C1 Advanced Part 2: Report on a Student Exchange
Write a C1 Advanced Part 2 report evaluating a student exchange programme and recommending improvements.
- Time
- 45 min
- Length
- 220-260 words
Writadia · C1 · Reports
NameClassDate
The situation
Your college recently took part in a two-week exchange programme with a college abroad. The principal has asked you to write a report for the college magazine. In your report, you should:
- describe the main activities
- evaluate how useful the exchange was for students
- recommend changes for next year's programme
Your task
Write your report in 220–260 words in an appropriate style.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Title and introduction with the purpose.
- Activities: summarise, don't list every day.
- Evaluation: benefits and limitations, with evidence (comments, examples).
- Recommendations: two or three, specific.
- Use headings and a neutral, formal style.
Useful phrases
Introduction
Describing
Evaluating
Recommending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- participant
- a person who takes partAll participants received a certificate.
- host family
- family that a visitor stays withStudents lived with host families.
- draw on
- use as a sourceThis report draws on student interviews.
- advisable
- sensible, recommendedIt would be advisable to book early.
- immersion
- being completely surrounded by a language or culturelanguage immersion
Model answer (237 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Report: The Spring Exchange with Lycée Molière
Introduction The purpose of this report is to describe and evaluate our recent two-week exchange with Lycée Molière in Lyon and to recommend improvements. It draws on feedback from all eighteen participants.1
Activities The programme combined morning lessons at the host college with afternoon cultural activities, including a guided tour of the old town, a cooking workshop and a joint science project. Students stayed with host families throughout.
How useful was the exchange? By far the most valuable aspect, according to almost every participant, was living with a host family. Several students commented that they spoke more French over dinner than in a month of classes at home.2 The joint science project was also praised, as it required real collaboration.
A less successful element was the morning lessons, which many found too similar to our own and largely taught to the host students rather than to visitors.3 In addition, the timetable left little free time to explore independently.
Recommendations I would recommend that next year's programme replaces some morning lessons with more joint projects, and includes at least two free afternoons.4 It would also be advisable to hold a short online meeting between students and host families before departure, as several participants felt nervous on arrival.
Conclusion Overall, the exchange offered genuine language immersion and was considered highly worthwhile. With minor changes, it could become an even more valuable experience.
- Purpose + source of evidence.
- Evaluation supported by feedback.
- Balanced evaluation.
- Specific recommendation linked to the evaluation.
Teacher notes
Exam format: Part 2 offers a choice of three tasks (letter/email, proposal, report, review), 220–260 words.
Reports vs proposals: a report evaluates something that has happened; a proposal suggests a future plan.
Extra challenge
Write a 120-word email from the principal thanking the host college.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: participant, host family, draw on, advisable, immersion.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “The purpose of this report is to ...”, “This report draws on feedback from ...”, “The programme combined ... with ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (220-260 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 5 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | All content relevant; reader fully informed. | Minor omissions or irrelevances. | Important omissions; reader partly informed. | Content irrelevant. | |
| Communicative Achievement | Genre and register fully suit the reader; holds attention. | Register mostly appropriate; ideas clear. | Inconsistent register; message sometimes unclear. | Not suited to the reader. | |
| Organisation | Well organised; varied cohesive devices. | Generally connected; limited linking. | Disjointed; basic linkers only. | No organisation. | |
| Language | Good range of vocabulary and grammar; errors do not impede. | Everyday vocabulary and structures used adequately; some errors. | Basic vocabulary and forms; errors affect meaning. | Not understandable. | |
| Total | / 20 | ||||
The four subscales are Cambridge’s official subscales, each marked 0–5 (total 20). Descriptors are classroom summaries.
Task checklist
- I covered all three points in the task.
- I used headings and formal language.
- My recommendations follow from my evaluation.
- I wrote 220–260 words.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I covered all three points in the task.
- I used headings and formal language.
- My recommendations follow from my evaluation.
- I wrote 220–260 words.
Writadia · C1 · Reports
Assessment rubric: C1 Advanced Part 2: Report on a Student Exchange
| Criterion | 5 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | All content relevant; reader fully informed. | Minor omissions or irrelevances. | Important omissions; reader partly informed. | Content irrelevant. | |
| Communicative Achievement | Genre and register fully suit the reader; holds attention. | Register mostly appropriate; ideas clear. | Inconsistent register; message sometimes unclear. | Not suited to the reader. | |
| Organisation | Well organised; varied cohesive devices. | Generally connected; limited linking. | Disjointed; basic linkers only. | No organisation. | |
| Language | Good range of vocabulary and grammar; errors do not impede. | Everyday vocabulary and structures used adequately; some errors. | Basic vocabulary and forms; errors affect meaning. | Not understandable. | |
| Total | / 20 | ||||
The four subscales are Cambridge’s official subscales, each marked 0–5 (total 20). Descriptors are classroom summaries.
Task checklist
- I covered all three points in the task.
- I used headings and formal language.
- My recommendations follow from my evaluation.
- I wrote 220–260 words.
Teacher comment
Writadia · C1 · Reports
Peer-review sheet: C1 Advanced Part 2: Report on a Student Exchange
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I covered all three points in the task. | |||
| I used headings and formal language. | |||
| My recommendations follow from my evaluation. | |||
| I wrote 220–260 words. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · C1 · Reports
Lesson plan: C1 Advanced Part 2: Report on a Student Exchange
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: participant, host family, draw on, advisable, immersion.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “The purpose of this report is to ...”, “This report draws on feedback from ...”, “The programme combined ... with ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (220-260 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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