SPM English: Part 2

How to Ace that Test!

The method you should use to improve your command of English is largely dependent on two things, your current proficiency/fluency level and how much time you have left to your main goal which is SPM. If you usually get As or Bs, you can just use the fast method. If you're getting Cs and below, use the slow method if you've got the time(6 months or more) and the fast method if you don't. Basically the general rule of thumb is no matter your proficiency level, the slow method is best. 

SPM English: Part 1

English/Bahasa Inggeris(BI) is a core subject in SPM. It is made up of two written papers and an oral exam. It can be pretty difficult to study for this subject because like BM it's a language subject and requires a substantial amount of time(you might not necessarily have) to improve.

Format

Paper 1
Time: 1 hours 45 minutes
Marks: 85 marks

• Section A (30 min) - 35m
  -Directed Writing
  -Write an essay based on the given topic and the picture/graphic given.
• Section B (1 hr 15 min) - 50m
  -Continuous Writing
  -Write on one of the five given topics

Paper 2

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Marks: 70 marks

• Section A: Multiple Choice Questions- 15m
  - Stimuli & Rational Cloze (15 Questions)
• Section B: Structure- 10m
  - Information Transfer (10 Questions)
• Section C: Limited Response and Open Response - 25m
  - Reading Comprehension (5 Questions)
  - Summary (1 Question)
• Section D: Literature- 20m
  - Poem (1 Question)
  - Novel (1 Short Essay Question)

* Paper 1 & 2 are marked dually by the Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM) and the GCE Cambridge O Level examination board, resulting in two scores. It is harder to score an A for the GCE board and is important for anyone wishing to study in universities abroad.

Paper 3

Based on your oral exams which are conducted by your class' English teacher.

Source: Uni Digest

---> SPM English: Part 2 <--- 

(About how to score well in the exams)

Choosing the Right Book

When you're trying to improve your English, nothing is more important than getting the right book. If you start with a book that's either too easy or too hard, you'll lose interest quickly. That's the moment when most people start thinking of reading as a chore.

So, the how do you pick a book that's just right for you?

Well, I'm gonna tell just how to do that with this beautiful flowchart!

A real work of art ain't it?

Hopefully, this masterpiece flowchart will help you find the right book for you to improve your command of English. 

Tell me in the comments what you want me to post about next!

How to Improve Your English

You can watch Oh My English on Astro Ceria or on Youtube.

I'm here to tell you some time tested ways to improve your command of English(both grammar & vocabulary) which are as effective as they are fun.

1. Watch movies/series of any language(preferably the language you're fluent in) with English subtitles.
   For example, you could watch Ombak Rindu(Malay) or Kung Fu Hustle(Mandarin/Cantonese) or anime(Japanese) and turn on the English subtitles. Subtitles(official and fan made) may have grammatical mistakes so I recommend this method mainly for increasing your vocabulary.
   


2. Watch English movies/series/videos.
   Watch movies in English and turn on the English subtitles/captions(for Youtube) so that you can see the spelling of hard words and how the sentences are structured. Oh My English is a show teaching English in a story format. Just watch till Season 1 because it goes downhill fast after that.


3. Read English comic books.
   Try to buy those made by Westerners because Malaysian comics tend to use Manglish (Malay+English) which is great for comedic purposes but not so great for improving grammar. I'd recommend the Horrible History and Horrible Science series which as a plus can also be used to help you study for Sejarah, Science and the Pure Sciences.
   


4. Speak English as much as possible.
   So what should you do with all those awesome words you just learnt? Well, you should try incorporating those new words into your daily conversation. As the saying goes, use it or lose it! When I first learnt the word balderdash, I would irritate my entire family by saying it every few seconds(even when I was alone watching TV lol). Even if you have no new words to use you should try speaking as much as possible so that words and sentences will come easier to you when you're writing.
   


5. Eavesdrop Listen in on English conversations.
   Is anybody having an English conversation nearby? Join in(esp. if it's your classmates) or just sit nearby and listen to what they're talking about especially if their English is good. 
   


6. Read English novels
   Yup those books without pictures. I can literally hear all of you muttering "Freakin' bookworms" under your breath but trust me reading can be really fun. But that's only if you get the right book that suits your interest. I am pretty much book trash so I read anything other than self-help & horror(cause that shit freaks me out). Also, if you find words you don't understand in a book, take out a notebook and write down the word and its meaning(s)
   
   Book recommendations:
   -The Hardy Boys series(Action, Adventure, Mystery)
   -The Maze Runner series(Action, Adventure)
   -The Fault in Our Stars(Romance)
   
   ^Too hard?
   Try going for the stuff like the Mr. Midnight series and Ronald Dahl and Enid Blyton books. 
   
   ^Too easy?
   Try going for the stuff like Animal Farm, The Count of Monte Cristo, Robinson Crusoe, Pride and Prejudice and other classics.

Personal Opinion
I still think books are the best choice for improving your command of English(or any language for that matter) because you can take your time and change the difficulty of books you read gradually.


If you want some movie/book recommendations, just tell me what genres you like in the comments section below and I'll reply you soon. :D

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