Modern Foreign Languages Russian

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GCSE 2009- Delivering the new specification in
September 2009

• Modern Foreign Languages - Russian

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Aims of Event

• To consider changes in specification content
• To consider changes in listening and reading
  assessments
• To consider changes in speaking assessment
• To consider changes in writing assessment
• To explore delivery strategies applicable to new
  specification

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Key subject aims

• To enable students to develop
• an understanding of Russian in a variety of
  contexts
• a knowledge of a range of vocabulary and
  structures
• transferable language learning skills
• the ability to communicate effectively in Russian
• awareness and understanding of countries and
  communities where Russian is spoken

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All languages
All languages
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Qualification structure
Assessment

Unit/skill
Edexcel marked
Examination
23
Unit 1 Listening understanding Defined common
topic areas
Edexcel marked
Examination
27
Unit 2 Speaking Choice of themes
Edexcel marked
Examination
23
Unit 3 Reading understanding Defined common
topic areas
Edexcel marked
Examination
27
Unit 4 Writing Choice of theme-linked questions
6
The Units in detail Units 1 3
Units one and three (all languages)
Unit one and three (all languages)
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Listening Reading - what is the same?

• The single tier, incorporating two levels
• Foundation questions targeted at grades G-C
• Higher questions targeted at grades B-A
• Emphasis on non-verbal testing
• Peaks and troughs approach rather than incline
  of difficulty (which can mean students give up
  before the end of the paper)
• Most test types remain unchanged
• NO dictionaries

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Listening Reading - what is new?

• Revised Minimum Core Vocabulary
• Reduced generic content with 4 common topic
  areas
• Out and about
• Customer service transactions
• Personal information
• Future plans, education work
• All questions, titles rubrics in English
• Less dependence on use of pictures

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Listening Reading - Test types (1)

• The following are examples, not a prescriptive
  list
• Matching pictures to words
• Matching halves of sentences
• Writing a letter or number in box or grid
• Multiple choice using pictures, words in English
  or (only in the reading test) Russian

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Listening Reading - Test types (2)

• Further examples, not a prescriptive list
• Identifying correct statements (4 from 8)
• Choosing 4 out of 8 options (identifying
  opinions, preferences, current likes etc)
• Identifying speaker/writer by ticking box, or
  writing name or number
• Gap filling (using letters/numbers/words or
  phrases in English)
• Short answers in English

Activity 1
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Speaking
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Speaking assessment broad themes possible
content

• Media, travel culture
• Music/film/reading
• Fashion/celebrities/religion
• Blogs/internet
• Holidays
• Accommodation
• Eating, food, drink

• Sport, leisure work
• Hobbies/interests
• Sporting events
• Lifestyle choices
• Work experience/part-time jobs
• Product or service information

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Task 1 option 1 - Picture-based discussion

• Students use picture as prompt to discussion
• Picture relates to something of interest to
  student
• Students prepare on an individual basis in
  advance
• Students will not be presented with unseen
  picture a few minutes before assessment
• Students will not be asked in-depth questions on
  every aspect of pictures content

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Task 1 option 2 - Presentation

• Students choose their presentation content
• Students prepare on an individual basis in
  advance
• Students can give a short presentation (1 to 2
  minutes maximum) - may refer to A5 sheet with
  bulleted notes (30 words maximum)

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Task 2 Conversation

• Covers the selected general theme
• Students able to prepare in advance of assessment
  
• but must not know exact questions in advance

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Speaking marking criteria
Content Response (15) Very confident and
fluent Frequently takes initiative develops
elaborate responses No difficulty in explaining
wide range of ideas points of view Very little
or no hesitation Range of Language (5) Uses wide
range of appropriate vocabulary structures,
including some complex lexical items Consistently
competent use of different tenses Accuracy
(5) Very accurate, only isolated usually
insignificant errors Consistently good
pronunciation and intonation
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Speaking 2 tasksEITHER Picture-based
discussion OR PresentationPLUS Conversation
Activity 2
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Writing
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Writing assessment

• Tasks
• give students opportunity to inform, describe,
  provide detail, express feelings give opinions
• reward students for effective communication,
  range accuracy of language
• are set in English (to ensure that the assessment
  is not over reliant on reading ability)
• have key elements accessible to Foundation
  students
• provide opportunities to stretch and challenge
• enable students to use a dictionary to check
  writing

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Writing assessment

• Students complete two tasks
• a shorter answer
• a longer answer
• Tasks are set on 2 grouped themes
• Media, travel and culture
• Sport, leisure and work
• Dictionaries can be used

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Writing assessment Task 1

• A short piece of continuous writing
• could include writing short note, email etc
• choice of 1 of 4 possible tasks (2 per grouped
  theme)
• 25-50 words of Russian
• requires information simple opinion
• assessed for communication knowledge
  application of language
• dictionaries can be used

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Writing assessment Task 2

• Extended writing
• could include writing letter, report, magazine
  article, blog, etc
• from a choice of 1 of 4 possible tasks (2 per
  grouped theme)
• opportunities to narrate, express opinions and
  justify points of view, using variety of tenses
• at least 90 words of Russian
• assessed for communication, knowledge,
  application accuracy of language
• dictionaries can be used

Activity 3
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Delivery strategies
Activity 4
1 All units sat at end of Y11, leaving as long
as possible for students to prepare for
assessments 2 Units 1 3 sat at end Y10
(unitisation of qualification means that students
can re-sit each skill once before certification)
Units 2 4 sat at end Y11 3 Short Courses -
either Spoken language (Units 1 2) OR
Written language (Units 3 4)
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