Success in First Certificate (FCE)

His mum was so chuffed she called us the evening they checked his First Certificate result online. I did my little jig to celebrate - we don't get enough students continuing on properly to achieve this level (CEFR B2) at Luna.

Image via Wikipedia

Not Trevor Joseph

Cambridge ESOL's FCE is widely recognised in Europe as the gold standard for English language assessment, and it is known worldwide (with the exception of Japan, possibly North Korea & more remote parts of Papua New Guinea) as a very good certificate to have in your learning portfolio. It is a lifelong achievement, and it opens doors. Doors to academic pursuits, and doors to careers. For example, our good friends studying with Trevor Joseph at King's Road English School in Tokyo know that a Pass at FCE gets them into university in Moscow. Sadly, recognition in Japan is woeful.

Ask a teacher though, which exam should students be aiming for...good chance the better the teacher, the more likely they are to say FCE. Go ahead, try this sensei test?!

Chuffed with FCE success

My concern about T taking FCE was that he'd do his usual half-hearted checking, skip the pre-writing plan he desperately needed to do, get blase in the reading and reboot to High School pronunciation in the speaking test. Oh, and I guaranteed his dad a year ago he'd pass!

So, well done T for proving me right (and wrong)! You now have a shiny FCE certificate for your wall, and should you ever think about studying/working overseas, a proven advantage (as well as a better chance of getting a visa). All you have to do now is get out of basketball and tennis club, daft English classes at school and come to me twice a week & start reading your readers again, we'll have you passing CAE before you go to uni.

Tonight we celebrate your success in FCE - very well done. One proud teacher here.