ccea gcse specification in english language...3 subject content 7 3.1 unit 1: writing for purpose...

GCSE

CCEA GCSE Specification in

English Language

For first teaching from September 2017For first assessment in Summer 2018For first award in Summer 2019Subject Code: 5030

Contents 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Aims 41.2 Keyfeatures 41.3 Priorattainment 41.4 Classificationcodesandsubjectcombinations

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2 Specification at a Glance

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3 Subject Content 7 3.1 Unit1:WritingforPurposeandAudienceandReadingtoAccess

Non-fictionandMediaTexts7

3.2 Unit2:SpeakingandListening 83.3 Unit3:StudyingSpokenandWrittenLanguage 93.4 Unit4:PersonalorCreativeWritingandReadingLiteraryand

Non-fictionTexts

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4 Scheme of Assessment 11 4.1 Assessmentopportunities 114.2 Assessmentobjectives 114.3 Assessmentobjectiveweightings 124.4 FunctionalEnglish 134.5 Qualityofwrittencommunication 134.6 Reportingandgrading

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5 Grade Descriptions

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6 Guidance on Controlled Assessment 17 6.1 Controlledassessmentreview 176.2 Skillsassessedbycontrolledassessment 176.3 Levelofcontrol 176.4 Tasksetting 176.5 Tasktaking 186.6 Taskmarking 216.7 Internalstandardisation 226.8 Moderation

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7 Curriculum Objectives 23 7.1 Cross-CurricularSkillsatKeyStage4 237.2 ThinkingSkillsandPersonalCapabilitiesatKeyStage4

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8 Links and Support 25 8.1 Support 258.2 Examinationentries 258.3 Equalityandinclusion 258.4

Contactdetails

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Appendix 1 GlossaryofTermsforControlledAssessmentRegulations

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Appendix 2 ControlledAssessmentTasksforUnit2:SpeakingandListening

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Appendix 3 ControlledAssessmentTasksforUnit3:StudyingSpokenandWrittenLanguageTask1:TheStudyofSpokenLanguageTask2:TheStudyofWrittenLanguage

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Appendix 4 AssessmentCriteriaforUnit2:SpeakingandListening

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Appendix 5 AssessmentCriteriaforUnit3:StudyingSpokenandWrittenLanguageTask1:TheStudyofSpokenLanguageTask2:TheStudyofWrittenLanguage

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SubjectCodeQAN

5030603/1346/8

ACCEAPublication©2017

Thisspecificationisavailableonlineatwww.ccea.org.uk

CCEAGCSEEnglishLanguagefromSeptember2017

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1 Introduction ThisspecificationsetsoutthecontentandassessmentdetailsforourGCSEcourseinEnglishLanguage.Wehavedesignedthisspecificationtomeettherequirementsof:

• NorthernIrelandGCSEDesignPrinciples;• NorthernIrelandGCEandGCSEQualificationsCriteria;and• SubjectCriteriaandRequirementsforEnglish.FirstteachingisfromSeptember2017.WewillmakethefirstawardbasedonthisspecificationinSummer2019.Thisspecificationisaunitisedcourse.Theguidedlearninghours,asforallourGCSEs,are120hours.WehavestructuredthecoursetoconcentratethefunctionalaspectsofEnglishin:

• Unit1:WritingforPurposeandAudienceandReadingtoAccessNon-fictionandMediaTexts;and

• Unit2:SpeakingandListening.

StudentswhocompletetheseunitswillhavetheopportunitytoachievearecognitionofachievementinFunctionalEnglish.ThespecificationsupportstheaimoftheNorthernIrelandCurriculumtoempoweryoungpeopletoachievetheirpotentialandtomakeinformedandresponsibledecisionsthroughouttheirlives,aswellasitsobjectives:

• todeveloptheyoungpersonasanindividual;• todeveloptheyoungpersonasacontributortosociety;and• todeveloptheyoungpersonasacontributortotheeconomyandenvironment.Ifthereareanymajorchangestothisspecification,wewillnotifycentresinwriting.Theonlineversionofthespecificationwillalwaysbethemostuptodate;toviewanddownloadthispleasegotowww.ccea.org.uk


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1.1 Aims Thisspecificationaimstoencouragestudentsto:

• demonstrateskillsinspeaking,listening,readingandwritingnecessarytocommunicatewithothersconfidently,effectively,preciselyandappropriately;

• expressthemselvescreativelyandimaginatively;• becomecriticalreadersofarangeoftexts,includingmulti-modaltexts;• usereadingtodeveloptheirownskillsaswriters;• understandthepatterns,structuresandconventionsofwrittenandspokenEnglish;

• understandtheimpactofvariationsinspokenandwrittenlanguageandhowtheyrelatetoidentityandculturaldiversity;and

• selectandadaptspeechandwritingtodifferentsituationsandaudiences.1.2 Key features Thefollowingareimportantfeaturesofthisspecification.

• ItoffersopportunitiestobuildontheskillsandcapabilitiesdevelopedthroughthedeliveryoftheNorthernIrelandCurriculumatKeyStage3.

• Itisaunitisedspecification,allowingstudentsflexibilityinpreparingforassessment;studentscanenterforaunitwhentheyarereadytobeassessedandcanresiteachunitindividually.

• FromSummer2018,Units1and2willbeavailableinboththeSummerandJanuaryseries;Units3and4willbeavailablefromSummer2019andwillalsobeavailableeachJanuaryseriesfrom2020.

• ItallowsstudentstostudyEnglishandrelatedsubjectsatamoreadvancedlevel.• Thecourseoffersstudentsopportunitiestodevelopskillsforreal-lifecontextsandtoprogresstoemployment.

• Theseskillsareembeddedinthisspecification:- engagingwithandmakingfreshconnectionsbetweenideas,texts,wordsandimages;

- studyingspokenandwrittenlanguage,exploringhowlanguagevaries;- expressingideasandinformationclearly,precisely,accuratelyandappropriatelyinspokenandwrittencommunication;and

- formingindependentviewsandchallengingwhatisheardorreadonthegroundsofreason,evidenceorargument.

• StudentscanusetextsthattheyarestudyingforGCSEEnglishLiteratureasthestimulusforcontrolledassessmenttasks.

• Inrevisingthisspecification,weconsultedwithteachers,subjectadvisersandsubjectassociations.

1.3 Prior attainment Thisspecificationbuildsontheknowledge,understandingandskillsdevelopedthroughthestatutoryrequirementsforLanguageandLiteracy:EnglishwithMediaEducationatKeyStage3intheNorthernIrelandCurriculum.Studentsdonotneedtohavereachedaparticularlevelofattainmentbeforebeginningtostudythisspecification.


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1.4 Classification codes and subject combinations Everyspecificationhasanationalclassificationcodethatindicatesitssubjectarea.Theclassificationcodeforthisqualificationis5030. Pleasenotethatifastudenttakestwoqualificationswiththesameclassificationcode,schools,collegesanduniversitiesthattheyapplytomaytaketheviewthattheyhaveachievedonlyoneofthetwoGCSEs.ThesamemayoccurwithanytwoGCSEqualificationsthathaveasignificantoverlapincontent,eveniftheclassificationcodesaredifferent.Becauseofthis,studentswhohaveanydoubtsabouttheirsubjectcombinationsshouldcheckwiththeschools,collegesanduniversitiesthattheywouldliketoattendbeforebeginningtheirstudies.


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2 Specification at a Glance ThetablebelowsummarisesthestructureofthisGCSEcourse.

Content

Assessment

Weightings

Availability

Unit1:WritingforPurposeandAudienceandReadingtoAccessNon-fictionandMediaTexts

ExternalwrittenexaminationUntiered1hour45minsStudentscompletefivetasks.

30% Summerfrom2018andJanuaryfrom2019

Unit2:SpeakingandListening

ControlledassessmentUntieredTeachersmarkthetasks,andwemoderatetheresults.


Unit3:StudyingSpokenandWrittenLanguage

ControlledassessmentUntieredTeachersmarkthetasks,andwemoderatetheresults.


Unit4:PersonalorCreativeWritingandReadingLiteraryandNon-fictionTexts

ExternalwrittenexaminationUntiered1hour45minsStudentscompletefourtasks.


Studentsmusttakeatleast40percentoftheassessment(basedonunitweightings)attheendofthecourseasterminalassessment.


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3 Subject Content Wehavedividedthiscourseintofourunits.Thecontentofeachunitandtherespectivelearningoutcomesappearbelow.FunctionalaspectsofEnglishareassessedinUnits1and2;themarkschemesreflectthis.Theseunitsassessstudents’abilitiesinFunctionalEnglish:reading,writing,andspeakingandlistening.3.1 Unit 1: Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts Inthisunit,studentsengagewithwritingandreadingtasks.Therearetwosectionsintheexaminationpaper.SectionAiswritingandthereisonetask.SectionBisreadingandtherearefourtasks.

Content

LearningOutcomes

SectionA:WritingforPurposeandAudience(Onetask–alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)

Studentsshouldbeableto:

• writeaccuratelyandeffectively;• useanappropriatewritingform;• expressideasand/orinformationpreciselyandaccurately;• selectvocabularytopersuadeand/orinformthereader;• useaccurategrammar,spellingandpunctuation;

SectionB:ReadingtoAccessNon-fictionandMediaTexts(Fourtasks,twooneachofthetexts–alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)

• readandunderstandtexts;• recognisetheeffectsoflanguagechoices;• developinterpretationsofwriters’ideas;and• explainandevaluatehowwritersuselinguistic,grammaticalandstructuralfeaturestoinfluencethereader.


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3.2 Unit 2: Speaking and Listening Inthisunit,studentsareassessedinthreecontrolledassessmenttasks:anindividualpresentationandinteraction,adiscussionandaroleplay.SeeAppendix4fortheassessmentcriteriaforUnit2.

Content

LearningOutcomes

Task1:Individualpresentationandinteraction(Alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)


• communicateclearlyandeffectively;• presentinformationandideas;• usestandardEnglishasappropriate;• structureandsustaintalk;• chooseandadaptlanguageappropriatetoanaudience;• respondappropriatelytoquestionsandviewsofothers;

Task2:Discussion(Alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)

• interactwithothers;• makearangeofeffectivecontributions;• expressideasclearly,accuratelyandappropriately;• listenandrespondtoothers’ideasandperspectives;• challengewhattheyhearwhereappropriateandshapemeaningthroughaskingquestionsandmakingcommentsandsuggestions;

• useavarietyoftechniquesasappropriate;

Task3:Roleplay(Alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)

• createandsustaindifferentrolesfromarangeofreal-lifecontexts;and

• experimentwithlanguagetoengagetheaudience.


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3.3 Unit 3: Studying Spoken and Written Language Inthisunit,studentscompletetwocontrolledassessmenttasks.InTheStudyofSpokenLanguage,theycompleteonewrittenresponsethatenablesthemtoinvestigatethecharacteristicsof,andinfluenceson,twopiecesofspokenlanguage.InTheStudyofWrittenLanguage,studentscompleteonewrittenresponsethatenablesthemtodemonstrateknowledgeofcharacters,themesorgenreinaliterarytextortexts.StudentscanwriteaboutatextthattheyarestudyingforGCSEEnglishLiterature;however,theymustsubmitadifferentpieceofworkthatspecificallymeetstherequirementsofthistask.Centrescanadapttasksbychoosingatextthatmeetstheneedsoftheirstudents.Textschosenmustbeofanappropriatelevelofdemand.SeeAppendix5fortheassessmentcriteriaforUnit3.

Content

LearningOutcomes

Task1:TheStudyofSpokenLanguage(Alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)


• understandthecharacteristicsofspokenlanguage;• understandinfluencesonspokenlanguagechoices;• exploretheimpactofspokenlanguagechoices;• understandhowlanguagevariesindifferentcontexts;

Task2:TheStudyofWrittenLanguage(Alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)

• readandunderstandtexts;• understandhowmeaningisconstructed;• recognisetheeffectoflanguagechoicesandpatterns;• selectmaterialappropriatetopurpose;• evaluatehowtextsmaybeinterpreteddifferentlydependingonthereader’sperspective;

• explainandevaluatehowwritersuselinguisticandpresentationalfeaturestosustainthereader’sinterest;and

• collatefromdifferentsourcesandmakeappropriatecomparisonsandcross-references.


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3.4 Unit 4: Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts Inthisunit,studentsengagewithwritingandreading.Therearetwosectionsintheexaminationpaper.SectionAiswritingandthereisonetask.SectionBisreadingandtherearethreetasks.

Content

LearningOutcomes

SectionA:PersonalorCreativeWriting(Onetask–alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)


• writeclearlyandfluently(aswellasimaginatively,ifappropriate);

• organiseideastosupportcoherence;• useanappropriatewritingform;• selectvocabularyappropriatetothetasktoengagethereader;

• usearangeofsentencestructuresforeffect;• useaccurategrammar,spellingandpunctuation;

SectionB:ReadingLiteraryandNon-fictionTexts(Threetasks–alllearningoutcomesareassessed.)

• readandunderstandtexts;

• understandhowmeaningisconstructed;• recognisetheeffectoflanguagechoicesandpatterns;• selectmaterialappropriatetopurpose;• evaluatehowtextsmaybeinterpreteddifferentlydependingonthereader’sperspective;and

• explainandevaluatehowwritersuselinguisticandpresentationalfeaturestosustainthereader’sinterest.


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4 Scheme of Assessment 4.1 Assessment opportunities Fortheavailabilityofexaminationsandcontrolledassessment,seeSection2.Therewillbetwoexaminationseriesavailable,oneinSummerandoneinJanuary.ControlledassessmentunitswillalsobeavailableinSummerandJanuary.Thisisaunitisedspecification;candidatesmustcompleteatleast40percentoftheoverallassessmentrequirementsattheendofthecourse,intheexaminationseriesinwhichtheyrequestafinalsubjectgrade.Thisistheterminalrule.Candidatesmayresitindividualassessmentunitsoncebeforecash-in.ThebetterofthetworesultswillcounttowardstheirfinalGCSEgradeunlessaunitisrequiredtomeetthe40percentterminalrule.Ifitis,themorerecentmarkwillcount(whetherornotitisthebetterresult).ResultsforindividualassessmentunitsremainavailabletocounttowardsaGCSEqualificationuntilwewithdrawthespecification.4.2 Assessment objectives Therearefourassessmentobjectivesforthisspecification.Speaking and Listening (AO1) Candidatesmust:

i. speaktocommunicateclearlyandpurposefully;structureandsustaintalk,adaptingittodifferentsituationsandaudiences;usestandardEnglishandavarietyoftechniquesasappropriate;

ii. listenandrespondtospeakers’ideasandperspectives,andhowtheypresentmeaning;

iii. interactwithothers,shapingmeaningsthroughsuggestions,commentsandquestionsanddrawingideastogether;and

iv. createandsustaindifferentroles.

Study of Spoken Language (AO2) Candidatesmust:

i. understandvariationsinspokenlanguage,explainingwhylanguagechangesinrelationtocontexts;and

ii. evaluatetheimpactofspokenlanguagechoicesintheirownandothers’uses.

Studying Written Language (AO3) Candidatesmust:

i. readandunderstandtexts,selectingmaterialappropriatetopurpose,collatingfromdifferentsourcesandmakingcomparisonsandcross-referencesasappropriate;

ii. developandsustaininterpretationsofwriters’ideasandperspectives;andiii. explainandevaluatehowwritersuselinguistic,structuralandpresentational

featurestoachieveeffectsandengageandinfluencethereader.


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Writing (AO4) Candidatesmust:

i. writetocommunicateclearly,effectivelyandimaginatively,usingandadaptingformsandselectingvocabularyappropriatetotaskandpurposeinwaysthatengagethereader;

ii. organiseinformationandideasintostructuredandsequencedsentences,paragraphsandwholetexts,usingavarietyoflinguisticandstructuralfeaturestosupportcohesionandoverallcoherence;and

iii. usearangeofsentencestructuresforclarity,purposeandeffect,withaccuratespelling,punctuationandgrammar.

4.3 Assessment objective weightings ThetablebelowsetsouttheassessmentobjectiveweightingsforeachassessmentcomponentandtheoverallGCSEqualification.

AssessmentObjective

UnitWeighting(%) OverallWeighting

(%)ExternalAssessment

ControlledAssessment

ControlledAssessment

ExternalAssessment

Unit1 Unit2 Unit3 Unit4

Task1 Task2

AO1 20 20

AO2 10 10

AO3 12.5 10 12.5 35

AO4 17.5 17.5 35

TotalWeighting 30 20 10 10 30 100


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4.4 Functional English Inthisspecification,thetermFunctionalEnglishreferstotheskillsandabilitiesstudentsneedtodevelopasayoungpersonandasanindividual,andasacontributortosociety,theeconomyandenvironment.Theseskillsenablestudentstooperateconfidently,effectivelyandindependentlyineducation,workandeverydaylife.AssessmentandreportingofperformanceinFunctionalEnglishisbasedonUnits1and2.Candidatesareassessedonthreeelements:reading,writing,andspeakingandlistening.Candidatesdemonstratetheirskillsinarangeofcontextsandforvariouspurposes.4.5 Quality of written communication InGCSEEnglishLanguage,candidatesmustdemonstratetheirqualityofwrittencommunication.Theyneedto:

• ensurethattextislegibleandthatspelling,punctuationandgrammarareaccuratesothatmeaningisclear;

• selectanduseaformandstyleofwritingthatsuittheirpurposeandcomplexsubjectmatter;and

• organiseinformationclearlyandcoherently,usingspecialistvocabularywhereappropriate.

Qualityofwrittencommunicationisassessedinresponsestotasksthatrequireextendedwriting.4.6 Reporting and grading Wereporttheresultsofindividualassessmentunitsonauniformmarkscalethatreflectstheassessmentweightingofeachunit.Wedeterminethegradesawardedbyaggregatingtheuniformmarksthatcandidatesobtaininindividualassessmentunits.WeawardGCSEqualificationsonagradescalefromA*toG,withA*beingthehighest.Theninegradesavailableareasfollows:

Grade A* A B C* C D E F GIfcandidatesfailtoattainagradeGorabove,wereporttheirresultasunclassified(U).TheachievementinFunctionalEnglishisbasedonthecandidate’sperformanceinUnits1and2.ThestandardrequiredtoachieveaLevel1orLevel2ineachunitisbasedonaminimumrawmarkthresholdthatwesetforeachseries.TheoveralllevelawardedforFunctionalEnglishisdeterminedfromacombinationofthelevelsachievedinbothunits.FunctionalEnglishisawardedwithinthecontextofGCSEstudyandreportedwiththeresultsforGCSEEnglishLanguageasa‘pass’ateitherLevel1orLevel2.ForcandidatesachievingFunctionalEnglishatLevel2,thisachievementisreportedasanendorsementonthecertificate.IfacandidatedoesnotachievealevelinFunctionalEnglish,thiswillnotbereported.


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5 Grade DescriptionsGradedescriptionsareprovidedtogiveageneralindicationofthestandardsofachievementlikelytohavebeenshownbycandidatesawardedparticulargrades.Thedescriptionsmustbeinterpretedinrelationtothecontentinthespecification;theyarenotdesignedtodefinethatcontent.Thegradeawardeddependsinpracticeupontheextenttowhichthecandidatehasmettheassessmentobjectivesoverall.Shortcomingsinsomeaspectsofcandidates’performanceintheassessmentmaybebalancedbybetterperformancesinothers.

Grade

Description

A CandidatesselectsuitablestylesandregistersofspokenEnglishforarangeofsituationsandcontexts,showingassureduseofstandardEnglishwhereappropriate.Theyconfidentlyvarysentencestructuresandchoosefromawidevocabularytoexpressinformation,ideasandfeelingsinanengagingmanner.Theyexplainexpertly,andevaluatepersuasively,howtheyandothersuseandadaptspokenlanguageforspecificpurposes.Theyinitiateconversationsanddemonstratesensitivelisteningthroughcontributionsthatsustainanddevelopdiscussion.Theyrecogniseandfulfilthedemandsofdifferentroles,whetherinformalsettingsorcreativeactivities.Candidatesrespondpersonallyandpersuasivelytoavarietyoftexts,developinginterpretationsandevaluatinghowdetailsoflanguage,grammar,structureandpresentationengageandaffectthereader.Theyidentifyanddiscusswriters’perspectivesinnarrative,argument,explanationoranalysis.Theychooseaptquotationsandmaketellingcomparisonsandcross-referencesthatilluminatethepurposeandmeaningsoftexts.

• Candidates’writingshowsconfident,assuredcontrolofarangeofformsandstylesappropriatetotaskandpurpose.Textsengageandholdthereader’sinterestthroughlogicalargument,persuasiveforceorcreativeflair.Theyuselinguisticandstructuralfeaturesskilfullytosequencetextsandachievecoherence.Awiderangeofaccuratesentencestructuresensuresclarity;choicesofvocabulary,punctuationandspellingareambitious,imaginativeandlargelycorrect.


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Grade

Description

C Candidatesadapttheirtalktothedemandsofdifferentsituationsandcontexts.TheyrecognisewhenstandardEnglishisrequiredanduseitconfidently.Theyusedifferentsentencestructuresandselectvocabularysothatinformation,ideasandfeelingsarecommunicatedclearlyandthelistener’sinterestisengaged.Theyexplainandevaluatehowtheyandothersuseandadaptspokenlanguageforspecificpurposes.Throughcarefullisteningandbydevelopingtheirownandothers’ideas,theymakesignificantcontributionstodiscussionandparticipateeffectivelyincreativeactivities.Candidatesunderstandanddemonstratehowmeaningandinformationareconveyedinarangeoftexts.Theymakepersonalandcriticalresponses,referringtospecificaspectsoflanguage,grammar,structureandpresentationaldevicestojustifytheirviews.Theysuccessfullycompareandcross-referenceaspectsoftextsandexplainconvincinglyhowtheymayvaryinpurposeandhowtheyachievedifferenteffects.

• Candidates’writingshowssuccessfuladaptationofformandstyletodifferenttasksandforvariouspurposes.Theyusearangeofsentencestructuresandvariedvocabularytocreatedifferenteffectsandengagethereader’sinterest.Theyuseparagraphingeffectivelytomakethesequenceofeventsordevelopmentofideascoherentandcleartothereader.Sentencestructuresarevariedandsometimesbold;punctuationandspellingareaccurate.


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Grade

Description

F Candidatestalkinfamiliarsituations,showingsomeawarenessofpurposeandoflisteners’needs.Theyconveyinformation,developideasanddescribefeelings,usingthemainfeaturesofstandardEnglishasappropriate.Theylistenandmakeresponsestoothers’ideasandopinions.Theyshowsomeawarenessofhowtheyandothersuseandadaptspokenlanguageforspecificpurposes.Informalandcreativeactivities,theyattempttomeetthedemandsofdifferentroles.Candidatesdescribethemainideas,themesorargumentinarangeoftexts,andrefertodetailswhenjustifyingtheirviews.Theymakesimplecomparisonsandcross-referencesthatshowsomeawarenessofhowtextsachievetheireffectsthroughwriters’useoflinguistic,grammatical,structuralandpresentationaldevices.Candidates’writingshowssomeadaptationofformandstylefordifferenttasksandpurposesanditcommunicatessimplywiththereader.Sentencesattempttosequenceeventsorideaslogically;theysometimeschoosevocabularyforvarietyandinterest.Paragraphingisstraightforward;thestructureofsentencesisbasic.Thereissomeaccuracyinspellingandbasicpunctuation.


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6 Guidance on Controlled Assessment 6.1 Controlled assessment review Wewillreplaceourcontrolledassessmentthemeseveryyeartoensurethattheycontinuetosetanappropriatechallengeandremainvalid,reliableandstimulating.6.2 Skills assessed by controlled assessment Teachersmustassessthefollowingskillsthroughcontrolledassessment:

Speaking and Listening (20%) • communicatingclearly;• listeningandrespondingtoothers’ideas;• interactingwithothers;and• creatingandsustainingdifferentroles.

Study of Spoken Language (10%) • understandingvariationsinspokenlanguage,explainingwhylanguagechangesinrelationtocontexts;and

• evaluatingtheimpactofspokenlanguagechoices.

Studying Written Language (10%) • readingandunderstandingtexts,selectingappropriatematerialandmakingcross-referencesasappropriate;

• developingandsustaininginterpretations;and• explainingandevaluatinghowwritersuselanguageandpresentationalfeaturestoachieveeffects.

6.3 Level of control RulesforcontrolledassessmentinGCSEEnglishLanguagearedefinedforthethreestagesoftheassessment:

• tasksetting;• tasktaking;and• taskmarking.6.4 Task setting Thelevelofcontrolfortasksettingvariesbetweenlimitedandmedium.ThelevelofcontrolfortasksettingforUnit2:SpeakingandListeningislimited.Centreshavetheopportunitytoadapt,contextualiseanddesigntaskstobettersuittheirspecificcircumstances.SeeAppendix2forsampletasks.ThelevelofcontrolfortasksettingforUnit3:StudyingSpokenandWrittenLanguageismedium.Centresmustdeveloptasksbasedonathematiclistthatweprovide(seeAppendix3).


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Thecontrolledassessment tasksgivecentrestheopportunitytosubmitworktousfortheSummerorJanuaryseriesandtocontextualisethemtosuittheirspecificcircumstances.Thisincludestheavailabilityofandaccesstoresources.Wewillprovidecentreswithdetailsofcontrolledassessmentthemesandguidanceonhowtocompleteandsubmitthetasks.6.5 Task taking ThelevelofcontrolfortasktakingforUnit2ishigh.ThelevelofcontrolfortasktakingforUnit3ishigh.Unit 2: Speaking and Listening (20%)

AreasofControl DetailofControl

Authenticity • Candidatescancarryoutpreparationunderlimitedsupervision(limitedcontrol).

• Responsibilityforplanningthethreetasksliesentirelywithcandidates(limitedcontrol).

• Theymustcompletethetasksforfinalassessmentunderformalsupervision(highcontrol).

• Teachersmustbeabletoauthenticatethework.

Feedback • Weencourageteacherstogivefeedbackduringthepreparationprocessonthefollowing:- thetaskstobecompleted;and- howperformancewillbemarkedaccordingtotheassessmentcriteria.

TimeLimit • Eachtaskcanlastupto30minutes.• Thesuggesteddurationfortheindividualpresentationbeforequestionsis5minutes.

Collaboration • Candidates’preparationworkmaybeinformedbyworkingwithothers,butcandidatesmustbeassessedonanindividualresponse.

Resources • Candidates’accesstoresourcesisdeterminedbythoseavailabletothecentre.


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Unit 3 Task 1: The Study of Spoken Language (10%)


Authenticity • Candidatescancarryoutplanningandresearchunderlimitedsupervision(limitedcontrol).

• Responsibilityforplanningthepieceofworkforassessmentliesentirelywithcandidates(limitedcontrol).

• Theymustproducethepieceforfinalassessmentunderformalsupervision.Workproducedunderformalsupervisioncannotberemovedfromtheclassroom(highcontrol).


Feedback • Weencourageteacherstogivefeedbackduringtheplanningandpreparationprocessonthefollowing:- thetasktobecompleted;and- howworkwillbemarkedaccordingtotheassessmentcriteria.

• Oncecandidateshavecompletedthepieceforfinalassessmentinthetimegivenunderformalsupervision,theycannotmakeanyfurtherchanges.

TimeLimit • Productionofthepieceforfinalassessment: 1hour(thiscanbecompletedinmorethanonesession).

Collaboration • Candidatescancompletepreparatoryworkingroups,buteachcandidatemustcompleteanindividualresponseforfinalassessment.


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• Theymustbeprovidedwithtranscriptsofthesourcematerialsbeingusedforthetask.Candidatescanonlyuseunannotatedtranscriptsofthesourcematerialwhencompletingtheirfinalresponse.

• Whenproducingthepieceforfinalassessment,candidatesarenotallowedaccessto:- dictionariesandthesauruses;- grammarandspellcheckprogrammes;- theinternet;or- theirpreparatoryworkoranyformofdraftresponse.

• Ifcandidatesproducethepieceforfinalassessmentovermorethanonesession,theirworkmustbecollectedandstoredaftereachsession;candidatesarenotallowedaccesstotheirworkbetweensessions.

Unit 3 Task 2: The Study of Written Language (10%)


Authenticity • Candidatescancarryoutplanningandresearchunderlimitedsupervision(limitedcontrol).

• Responsibilityforplanningthepieceofworkforassessmentliesentirelywithcandidates(limitedcontrol).

• Theymustproducethepieceforfinalassessmentunderformalsupervision.Workproducedunderformalsupervisioncannotberemovedfromtheclassroom(highcontrol).


Feedback • Weencourageteacherstogivefeedbackduringtheplanningandpreparationprocessonthefollowing:- thetasktobecompleted;and- howworkwillbemarkedaccordingtotheassessmentcriteria.

• Oncecandidateshavecompletedthepieceforfinalassessmentinthetimegivenunderformalsupervision,theycannotmakeanyfurtherchanges.


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TimeLimit • Productionofthepieceforfinalassessment: 1hour(thiscanbecompletedinmorethanonesession).

Collaboration • Candidatescancompletepreparatoryworkingroups,buteachcandidatemustcompleteanindividualresponseforfinalassessment(highcontrol).


• Candidatesareallowedaccesstoanunannotatedcopyofthestimulustext.

• Whenproducingthepieceforfinalassessment,candidatesarenotallowedaccessto:- dictionariesandthesauruses;- grammarandspellcheckprogrammes;- theinternet;or- theirpreparatoryworkoranyformofdraftresponse.

• Ifcandidatesproducethepieceforfinalassessmentovermorethanonesession,theirworkmustbecollectedandstoredaftereachsession;candidatesarenotallowedaccesstotheirworkbetweensessions.

6.6 Task marking Thelevelofcontrolfortaskmarkingismedium.Teachersmarkthecontrolledassessmenttasksusingassessmentcriteriathatweprovide.TheyshoulduseprofessionaljudgementtoselectandapplythecriteriaforeachCompetenceLevelappropriatelyandfairlytocandidates’work.Theyshouldfollowa‘bestfit’approachwhenselectingacandidate’smark,makingallowanceforbalancingstrengthsandweaknessesineachresponse.Teachersmustensurethattheworktheymarkisthecandidate’sown.Forup-to-dateadviceonplagiarism,oranykindofcandidatemalpractice,seeSuspectedMalpracticeinExaminationsandAssessments:PoliciesandProceduresontheJointCouncilforQualificationswebsiteatwww.jcq.org.uk


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6.7 Internal standardisation Centreswithmorethanoneteachinggroupmustcarryoutinternalstandardisationofcontrolledassessmenttasksbeforesubmittingtheirmarkstous.Thisistoensure,asfaraspossible,thateachteacherhasappliedtheassessmentcriteriaconsistentlywhenmarkingassessments.Centresmayneedtoadjustanindividualteacher’smarking:

• tobringassessmentsintolinewiththoseofotherteachersinthecentre;and• tomatchthestandardsestablishedattheagreementtrial.Ifmarksdochange,centresmustamendthetotal/finalmarkontheirCandidateRecordSheet.6.8 Moderation CentresmustsubmittheirmarksandsamplestousbyMayorJanuaryinanyyear.Wemayadjustcentres’markingtobringtheassessmentofthecandidates’workintolinewithouragreedstandards.Weissuefullinstructionseachyearon:

• ourmoderationprocedures;• whichsampleswerequire;and• thedeadlinesforsubmittingmarksandsamplestous.Teachersandcentrestaffmaycontactusatanystageiftheyrequireadvice,assistanceorsupportrelatingtoanyaspectofcontrolledassessment.SeeAppendix1foraglossaryofcontrolledassessmentterms.Formoredetails,seetheJointCouncilforQualificationsdocumentInstructionsforConductingControlledAssessments,availableatwww.jcq.org.uk


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7 Curriculum Objectives ThisspecificationbuildsonthelearningexperiencesfromKeyStage3asrequiredforthestatutoryNorthernIrelandCurriculum.ItalsooffersopportunitiesforstudentstocontributetotheaimandobjectivesoftheCurriculumatKeyStage4,andtocontinuetodeveloptheCross-CurricularSkillsandtheThinkingSkillsandPersonalCapabilities.Theextentofthedevelopmentoftheseskillsandcapabilitieswillbedependentontheteachingandlearningmethodologyused. 7.1 Cross-Curricular Skills at Key Stage 4

Communication


• communicatemeaning,feelingsandviewpointsinalogicalandcoherentmanner,forexampleinTheStudyofWrittenLanguage;

• makeoralandwrittensummaries,reportsandpresentations,takingaccountofaudienceandpurpose,forexampleinSpeakingandListeningandTheStudyofSpokenLanguage;

• participateindiscussions,debatesandinterviews,forexampleinSpeakingandListening;

• interpret,analyseandpresentinformationinoral,writtenandICTformats,forexampleanalysingamediatext;and

• exploreandrespond,bothimaginativelyandcritically,toavarietyoftexts,forexampleinthecriticalstudyofmediatextsandthestudyofliterarytexts.

UsingICT

Studentsshouldbeabletomakeeffectiveuseofinformationandcommunicationstechnologyinawiderangeofcontextstoaccess,manage,selectandpresentinformation,includingmathematicalinformation,forexamplecarryingoutsecondaryresearchonlineandcollatingandpresentingdata.


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7.2 Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities at Key Stage 4

Self-Management


• planwork,forexamplepreparingextendedpiecesofwriting;• setpersonallearninggoalsandtargetstomeetdeadlines,forexamplecompletingpersonalresearchbeforecontrolledassessmentdeadlines;

• monitor,reviewandevaluatetheirprogressandimprovetheirlearning,forexamplediscussingteacherfeedbackfromanalysisofatext;and

• effectivelymanagetheirtime,forexamplecompletingtheexaminationtasksinUnits1and4.

WorkingwithOthers

Studentsshouldbeableto:• learnwithandfromothersthroughco-operation,forexampleparticipatinginclassroomdiscussion;

• participateineffectiveteamsandacceptresponsibilityforachievingcollectivegoals,forexampleproblem-solvingscenariosinSpeakingandListening;and

• listenactivelytoothersandinfluencegroupthinkinganddecision-making,takingaccountofothers’opinions,forexampleparticipatingingrouppresentationsandfeedbacksessions.

ProblemSolving

Studentsshouldbeableto:• identifyandanalyserelationshipsandpatterns,forexampleanalysingtheuseofparticularlanguagechoicesinspokenlanguageandtheuseofrhythminpoetry;

• proposejustifiedexplanations,forexampleconsideringtheactionsofcharacterswhenstudyingwrittenlanguage;

• reason,formopinionsandjustifytheirviews,forexamplepresentingandexplainingthepersonalviewsofacharacterwhenstudyingwrittenlanguage;

• analysecriticallyandassessevidencetounderstandhowinformationorevidencecanbeusedtoservedifferentpurposesoragendas,forexampleassessingtheuseoflanguageinmediatexts;

• analyseandevaluatemultipleperspectives,forexampleparticipatingindebatesinSpeakingandListening;

• exploreunfamiliarviewswithoutprejudice,forexampleanempatheticresponsetoacharacterinTheStudyofWrittenLanguage;

• weighupoptionsandjustifydecisions,forexamplereachingacollectivedecisioninSpeakingandListening;and

• applyandevaluatearangeofapproachestosolveproblemsinfamiliarandnovelcontexts,forexamplecomingtoaconclusioninadiscussion.

AlthoughnotreferredtoseparatelyasastatutoryrequirementatKeyStage4intheNorthernIrelandCurriculum,ManagingInformationandBeingCreativemayalsoremainrelevanttolearning.


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8 Links and Support 8.1 Support Thefollowingresourcesareavailabletosupportthisspecification:

• ourEnglishLanguagemicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukand• specimenassessmentmaterials.Wealsointendtoprovide:

• pastpapers;• markschemes;• ChiefExaminer’sreports;• PrincipalModerator’sreports;• planningframeworks;• centresupportvisits;• supportdaysforteachers;• agreementtrials;• controlledassessmentguidanceforteachers;• controlledassessmentguidanceforcandidates;• aresourcelist;and• exemplificationofexaminationperformance.

8.2 Examination entries EntrycodesforthissubjectanddetailsonhowtomakeentriesareavailableonourQualificationsAdministrationHandbookmicrosite,whichyoucanaccessatwww.ccea.org.ukAlternatively,youcantelephoneourExaminationEntries,ResultsandCertificationteamusingthecontactdetailsprovided.8.3 Equality and inclusion Wehaveconsideredtherequirementsofequalitylegislationindevelopingthisspecificationanddesignedittobeasfreeaspossiblefromethnic,gender,religious,politicalandotherformsofbias.GCSEqualificationsoftenrequiretheassessmentofabroadrangeofcompetences.Thisisbecausetheyaregeneralqualificationsthatpreparestudentsforawiderangeofoccupationsandhigherlevelcourses.Duringthedevelopmentprocess,anexternalequalitypanelreviewedthespecificationtoidentifyanypotentialbarrierstoequalityandinclusion.Whereappropriate,wehaveconsideredmeasurestosupportaccessandmitigatebarriers.Wecanmakereasonableadjustmentsforstudentswithdisabilitiestoreducebarrierstoaccessingassessments.Forthisreason,veryfewstudentswillhaveacompletebarriertoanypartoftheassessment.


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Potentialbarriersforsomestudentsinclude:

• Speaking,forsomestudentswithaspeechimpairment;and• Listening,forsomestudentswithahearingimpairment.ThesecompetenciesareincludedbecausetheGCSEisaholisticqualificationwhichmustcontinuetoassessallskillstomeetallitsAssessmentObjectives.Modifiedvisualandhearingpapersareavailableonrequest.Itisimportanttonotethatwhereaccessarrangementsarepermitted,theymustnotbeusedinanywaythatunderminestheintegrityoftheassessment.YoucanfindinformationonreasonableadjustmentsintheJointCouncilforQualificationsdocumentAccessArrangementsandReasonableAdjustments,availableatwww.jcq.org.uk8.4 Contact details Ifyouhaveanyqueriesaboutthisspecification,pleasecontacttherelevantCCEAstaffmemberordepartment:

• SpecificationSupportOfficer:JoanJennings(telephone:(028)90261200,extension2552,email:[email protected])

• SubjectOfficer:OliviaMcNeill(telephone:(028)90261200,extension2963,email:[email protected])

• ExaminationEntries,ResultsandCertification(telephone:(028)90261262,email:[email protected])

• ExaminerRecruitment(telephone:(028)90261243,email:[email protected])

• Distribution(telephone:(028)90261242,email:[email protected])

• SupportEventsAdministration(telephone:(028)90261401,email:[email protected])

• Moderation(telephone:(028)90261200,extension2236,email:[email protected])

• BusinessAssurance(ComplaintsandAppeals)(telephone:(028)90261244,email:[email protected]@ccea.org.uk).


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Appendix 1 Glossary of Terms for Controlled Assessment Regulations

Term Definition

Component

Adiscrete,assessableelementwithinacontrolledassessment/qualificationthatisnotitselfformallyreportedandforwhichtheawardingorganisationrecordsthemarksMaycontainoneormoretasks

Controlledassessment

Aformofinternalassessmentwherethecontrollevelsaresetforeachstageoftheassessmentprocess:tasksetting,tasktaking,andtaskmarking

Externalassessment

Aformofindependentassessmentinwhichquestionpapers,assignmentsandtasksaresetbytheawardingorganisation,takenunderspecifiedconditions(includingdetailedsupervisionandduration)andmarkedbytheawardingorganisation

Formalsupervision(Highlevelofcontrol)

Thecandidatemustbeindirectsightofthesupervisoratalltimes.Useofresourcesandinteractionwithothercandidatesistightlyprescribed.

Informalsupervision(Mediumlevelofcontrol)

Questions/Tasksareoutlined,theuseofresourcesisnottightlyprescribedandassessableoutcomesmaybeinformedbygroupwork.Supervisionisconfinedto:

• ensuringthatthecontributionsofindividualcandidatesarerecordedaccurately;and

• ensuringthatplagiarismdoesnottakeplace.Thesupervisormayprovidelimitedguidancetocandidates.

Limitedsupervision(Limitedlevelofcontrol)

Requirementsareclearlyspecified,butsomeworkmaybecompletedwithoutdirectsupervisionandwillnotcontributedirectlytoassessableoutcomes.


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Term Definition

Markscheme

Aschemedetailinghowcreditistobeawardedinrelationtoaparticularunit,componentortaskNormallycharacterisesacceptableanswersorlevelsofresponsetoquestions/tasksorpartsofquestions/tasksandidentifiestheamountofcrediteachattractsMayalsoincludeinformationaboutunacceptableanswers

Task

Adiscreteelementofexternalorcontrolledassessmentthatmayincludeexaminations,assignments,practicalactivitiesandprojects

Taskmarking

Specifiesthewayinwhichcreditisawardedforcandidates’outcomesInvolvestheuseofmarkschemesand/ormarkingcriteriaproducedbytheawardingorganisation

Tasksetting

ThespecificationoftheassessmentrequirementsTasksmaybesetbyawardingorganisationsand/orteachers,asdefinedbysubject-specificregulations.Teacher-settasksmustbedevelopedinlinewithawardingorganisationspecifiedrequirements.

Tasktaking

Theconditionsforcandidatesupportandsupervision,andtheauthenticationofcandidates’workTasktakingmayinvolvedifferentparametersfromthoseusedintraditionalwrittenexaminations.Forexample,candidatesmaybeallowedsupervisedaccesstosourcessuchastheinternet.

Unit

ThesmallestpartofaqualificationthatisformallyreportedMaycompriseseparatelyassessedcomponents


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Appendix 2 Controlled Assessment Tasks for Unit 2: Speaking and Listening

SpeakingandListening(20%)

Candidatesareassessedinanindividualpresentationandinteraction,adiscussionandaroleplay.Sampletasksaresuggestedbelow.Thetotalmarkforthisunitis60.Eachtaskismarkedoutof20.IndividualpresentationandinteractionDeliverapresentationonatopicthatinterestsyou,followedbyaquestionandanswersession.DiscussionInagroupoftwoormore,discussthedifficultiesfacinghomelesspeople.RoleplayExample1:Individualroleplay–Youareayouthworker.Atthemonthlylocalcouncilmeeting,presentyourargumentrequestingfundingforyouryouthclub.Example2:Grouproleplay–Youaremembersofthelocalcouncil.Takingindividualrolesascouncillors,discusswhetheryoushouldprovidefundingforalocalyouthclub.


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Appendix 3 Controlled Assessment Tasks for Unit 3: Studying Spoken and Written Language WereplacethetasksforUnit3eachyear.ModerationcanbeinMayorJanuary.Forthemesforthecurrentyearofteachingandmoderation,pleaseseetheTaskListpublishedintheControlledAssessmentsectionofthesubjectmicrositeatwww.ccea.org.ukEachtaskismarkedoutof30.Thetotalmarkfortheunitis60.

Task1–TheStudyofSpokenLanguage(10%)

Listentotwotalks,oneformalandoneinformal.Considerthevariationsoflanguageuseandexplainwhylanguagechangesindifferentcontexts.Centrescanadaptthistaskbychoosingtalksthatmeettheneedsoftheircandidates,forexample:

• Compareandcontrasthowthesetwospeakerscommunicatetheirmessages:- ‘Women’srightsarehumanrights’speechbyHillaryClinton;and- ‘Howbaddoyouwantit?(Success)’speechbyEricThomas.

Task2–TheStudyofWrittenLanguage(10%)

Createataskbasedonthefollowingtheme:

• Loveand/orhateinaliterarytextyouhavestudied.Forexample:

• AnalysethepresentationofGeorgeandLennie’srelationshipinChapters1and2ofOfMiceandMen.

(Fortasksbasedonanthologiesoranumberofshortertextsofvaryinggenres,candidatesmay,ifrequiredbythetask,makecomparisons.However,thisisnotaformalrequirement.)


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Appendix 4 Assessment Criteria for Unit 2: Speaking and Listening ThisassessmentcriteriashouldbeusedforeachtaskinUnit2.

Levelandmarks

Communicatingandadaptinglanguage

Interactingandresponding

Creatingandsustainingroles

0 Awardzeroforworknotworthyofcredit.

1

1–4marks

Candidatesbrieflyexpresspointsofview,ideasandfeelings.Theysometimesdevelopdetailtoaddinteresttoaccounts,narrativesandinformation,supportedbyappropriatenon-verbalfeatures.Theyusestraightforwardvocabularyandgrammar,showingawarenessofsomemainfeaturesofstandardEnglish.

Candidatesrespondtowhattheyhear,showingsomeinterest,includingnon-verbalreactions.Theymakebrief,occasionalcontributionsandgeneralstatementsindiscussion.Theyfollowcentralideasandpossibilitiesinwhattheyhearandraisestraightforwardquestions.

Candidatesdrawonobviousandsometimesstereotypicalideastocreatesimplecharacters.Theyreacttosituationsinpredictablebutappropriateways,demonstratingsomeunderstandingofrelationshipsandfamiliarideas.

2

5–8marks

Candidatesconveystraightforwardinformationandideas,coherentaccountsandnarrativesinextendedturns.Theybegintoadapttalkandnon-verbalfeaturestomeettheneedsofdifferentaudiences.Theyuseavarietyofvocabularyandstructuresfordifferentpurposes,includingappropriatefeaturesofstandardEnglishwithreasonableaccuracy.

Candidatesrespondpositivelytowhattheyhear,includinghelpfulrequestsforexplanationandfurtherdetail.Theymakespecific,relevantcontributionstodiscussion.Theyallowotherstoexpressideasorpointsofviewthatmaydifferfromtheirownandrespondappropriately.

Candidatesshowunderstandingofcharactersbycreatingstraightforwardrolesusingspeech,gestureandmovement.Theyengagewithsituationsandideas,showingunderstandingofissuesandrelationships.


32

Levelandmarks




3

9–12marks

Candidateseffectivelycommunicateinformation,ideasandfeelings,andpromoteissuesandpointsofview.Theyadapttalktoavarietyofsituationsandaudiences,usingnon-verbalfeaturestoaddtoimpact.Theyusearangeofwell-judgedvocabularyandsentencestructurestoachievedifferentpurposes,includingcompetentandappropriateuseofstandardEnglish.

Candidateslistencloselyandattentively,engagingwithwhatisheardthroughperceptiveresponses.Theymakesignificantcontributionsthatmovediscussionsforward.Theyengagewithothers’ideasandfeelings,recognisingobviousbiasorprejudiceandreferringtoprecisedetail.

Candidatesdevelopandsustainrolesandcharactersthroughappropriatelanguageandeffectivegestureandmovement.Theymakecontributionstothedevelopmentofsituationsandideas,showingunderstandingandinsightintorelationshipsandsignificantissues.

4

13–16marks

Candidatesconfidentlyconveyandinterpretinformation,ideasandfeelings,emphasisingsignificantpointsandissues.Theyadaptandshapetalkandnon-verbalfeaturestomeetthedemandsofdifferentsituations,contextsandpurposes.Theymakeappropriate,controlled,effectiveuseofstandardEnglishvocabularyandgrammar.

Candidateschallenge,developandrespondtowhattheyhearinthoughtfulandconsiderateways,seekingclarificationthroughaptquestions.Theyanalyseandreflectonothers’ideastoclarifyissuesandassumptionsanddevelopthediscussion.Theyidentifyusefuloutcomesandhelpstructurediscussionthroughpurposefulcontributions.

Candidatescreateconvincingcharactersandrolesusingarangeofcarefullyselectedverbalandnon-verbaltechniques.Theyrespondskilfullyandsensitivelyindifferentsituationsandscenarios,toexploreideas,issuesandrelationships.


33

Levelandmarks




5

17–20marks

Candidateshighlightprioritiesandessentialdetailwhencommunicatingcomplexanddemandingsubjectmatter.Theyuseasophisticatedrangeofstrategiestomeetthedemandsofchallengingcontextsandpurposes.TheyshowanassuredchoiceandflexibleuseofstandardEnglishvocabularyandgrammarinappropriatesituations.

Candidatessustainconcentratedlistening,showingunderstandingofcomplexideasthroughinterrogatingwhatissaid.Theyshapedirectionandcontentoftalk,respondingwithflexibilitytodevelopideasandchallengeassumptions.Theyinitiate,developandsustaindiscussionthroughencouragingparticipationandinteraction,resolvingdifferencesandachievingpositiveoutcomes.

Candidatescreatecomplexcharactersandfulfilthedemandsofchallengingrolesthroughinsightfulchoiceofdramaticapproaches.Theyexploreandrespondtocomplexideas,issuesandrelationshipsinvariedformalandinformalscenarios.


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Appendix 5 Assessment Criteria for Unit 3: Studying Spoken and Written Language

Task 1 – The Study of Spoken Language ThiscontrolledassessmenttaskteststheassessmentobjectivesforSpokenLanguage.AssessmentobjectivesforStudyofSpokenLanguageCandidatesmust:

i. understandvariationsinspokenlanguage,explainingwhylanguagechangesinrelationtocontexts;and

ii. evaluatetheimpactofspokenlanguagechoices.

HowthetaskmeetsspecificelementsoftheassessmentobjectivesCandidatespresentaconsiderationofthepurpose,audienceandspecificcontextofeachofthetwospokentexts.Theyengagewith:

• thekeywordsandphrasesthateachspeakerhasdeliberatelychosentocreateandelicitthedesiredeffect;

• thelanguageandlinguistictechniquesandrhetoricaldevicesthateachspeakercallsontomakethebestpossibleimpactontheaudience;and

• thedeliverytechniquesusedbyeachspeaker,forexampletone,pace,pause,pitchandvolume.

MethodandstyleofmarkingTheteachershouldreadandannotatetheresponseasbelow.

• Useunderliningtohighlightpositiveelementsinthecandidate’sresponse,suchascreditworthy,relevantexplanationorpurposefulinterpretation.

• Ticktoacknowledgetheuseofrelevantexamplesorsupportingevidence.• Inthemargin,write‘C’tohighlightwhereappropriatecomparisonsandcross-referencesareused.

• Ignoreallerrorsinpunctuation,syntaxandspellingastheyarenotbeingassessed.

• Marginalorsummativecommentsarenotrequired.


35

332/16

TheprocessofassessmentAttheendoftheresponse,theteacherwillassesspositivelytheresponse’sfeaturesinrelationtoeachofthefiveCompetenceLevelStrandsforTheStudyofSpokenLanguage.Belowisanexampleofhowthisassessmentworksinpractice.ThisshouldbereadwiththeCompetenceLevelStrandsandtheMarkGridthatfollow.

Forthepurposeofthisexplanation/example,theresponsehasbeenread,annotatedandthenassessedpositivelyagainsteachofthefiveCompetenceLevelStrandsforTheStudyofSpokenLanguage.Theresponsehasbeensummarisedbythefollowingdescriptors:

• ‘Competentselectionoflanguagechoicesandexplanationoftheirintendedeffects’(LanguagechoiceandeffectCL3)

• ‘Somestraightforwardexplanationoftheuseofsomelinguistictechniques’(Linguistictechniquesanddevices/theireffectsCL2)

• ‘Competentunderstandingand/orcross-referencing…influenceofthecontexts’(Deliverytechniques/theirpurpose/contextCL3)

OnlytheseindividualCompetenceLevelsneedtobenotedattheendoftheresponse.TheorderinwhichtheCompetenceLevel‘strandscores’areaccruedhasnosignificancewhenreadingtheMarkGrid.Regardlessoftheorderinwhichtheyhavebeenachieved,233,323and332allattractthesamescore(15or16marks).Theteacherthenusestheirprofessionaljudgementtodecideonthemarkof15or16.Notethisscorebesidethe‘strandscores’asbelow:Inexceptionalcircumstances,thestandardofacandidate’sworkmightrangeacrossmorethantwostrandlevels.Wherethishappens,theteachershoulddecidethemarktobeawardedona‘bestfit’basis.


36

Competence Level Strands for The Study of Spoken Language Theseoutlinethedifferentstandardsofperformancethatcandidatesachieve.

Level Languagechoiceandeffect

Linguistictechniquesanddevices/theireffects

Deliverytechniques/theirpurpose/context

Level

0 Awardzeroforworknotworthyofcredit. 0

CL1

Somelanguagechoicesreported/paraphrasedfromoneorbothsourceswithsomeattemptatbasiccross-referencing.

Basicdescription/identificationofsomelinguistictechniques/keywordsfromoneorbothsources.

Basicunderstandingofsomedeliverytechniques.Theremaybesomebasiccommentonpurposeand/orcontext.

CL1

CL2

Straightforwardselectionandcross-referencingofthemaininfluencesonthespeakers’choicesandintendedeffects.

Somestraightforwardexplanationoftheuseofsomelinguistictechniques.

Straightforwardunderstandingand/orcross-referencingofsomedeliverytechniquesandtheirpurpose.Generallysuitablecommentsontheinfluenceofthecontexts.

CL2

CL3

Competentselectionoflanguagechoicesandexplanationoftheirintendedeffects.Appropriatecross-referencingisusedtosupporttheresponse.

Appropriateexplanations,occasionallyinsightful,oflinguistictechniquesandtheirpotentialeffects.

Competentunderstandingand/orcross-referencingoftheuseofdeliverytechniquesandtheirpurpose.Appropriatecomments,occasionallyinsightful,ontheinfluenceofthecontexts.

CL3

CL4

Goodselectionoflanguagechoicesandsomeanalysisoftheirintendedeffects.Wellselectedexamplesfrombothsourcesarepurposefullycross-referenced.

Purposefulanalysisoflinguistictechniquesandtheirintendedeffects.

Analysisand/orcross-referencingofdeliverytechniquesandtheirpurpose.Meaningfulcommentsontheinfluenceofthecontexts.

CL4

CL5

Excellentselectionoflanguagechoiceswithconfidentanalysisoftheirintendedeffects.Confidentcross-referencingthatdemonstratesanappreciationofthenuancesofthetexts.

Clearlyfocusedevaluationoflinguistictechniquesandtheirintendedeffects.

Confidentevaluationand/orcross-referencingofdeliverytechniquesandtheirpurpose.Excellentcommentsontheinfluenceofthecontexts.

CL5


37

Mark Grid for The Study of Spoken Language

StrandsAttained MarkAwarded

000 0

100 1/2

110 3/4

111 5/6

112 7/8

221 9/10

222 11/12

223 13/14

332 15/16

333 17/18

334 19/20

443 21/22

444 23/24

445 25/26

554 27/28

555 29/30


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Task 2 – The Study of Written Language AssessmentobjectivesforStudyingWrittenLanguageCandidatesmust:

i. readandunderstandtexts,selectingmaterialappropriatetopurpose,collatingfromdifferentsourcesandmakingcomparisonsandcross-referencesasappropriate;

ii. developandsustaininterpretationsofwriters’ideasandperspectives;andiii. explainandevaluatehowwritersuselinguistic,structuralandpresentational

featurestoachieveeffectsandengageandinfluencethereader.HowthetaskmeetsspecificelementsoftheassessmentobjectivesCandidatesareexpectedto:

• readandunderstandtexts;• understandhowmeaningisconstructed;• selectmaterialappropriatetopurpose;• recognisetheeffectoflanguagechoicesandpatterns;• explainhowwritersuselinguisticandpresentationalfeaturestosustainthereader’sinterest;and

• evaluatehowtextsmaybeinterpreteddifferentlydependingonthereader’sperspective.

MethodandstyleofmarkingTheteachershouldreadandannotatetheresponseasbelow.

• Useunderliningtohighlightpositiveelementsinthecandidate’sresponse,suchascreditworthy,relevantexplanationorpurposefulinterpretation.

• Ticktoacknowledgetheuseofrelevantexamplesorsupportingevidence.• Ifappropriate,inthemarginwrite‘C’tohighlightwherecomparisonsandcross-referenceshavebeenused(forexample,comparingand/or

cross-referencingwithinatextorifthecandidateisstudyinganumberofpoemsorshortstories).

• Ignoreallerrorsinpunctuation,syntaxandspellingastheyarenotbeingassessed.

• Marginalorsummativecommentsarenotrequired.


39

TheprocessofassessmentAttheendoftheresponse,theteacherwillassesspositivelytheresponse’sfeaturesinrelationtoeachofthefiveCompetenceLevelStrandsforTheStudyofWrittenLanguage.Hereisanexampleofhowthisassessmentworksinpractice.ThisshouldbereadwiththeCompetenceLevelStrandsandtheMarkGridthatfollow.Forthepurposeofthisexplanation/example,theresponsehasbeenread,annotatedandthenassessedpositivelyagainsteachofthefiveCompetenceLevelStrandsforTheStudyofWrittenLanguage.Theresponsehasbeensummarisedbythefollowingdescriptors:

• ‘Anappropriateresponse...competentunderstandingofthetext(s)’(Reading,understandingandevaluatingtextsCL3)

• ‘Straightforwardcomments...onsomeofthewaysmeaninghasbeencommunicated’(Interpretationandevaluationofwriter’s/writers’techniquesandtheireffectsCL2)

• ‘Relevantsupportingexamples...presentedtoappropriatelysupporttheresponse’(SelectingmaterialappropriatetopurposeCL3)

OnlytheseindividualCompetenceLevelsneedtobenotedattheendoftheresponse. TheorderinwhichtheCompetenceLevel‘strandscores’areaccruedhasnosignificancewhenreadingtheMarkGrid.Regardlessoftheorderinwhichtheyhavebeenachieved,233,323and332allattractthesamescore(15or16marks).Theteacherthenusestheirprofessionaljudgementtodecideonthemarkof15or16.Notethisscorebesidethe‘strandscores’asbelow:

Inexceptionalcircumstances,thestandardofacandidate’sworkmightrangeacrossmorethantwostrandlevels.Wherethishappens,theteachershoulddecidethemarktobeawardedona‘bestfit’basis.

323/16


40

Competence Level Strands for The Study of Written Language Theseoutlinethedifferentstandardsofperformancethatcandidatesachieve.

Level Reading,understandingandevaluatingtexts

Interpretationandevaluationofwriter’s/writers’techniquesandtheireffects

Selectingmaterialappropriatetopurpose(collationandcross-referencing,ifrelevant)

Level

0 Awardzeroforworknotworthyofcredit. 0

CL1

Abasicresponsetothetask,demonstratingalittleunderstandingofthetext(s).

Basiccommentsonsomeofthemainfeatures(plotorcharacter).

Somebasicreportingofexamplesorincidentslooselyrelatedtothetask. CL1

CL2

Astraightforwardresponsetothetask,demonstratinganemergingunderstandingofthetext(s).

Straightforwardcommentsarepresentedonsomeofthewaysmeaninghasbeencommunicated(language,themesandcharacters).

Somespecificexamplesfromthetext(s)ispresentedtosupportstraightforwardopinions. CL2

CL3

Anappropriateresponsetothetask,demonstratingacompetentunderstandingofthetext(s).

Competentcommentsarepresentedonfeaturessuchaslanguage,themesandcharacter,withsomeexplanationoftheirintendedeffects.

Relevantsupportingexamplesfromthetext(s)arepresentedtoappropriatelysupporttheresponse.

CL3

CL4

Aclearlyengaged,analyticalresponsetothetask,demonstratingagoodunderstandingofthetext(s).

Asustainedinterpretationofthemainfeaturesofwriter’scraft(languagechoicesanddevices,themesandcharacterisation)arepresentedwithpurposefulanalysisoftheirintendedeffects.

Purposefullyselectedmaterialfromwithinand/oracrossthetext(s)ispresentedtodevelopacogentresponse. CL4

CL5

Aconfident,evaluativeresponsetothetask,demonstratinganexcellentunderstandingofthetext(s).

Confidentandperceptiveinterpretationofhowkeyfeatures(languagechoicesanddevices,themes,characterisationandstructure)arepresentedwithassuredevaluationoftheirintendedeffects.

Apreciselyfocusedselectionofillustrativematerialfromwithinand/oracrossthetext(s)ispresentedtounderpinaconfident,analyticalresponse.

CL5


41

Mark Grid for The Study of Written Language

StrandsAttained MarkAwarded

000 0

100 1/2

110 3/4

111 5/6

112 7/8

221 9/10

222 11/12

223 13/14

332 15/16

333 17/18

334 19/20

443 21/22

444 23/24

445 25/26

554 27/28

555 29/30

ccea gcse specification in english language...3 subject content 7 3.1 unit 1: writing for purpose...

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