WACE English as an Additional Language or Dialect Practice Questions
The 64 practice questions inside the WACE English as an Additional Language or Dialect Mastery Pack, grouped by area of study. Every question comes with a full worked solution.
- Section One - Listening
- Multiple choice × 10
- Complete × 2
- Explain × 2
- Section Two - Reading and viewing
- Multiple choice × 17
- List × 2
- Identify × 1
- State × 1
- Outline × 1
- Synthesise × 1
- Section Three - Extended writing (speech and essay)
- Multiple choice × 13
- Write × 3
- Plan × 1
- Language table: grammatical, lexical and sociolinguistic competence
- Multiple choice × 6
- Edit × 1
- Unit 3 - Australia as a cultural community
- Multiple choice × 1
- Explain × 1
- Unit 4 - Language and empowerment
- Multiple choice × 1
All texts, transcripts, speakers, places and data in this question are ORIGINAL constructed practice material, not SCSA texts.
Text 1: 'Speaking the visitor's language', a lecture to hospitality students (ORIGINAL transcript; read it twice, as you would hear it twice)
Good afternoon, everyone. Today I want to look at why small tourist towns are suddenly investing in language skills, and I'll use the fictional town of Saltbush Bay as my example. There are three trends behind this.
The first is a change in who is visiting. Ten years ago, most international visitors to Saltbush Bay came from the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Today, the fastest-growing groups are from Indonesia, India and South Korea, and many of these visitors are travelling in Australia for the first time.
The second trend is the way people choose where to go. Visitors now book online, and before they book they read reviews written in their own language. One café owner told me that a single review in Korean, praising her for greeting guests in Korean, was followed by a steady stream of new customers. Reviews have become word of mouth on a global scale.
The third trend is what the town has done about it. The local council started a program called 'Hello in Ten'. It's a free, twelve-week evening course, and staff from cafés, motels and tour companies learn greetings, simple directions and phrases about food allergies in ten languages. Now, that last one is not about politeness; it's about safety.
Of course, there are challenges. Paying qualified teachers is expensive for a small council, and many hospitality workers are seasonal, so they leave after summer and take their new skills with them.
Let me leave you with this thought. A few words of someone's language is not a souvenir. It's a handshake.
Complete the notes below using information from Text 1. (6 marks)
| Note heading | Your note |
|---|---|
| (a) Main origins of international visitors ten years ago | |
| (b) Fastest-growing visitor groups today | |
| (c) Why online reviews matter to small businesses | |
| (d) Format of the 'Hello in Ten' course | |
| (e) One type of phrase staff learn, and why it is not only about politeness | |
| (f) One challenge for the program |
Show the worked answer
Answer: Worked solution
Model answer
- (a) The United Kingdom and New Zealand.
- (b) Indonesia, India and South Korea.
- (c) Visitors read reviews in their own language before booking, so one positive review can bring many new customers (reviews act as global word of mouth).
- (d) Free, twelve weeks, held in the evenings (for staff of cafés, motels and tour companies).
- (e) Phrases about food allergies; they matter for guests' safety, not just good manners.
- (f) Qualified teachers are expensive for a small council; OR seasonal staff leave after summer and take their skills with them.
Marking guide (6 marks): 1 mark per row. (a) both countries required. (b) all three countries required; accept any order. (c) must link reading reviews in their own language to booking/customers. (d) at least two of: free / twelve weeks / evening. (e) food allergy phrases AND safety; greetings or directions alone do not earn the mark because the row asks why the phrase is not only about politeness. (f) either challenge. Do not reward answers that list several guesses in one row.
Technique: the notes follow the order of the lecture, exactly as Section One questions follow the sequence of information. Keep each note brief but complete enough to stand alone.
20 full-length practice exams with worked solutions, 20 revision notes, 64 practice questions and 200 flashcards.