How to make best preparation for English Language Exam (Grade 12 Entrance Exam and any other English Language Exam): Extensive and Intensive preparation: By Million Abebe (MA in English/in TEFL and B. Ed. Degree in Pedagogy): 2023



Overview 
Students should know that different contents need different types of preparation and then adjust their preparation accordingly! But I have seen that most students had big problems in this area! As a result, here, I present two common strategies ('extensive' and 'intensive preparation') that should be used (by students while preparing themselves for English Entrance....  with the contents ... 
These strategies are given by Million Abebe based on his educational background and day-to-day experience (as English Language teacher, face-to-face and online tutor, his research on students' academic achievement ...)! They are presented (in 3 languages: English, Afan Oromo and Amharic) under two sections: as section one and section two!
  • Section One: Background Information
    • Existing Problems
    • What should be and could be done
    • English Language Entrance Focus Areas
  • Section Two: Extensive and Intensive Preparation
    • Extensive Preparation (English Version)
    • Intensive Preparation (English Version)
    • Local Languages Versions
      • Afan Oromo Version
      • Amharic Version
    • Check list to Make Self-assessment 
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Section One: Background Information 
1. Existing Problems
English result (on Grade 12: Entrance Exam: Ethiopia) is one of the least 3 results of most students! I have been able to see this taking the results of different students.
  • Students' results from our school (Chercher) and other schools.
  • Results of both students who passed/scored more than 50% (both top students and also medium students) and also who failed the exam (those scored less than 50%).
  • Results of different years (2015, 2014...).
  • Anyone could prove this simply taking any student's result randomly!
2. What should be and could be done?
There could be a lot of factors for above problems but here only what should be and could be done by students: things that are under students control!
Students should adjust their preparation: the preparation they make, generally, for English Language Exam and specially, for Entrance Exam (English....).
They should know which contents need what type of preparation! 
3. English Language Exam Focus Areas
Before talking about extensive preparation and intensive preparation, let me present English Language Exam focus areas briefly. Recently, Grade 12 Entrance Exam (Ethiopia: English Language Exam) questions are presented under 4 general categories with different sub-categories:
  • Grammar Questions
  • Writing Questions
  • Communicative activities 
  • Comprehension Questions 
    • Vocabulary questions 
    • Reading passage questions
    • Sentence Comprehension
For details, visit the next link:
Section Two: Extensive Preparation and Intensive Preparation
1. Extensive Preparation
Extensive preparation: studying a lot of contents taking more time/ studying each of them repeatedly the whole year... 
You are required to make extensive preparation for grammar and writing contents questions need extensive preparation: studying each topic and sub-topic repeatedly or the whole year...! 
Grammar and writing contents have detail rules to be studied, memorized, remembered!
Extensive preparation includes at least the next 3 things!
  • Extensive Notes: One of the key issues in extensive preparation is extensive note! 
    • Complete Note: You have to have complete note on each topic and also each sub-topic under them.
    • Complete Note in One Place: Having complete note is not enough, your note must be in one place (on a single exercise book/notebook: not on different exercise books/notebooks)!
    • Using the Note: Having complete note in one place is not enough, you have to use/read your note!
Important Link: Click here, to get the next and others!:
    • The importance of note
    • The difference between 'note taking' and 'note making'
    • what to be considered while and after taking/making note...
  • Extensive Studying and understanding:  
    • Cover each topic and sub-topic: You have to study and also understand each topic and sub-topic (Grammar and Writing) in detail, by giving more time. Because you don't know from which topics and sub-topics the coming exam questions will be taken!
    • Repeating: reading/studying one time can't be guarantee for future, you have to  repeatedly read/study each topic and also each sub-topic!
Important Links
  • Making Extensive Practice
    • The Only Way: Practicing questions is the only way to make sure whether you have understood or not! So, you have to make extensive practice/make a lot of practice on each topic and sub-topic
    • Repetition: One time practice can't be guarantee, you should practice repeatedly! 
If you like additional information on practices:  
2. Intensive Preparation
Intensive Preparation: studying a lot of contents within short time. Communicative activities, vocabulary and reading passage questions need intensive preparation! Because there are not detail rules to be studied, memorized, remembered, you do not need to study the whole year... just like grammar and writing contents.
Intensive preparation... at least the next 3 things...
  • Having basic concept
    • To answer communicative activities questions, read about the topics.... and get some basic concept ... 
    • For vocabulary questions, use each opportunity to learn new words/phrases: 
    • The questions on Grade 12 Entrance Exam (English) could be taken from different subjects/sources not only from English Language subject.. .
    • For passage questions, read and get some basic concept on scanning and skimming!
  • Making Intensive Practice
    • Take a few days and practice a lot of questions by taking from different years Entrance Exam questions; focusing only on: 
      • Communicative activities questions 
      • Vocabulary questions
      • Reading passage questions
    • Do this repeatedly with some intervals until you feel confident (feeling confident depends ...) because a single or a few practices can't be guarantee! 
    • If you want Entrance Exam questions for practices, here are the links:
      • Communicative activities questions 
      • Vocabulary questions
      • Reading passage questions
  • Having Exam Techniques
    • You have to have different exam techniques that enable you to answer communicative activities, vocabulary and reading passage questions!
    • There are a number simple and effective techniques that enable you to answer any communicative activities, vocabulary and reading passage questions; look for them and use them!
Important links: If you like, here are the links:
3. Local Language Version (Brief Summary)
A. Afan Oromo Version 
  • 'Extensive Preparation': 
    • Toftaan kun, toftaa qophii qormaataa yeroo dheeraa fudhatanii, mata duree tokko gadii fageenyaan qu'achuu, sirriitti hubachuu/beekuun, akkasumas sammuutti qabachuun, yaadachuu ti! 
    • Fkn. gaafiileen 'Grammar' fi 'Writing' qophii gosa kanaati (Extensive Preparation) barbaadan! 
    • Kana jechuun tokko tokko mata dureelee irratti:
      • 'Note' gutuu bakka takkatti barreeffamte qabaachuu qabda; ittiis fayyadamuu (dubbiisuu/qu'achuu) qabda!
      • Irra daddeebitee dubbiisuu/qu'achuu fi sirritti hubattee, sammuutti qabachuu qabda! 
      • Gaafiilee baay'ee shaakaluu (practice) qabda!
  • 'Intensive Preparation'
    • Toftaan kun, toftaa yeroo gabaabaa keessatti mata dureelee hedduu irratti qophii godhuuf gargaaruudha! Mata dureeleen tokko tokko yeroo dheeraa fudhatanii, gadii fageenyaan qu'achuu, sirriitti hubachuu/beekuun, akkasumas sammuutti qabachuun, yaadachuu hin barbaadan.
    • Fkn. gaafiilee qormaata 'English' keessaa gaafiileen 'communication', 'vocabulary' fi 'passage' qophii yeroo dheeraa/waggaa guutuu qu'achuu hin gaafatan
    • Gaafiilee kana deebiisuuf akka gaafiileen 'Grammar' fi 'Writing'tti waggaa guutuu wanni dubbiiftan hin jiru. Yeroo muraasa ramaduun:
      • Gaafiilee hedduu ('Entrance' bara hedduu) shaakaluu.
      • Toftaa qormaataa adda addaa horachuu barbaadan (Exam Techniques for passage questions, vocabulary questions, communication questions)!
      • Hojiin yeroo tokko ga'aa waan hin taaneef, hanga qormaanni gahuutti yeroo adda addaa irra deeddeebi'uun shaakalu hin dagatiin (in different intervals)!
B. Amharic Version 
  • 'Extensive Preparation':
    • ይሄ የዝግጅት ስልት ረጅም ጊዜ ወስዶ/ሰጥቶ አንድን ርዕስ በደንብ በማጥናት፣ በትክክል መረዳት፣ በአዕምሮ መያዝ ና የማስታወስን ስልት ነው።
    • ለምሳሌ የ'Grammar' ና 'Writing' ጥያቄዎች ይሄ የዝግጅት ስልት (Extensive Preparation) ነው የሚፈልጉት!
      • በቂ/ሙሉ 'Note' (በያንዳንዱ ርዕስ ና ንዑስ ርዕስ ላይ) መያዝ፣ ደጋግሞ ማጥናት ና በርካታ ጥያቄዎችን 'practice' ማድረግ ...
      • እያንዳንዱን ርዕስ ና ንዑስ ርዕስ በደንብ ማጥናት ና ማወቅ ያስፈልጋል!
      • በርካታ ጥያቄዎችን ደጋግሞ practice ማድረግ 
  • Intensive Preparation
    • ይሄ ስልት በአጭር ጊዜ ውስጥ በርካታ ርዕሶች ላይ የመዘጋጀት ስልት ነው! 
    • ለምሳሌ ከ'English' ፈተና ውስጥ 'communication', 'vocabulary' ና 'passage' ጥያቄዎች ረጅም ጊዜ/አመቱን ሙሉ ማጥናት አይጠይቁም! 
    • እነዚህን ጥያቄዎች ለመመለስ እንደ 'Grammar' ና 'Writing'፣ note በመያዝ፣ ደጋግሞ ማጥናት፣ በአዕምሮ መያዝ ና ማስታወስ የሚጠይቅ ነገር የለም!
      • የተወሰነ ጊዜ መድቦ በርካታ ጥያቄዎችን practice ማድረግ፣ 
      • የተለያዩ የፈተና አሰራር ቴክኒኮችን ማወቅ
      • የአንድ ጊዜ ተግባር በቂ አይደለም፤ ፈተና እስከ ሚደርስ ይሄንኑ በተወሰኑ 'intervals' ደጋግሞ መፈጸም.. .
4. Self-evaluation
You may not need to wait for the exam/exam results to know your performance on the coming exam! By assessing your process/preparation, you could guess your coming result!
Take each topic and evaluate your current conditions: at RED LINE/YELLOW LINE/Green line?
Qabxii ta'e beekuf qormaata/qabxii qormaataa kan kee eegun sirraa hin eegamu; haala armaan gadii kanaan of madaali!
የፈተናህን ውጤት ለማወቅ ፈተናህን/የፈተናህን ውጤት መጠበቅ አይጠበቅብህም! የፈተና ዝግጅትህን በመገምገም ብቻ ውጤትህን መገመት ትችላለህ!




 









 

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