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Cambridge IGCSE First Language English For an overview, click here . -- 2015 Exam SYLLABUS -- 2016 Exam SYLLABUS

Here is the LINK to the story. Questions (9th graders--due Tuesday May 20, 2014) 1. Who are the main characters? Describe them. 2. Describe the story's setting. 3. What brings Rainesford to the island? (Note: this is different from the way it is presented in the movie.) 4. Explain Rainesford's changing impression of General Zaroff. 5. What is the main conflict in the story? 6. What is the climax? Support your conclusion. 7. Is the resolution of the story satisfying to you as the reader? Explain. NEXT:  we'll work on vocabulary. Here's a list of 50 words from the story that you should know! http://quizlet.com/6134342/most-dangerous-game-vocabulary-words-flash-cards/

(From website listed at end of post) Features of a Formal letter There are fixed rules regarding formal letters. Layout ·          full postal address followed by date in top right of letter ·          the name of person or Department and address you are writing to goes in the left hand side above greeting but lower down than your address ·          the greeting is normally 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam' or full title if you are supposed to have met the person or spoken on the phone, or written before. For example, 'Dear Mr Brown' or 'Dear Dr Jones' ·          ending is always 'Yours faithfully' if you have opened with 'Sir' or 'Madam' or 'Yours sincerely' if you have used a name ·          you can print your initials and name after your signature Content Formal letters mu...

NOTE: This was taken from the website listed at the bottom of this post. Other resources for FLE and also IGCSE LITERATURE are posted there as well. Have a look and many thanks to Ms Constantine for posting these great resources!  First Language Exam -- Paper 2 Extended Point 1: Students should not read Passage/Text 2 until they have completed Questions 1 & 2, so that they don't include points from it in answering these questions. Point 2: In Q1 (Directed Writing) everything used in students' recast res ponses MUST BE TETHERED IN DETAIL FROM THE PASSAGE. Point 3: Remember that the easiest way for students to gain marks on Q2 (Writer's use of language), which also applies to Q1 Core, is to literally answer WORD, MEANING, EFFECT on 6/7 words/phrases from EACH of the two sections asked for. Point 4: The third bullet point in Q1 (Bullet point C) is the determiner for higher level candidates because it asks students to use inference...

**Note:  Go to next post for links to Bradbury short stories!** Dear students, I came across this free course in Coursera:  https://www.coursera.org/course/usuniversities Maybe it will be helpful for you as you start gearing up for the college search! :) In their description: This course will help international students (non-U.S. citizens) and non-native English speakers navigate the U.S. university admission process by offering practical information about the documents and pieces that make up a U.S. university application.  More importantly, admission officers will discuss h ow they use those pieces to decide who is accepted and who is denied , so that you can understand the process beyond the pieces.   Also mentioned: The course will consist of a series of short video lectures.  Video lectures will have integrated quiz questions to ensure that you understand the material before moving forward.  The course will also include short-answer hom...

All Summer in a Day (Ray Bradbury) http://staff.esuhsd.org/danielle/English%20Department%20LVillage/RT/Short%20Stories/All%20Summer%20in%20a%20Day.pdf The Veldt (Ray Bradbury) http://www.d.umn.edu/~csigler/PDF%20files/bradbury_veldt.pdf ...More to come... :)

by Mark Nichol http://www.dailywritingtips.com/100-beautiful-and-ugly-words/   One of the many fascinating features of our language is how often words with pleasant associations are also quite pleasing on the tongue and even to the eye, and how many words, by contrast, acoustically and visually corroborate their disagreeable nature — look no further than the heading for this post. Enrich the poetry of your prose by applying words that provide precise connotation while also evoking emotional responses. (Note the proportion of beautiful words to ugly ones in the compilation below; it’s easier to conjure the former than the latter, though I omitted words associated with bodily functions, as well as onomatopoeic terms.) Notice how often attractive words present themselves to define other beautiful ones, and note also how many of them are interrelated, and what kind of sensations, impressions, and emotions they have in common. Also, try enunciating beautiful words as i...

This page  http://www.cie.org.uk/cambridge-for/learners-and-parents/study-resources/ has a list of links to study guides for various IGCSE and A level subjects. Well worth checking out! Here is the link for First Language English: http://www.cie.org.uk/images/163028-cambridge-learner-guide-for-igcse-first-language-english.pdf Good luck on your exams, everyone! :)

Check   this page , which has other links as well... or visit  http://www.cie.org.uk/usa/recognition/  directly. :)

Hey there, There are some past papers available on the Cambridge site, but some require a password. You can find quite a lot of them here:  http://papers.xtremepapers.com/CIE/Cambridge%20IGCSE/English%20-%20First%20Language%20(0500)/ Happy practicing!

This is an official list of TOEFL prompts found on the ETS website: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/989563wt.pdf The more familiar you are with the questions (and the more you've answered in practice), the better you'll do! Remember, TOEFL graders spend... hm, was it 3 minutes? I think my friend said they spend about 3 minutes per essay. Unlike Cambridge, length is not very significant. What is important is that you answer the question directly, clearly, and using a high level of vocabulary and grammar structures accurately. (Choose accuracy over complexity if you're unsure.)

There are lots of ways... google terms like "top 10 engineering schools" and replace engineering with the field of your choice. Other possible searches could be "best universities and colleges for economics" or "accredited business program" and the state of your choice. Here's a link to the College Board online search engine: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search?navid=sat-cs Good luck! Remember, it's not all about a big name. It's about where YOU will learn, grow and develop academically and as a whole unique individual!

https://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day

Some of these might be of interest to you: http://www. hernandezcollegeconsulting. com/downloads/Top_6_Summer_ Programs_2014.pdf Also see: http://www.tellurideassociation.org/programs/high_school_students.html Think strategically about how you spend your free time! :) Teachers, link for nominating students for Telluride summer programs (deadlines in 2013 were in November and December before the summer 2014 program):   http://www.tellurideassociation.org/programs/high_school_students/hs_resources/hs_resources_general_information.html

Welll, it seems that even though most students tend to take the SAT, there is another choice: the ACT. If you are interested in finding out more, here is a page with some advice when taking the exam, and other links you may find helpful. http://www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com/2014/03/act-now-for-the-april-act/

As The Common Application states,  “After a positive response from Common Application member colleges and school counselors, The Common Application will retain the current set of first-year essay prompts for 2014-15, without any edits or additions. The essay length will continue to be capped at 650 words . . .  The essay prompts are as follows:  Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.  Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure.  How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?  Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?  Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content.  What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? Discuss a...

A school in Hong Kong's FAQ's about Cambridge IGCSEs, A Levels, etc. http://www.itseducation.asia/UK-faqs.htm (Thanks Ms Anu!) Note: not all of this information applies to all locations (ie testing months/dates), but it can be a good resource of information. Make sure to double-check all information with your local school administration and Cambridge!