In-Service Teacher Training

1. In-Service Teacher Training Assessment in IGCSE English as a Second Language 0510 Session 2: Question papers and mark schemes

2. Welcome • Introductions • Background • Aim of training

3. Session 2 looks at: Summative assessment • The construction of question papers and mark schemes • Analysis of question papers • Grade descriptions • Recent candidate scripts • Creating suitable summative exercises and mark schemes

4. What is summative assessment? Summative assessment might be: • A means to place students in rank order • External to the teaching and learning situation • Regarded as an objective way of recording achievement • The pressure under which teachers work • Seen as the ‘end’ of a course of learning

5. How question papers are set • Using Assessment Objectives • Levels of difficulty • Mark schemes

6. Question papers (1):Reading - Locating specific information • Timetables and signs • Newspaper advertisements • Collecting and analysing brochures

7. Question papers (2):Reading - Locating more detailed information • Factual/informative articles • Newspaper and magazine articles • Articles which include a visual display - e.g. graph, chart, diagram

8. Question papers (3): Reading and writing as an integrated skill • Filling out a form (Core level only) • Making notes (Extended level only

9. Question papers (4): Reading and writing – writing a summary • Analyse summaries to recognise similarities • Convert a set of notes to a summary • Practise the language of summaries • Encourage use of own words • Discourage the ‘note-taking’ approach

10. Question papers (5): Extended writing - Descriptive/personal writing • Writing letters • Recording personal feelings, opinions • Describing events, places, people • Semi-formal style and register • Audience is always given

11. Question papers (6): Extended writing - Using language for a specific purpose [Only required on Paper 2, for Extended candidates] • Of a more formal style/register • Often deals with an issue open to debate, e.g. to persuade, to comment upon, to state own point of view, to consider a variety of others’ views • Higher level concepts are introduced • Same mark scheme/criteria as first task(s)

12. Question papers (7): Listening for specific information in short statements • Factual detail presented • Often in the form of announcements, e.g. at railway stations, airports, etc. • News reports, weather reports, travel reports • Understanding directions • Recognising numbers, amounts, currency

13. Question papers (8): Listening to longer conversations/interviews • Semi-formal interviews are often used • Most of the interviews have a topic or theme which is developed • ‘Gist’ understanding is also tested - working out the attitudes, opinions and feelings of speakers • Gap filling is required for some exercises • Core candidates will use true or false tick boxes • Extended candidates will answer using sentence-length responses

14. Question papers (9):Speaking - the Oral Test • Topic-based conversation/discussion • Includes a 2-3 minute ‘Warm up’ - not assessed • Conversation to last 6-9 minutes - assessed • Examined at the Centre, but moderated by CIE • Graded separately - marks NOT part of final letter grade

15. Question papers (10): Coursework • Conduct three different and separate activities throughout the course • Try to include group work and pair work - not just individual work • Assessed by the teacher/Examiner using the same criteria as for the Oral Test • Same procedure applies for sending in samples • The only Coursework option for the E2L IGCSE course

16. The Oral Assessment criteria • Three criteria: Fluency, Vocabulary and Structure • The full grid appears in the syllabus • Applies to both the Oral Test and Coursework • Teachers/Examiners, in applying the criteria, tend to be lenient more often than they are severe • Grade 1 candidates are not expected to be ‘First Language’ users

17. Grade descriptions (1):Why have grade descriptions? • To make clear the level of performance required for different grades • Help Examiners to set questions of the appropriate difficulty • Help teachers assess the level of their students • Form a basis for school-based assessment

18. Grade descriptions (2): Extended Writing criteria – extracts of Grade A • Enjoyable to read • Few mistakes in grammar, punctuation or spelling • Confident use of language, idiom and tenses • Sense of audience is well developed • Response is entirely relevant • The interest of the reader is aroused

19. Grade descriptions (3): Extended Writing criteria - extracts of Grade C • Meaning is clear and work is of a safe standard • Appropriate choice of vocabulary and structures • Spelling weaknesses may be present but not enough to obscure meaning • Material is satisfactorily developed • Attempt to address the topic but there may be digressions • Fulfils the task

20. Grade descriptions (4): Extended Writing criteria - extracts of Grade D • Meaning is never in doubt • Frequent errors may hamper precision and slow down reading • Vocabulary and structures are limited • Some interest in the subject matter, though the effect is incomplete.

21. Grade descriptions (5): Extended Writing criteria - extracts of Grade E • Weak, with many errors in grammar and spelling • Only partial engagement with the task • Language simple but still often wrong choice of register and vocabulary • Meaning may be obscured or neutralised by the weight of linguistic error

22. Closing comments