Hi everybody!

I would like to ask you if you think it can be possible to improve my language level in 14days time? I´ve had an oral exam today and I got 34 points out of 50 (the minimum was 35 to pass)…there will be a retake in 2 weeks…What do you think? I feel really disappointed about that.

Thank a lot.

I´m sorry. I forgot to mention what kind of exam it was – it was SPEAKING(I was supposed to be on the level CAE).

You know, questions of this sort are always quite difficult to answer. It always depends on so many variable aspects that it is usually beyond one's limits to provide a reasonable advice.
Oh, I will just cut to the chase.

Yes, I guess it is sorta possible. If speaking at least an hour a day, I guess you may make a markedly progress. But just on the condition that hadn't spoken a lot before your speaking part. If you had, you will have been at your best at your exam.
I am speaking about this hidden potential that might not have been revealed if you didn't practise your speaking a lot.
I will give an example. Supposing I didn't speak English for the next half a year, I would be by the end of this period probably pretty bad at it. Then, with a couple of hours speaking (in other words fourteen days), I would make a huge progress.

See what I mean?

Battlefield thanks a lot for your advice. I completely understand what you mean…I have been speaking quite a lot before my oral part of this exam…I mean during the whole semester. I also watch films quite often (1–2 times a week, it depends on how busy I am), I read books in English, I search for English articles, news in English on the internet…
On the other hand, the teacher told me, that my English sounds unnatural and she thinks I´m not feeling comfortable when speaking English. To be honest, I don´t feel that my speaking is so bad as I was told. I already know, that the next time I will be under so big pressure (because this is my last exam in my whole study) and if I´ll not manage to pass it, I will have to study one more year)…I´m in my last year of my study, I study English philology.

My question usually is: How often do you speak outside the classroom?
The student's answer usually is: Um, er, not often… once a month perhaps?

Well, that's not enough.

You say you had been speaking quite a lot before the exam… what does A LOT MEAN and what did you talk about and who did you talk to?

I teach three students, who I prepare for the school leaving exam regularly. So I speak only in English with them about 4 hours weekly. Every of them has a different requirements for our lessons, but mostly we have a conversation about topics for their school leaving exam.
Then I speak to myself when I travel to and from the school…I usually speak about common things, which has just happened to me and I try to describe them…

Okay, maby the ‚common things‘ is the problem. Try something more sophisticated… for example google „debate topics“ and then choose a topic and talk about it for 10 minutes. Record yourself Then listen to what you said and… reflect. Then try another topic. And so on. That could help.

This is actually something I have wanted to write an article about for a few months now… maybe I'll get to it now. 

heheh, I meant MAYBE.

Mr Vít has a point. You know, the same goes for people just speaking with themselves. They say they speak pretty well, but just with themselves.
Conversing with others is just a whole different story.
You have to know what your case is.

Since you think you have the speaking potential, I would first ask the teacher that examined you what you did wrong.
You know, that could have been this social thing – you didn't make a good impression or you might have gotten sidetracked a lot.
Or what about your pronunciation? You mentioned being told you sounded unnatural. That might be the problem. Even if you were super fluent and pretty eloquent, all this could be ruined by bad pronunciation.
You should be the one to know your strengths and weaknesses.

Thank you both a lot for your valuable advice.

Mr. Vít, I´ll try, what you have suggested – recording myself, this I haven´t tried so far. I´m looking forward to reading your article you´ve mentioned.

This speaking I have failed was based mostly on a monologue. The teacher asked us a question and we were supposed to answer it without preparation. They don´t interrupt us when not needed. After answering this question we were shown a couple of pictures and we should describe them. I think, I´m better at conversation than having a monologue…I was quite nervous…

After this procedure the teacher told me, that although I know some nice expressions, I use them in a wrong context. She said I´m not comfortable when speaking English and not familiar with some expressions I used. I even tried to sound more sophisticated – so I tried to use some linking devices like: in comparison with (when describing the pictures), it came to my mind, etc.

I can´t believe that assessment, because the last time I was examined on speaking with a native speaker in the summer semester, I was given 47 points out of 50 and was told that I´m on a high level…that´s the reason why I´m so disappointed about my result.

My teacher (native speaker) advised me to use a lot of linking words and emphasis. You should use inversion once or twice in a speech and passive as well. Try to use conditions, wishes and don't forget relative clauses! Avoid using words such as: to think, a thing or staff.

I don't know weather it is a proper speaking exam based on Cambridge exams or not. If so, let me know via mail and I'll send you some tips for this part.

P.S. During the exam sit down comfortable and look at the examiner not at your hands or table in front of you … If you make a mistake and you are aware of it, just repeat the sentence correctly.

Fingers crossed!

Hi guys,

I would like to ask you: when describing a picture, the present continuous should be used, that´s clear, but may I also use present perfect?

I will give you an example:
In this picture I can see a man, who is probably in his late sixties and he is holding a mobile. He is staring at the photographer and it has been the first time he is holding the mobile. He has probably never used it in his life and so he is looking very amazed.
Thank you in advance!

Of course. You can use present perfect as long as it makes sense. For example: There is a man in the backround. It seems that he's been standing there for a while… I'm not sure your sentence is correct, though. I'd say: It's probably the first time he's held a mobile phone.

All right, thank you for your opinion.

Anyway, there is not much time left now. More than some has passed. How is your improvement coming along? Getting there?