Well hello there, Reader, I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to connect with you today.

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Have you ever come across websites or youtube videos offering templates to help you pass the CELPIP?

I'm sure you have!

I did a quick search on google and found over 50,000 results pointing to speaking skill templates for the exam alone! (That's a lot!)

If there are so many templates out there, shouldn't you be grabbing one to help you prepare for the exam?

The answer is a solid NO! Here's why...

Why they're so attractive?

The temptation of a template is that it offers you an easy answer.

Just memorize this handy template, and use it to help you answer any question you might find on the CELPIP.

Who wouldn't want that?

And that just might be what you're looking for right now: an easy way to score well on the CELPIP.

That's what you're looking for...but is it what the CELPIP is after?

Here's What The CELPIP is Looking For:

CELPIP test raters are looking for answers that are, "Original, Unassisted, and Spontaneous."

Original answers mean: you have created it yourself!

Unassisted means: you didn't get any kind of help to give the response you gave - it was 100% you!

Spontaneous means: you come up with 100% of your response on the spot!

Original, unassisted, and spontaneous.

Using a templated response is the opposite of an original, unassisted and spontaneous response!

When you use a template to help you respond to the CELPIP, you run the risk of having your answers be disqualified because they were not your own. (CELPIP raters are trained to spot template styled answers - so don't use them!)

Don't use templates, but here's what you should do:

Focus on learning useful words and phrases to help you express your ideas.

It's ok, for example, to memorize the most common transition words that help native speakers transition from one idea to another one. (Here's a free cheat sheet with 39 of the most common ones!)

This is not memorizing a complete response to an answer, which is what a template offers to help you do. It's just a list of the most commonly used transition words - you still need to come up with all the ideas that go with them!

Listen to the English happening around you! (And steal it!)

If you’re already living in Canada, you are literally surrounded by English all the time! This is the perfect place for you to pick up new ways to express your ideas. Here’s what you should be doing the next time you’re around a group of people speaking English: listen carefully! You’ll likely hear someone express something in a way that you’ve never heard before - or in a way that sounds really interesting to you.

As soon as you hear it - steal it! Try to make a mental note of what they said, and then you go and try to use that same expression yourself!

This is still different from a template! You’re not memorizing a complete answer to a question. You’re just creating little blocks of speech that you can connect together in different ways to help you express your ideas differently than you normally do.

So don't be tempted to use a template. Focus on building your English skills a day at a time instead!
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One last thing...

Thank you for reading! Is there something you'd like me to cover in a future edition of the newsletter? A question about the CELPIP that you'd like answered? Just hit reply and let me know. I read and respond to every e-mail.

Have a great week!

Aaron

991 Cloverdale Avenue , Victoria, BC V8X2T5
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