Parte escrita habilitación lingüística por la Comunidad de Madrid

Buenas, querido docente. ¿Qué tal vas? ¿Te vas a presentar el examen de habilitación lingüística por la Comunidad de Madrid y no tienes ni idea de cómo es la prueba? Peor aún, han salido las fechas del examen de repente (lo tienes la próxima semana) y aún no sabes en qué consiste el examen. No te preocupes, para eso estamos. En su momento ya explicamos en qué consiste el ejercicio oral. En este artículo os explicaremos en qué consiste el ejercicio escrito habilitación lingüística y os dejaremos un modelo de examen para practicar.

En Salón de Idiomas llevamos preparando esta prueba unos cuantos años y, aunque es cierto que el énfasis lo ponemos sobre todo en la parte oral del examen de habilitación, no descuidamos la parte escrita (Reading, Writing, Listening y Grammar and Vocabulary). Para eso, aquí os dejamos esta bonita entrada llamada “Parte escrita habilitación lingüística por la comunidad de Madrid” en la que os explicamos en qué consiste este ejercicio y os dejaremos ejemplos de cada una de las skills para que practiquéis.

Parte escrita examen de habilitación lingüística Madrid

Pues bien, en línea generales, el contenido de todos los ejercicios de la primera fase del procedimiento (la también llamada “parte escrita del examen” –porque luego está la “parte oral”, la realmente difícil) versan en torno a la educación. Todas las destrezas desde la comprensión lectora, expresión escrita, comprensión auditiva a la parte de gramática y vocabulario tratan sobre vuestra profesión: la educación.

Vocabulario de educación en inglés 

¿Cuál es el nivel del examen? Pues bien, de momento ronda en un nivel B2. O por lo menos es lo que opinan nuestros alumnos que, no estando exentos de esta parte, se presentaron, la probaron y nos contaron. Vini, vidi, vinci. Nosotros hemos elaborado todos estos ejercicios para que os hagáis una idea, pero recordad que practicando con modelos de otros exámenes como los de Aptis, Cambridge o LanguageCert, entrenaréis un poco.

Habilitación lingüística Aptis, Trinity, Linguaskill o LanguageCert

Todos los siguientes ejercicios que hemos elaborado (y que esperamos que se parezcan a los del examen real de habilitación lingüística) están acompañados de sus respuestas en un color más tenue (este color).  Pasando el cursor sobre las respuestas podrás visualizarlas mejor.

Modelo completo del ejercicio escrito 

Listening habilitación lingüística (examen por la Comunidad de Madrid)

Sueles encontrar 2 audios que se escuchan un par de veces. Aunque pueden variar según la convocatoria, el tipo de ejercicio suele ser opción multiple, verdadero o falso o rellenar los huecos con la palabra correcta. Recuerda que la puntuación correcta la tienes siempre que (por ejemplo en fill in the gaps) no haya errores de ningún tipo (spelling mistakes).

Exercise 1

Listen to the speaker. Decide whether the next statements are true or false.

TRUE/FALSE: When girls and boys are taught together, the results are always better.

TRUE/FALSE: Single sex schools avoid distractions because boys will not compete for girls’ attention.

TRUE/FALSE: Mixed schools enable boys and girls interactions and that’s a crucial aspect for socializations.

TRUE/FALSE: Girls gossip more when they are learning in single sex schools.

TRUE/FALSE: The lack of girls and boys interaction early in life could lead to problems later in life.

Answers:

When girls and boys are taught together, the results are always better.  False (singe sex schools are usually more expensive so the results might be better).

Single sex schools avoid distractions because boys will not compete for girls’ attention. True

Mixed schools enable boys and girls interactions and that’s a crucial aspect for socializations. True

Girls gossip more when they are learning in single sex schools. False (it doesn’t say so).

The lack of girls and boys interaction early in life could lead to problems later in life. True

Exercise 2

You are going to hear part of a speech about literature in the classroom. Complete the text with a word or a phrase according to what you hear.

We shouldn’t be 1. ……..…..classic texts for contemporary stories, students need a blend of past and present to develop crucial skills, says English teacher Sally Law.

When introducing literature to a new class I ask two questions: «Why do we study it and what can we learn from it?» Now, if you’re a teacher you’ll know that it’s not always a smooth 2. ..…………… to the final destination, which is all part of the fun, but the answer we usually get to. Albeit with teacher sat-nav 3. ….……………, is that through literature, we can visit cultures impossible for us to experience ourselves. From our reading, we can begin to understand what it must have been like to live in a particular time, under certain conditions, in different parts of the world. But the best 4. ……….……. is that we can do all this while honing those oh-so-necessary and desired critical-thinking skills.

And that’s the point: that the study of literature in the contemporary classroom is, perhaps, even more relevant today than it has ever been.

At a time when the common aim of those in education, certainly the majority of us, is to prepare pupils for a world that evolves at the speed of fibre-optics, the role of literature and its importance in 5. …………… our pupils for the future has never been more apt.

But just what are the benefits to teaching literature to the young ‘uns these days?

From the linguistic perspective, studying classic literature from the Western canon (Shakespeare, Dickens, Orwelland so on) affords students of English the opportunity to 6. …………………………….language quite different from their own. Structures, trends in punctuation and in the way we speak 7. ……………………….… through the ages and being aware of these developments really helps us to understand better, language in its current context.

If we didn’t read and study texts from the past, and only looked to the best seller list, how would we know of this evolution? In my experience, pupils’ creativity runs 8. …………………….. when they can remix particular structures and styles with their own writing to lend authenticity to character, story and setting.

One of the challenges teachers face is the need to edge learners beyond their comfort zones but in doing so, we challenge their thinking and we bolster their confidence to become even more 9. ……………….. in the use of their own language. Or as the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) might say, we’re equipping them with essential skills for the real world.

There are more benefits to the study of literature. Understanding a story through the experiences of a character 10. …………. to feel what it could have been like and helps us consider the impact of events, significant or otherwise, on ordinary people. Gaining a broad view of society, through the eyes of another, 11. ……………. understanding, tolerance and empathy and the value of these capacities cannot be underestimated in today’s world.

Understanding the past does, we hope, prevent us from repeating the mistakes of our predecessors but, 12. ……………, it helps us appreciate how attitudes have changed over time. This, in turn, promotes a deeper understanding of why we are who we are today.

While we must safeguard the teaching of classic literature or risk depriving our young people of the 13. …………….. of knowledge, enjoyment and sense of heritage and history to be gained from our classics, we should also be open to the idea that more contemporary texts, of varying titles and formats, have a justifiable place in the curriculum too.

Any text, if 14. …………….…. well, will engage on some level or another.
A few years ago I received a thank you card from a student at the end of her school career but it didn’t convey the usual gratitude for helping her complete the course, or for getting her through the exam. It simply read: «Thank you for introducing me to beautiful literature – I have learned so much from it.» And that golden moment is enough to convince me that great literature, from any time, is something that all our young people should be 15. ………to. That’s the point.

Fuente: The Guardian

Answers:

1. ditching, 2. ride, 3.switched on, 4. bit, 5.equipping, 6.understand, analyse and evaluate, 7. have evolved, 8. rampant, 9. skilled, 10. enables us, 11. Fosters, 12. more than that, 13.wealth, 14. taught, 15.entitled.

Reading habilitación lingüística (examen por la Comunidad de Madrid)

Los ejercicios de Reading de habilitación pueden variar. Pueden salir multiple choice, fill in the gaps, paraphrasing synonyms text o matching headings. Vamos a ver qué tal con los siguientes ejercicios. Ready?

1. Paraphrasing synonyms text

Match the underlined words in the text below (items 7-11) with a word that has a similar meaning in this context (options A-F).  There is one option you do not need.

School reports “not tough enough”

1. aim, B. honest, C. behaviour, D. abilities, E. shortcomings, F. face-to-face, G. learners, H. boost, I. forte, J. discipline, K. reinforcement

School reports are often not 1. accurate enough and give parents the wrong impression of their children’s 2. skills according to a study published in the journal Education Today. The authors of the study say teachers sometimes do not know how to write reports as apparently most of them don’t understand the 3. purpose of the report.

School reports should help students 4. enrich their work but many teachers do not give a clear picture of the pupil’s 5. strengths and 6. weaknesses. “Many reports are too positive and 7. students often think that their grades  are better than they really are”. There is a problem at both primary and secondary school where teachers need more 8. support with how to write reports.

Teachers discuss children’s marks with parents but it is difficult to be honest 9. in person. Not only do children fail to do well on tests but they also have 10. upbringing problems.

Answers: 1.B, 2.D, 3.A, 4.H, 5.I, 6.E, 7.G, 8.k, 9. F, 10. J.

2. Multiple choice

Read the text below quickly and choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for the following items.

Some years ago I was in Zimbabwe, visiting a friend who was a teacher. He was there «to help Africa», as he put it, but what he found in his school shocked him. The school consisted of four large brick rooms side by side, each with nothing more than a blackboard and a few pieces of chalk. There were no textbooks or no exercise books, and the former headmaster had gone off with the few funds the school had had.

The pupils’ ages ranged from six to 26, because some who did not get schooling as children were there to make it up. Some pupils walked many miles every morning, rain or shine and across rivers. The girls had to fetch water and cook before they set off for school and when they got back. They struggled to do homework because there was no electricity in the villages; you can’t study easily by the light of a burning log. But what I noticed most was a real desire to learn and a longing to read. The school ‘library’ was half a room with nothing more than an encyclopaedia and a few old paperbacks. Each of these had been read and re-read a thousand times, and they wanted more. «Please send us books when you get back to London,» one man said. «They taught us how to read but we have no books.» Everybody I met, everyone, begged for books. Some time later I gave a talk at a school in North London, a very good school with beautiful buildings and gardens. The children there had a visit from some well-known person every week: these might be fathers, relatives, even mothers of the pupils; a visit from a celebrity was not unusual for them. Afterwards I asked the teachers how the library was, and if the pupils read. I heard what I always hear when I go to such schools and even universities. «You know how it is,» one of the teachers said. «A lot of the boys have never read at all, and the library is only half used.»

Sadly, we do know how it is. We are in a culture where it is common for young men and women, who have had years of education, to know nothing of the world, to have read nothing, knowing only some speciality or other, for instance, computers. We are in the middle of a revolution brought on by computers and the internet and TV. It is an amazing revolution, but it is also dangerous. The internet has already seduced a whole generation with its stupidities, so that even quite reasonable people can become addicted and find it hard to cut free. But perhaps more importantly, the internet has stopped a whole generation from reading books. Until recently, everyone would respect learning, education and our great treasure house of literature, going back to the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans. It is all there, this wealth of literature, to be discovered again and again. But if we ever lost all interest in these books, it would be as if they didn’t exist. And then how impoverished, how empty we would be.

1. The text was written in order to:

A. trace the history of education in Africa. B. sensitize people to a problem. C. highlight the problems in London schools.

2. The writer appears

A. critical. B. neutral. C. positive.

3. The best title for the text would be

A. A Hunger for Books. B. London Schools. C. African Storytellers

4. The writer’s friend was shocked by

A. the lack of teachers B. the lack of resources C. the attitude of the other teachers.

5. The students at the school

A. varied considerably in age. B. all had part time jobs. C. were unable to do any homework.

6. The library at the school in Zimbabwe

A. was rarely used by the students. B. had very few books. C. did not allow students to take books out.

7. How did the students at the London school feel about the writer’s visit?

A. They wanted to hear more about Zimbabwe. B. They were enthusiastic about attending her talk. C. They were not particularly excited.

8. When she heard about the library in the London school, the writer was

A. shocked. B. disappointed. C. not surprised

9. The writer is particularly angry about the effects of

A. TV. B. computers. C. the internet.

10. The writer feels we would be impoverished if we

A. were no longer interested in reading. B. no longer studied ancient cultures. C. spent less money on education

Answers: 1.B, 2.A, 3.A, 4.B, 5.A, 6.B, 7.C, 8.C, 9.C, 10.A

3. Matching headings

Read the following text and decide what heading match each paragraph. There one extra heading.

Writing your teaching philosophy

Teaching philosophies express your values and beliefs about teaching. They are personal statements that introduce you, as a teacher, to your reader. As such, they are written in the first person and convey a confident, professional tone. When writing a teaching philosophy, use specific examples to illustrate your points. You should also discuss how your values and beliefs about teaching fit into the context of your discipline.

1^st Heading:

What do you mean by learning? What happens in a successful learning situation? Note what constitutes «learning» or «mastery» in your discipline.

2^nd Heading:

What are your values, beliefs, and aspirations as an educator? Do you wish to encourage mastery, competency, transformational learning, lifelong learning, general transference of skills, critical thinking? What does a perfect teaching situation look like to you and why? How are the values realized in classroom activities? You may discuss course materials, lesson plans, activities, assignments, and assessment instruments.

3^rd Heading:

What skills should students obtain as a result of your teaching? Think about your ideal student and what the outcomes of your teaching would be in terms of this student’s knowledge or behaviour. Address the aims you have for specific classes or curricula and that rational behind them (i.e., critical thinking, writing, or problem solving).

4^th Heading:

What strategies will you consider to reach these aims and objectives? What are your beliefs regarding learning theory and specific techniques you would use, such as case studies, group work, simulations, and interactive lectures? You might also want to include any new ideas or strategies you want to try.

5^th Heading:

What are you attitudes towards advising and mentoring pupils? How would an observer see you connect with students? Why do you want to work with students?

6^th Heading:

How will you assess student growth and performance? What are your beliefs about grading? Do you grade students on a percentage scale (criterion referenced) or on a curve (norm referenced)? What different types of assessment will you use (i.e. traditional tests, projects, portfolios, presentations) and why?

7^th Heading:

How will you continue cultivating yourself as a teacher? What goals do you have for yourself and how will you reach them? How have your attitudes towards teaching and learning changed over time? How will you use student evaluations to improve your teaching? How might you learn new skills? How do you know when you’ve taught effectively?

Answers:

1^st: Your concept of learning, 2^nd: Your concept of teaching, 3^rd: Your goals for students, 4^th: Your teaching methods, 5^th: Your interaction with students, 6^th: Rating learning, 7^th: Professional growth, EXTRA: your beliefs about teaching and learning

Fill in the gaps

Read the following text and decide which word fits better in each gap.

There are many ways I believe that COVID could change the future of school—for the better.

The pandemic has seen a 1) ________ of articles with titles like “How to help students navigate this Social-Emotional Rollercoaster” and “Leaning into SEL amid the COVID-19 crisis.”

While normal classes are 2) ________ by COVID, SEL is becoming the primary work for many educators. One teacher in Minnesota put it well to me in an email: “During this time, social-emotional learning work isn’t just another thing to add to an educator’s plate. This is the plate.”

There’s 3) _________ acknowledgement that we must pay greater attention to the social-emotional needs of our students because they’re suffering. When we get back to school, teachers and students will have to process their parents’ lost jobs, their tough times with their families at home, and how this crisis affects their future when it comes to college. If school 4) _________ and this work isn’t prioritized, students will feel like schools really don’t get it and are out of 5) _______ with their needs.

Project Wayfinder, the organization I founded and currently run, specializes in SEL with curricula focused on supporting young people cultivate a sense of purpose. Right now, we’re seeing a swarm in demand for our services as schools prepare to go back to school next year in the wake of COVID. Savvy school administrators are already thinking about how to 6) _______ their staff are ready to 7) _______ students’ emotional and psychological, post-pandemic needs.

This is on the minds of school leaders across the country, including Michael Gayles, the founding principal of IGNITE Middle School in Dallas. IGNITE is a 8) _________ school that prioritizes the SEL needs of its scholars. In a recent email, Gayles wrote, “Meaning. Belonging. Connectedness. Emotional Health. COVID has amplified our awareness of these needs for our students. The crisis will pass, but my hope is that all school leaders will make these higher priorities.”

I share Gayles’s hope that this work proves not to be a checkbox or temporary crisis management, but rather a more transformational integration of SEL into our education system.

Answers: 1.B, 2.C, 3.A, 4.A, 5.D, 6.C, 7.B, 8.D.

Writing habilitación lingüística (examen por la Comunidad de Madrid)

Normalmente tienes dos opciones (por ejemplo, entre un essay y un article). Te dejamos dos enunciados.

Option A) write an article giving you opinion about the pros and cons of pupils having homeworks.

Cómo redactar un artículo en inglés

Option B) write an essay explaining what you would show to you pupils if they took a school trip to the city centre of Madrid.

Cómo redactar un essay en inglés

Cómo conseguir el C1

Inversiones en inglés nivel avanzado

Grammar and vocabulary habilitación lingüística (examen por la Comunidad de Madrid)

Answers: 1. C, 2. C, 3 A, 4. A, 5. C, 6. C, 7. B, 8. 2, 9. A, 10. C, 11. B, 12. B, 13. C, 14. B, 15. B, 16. C, 17. A, 18. B, 19. C, 20. A, 21. B, 22. C, 23. B, 24. A, 25. A

1. Select a word from the list that has the most similar meaning to the word on the left.

1. demonstrate
2. comprehend
3. encourage
4. carry out
5. direct

a.ensure, b.film, c.show, d.make, e.instruct, f.organize, g. listen, h. grasp, i.read, j. paint, k. foster

Answers: 1.C, 2.H, 3.K, 4.D, 5.E

2. Complete each definition using a word from the list. Use each word once only. You will not need five of the words.

1. To gain knowledge is to
2. To evaluate a student’s performance is to
3. To look over something carefully is to
4. To put things in their correct place is to
5. To exchange information by speaking is to

1. learn, b.advertise, c.teach, d.review, e. write, f.write, g.stop, h.communicate, i.keep, j.unclutter, k.assess, l.sweep

Answers: 1.A, 2.K, 3.D, 4.J, 5.H

3. Finish each sentence using a word from the list. Use each word once only. You will not need five of the words.

1. Last school year and following the bilingual programme, we implemented CLIL________ at our school.
2. Every Friday, the students take a short _______ to see if they understood the week’s concepts.
3. It is important for kids to play in team sports so that they learn __________.
4. The new technology course does not have a ___________ All material is online.
5. We have plenty of ________ on the shelves for indoor activities when it rains.

a.puzzles, b.curriculum, c.textbook, d.evaluation, e.cooperation, f.method, g.quiz, h.tiles, i.reflection, j. progress, k. skill

Answers: 1. F, 2.G, 3. E, 4. C, 5. A

4. Select a word from the list that has the most similar meaning to the word on the left.

1. independent
2. rewarding
3. enhance
4. strategy
5. achievement

a.success, b. improve, c.injury, d.technique, e.failure, f.satisfying, g.free, h. self-sufficient, i.apart, j. money, k. exclusive.

Answers: 1. H, 2. F, 3. B, 4- D, 5. A

5. Select a word from the list that is most often used with the word on the left. Use each word once only. You will not need five of the words.

1. learning
2. academic
3. Master’s
4. staff
5. final

a.room, b.attire, c.song, d.behaviour, e.process, f.quiz, g.degree, h. staircase, i.exam, j. run, k. university.

Answers: 1.E, 2.D, 3.G, 4.A, 5.I

Hasta aquí el modelo de examen de la parte escrita habilitación lingüística que hemos realizado para vosotros. Esperamos que hayáis sacado buena puntuación y, para cualquier cosa, recordad que aquí estamos.

Cheers!!