Our student Vikki sat the CIPLE examination at the Embassy of Portugal in London last year and we are pleased to announce that she was granted a fantastic mark and has finally received her certificate endorsed by Instituto Camões and Universidade de Lisboa!
If you have missed the short interview Vikki conceeded talking about her preparation for the test, you can read it in here. This time, we spoke about her final result and how this reflects her language skills and also about her plans for the future.
I sincerely hope Vikki's achievements inspire you on your language study journey. If you would like to receive more information about how the CAPLE and other international Portuguese language examinations, please don't hesitate to get in touch. You can also find out more about them here in our website.
Vikki, You achieved a very good mark on your test! Congratulations!
Do you feel the mark reflects your language level?
I was very surprised with my score, as I received better scores on the areas I thought I was more confident with.
The mark shows that I have a good grasp of the Portuguese language, but it is important to fully use the correct grammar, punctuation and spellings to gain full marks and become fluent.
What aspects of the exam were more challenging ?
For me the speaking was the hardest, as I had to converse with the examiner for 20 minutes. I am not used to speaking in Portuguese with strangers, so I was very nervous. Also, the listening test was tricky. The questions they asked were not straight forward for the answers they wanted in reply.
Your test result suggests that your speaking skills are more developed than your listening skills. Do you agree with this interpretation?
Yes, I agree that my ability to listen to Portuguese is harder for me, because I translate as I hear, so I miss some details that are important to the context of the conversation.
What are your study plans to improve your listening skills?
I need to listen to Portuguese radio or audio books - to hear different styles of programme - news, stories, documentaries etc, to improve both my listening skills and understand the differences between official and colloquial spoken Portuguese language.
The test you took (CIPLE) is aimed at students who have already studied the Basic level. What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to sit other Portuguese exams?
I am now studying for my Portuguese GCSE exam. I will look at the next exam (DIPLE) after that.
I intend to fully learn the Portuguese language, and see no limits to where this journey will take me!
Finally, what tips and insights would you like to share with our fellow students who are considering to give CIPLE a try?
The CIPLE exam was a great experience for me. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to put themselves "to the test" of their Portuguese language knowledge.
I would advise to read various types of literature to broaden your vocabulary and to listen to Portuguese radio or TV to hear how the words are sounded and how the language flows. Practice speaking as much as possible, even if you only read out loud to yourself! If you have no one to speak with, then make up short conversations with yourself and practice being both parts...and the most important thing - listen to your teacher and have fun while you are learning :-)