5 linguistic 6 cognition 7 norm 8 focus
1 Students work in pairs to look at the dictionary
entry and answer questions 1–6. Point out that as 2b
well as prepositions, the dictionary also gives 1 proficiency (n); — (v); proficient (adj)
examples of the most frequent collocations such 2 perception (n); perceive (v); perceptive (adj)
as fluent speech. 3 concept (n); conceive (v); conceptual (adj)
2a Students turn back to Reading 1 and scan the text 4 rating (n); rate (v); — (adj)
to find the words which match the meanings. 5 linguistics/linguist (n); — (v); linguistic (adj)
2bStudents categorise the words into nouns, verbs 6 cognition (n); — (v); cognitive (adj)
and adjectives by putting them in the correct place 7 norm (n); normalise (v); normal (adj)
in the notes. They then fill in the missing words 8 focus (n); focus (v); focused (adj)
using their knowledge of suffixes and a dictionary
if necessary. 2c
2c This provides some controlled practice of some of Students’ own answers
the words. Students should use a variety of nouns,
verbs and adjectives in their questions. 3a
3a Point out that as a very general rule, suffixes will bi- = two
change the word type, whereas prefixes will
change the meaning. Draw attention to the use of 3b
the prefix bi- in bilingual and elicit that it means A uni-, mono- B bi- C tri- D quad- E penta-
‘two’. Ask students to suggest other words with the F hex- G deca- H semi- I multi-
same prefix. They should be able to suggest
bicycle and possibly other words from particular 3c
areas of work or study such as bisect. (Possible answers)
3bStudents match the prefixes with the meanings. 5: quin- 8: octo- 100: cent- 1,000: mill-/kilo-
3c Ask if students know any other number prefixes.
Possible answers include quin- (= five), oct- 4
(= eight) and cent- (= hundred). If necessary, 1 bicycle with one wheel 2 square area, like a
prompt by suggesting they use their knowledge of courtyard, with buildings around it – usually in
geometrical shapes such as octagon. universities 3 six-sided shape 4 representing or
4 Students work in pairs to work out the meanings of consisting of many cultures 5 once every two
the underlined words, using their knowledge of years; ten-year period 6 one person speaking; flat
prefixes and the context. voice with no variation in tone
5a Students work in pairs to brainstorm further words
with each of the prefixes in 3. Pairs then make 5a/b
groups of four and share words. Students’ own answers
5b Students look back at the section and choose five
words to put in a sentence. Alternatively, you could Speaking 1 p. 11
ask them to record the words in their vocabulary
notes, with an example sentence for each one. Background
Apart from Emil Krebs, another well-known polyglot
Photocopiable activity 1B was Noah Webster, who published the first
This activity aims to further extend students’ American dictionary of the English Language in
knowledge of words containing number prefixes 1828. He learnt to speak 26 languages, including
Arabic, Sanskrit and Anglo-Saxon.
and can be used as a follow up to Academic
vocabulary 1.

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 10

1 Use the question to conduct a short class 8 Round off by asking students’ opinions on whether
discussion. You could also ask students if they language learning changes the brain or whether
know anyone who speaks many different talented language learners are born with different
languages and how they learnt them. brains (of course, both could be partly true). You
2a ► 02 Students listen and follow the script with a could also extend the discussion to other talents
pen or pencil. and skills such as playing a musical instrument.
2bStudents will probably find that they will jump from 9 ► 04 Students listen to the questions and give
main word to main word. This is because of the short answers of just one or two words. You could
stress-timed nature of English. The stressed nominate particular students to answer or ask
syllables have roughly the same time between pairs to take turns in answering.
them and if there are many words in between, they
tend to be spoken quite quickly. 1
3a ► 02 Students listen again and underline the Students’ own answers
words they feel are stressed.
3bGo over the answers and point out that the 2b
stressed words are mainly content words; that is, The speaker is likely to jump from main (stressed)
nouns, verbs other than be, often adjectives and word to main word. This is because of the stress-
sometimes adverbs and modifiers. They are not timed nature of English – the stressed syllables
usually prepositions, auxiliary verbs, articles or have roughly the same time between them and if
possessive adjectives (unless there is a reason there are a lot of words in between, they tend to get
why these contribute heavily to meaning). spoken very quickly.
3c Model an extract from the text such as He was a
German translator and interpreter and ask 3a
students how the non-content words like and are Emil Krebs was a German translator and interpreter
spoken. They should agree that they are spoken who worked in the early twentieth century. It has
quickly and the vowel sounds are often weakened. been said that he knew sixty to sixty-five
languages, many of which he taught himself. Many
You could extend the exercise by asking students
scientists have wondered whether his brain was
to mark where they think they hear the weak vowel
wired differently from other people’s.
sound /ə/ (schwa) in the text. You might also point
out the linking of consonant and vowel sounds at 3b
the beginning and end of words, as in translator Most of the words underlined in 3a are nouns,
and, as this will help them say the words quickly. verbs and adjectives. They are all content words.
4 Students read the text aloud to each other,
focusing on stressing the correct syllables. 3c
5 Ask students if they believe the text and if so, if shorter, quieter, faster, less clear
they think Krebs was born with this special ability.
6 Students now complete the speaking task in pairs. 5
They should listen to their partner and check that Students' own answers
he/she stresses the correct words.
7a ► 03 Students underline the stressed words in 7
the text and then compare their answers with (Suggested answer)
the audio script. When they examined the brain of someone who
7b Conduct a short feedback session on how easy or understood many languages, scientists found that
difficult students found the speaking task and how the area that governed speech did not have the
they might improve their performance next time. same form as in most monolingual speakers’
Ask for some suggestions as to how they should brains. What scientists don’t know is whether
use the 35 seconds of preparation time. Possible language learning changes the brain or whether
techniques are to mark the stresses, mark the some people are born with this quality.
linking and pauses, and mouth the text to yourself. 8
Students’ own answers
9
Notes from the test developers 1 English 2 (the) ears 3 (the) brain
In the Read aloud question in the speaking test, 4 (only) one 5 concept 6 written
stress the content words which carry the important
information. Use the punctuation and grammar to
decide where you should pause.

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 11

Listening 1 p. 12 such as research projects, and is used frequently
in the audio script for Listening 1.
1 Use the two questions to introduce the topic of 2 Students read the extracts from the listening,
multilingualism. In a class where students are of which demonstrate the difference between the
different nationalities, they could compare answers active and passive. Go through the questions
to 1a in pairs or groups. In a class where students either as a class or ask students to work in pairs.
are the same nationality, you may prefer just to 3 Students complete the exercise either individually
focus on 1b. or in pairs. Draw attention to the position of the
2 Students skim the text to identify the main topic. adverbs in 1, 9 and 10 (after the verb be).
You may wish to give them a seven-second time 4a Ask students to read the extract from the listening
limit for this. They then compare answers in pairs. and elicit that the two sentences are in contrast
3 ► 05 Students listen to the recording and write in (half of the children versus the other half). This is
the missing words. signalled by however.
4 Students check their answers using the checklist. 4bStudents work individually or in pairs to match the
They may find it easier to read through the text discourse markers with the functions.
more than once, focusing on spelling and grammar 4c Students work in pairs to brainstorm other possible
(the first two points on the list) on one reading and words and expressions with the same functions.
overall meaning (the second two points on the list) 5 Students work individually or in pairs to complete
on another, rather than trying to check everything the lecture transcript. Some students may ask
at once. They could then compare answers in pairs. about the punctuation, so you may need to tell
5 Round off the activity by asking students if they them that some discourse markers join two ideas
were surprised by the results of the study and if in the same sentence (conjunctions) and others
they know of any similar studies. show the relationship between two separate
sentences (adverbs). However, the main focus of
1 this exercise is meaning.
Students’ own answers
1a
2 present simple: changes, see, think, use, don’t
2 is correct. Reasons: results are mentioned need, makes, is, is, place, are, (are not found),
throughout. There’s little discussion of the covers, are, belong, speak, (is published),
importance of the project. Who took part and where tend, learn
the research was done is important but these are present continuous: you’re (also unconsciously)
details that aren’t emphasised. learning
present perfect: has found, has shown
3 past simple: showed, looked, matched, perceived,
1 study 2 nine 3 vocabulary 4 arithmetic found, distinguished, resembled, depended, used
5 patterns 6 significantly The past continuous is not used.

4–5 1b
Students’ own answers Simple tenses are most common; continuous
tenses are least common (only one example).
The frequency with which perfect tenses are used
Language development 1 p. 13 is somewhere between simple and continuous
1a Students turn back to the text in Reading 1 and tenses.
identify the different tenses. Warn students that 2
they may not find examples of all of them (the past 1 A was carried out; B were given 2 A researcher
continuous is not found). did the action in A. The preposition by begins the
1bAsk students to count the examples and tell you phrase. 3 We don’t know who did the action in B.
which type of tense is the most common (simple). 4 The action is more important than the person who
You may want to point out that students often did the action in these sentences.
overuse continuous tenses. Emphasise that 3
academic English tends to use mostly simple 1 was often 2 caused 3 was thought 4 had
tenses, with perfect tenses also being relatively 5 were given 6 was realised 7 tested 8 were
frequent but continuous tenses relatively rare. The tested 9 was generally found 10 are
passive is also relatively common in academic
English, especially when describing processes

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 12

4a necessary adjustments to their paragraphs in the
light of their partner’s feedback. Although there is
The idea in the second sentence is different from no time in the test to write a complete second
the idea in the first sentence. The word ‘however’ draft, it is helpful for students to get into the habit
signals this relationship. of checking and improving their work.

4b
1a–b
1 and, further 2 however 3 first 4 for instance
Students’ own answers
5 during 6 consequently 7 because
8 in summary 9 so that 10 an important point
2
The opinion expressed is: ‘Learning a second
4c
language from an early age is beneficial and all
(Suggested answers)
children should be encouraged to do it.’
1 furthermore 2 on the other hand, on the
contrary 3 next, then, finally 4 for example
3a
5 when, while, first, in the end, eventually, to begin
1 para. 1 2 paras 2 and 3 3 para. 4
with 6 as a consequence, as a result 7 for this
reason, as a result 8 in conclusion, to summarise,
3b
to conclude 9 to, in order to 10 most importantly
1B 2A 3C
5
4
2 During 3 Consequently 4 However 5 but
Students’ own answers
6 An important point 7 because 8 and
9 In summary 10 but
5
1 topic sentence 2 the main idea of the paragraph
Writing 1 p. 14 3 discourse marker 4 between one paragraph and
the next 5 first and second body paragraphs
1a Introduce the topic by asking students when they consist of reasons
first started learning a foreign language and how
they found the experience. 6
1bStudents read the essay prompt and discuss their Students’ own answers
opinion in pairs. Ask them to think of two reasons
for their opinion.
2 Students read the sample essay on page 193 and
compare the ideas with their own.
3 Go through the questions with the class as a
whole. You may also want to check at this stage
that students know how to lay out paragraphs.
4 Ask students to compare the first sentences of the
two body paragraphs and establish that they
support the writer’s opinion.
5 Students look at the model essay and work in
pairs to answer the questions.
6 Students read the essay prompt and work in pairs
to brainstorm some reasons and examples to
support their opinion. They then choose two
reasons and write two paragraphs, working either
individually or in pairs. Stronger students may be
able to write three paragraphs but emphasise that
each one should deal with a slightly different idea.
When they have finished writing, they compare
paragraphs with another student or pair and check
them against the points on the checklist. Again,
this is easier if they read the paragraphs more
than once: once focusing on linguistic issues such
as grammar and spelling and once focusing on the
development of ideas. Finally, students make any
PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 13
1B Education 1
Students’ own answers
Listening 2 p. 15
2
1 Introduce the topic of story telling by using the 1 pictures 2 words 3 differently 4 imaginations
questions as a basis for class discussion. If you 5 restrict
have a multinational class, you could ask them
what the most popular children’s folk tales are in 3
their countries and see if other students know the Students’ own answers
same ones or if the versions differ in any way.
Elicit the following items of vocabulary if they do 4
not come out in the discussion: engaged, author, The speaker prefers stories to be told from
illustrator, illustration, audience, characters. memory, as it’s more engaging for the audience
and allows for more imagination.
Background For the other points, students give their own
Ruth Sawyer, born in Boston, Massachusetts, was answers.
an American writer of fiction for both children and
adults. Her first novel came out in 1915 and was 5
called The Primrose Ring. 1 folk tails → folk tales
2 often tell → are often told
2 ► 06 Remind students of the technique for this
type of exercise, i.e. that they should skim the text 6
first and check through afterwards. Give students 1 Story telling is a common teaching technique in
about 20 seconds to look through the text and then many countries.
play the recording. 2 Folk tales are passed orally from generation to
generation.
Notes from the test developers 3 Books for children often contain many beautiful
In Fill in the blanks, type in the missing words illustrations.
quickly as you hear them so that you do not miss 4 Generally, young children around the world
any. Then, after the audio stops, check that all your enjoy listening to stories.
answers make sense and that you have spelt them
correctly. An incorrectly spelt word will score zero. 7
Students’ own answers
3 Students compare their answers in pairs and
agree on a correct version. Conduct a short
feedback session on how they arrived at the
Language development 2 p. 16
answers, using questions 1–3. 1a Students read the two sentences and name the
4 Round off the activity with a short discussion. You tenses. Establish that the use of the present
could also ask students to name other types of perfect emphasises the present relevance of
story telling that they might do from memory, such the action.
as joke telling or passing on anecdotes they have 1bUse the two sentences to establish that the
heard or read in the news. present perfect refers to a time which includes the
5 Students correct the mistakes in the sentences. present (so, in sentence A, this morning is still
Establish that the first mistake involves spelling here). If necessary, extend the exercise by asking
and the second grammar. Point out that in the students to suggest other time phrases that could
first example, the listener is entirely dependent fit in each of the sentences (e.g. this term, today,
on the context to get the right answer, as the so far for sentence A and yesterday, last week,
pronunciation of the two words (tales and tails) last term for sentence B).
is the same. 2a Students work individually or in pairs to choose the
6 ► 07 Students listen to the sentences and write correct forms. Go through the answers asking
them down. Pause between each one to give them students to give reasons for their choices.
time to write and to check sense and grammar. 2bDemonstrate the activity by asking students some
7 ► 07 Students compare answers in pairs before questions about their education using the present
listening again to agree on a final version. perfect and past simple or ask them to interview
you. Then they work in pairs to ask and answer

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 14

 questions. At the end, ask a few students to tell
3
the class one thing they learnt about their partner. 1 No. The past simple is more likely to be used
3 Students discuss the questions in pairs. If your for procedures in previous research and those
teaching situation allows it and students are procedures would usually be completed/
intending to carry out academic studies in an finished.
English-speaking context, you may be able to 2 Yes. The present perfect is often used to show
bring in some examples from academic papers that past actions have a present relevance.
and journals which illustrate these points. 3 No. Generalisations, rules, etc. are usually
expressed using the present simple.
Photocopiable activity 1C
4a
This activity aims to give students further practice wonderful, award-winning, which is based on a
in the use of present, past and perfect tenses and folk tale
the time phrases that can be used with them. It
could be used to extend the work on tenses at this 4b
point, or in a follow-up lesson. Adjectives and relative clauses. Three ideas were
combined in one sentence (She wrote a wonderful
4 Students underline the descriptive words and book. The book won an award. The book is based
phrases. This introduces the idea that nouns can on a folk tale.).
be described not only by adjectives but by relative
clauses. Point out the use of the relative clause 4c
and the fact that using relative clauses can allow They help pack a lot of ideas into a single sentence.
more information to be introduced into the same
sentence. 5
5 Students work individually or in pairs to find and 1 take → takes (subject – verb agreement)
correct the mistakes. Go over the rules for using 2 person which → person who/that (Which isn’t
defining relative clauses, pointing out the fact that usually used for people.)
there is no comma in a defining clause and that 3 no comma (Commas are used in non-defining
sentence 4 is wrong because the relative pronoun relative clauses. This is defining.)
can only be omitted when it refers back to the 4 person speaks → person who speaks (You
object of the defining clause. can’t miss out the relative pronoun if it’s a
6 Students work individually or in pairs to combine subject – defining relative clauses only.)
the sentences.
7 Students work in pairs or groups to develop 6
conversations beginning with a sentence with a 2 There’s a good library where you can study
relative clause. peacefully.
3 Hungarian is a difficult language that/which has
some very complex verb forms.
1a 4 Young children often learn better through
1 A past simple B present perfect activities such as games and songs that/which
2 present perfect (B) 3 past simple (A) involve doing things, not just reading or
listening./Young children often learn better
1b through activities that/which involve doing
In sentence A, ‘this morning’ has not finished yet; things, not just reading or listening, such as
it’s still the morning. In sentence B, ‘this morning’ games and songs.
has finished; it is now the afternoon or evening (of 5 The university careers office has some very
the same day). experienced staff, who can help you to find
a job.
2a 6 The class read a book that/which contained a
1 A I spent, haven’t done; B I’ve spent lot of information about the history of their city.
2 A has run; B ran 7 J K Rowling is an author that/who has written
3 A have provided; B provided some very influential children’s books, which
have sold in many countries around the world.
2b
Students’ own answers 7
Students’ own answers

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 15

Academic vocabulary 2 p. 17 3e Students check their answers in a dictionary. They
could use an English–English dictionary or, with a
1 Students discuss their strategies for dealing with monolingual class, you could ask them to suggest
words they do not know. Emphasise that all the a translation and then compare this with the one
strategies here can be useful and should often be given in a bilingual dictionary.
used together (e.g. using both affixation and 4 Check answers as a class and emphasise that the
context to guess the meaning). It is unlikely that questions can be answered correctly even without
the accurate meaning of a completely unknown looking up all the unknown items.
word will be found this way but this strategy is 5a For further practice, students work individually or
useful for arriving at an approximate meaning and in pairs to match the items from Listening 2 with
understanding enough of the meaning to decide if the correct definition, using contextual clues.
it is relevant or not. In the test, as each test taker 5bStudents use the same words in a new context by
will be presented with test questions at a range of completing sentences 1–5.
levels, students at B2 level will inevitably
encounter words that they do not understand. If 1
your students tend to be distracted by words which Students’ own answers
are unknown to them and need to develop
confidence in dealing with them, the strategies in 2a
this section can help. 1 verb 2 we 3 stories 4 each other
2a Students focus on the word narrated in the text 5 told (It’s unlikely that people would shout or
and work in pairs to answer the questions. Some sing stories and you wouldn't write stories to
may know the word already or, if they speak a each other.)
Latin language, may be able to guess it from a
similar word in their language, but encourage them 2b
to go through the steps here in preparation for 1 discipline 2 incredibly 3 traverses
4 conveyed 5 vanishes
doing the further lexical guessing in 2b.
2bStudents use the same strategy of working out the 2c
part of speech and then using the context to match 1 convey 2 traverse 3 disappear 4 incredibly
the meanings of the underlined words with the 5 discipline
clues. Again, they may know some of the words
already or be able to guess them from a cognate 3a
in their language but point out that they are still (Suggested answers)
practising a strategy that they can use in future motivating, aiding, Pre-adolescent, immediacy,
with words they do not know. mesmerised, squirming
2c Having worked on clues to the meanings, students
match each of the words with an approximate 3b
synonym. Point out that the verbs are in the In general, for words in lists, adjectives and adverbs
infinitive form and not in the same tense as in are least likely to be needed. In lists, the other
the text. items often help you to know what the list is about,
3a Student read the text and decide which of the and the word described by the adjective/adverb is
words in bold are most important to know in order usually more important than the adjective/adverb.
to understand it. Point out that they will often have 4a
to make decisions like this when dealing with a 1 No, it requires practice to do well. 2 They will
difficult or academic text where there may be a squirm, talk to each other and look for other things
high percentage of unknown items and it will not to do.
be practical to look up all of them.
3bStudents compare their choices in pairs and agree 4b
on a list of four or five. Conduct a short feedback No, not at all.
session with the class about which words they
chose and point out that in general, adjectives and 5a
adverbs are the least likely to be needed because 1 take in 2 rich 3 (be) based on 4 version
the word described is likely to be more important 5 (be) aware of
than the adjective/adverb.
3c Students repeat the same strategy they used in 2a 5b
1 rich 2 take in 3 version 4 aware of
to infer the meanings of the words they chose.
5 based on
3dStudents compare and discuss answers in pairs.

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 16

Reading 2 p. 18 also broaden the discussion out to cover some
wider cultural issues relating to education systems;
1 Students discuss in pairs or groups which methods for example, in some countries school students do
they learn most effectively from. If they have not have a choice over which subjects to study.
different academic backgrounds, they could 3 Students discuss which items are the most
compare which methods are most commonly important to mention. To force them to prioritise,
used in their areas of study and say whether this you may wish to ask them to limit this to a
is changing. maximum of four items.
2 Remind students of the strategy they used in 4 ► 08 Students listen and compare the points the
Reading 1, as outlined in the rubric here. Then speaker mentions with their choices.
students work individually to complete the task. 5a ► 08 Students listen again and complete the
3 Students work in pairs to compare any unknown sentences. Point out the use of the present perfect
lexical items that they found in the text and how (has fallen) for the action with a present result (the
they dealt with them. They then categorise the number of students is smaller now). You could
incorrect responses into ones which are also use these sentences for some pronunciation
contradicted in the text and ones which are not practice, by asking students to mark the stressed
given. These two reasons why a response may be syllables and the schwa sound, as they did in
incorrect can be useful to bear in mind when Speaking 1.
answering questions of this type. 5bStudents use the prompts to write further
4 Students discuss the questions in pairs or as a sentences using those in 5a as models.
class. If questions 2 and 3 were already covered in 6 Students now work in pairs to look at the bar chart
the pre-reading activity, you may just wish to deal and carry out the speaking task. Ask students to
with question 1 or ask if they know of any similar listen to their partner’s answer and check that the
schemes to help students who have previously information is correct, with the correct use of
failed in a subject. present perfect tense.
7 Ask pairs to give feedback to each other using the
1 questions as a guide or discuss them briefly with
Students’ own answers the class.

2 1
A correct: ‘a high failure rate’ B incorrect: perhaps 1 bar chart, graph, pie chart
surprisingly, this isn’t mentioned here C incorrect: 2 a rise, growth, a fall, a drop
first line says ‘to help them to succeed in a subject 3 go up, rise, grow, go down, fall, drop
which they have previously failed’, i.e. they’ve
studied it before D correct: last sentence says ‘It 2
describes ... insights gained by the staff who were 1 (Suggested answer) It shows the changes in
involved in this ... programme’ E incorrect: second percentages of pupils choosing to study some
sentence says the programme ‘has been languages in high school.
successful in similar contexts’, meaning this is not 2 Spanish
3 Polish, French
the first time F incorrect: ‘pre-recorded lectures ...
4 Polish and Portuguese: small difference;
main VSI learning tool’
French and German: small difference; French
and Polish: big difference
3–4
Students’ own answers 3
(Suggested answers)
Speaking 2 p. 19 French and German: decline; Polish and
Portuguese: increase; Spanish: stays about the
1 Students work in pairs to brainstorm answers to same; Chinese: moderate increase
questions 1–3.
2 Students look at the bar chart and answer 4
questions 1–4. For question 4, point out that the French and German: decline; Spanish: stays about
large differences are likely to be the most the same; Polish and Portuguese: increase
important ones to focus on. Ask students to
comment on the information in the chart and on 5a
what languages are becoming less popular or 1 shows, in 2 of
more popular to learn in their countries. You could

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 17

 6c Go over the information at the end of the exercise,
5b
which points out that sentences typically move
1 The bar chart illustrates the percentage change from information which refers back to what has
in students’ exam grades. been mentioned before to new information.
2 The percentage of students who scored over 7 Students underline the information that refers
80 percent has dropped. back and then re-write each second sentence so
3 The percentage of students who scored below that it follows the old information to new
60 percent has risen. information paradigm.
8 Students write their essays following the plans that
6–7 they created in 5. It is highly recommended that
Students’ own answers they type their essay to gain experience of typing
under timed conditions, as they will have to do in
the test.
Writing 2 pp. 20–21 9 Students can check their own essays or, if they
1 Students discuss and compare the activities to are willing, they can give it to a classmate to check
learn English in pairs. You could extend question 2 and edit. Introduce students to the checklist on
by asking students to rank the activities in order of page 192 but point out that some of the items on
effectiveness and then compare rankings. the list, such as names of stages within the
2 Students compare the essay plan with the actual introduction, should be ignored for now and will be
essay and discuss answers for questions 1–5. dealt with later on.
This is also an opportunity to introduce some 10 Students turn to page 193 and complete the timed
basic techniques for abbreviating when making essay question. This might be better postponed to
notes (e.g. missing out the vowels in words and the next class or it could be done as homework
using symbols). (although students are unlikely to be so strict with
For question 3, you may wish to introduce a few themselves over the timing if they do it at home).
other abbreviations that may be useful in a plan,
such as i.e. You could students them to think of Notes from the test developers
symbols they might use in their own language or In the essay writing question, make sure you keep
area of study and how they might adapt them to to the given topic. First identify the key words in
planning an essay in English. For example, the the question which tell you what the overall topic is
mathematical symbols  for therefore and = for and then look at the task to see exactly what you
because can be useful when planning a paragraph have to do (e.g. agree or disagree).
which describes a cause or an effect. You could
also point out that it is fine to write the plan in their
own language if they prefer, as the essay plan will 1
not be marked. Students’ own answers
3 Students read the task and estimate how many
minutes out of a total of 20 they should spend on 2a
stages 1, 2 and 3. 1 no, only the essential words
4 Students brainstorm ideas for the essay in pairs by 2 imp = improves; e.g. = for example;
discussing questions 1–3. Point out that for prblm = problem; thnkg = thinking;
questions 1 and 2 they are thinking of examples u/stand = understand; → = consequence;
and for question 3 they are thinking of reasons. btwn = between
They should try to match the examples with the 3 Students’ own answers
reasons they think of in 3. 4 ‘imp several skills’ and ‘u/stand ... directly’ are
5a Students work individually to write a plan. the main ideas. The others are the supporting
5bStudents can either evaluate their own ideas or ideas. We can see this from the indentations.
ask a partner to give feedback on them. 5 The introduction and conclusion can be
5c Students can either decide on the order inferred from main ideas; if main ideas are
individually or with a partner. written down, there’s no need to write them
6a Students read the two extracts and decide which again for the introduction and conclusion.
one feels more natural.
6bStudents decide if the phrases relate to 3
information already given in the previous sentence (Suggested answers)
or if they give new information. Point out the use of 1–2 minutes planning; 15 minutes writing;
this to refer back to the previous sentence. 3–4 minutes checking/revising

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 18

4–5 Review p. 22
Students’ own answers
1
6a 1 have studied 2 were made 3 have shown
A 4 requires 5 increased 6 has improved
7 be gained 8 is seen 9 told 10 learn
6b
single-underlining = related to information in the 2
first sentence 1 proficient 2 aware 3 memorisation
double underlining = new information 4 cognitive 5 take in 6 perception 7 norm
8 rate
6c
Putting new information at the end of the sentence 3
creates a smoother flow. 2 A pie chart is a type of chart that/which shows
amounts as slices of a pie. 3 A person that/who
7 illustrates is (called) an illustrator. 4 A primary
2 When you practise a skill, you develop the school is a place where children under the age of
habit of using the skill. Real-life activities are 12 study. 5 Learning three languages was the
made easier because of these habits./These achievement (that/which) he was most proud of.
habits make real-life activities easier. 6 A bimonthly magazine is a magazine that/which is
3 It’s important to use a range of techniques published every two months. 7 Problem-solving is
when studying anything, including languages. a skill that/which is useful in many jobs. 8 Did you
Motivation is increased by variety./Variety find the evidence (that/which) you wanted for your
increases motivation. research? 9 Maths is a school subject (that/
4 Several of my classmates in school only which) many people enjoy. 10 Folk tales are
studied grammar and vocabulary for their traditional stories that/which are passed from
English lessons. Soon, other subjects excited parents to children over many generations.
them more./Soon, they were more excited by
other subjects. 4
1 imitation 2 orally 3 memorised 4 richly
8–10 5 increases 6 problem 7 creative
Students’ own answers 9 collaboratively

PTE ACADEMIC EXPERT B2 Module 1 19