Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Meglio della Juve!!!

I just got my CAE statement of results!
Ok, I got a B, but with no points of deduction.
:-)))))
Here's how I scored in each paper:
- Speaking: exceptional! B-)
I did very little of what was suggested in my coursebook for CAE, but as 
some of you may have noticed, I've been speaking English on Skype for a 
while now.
- Reading: between good and exceptional
This, along with the English in Use paper, was the test I prepared most for.
- English in Use: between good and exceptional
There were a few expressions I had never seen before, so I took a guess on 
them. As I said in June, I should have avoided some other mistakes, but I 
don't blame myself.
-Listening: below good.
I do watch movies and tv series in English every night, but unfortunately 
this paper required a more specific preparation. I had done some excercises 
before taking the exam, but apparently they weren't enough. In the last two 
tasks I ended up taking a guess on almost half of the answers, 'cause I 
wasn't used to that kind of exercise.
- Writing: A bit below borderline :-/
I had underestimated this test all along, as it was the one which took most 
of the time to carry out and I am bit lazy. In addition, during the 
examination session I also wasted precious minutes trying to cut off some 
extra lines, so in the end I had to write the second text in just half an 
hour.
I have already ordered a couple of books for CPE, and they're on their way. 
Now I know what I should spend more time on, though as I said in the other 
thread CD's are way too expensive... I'll find a way around it, sooner or 
later!
I also think watching and listening to British stuff will be of use, since 
all the speakers from the listening paper are from Great Britain
Anyway, I'm as happy as Larry now that I know I passed my exam.
:-)))
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
--
"Come e' morto Capitan Uncino? Facendosi il bidet con la mano sbagliata."
My still-in-construction website: 
www.pentolaio.tk
 

 Anyway, I'm as happy as Larry now that I know I passed my exam.
And rightly so!

 since all the speakers from the listening paper are from Great Britain
That is obviously useful. But I think that the most difficult aspect of the 
listening (and reading) paper consists of making deductions about situations 
and concepts that sometimes you don't even understand completely (because of 
pressure, time, nervousness). 

 pressure, time, nervousness).
Subject areas you don't know anything about can be a problem. e.g. a
long
article about archeology or fashion, or a radio interview about
football
or politics. "Politicians X, Y and X and parties A, B and C are opposed
to the new policy, but L, M and N support it."

 Subject areas you don't know anything about can be a problem.
Definitely. 

Just a curiosity to ask you, Adam.
If you find really bad mistakes in posts written in English (in this ng, of 
course), do you tend to pass over or correct them? :-) 


It depends what mood I'm in. I tend to correct even small mistakes
if the author is generally very accurate.

 if the author is generally very accurate.
That's good news for me (and for anyone who aims to improve). Feel free to 
correct any kind of mistake or imperfection you find in my posts. :-) 

 I have already ordered a couple of books for CPE,
Are you going to read the set books? I wouldn't touch the set book
questions with a bargepole, myself, but reading the books might
give you some extra choice.

 And rightly so!
:-)))


 Ok, I got a B, but with no points of deduction.
Attaboy! Adesso posso pure dirti che quei cd li trovi
sul mulo (si puo' dire mulo su icli?).

 completely (because of pressure, time, nervousness).
Yeah, and you can only succeed in it by exercising a lot at home.
:-)
I thought about something for that cd issue. When you're available, do drop 
me a line on Skype.
;-)


 I have no imagination at all when it comes to creating a narrative.
I'm not sure if stories are even an option on CPE.

 (si puo' dire mulo su icli?).
Immagino di sì.
;-)


 I'm not sure if stories are even an option on CPE.
Me neither. I'll find out soon, though.


 Did you attend a specific course at the time?
Yep. A 50-hour course. And we had the chance to do some mocks. 

 give you some extra choice.
Most of their exercises are similar to those you find in past paper books 
and they help you improve your grammar and vocabulary patterns. Of course 
I'll keep reading The Economist and even the Time, but I need some sort of 
self-study course, as I'm not going to sign up for a real course.
And yes, I'll also buy Graver, as soon as it becomes available.
;-)


 But I don't feel much confident about my improvements.
Well, you seem to be able to write a bit better than I do.


 Well, you seem to be able to write a bit better than I do.
Do you really think so?
I' not so sure about that. I have never written anything recently, apart 
from a few posts here.
There was a time when I used to write letters everyday... 

 There was a time when I used to write letters everyday...
Was it when you were studying for CAE?


 ;-)
Well, I'm not going to flatter myself at all!
I don't like the way I write and I feel the same as you when I read other 
people's writings (yours inclued). 

 ;-)
CAE doesn't have set books. Only FCE and CPE do, as far as I know.

 I am. Even though you don't like them, I did find them useful for CAE.
By "set books" I mean the novels they want you to read.

 > all the speakers from the listening paper are from Great Britain
that totally stinks!

 Meglio della juve!!!
that'll be the day...

 :-)))))
Congratulations!
Tabhall

 that totally stinks!
My dear Larry,
you should really, and I say really, be a bit less prejudiced against 
British English. I like watching American films too, but you can't pretend 
that Britain doesn't exist. Besides, it's not that bad when you get to 
listen to those tea-drinkers.
:-)))


 CAE doesn't have set books. Only FCE and CPE do, as far as I know.
Aaaaaaaah!
I thought that by set books you meant coursebooks. Sorry, my mistake.
Anyway, I ordered them last night.


 By "set books" I mean the novels they want you to read.
Got it!
:-))


 that'll be the day...
Sorry, man! I totally forgot about your football tastes. I would've thought 
of a worse line if I had remembered.
:-)))))))
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
P.S. See you on Sunday! (I changed the starting time, if you haven't noticed 
yet. It's now at 19.00)


 Sorry, man! I totally forgot about your football tastes. 
Are you sure you can use 'tastes' in this context?

"Larry"  ha scritto nel messaggio:
[CUT]
When are you gonna take an exam too?
You told be about FCE some time ago, but from what I remember you may well 
sign up for the same exam I took. I mean, just like I did, you should in 
that case prepare with some coursebooks and (mostly) past papers, but it's 
something you could be able to carry off within this December session. It's 
totally up to you... also, try to watch some British stuff. It won't hurt.
:-))
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.


 Are you sure you can use 'tastes' in this context?
I'm never sure of anything, pal.
I decided what to pick between "football inclinations" and "football 
tastes", and I eventually chose the latter after consulting Google. Nothing 
else came to my mind, but it you have a better suggestion, don't be shy.
;-)
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.


 be shy.
I didn't suggest anything cause I didn't have any idea, it's just that 
"football tastes" sounds odd to me, which doesn't mean anything.
What do you think of 'football tendencies'?

 What do you think of 'football tendencies'?
That's even worse.
:-DD
Aspettiamo il parere di qualche madrelingua, va.


 Me neither :-D
By the bye, the other day I found out how to pronounce "clear" correctly. I 
had been saying it wrongly all along.
:-/


 it's not that bad when you get to listen to those tea-drinkers.
rotfl!!!

 rotfl!!!
Last night I watched the first two episodes of Black Books, a British 
situation comedy. If you happen to find it, you should really watch it. 
Perhaps the accents are a bit difficult at first, but  you just have to get 
used to them.
I remember last year when I bought "the office" on dvd. At the beginning I 
could hardly understand half of what was being said, but episode after 
episode I got accustomed to almost every actor's accent and enjoyed the tv 
series without having to read any subtitles, apart from some rare occasions.


 By "set books" I mean the novels they want you to read.
But why do they want us to read them?
Are there any excerpts and questions relating to the books?
I'm thinking to make FCE in the next 6-12 months, or at least I hope so.
Bye.

 I'm thinking to make FCE in the next 6-12 months, or at least I hope so.
thinking *of taking*
Good luck!
Buy some past papers.


 Buy some past papers.
I think I'll buy and do them in the three or four months preceding the
exam...wouldn't it be the best choice?
(But maybe one day or another I'll do the FCE sample papers I've found
on the Cambridge site, for a survey..)
Now my priorities are to improve the four skills by reading, writing(as I'm
doing now, for example), listening and speaking.
At the moment I'm working very much on the first one(reading as many books
as I can...I'm at my fifth book now), very little on the second
(I fear of making a lot of mistakes on NGs, as I'm certainly doing right
now, additionally I'm very slow, so I end up writing in English very
little)
and occasionally on the third one(I watch CNN by taping it from LA7 during
the night).
Unfortunately I can do nothing for the speaking(if I don't consider reading
aloud an exercise for that)... but I hope to have a broad band connection in
the next months and begin to use Skype...if I will ever have the guts to do
it! :-)

 noticed yet. It's now at 19.00)
Larry, you'll have detention for the next five days. You'll have to listen 
to Radio 4 every afternoon, till Thursday.
:-)))
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.


 it! :-)
Ok, I'll see you soon on Skype then!


 to Radio 4 every afternoon, till Thursday.
Ops, until Friday.
:-))) 

 to Radio 4 every afternoon, till Friday.
I'm so sorry I didn't show up! I'm going to listen to Radio 4 right 
now...anyway why don't you tell us how it went last night?
I won't let you down next sunday!

 I'm thinking to make FCE in the next 6-12 months, or at least I hope so.
Get a list of the set books from the Cambridge site, then.
At FCE they seem to ask just one question, and you can answer
it by referring to any one (or more, sometimes) of the books. At CPE
the questions are different from book to book.
Anyway, the book question is just one of your choices for part
2 of the writing paper. If you don't read any of the books you won't
restrict your options much. If I were to do CPE I wouldn't
attempt one of the book questions: I think they're very hard.

 I won't let you down next sunday!
Ok, I'll trust you!
Oh by the way, I didn't know Rimini had such a good football team...
:-)))))))
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
--
"E' nato prima il citofono o il testimone di Geova?"
My still-in-construction website: 
www.pentolaio.tk
 

 And yes, I'll also buy Graver, as soon as it becomes available.
Sono passato in libreria e me lo sono fatto ordinare, tanto ?22.65 è più o 
meno il prezzo che pagherei online.


 Oh by the way, I didn't know Rimini had such a good football team...
fancy that! the newsman at Radio 4 thinks the same...

 fancy that! the newsman at Radio 4 thinks the same...
Juve is out of show for serious good foot-ball - it is just for fun now a
day
Napoli 8 Juve 7
Extragalactika56 a very famous painting
Non è terrorismo d'opinione, ma un dato certo: L'Alieno Superiore esiste.
--
Non tremate se il mondo dovesse saltare qualora non mi premiassero con il
Nobel tra qualche mese a Stoccolma - non additate il fenomeno erroneamente
al terrorismo - ma impegnatevi a non schiattarvi al suolo dell'Alieno della
Scrittura che chiede più spazio tra gli altri Alieni importanti, per essere
riuscito, a far primeggiare l'ingiustizia alienante, per l'ennesima volta

 L'Alieno Superiore esiste.
Gigi Buffon

 ha scritto:

He was out on Porcospino already - may be you think his happy to act on any
of my book?
Non č terrorismo d'opinione, ma un dato certo: L'Alieno Superiore esiste.
--
Non tremate se il mondo dovesse saltare qualora non mi premiassero con il
Nobel tra qualche mese a Stoccolma - non additate il fenomeno erroneamente
al terrorismo - ma impegnatevi a non schiattarvi al suolo dell'Alieno della
Scrittura che chiede piů spazio tra gli altri Alieni importanti, per essere


 fancy that! the newsman at Radio 4 thinks the same...
Serie B is a hard league, I'll have you know.
:-))))


 Ok, I'll see you soon on Skype then!
Maybe, maybe :-))

 Maybe, maybe :-))
Come pensi di prepararti per lo speaking, altrimenti?
;-))
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
--


 ;-))
Appunto :-)
Ma temo di essere un disastro totale, non ho mai fatto una
conversazione in inglese con qualcuno, ho studiato l' inglese totalmente da
autodidatta( studiando la fonetica di quello che leggevo e ripetendo parole
o frasi, niente di piů).
Se ho capito bene, una volta fatta la flat[*] Skype non richede nessuna
sottoscrizione o abbonamento particolare...insomma tutto gratis, no?
[*]sono incredibilmente indeciso e confuso, ecco perchč prevedo mesi prima
di firmare un contratto che mi faccia abbandonare Telecom:  la flat Fastweb
costa troppo, quella Telecom idem(se consideri che devi aggiungerci il
canone), le altre, piů economiche a quel che si sente, sono un terno a
lotto.

 gratis, no?
Si sta parlando di conversazioni tra utenti Skype: nessun abbonamento, 
nessuna flat, nessun costo. Ci si deve solo registrare per ottenere un 
account. 

 account.
... e per la registrazione è sufficiente inserire un nickname e una 
password, nient'altro.
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
P.S. Come ci organizziamo per questa domenica? Creo ancora uno skypecast o 
facciamo una conferenza normale?
E' da più di un anno che ho installato "v-skype", che poi è diventato 
"festoon" (
http://www.festooninc.com/
). E' principalmente un plugin per le 
videoconferenze, ma si possono fare anche delle conferenze con solo audio, e 
con molte più persone di quelle concesse da Skype. Che ne dici? E' da mesi 
che quelli di Skype dicono che stanno lavorando sugli skypecast, ma ancora 
non hanno introdotto nuove caratteristiche significative. Fammi sapere!


 lotto.
Io ho Libero adsl. Quest'inverno mi ha dato un sacco di problemi perchè per 
molte ore al giorno era lentissimo, ma ora sono già 6-7 mesi che va tutto 
alla perfezione.
