Lecture Summary: Strategies for PTE Exam

Introduction

• Presenter: Natasha
• Overview: Strategies for each of the four sections of the PTE exam to achieve top scores.

Writing Strategy

Use Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

• Comparative Adjectives: Used to compare two items (e.g., "John is taller than Peter.")
  • Add "-er" or use "more" for adjectives with two or more syllables.
  • Example: "Coffee is more expensive than tea."
• Superlative Adjectives: Used for comparing more than two items, showing highest degree.
  • Add "-est" or use "most" for adjectives with two or more syllables.
  • Example: "John is the tallest in his family."
• Importance:
  • Helps compare objects/concepts, evaluate ideas, and justify opinions.
  • Enhances content score by directly addressing prompts that often require comparisons.
  • Demonstrates grammatical control and expands vocabulary range.
• Practice: Sign up at E2 Test Prep for writing tasks and feedback.

Reading Strategy

Learn Collocations

• Definition: Two or more words that typically go together (e.g., "take a photo").
• Importance:
  • Assists in predicting text in reading passages.
  • Essential for answering collocation-based questions in exams.
• Example: "Black comedy" is a collocation, whereas "boring comedy" is not.
• Building Knowledge:
  • Study directly through reading, listening, and watching diverse materials.
  • Use dictionaries and online sources for common collocations.
  • E2 courses offer materials to enhance collocation skills.

Listening Strategy

Listen to Weird and Unfamiliar Topics

• Rationale:
  • Broadens vocabulary and comprehension by exposing learners to varied topics.
  • Typical exam topics: chemical reactions, international business, medical research.
• Resources:
  • TED Talks and podcasts (e.g., Everyday English with E2) offer diverse topics.

Speaking Strategy

Develop Connected Speech Skills

• Importance:
  • Natural speech requires connected speech, affecting pronunciation and fluency.
  • Enhances rhythm, pace, and stress in spoken language.
• Techniques:
  • Linking: Connects ending consonant of one word to the next (e.g., "going out").
  • Deleting: Omission of sounds, often "t" and "d" (e.g., "we must go").
  • Adding: Insertion of sounds between words (e.g., "two or three").
  • Changing: Blending sounds (e.g., "don't you" sounds like "dontcha").
  • Combining: Merge identical sounds at word boundaries (e.g., "I want to").
• Practice:
  • Listen to diverse accents and mimic native speakers.
  • Use subtitles, audiobooks, and podcast transcripts for practice.
  • Record and compare your speech to improve.

Conclusion

• Key strategies:
  • Writing: Use comparative and superlative adjectives.
  • Reading: Learn collocations.
  • Listening: Engage with unfamiliar topics.
  • Speaking: Develop connected speech skills.
• Practice available at E2 Test Prep.
• Encouragement and good luck wishes for exam preparation.