Just wondering if anyone has any tips for a BULATS class.
The class is made up of a few lazy 15-18 year olds, and one or two bright students. The business jargon is very difficult for them, only two of the students have passed the FCEs, and I think the test will be really difficult for the others. Has anyone here taught BULATS before? It seems a bit weird to me that young teenagers would take such a test. They haven’t been studying business English long, just one class a week for about 8 or 9 weeks. They are not very motivated, but they seem interested at times, but the business terms and vocab really turns them off. And I think anyone with experience of BULATS will agree that it is pretty difficult.
Any thoughts or ideas appreciated.
Type ‘BULATS’ into the search function and you’ll find some useful stuff from buttercup and less useful stuff from me.
You’re preparing a bunch of teenagers for it! You’re right to conclude that that is weird. I guess your boss has sold it to the punters as business studies in a second language.
It’s very weird, but this is Taiwan. Students are often studying for the wrong test. I do KET/PET testing now and again and the tests are designed for older teenagers and adults, but who do i have to test… young teenagers, sometimes kids. They tend to fail because they are required to accomplish tasks that they are not mentally ready or mature to deal with, i.e. interaction, discussion, giving opinions. As for BULATS, in my 7 yrs or so experience of testing, I’ve never come across a teenager. Candidates are usually adults in companies or people looking for employment opportunities or promotion. I would mention this to your boss if i were you in order to cover yourself. Other than that, there are BULATS books out there (Essential BULATS)? but i dont know how much use it would be teaching these kinds of materials to a group of teenagers.
Thanks guys.
In the speaking part, I believe the students will be asked about their current work and experience. I just don’t feel like it is aimed for these guys at all, and I feel sorry for them in a way because they are not choosing to do this.
Dougster - you have tested BULATS before?
As well as the students being too young for the test, I’m afraid that they are too unprepared. I know I take some responsibility for this, but they are only doing business English for about 8-10 lessons, and now they have a pretty difficult test looming. :aiyo:
purewater, i don’t think it’s your fault… sounds like your boss has no idea about the cambridge exams system.
bulats.org/Bulats/The-Tests.html
The school (it’s a Shane cram school) have never had a business English class before. I don’t mind teaching it. I find it interesting and it’s a change from teaching “It’s a dog” to kids which is what I’m normally doing. However, I just wonder if they realise how hard the test will be for these kids. And we got some new books for BULATS but is about 10 lessons enough to get through these? I have to say something to cover myself as Dougster says because I know I’ll be blamed if they fail. Which reminds me - is it true that you cannot fail as such, but that you get a score like “beginner” or “advanced”? I thought I read that on here somewhere.