Improve Learners’ speaking for PTE

Summary

The video script emphasizes the importance of improving writing skills through exposure to diverse written texts and practice. It suggests skimming and scanning techniques for summarizing texts efficiently, highlighting the significance of topic sentences and final paragraph sentences for locating information. The script also advises on distinguishing between argumentative and persuasive essays, and the necessity of adhering to essay prompts to avoid scoring zero. It encourages the use of various texts and example responses in preparation to enhance information extraction and expression within time limits.

Takeaways

• 📚 Learners should be exposed to various written texts to improve writing skills.
• 🔍 For summarizing texts, skimming and scanning are essential to identify main ideas and key words.
• ✍️ Test takers must write a summary sentence that captures the meaning and relevant aspects of the text.
• ⏰ Time management is crucial; allocate time to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• 📝 Write only one complete sentence for summaries, starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.
• 🤔 Analyze the essay prompt and extract keywords to ensure the response is on topic and relevant.
• 🚫 Writing off-topic in essays results in a zero score, significantly impacting the overall writing score.
• 📈 Understand the difference between argumentative and persuasive essays to follow the prompt's genre instructions.
• 💡 Argumentative essays require presenting both sides of an argument and stating support, while persuasive essays focus on one side to convince the reader.
• 📚 Utilize a wide range of texts and example responses in preparation to practice extracting information and expressing ideas.
• ⏳ Practice within time limits to enhance efficiency in extracting information and expressing complex ideas.

Q & A

What is the key strategy for improving writing skills according to the transcript?

Learners need to be exposed to different types of written texts and practice extracting critical information, as well as practicing reading quickly, taking notes efficiently, and expressing themselves clearly.

What should test takers do when faced with a summarize written text item in a test?

Test takers should start by skimming the text to understand the general meaning, then scan it and note the main ideas and keywords, which can be written on an erasable booklet or screen.

How can learners better locate information within an academic text?

Learners can understand the structure of academic texts, where topic sentences are usually the first or second sentence of a paragraph and provide an overview of the information, and the final sentence of each paragraph may give more general information.

What is the importance of checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation in a written response?

Checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation is critical as it ensures the response is professional and easy to understand. It also prevents the loss of points due to these errors.

What is the rule for writing a complete sentence in a test setting as mentioned in the transcript?

The response should be one complete sentence, starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.

Why is it crucial for learners to understand the difference between argumentative and persuasive essays?

Understanding the difference is important because the writer's approach and the structure of the essay will vary based on the genre. Following the instructions about the essay genre in the prompt is essential for scoring well.

What should be the approach for writing an argumentative essay according to the transcript?

In an argumentative essay, the writer should outline both sides of the argument and state which side they support in the conclusion.

How should a persuasive essay be structured according to the transcript?

A persuasive essay should start with a position proposed in the introduction and then use subsequent paragraphs to persuade the reader of that position.

What is the impact of writing off-topic in an essay item?

Writing off-topic in an essay item will result in an automatic score of zero, which severely impacts the overall writing score.

How can using a wide range of texts and example responses benefit learners during preparation?

Using a wide range of texts and example responses provides more opportunities for learners to practice extracting information and expressing complex ideas simply, helping them to work within the time limits of the test.

What is the main challenge that learners face when they have to write an essay in a test setting?

The main challenge is to create a logical flow of information in their responses and to decide what to write about, ensuring they do not write off-topic.