OCR A Level Modern Foreign Languages - Hints and tips for teachers

1
AS/A Level GCE Modern Foreign Languages
Hints and tips for teachers
A Level French H475
AS French H075
A Level German H476
AS German H076
A Level Spanish H477
AS Spanish H077
2
AS Speaking
ROLE PLAY

• Preparation
• At the beginning of the course, candidates may
  benefit from hearing a role play conducted
  entirely in English. This will help them to
  understand what theyre aiming for, without the
  language barrier.
• Train candidates to use the 20 minutes of
  preparation time wisely. They should avoid
  writing out full sentences instead they might
  like to jot down key words, highlight statistics,
  or spend time thinking about their own ideas.

3
AS Speaking

• The initial questions
• Practise the initial questions which the
  candidate must ask e.g. work on all the
  possible question words. Even able candidates can
  struggle with this part!
• Train candidates to decide whether the formal or
  informal mode of address is appropriate look
  closely at the context.
• Practise changing possessive adjectives e.g.
  changing his/her daughter to your daughter.

4
AS Speaking

• The conversation
• Practise some opening gambits for suggesting the
  activity/ product/job on offer get candidates
  off to a confident start.
• Use of stimulus is worth 15 marks (grid A)
  make sure candidates are aware that they need to
  convey almost all of the information from the
  stimulus text, and when you practise past papers,
  refer to the main points on the mark scheme to
  see what information was credited...
• ...However, this is a role play, and not a
  summary exercise. Candidates need to demonstrate
  that they can respond to the examiners questions
  (Grid B). Interaction is key it should sound
  like a genuine conversation.

5
AS Speaking

• General tips
• Spend time practising numbers, addresses, e-mail
  addresses...
• Train candidates to find ways of rephrasing
  words/phrases which they dont know. It is not
  normally necessary to use precise wording to gain
  the mark for a key point, and its better to
  talk around a word/phrase than to invent a
  non-existent cognate!

6
AS Speaking

• General tips
• Candidates who play the part and give a
  convincing performance tend to score more highly
  than candidates who are worried about making
  mistakes. Quality of language (Accuracy) is worth
  just 5 marks (Grid C.1) whereas conveying the
  information and responding to the examiner are
  together worth 25 marks.
• Candidates should aim to use imagination and
  initiative throughout the role play, not just in
  the extension questions. They should be
  encouraged to go beyond the scope of the stimulus
  material.

7
AS Speaking

• The teacher/examiners role
• Your role as teacher/examiner is vital! Prepare
  each role play carefully and ensure you know the
  full answer to each question about the stimulus
  material. This will enable you to
  prompt/encourage candidates to supply missing
  information.
• Avoid giving away key vocab if you say the
  word/phrase first, the candidate cant be
  credited for it! The questions in the booklet are
  worded to avoid this happening.

8
AS Speaking

• The teacher/examiners role
• Play the part e.g. worried parent or concerned
  customer. Ask questions such as What if...?,
  Should I...?, How can I...?
• The two extension questions are important. If the
  candidate gives very short replies, ask follow-up
  questions to elicit more ideas and opinions.
• Finally, timing is important the limit is 6
  minutes.

9
AS Speaking
TOPIC DISCUSSION

• Choice of topic
• The topic chosen MUST be linked to the AS topics
  or sub-topics in the specification. The idea is
  that candidates choose something which has been
  introduced during the course and which they are
  interested in researching further.
• At AS level, candidates should choose something
  relatively straightforward and should show a
  personal response.
• Candidates are more likely to be successful and
  to enjoy their preparatory work if they choose
  something which they are genuinely interested in.

10
AS Speaking
TOPIC DISCUSSION

• Choice of topic
• If candidates choose one of the more common
  topics, taking an individual angle can catch the
  examiners attention.
• Candidates are allowed to choose a literary text,
  film or play... BUT they must concentrate on the
  ISSUES arising from the work and link it to one
  of the AS topics/sub-topics e.g. a film about
  school might fit under Education and training.
  They must avoid simply describing the
  plot/characters.

11
AS Speaking
TOPIC DISCUSSION

• Choice of topic
• The topic discussed MUST be rooted in a target
  language country/community. Candidates selecting
  something generic like Obesity in France should
  ensure that the majority of their research is
  specific to the target language country/community
  e.g. what the French government is doing to
  combat obesity, what French schools are doing...

12
AS Speaking

• The discussion
• The discussion should be as natural and
  spontaneous as possible, based on the five
  headings the candidate has chosen.
• Candidates are not penalised when prepared
  material is used flexibly to respond to the
  teacher/examiners questions...
• ...However, discussions should not sound
  scripted candidates and teachers should not be
  working from a prepared list of questions. Train
  candidates to know the difference between
  well-prepared and over-rehearsed.

13
AS Speaking

• The discussion
• Giving developed opinions and exploring ideas in
  depth is important ideally candidates will do
  this throughout the discussion, justifying their
  ideas with the research they have done.
• Candidates can use this part of the exam to show
  off their knowledge of the language, but they
  should use phrases and structures which sound
  natural in spoken language, rather than more
  formal, written ones.
• They should pay particular attention to the
  pronunciation of topic-specific vocabulary.

14
AS Speaking

• The teacher/examiners role
• Listen carefully to what the candidate has to
  say. Encourage an exchange of views throughout,
  rather than a strict Question and Answer
  format.
• Encourage candidates to speak naturally and take
  the initiative they dont have to wait for the
  next question.
• Be ready to challenge and react to statements
  made by the candidate e.g. ask Why? or In
  what way...? or Whats your view?
• Be ready to interrupt if a candidate seems to be
  reciting a long paragraph of pre-learnt material.
• There is a strict time limit of 10 minutes.

15
AS Listening, Reading Writing
SECTION A LISTENING AND WRITING

• Candidates should practise completing listening
  tasks independently so that they are familiar
  with the equipment they will use in the exam.
• They may find it beneficial to read the questions
  BEFORE listening to the text...
• ...And they should listen to the whole text
  BEFORE starting to write their answers.
• Practise question words regularly.

16
AS Listening, Reading Writing
SECTION A LISTENING AND WRITING

• Practise language manipulation exercises e.g.
  verb to noun, noun to adjective. Starter
  activities in class can be good for this.
• Train candidates to look at the mark allocations
  two marks means two distinct points are
  required.
• Task 4 is always related to Task 3. It may be
  possible to glean some relevant vocabulary for
  the writing task from the listening text.
• Train candidates to find alternative ways of
  expressing the same idea, rather than attempting
  a literal translation in Task 4. It is the
  meaning which matters!

17
AS Listening, Reading Writing
SECTION B READING AND WRITING

• In Task 6 (answers in the target language),
  candidates may lose marks if they copy phrases of
  more than FIVE words from the text...
• ...BUT they do not need to find a synonym for
  every single word a change in a grammatical
  structure may suffice.
• For Task 7a, candidates should concentrate solely
  on the text. They do not need to interpret it,
  draw conclusions or offer personal opinions...

18
AS Listening, Reading Writing
SECTION B READING AND WRITING

• ...However, for Task 7b candidates DO need to
  move away from the text, expressing and
  justifying their own opinions.
• An idea/opinion will only be credited once, so
  there is no point in repeating or rewording it.
• In 7b, the better responses are often those which
  consider both sides of the argument.
• Candidates should be encouraged to plan and
  organise their ideas before starting their essay
  it is time well spent.
• They should also allow time for checking once
  they finish the essay.

19
AS Listening, Reading Writing
SECTION B READING AND WRITING

• Experience suggests that longer does not
  necessarily mean better longer essays often
  contain more errors and lack concision.
• Quality of language is assessed over both 7a and
  7b.
• Finally, candidates may like to think about what
  order they do the paper in. Some like to start
  with Section B (Reading Writing) and finish
  with Section A (Listening Writing). Try it
  different ways and see what works!

20
A2 Speaking
ARTICLE DISCUSSION

• Articles cover both AS and A2 topics.
• There is no randomisation sheet you as
  teacher/examiner can choose which article to use
  for each candidate. Just make sure it doesnt
  overlap with the candidates chosen topic for the
  Topic Conversation.
• Discourage candidates from writing extensive
  notes during the preparation time they should
  not write out summaries of each paragraph!
  Encourage them to jot down key words/phrases,
  highlight important information and think
  carefully about their own opinions.
• Practise numbers, dates, unfamiliar names,
  acronyms...

21
A2 Speaking
ARTICLE DISCUSSION

• As the teacher/examiner, ensure that you are as
  familiar as possible with the articles before the
  exams start.
• You do not have to stick to the suggested
  questions use all, some or none of them! Feel
  free to adapt them, extend them, simplify them...
• ...Because it is good practice to differentiate
  according to the candidate in front of you. Some
  questions are designed for stretch and
  challenge you dont have to use these, or you
  can adapt them to suit your candidates.
• Keep track of the time as for the AS role play,
  the limit is 6 minutes.

22
A2 Speaking
TOPIC CONVERSATION

• (Please note that many of the tips given for Unit
  1 Topic Discussion are also relevant here.)
• The topic chosen MUST be linked to the A2 topics
  or sub-topics.
• The A2 topics reflect the need for candidates to
  demonstrate greater analytical/evaluative skills
  than at AS...
• ...However, ideas and opinions are still
  essential (see Grid M Development of Ideas).
• For A2, candidates prepare TWO titles, but the
  second is only discussed if the candidate cannot
  sustain 10-12 minutes of discussion on their
  first topic.

23
A2 Speaking
TOPIC CONVERSATION

• If they want to discuss a literary text, film or
  play, but find that it does not work under the
  Culture topic, they can choose a work which
  they can link to one of the other A2
  topics/sub-topics e.g. A sci-fi novel might
  work under Science and technology.
• There is not always a literary question on the
  Listening, Reading Writing paper
  (F704/F714/F724), so the Topic Conversation is a
  good opportunity for candidates to discuss
  literature.
• As at AS, the aim is a genuine conversation
  between candidate and teacher/examiner.
• The time limit is 12 minutes.

24
A2 Listening, Reading Writing

• General
• For the Listening element, train candidates to
  work under timed conditions 30 minutes for the
  two texts.
• Section B carries 5 marks for Quality of Language
  therefore candidates should spend a few minutes
  checking accuracy.
• In the Transfer of meaning exercise candidates
  should use good English. They should not be
  afraid to alter word order etc to achieve this...
• ...However, they should stick closely to the
  original meaning and should avoid missing out any
  information.
• Beware of words which look like English but have
  a different meaning false friends!

25
A2 Listening, Reading Writing
THE ESSAY QUESTION

• Candidates should keep an open mind about which
  topic they will choose in the exam. The essay
  titles give scope for a whole range of answers,
  drawing on what individual candidates have
  studied.
• There is nothing to stop candidates from choosing
  a title on the same topic as their Topic
  Conversation (F703/F713/F723). However, they
  should take care to answer the question in front
  of them and avoid including irrelevant material.
• Practise essays of the required length 250-400
  words. There is no advantage to writing more.

26
A2 Listening, Reading Writing
THE ESSAY QUESTION

• Train candidates to identify factual evidence
  which will justify their argument. Avoid putting
  in facts just for the sake of it!
• Encourage candidates to read and research outside
  of class. Information, facts and public opinion
  can be gleaned on newspaper websites, target
  language radio, TV etc.

27
A2 Listening, Reading Writing

• Tips for candidates on approaching the essay
• Decide what your overall argument will be, what
  points you wish to make and what evidence you can
  use to back these up (Relevance and points of
  view 10 marks, Grid N).
• Work out a logical plan for your essay and be
  clear from the start about the conclusion you
  will reach, so that the essay has a sense of
  purpose and direction.
• Ensure that your analysis of the question flows
  from the introduction through to the main body
  and finally to its conclusion (Structure and
  analysis 15 marks, Grid O).
• Leave time to check accuracy (Quality of
  language 20 marks, Grids C.2 F.2).