Advanced Supplementary Level

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USE OF ENGLISH

• Advanced Supplementary Level

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English Language

• You learn how to
• write grammatical English
• speak in English (for communication)
• read English for general understanding
• understand spoken English (through listening)

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AIMS (UE)

• To foster the development of students English
  language skills in order to equip them for
  tertiary education and/or employment.

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The exam will test the ability of candidates to

• understand and interpret spoken English as it
  might be encountered in academic or vocational
  situations
• write clear, concise grammatical English in an
  appropriate style
• demonstrate both global and detailed
  understanding of a variety of written texts
• understand and use spoken English for practical
  communications
• integrate reading, writing and study skills in
  the pursuance of task-based/problem-solving act..

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CONTENTS

• Four proficiency Sections (A-D) which focus on a
  range of productive and receptive skills
• weighting 18 each total 72

• A Section E which concentrates on work and study
  skills.
• weighting 28

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SECTION A - E
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A. LISTENING (18, 1 hour)

• consists of 3 parts
• tests the ability of candidates to understand,
  organise and interpret spoken English as used by
  educated and fluent speakers of English as an
  international language
• the content will be appropriate to study and work
  purposes.
• The form of presentation may include dialogue as
  well as monologue.
• candidates may, for example, be asked to complete
  tables, graphs and sets of notes

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B. WRITING (18, 1 hr 15 mins)

• 4 choices
• Tests the ability of candidates to write extended
  English discourse.
• Topics will be selected to encourage expository
  writing, e.g. letters, persuasion, argument,
  reporting, development of hypotheses,
  organization of information, etc.
• a minimum of 500 words

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C. READING LANGUAGE SYSTEMS (18, 1 hr 30 mins)
I. READING

• 1 article about 15 MC questions (2 marks_at_)
• Tests the ability of candidates to achieve
• an in depth understanding of an
• expository text.
• Skills tested to identify central ideas, the
• purposes and assumptions of the writer, to
• recognise the limiting effects of
• qualifications and exceptions, to relate
• cause of effect and evidence to conclusions.

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B. LANGUAGE SYSTEMS

• Test the extent to which the systems of the
  English language have been internalised by the
  candidates
• Formats mc cloze, theme exercise, summary cloze,
  matching, proofreading (editing) etc
• Item types may vary from year to year.

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D. ORAL (18, 2 mins 10 mins)

• Individual Presentation
• 10 mins preparation
• 2 mins presentation
• each candidate will be given a short article to
  read
• Jot notes on a notecard
• present a brief spoken account of a short written
  texts lasting from 1.5 - 2 mins

• Group Discussion
• 2 mins preparation
• 10 mins discussion
• the discussion will simulate a study-related or
  work-related situations where it is assumed there
  is a problem to be solved or a task to be
  addressed.

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E. PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR WORK STUDY (28, 1hr 45
mins)

• read (about 10 pages) data file complete 2-3
  tasks
• tests practical communications through simulated
  work and study situations
• the set tasks involve locating and processing
  information, identifying and solving
  communication problem, and carrying out
  communication tasks.
• test materials variety of texts in a booklet
• test items study skills reasoning skills,
  reading skills writing skills

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How can I get a better grade in AS UE?
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BY...

• Extensive reading !
• Reading newspapers, magazines etc...
• (different topics)
• Practise your writing speed
• Speak more in English

• help C E - enhance reading skills
• help A, B C - enrich vocabulary, learn
  organization,
• help D more ideas
• help A B write faster
• help D speak more fluently