delta module one - delta-space -...

Delta Module One

Understanding language, methodology and resources for teaching

Examination Report

June 2013

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Contents 1 Comments on Overall Performance ..................................................................................................... 4

2 Delta Module One Markscheme ........................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Distribution of marks ..................................................................................................................... 6

2.2 Markscheme for each task ............................................................................................................ 6

2.3 Grading ......................................................................................................................................... 7

3 Paper 1 Task 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 9

4 Paper 1 Task 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 9

5 Paper 1 Task 3 ................................................................................................................................... 10

5.1 Guideline Answer ........................................................................................................................ 10

5.2 Candidate performance .............................................................................................................. 10

5.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 11

6 Paper 1 Task 4 ................................................................................................................................... 14



6.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 19

7 Paper 1 Task 5 ................................................................................................................................... 27



7.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 30

8 Paper 2 Task 1 ................................................................................................................................... 34



8.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 36

9 Paper 2 Task 2 ................................................................................................................................... 40



9.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 44

10 Paper 2 Task 3 ............................................................................................................................... 50


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10.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 51

11 Paper 2 Task 4 ............................................................................................................................... 54



11.3 Sample Answers ......................................................................................................................... 57

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1 Comments on Overall Performance

The Delta Module One examination was taken by over 570 candidates from 69 centres in a wide range of countries. As in previous sessions, mean scores were above half the marks available for the exam for the candidature as a whole.

Percentages of candidates achieving both Merit and Distinction grades continued to rise and more than 70% of candidates achieved a Pass. Key reasons why candidates may not achieve pass standard are as follows:

• The most common reason is that they do not possess sufficient knowledge and experience to be able to address the different tasks and are therefore unable to perform at Delta standard.

• A large majority of candidates have a very poor knowledge of language systems, particularly describing grammatical and lexical form/use and phonology which can result in a significant loss of marks in Paper One, Tasks 4 and 5. Candidates and centres alike need to increase / improve their level of language input.

• Some candidates who enter the examination without having taken a preparation course may have insufficient awareness of task requirements. Candidates should refer to the previous Module One Examination reports. These give clear guidance as to what candidates have to do in order to increase their chances of success in the examination.

• Some candidates who follow a preparation course may have received inadequate or inaccurate centre guidance. From Examiner comments this year, this seems to have been less of a problem than in previous sessions although some lack of accurate guidance is still evident.

• Some candidates do not manage their time effectively. As stated in the June 2012 exam report, Task 4 in both Papers One and Two and Task 5 in Paper One carry a large number of marks and candidates are strongly advised to allow adequate time for these tasks. Candidates are free to attempt the tasks in the order of their choosing and those candidates who attempted the high scoring tasks first were therefore able to complete them fully and maximise the number of marks that they could gain for them. The majority of candidates attempted all the tasks but tended to omit sections in Paper One, Task 4 although it is not clear whether this was because of lack of time or lack of knowledge.

The mean scores for both papers were around 55%, with the overall mean score being entirely in line with previous sessions. In Paper One, Task 1 candidate performance was reasonable, with the average number of marks achieved being 4 (see page 6 below for marks allocation by task). Candidates performed less well in Task Two than in previous sessions with the average number of marks achieved being 5. Task 3 performance was well in line with previous sessions with an average of 9 marks achieved. The mean score for Task 4 continued to show improvement with the mean score being 28. Candidates also performed well in Task 5 with an average score of 12 marks. Overall, candidates performed slightly less well on Paper One than in June 2012 but in line with June 2011.

In Paper Two, Task 1 continued to generate a high number of marks with more than half the candidates achieving at least 13 marks. The mean score for Task 2 continued to be 16, as it was in June 2012. However, candidates generally performed better on part (a) than on part (b) which may be a sign that candidates need more training in how to approach this part of the task and in identifying the kind of principles that can inform the design of teaching material. Candidate performance in Task 3 was in line with previous sessions with the average score being 5 marks. In contrast with June 2012, candidates performed well on Task 4 with the mean score being 21 marks. Examiners noted that the majority of candidates responded well to the focus on writing skills and were able to approach both parts of the task with confidence. Overall, Paper Two scores were in line with previous sessions and it was very positive that candidate performance was balanced over the two papers.

Please see each task for examiner comments on individual task performance.

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General advice

Candidates are strongly advised to do the following in order to maximise their performance in the examination:

• read the previous Examination Reports in detail to ensure that they understand how to approach each task and how the marks are allocated

• make use of the suggested times given on the question papers to complete each task - the times relate to the number of marks available for the questions. Candidates are not penalised if they outline more features than asked for in Paper One, Tasks 3 and 5, and in Paper Two, Tasks 1 and 2b, but they should note that this is a dangerous strategy as providing more features than asked for takes away time from other tasks. Adding one more feature in these tasks may be a useful safety net but doing more than this can jeopardise other tasks.

• read question rubrics very carefully, underlining or highlighting key points they contain. It is essential that candidates provide the information asked for and do not provide unrequested information. While no marks are deducted for wrong or irrelevant information, candidate time is wasted and no marks are gained by providing unrequested information.

• plan the order in which they are going to answer the tasks and complete at least two full mock examinations in timed conditions to get used to the exam format and time requirements

• do not waste time making rough notes – there is no time available for this. Instead candidates should do what is suggested in the above bullet point and do more tasks under timed conditions to get used to the requirements and formats of the different tasks.

• follow the layout as suggested in each task. Use bullet points to organise their answers and save time

• start each task on a new page and clearly label their answers, showing what task or part of a task they are answering

• lay their answers out with plenty of space – candidates might find it easier to write their answers on every other line in the answer booklet. Many answers were very cramped and written in the margins, making it very difficult for Examiners to mark the tasks. Candidates need to consider their audience and by leaving extra space, they can include more points later in the exam if they realise that they have something more to add.

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2 Delta Module One Markscheme

2.1 Distribution of marks

In Delta Module One, candidates accumulate marks across questions and it is the total number of marks obtained across the two papers that determine which grade a candidate is awarded. Candidates do not therefore gain a grade for each task.

Answers are marked against a detailed markscheme containing guideline answers, with candidates being awarded marks for each correct answer given. Relevant alternative wordings and examples are accepted. The number of marks available for each task is as follows:

Paper 1

Task 1 6

Task 2 12

Task 3 15

Task 4 40

Task 5 27

Total 100

Paper 2

Task 1 20

Task 2 30

Task 3 10

Task 4 40

Total 100

Grand Total 200

Points made twice within an answer are not credited twice and no marks are deducted for wrong answers.

2.2 Markscheme for each task

Paper 1 Task 1 One mark is awarded for each correct answer.

Paper 1 Task 2 A total of three marks are available per answer: � one mark for the basic definition � one mark for a further point made � one mark for a correct example Note: The further point is only awarded if the basic definition is correct; only one further point is allowed per question; the example can be awarded a point, even if the definition is not correct.

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Paper 1 Task 3 � One mark is awarded for each language feature correctly identified. � A further two marks are awarded for each correct example / illustration. An example cannot be

awarded marks if the feature is not identified.

Paper 1 Task 4 One mark is awarded for each point correctly made up to a maximum of 40. Note: in a, there is a maximum of five marks available and a mark is only awarded if a correct example is given.

Paper 1 Task 5 a � One mark is awarded for each strength correctly identified up to a maximum of three

marks. � One mark is awarded for each example from the text illustrating the strength identified, up to a

maximum of three marks. Note: no mark can be given for an example if its accompanying strength has not been correctly identified.

� One mark is awarded for each weakness correctly identified up to a maximum of three marks. � One mark is awarded for each example from the text illustrating the weakness identified, up to

a maximum of three marks. Note: no mark can be given for an example if its accompanying weakness has not been correctly identified.

Additional marks may be awarded for knowledge and insight into why and how the strengths and weaknesses aid or negate the effectiveness of the text.

b � One mark is awarded for each justification given for the weakness prioritised, up to three marks.

One additional mark is awarded for each justification that is fully developed.

Paper 2 Task 1 � One mark is awarded for each positive / negative feature identified. An additional mark is awarded

for each positive / negative feature identified if its application to the learner is also identified. � Up to two additional marks are awarded for accurate use of four testing terms throughout the

answer. However these additional marks cannot be awarded if more than two terms are used inaccurately and the use of the terms must occur in valid points.

Paper 2 Task 2 � Two marks are awarded for each purpose correctly identified. � One mark is awarded for each assumption listed. � Two additional marks are awarded for two reasons given for an assumption.

Paper 2 Task 3 � One mark is awarded for each correct point made, up to a maximum of 10.

Paper 2 Task 4 � Two marks are awarded for each correct point made, up to a maximum of 40.

2.3 Grading

Results are recorded as three passing grades (Pass with Distinction, Pass with Merit, Pass) and one failing grade (Fail).

At the end of the marking process, there is a grading meeting to determine precisely how many marks are required to obtain each of the passing grades. The grade boundaries are set in a way that ensures that the level of knowledge required to obtain the three passing grades: � is consistent with the band descriptors on page 7 of the Delta Modules Handbook � is the same from one session to the next � does not vary as a result of slight variations in the difficulty of the papers.

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The following information is used in the grading process:

� statistics on the candidature � comparison with statistics from previous years’ examination performance and candidature � recommendations of examiners, based on the performance of candidates.

The marks required to obtain each grade are:

Pass approximately 50% Pass with Merit approximately 65% Pass with Distinction approximately 75%

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3 Paper 1 Task 1

For examples of Task 1 questions, detailed feedback on how to approach this task, and comments on sample answers, see previous Examination Reports on the Cambridge English Teaching Support website.

As in previous sessions, candidates are recommended to: � only write the required term, not giving an example or any extra information � not provide alternative answers � spell terms correctly; a very limited number of alternative spellings are accepted � provide an answer, even if they are not sure it is correct.

4 Paper 1 Task 2

For examples of Task 2 questions, detailed feedback on how to approach this task, and comments on sample answers, see previous Examination Reports on the Cambridge English Teaching Support website.

As in previous sessions, candidates are recommended to: � only write about four terms � give a basic definition, an example and one item of further information for each term � lay out their answers clearly using the sub-headings of Point, Further Point, Example.

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5 Paper 1 Task 3

The extract for this task is a speaking activity for pre-intermediate (CEFR A2/B1) level learners. Identify a total of five key language features learners at this level would need in order to complete the activity successfully. Provide an example specific to this activity to support each choice. Examples of lexis for possessions are provided in the task. Do not write about this lexis for possessions in your answer.

5.1 Guideline Answer

Offering things for sale / polite requests Example Would you like to buy my X? Would you like to look at it? Asking for / giving reasons for selling the object Example Why do you want to sell your jacket? It’s too small for me Interrupting / time creating devices / asking for clarification / hedging / back-channelling Example Can I just ask a question? What do you mean? I might want to see it, Let me think for a minute. Asking for / saying prices/currency/numbers Example How much is the pen? What do you want for the pen? It’s thirteen ninety nine. It’s only £2. Agreeing a sale / rejecting a deal / agreeing & disagreeing Example Done, it’s a deal, I’ll take it, No, I don’t want it Bargaining, negotiating, (use of will) to make offers, counter offering, 1st conditional Example It’s worth more than that… No I want £200, it’s a bargain, Will you take £5? If I pay in cash, I’ll give you £40 for it Vocabulary to express value / buying & selling / asking for a discount Example It’s expensive/cheap, it’s worth £10, will you give me a discount? Language of persuasion / (use of modals) for suggestions Example Go on, it’s really good quality, it’s just what you need, you should buy it Comparatives / superlatives Example Can I have it any cheaper? It’s too expensive Adjectives / adverbs to describe objects Example It’s very beautiful / useful

5.2 Candidate performance

This task discriminated well between candidates who could identify the different types of functional language which learners would need to complete the task successfully and those who had little experience of teaching functional language. The average number of marks gained for this task was 9 with most candidates being able to identify and give an appropriate example of 3 features.

The most common features identified were: • adjectives / adverbs to describe objects • ability to negotiate • asking for / saying prices/numbers/currency

The least common features identified were:

• asking for / giving reasons for selling the object • offering things for sale / polite requests

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The inaccurate/imprecise features listed below were frequently identified: • adjacency pairs (too vague with no reference to appropriate functions) • asking and answering questions / question forms (too vague with no reference to appropriate

functions) • opening/closing conversations (too general, applies to any conversation) • turn taking (too general, applies to any conversation) • present simple (too general and below the level of the learners) • discourse markers (too general, not specific to this genre) • modals for ability/possibility rather than for suggestions

Candidates are recommended to:

• read the rubric carefully • only discuss what the rubric requires • outline no more than six features (five as the task requires and a maximum of one extra one for

‘insurance’) • research features of spoken and written discourse in depth in terms of what different text types

require • make sure their answers cover a range of relevant subskills and discourse features • avoid relying on pre-learnt answers from previous Guideline Answers • make sure their answers, including examples, are specific to the activity described in the task • always give examples and avoid repeating any one example • provide one example for each feature • provide full language examples, not just sentence stems • remember the level of the learners (pre-intermediate in this case) and give examples which

learners at this level could realistically produce • avoid repeating any of the wording of the extract in their answers • avoid including any information on why the feature is included • list the points they wish to make, avoiding any introduction, summary or conclusion • use a bullet point or similar format when answering the task • lay their answer out using the headings of Feature and Example to ensure that they include both

requirements.

5.3 Sample Answers

5.3.1 The following sample answer gained almost full marks pre – int learners – 5 lang. features

• initiating a conversation e.g. Hello, I’ve got this lovely jacket for only 80 Euros.

• using positive adjectives for the given items to highlight their good quality e.g. This jacket is really fashionable.

• turn-taking subskill / interruption e.g. Sorry but I have to say it’s a bit shabby

• agreeing / disagreeing

e.g. Well, I don’t think this jacket is fashionable. [or I can’t agree with you about the quality of this pen.] e.g. This jacket is only 80 Euros. or I can’t give 80 Euros for that, I’ve got only 50 Euros for that jacket. or: I can pay 20 Euros less for that. e.g. Alright, you can have it for 50 Euros. Thank you. Have a nice day.

• back-chanelling to show your interest, surprise

e.g. How much did you say? It’s incredibly high! What? 80 Euros? Nooo!

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• use of CAN/CAN’T e.g. Can you give me 80 Euros for this jacket?

Sorry, I can’t. I don’t have that much.

• use of quantifiers such as much, too much, little etc. e.g. It’s too much!

I can’t give you that much for it.

I need a little discount.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer Out of the nine features that the candidate lists, four are accurate and are accompanied by an appropriate and full example: the use of adjectives to describe objects; language to interrupt a speaker/back-channel (stated twice); agreeing and disagreeing (stated twice); and saying numbers/prices. The features of initiating a conversation is not specific to this text type and the last point on the use of quantifiers is not clearly enough stated to be credited as vocabulary to express value. The reference to can/can’t could not be credited because the candidate did not state that the text required modals for suggestions or language for making polite requests. The examiners noted that whilst it was positive that the candidate identified four features, she wasted time by outlining another five and also by producing more than one example for each feature. 5.3.2 The following sample answer gained just under half the marks available for this task

1. Learners would need to be able to use cardinal and ordinal numbers.

For instance: ‘the first item I would like to sell is my book’. ‘You can buy my jacket for just €80’

2. Learners would need to activate conversational strategies such as turn taking, conversation repair, opening and closing language and back channeling

E.g. A: I would like to start by selling my book. B: Your notebook? A: No, my coursebook. B: OK, I see.

3. Learners would need to use interrogative structures including question forms using ‘wh’ questions at A2/B1 level.

For example: ‘How much is the pencil?’

‘What discount will you give?’

‘Which of my 3 items would you like to buy?’

4. The learners would need to use negotiating language in order to get a discount on what their partner is selling.

For example: A: ‘Would you be able to reduce that slightly?’

B: ‘Well, I can give you perhaps ten percent off.’

5. The learners would need to use adjectives in order to describe what they were selling. For example: ‘My brown, leather jacket’, ‘a black and gold ink pen’, ‘a small, red notebook’. They would also have to sequence adjectives in appropriate order at pre-intermediate level.

6. Learners would have to summarising and concluding language at the end of the task and perhaps at each stage when items are sold.

For example ‘So, finally you agree to buy the pen for £2’, ‘We are all done with today’s sale’.

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Examiner’s comments on sample answer

This answer contains six features but only three of them could be credited: the use of back channelling/conversational repair; negotiating language; and the use of adjectives to describe objects. Of these three features, the second one did not gain any marks for the examples because they were too linguistically complex for a pre-intermediate learner to produce. The example for conversational repair was clearly stated and appropriate to the level but as with the first sample, there were too many examples for the feature of positive adjectives. The remaining three features could not be credited because there were either imprecise or too general/specific for the genre. The candidate needed to write numbers to say prices for the first point to be credited; and the use of interrogative structures and summarising/concluding language could apply to most spoken situations. A positive feature of this answer is the layout which is neat with the examples clearly highlighted.

5.3.3 The following sample answer obtained just under half the marks available

• Functional language of negotiation e.g. I can’t take €50, can you offer €70?

• Ability to use modals correctly e.g. “I will accept €30 but sdf I can’t accept €20”

• Lexis of numbers and money e.g. “Will you accept thirty five, fifty?’ or

• Rejecting a proposal in polite fashion. e.g.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer This answer gained the same number of marks as the previous sample but is much shorter, and therefore more efficient in terms of its use of time. The candidate outlines four (instead of five) features, of which three were credited: language of negotiation (with an appropriate example); lexis of money (also with an appropriate example) and rejecting a deal (with no example provided). The feature of modals could not be credited because the candidate needed to say which functional use this would be, i.e. modals to make a suggestion, and the example would have to match this use. Again, layout was reasonable.

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6 Paper 1 Task 4

a The text is a promotional leaflet. Identify five features of the text that are characteristic of its genre. Give one example of each feature you identify. Do not include features of layout. b Comment on the form, use and features of connected speech of the phrase in bold below.

• What is ‘Give Us A Break’ (line 4) c Comment on the form and use of the verb forms in bold in the following extracts.

• Having identified that some youngsters (line 35) • Once your application is approved (line 45) • After you have returned home (line 56)

d Comment on the form of to in the following four extracts from the text.

• The Saturday Special Holiday gave the children an opportunity to get involved (lines 12-15) • YHA does not apportion any administration costs to the scheme (lines 29-30) • the group will be unable to afford the cost (line 36) • send it with photographs and comments to your local newspapers (lines 58-60)


a features of a promotional leaflet

Organisation

• Manageable chunks separated boxes/paragraphs/sections, e.g. lines 5-11 • Mission statement it starts with the organisation’s aim / mission statement • Overall organisation e.g. starts with general description and continues to give more details, with contact details at the end (candidates had to mention 2 points) • Question + Answer format e.g. What is Give Us a Break, Where does the money come from? Content

• Contact details for further information e.g. Email: [email protected] or telephone number: 01629 592638 (contact details could only be credited once under organization or content) • Quotes/testimonials from clients e.g. It was wonderful to see our inner city kids experiencing the countryside, many of them for the first time

Style

• Semi formal / formal / neutral language / style e.g. the grant is for allocation by, no contractions • Polite tone e.g. we are always delighted to receive, please use

Grammatical/Lexical

• Play on words/catchy name (to attract potential clients and donors) i.e. Give us a break • You/second person singular/plural (to address reader directly) e.g. after you have returned home

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• Present simple (to describe procedure) e.g. Give us a Break supports… • Emotive / emphatic / positive lexis (to create interest / involve the reader), e.g. disadvantaged children, it was wonderful to see our … • Participles present and/or past participles (to convey information succinctly) e.g. youngsters travelling, a letter confirming b form, use and features of connected speech of phrase in bold

What is ‘Give Us A Break’ (line 4)

Form

• Use of capitals • Inverted commas to indicate name / separate out from usual expression use • Imperative / bare infinitive • Transitive • Indirect/object / pronoun • First person plural • Indefinite article • Singular/countable / noun • Direct object (break) Use

• Title of organisation • Colloquial/informal • (Semi-) fixed expression/phrase/lexical chunk/idiom/formulaic language • Double meaning / literal meaning asking for a holiday & idiomatic meaning: give us an opportunity

Features of connected speech

• Weak form / schwa of us /\s/ and/or a /\/

• Consonant + vowel linking / catenation/ liaison giveH usH a / /gˆv\s\/

• Stress on give and/or break

c form and use of verb forms

Having identified (line 35)

Form

• Present participle having / non-finite verb • Having is the auxiliary • Past participle identified • Regular verb identify • Participle clause • No subject • e is dropped in have • y ie in identified

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Use

• Forefronts action/process (because puts verb in initial position) // sequencing (actions in the process) • The identification is a completed action • To make the process sound more formal/professional • Makes text more concise/shorter is approved (line 45) Form

• Auxiliary be • Regular verb approve • Past participle approved • 3rd person singular • Present simple • Passive • The agent is omitted / ellipted Use

• Subject/your application is the recipient of the action • Focus on the application / the customer is important/given priority/agent is assumed • To make the process sound more formal/professional • Refers to a completed action / one action in a sequence have returned (line 56) Form

• Auxiliary have • Regular verb return • Past participle returned • 2nd person singular • Present perfect simple • Will /future form cannot be used following after Use

• Sequencing actions/events • Completed past action / used to describe a finished event in the future

d form of to

The Saturday Special Holiday gave the children an opportunity to get involved (lines 12-15)

• Forms part of infinitive / is the infinitive marker • Part of noun pattern/collocation an opportunity to do something / part of verb pattern gave an opportunity to get involved YHA does not apportion any administration costs to the scheme (lines 29-30)

• (Dependent) preposition • Part of verb pattern/collocation to apportion something to something else • Introduces prepositional phrase to the scheme

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the group will be unable to afford the cost (line 36)

• Forms part of infinitive / is the infinitive marker • Part of the adjective pattern/collocation (un)able to do something send it with photographs and comments to your local newspaper (lines 58-60)

• (Dependent) preposition • Part of the verb pattern/collocation to send something to somewhere/someone • Introduces prepositional phrase to your local newspaper


This task continues to discriminate well between candidates who have good language awareness and provide detailed answers and therefore gain the maximum number of marks available and those who are not close to Delta standard. Some candidates did not appear to realise the level of detail that they have to provide. However, overall, it was very encouraging to see some very high scores and that more than 35% of the cohort obtained more than 50% of the total marks. Candidates performed well on parts b and c (analysing a lexical item and participle structures) but some struggled to recognise the grammatical patterns in part (d). a features of the text characteristic of a promotional leaflet The most common features identified were:

• question + answer format • quotes/testimonials from clients • contact details

The least common features identified were:

• polite tone • play on words in the title • use of participles

The inaccurate/imprecise features listed below were frequently identified:

• the use of grammatical features such as imperatives, passives and relative clauses (not specific to a promotional leaflet)

• features of layout which were excluded in the rubric (e.g. visuals, title, columns) • organisation of the leaflet (candidates described the content rather than saying how it was

organised) • omission of examples, particularly for question + answer format and contact details (this meant

that a mark could not be awarded) • informal style

b form, use and features of connected speech of Give us a break Most candidates performed well on this part of the task and were able to identify points from the three sections. Examiners commented that candidates were more confident analysing form and there was also improvement with phonology. The most common points identified were:

• imperative / bare infinitive • transitive • pronoun • indefinite article • singular/countable noun • colloquial/informal • lexical chunk

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• double meaning • weak form • stress

The least common points identified were:

• use of capitals • inverted commas to indicate the name of the organisation • direct object break

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

• first person plural was described as first person with no mention of plural • bare infinitive was described as base form • indefinite was mis-spelt as *indefinate • consonant + vowel linking was mis-identified as being elision or assimilation • Break was analysed as ending in a glottal stop • Points could not be awarded for the phonology because there was no use of phonemic script for

the schwa; the phonemic script was not written accurately or between slashes; the linking was not indicated clearly as in the GLAs

• A few candidates analysed the whole question, i.e. What is Give us a break? rather than just the words in bold which was not what the rubric required

c form and use of verb forms: having identified; is approved; have returned There were a large number of marks available for this part of the task and those candidates who had been trained to provide a high level of detail in terms of form and use performed well. The most common points identified were:

• Past participles identified, approved, returned • Regular verbs identify, approve, return • Auxiliaries having, be, have • Present simple • Passive • To focus on the application (is approved)

The least common points identified were:

• Having identified as a participle clause with no subject • The use of having identified to forefront the action or that the identification is a completed action • The agent is elipted in is approved • The subject is the recipient of the action in is approved and it refers to a completed action • The fact that will as a future form cannot be used following after • That have returned is used to describe a completed action or a finished event in the future


• Auxiliary was often abbreviated (aux) or mis-spelt (auxiiliary) and so received no mark • Imprecision in naming verb forms, e.g. Present perfect rather than present perfect simple • The past participles identified, approved, returned were described as being simple past forms • Having was described as a gerund or the past continuous rather than as the present participle

d form of to This part of Task 4 proved to be the most challenging as candidates struggled to identify the grammatical patterns. The key problems were:

• Many candidates did not explicitly state that to was part of the infinitive / the infinitive marker and rather labelled it as being the infinitive rather than full infinitive

• Others confused which examples were part of the infinitive and which were prepositions • Others stated that to in to the scheme and to your local newspaper were adverbs or adjectives • Many candidates thought that unable was a verb • Other candidates labelled the infinitives as infinitives of purpose

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• Very few candidates were able to state that to was either part of a noun, verb or adjective pattern, an indication that centres need to do more training in terms of recognising a variety of grammatical forms/patterns.

Candidates are recommended to: � in Part (a), only state five features and give one example for each as only a maximum of 5 marks are available in this section � to avoid spending time saying why the features have been included as no marks are allocated for this beyond what is stated in the Guideline Answer � in Parts (b)–(d), make as many points as possible, as indicated in the Guideline Answer � read the rubric carefully to see exactly what they are required to discuss � pay attention to the words given in bold and only comment on them in the way required, not on accompanying or surrounding words � make sure they consistently provide the full information required, including giving examples when asked for � make use of precise linguistic / technical terms rather than the more simplified terms they might use with students, e.g. bare infinitive NOT base form; past participle NOT third form of the verb � spell these terms correctly: marks will not be awarded if terms are incorrectly spelt � use the phonemic script / phonological symbols where appropriate: candidates will not be awarded marks if this is not used where required or used accurately � only comment on pronunciation/phonology in sections where it is specifically mentioned in the rubric � research the use of language items as well as the form � lay out their answers in list form, and make it clear what part of the answer they are writing about � use plenty of space/paper to write out their answers, writing on every other line to ensure that they do not write in the margins or make it difficult for the Examiners to locate their answers � make as many points as possible in Task 4 (within the time available) as it carries almost half the marks available in Paper One � allocate enough time for this task and attempt all parts of the task.

6.3 Sample Answers

6.3.1 The following sample answer gained a high number of the points available

4a) • Feature: Content: Inclusion of organisations ‘mission statement’ Example: L1-3 = ‘YHA’s Aim’

• Organisation: Use of sub-headings or titles for paragraphs so the reader can easily navigate the text / find information they need.

Example: L4: ‘What is ‘Give Us A Break’ ’ followed by L5-11 = explanation

• Language: Use of passive structures implies formal style

Example:

L45 ‘Once your application is approved’ • Content: Inclusion of feedback about organisation’s work. Example: L50-54 = Quote from school.

• Language: Use of present simple to describe what organisation does /facts about organisation Example L23 ‘YHA members and supporters raise the money …’

4b What is ‘Give Us A Break’

• Form Give = Imperative form, bare infinitive Us = 1st person plural, personal object pronoun

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A = Indefinite article, determiner

Break = Noun, nominalisation of verb using bare infinitive

→ Capitalisation of first letter in each word to show it’s the title of a scheme

• Use → Title of scheme → Informal expression

→ Use of question form without question mark

• Connected Speech → Linking/Catenation of consonant – vowel in Give H us /gˆvʌs/ → weak form of ‘A’ /a/ because it is unstressed

→ Main stress on ‘Break’, secondary stress on ‘Give’

→ /k/ sound in ‘Break’ is unexploded plosive

4c) FORM USE

Having identified L35

• Having = present participle of verb ‘have’

= non-finite verb (doesn’t show tense, number or person) = auxiliary verb Spelling of present participle: verb ends in -e so e + ing • identified = past participle of

verb identify Spelling rule: -y

= omit ‘y’ and + ed

• Means that it is identified before the leader applies for ‘Give Us A Break’

• Forms part of a subordinate

clause • Formal

is approved L45

• is = 3rd person singular form of verb ‘be’

= auxiliary verb • approved = past participle form

of approve spelling = verb ending in ‘e’ = +d • Present simple • Passive

• Passive used to show subject doesn’t perform action

• No agent needed because it is

obvious that the organisation is the agent

• Formal • Part of subordinate clause

4c) FORM USE

have returned

• Present Perfect simple • have = 2nd person present

simple verb form = auxiliary verb

• returned = regular past participle of verb return (+ ed)

• Part of subordinate clause

• Present Perfect Simple used to show action in past but specific as to when

• Simple to show completed, not ongoing or repeated, action

4d) • opportunity to get involved

→ dependent preposition → dependent on/used with ‘opportunity’ opportunity + infinitive with ‘to’

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• costs to the scheme → preposition → directional → dependent on verb ‘apportion’ apportion + noun/pronoun + to + someone/something (v) direct object indirect object

• be unable to afford

→ part of infinitive with to be + unable + infinitive with to

• comments to your …… → preposition → directional (where to send things) → dependent on send send + object + to + place/destination


Part a The candidate gains maximum points for this section by identifying five features with an example for each one. The features are the organisation’s mission statement; the use of a question/answer format; the use of a formal style; quotes; and the present simple. It is particularly positive that the candidate has outlined a feature of organisation, one of content, one of style and one of grammar, thereby showing a good range of analysis. The layout of this part of the task is clear.

Part b The candidate is very detailed and accurate in her answer and she makes 11 points out of a possible 16 in terms of form, use and pronunciation. She could be more precise in her analysis of break as a noun by saying that it is countable or singular and that it is a direct object. She could also state that the verb break is transitive. In terms of meaning, she does not recognise that Give us a Break is a fixed expression which is being used with a double meaning. However, her phonological analysis is very sound and she identifies all three points in this section with a good use of phonemic script and symbols to indicate where linking takes place. The layout is neat.

Part c Here the candidate gains 21 out of a possible 31 marks, an indication that she has been well trained to analyse form and use in detail. She misses that having identified and is approved are both regular verbs and that having identified is a participle clause which contains no subject. In terms of use, she does not state that both the identification and the approval are completed actions and that the use of a participle clause makes the text more concise. She also does not recognise is approved and have returned refer to one action in a sequence. There is a lack of precision in her analysis of have returned when she writes 2nd person rather than 2nd person singular although it is positive that she writes present perfect simple rather than just present perfect for which she would not have received a mark. Candidates should note that they must reproduce the precision indicated in the Guideline Answers in order to be awarded the point.

Part d The candidate’s response to this part of the task is strong and she gains seven out of a possible ten points. She shows that she can recognise when to is acting as an infinitive marker or as a preposition and what grammatical pattern this follows, e.g. a noun pattern in an opportunity to get involved although she does not recognise that will be unable to is part of an adjective pattern. There is also no mention that the prepositions introduce prepositional phrases. As in the other sections, there is no unnecessary detail or repetition.

6.3.2 The following sample answer gained just over half the marks available for this task 4a • Organisation

(line 5 → (line 11)

the text is in small paragraphs eg Give us ……. Hostel trip)

• Bullet points of information, eg under ‘How it works’. (line 8) (line1)

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• Overall aim/purpose of leaflet at the top then explanation eg YHA’s aim …

Grammar/Lexis

• Questions that someone reading the leaflet may ask eg: “What is ‘give us a break’ (line 4) Where does the money come from? (line 22) • Written in full form, not contracted , eg ‘it does not’ (line 8 ) • Use of more formal language eg ‘photographs’ (line 58) not abreviations.

Content

• lots of information on the organisation. eg • quotes given from proffesionals to uphold the information eg (line 13-21) • email address and phone numbers given for further contact. eg give us a break @ yaha.org.uk (line 72)

Style

• informative style with questions and answers eg where does it the money come from? (line22)

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b

form

• written with capitol letters as it is a tittle so proper nouns. • written inside speech marks to show it is a title of something. • Imperitive form of the verb used. • use of 1st person plural • (bare infinitive) + (object) + (noun phrase)

use

• used as a title for an organisation. • used as the name of the sentence. • use of a fixed phrase to play on words. Give us a break in the fixed phrase means to stop doing something annoying, here it is used to mean a holiday.

Connected speech /gˆvʌz\ breɪk/ • liasion of /gˆv/ and /ʌz/ to /gˆvʌz/ • liason of /vz/ and /a/ to /vza/ • weak form of a /æ/ to schwa /ə/ as not stressed. • vowel reduction of us as not stressed. • stressed is on break in the sentence Main stresses on ‘give’ and ‘break’

4c • Having identified. form ing participle of have past participle of identify ellepises of the adverb upon / once ellepsis of the aux ‘been’

short passive use

Used to distance the fact that of who has done the identifying.

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• is approved form ‘is’ is 3rd person single pronoun.

approved ^past participle of approve

approved is adjective use

past participle used as an adjective

have returned • form have is auxilary verb return is the main verb.

4d • do get (12-15) forms the infinitive with get

dependent preposition with opportunity

followed by done infinitive of get

• to the (29-30) preposition followed by the noun it is showing direction to.

• unable to afford. dependent preposition with unable.

• comments to your preposition followed by the noun phrase it is showing direction to.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer Part a The candidate lists ten features, six of which are accurate and supported by an appropriate example. However, only five of these could be accepted as this is the maximum number of marks which can be awarded for Part a. The accurate features are that: the text is in manageable chunks; the aim of the organisation is stated; the style is formal; there are quotes and contact details and the text follows a question and answer format (stated accurately at the end of the answer). The other points made were not credited as they were either not asked for, e.g. bullet points are part of layout which was excluded in the rubric, or repetition (question and answer format and formal style/no use of contractions) or vague lots of information on the organisation. The organisation and layout of the answer is clear and it is succinctly expressed.

Part b The candidate’s analysis is accurate but contains 10 points out of a possible 16. It is well organised in that he uses headings which means that he ensures that he addresses all three parts of the rubric for this section. However, his analysis is incomplete as he does not recognise that give is transitive, or analyse the pronoun us and the article a. He is stronger on the use of Give us a Break and mentions three of the possible points, omitting the style of the item, i.e. that it is informal. In terms of his phonological analysis, he recognises the linking between give and us but could not be awarded the mark because he mis-spells liaison and writes liason. There is also unnecessary repetition in this part of his answer when he makes the point about linking (stated twice) and about the weak form of a and us. Part c The candidate’s response to this part of the task is minimal, suggesting that he may be struggling for time or that his knowledge of verb forms is less secure than of lexical items. He only identifies 3 points out of an available 31. They are that identified and approved are past participles and having identified is used to make the process sound more formal. There were two more potentially accurate points but these could not be credited because he wrote that is approved is third person single rather than third person singular and he mis-spelt auxiliary when he wrote auxilary. He also mis-spelt ellipsis when he wrote ellepises/ellepsis and used the abbreviation aux instead of auxiliary. He did not lose points as a

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result of this mis-spelling/abbreviation because the points that he was making were inaccurate or minor but candidates must remember that accurate spelling of full forms is vital in this task. He lost a potential point when he wrote ing participle of have because he omitted to say that it was a present participle and he was also inaccurate in his assertion that the two participles are used as adjectives. Overall, the candidate’s response to this part of the task lacks precision and range. Part d The candidate only identifies 3 out of a possible 10 points. These are that to in the first example is part of the infinitive (although he then hedges his bets by writing that it is also a preposition) and that they are prepositions in the other two examples. His analysis of unable to afford is inaccurate as he states that to is a preposition. He fails to recognise the grammatical patterns which these infinitives and prepositions are part of, e.g. that send ... comments to your local newspaper is part of a verb pattern/collocation. Instead, he focuses on what follows the preposition to (a noun) and does not recognise that to introduces the prepositional phrase to your local newspaper. As indicated by this response, centres would be advised to do more work on helping candidates to analyse grammatical patterns.

6.3.3 The following sample answer gained fewer than half the marks available for this task

Task Four

AA--OOrganization

• 1 - Headings are written in bold • 2 - Visual aids to make it attractive • 3 - Asking questions to make easy to 4 - Find the required section and be more attractive 5 - Give the chance for help__ e.g. 1 What is “Give Us A Break” e.g. 2 Different photos e.g. 3 How it works e.g. 45 Feedback

4|b What is “Give Us A Break”

Form • Present verb – • Irregular • Transitive • Main verb – • Followed by an object • ‘Us’ object pronoun • ‘Us’ refers to second person plural “we’ • “A” an article • Comes before countable nouns • Refers to singular noun • “Break” a countable noun • singular Use: Used to express feelings or desire that a break is needed.

Features of Connected Speech

Assimilation between give and us /givəs/

Shor Weak form of us /əs/

weak form of “A” /ə/

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4|C|i

Having identified • Gerund • Verb + ing (base form + ing) • Noun • Subject • ‘identified’ → main verb • in the past participle • Transitive • the final ‘y’ is changed to ‘i’ before adding “ing” • “Having identified” is a phrase – • Gerund + Past participle Use • Used to express or talk about a reason cause The original sentence is “Because they (we) “have identified”

• Another way of talking about a cause is approved Form • present of “to be” • refers to third person singular • present simple passive • “approved” past participle of “approve” • Main verb • regular Use • “is approved” means (refers) to a condition that will have a result • Used in formal writing • Used in advertisement • means when it is accepted or it is has not faults or mistakes or match the requirements. ‘have returned’ Form • Present Perfect tense • ‘Have’ helping verb • Part of ‘to have’ • It is not used with third person singular • AA ‘returned’ past participle • regular verb • Transitive or intransitive • In this sentence it is intransitive • “Have” used with “I, we, you and They” Use • Present perfect indicates an action which is not related to specific time • Means at anytime

4|D

to get • a particle followed by infinitive _ to the scheme • a particle which means “of” the scheme or refers to the scheme (noun)

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to afford the cost to + lexical chunk / collocation

to your local ______ refers to an object –

Examiner’s comments on sample answer Part a The candidate gains one mark in this part of the task for recognising that the leaflet has a question/answer format and giving an accurate example. The other points that she makes about the use of headings in bold and visuals are not relevant as candidates are told not to write about features of layout in the rubric and the comment about giving the chance for help is only specific to this leaflet and not generic to the genre. The organisation of her answer is poor as she lists four features with inconsistent numbering and then proceeds to list four examples which makes it more difficult for the Examiners to decode. Candidates are advised to list the feature and example together and then to do the same for the next feature. Part b The candidate only gains a quarter of the marks available which are that give is a transitive verb; us is an object pronoun; break is a singular, countable noun (stated four times); and that us / a are weak forms (stated twice). In addition, some of her analysis is incorrect or imprecise: give is not a present or main verb but an imperative/bare infinitive; us is first (not second) person plural; a is an indefinite article rather than just an article; it is unclear what the candidate means when she writes that the fixed expression is used to express feeling or desire that a break is needed; and there is linking rather than assimilation between give and us.

Part c The candidate’s answer to this part is more confident and she gains a third of the available marks. In terms of form, she recognises that identified is a past participle and states its spelling rule; is approved is 3rd person singular in the present simple passive and approved is a regular past participle; and that returned is a regular past participle. However, there is also inaccuracy in her analysis of form, e.g. having is a gerund, a subject and a phrase, and more significantly, imprecision in her use of terminology to describe form, e.g. verb + ing / base form + ing rather than present participle; and have is a helping verb (rather than an auxiliary). Some of the points she made were also too general and therefore irrelevant, e.g. “Have” used with “I, We, You and They”. The candidate’s response to the second part of the task, i.e. the use of the verb forms was weaker and she only made one accurate point which is that is approved (i.e. the passive) is used in formal writing. The remainder of her comments about use were either inaccurate (e.g. is approved is used in advertisements); too general (e.g. the present perfect indicates an action which is not related to specific time); imprecise (e.g. have returned means at anytime); or focused on meaning rather than use (e.g. is approved means when it is accepted as it has no faults or mistakes or match the requirements / having identified is another way of talking about a cause). This candidate is typical of those who are reasonably confident when discussing form but are challenged when discussing language use. This suggests that centres need to ensure that they cover both when training candidates for the Delta examination.

Part d The candidate's response to this part of the task is minimal and she only gains one mark for the fact that to in to get is part of the infinitive. There are no other marks that can be awarded because the candidate does not address the task and state the form of to in the other three items.

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7 Paper 1 Task 5

The text (191 words) for this task is reproduced on the opposite page. It was written by a learner in an upper-intermediate (CEFR B2) level class in response to the following task: You have decided to enter a short story competition in an English language magazine. The story must begin with the following words: Although Louise felt nervous, she realised this was the opportunity of a lifetime. a Identify three key strengths and three key weaknesses of the text. Provide an example of each strength and each weakness. Your answer should focus on some or all of the areas listed below.

• Accuracy of lexis • Organisation and cohesion • Range and accuracy of grammar • Effect on the reader

Do not comment on the first sentence in your answer. b Which one of the weaknesses identified above would you choose to prioritise to help this learner? Give three reasons for your choice.


Key strengths Effect on reader Reader is involved in the story and wants to find out what Louise decides in the end / involvement in Louise’s life through nice interweaving of background personal information / sense of suspense achieved by not telling reader full outcome of decision till very end

Example she lived in a little house in the countryside, she was alone in the house, leaving without her family, it was such a difficult decession to make, before she left Organisation and cohesion Good use of linkers / conjunctions / time markers / cohesive devices / discourse markers Example Although, when, So, so that, Even thought, at that moment Organisation and cohesion Logical sequence of ideas Example description of her personal situation, description of the holiday, explanation of the dilemma, the decision she made, the reasons for her decision, her husband’s reaction to the news, how she felt just before she left. (NB: candidates had to mention a minimum of two points) Range and accuracy of grammar Accurate use of present participles / participle clauses / sub-ordinating clauses / multi-clause sentences / complex sentences Example telling her that she had won, including half-board, leaving her without her family Range and accuracy of grammar Good range / accurate use of modals Example should be spend, had to answer, would loose, which should be spent, she could go

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Range and accuracy of grammar Good range/accurate use of present & past tenses (present simple, present continuous, past simple, past perfect simple (NB: candidates had to name two verb forms) OR narrative tenses OR past perfect simple Example she lived, she had won, I’m always so busy, I’m doing something different, arrived home, was told, he felt. (NB: candidates had to give one example)

Key weaknesses Accuracy of lexis Mistakes in spelling of vocabulary Example decession, recived, telephon, loose, ones, helpfull, even thought (rather than even though) , her self (rather than herself) Range and accuracy of grammar Misuse of prepositions Example in (at) that moment, different and relaxing to (for) myself, in (during) the three weeks trip Accuracy of grammar Misuse of possessives / possessive adjectives / pronouns Example with his three years old triplet daughters and his Husband, when recived a telephone call, or would loose everything, leaving her without her family Effect on reader Some confusion/distraction due to some unintegrated direct speech / overuse of exclamation marks Example YES! Why not! I’m always so busy…. Organisation and cohesion The learner needs to divide her writing into more paragraphs / there is a lack of paragraphing Example the text could be divided into 3 paragraphs 1 description of the opportunity (lines 7); 2 consideration of the dilemma it posed & the decision she made (lines 7-10); 3 the existing paragraph (lines 11-13) with how the story ended. Which weakness to prioritise Candidates could choose any of the key weaknesses listed in part a. They had to provide three reasons for their choice from the list below:

• the learner’s level • the learner’s exams and future study needs • the learner’s job needs • fossilisation of error • transfer to other genres • transfer to other skills • specific to the learner’s context • specific to the communicative purpose / success of the text (i.e. she will win the competition) • the effect on the reader • easy to rectify, therefore motivating


Candidates performed well in this task with the average mark achieved being 12 which is in line with the June 2012 session. Very few candidates did not attempt this task or failed to complete it which suggests that they understood the importance of allocating an appropriate amount of time to complete the task. A large number of candidates answered the task first or second in the examination which may have been a good strategy as it allowed them to maximise the number of marks they were able to gain, as long as their language awareness was accurate. As noted in the last Examination Report, some candidates lost marks because they did not include any comments regarding the effect of the strengths or weaknesses on the overall effectiveness of the text in terms of the reader. There are marks available for two comments over the whole answer. Some candidates included comments but unfortunately, marks for these comments could not be given because they had not identified a minimum of five

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strengths/weaknesses. However, on a more positive note, there were fewer instances of candidates who included more than one example of each strength or weakness cited and there were almost no candidates who evaluated the text in terms of criteria which were not listed in the rubric. Layout of answers was also generally clear with the majority of candidates using the headings of strengths and weaknesses to organise their answer and then the sub-headings of the criteria listed in the rubric, e.g. Cohesion with another sub-heading of example to provide clear signposting for the reader. The most common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

• Good use of linkers • Logical sequence of ideas • Narrative tenses (see below) • Poor spelling • Pronouns

The least common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

• Effect on the reader as a strength or weakness • Accurate use of participle clauses / complex sentences • Good use of modals • Misuse of prepositions


• Effect on the reader was approached as being the same as task achievement and so candidates wrote that the task had been achieved because the learner had followed the rubric. Rather, they needed to discuss the positive effect on the reader and how this was achieved as per the GLA

• Passives, accuracy of lexical phrases which were not key strengths • Range of lexis (notably collocations) but this criterion was not included in the rubric • A large number of candidates lost marks because they wrote past perfect rather than past perfect

simple • Some candidates did not give an example of where a paragraph needed to be inserted and so lost

marks • In part (b), some candidates did not clearly state which area of weakness they would work on,

particularly in terms of grammatical accuracy and so could not be awarded marks. Others identified an inaccurate area to work on

• In part (b), the majority of candidates repeated the list of reasons that has been included in previous reports without providing sufficient detail to maximise the number of marks available in this part of the task

• Some candidates gave more than three reasons which was not a productive use of time as only the first three reasons will be credited


� only give one example for each strength and each weakness � only discuss in part (a) the areas given in the rubric � give both strengths and weaknesses as required � only discuss three key strengths and three key weaknesses; marks are not given for more than

three of either. If candidates outline more than three strengths or weaknesses, they will not be penalised but they should be aware that this will impact on timing over the whole paper

� bear in mind the learner’s level when commenting in part a on the text’s strengths and weaknesses � include two comments in part (a) on the effect the particular strengths and weaknesses have on the

effectiveness of the text � use a bullet point layout for the strengths and weaknesses � organise their answer under the headings of strengths and weaknesses and then use sub-

headings of criterion and example to ensure that they address both parts of rubric. They can also add an extra sub-heading of comment for two of their criteria to ensure that they provide information on the effect that the strength or weakness has on the text

� only discuss in part (b) a weakness mentioned in part (a) � only discuss one area of weakness in part (b) � be specific in part (b) on the exact weakness to be worked on, i.e. state the weakness rather than

the criterion as listed in the rubric � limit answers in part (b) to reasons for prioritising an area � make sure they allow themselves enough time to complete this task; 25 minutes is recommended.

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7.3 Sample Answers

7.3.1 The following sample answer gained most of the marks available for this task

5)

Weakness Organisation and Cohesion

This short story would benefit from the addition of another paragraph.

Example: Paragraph 1

= Lines 1–6 = what the opportunity is Paragraph 2 could be L6–10 = How she felt / factors in the decision.

AA Better organisation would make it

easier to read.

Strength Range and accuracy of Grammar

Complex sentence structure including ‘reported speech’

Example: ‘She had to answer at that moment or she would loose everything.’

Strength Cohesion

Use of cohesive devices

Example: Linkers: ‘When’

(temporal) L11

Weakness Accuracy of Lexis

There are some misspelt words which at this level should be accurately used

Examples: ‘helpfull’ (L12) ‘recived’ (L3) ‘decession’ (L 2)

AA This will have a negative effect on the reader

as it looks like it hasn’t been checked or edited.

AAAAAA Weakness Grammar: Wrong gender in uses of possessive

pronouns

Example: L 3 ‘She lived … his husband’

Strength Effect on the reader.

Good effect on the reader due to content / Logical order of the story.

Explanation about dilemma L1-6

How character felt L6-10

Resolution / happy ending 11-13

5b) Prioritise: Accuracy of grammar: Gender in possessive pronouns

Because • It’s easy to rectify and will therefore be motivating, the learner will be able to correct it easily and see why it’s wrong. • At upper-intermediate level, the learner should not be making such a basic mistake as which effects intelligibility.

• Ba This basic grammar point will be important in productive skills in all genres, speaking and writing. It will therefore transfer to other skills and genres.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer The answer is focused on the criteria outlined in the rubric. It clearly cites three key strengths and three key weaknesses of the text and gives clear examples for five of the points identified. As strengths, the candidate identifies the logical order of the story with a clear example for this; good use of cohesive devices with an example; and the use of complex sentences although the example could

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personal pronouns are

and at times omitted.

not be credited as it was not a complex sentence but rather exemplified the learner’s use of modal verb forms. In terms of weaknesses, the candidate recognises the need for more paragraphs and gives very clear examples of where these paragraphs should be; the problems with spelling although it was only necessary to include one example of an error; and problems with pronouns, again with a clear example. The answer also includes two comments as to how the features impact on the effectiveness of the text, i.e. regarding the spelling errors, this will have a negative effect on the reader as it looks like it hasn’t been checked or edited; and for the lack of paragraphing better organisation would make it easier to read. The inclusion of two comments is a good exam technique as the four extra marks will only be awarded for two comments and no more. The key weakness with part (a) of the task is its poor organisation. Whilst it is laid out in two columns, these contain a mixture of strengths and weaknesses which is unhelpful. It would have been better if the candidate had used more paper and had written the strengths and examples on one side of paper and then the weaknesses and examples on another side. However, it is positive that she underlines the criteria from the rubric and the heading of example to help the examiner navigate their way through the answer. In terms of part (b), she identifies an appropriate area of weakness to work on (pronouns) which is clearly stated. She provides three justifications, of which the second one is fully developed and therefore she gained two marks for this one. It is fully developed because she links her reference to the learner’s level to its result, i.e. that if affects intelligibility.

7.3.2 The following sample answer gained over half the marks available for this task 5. Strengths

1. Lexis The learner uses some complex collocations and good descriptive adjectives. e.g. Half – board (line 4) / triplet daughters (line 3)

2. Organisation and Cohesion The story follows in an understandable way and is easy to follow for the reader. Gives a positive effect on the reader. e.g. Details about where she lives / receiving the phone call / Reaction / husband returning home.

3. Grammar

The student makes a good attempt at mixing verb tenses – past simple, present simple, and past perfect e.g. she had won a fantastic trip (line 4).

Weaknesses

Grammar 1. AA The learner’s use of pronouns is frequently confused

e.g. with his three years old triplet (line 3) She was lucky to think by herself (line 8).

She had to answer at that moment or would loose everything. (line 7)

2. Organisation and Cohesion The learner does not use paragraphs to express new ideas and this has a negative effect on the reader.

e.g. Information about the call and her reaction are lumped together in one big paragraph.

3. Lexis The student makes very basic spelling mistakes which you would not expect at this level. e.g. loose (line 8) helpfull (line12).

b). I would choose to prioritise the learner’s pronoun usage use as an area of

weakness, because this particularly the liklihood of the learner’s omission of

personal pronouns. This is because the learner should have cemented this into her knowledge by upper intermediate level. It is likely that this has because a fossilized error –

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one which could potentially be seen across all for skills. She would also need to rectify this problem if she were to take an external exam such as the FCE.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer The candidate identifies five strengths and weaknesses with accurate exemplification for four of them: logical organisation of the story (example provided of how the story develops); good use of present and past tenses - past simple and present simple but with no example of either of these. The example contained the past perfect simple but mention of this verb form could not be credited because the candidate had imprecisely named this as the past perfect and not the past perfect simple; inaccurate use of pronouns (two examples provided but only one was necessary); lack of paragraphing (with mention of two parts of the story which should be in separate paragraphs); and spelling errors (two examples provided but only one was necessary). The third strength, the learners’ use of complex collocations and adjectives, could not be credited because range of lexis was not included as a criterion in the rubric and accuracy of lexis was a weakness because of poor spelling. In terms of part (b), the candidate identified an appropriate key weakness to work on (pronouns) and gained four marks in this section for two basic justifications (the learner’s level and exam needs) and a fully developed one (the fact that this could be a fossilised error which could be seen in other skills).

7.3.3 The following sample answer gained fewer than half the marks available for this task 5a) Strengths

1. Range of grammar.

Past perfect Line 4 …. telling her that she had won … Line 11 … was told what had happened would have a particularly positive effect on reader who would be able to understand when events occurred in relation to one another. 2. Inclusion of reported speech (to add interest / excitement).

e.g. line 8 …YES! why not! …… This would add excitement for the reader / make it feel as the story was happening now. 3. Organisation

The learner starts by explaining situation, introduces dilemma, provides solution/decision and then says what happened in the end

Weaknesses 1. Accuracy of lexis

There are many spelling errors e.g. Line 2 decession Line 3 recived, telephon

This would have of a particularly negative effect on the reader who may be distracted by errors.

2. Accuracy of grammar Time/expressions Duration

Line 3 his three years old triplet Line 6 the three weeks trip

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3. Organisation Paragraphing Only two paragraphs are used. The first paragraph includes many ideas including the introduction, story and resolution.

This makes the story a little difficult to follow for the reader.

5b I would prioritise organisation : paragraphing 1. At upper-intermediate level the learner should be able to organise their ideas more

clearly as organisation is important in helping the reader understand the text. 2. This should be relatively easy to address if the learner is taught about having one main

idea/focus per paragraph.

5b Reason 3 The learner Paragraphing is something that occurs in many genres of writing so this would

be able to be transferred to different written tasks. Examiner’s comments on sample answer The candidate does not gain any marks for the three strengths he mentions. This is because he does not specify which form of the past perfect is used, i.e. he states the past perfect rather than the past perfect simple. The second strength of reported speech is not a key strength and the third one under the criterion of organisation, cannot be awarded any marks because the candidate simply describes the organisation of the text, (thereby giving an example) rather than evaluating the effectiveness of its organisation with an adjective such as clear or logical. In terms of weaknesses, he gains three marks for identifying two weaknesses: two marks for inaccurate spelling with an example (again, only one example, rather than three is required); and one for poor paragraphing because he does not say where the paragraphs should be inserted. This candidate includes two comments, that the use of the past perfect would have a particularly positive effect on reader who would be able to understand when events occurred in relation to one another and that the spelling errors would have a particularly negative effect on the reader who may be distracted by errors. However, no marks could be awarded for either of these comments because the candidate had not identified a minimum number of five strengths or weaknesses for these additional marks to be awarded. In terms of part (b), he identifies the lack of paragraphs as an appropriate area to work on and gives three basic justifications: the learner’s level, transfer to other written texts and the fact that it is an easy area to rectify. He therefore gains three marks for this part of the task. In terms of layout, this is clear and he makes good use of paper/space.

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8 Paper 2 Task 1

The text for this task is reproduced on the opposite page. It is the teacher’s instructions for a language school end of term test. It is being used in the following situation:

The school offers language revision classes to help learners improve their language accuracy.

The teacher is using this test with his Upper Intermediate (CEFR B2) level revision class at the

end of term to check their progress in grammatical accuracy. They have studied the following

areas: past tenses, conditionals and articles.

Using your knowledge of relevant testing concepts, evaluate the effectiveness of the test for this class in this situation.

Make a total of six points. You must include both positive and negative points.


Positive Points

• Language in use tests language in use rather than declarative knowledge in a grammar exercise / it’s an

indirect/integrative test of language / valid as formative/summative assessment

• Instructions the instructions are clear for the teacher

• Language the prompts will allow learners to use some of the language studied (conditionals and articles) and so the test has content validity

• Topics there are familiar topics / prompts to provide ideas

• Fresh starts there are opportunities for fresh starts

• Task type/format is familiar/recognisable / it’s an engaging/unpressurised way to test grammar

• Level the level is appropriate for upper intermediate students

Positive Applications

• Learner reaction Students will believe that the test has face validity / will have faith in the test / will feel motivated to do the test / will feel confident about doing the test / will engage with the test

• Content/topic Learners will have something to say / will be able to relate to the content / will be interested

in the topics / will want to discuss the topics

• Task type/format Learners should know how to approach the task

• Learner performance Students have a chance to demonstrate abilities / be able to perform to the best of their abilities

• Data The teacher will get useful information about the learners’ progress/abilities / will be able to assess the learners’ language accuracy

• Fresh starts Learners will not get stuck if they cannot respond to one of the topics

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Negative points

• Language avoidance The learners can avoid using the language that they have studied / it doesn’t overtly test the language that they have been taught (e.g. past tenses, conditionals, articles)

• Task appearance It does not look like a serious/grammar test so it lacks face validity

• Assessment mode It will be difficult for the teacher to assess all the individuals / the test lacks practicality / scorer reliability

• Learner output Some learners may not say much / their partners may be dominant

• Tests speaking / listening skills / other language systems The test is wider in focus than the course /

it doesn’t only test grammar / it’s an indirect / integrative test of grammar / it’s a direct test of speaking skills

• Accuracy The type of interaction/a discussion does not lend itself to testing grammatical accuracy / learners don’t need to be accurate in this type of discussion / it does not test written accuracy

Negative applications

• Test format The learners may be hindered by the format of the test / will not be able to participate

• Insufficient/inaccurate data The teacher may not get an accurate idea of their abilities/progress /

learners won’t get a sense of progress

• Learner performance The learners may not show their full abilities

• Learner reaction The learners may be demotivated because this is not how they expect grammar to be tested / they may not take it seriously / they may not engage with the topic / they may lack ideas / they may feel uncomfortable in the group / learners don’t trust results of the test

• Assessment The results may not be reliable

• Feedback The teacher cannot give individual students feedback


Candidates scored well on Task One with the average mark achieved being 13. The majority seemed clearly confident in their understanding of what is required in this task and how best to approach it and Examiners commented that there were fewer instances of candidates relying on pre-learnt answers from previous Guideline Answers. Terminology was better integrated and candidates used a good range of relevant terms, particularly fresh starts, indirect test, face validity, reliability and integrated test when making their points. A few candidates laid their answers out as per the Guideline Answers, i.e. they listed points and then listed applications separately which meant that they lost marks because the points and applications have to be clearly linked. Some candidates identified the key points but then lost marks because they did not include applications or repeated them – this is the main reason why candidates lose marks. Other candidates focused more on negative points and in some instances did not identify any positive points.

The most common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

• The prompts allow the learners to use some of the language studied • There are opportunities for fresh starts • The level of the test is appropriate for upper intermediate learners • The lack of direct testing of the language learnt in the course / the learners could avoid using the

language that they had learnt • The difficulty the teacher would have in monitoring successfully

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The least common strengths and weaknesses identified were: • The test assesses the learners’ language in use rather than their declarative knowledge • The discussion does not test (written) grammatical accuracy


• The test will have positive backwash/the results will have good predictive validity (the course is finished)

• The test will be a good diagnostic test (it is at the end of the course, rather than at the beginning) • The instructions are clear for the students (but the instructions are for the teacher to give rather

than for the learners to read) • The test will be subjectively marked with criteria because it is a speaking test but the key issue to

do with scorer marking is the fact that it is difficult for the teacher to monitor and accurately assess the grammatical accuracy of 12 learners at the same time


� explicitly state what kind of test it is which will help them to use the correct terminology relevant to that type of testing, i.e. in this examination, it is an achievement test

� read the situation in the rubric carefully, seeing how each part of it can be relevant to the test and to the specified learner

� make sure their answers are specifically about the particular test and not repeated from previous Guideline Answers

� avoid approaching their evaluation through assessing the test against testing concepts, such as validity, reliability, backwash as this means that their points may not be fully explained or developed and so they lose marks

� use terminology only when relevant and use it accurately � make sure they always show how the points they make about the test’s effectiveness apply to

the particular learner, i.e. always include a different application for each point they include � use a wide range of criteria with which to evaluate the test, e.g. type of test, language content,

skills content, assessment mode, test content/topics, task types, level, instructions � avoid making the same point, e.g. that the learners could avoid using the language they had

learnt on the course � avoid repeating the same application to the learner under different points, e.g. that the learners

would be motivated or demotivated by the test � use clear layout that shows which points are intended as positive and which as negative � discuss the positive points in one section and then the negative points in another one rather than

mixing them in the same section which can make it difficult for the Examiner to work out if the point being made is a positive or negative one

� make sure that they respect the rubric by mentioning at least one positive and one negative point so that they can score the maximum number of points as only a maximum of either five strengths or five weaknesses can be accredited

� make sure they make six points, including both positive and negative ones � lay their answers out under the headings of Point and Application, so that they remember to

include both elements in their answer.

8.3 Sample Answers

8.3.1 The following sample answer gained all the marks available for this task

1. Positive points

1. This progress test contains topics that all students should be able to relate to. all students should have an idea of what a good teacher is, for example. Learners would not have to spend too long thinking about answers and should be able to think of a number of ideas, which makes the test more reliable. It would be testing what the students produce rather than their imagination.

2. There are fresh starts. There are three questions, so if the learner has difficulty with one, there are also other questions. The st learner would not lose motivation of there are different opportunities to show what they can produce

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3. Rul Clarity of task/familiarity with task type. The task should be clear for the students. Students and discussion in a small group should be a familiar setting for students. The questions are brief so learners should be able to comprehend them fairly quickly (especially at upper-intermediate level). Again, this would have a positive effect on reliability.

Negative points.

1. The test tests speaking only (spoken grammatical accuracy). One part of grammatical accuracy may be is written form which would not be tested, for example The spelling of past tense forms (irregular in particular) or those where y changes to i e.g. Identity identified. Students may expect a written test of grammar, so the test may have low face validity.

2. The students may not use the language which the teacher intends to test. The questions do not force students to use the target language/language to be tested and so it would be difficult to say whether the students could use the language accurately or not. Construct validity and reliability would be affected here. If a student avoided using a conditional, for example, it does not show that they cannot use this language accurately.

3. Monitoring all students for the language to be tested would be very difficult. ‘Making notes of

their strengths and weaknesses’ is very subjective. The teacher may miss an accurate use of language, for example. With four groups of three it would be difficult to listen to sufficient language to assess learners reliably.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer The candidate gains maximum marks for her answer because she identifies six points about the relative effectiveness of the test with how these apply to the learners. The points and applications are that the topics are familiar so the learners should have something to say on them; the test offers fresh starts so that they will not get stuck if they cannot respond to one of the topics; the task type is familiar and so the learners will know how to approach the test; the test does not focus on written grammatical accuracy which is not what the learners may expect and so they will not have faith in it; they may not use the language which has been covered on the course and so the test won’t generate an accurate picture of their ability; and it will be difficult for the teacher to monitor and assess all the learners’ abilities and so the results may not be reliable. These points cover a good range of criteria, e.g. language, task type, assessment mode, which allows her to gain the maximum number of points available. Her use of testing terminology is accurate and well integrated into her answer. There is some repetition of reliability as a term but she was not penalised for this. In addition, the answer has the benefit of a clear layout with positive aspects of the test on one page and negatives on the next. Layout could be further improved by using the sub-headings Point and Application.

8.3.2 The following sample answer gained just over half of the marks available for this task

T1 Negatives (-)

1) This is an indirect test. It uses a speaking task to assess learners grammar knowledge (past tenses, conditionals and articles). This may cause demotivation among learners because they may think that the test is not relevant to what it is supposed to test. Lack of face validity

2) Avoidance of using target language (conditionals, past tenses and articles) is possible in this

test. Learners can discuss the topic without using any of these target language. This may cause problem for the teacher because she may not have enough evidence to evaluate their achievement. (learners!)

3) Lack of guidance or any kind of ‘rubric’ for the students. There are instructions for the teacher,

but there are not any instructions for the students. This make it difficult for the learners to complete the task successfully. They may get confused and demotivated.

4) There aren’t any topic that allows learners to show their knowledge about ‘past tenses’

1st card - general truth, simple present

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2nd card - modals, conditionals

3rd card - general opinion, simple present

There is an uncertainty about the need of using past tenses.

T1/ They may or may not give some examples for the topic ‘privacy of celebrities’. This seems to me lack of content validity since it doesn’t include a discussion cord which leads learners to use ‘past tenses’ without any indirect link.

This makes it difficult for the teacher to evaluate learners knowledge on ‘past tense’.

5) Monitoring and making notes of strengths & weaknesses while learners dis are discussing will provide an overall idea of the learners as a class. If strong students lead the discussions and weaker students listen, this test doesn’t allow the teacher to find learners real strengths or weaknesses.

Positive Points (+)

1) This test has three fresh starts which help/give chances to learners to show their knowledge even if they have got difficulty in one of them. One student may not talk about ‘protection of planet’ but may have many things to say about ‘privacy of celebrities’.

This can be very motivating for the learners because they wouldn’t feel under pressure if they cannot talk about one of the topics.


This answer contains one positive and three negative points with applications for three of them. The positive point that the candidate identifies is the fact that the test has fresh starts which means that the learners can move to another topic if they get stuck on one and so show their knowledge. The negative points are that it is a speaking test which might demotivate the learners because they may not think that this is a relevant way to test grammar; the learners may not use the language that they have been taught on the course (this point was stated three times which was unnecessary) and so the teacher may not get an accurate picture of their abilities; and more confident learners may dominate the discussion. The application for this last point (that the teacher may not be able to assess their abilities) could not be credited because the candidate had already used this one for the previous point. If the candidate had laid out her answer under the main headings of Positive Points and Negative Points as she does but then with the sub-headings of Point and Application, she might have ensured that she included a different application for each point that she made. The answer contains an inaccurate point that there are no instructions for the learners and so they may get confused (the instructions are clear for the teacher who is presumably a competent classroom practitioner). This candidate’s use of terminology is also good and she integrates four testing terms into her answer (indirect test, face validity, content validity, fresh starts) and so gains the full two marks for this part of the task.

8.3.3 The following sample answer gained only a few of the marks available for this task 1

Positive Points

- The test does examine the students range andof accuracy of grammar.

- The test is a Productive way of seeing the students grammar in use.

- The test allows the Students to give full descriptive answers.

1 Positive Applications

- The learners are being tested on their accuracy in a productive way.

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- If a similar diagnostic test was done at the start of the course the teacher can easily check the learner progress.

- Gives learner a chance to make a fresh start when given a new card.

1

Negative Points

- The test is limited in that it is only testing the Students Speaking.

- The questions don’t directly test Conditionals, past tense and articles which can lead to learner avoidance.

- The teacher won’t be giving 100% attention to each group and may miss something important.

- The students are not being tested individually and some students may dominate the conversations.

- The text is an ineffective way to check formal grammar knowledge with no specific grammar questions.

1 Negative Applications

- No direct testing of Past tenses, Conditionals and articles which the learners have studied.

- It is difficult to check the Students Progress to see if their accuracy has improved.

- Learners may not get effective feedback on their performance.


The key problem with this answer is the way that the candidate has organised it as he has listed three positive points under one heading and then three applications under another heading and then done the same for the negative points and applications. By organising his answer in this way, he has not integrated the two parts of the rubric (i.e. points and applications) which means that whilst he has identified five positive and negative points accurately, he could not be awarded any marks for how these points apply to the learners. The positive points that he has identified are that the task tests the learners’ language in use and there are opportunities for fresh starts. However, the first two applications listed on the next page of the candidate’s answer do not match these points and the third application is, in fact, the point about the inclusion of fresh starts in the test. In terms of the negative aspects of the test, the candidate identifies the points that the learners could avoid using the language taught on the course; the teacher cannot monitor all the learners at the same time; and some learners may dominate the conversations. Again, the applications are either a repetition of the points or are not clearly related to them. This lack of clarity is also exacerbated by the fact that there are five points but only three applications so it was impossible for the Examiners to match them up. Candidates in future sessions should be aware that organising their answer to this task in this way is very poor exam practice and should be avoided. In addition, the candidate’s answer is not specific enough. For example, he writes The test does examine the students range and accuracy of grammar but in order for this point to be credited, he has to link this point to the language studied on the course. He later states that The test is an ineffective way to check formal grammar knowledge with no specific grammar questions but needs to say how it is ineffective, e.g. it does not focus on accuracy. The Examiners also noted that it was unclear what the candidate meant when he wrote that The test allows the students to give full, descriptive answers. There was one instance of inaccuracy when the candidate wrote that The test is limited in that it is only testing the students’ speaking as this is not the case because it is an integrated test which also tests the learners’ use of language. This answer received no marks for the use of testing terms because there was only one term used accurately in a valid point, i.e. fresh starts.

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9 Paper 2 Task 2

The purpose of the extract as a whole is to improve learners’ ability to give a business presentation.

a Identify the purpose of the exercises listed in the box below in relation to the purpose of the extract as a whole.

Exercises for Task Two Key Language 1 Case Study exercise 1 Case Study exercise 2

b Identify a total of six key assumptions about language learning and skills development that are

evident in the exercises listed in the box above. Explain why the authors might consider these assumptions to be important for language learning and skills development. State which exercise or exercises each assumption refers to.


Purpose of the exercises

Exercise Intended Purpose Key Language 1 • to focus on/introduce language/chunks/collocations

/fixed expressions/functional phrases students will need in giving their presentation

• to check understanding of the language • to highlight the importance of informal language use in spoken

presentations (contractions/questions to involve the audience) • to provide a written record/examples of the language • to focus on/introduce the organisation/stages of a presentation • to provide a model of a presentation

Case Study 1 • to focus on/introduce more language/collocations for presentations (that they can use in their presentation)

• to contextualise the language • to provide controlled/written practice of the language (of graphs) • to check understanding of the TL • to provide students with a template/model of how to present information

in a graph / a written record • to help students understand/practise how to interpret graphs

Case Study 2 • to give students a clear role for their presentation / to give students a defined audience for the presentation / to simulate an authentic/real life situation to deliver the presentation

• to help students generate ideas for their presentation (SWOT analysis) / to give students data for their presentation

• to help students organise/prepare the content of their presentation / give them scaffolding/a possible framework for their presentation (SWOT analysis)

• to give students the chance to give a business presentation (in a safe environment)

• to practise the language/skills ( from KL 1/CS 1)

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Assumptions and reasons

• It is useful to give learners complete sentences/formulaic language/language in chunks/collocations [Key Language 1, Case Study 1] This gives learners confidence when speaking because they do not have to worry so much about the grammar/ helps with fluency / it helps to make students more accurate / it increases confidence in receptive skills

• Students need a focus on features above sentence level (e.g. organisation) are as important as at sentence level [Key Language 1] It may be different from in their cultures / successful language use requires attention to discourse – level features / they can focus on staging of a presentation as well as language

• Students need to be sensitive to the style of a text. [Key Language 1] The level of informality may be very different in their cultures / learners may think that presentations have to be formal / part of the knowledge of genre

• It is useful for students to see a model before they do a task / learners need scaffolding/support to prepare and give a presentation / learners need clear guidelines (time limit, clear context, grid to complete, a clear role) before attempting a task [All exercises] It gives them confidence / they can notice what native speakers really say / receptive before productive / students will be on track and know what is expected of them / it will make the presentation more effective

• Students need a written record of language [Key Language 1] It helps them to review the lesson later / it encourages them to be independent

• Simulation/role play activities / real life tasks are useful [Case Study 1 / Case Study 2] They reflect what learners may have to in their own lives / they are reassuring because they reflect what learners are familiar with

• Learners need to focus on accuracy before fluency / learners need to move from controlled to freer practice [Case Study 1, Case Study 2] It will make them feel more motivated because the final outcome will be effective / it prevents errors from becoming fossilised / gives learners a sense of progress

• It is useful to move from receptive to productive work / input to production [All exercises] It mirrors how we learn our L1 / it allows learners to process input before they have to produce which reduces the stress of speaking in the L2

• It is useful to use a TBL approach [All exercises] It allows learners to use the existing language resources that they have with language provided which is motivating / it encourages authentic language use

• Students need to prepare before they are expected to speak / rehearsal time [Case Study 2] They are likely to be more accurate / confident / focussed / fluent / the final product will be of a better standard / they will be better able to deal with questions at the end of the presentation if they have had time to think things through in more depth / it mirrors what happens in a real life situation

• It is a good idea for students to take on a role rather than having to speak as themselves [Case Study 2] Students find it less intimidating / they can say things they may not agree with and the other students will know they are simply acting in a role / they don’t have to think of ideas

• It is a good idea for students to work collaboratively [Key Language 1, Case Study 2] They can help each other with linguistic input / they will use the language as they do the task

• Students should produce the handouts / visuals / materials they intend to use in a presentation / role play [Case Study 2]

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It is what they would have to do in real life / it gives the students a chance to use the teacher as a resource to answer any questions (re layout / genre / language) they may have about these / it helps raise students’ awareness of what the key points are in the presentation and encourages them to avoid redundant information

• Students benefit from cognitively challenging tasks [All exercises] They will be more motivated to do the exercises / find the exercises engaging / feel that they are being treated as adults


As in June 2012, Examiners commented that the task differentiated well between stronger and weaker candidates in terms of their knowledge of the principles which inform the design of teaching material. Weaker candidates were challenged by the focus of the text on presentation skills and instead of looking closely at the material, relied on pre-learnt purposes and assumptions which meant that they performed less well on this task. However, overall performance in this task improved as compared to June 2012, with the average number of points gained being 16. As in previous sessions, the candidates scored higher on part (a) than on part (b) where some struggled to identify the assumptions that lay behind the design of these particular exercises. It is therefore clear that centres need to do more work on this area of the syllabus so that candidates improve their ability to recognise the principles behind the design of any piece of published material, whether it be from student-generated material which has a systems focus or from material which has a skills focus.

Part (a) Most candidates gave a minimum of four or five purposes over the three exercises. Candidates should note that there are a maximum of 16 points to be gained in this section of the task (two points are allocated for each purpose) so in this examination, they needed to write down at least eight purposes over the three exercises. Some of the weaker candidates adopted a scattergun approach, simply listing everything they could think of or interspersing assumptions with purposes or they wasted time describing how the exercises combined with others, as in Task 3. The most common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

• To introduce language (Key Language 1 and Case Study 1) • To provide a written record/examples of the language (Key Language 1 and Case Study 1)) • To introduce the stages of a presentation (Key Language 1) • To provide practice of the language (Case Study 1) • To give learners the chance to give a business presentation (Case Study 2) • To practise the language/skills (Case Study 2)

The least common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

• To highlight the importance of informal language use in spoken presentations (Key Language 1) • To provide a model of a presentation (Key Language 1) • To help learners practise how to interpret graphs (Case Study 1) • To give students a clear role for their presentation (Case Study 2) • To help students generate ideas for their presentation (Case Study 2) • To help learners organise their presentation (Case Study 2)


• To develop learners’ listening skills (this is not the focus of Key Language 1) • To contextualise the target language in Key Language 1(this was done in the previous exercise) • To teach phrases from the listening (with no mention of how the phrases were relevant to the

overall focus of the extract) • To teach language rather than to help learners to give a presentation (i.e. candidates did not

recognise the aim of the material) • To practise opinion language in Case Study 2 (candidates saw the aim of this exercise as being

to practise/produce the language from Key Language 1)

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Part (b) As in previous sessions, many candidates struggled to identify six accurate assumptions and as can be seen from the list below, the most common assumptions cited were the more generic ones. Many candidates were unable to recognise assumptions related to the focus on presentation skills or the type of methodological approach used. Those candidates who identified four or five assumptions often lost marks because they did not address the second part of the rubric in sufficient detail, i.e. explain why the authors might consider these assumptions to be important for language learning. The rationale that they provided was often very limited and restricted to reasons such as it is motivating / relevant to real life needs / good for learner autonomy etc. The Guideline Answers in this report and previous ones provide a good range of reasons which candidates could usefully consider. Another reason that candidates lost marks in this section was that they either repeated reasons for the assumptions or did not give two reasons for each assumption. Candidates should note that a maximum of 18 marks is available in part (b) with three for each assumption: one for the assumption and exercise, and two for two different reasons for the assumption. A reason can only be credited once. The final reason that candidates lost marks in part (b) was that they sometimes forgot to refer to an exercise where the assumption is evident which meant that they were unable to get a mark for the assumption or the reasons for its inclusion.

The most common assumptions identified were:

• The value of teaching language in chunks • The use of scaffolding/models • The usefulness of a written record • Moving learners from receptive to productive work • The value of collaboration • The use of cognitive challenging tasks

The least common assumptions identified were:

• The need for a focus on features above sentence level • The importance of learners being sensitive to the style of a text • The usefulness of using TBL as an approach • The usefulness of learners having preparation time before they are expected to speak • The value of learners taking on a role • The usefulness of learners producing their own materials for a presentation • The value of real life tasks

Inaccurate assumptions frequently identified were:

• The value of integrated skills • The need for language to be presented in context • The need to appeal to visual learners/a variety of learning styles • The importance of developing listening skills • The usefulness of PPP


� read the rubric carefully to ensure that they discuss only those exercises specified in the task rubric

� write several relevant purposes for each exercise in part (a) and produce a minimum of eight purposes in total

� avoid repeating pre-learnt purposes from previous Guideline Answers and generic purposes, e.g. that the exercises prepare the students for the next one, which could apply to most exercises in a sequence of material

� ensure that all the purposes cited refer to the stated focus of the material, i.e. giving presentations

� note that in part (a) they should discuss the purpose of the exercises in relation to the purpose of the extract as a whole, i.e. in this case to give a presentation

� look at the language included in a text (written or spoken) and within the different exercises cited in the rubric in relation to the focus of the extract

� look at the skills, in this case presentation sub-skills, necessary to achieve the focus of the extract, i.e. to give a presentation

� look at the purposes of the exercise rather than describe what the learners have to do in them

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� research in more detail the principles behind the design of material � give two different reasons for each assumption to maximise their chances of gaining three marks

for each assumption and rationale as outlined in the Guideline Answer, i.e. a maximum of 12 different reasons

� group their answers together as indicated by the task rubric sections i.e. discuss only purposes in part (a), and only assumptions and reasons for them in part (b)

� use headings to organise their answers, e.g. assumption, reasons, exercise which means that they ensure that they provide all the information required in the rubric

� avoid using exercises as headings because this can result in the repetition of assumptions if they are evident in more than one exercise

� lay out their answers using plenty of space/paper so that the Examiners can read their answers.

9.3 Sample Answers

9.3.1 The following sample answer gained a large number of marks for this task 2 a) Key Language 1

Purpose

- an organisational reading exercise to test comprehension - giving studen learners the written form of expressions used in the listening. - giving a second chance to understand, review the listening. - providing learners with language they will need to give a business presentation and

in the tasks that follow. case study exercise 1

- gap fill to help students to describe the chart. - allows teacher to check students know the meaning of words

^to describe graphs and trends that

they will need for the business presentation in case study 2. - provides a believable context for the next exercise and also provides content for the

presentation. - gives a lot of useful vocab - provides a reading activity - balancing skills, after the listening

case study exercise 2

- gives students a chance to carry out a presentation task. using the scaffolding provided by

2a) key language 1 and case study 1

- Having been given the vocab students now get given a chance to move from receptive to productive and have the opportunity to carry out the main purpose of the extract and use the vocab and expressions learnt.

- Listening opportunities provided by group work

2b) Assumptions

• It is useful to teach chunks of lexis (key language 1) because it is motivating for

students to learn expressions and chunks that they can recall ^easily, instead of

having to retrieve word by word. It aids automacity and fluency.

• It is beneficial to provide scaffolding for the learner (key language 1 and case study 1) so that they can move from a receptive mode to a productive one. because it eases the transition from a receptive task to a productive one and it provides reassurance for the learner. Having something to refer to gives them confidence to embark on freer production.

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understand

2b) • It is ^sometimes useful to give learners time to prepare a task (case study 2)

because in the real world, particularly in the area of public speaking, people do get

time to prepare. in order

This will allow learners to produce a more accurate and

communicative outcome.

• working in small groups benefits learners because they learn from each other. Also they may be more confident in a small group, rather than from being on their own. Also preparing the task is a speaking activity in itself, which they would not have if they prepared on their own.

• working with authentic looking materials motivates learners (case study 1) because it provides interesting content. Also they are related to ‘real-world’

activities and the learners can transfer the ^knowledge &skills they learn from using

them to activities in the world outside the classroom.

• Providing a written record of useful vocabulary benefits students (key Language 1) because it makes them feel secure. It helps them achei produce similar TL. Visual learners learn vocab by seeing it written, as well as hearing it.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer The candidate identifies 12 purposes over the three exercises, of which eight are valid: to focus on language and provide a written record of the language in Key Language 1; to provide practice of the language of graphs, to introduce more language of graphs, to check understanding of it, and to contextualise the language in Case Study 1; to give learners the chance to carry out a presentation and practise the language that they have been introduced to in Case Study 2. The other points relating to receptive skills were inaccurate, i.e. to test reading comprehension and to review the listening comprehension in Key Language 1; to provide a reading activity in Case Study 1; and to provide listening opportunities in Case Study 2. In part (b), the candidate identifies six accurate assumptions which lie behind the design of the material. These are the usefulness of teaching chunks of language; the benefit of providing scaffolding to tasks; the value of giving learners time to prepare a task; the usefulness of groupwork; the value of learners doing real-life tasks; and the fact that learners need a written record of language. The candidate provides fully developed rationale for all of the assumptions which means that she gains full marks for this part of the task, i.e. 18 marks. In terms of the organisation of the answer, it has the benefit of a clear layout and use of headings for both parts although in part (b), she could use R1 / R2 to guide the Examiners through her rationale for the assumptions.

9.3.2 The following sample answer gained just under half the marks available for this task

T2

(a)

Key language 1 ∗ to draw learners’ attention to signposting language in the presentation ‘I will then’ ‘I’m here to’

∗ to set a task to encourage learners to listen the record

purposefully to notice language expressions in the business presentation.

∗ to give

provide examples of a variety of fixed expressions

while giving a presentation in business.

Case study Ex 1 ∗ to present and check the relevant vocabulary about global flight trends/business

∗ to check the understanding of learners, whether they

can read the graph (or not) about business.

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T2

(a)

Case Study 2

∗ to practice the expressions v (of presentations in business) that

they have learned in Key language 1 in a freer exercise business related

∗ to practice the vocabulary that are presented in Case Study 1 in a freer exercise

∗ to give learners a chance to personalise what they learned so far (expressions/vocabulary) by preparing a business presentation

T2

(b)

Assumptions

1) It is important that learners need a task to notice target structure/language.

Key Lang. 1

Reasons

∗ learning takes place after noticing the gaps so learners become more aware of their focus/need

∗ to aid retention

2) It is important to contextualize target language.

Key Lang 1.

∗ to help learners to understand use and meaning of target language.

∗ aids retention This makes it easy to remember how to use later on

∗ reflects real life language takes place in context

3) It is important to set a task for learners while they are listening.

Key Lang 1

∗ helps them to know what to focus

∗ reduce stress Learners may feel stress and demotivated when they don’t know what to do while listening

T2

(b)

Assumption

4) It is important to present relevant vocabulary/or check relevant vocabulary that learners will need later on.

Case Study 1

Reason

∗ it gives chance to teach/learn/check relevant vocabulary

∗ to activate learners schemata about the topic.

5) It is important to provide a freer practice in which learners can have chance to practice what they have learned.

Case Study 2

∗ to personalise the target language

∗ to motivate learners

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6) It is important to provide guidelines for specific tasks (presentation guideline in Case Study 2)

Which gives also an idea about the organisation & content (weakness … strength)

∗ to help learners to understand and complete the task successfully

∗ to draw learners attention b to organisation of the presentation/content of the presentation

∗ to clarify what is expected in the task


In part (a), the candidate identifies six accurate purposes: to introduce language related to giving a presentation and to provide a written record of the language in Key Language 1; to introduce more language and to help students to understand graphs in Case Study 1; and to provide the learners with the opportunity to practise the language they have learnt in the previous exercises and to allow them to prepare their presentation in Case Study 2. Unfortunately, the candidate’s response to part (b) of the task is weak and she only identifies one accurate assumption which is that it is important to provide guidelines for specific tasks in order to help learners complete the task successfully. In order to be awarded full marks for this assumption, the candidate needed to provide another reason for its value, e.g. it will make the presentation more effective. None of the other five assumptions could be credited because they were generic and not relevant to the design of these particular exercises, i.e. learners need a task to notice the target structure (there is no task which does this); it is important to contextualise the target language and to set a task for learners whilst listening (this is done in a previous exercise); it is important to present relevant vocabulary which learners will need later on (the candidate needs to recognise the importance of chunks of language/formulaic language); and it is important to provide freer practice (the assumption that is clearly evidenced in these exercises is the move from controlled to freer practice). This candidate’s answer to part (b) is typical of many who rely on pre-learnt assumptions from previous Guideline Answers and repeat these without looking at the sequence of material in this examination paper in depth. Candidates in future sessions should be aware that this is likely to result in them gaining lower marks for this part of the task.

9.3.3 The following sample answer obtained a third of the marks available for this task

TWO Ⓐ Key language 1

purpose in relation to whole extract.

- Helps scaffold the language for the students. - to provide the learners with model target language for a presentation. - to encourage learners to work collaboratively with other learners. To encourage

learner independence / confidence autonomy. - To activate cognitive process for me in the learners in. - To encourage learners to use listening skills for prediction. - To encourage learners to think about cohesion in discourse and identify the purpose of sequencing

in a text. - provides a focus on language chunks for more easily retainable language.

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Ⓐ Case study exercise 1

- provides a focus on topic related lexis

- Having gone from ‘hole’ to establish meaning the activity now looks at ‘part’ – focusing on more detail and language forms.

- provides a change of pace ‘slow motion’ activity so that learners’ attentions are drawn to accuracy rath er than fluency.

TWO CONTINUED

Ⓐ case study exercise 2

- This activity “develop a sales presentation” is designed to encorperate all the language items and skills addressed in the previous activities.

- It provides learners with free practice to proceeduralise the language acquired. - ei ncluding a free activity provides the learners with an opportunity to use the language and process it

further by activating vthe cognitive process.

this gives students an opportunity to acquire 1

- this activity alows learners to demonstrate their language acquired through procedural knowledge.

TWO EXERCISE Ⓑ

B) Six key assumptions

exercise ① (key language)

Assumptions

① – that learners acquire language more effectively if they can learn collocations and fixed expressions

as one unit of language rather than individual words.

exercise ①

② Assumption (key language)

② learners learn more effectively if they can work collaboratively comparing confering with their

classmates. gives learners more confidence and promotes learner autonomy

exercise 1 case study

③ Assumption

- that once learners have been given a context with which to address and connect the language, that they are ready to focus on language form and address accuracAAy.

exercise 1 case study

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④ Assumption

that learners need to ‘notice’ patterns in language to acquire rules. more effectively.

⑤ Exercise ① case study + key language

Assumption ①

that learners learn more effectively If they are first provided with a context ‘meaning’ then they will better connect with the language form used with in that context.

⑥ exercise 2 case study

AAAA Assumption ⑥

than proceduralising language helps learners to acquire the language and activates their kno procedural knowledge schemata.

That acquisition is best obtained when learners transform declarative

6 knowledge into procedural knowledge.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer The candidate’s performance in both parts of this answer is poor. In part (a), she identifies three valid purposes: to introduce chunks of language in Key Language 1; to focus on more lexis in Case Study 1; and to provide the learners with the chance to practise the language in Case Study 2. There are some comments which are unclear (e.g. to activate cognitive process in the learners, this activity alows learners to demonstrate their language acquired through procedural knowledge), vague (e.g. helps scaffold the language for the students), inaccurate (e.g. to encourage learner autonomy, to encourage learners to use listening skills for prediction, to provide a change of pace), or descriptive (e.g. to encourage learners to work collaboratively with other learners). In part (b), the candidate accurately identifies two assumptions out of the six that she lists. These are the value of teaching language in chunks and the usefulness of groupwork. For the first of these assumptions, she does not provide any rationale but for the second one, she gives two reasons: that groupwork gives learners more confidence and promotes learner autonomy. As with the previous sample, the remaining three assumptions are generic/not clearly stated and do not apply to this particular sequence of material, i.e. the usefulness of presenting language in context (stated twice); the value of learners noticing patterns in language; and that acquisition is best obtained when learners transform declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge (the Examiners noted that it was not clear what the candidate meant here). A clearer layout of the answer to part (b) with the use of the sub-heading Rationale might have helped the candidate to address the rubric fully but the key problem with this answer is that the candidate lacked sufficient knowledge of the principles behind the design of material in order to be able to answer this task.

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10 Paper 2 Task 3

Comment on the ways in which Key Language exercise 3, Case Study exercise 3, and Follow Up combine with the exercises discussed in Task Two.


Exercise How exercise combines with exercises in Task Two Key Language 3 • Builds on/extends vocabulary from Key Language 1 / that could be

used in the preparation of the presentation in Case Study 2 • Introduces collocations / language / verbs + prepositions which

prepares for Case Study 2 • Highlights the importance of accuracy which will be important when

they are preparing the presentation in Case Study 2 / to focus the learners on form

• Gives learners controlled/written practice / focuses on accuracy before production

Case Study 3 • Gives a reason for giving the presentation well (in Case Study 2 as peers are judging you)

• For the presenters, it provides a checklist of things that they will be evaluated on

• For the listeners/other students/the teacher, it provides a checklist for what to listen for / a task to complete in Case Study 2

• Provides an opportunity for feedback on their performance (based on input from previous exercises)

• Encourages reflective practice to apply to their own presentation (This point was allowed once for Case Study 3 or Follow up)

Follow up • Encourages reflective practice to apply to their own presentation (This point was allowed once for Case Study 3 or Follow up)

• Builds on/extends language/phrases from Key Language 1 / openings and closings

• Highlights the importance of style/appropriacy (from Key Language 1) • Highlights important aspects of giving a presentation (3, 4 5) (which

could have arisen in Case study 2) • Acts as a checklist in order to improve future presentations • Encourages personalisation / a personal response to the content of the

lesson • Provides variety in interaction (whole class)


Examiners commented that candidates appeared to have a clearer idea of how to approach the task with the average number of marks gained being 5, i.e. 50% of the total marks available. This is in line with previous sessions. As in Task Two, those candidates who viewed the material and tasks as being focussed on language rather than training learners to give a presentation, failed to recognise how the exercises in this task combined with the ones in the previous task to achieve this aim, particularly in terms of Case Study 3. This is the reason why candidates generally gained most of the points in this task when discussing Key Language 3 rather than the other two exercises. There are still signs that candidates are not looking at the material as a whole, for example almost no candidates recognised the fact that the Follow up exercise provides variety in interaction by organising the learners to work whole class. Some candidates still conflated exercises which meant that they lost marks as it was not clear which exercise they are referring to. Centres should emphasise that candidates must identify which tasks they are referring to for each point they make. Two examiners also noted that in some cases, candidates did not attempt or complete this task, indicating that timing is a problem for some candidates; others stated that candidates did not make enough points so that whilst what they wrote was generally accurate, they lost marks because their answers were limited in coverage.

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The most common points made about how the exercises combine with those in Task Two were: • Key Language 3 builds on vocabulary from Key Language 1 • It also introduces collocations/verbs + prepositions which prepare for Case Study 2 • It highlights the importance of accuracy/provides a focus on form • It gives learners practice • Case study 3 provides an opportunity for feedback on the learners’ performance • Follow up highlights the importance of style

The least common points made were:

• Case Study 3 provides a checklist of things that the presenters will be evaluated on • Follow up highlights important aspects of giving a presentation • It acts as a checklist in order to improve future presentations • It provides variety in interaction


• Follow up is the final stage of a PPP cycle • It built on Case Study 2 without saying exactly how it did this, i.e. by highlighting important

aspects of giving a presentation

Candidates are recommended to: � read the rubric carefully and only discuss the exercises they are asked to discuss � approach this task by discussing each exercise on its own so that they maximise the number of

points that they make � make a minimum of twelve points about the different exercises � make sure they discuss how the specific exercises combine with the exercises in Task Two rather

than with each other � make sure they say how the exercises combine rather than describe what the learners have to do

in the exercises � make sure that they do not simple describe the purpose of the exercises without saying how they

combined with one of the exercises in Task Two � do the exercises themselves so that they can see how the exercises link with the ones in Task Two � consider a range of ways exercises can combine, e.g. in terms of language and skills, the focus

of the extract as stated in Task Two, the type of practice, presentation to practice, student interaction patterns, opportunities for personalisation, progression, recycling, the balance between accuracy and fluency, the topic/context etc.

10.3 Sample Answers

10.3.1 The following sample answer obtained a high number of marks available for this task

KEY EX 3

• asks students to focus on key words and their collocations which prepares them for the case study class as well as checks and highlights what they’ve noticed from key language 1.

• gap fill makes students think about language – both form and meaning. It allows for a more active practice of the language in 1 and prepares them for the case study presentation.

CASE STUDY 3

• allows for peer correction on case study 2 which means students learn from each other + aren’t always reliant on the teacher

• gets students to realise that “orginasation, clarity , and interest + usefulness” are important and they can notice lack of the above in other’s work – or why other presentations were more successful

• highlights that it is important to listen to other students and that we can learn from them.

• gives the students a purpese for listening • links with production of target language in 2, this time checking reception of it

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FOLLOW UP

• gives question one links to key lang 1 – it checks understanding of key language as well as highlighting the importance of formality

• it gets students to think about formality and think about whether their, or their peers’ presentations in the case study were sufficiently formal

• highlights importance of preparation in the case study • make students think of the importance of the delivery of the presentation as well as the

preparation – this builds on the target lang in key lang + case study 1 and the presentation in case study 2

Examiner’s comments on sample answer This answer identifies nine accurate points spread evenly over the three exercises. These are that Key Language 3 builds on vocabulary from Key Language 1, introduces collocations which prepare them for the case study, and gives them practice of the language; Case Study 3 provides a checklist of things that the presenters will be evaluated on, provides those students listening to the presentation with a task to complete and allows for feedback; Follow up builds on language from Key Language 1, highlights the importance of formality, and highlights important aspects of giving a presentation which could have arisen in Case Study 2. Whilst some of the points could be expressed a little more succinctly, e.g. the focus on formality in Follow up, overall, this answer contains a good range of points in terms of the ways that the material combines in terms of language work and the focus on developing learners’ presentation skills. It also explicitly refers back to the exercises discussed in Task 2.

10.3.2 The following sample answer obtained over half the marks available for this task

Key Language 3

• to provide students with language to use during in the presentation in CS2. • to make ss aware of possible mistakes before they make them in CS2 • to make focus ss attention on their own output and com during presentation in CS2 • to avoid learning of incorrect useage usage later on in CS2&3 • teach ss useful language for the presentation in CS2.

Case Study 3

• give ss an idea on how to improve/what they did right. • give ss an activity to do while they are listening to others’ presentations. • get ss reflecting on their own organisation and how to improve. • evaluate ss success • provide feedback from many different people = more ideas

Follow Up

• focus ss attention of on different language appropriate for different situations – register, and - the

appropriacy of register in different situations • provide reflection o • focus ss attention on opening + closing statements • get ss exchange

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• brign bring the cycle to a close by getting ss to exchange opinions. • reflect on the opinions which students have enacted during their experience


Out of the 14 points that the candidate makes, seven can be credited as being accurate over the three exercises. In terms of Key Language 3, these are that the exercise introduces language needed for the presentation in Case Study 2 (stated twice) and to highlight the importance of accuracy; in Case Study 3, to provide feedback (stated 3 times), to provide the listeners with a task to complete, and to encourage the learners to reflect on their own presentation (stated twice); and in Follow up, to highlight the importance of style and focus the learners’ attention on opening/closing language. The candidate made four points which could not be credited because they were inaccurate or descriptive and were not explicitly related to the exercises in Task 2, i.e. in Key Language 3, to make ss aware of possible mistakes before they make them in CS2, to focus ss attention on their own output during the presentation in CS2; in Follow up, bring the cycle to a close by getting ss to exchange opinions (this is description). However, overall, it is clear that this candidate understands how to approach the task.

10.3.3 The following sample answer obtained very few marks available for this task

Task Three

key language exercise 3

- to practice and analyse the form of the target language exposed to key language 1.

- to give them ready reference which will be helpful for the learners to achieve task set in case study 2

- to teach the form of the target language which is required to achieve the task in case study 2

Case study 3

- to help learners notice their gaps in learning after presenting the target language in case study 2

- to help the teacher analyse the learner needs and requirements after they complete case study 2

Follow up

- - to focus on the target/form of the target language and teach them explicitly which they been presented with in Key language 1

Examiner’s comments on sample answer The candidate’s response to this task is poor because she only outlines six points when the number of marks available for this task is 10. Out of the six that she identifies, four are accurate. These are that Key Language 3 introduces vocabulary needed for Case Study 2 and give learners practice of the target language; Case Study 3 encourages reflective practice; and Follow up builds on language from Key Language 1. The other two points, i.e. that Key Language 3 gives them ready reference and Case Study 3 helps the teacher analyse the learner needs are not accurate. Overall, it is clear that the candidate knows how to approach the task but she does not analyse the exercises in enough detail and so fails to make enough points.

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11 Paper 2 Task 4

Below is an extract from Inside Teaching by Tim Bowen and Jonathan Marks (Heinemann, 1994, page 143):

a Why might teaching writing skills be ‘at the bottom of the list of teachers’ priorities’? b What justification could there be for giving the teaching of writing skills a more central role in

English-language teaching?


Why writing might be ‘at the bottom of the list of teachers’ priorities’?

• Methodologies there is an emphasis on oral skills in some approaches, e.g. CLT, CLL

• Previous experience writing has negative associations for learners/teachers connected with previous experience of exams or school or homework or ‘traditional’ approaches

• Learner needs there is a perceived need/preference amongst learners for speaking/listening skills/grammar/lexis / learners do not need to write / learners are not motivated to write

• Opportunities to speak/write people speak more than write in life / there are a lot of opportunities to speak

• Teacher/learner reactions speaking activities are considered more fun/active/ involving; writing is a solitary/silent/boring/stressful activity

• Syllabus writing may not be a major part of a school’s course syllabus / writing may be taught in a specialist class

• Accuracy the focus on accuracy in writing makes it too difficult/demotivating for learners

• Feedback to writing/speaking feedback to writing is usually delayed (so has less effect) / feedback to speaking can often be immediate

• Published materials coursebooks often relegate writing to workbooks / give writing an incidental role / don’t provide activities to support teachers in developing writing

• Script learners with different scripts find writing difficult / literacy issues avoid writing

• Waste of class time writing can be done as homework rather than developed in the classroom / writing takes valuable time in class / learners feel waste of valuable contact with teacher

• Cultural norms different cultures have different assumptions about features of good writing and this means there is more to unpack / some cultures have a strong oral tradition

• Explicit focus not necessary writing is often considered as ‘taking care of itself’ with the belief that learners will make progress naturally over time as their English improves

• A long time it takes a long time to learn to write

• Teacher knowledge teachers may lack knowledge of some genres and so avoid teaching them / teachers lack knowledge of how to teach writing skills / teachers may not write well themselves

• Marking correcting written work is an additional burden for teacher / is time consuming / difficult

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• Young learners for younger learners it can be confusing to learn to write in their L1 and an L2 at the same time / can’t write well

• Mixed ability difficult to cater to different writing skills abilities in the same class

What justification could there be for giving writing a more central role in ELT?

• Learner expectations learners expect to write in class / being able to write is part of being a competent language user/learner

• Previous learning experience some learners with strong emphasis on writing in previous education experience feel more comfortable writing

• Progress learners can see their progress over time which can be motivating

• Evidence learners are motivated because there is a record of what they have written/there is evidence of their output/work

• Learning styles writing in class suits some learning styles / some Ss enjoy writing/being creative

• Change lesson writing can provide a change in pace of class / opportunity for quiet/reflective activity / variety / change of focus

• Less confident speakers it takes the pressure off shyer/less confident students

• Language consolidation it can be used to consolidate language work i.e. writing to learn

• Work/life needs some learners need to learn to write for work / EIL/globalisation

• Study needs some learners need to learn to write for study/exam purposes

• New technologies writing is more common in everyday life because of internet

• More time to think learners have more time to think about language, self monitor / it helps learners focus on accuracy and thus develop

• Feedback it is easier for teachers to give individual feedback to each learner / allows teacher to see/diagnose individuals’ strengths/weaknesses

• Learning outside the classroom it helps encourage learning outside the classroom as it is easier to practise writing than speaking

• Support/Improvement it is often the weakest skill and learners need focussed support to develop / learners find writing difficult and need lots of help / it forces learners to improve their writing

• Script learners with a different script / literacy issues need extra support

• Different language features writing uses different language features / sub-skills (e.g. spelling, punctuation, different kinds of grammar, lexis, cohesive devices, style, summarizing, note-taking, paragraphs)

• Collaborative it is possible to make writing a more collaborative process in class, e.g. process writing, joint tasks, project work

• Technology now provides additional support for learners, e.g. spell check

• Impact on other skills improving writing skills has a knock-on effect on other skills, e.g. helping make learners more effective readers, more accurate speakers

• Teacher – learner relationship writing can allow teachers to have a closer relationship with individual learners / allow learners to communicate individually/directly with the teacher

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• Errors vs slips enables teachers to identify errors rather than slips / mistakes in speaking may simply be slips

• Writing conventions Writing conventions may differ between languages


Candidates responded very well to the focus on developing writing skills in the classroom with this task achieving the highest marks since the modular Delta examination was introduced in December 2008. The average number of marks achieved was 22 and a significant number of candidates achieved 32 marks. Examiners commented that the task therefore acted as a good discriminator between those candidates who had experience of, or had researched, teaching writing skills and those who had not. It also allowed for candidates who were less confident on the ‘theory’ to show their practical knowledge in both parts of the task. Very few candidates wrote off-task, although some spent too long on talking about writing in different methodological approaches and only got one point for this. There were no recurring inaccurate points made, which was very encouraging. Overall, this task sampled well across many Delta syllabus areas and answers reflected effectively the relative strengths and weaknesses of individual candidates.

The most common points identified in Part A were:

• Learners want to focus on speaking rather than writing • There are more opportunities to speak rather than write in their lives • Writing can be seen as being boring / a solitary activity • Writing is a waste of class time and can be done at home • Teachers may lack the knowledge to teach writing skills • Marking written work is time consuming for teachers

The least common points identified in Part A were: • Feedback to writing is usually delayed and so can have less impact • Different cultures have different assumptions about the features of good writing • Writing is often considered to take care of itself

The most common points identified in Part B were:

• Learners need to write for work/life • Learners also need to write for study purposes • Writing is more common in new technologies • Writing can be used to consolidate language work • Writing suits some learning styles • Improving writing skills can have an impact on other skills • Learners with different scripts or with literacy issues need extra support

The least common points identified in Part B were:

• Being able to write is part of being a competent language user • Writing can allow teachers to have a closer relationship with individual learners • Written work enables teachers to identify what are errors rather than slips • Writing conventions may differ between languages


� read the rubric very carefully � only provide the information they are asked for about a topic, i.e. keep to the point � make as many relevant different points, up to a maximum of 20 over the two sections � use bullet points rather than an essay format as candidates are marked on the number of points

that they make rather than the depth of their answers � not to write at length about one point but to make as many different points as possible � prepare for this task by reading a methodology book which covers a range of topics, e.g.

Learning Teaching (Scrivener) or The Practice of English Language Teaching (Harmer) � allow themselves enough time for both parts of the task � refer, where appropriate, to a range of learners and contexts � consider the question (where appropriate) from the viewpoints of learners, teachers, institutional

requirements, materials, etc in order to generate a greater range of ideas.

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11.3 Sample Answers

11.3.1 The following sample answer obtained almost the maximum number of marks available for this task ④ a)

• reasons why teaching writing may be ‘at the bottom of the list of teachers’ priorities • It is very time consuming (teachers and students may believe time can be ‘better’

spent. • It is difficult to monitor in a large glass • Teachers may be unconfident of how/how much to correct. • Teachers may see writing as simply a combination of grammar and lexis and

Therefore prefer to focus on Those individual aspects. • supporters of The audio-lingual method may think it is more valuable to teach

through simple modelling and drilling. • It is not a very interactive skill/class activity and therefore may be seen to go against

a communicative syllabus. • Although a class of students may be of roughly the same ‘level’, students written

abilities tend to vary more greatly and Therefore it can be difficult for teachers to know which areas to focus on/teach

• students tend to feel more satisfied when they are learning new grammar and vocabulary.

• Teachers and students may have had negative experiences with writing, due to ‘grammar translation’ methodologies often used in secondary schools.

• It requires the teacher to take on the role of ‘prompter’ rather than of ‘teacher’ and some teachers may be uncomfortable with this ie think it is not ‘real’ teaching.

• Most syllabuses nowadays focus on the spoken production of language and encourage communicative activities. If it is not focused on in coursebooks, teachers may not think it should be a priority.

b) Justifications for giving the teaching of writing skills a more central role:

• It is an integrative skill and therefore provides good practice of all many language/lexical elements.

• It benefits and appeals to ‘shyer ‘shy’ students who can be intimidated by group work. (as it’s usually done individually)

• It benefits and appeals to non learners who prefer non-verbal modalities.

• It is usually done individually ^so

it gives a great opportunity for the teacher and

student to see a The true level of what They can produce. • It provides a great opportunity for students to independently practice everything

They’ve been studying recently - ie it can be used as a summative activity. • Students work can be put on the wall or in a display and therefore it can be a very

motivating activity. • Many students study English to use it in their current/future jobs. These will often

involve writing emails/business letters, Therefore written accuracy is a vital skill • Students have more time to think when writing (in comparison to when

speaking), and therefore it can be used as a scaffolding stage between learning language and spoken production.

• It is one of the only ways skills such as spelling and punctuation can be checked.

• Often written language differs from spoken language (ie it can be more formal) and Therefore focusing only on spoken production is not enough to cover all aspects of the language

• Due to the effects of globalisation and English becoming the ‘global language’, a lot of most internet information and business information is produced in English and if students wish to work in any of those areas, strong written skills are essential.

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Examiner’s comments on sample answer Part a The candidate makes nine valid points with an appropriate amount of detail. She identifies key points in terms of methodology, learners’ previous experience of writing in the classroom, learner needs, the fact that learners and teachers may see writing as not being very interactive, it may not be a major part of a syllabus or a coursebook, it is time consuming to teach in class, teachers may not feel confident about teaching writing skills and it can be difficult to cater for different writing abilities in the same class. However, she also makes three inaccurate points, i.e. that it can be difficult to monitor writing in a large class (this is also true for other skills), teachers may see writing as a language work and that it requires teacher to take on the role of ‘prompter’ (there is no reason for either of these points being the case). Part b Here the candidate makes another nine valid points: the writing can be used to consolidate language; it benefits shyer learners; it suits different learning styles; it allows students and teachers to diagnose strengths and weaknesses; it provides learners with evidence of their work; learners need to write in their jobs (stated twice); it provides learners with time to think; writing focuses on different language features; and it is needed in new technologies. There was one point which was not credited (writing can be used as a summative activity) as it was not clear what the learners would be practising, i.e. language (which had already been stated) or skills. 11.3.2 The following sample answer obtained just over half the number of marks available for this task

4. a.

• students are generally not interested in writing. They give more importance to speaking. • students might find it hard to write in L1 and even more so in L2. • Teachers might find it hard to teach writing • Students and the teacher might consider it a waste of time as there are more important things to

focus on. • Students find it boring. • Students lack creativity – Students lack ideas.

• It takes time to write ^in class so it is either relegated is homework or not focused on

4. b.

• It helps with accuracy. • It is a required skill in exams such as IELTS and FCE.

(BH later)

• Students have the time to focus on grammatical structures and thus it improves on their spoken fluency.

• It’s a skill which is learnt in L1 and should also be learnt in L2. • It completes the cycle of language acquisition. Listening speaking reading writing. • It aids retention • It gives students a written record of what they have learnt. • It gives them time to reflect on the language. • Collaborative writing induces peer teaching and as a result aids retention. • It consolidates what students have learnt in a lesson

Examiner’s comments on sample answer Part a The candidate makes seven points of which five were credited as being valid. These were that learners see speaking as being more important than writing; they may find writing difficult in their L1; teachers may find it difficult to teach writing skills; learners and teachers may see writing in class as a waste of

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time (stated twice); and students may find writing boring. The candidate’s point that learners may lack ideas was not credited as this is something which teachers can deal with when preparing their writing skills lessons. The Examiners noted that this part of the candidate’s answer was too short and that he needed to outline more points to maximise his chances of gaining more marks for this section. Part b The candidate’s response to this part of the task is fuller and he makes six valid points out of the nine that he outlines. These are that writing is important for study purposes; it can be used to consolidate language work (stated three times); it can impact on the development of speaking skills; writing is part of being a competent language user; writing gives learners time to think; and it encourages collaborative work. The candidate’s point about it providing learners with a written record of what they have learnt could not be credited as it was not clear whether the candidate was referring to a record of language (which was already credited as a point) or a record of skills work which needed to be clearly stated. The points about writing being an aid to retention and also that it completes the cycle of language acquisition were too vague to be credited.

11.3.3 The following sample answer obtained very few of the marks available for this task

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a)

teaching skills may be at the bottom of the list because

learners may believe they need to practice speaking skills when they have an opportunity to talk to a native L2 speaker.

It takes a lot of time to correct learners writing both inside and outside class.

With the advent of methodologies such as the communicative Approach which includes community language learning, teachers may now believe that their should be less focus on grammar and more on lexis.

Grammar translation methodology is outdated. Language learning does not follow strict rules and learners need to acquire language in a lexical way rather than grammatical as suggested by Michael Lewis (1993).

4B What justification

1. Given writing a more central role promotes fluency in both written and spoken text. If learners can control the TL in written form there is positive backwash when they speak in their L2.

2. Teachers have a better indicator as to errors learners are making [and can plan

subsequent classes to help learners practice discrete items of language]. 3. Learners can work together to practise writing skills using the drafting techniques

suggested in the process or genre writing approaches. This can help learners confidence as they negotiate meaning together.

4. Learners can practise writing skills for spe different types of genre. This is necessary

experience if learners want to do exams like the First Certificate which checks that students can write different types of text. Such as a transactional letter.

Examiner’s comments on sample answer Part a The candidate makes two valid points, i.e. that learners see speaking as more of a priority than writing, and that marking students’ written work is time-consuming. The remainder of this part of the task could not be credited because there was no reference to written or oral skills in the discussion of the different methodologies. As in the previous sample, the candidate’s response to this part of the task was too short.

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Part b The candidate outlines four points, all of which are valid, i.e. that work on writing skills can impact on other skills, in this case, speaking; that written work can allow the teacher to diagnose learners’ weaknesses; that it encourages collaborative work; and that it is important for exam purposes. However, as in the previous section, the candidate’s response to this section was also too short which means that overall the candidate would only have the possibility of gaining a total of eight marks. Candidates in future sessions should note that this task carries 40 marks (each point being worth 2 marks) and so candidates must make at least 10 marks to gain 50% overall.

delta module one - delta-space -...

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