RECYCLING

                 Nowadays, many people believe that recycling is a good way of protecting the environment, but other humans argue that it is useless.                                                                                             There are some reasons why people don't recycle. First off all, a lot of them cannot be bothered because they are sometimes bored to recycle their trash and they throw it all in the same bin. Secondly, they often don't believe it will make any difference because if they only recycled, then the planet wouldn't be saved from global warming. Another reason would be that they complain that separating waste is too difficult and that there are no recycling bins near their house so they do not want to walk a long distance for rubbish.                                                                                                                    There are a lot of ways that we would encourage people to recycle. The first aspect that should be considered is to increase the number of recycling bins, so people would have the opportunity to recycle more easily. Another proposal would be to start an information campaign in the media, to open no-waste stores so people could bring their bag and save the planet at the same time and to people give people a reason or the benefits of recycling.                                                                         This problem should be solved as soon as possible, because our planet will be destroyed in some decades. I am looking forward to seeing an increasing number of people recycling. 

Recycling

                                                 Recycling

  In modern society, most people try to protect the planet, so the next generation has a better place to live in.Not recycling has a negative impact on the environment.On the other hand, recycling ought to save energy,save money and reduce the pollution which is cauced by waste.

   One of the most common excuses people use to avoid recycling is that it is too time consuming, as some people claim that recycling takes too much time and they have more important things to do.Additionally, other people say they cannot be bothered and they do not want to be the ones who make the effort first because they think if an action is too small it will not make a difference.

   The question is what we can do to encourage people to start recycling.Actually I think there many ways, such as opening shops that are based on no-waste products.Or even publishing articles in the media, for instance putting an article on a newpaper about recycling as a good way for people to understand how important recycling is.

   To sum up, Recycling can impact in a positive way on the environment, as if we give people incentives to recycle, more of them will understand how in danger our planet is.   

Revising writing

Please read and reflect on these posts:

1) https://markaki-b2.blogspot.com/2017/10/webinar-on-ecce-writing-simplified.html

2) https://markaki-b2.blogspot.com/2017/10/ecce-writing-corrected-letters-and.html 

More ECCE speaking practice

Sample topics:
http://www.hau.gr/resources/orfeas/ecce/hau-ecce-speaking-practice-tests.pdf

Advice on all parts:
http://markaki-b2.blogspot.com/2017/10/ecce-speaking.html

Webinar on ECCE writing: Simplified criteria and corrected samples

ECCE writing: Corrected letters and the marking criteria

ECCE SAMPLE TESTS

ECCE SAMPLE TEST, FORM C

Note: this sample test contains listening, reading, and writing only. (Released in 2017)

• Form C Test Booklet
• Audio: General Instructions & Part 1 | Part 2

ECCE SAMPLE TEST, FORM B

• Form B Test Booklet
• Audio: General Instructions & Part 1 | Part 2

ECCE 2013 SAMPLE TEST

• 2013 Sample Test Booklet
• Audio: Part 1 Instructions | Part 1 | Part 2 Instructions | Part 2

WRITING

http://www.cambridgemichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ECCE-Writing-Benchmarks-20141.pdf

 

ECCE Choices Revision test units 1-3:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byxd1uYTsWKPX0lNMFJRVGhIejg

 

ECCE Choices revision test units 4-7:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byxd1uYTsWKPbzQ0Mm40bDc4enc

 

ECCE Choices revision test units 8-10:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byxd1uYTsWKPbmY5dGFIYkxsZkk

 

ECCE Choices revision test units 1-10:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byxd1uYTsWKPX0lNMFJRVGhIejg

 

ECCE Choices Practice Test:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byxd1uYTsWKPeVZqQmZzeWd6OTg

How to write successfully at home

To write a good essay and take a satisfactory mark you have to:

1.study the class notes
2.read the sample text in the student's book
3.write the first draft
4.correct your writing adding adjectives and new words
5.write it on the writing notebook and take care of the mistakes

How ECCE speaking is evaluated

 

 

Task A:Letter

Dear Editot
   I am writting this letter in responce to the article I read in your newspaper.As a teenager I belieave that the High School Board of Education should cut the home maintenance and cooking courses and keep the driving and road safety course.
   First of all,from my point of view it is better to kep the lesson whichyou learn driving and road safety,because ti could help to reduce road accidents.Secondly,children should learn some things about driving and when they will go to the driver school,they will propably know a lot of things about it.Moreover, learning road safety is very important,because it makes children's future safe and they will know some things about how to protect themselves.Last but not least,I think with this course teenagers will enjoy themselves,because it is not such a dull lesson that can make children bored.
   On the other hand,in my opinion home maintenance and cooking is as useful as the driving and road safety lesson but not the most important.Firstly,some boys will propably find this lesson repetitive and all these yearswanted to stop it.In addition it is importangt for teenagers to learn how to cook and maintance the house but more useful is to learn some things about driving and safety.In conclusion, I think both of these lessons are beneficial but the driving and road safety is more beneficial than the other.
    I hope that you will take my suggestion into account and I am looking forward to your reply.

                                                                                                   Yous Sincerely

                                                                                                                       Nikos Koutentakis

Online activities: Easy and fun!

Linking phrases:

http://www.flo-joe.com/fce/students/writing/linking/index.htm

 

Different reading activities:

http://www.flo-joe.com/fce/students/tests/

 

Read an article and do a quiz:

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading-skills-practice

Letter

 Dear Editor,

  I am writing this letter to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a job based on how much money you will earn.
   First of all, if you choose work that appeals to you,but it does not earn you much money you could easily be something more than a mere employee because if you like what you do you do it with a lot more passion so the outcome is very pleasing. Moreover, when you are happy and positive about your job,the environment is nice,too.For example, if you smile all the time your colleagues will want to work with you.
  On the other side, when you are not pleased with what you are doing,you will not do it very well and in this way you might actually end up losing your job. Futhermore, being disatisfied with your job will lead to being anxious and getting angry easier.
     All in all, I firmly believe that people should choose a job that pleases them because in that way they will be happy and able to extend their carrier even further.
 
  Yours faithfully,
   Manolis

Essay about people growing up in an extremely rich family!

     In my point of view, growing up in an extremely rich family is something that in certain circumstances is nice.But is it always good?

     There are many advantages of being a person that belongs to a rich family.First of all, you have the opportunity to travel a lot and buy expensive things such as: clothes, accessories etc.Furthermore, if you are rich you can donate a special amount of money to charities and that is really important, because this way you can help the motivation of other wealthy people.Moreover, if you are rich you might have your own business and do not have to work at all.Finally, if one of the members of a rich family have a serious illness, they will have the chance to donate an amount of money in order to help the member get well.

     But, there are also many disadvantages.Firstly, you do not have true friends, because some of them are with you for your money.Additonally, sometimes if you are rich your behaviour becomes weird.You become mean and you feel that you own all the world.You make relationships only with people of your type(wealthy people) and mostly you become disliked.Last but not least, if you are wealthy, you are popular and you are always in the public light something that is really annoying due to the fact that people comment on you all the time and they sometimes spread rumours about you.

     In general, I believe that it is not necessarily negative to belong to a rich family, because if you are a good-hearted person and love the others, money is a minor factor.

Letter of opinion about further studies

Dear Editor,

I am writing to express my opinion about your recent article that I saw in your last edition newspaper.The article was about students who decide not to carry on with their studies to go to university.

First and foremost, students are not motivated to further their studies.Morover, even if they decide to go to university, they can not find a job because of the major unemployment numbers.In this way, most students are putt off from their studies and try to find a job, for instance in cafes, night bars,kiosks, to make some money.

According to the article, the decision not to go to university to further their studies is by virtue of extremely expensive fees in universities. Furthermore, families can not afford them, so their children do not take appropriate knowledge to deal the requirements of their lives.

Taking all that into consideration, I hope solutions will be given to students and apply for further studies. Also, the inability of finding a job should not be always in their minds, because this way no one tries to study and work hard to make a living.

    Yours faithfully,

          Fotis Markakis

Useful Adjectives :-)

https://www.google.gr/search?q=easy+pace+learning&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=677&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=6f3BVMw1go9ouZeBsAY&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

Revision time!

FCE Speaking tips

FCE Practice Tests

FCE Writing Class

FCE Word Bank

ECCE links

ECCE writing sample: Nominating a person

http://markaki-b2.blogspot.gr/2011/11/write-letter-nominating-one-person-for.html?m=1 

ECCE Evaluation Criteria

How the ECCE is scored

Learn more

• Enhanced results reporting for the ECCE
• Listening and GVR numerical scores
• ECCE Speaking Rating Scale
• ECCE Writing Rating Scale

Format of the ECCE

The ECCE is a test of general language competency in a variety of contexts. The four-component skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking are evaluated through a combination of tasks.

Section	Time	Description	Number of Items
Speaking	15 minutes	Test takers participate in a structured, multistage task with one examiner.	4 stages
Listening	30 minutes	Part 1 (multiple choice) A short recorded conversation is followed by a question. Answer choices are shown as pictures.	30
		Part 2 (multiple choice) Short talks delivered by single speakers on different topics, followed by 4 to 6 questions each.	20
Grammar Vocabulary Reading	90 minutes	Grammar (multiple choice) An incomplete sentence is followed by a choice of words or phrases to complete it. Only one choice is grammatically correct.	35
		Vocabulary (multiple choice) An incomplete sentence is followed by a choice of words or phrases to complete it. Only one word has the correct meaning in that context.	35
		Reading (multiple choice) Part 1: A short reading passage is followed by comprehension questions. Part 2: Two sets of four short texts related to each other by topic are followed by 10 questions each.	30
Writing	30 minutes	The test taker reads a short excerpt from a newspaper article and then writes a letter or essay giving an opinion about a situation or issue.	1 task

Use of technology

Nowadays, although a growing number of people use new technology and are interested in getting better knowledge of it, some others still prefer not to do so for a variety of reasons. Such a person is my aunt Maria.
Maria likes doing things in a traditional way and tries to avoid using technology whenever it is possible. Maria prefers to do things in person such as shopping, getting informed, or chatting with friends. She learns the news, meets friends and has fun by going out, or buying a newspaper. On the other hand, using technology is not a part of her daily life because it doesn't affect her job or personal life too much. It's something that doesn't attract her, either.
What's more, Maria doesn't have the necessary knowledge on how to use computer or other technological devices and that sometimes can be a problem. Sending messages or surfing on the internet is something that few people can't do and that's because they haven't put in the necessary time. Because of her character and sociability she likes learning things in first hand and that sometimes could also be better than finding information on the internet or other media.
In conclusion, different interests and different life styles is the only thing that divides people to those who use technology and from these who don't. I believe that using technology doesn't necessarily make someone happier or a better person. There are still many means that could replace some aspects of technology or other activities that technology offers to the general public.

 

Studying abroad vs studying in your home country

Nowadays, it's true that more and more students are tend to study abroad for their education. In spite of this fact, some people think that studying abroad doesn't make any difference than is not different to studying in local universities. In my opinion, studying in the interior or abroad should be considered from according to what the students want to accomplish.


Firstly, by studying abroad students are enabled to study subjects that might not be available in their countries. What's more, the students get involved and learn new cultures and ideas, broaden their horizons and make friends around the world. Another important part of studying in a foreign country is that there are many international students doing the same, so in this way the students can discuss and learn many things on their subject by getting in touch with them. To sum up In other words, I think that studying abroad can supply to the students new friends and experiences, better knowledge on the subject they are interested in and also important life experiences.


Although studying abroad could be a great opportunity to visit and live in different places around the world, there are also some important barriers which should be taken into consideration of by all the students who are interested in studying in a foreign country. The most important parameter is the high living cost other countries have. It's difficult to study abroad without spending too much money on house, food , clothes or fees. Furthermore, another serious problem is that the lectures in the other countries are usually given in the native language, so (thus/ hence) the students should be prepared and literate of fluent in the language. (Avoid 'To sum up' in the main body) Therefore, the high living expenses and the language could be a problem to the students who want to study abroad.


In any case, I personally believe that by breaking down the (aforementioned) barriers of living abroad and by learning the topical local language students would have a unique experience and they would also make friends all around the world.