4.1
Exercise 1 or 2 of the IGCSE ESL”s reading and writing papers require candidates to understand and respond to information presented in a variety of forms, such as notices, leaflets, signs, advertisements, timetables, etc.
In these exercises, candidates need to give single-word or short-phrase answers.
In exercise 1, the candidates need to use skimming and scanning skills in order to find the information they require to answer the questions.
Why do they need to skim?
They skim to get a general picture of a text, to touch the surface. Skimming will actually help them to tackle some questions that require them only to get the general picture of a passage.
Why do they need to scan?
They scan to go deeper for more details. Some questions actually require detailed answers to specific issues in the passage.
The candidates need to know that they do not need to read and understand every word in the text in order to find the answers to the questions. Therefore, the candidates do not need to read slowly in order to get the meaning of every word and the details of every issue discussed.
The candidates need to consider the following points; 1. They do not need to write full sentences for their answers. Sometimes, a few words or numbers will be enough. 2. They need to show the examiner that they really understand the question, and all information required must be written. 3. If they need to write numbers, as their answers, they should be careful to spell them correctly. Besides, if the answer is a quantity, they should make sure they include a symbol or unit of measurement. E.g. 100km, 3 hours, etc.
I devised my own exercise 1 from a National newspaper. I tried it out on my students and discovered that they find it so easy. Besides, the students were able to use scanning technique effectively.
I observed that in exercise 1 of the reading exercise, I saw notices, leaflets, signs, advertisements, and time tables, all of which can contain a lot of information in different formats. The best strategy, I think they can use to answer questions is to decide which word or words in the question will lead to the place in the text where they will find the answer. These are key words.

4.2
EXERCISE 7
You have recently been to a new fast-food restaurant in your town. Write a letter to a friend, telling him or her about your visit.
In your letter, you should; * Describe where the restaurant is, when you went there, and why. * Describe the restaurant and its atmosphere. * Say what you ate and what you thought of the food.
Your letter should be about 150-200 words long (extended) or 100-150 words long (core).
The teacher engages the students in discussions and brainstorming activities with the following steps:
1st step: What should be the best way to begin and end an informal letter like this? Make a list of possible opening and closing phrases.
Opening phrases closing phrases
e.g Hi John Best wishes
1...................... ....................
2..................... .....................
3......................... ........................
4.......................... ........................
5.......................... ........................

2nd step: Use your imagination and imagine a good description for a restaurant. Talk about the location, the time you went there and your purpose of being there.
3rd step:
Describe the restaurant. First describe the outside appearance, and then inside. Describe the general atmosphere.
4th step:
Imagine what you ate, and make a comment on the food.
5th step:
Write your own full answer to the question above.
Note: when you write in exercise 7, use your imagination as much as possible. But remember that your answer must always be relevant to the question. Besides, one way to improve writing is by using more adjectives and adverbs.