Arabic language exam, Goal B1 May 2019
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 8:11 pm
Yay! LLorg is back up! Thanks, emk!
Apparently the game plan for Arabic has found me! As I mentioned in the Middle East Team thread, I learned of the new CIMA (certificat international de maîtrise en arabe) and am considering preparing for the test next summer. This has led me to think about *how* to prepare.
As this is a new exam, there is understandably a dearth of pre-fabricated study guides and exercise books (shocker!). Not all hope is lost, however, as we have some idea of what to expect:
1) This "guide du candidat" is filled with details on the format of the exam and some guidelines on what sorts of prompts there will be for the speaking and writing sections. There are also a few examples (3 for listening, 2 for reading, 1 for writing, 1 for speaking) on pages 16-19 of the guide.
2) The CIMA was produced with assistance from CIEP which organizes the TCF (test de connaissance du français) and surprise, surprise, the formats seem quite similar. Lucky for me, I'm already familiar with the TCF and there is a wealth of exercise examples. CIMA looks like TCF but with obligatory writing and speaking sections and no grammar knowledge section.
Test Format:
Collective testing section:
Listening: 35 questions in 30-35 minutes
- Each recording is played only once
- 9 true/false questions, 26 multiple choice questions with 3 options
Reading: 35 questions in 45 minutes
- 8 true/false questions, 27 multiple choice questions with 3 responses
- vowels are unmarked
15 minute break
Writing: 4 tasks in 60 minutes
- Task 1: presenting yourself or someone else (30-100 words)
- Task 2: description, recounting, or explanation in message form (30-100 words)
- Task 3: article, letter, story, expression of an opinion (30-100 words)
- Task 4: reaction piece to a text. The candidate must show their ability to take a position on the text's theme and argue their choice. (30-100 words)
Individual testing section:
Speaking: 4 tasks in 10 minutes
- No prep time
- Task 1: presenting yourself (2 min max)
- Task 2: tell the story of a moment or event from daily life (2 min max)
- Task 3: describe a social situation from daily life or an experience (3 min max)
- Task 4: express an opinion and explain it (3 min max)
Resources I'll be using:
Since I would be aiming for B1s in the four skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking), I decided that now would be an apt time to sign up for the B1 Arabic correspondence course from CNED. So I did that. Given both the CIMA and this course were created by the Institut du monde arabe, it seems reasonable to assume that it should help me get to the B1 level expected by the exam. At the very least, it will give some level-appropriate practice, a framework for study, and hopefully some good speaking/writing feedback. I'll be using this course as the framework for my studies.
In addition to the course, I'll continue using the periodical Al Moukhtarat. Like CIMA and the CNED course, it is also produced by the Institut du monde arabe (sensing a theme?). It's got great articles taken from Arabic media with their recordings. Most of the articles are graded above B1, but that can only help, right? It should be good prep for the reading and listening sections. To help prepare for the writing and speaking sections, I will also make a point of summarising and responding to articles. It would probably be a good idea for lessons with a teacher. Beyond that, I'll be watching and reading France24, Al Jazeera, DW, BBC, and others.
Wish me luck!
Apparently the game plan for Arabic has found me! As I mentioned in the Middle East Team thread, I learned of the new CIMA (certificat international de maîtrise en arabe) and am considering preparing for the test next summer. This has led me to think about *how* to prepare.
As this is a new exam, there is understandably a dearth of pre-fabricated study guides and exercise books (shocker!). Not all hope is lost, however, as we have some idea of what to expect:
1) This "guide du candidat" is filled with details on the format of the exam and some guidelines on what sorts of prompts there will be for the speaking and writing sections. There are also a few examples (3 for listening, 2 for reading, 1 for writing, 1 for speaking) on pages 16-19 of the guide.
2) The CIMA was produced with assistance from CIEP which organizes the TCF (test de connaissance du français) and surprise, surprise, the formats seem quite similar. Lucky for me, I'm already familiar with the TCF and there is a wealth of exercise examples. CIMA looks like TCF but with obligatory writing and speaking sections and no grammar knowledge section.
Test Format:
Collective testing section:
Listening: 35 questions in 30-35 minutes
- Each recording is played only once
- 9 true/false questions, 26 multiple choice questions with 3 options
Reading: 35 questions in 45 minutes
- 8 true/false questions, 27 multiple choice questions with 3 responses
- vowels are unmarked
15 minute break
Writing: 4 tasks in 60 minutes
- Task 1: presenting yourself or someone else (30-100 words)
- Task 2: description, recounting, or explanation in message form (30-100 words)
- Task 3: article, letter, story, expression of an opinion (30-100 words)
- Task 4: reaction piece to a text. The candidate must show their ability to take a position on the text's theme and argue their choice. (30-100 words)
Individual testing section:
Speaking: 4 tasks in 10 minutes
- No prep time
- Task 1: presenting yourself (2 min max)
- Task 2: tell the story of a moment or event from daily life (2 min max)
- Task 3: describe a social situation from daily life or an experience (3 min max)
- Task 4: express an opinion and explain it (3 min max)
Resources I'll be using:
Since I would be aiming for B1s in the four skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking), I decided that now would be an apt time to sign up for the B1 Arabic correspondence course from CNED. So I did that. Given both the CIMA and this course were created by the Institut du monde arabe, it seems reasonable to assume that it should help me get to the B1 level expected by the exam. At the very least, it will give some level-appropriate practice, a framework for study, and hopefully some good speaking/writing feedback. I'll be using this course as the framework for my studies.
In addition to the course, I'll continue using the periodical Al Moukhtarat. Like CIMA and the CNED course, it is also produced by the Institut du monde arabe (sensing a theme?). It's got great articles taken from Arabic media with their recordings. Most of the articles are graded above B1, but that can only help, right? It should be good prep for the reading and listening sections. To help prepare for the writing and speaking sections, I will also make a point of summarising and responding to articles. It would probably be a good idea for lessons with a teacher. Beyond that, I'll be watching and reading France24, Al Jazeera, DW, BBC, and others.
Wish me luck!