The oral exam is around the corner (specifically, this Friday), and when you have students who don't quite know how to elaborate on their ideas, you need to go the extra mile for them. So, I spent my one-week break combing through essays and comprehension passages to sieve out phrases they can arm themselves with.
The typical approach many teachers use is to collate power phrases in a thematic manner. So, they will get their students to internalise a set of vocabulary for the environment and another set of phrases for topics on family. This is where my creative and unorthdox mind diverges from their thinking. I think getting students to memorise phrases according to themes is a burden on their cognitive capacity - particularly if they are not especially motivated to prepare for their exam. What I think might work is compiling phrases according to prepositions. Some of these phrases cuts across topics, so it's my fervent hope that they will know how to apply them under exam pressure.
Additionally, my students have to tackle a notoriously difficult section called Comprehension Cloze in their main paper. They have to use contextual clues to fill in 15 blanks, which is no mean feat if you don't have the stamina to work through long text passages.
Anyway, I actually took three hours to put this together (no AI magic!). I think my Proof of Work stems from scrutinising every single collocation and imagining how my students might use them to express their thoughts. Did I hear that I would be getting the Best Teacher Award?
Useful Words You Can Use for Oral / Comprehension Cloze
on
focus / concentrate
on
my studies
keen
on
sports
emphasis placed
on
saving water
juggle many things
on
my plate
perform
on
stage
leave a deep impression
on
the audience
splurge
on
branded goods
buy
on
a whim
relieve the burden
on
my parents
depend / rely
on
my teammates
take
on
responsibilities
run
on
clean energy
positive impact
on
the environment
of
a variety /myriad
of
benefits / concepts
awesome sense
of
style / wonder
melting pot
of
cultures
take note
of
the lessons learnt
get wind
of
the latest product
pillar
of
support
benefit
of
hindsight
advancement
of
novel technologies
have a whale
of
a time
in
engrossed
in
a captivating book
engage
in
sports / retail therapy
participate / partake actively
in
engaging activities
hold a special place
in
my heart
confide my problems
in
a trusted adult
relax
in
the shade
work / collaborate
in
groups
help someone
in
need
being
in
the company of my friends
keep my body
in
shape
increase
in
accessibility / convenience
take
in
the aromatic smells
to
look forward
to
the holidays
give back / contribute
to
society
essential
to
staying healthy
play
to
my strengths
keep up
to
date
keen
to
take part
appeals
to
me
grow accustomed / adapt
to
new approaches / platforms / conventions
access
to
resources
increased exposure
to
social media
opens my eyes
to
pain / suffering
caters
to
our interests
live life
to
the fullest
put my knowledge
to
good use
by
fuelled
by
my passion
inspired
by
my teachers
bothered
by
my obstacles
enthralled
by
spectacular sights
stand
by
me
for
fend
for
myself
prepare
for
festive occasions
up
for
the challenge
out
stressed
out
try
out
fascinating activities
miss
out
on opportunities
stick
out
like a sore thumb
rough it
out
decked
out
in hip-hop attire
with
pass
with
flying colours
graduate
with
beautiful memories
catch up / touch base
with
my friends
bond deeply
with
my family
impressed
with
innovative ideas
go
with
the flow
filled
with
laughter
share new perspectives
with
one another
cementing our relationships
with
one another
blend in
with
the surroundings
over
bond
over
long conversations / scrumptious food
depressed
over
certain mistakes /setbacks
fear looms
over
my head
about
think / ponder
about
my future
create awareness
about
sustainable energy
learn
about
diverse cultures
care
about
troubled friends
brings
about
advantages
go
about
handling challenges / resolving conflicts
from
learn
from
experts
benefit
from
its unique / novel features
gain benefits
from
exercising
stand out
from
the crowd
feel gratitude
from
the bottom of my heart
feel stress
from
multiple sources
into
break
into
a sweat
break
into
laughter
through
express my gratitude
through
handwritten notes
exert my individuality
through
my music playlist
go
through
thick and thin
survive
through
tough times
