Firstwords case studies
Firstwords · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Firstwords is a multiple-choice English proficiency exam organised around four domains: Vocabulary and Word Meaning (30%), Grammar and Sentence Structure (25%), Reading Comprehension (25%) and Listening Comprehension (20%). The weighting tells you what the exam values: word knowledge carries the most points, and the two comprehension domains together make up nearly half the paper. The Firstwords case studies are 5 cases and about 3,622 words.
1Three Senses of “Secure” in a Pump IFU
Nordhaven Medical is preparing the Spanish and Mexican Spanish versions of the HomeGlide infusion pump instructions for use. The source string “secure the line” appears in step 4, “secure the reservoir” in step 7, and “secure the patient’s consent” in a training slide.
744 words, about 4 min2Neither/Nor Agreement and a Ambiguous “Which” in a Handbook
Brightline People Ops is finalizing a 240-employee handbook that will be issued in English and five other languages. A sentence in the lockout/tagout section reads: “Neither the shift supervisor nor the technicians has completed the checklist, which was due Friday.” Two proofreaders disagree.
715 words, about 4 min3Grandfathered Accounts and a 45-Day Notice
A grandfathered account that exceeds 5 GB in two consecutive billing cycles will be moved to the 50 GB tier at 14 per month after a 45-day notice. The account exceeded 5 GB in January and February 2024.
717 words, about 4 min4Fifteen or Fifty? A Listening Item with Noise and Reduction
Cobalt Airlines is building a listening item for its gate-agent certification. The audio, recorded in a crew room with a ventilation hum, contains this stretch: “We’re looking at a fifteen percent increase in turnaround delays-that’s up from about twenty to twenty-three minutes-so you gotta log every gate change, not just the international ones.” A trial candidate reported hearing “fifty percent” and “you don’t gotta.” The item writer has the waveform, a transcript, and the speaker’s note that she stressed the second syllable of fifteen.
716 words, about 4 min5Mapping Lay Search Terms to Four Help-Center Articles
Fernway Fitness runs a subscription app. Its help center has four articles: “End your plan,” “Pause your plan,” “Change your plan,” and “Update payment details.” Search logs for the last 30 days show 1,240 searches for stop my membership, 610 for freeze, 480 for hold, 300 for downgrade, and 220 for cancel.
730 words, about 4 min