ECPE Writing: Proposal

A presentation for language school owners and teachers

 Writing
ECPE

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 ECPE: Writing a proposal

Format - Specifications
Preparation
Tips to share

ECPE: Writing a proposal 2

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 Introduction
The Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in
English (ECPE) is a standardized, 4-skill English test at the
high-advanced level of the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR C2). It is a
secure exam developed by Michigan Language
Assessment and administered by authorized test centers
worldwide.

ECPE: Writing a proposal 3

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 Format-Specs ECPE Writing

ECPE: Writing a proposal

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 Tasks: 1. Article/Proposal
or
2. Essay
Length: approx. 2 A4 pages
Duration: 45 min.

Writing Format

ECPE: Writing a proposal 5

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 ✓ Evaluate multiple viewpoints
✓ Test taker’s opinion
✓ 3 sources provided (visual prompts); incorporate
at least 1

Writing Requirements

ECPE: Writing a proposal 6

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 Sources (visual prompts) sample:

ECPE: Writing a proposal 7

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 Proposal – Sample Task

ECPE: Writing a proposal 8

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 Proposal – Sample Task

• situation
• multiple viewpoints
• task instruction
• source instruction

ECPE: Writing a proposal 9

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 Proposal – Task Breakdown

• There is a situation (that impacts certain people, e.g. at a

company)​
• There is reference to multiple viewpoints (what
people think)​
• There is task instruction (who the audience is and
what needs to be discussed - own opinion)​
• There is source instruction (visual information provided)​

ECPE: Writing a proposal 10

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 Proposal

• Information
• Advice - recommendations
• Standard business protocol
• Omission of writer’s personal voice (humor, feelings, etc.)
• Formality
• Practical purpose: to influence an official decision

ECPE: Writing a proposal 11

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 Proposal – Writing response sample

The Promotech company offices are to be converted to an open-plan arrangement, in which all employees will share desks within a single, communal work
space. The aim of this proposal is to advise against this plan and urge Promotech’s chief executives to retain the current layout, in which each employee has
his/her own private office.
Admittedly, by adopting an open-plan office design, Promotech stands to reap significant financial benefits. According to The Economy magazine, the
average open-plan office requires 300 m² of floor space, compared to 500 m² for company premises in which employees are each assigned their own offices.
As a result, converting to an open-plan arrangement would allow Promotech to downsize its office and rent or sell the extra space. Alternatively, the Promotech
offices could be relocated to a smaller property that will be cheaper to rent and maintain than the larger property the company currently occupies.
However, these financial gains do not justify converting the Promotech offices to an open-plan design, considering the negative impacts such a move could
potentially have on employee morale and productivity. Changing the current office design may provoke feelings of resentment among Promotech staff. Many
company employees consider it a sign of professional status to have their own private office. They might therefore take exception when, having been deprived
of this privilege, they are moved into a communal, open-plan office space; one that is more akin to a factory floor. These reactions are liable to damage
employees’ morale and their commitment to their jobs at Promotech.
In addition to the perceived loss of status, Promotech staff will also have to contend with a less congenial working environment, one which is hardly
conducive to concentration. Employees may find it difficult to focus due to constant background noise and repeated interruptions from colleagues. The lack of
a private space in which to work in peace and quiet may also act as a temptation to waste time by engaging others in aimless small talk. According to an
independent research paper, employees in open-plan offices spend an estimated 5 hours per week absorbed in conversations that have no bearing on their
work.
Open-plan offices therefore damage employee’s feelings of prestige and their motivation, while also creating continual distractions and encouraging
unproductive behavior. The switch from individual, private offices is therefore unlikely to meet with the approval of either employees or management staff. This
will engender dissatisfaction that could further undermine motivation and staff morale, exacerbating drops in productivity and even leading to resignations. We
therefore urge Promotech chief executives to revoke their decision.

ECPE: Writing a proposal 12

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 Are test takers allowed to make a plan/outline?
Of course! Actually, they can write anything they want in the test booklet (it’s not
assessed). They don’t need to bring their own paper.
Are they writing their response in the test booklet?
No, they are given a Writing section answer sheet.
How many words should they write?
Counting words might be distracting and it certainly is unnecessary; that’s why Michigan
Language Assessment does not suggest a particular number of words for ECPE Writing.
Should there be any headings?
It’s not necessary!
What happens if a test taker does not finish his/her response?
There are 4 assessment criteria based on which the 2 raters assign their scores. There
are several parameters involved in assessment. Not completing the response does not
mean that the test taker will fail this section. They may get a high score even with an
incomplete response.

Writing FAQs

ECPE: Writing a proposal 13

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 Preparation ECPE Writing

ECPE: Writing a proposal

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 Assessment Criteria

Task Completion Development Language Authorial Voice

• On topic • Depth of support • Grammatical • Originality
• Organization control • Reader
• Multiple viewpoints
• Vocabulary engagement
• Test taker’s opinion range and usage

• Source integration

ECPE: Writing a proposal 15

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 Preparation objectives (based on assessment
criteria)

Objectives Assessment Criteria

• Relevance to task, consideration of multiple • Task Completion
viewpoints along with writer’s opinion, integration • Development
of at least one visual prompt in the response
• Language
• Development of strong arguments, meaningful
information flow (organization & connection of • Authorial Voice
ideas)
• Demonstration of a good range of grammar and
vocabulary
• Content originality and reader engagement

ECPE: Writing a proposal 16

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 Integrating the sources

Things to remember Effective use of sources

•The visual information is always relevant to the •The visual information used should be
topic area attributed to the provided sources
•Only one of the visuals is required but more can be •The content of the visual information
used (provided they are used correctly!)
can be either quoted or
•The important criterion for the assessment is how paraphrased
the source is incorporated in the text and not just
its presence there •The content of the visual information
•The source can be incorporated without being should be integrated meaningfully in
necessary to follow any specific conventions the text

ECPE: Writing a proposal 17

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 Level expectations

Students should be able to:

• produce clear, smooth, complex responses
• consider multiple perspectives
• distinguish original ideas and opinions from those in sources
• display a variety of organizational patterns
• provide an effective and logical structure
• maintain consistent grammatical control
• convey finer shades of meaning
• use vocabulary accurately
• have a broad lexical repertoire

ECPE: Writing a proposal 18

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 Useful steps for your students

1. Listen to the instructions the examiner gives test takers. 1. Proofread your response
2. Choose the task you feel more comfortable with (you 2. Edit your writing (correct the mistakes (in grammar,
fully understand it – you have some ideas about it – you vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, mechanics)
have the vocabulary to express your ideas).
3. Make sure you’ve darkened the circle that corresponds
3. Read again the chosen task and underline key words. to the task you’ve chosen on the cover page of your
4. Make an outline (plan). Writing section answer sheet.
During-Writing

Pre-Writing Post-Writing
1. Write your introduction:
Describe the task using your own words (paraphrase instead of copying from the task). At
the end of the introduction give the reader an idea of what is going to follow; for
example, you can write your opinion (briefly).
2. Start each main body paragraph with a topic sentence (the summary of the
paragraph).
3. Analyse and support your ideas using examples.
4. Write your conclusion (re-write your opinion, main points you used) and end your
response smoothly (e.g. using a wish)

ECPE: Writing a proposal 19

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 Summary

Teach your students how to write

Expose students to the writing process:
planning, drafting, editing, re-drafting,
submitting
Use Hellenic American Union
publications (The new Build up your
Writing and Speaking skills for the
ECPE – Revised 2021 format)
Have your students take mock tests
(under exam conditions)
Give them feedback that helps them
improve!

ECPE: Writing a proposal 20

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 Writing Section:
•6 ALL NEW units
•24 model compositions covering all task types.
•Engaging topics geared towards teenagers and
young adults
•Ample writing practice covering all task types:
articles, proposals, essays
•Focus on understanding and incorporating
information from sources - graphs, figures, and quotes
•Analysis of model compositions accompanied by
tasks focusing on writing techniques to meet the ECPE
writing scoring criteria
•Ample language and grammar practice
•Discussion points to help with brainstorming ideas
•Students will learn to recognize with precision the
different types of composition prompts on the ECPE
writing test and respond to each in an appropriate
way, using the right language, organization, and
content.

ECPE: Writing a proposal 21

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 Thank you

[email protected]

www.hau.gr

ECPE: Writing a proposal 22

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 Hellenic American Union
Center for Examinations and Certifications
Social media

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