PEIC Level 3 (B2) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Gist listening

Understanding the main idea or purpose of a spoken text without catching every word. At B2, gist questions are answered from the opening and closing remarks and from repeated vocabulary.

Listening distractor

An option that repeats a word from the recording but attaches it to the wrong person, time, or place. Matching vocabulary alone is not evidence that an answer is correct.

Self-correction in speech

A speaker restating a number, date, or name immediately after saying it. In listening tasks, the corrected version is normally the intended answer, not the first one heard.

Intonation and attitude

Rising or falling pitch and hedged wording that reveal a speaker's feelings. Expressions like 'I suppose so' signal doubt, while flat delivery can signal disagreement or reluctance.

Note completion grammar check

Checking that a written answer fits the gap grammatically. A gap after 'a' needs a singular countable noun; a gap after 'to' needs a base verb.

Signposting language

Words such as 'firstly', 'however', and 'to sum up' that announce the structure of a talk. They tell listeners a new point, contrast, or conclusion is coming.

Inference in listening

Deriving a conclusion not stated directly, by combining two stated facts. The correct option paraphrases the combined meaning rather than repeating one sentence.

Skimming

Reading quickly for the main idea by focusing on titles, headings, and topic sentences. It builds a mental map of a text before detailed questions are attempted.

Scanning

Moving the eyes rapidly through a text to locate a specific name, number, or keyword without reading surrounding sentences. It is used for detail and matching questions.

False versus Not Given

'False' means the text contradicts the statement. 'Not Given' means the text says nothing about it, so missing information is never treated as contradiction.

Matching headings strategy

Choosing the heading that paraphrases a paragraph's main idea. A heading repeating one detail from the paragraph is usually a trap, not the answer.

Pronoun reference resolution

Identifying which noun a pronoun such as 'it' or 'they' replaces, using number agreement and logic. The referent is usually in the preceding clause or sentence.

Contrast linkers

Words like 'however', 'nevertheless', and 'whereas' that signal opposing ideas. 'Whereas' joins two clauses directly; 'however' usually starts a new sentence.

Result linkers

Words such as 'therefore', 'consequently', and 'as a result' that show one idea follows logically from another. They mark cause and effect within or between sentences.

Vocabulary in context

Working out a word's meaning from its surrounding clause rather than its first dictionary sense. The sentence's logic decides which sense is intended.

Word-limit instructions

Rules such as 'NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS' that cap answer length. Hyphenated compounds count as one word, and exceeding the limit makes an answer invalid.

Speaking assessment criteria

The four B2 speaking criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Each is scored separately, so strength in one does not offset weakness in another.

Fluency at B2

Sustaining speech with only occasional repetition or self-correction. Long silent pauses while searching for a word lower the score more than paraphrasing around it does.

Paraphrasing strategy

Describing a missing word instead of stopping or switching language, for example 'the thing you use to open a bottle'. It keeps fluency and shows lexical resource.

Opinion answer structure

Stating a position, giving one reason, adding one example, and closing with a consequence. This structure fills the response time coherently without rambling.

B2 grammatical range

Control of conditionals, present perfect, passive voice, relative clauses, and comparatives. Range is credited only when these forms are used accurately, not merely attempted.

Discourse markers in speech

Phrases like 'to be honest' and 'having said that' that organise spoken ideas. They signal coherence at B2, but repeating one marker sounds memorised.

Intelligibility and word stress

Pronunciation is judged on being understood and on stressing the right syllable, not on having a native accent. Misplaced stress, as in 'comfortable', can obscure meaning.

Interactive turn-taking

Responding to a follow-up with acknowledgement plus development, rather than a one-word reply. It demonstrates the interactional competence expected at B2.

Writing assessment criteria

The four B2 writing criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Task achievement includes covering every bullet point in the prompt.

Register in writing

Matching formality to the task. Formal letters and reports avoid contractions and idioms; informal emails may use them. Mixing registers lowers the coherence score.

Paragraph structure rule

One central idea per paragraph, a topic sentence first, supporting detail after, and a linking phrase opening each later paragraph. This supports the coherence and cohesion criterion.

Word-count enforcement

Writing below the minimum leaves ideas undeveloped and is penalised. Writing far above it wastes time and raises error density without adding credit.

Formal letter salutations

'Dear Sir or Madam' pairs with 'Yours faithfully'; 'Dear Mr Smith' pairs with 'Yours sincerely'. Mismatched pairs break formal register conventions.

Cohesion beyond linkers

Using referencing words such as 'this', 'such', and 'the former', plus substitution, to connect ideas. Relying only on 'and', 'but', and 'so' shows limited range.

B2 accuracy targets

Consistent tense within a narrative, correct articles with countable nouns, and subject-verb agreement in complex subjects. These are the errors most often penalised at B2.

Report and article conventions

Reports and articles need a title and, where the prompt asks, recommendations or a conclusion. An essay without a stated position fails task achievement.