GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS. FRENCH AS/Advanced

Transcription

1 GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS FRENCH AS/Advanced JANUARY 2010

2 Statistical Information This booklet contains summary details for each unit: number entered; maximum mark available; mean mark achieved; grade ranges. N.B. These refer to 'raw marks' used in the initial assessment, rather than to the uniform marks reported when results are issued. Annual Statistical Report The annual Statistical Report (issued in the second half of the Autumn Term) gives overall outcomes of all examinations administered by WJEC. Unit Page FN2 1

3 FRENCH General Certificate of Education January 2010 Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Principal Examiner: Mr Philip Anthony Ainsworth, B.A., PGCE, M.Ed., MIL, Languages Co-ordinator, Swansea Metropolitan University Unit Statistics The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they 'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year. Unit Entry Max Mark Mean Mark FN Grade Ranges A 70 B 63 C 57 D 51 E 45 N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks. 1

4 FN2 LISTENING, READING AND WRITING General Comments The candidature for the January examination seemed to be of a higher standard than that in previous years (although comparisons are difficult to make between the former and current specifications). In general terms candidates performances have improved in the grammar-based exercises, translations into English/Welsh and also the essays. It is particularly encouraging that candidates are becoming more grammatically aware and showing their competence in morphology and phonology. A number of candidates are however still not addressing the questions in the listening and reading comprehension exercises, often writing overlong answers to questions for which marks were awarded for a few words that directly answered the question. Where lines are provided for answers, candidates should be aware that ample space is always provided and that answers that are longer than the lines provided have probably not focused in on the answer. Q.1 True / False listening questions As in the Summer, only one mark could be gained for each question either for ticking the VRAI box for all correct answers or for a comprehensible correction of the original statement for incorrect statements. In these corrections only errors that impeded communication were not awarded the correction mark, all other grammatical errors being tolerated. If a false statement was perfectly corrected without ticking the Faux box, the mark was still awarded. A negation of a statement was not credited according to the rubric in the question paper. Candidates seem to be well acquainted with the need for use of antonyms, but there are still too many who do not pay attention to detail and confuse the age ranges and their respective statements in (f) and (g). Those questions that included figures as age ranges or percentages tended to be less accurately answered. These are the questions that required statements to be corrected: (a) (d) (f) (g) C est aussi le tabac/le tabagisme but not le tabac seulement. Either plus d un tiers de 15 à 19 ans or presque la moitié des ans. un tiers was often lifted and misspelt and then not understandable (e.g. enthiers/entiềres- although sounding similar to the correct answer, were not deemed to be comprehensible in the written forms ). The same applied to la moitié. Le nombre reste similaire/le même/stable. These correct answers were at times part of a whole paragraph answer! Le nombre est réduit/diminué/moins. Many corrections again tended to be buried in long answers as above. 2

5 Q.2 Gap filling listening (grammar) Most candidates scored some marks, a large number gained 2-3 but very few were awarded full marks. The answer had to be free from any grammatical error. 1. met/mets/mette/mête were some incorrect forms. 2. A u was present or the agreement ignored in favorables. 3. faite/faites/fête were some incorrect homophones. 4. Infinitive or past participle with agreements were common mistakes. 5. aller/alle/allée were all correct-sounding answers but incorrect grammatically. Q.3 Reading (i) Well answered with many full marks. 5 boxes had to be ticked (a,c,e,h,i). If more were ticked, marks had to be deducted, a very occasional error. A number missed a) or i) as correct answers or incorrectly ticked b) or j). Answers in French on texts Q.3(ii) & 3(iii): Many are still lifting directly from the text without any manipulation of language which cannot usually be credited. There was evidence that some candidates had had little practice at this skill. There were also a number of instances of viable answers but unfortunately to the wrong question! Candidates should remember that questions are asked chronologically as they appear in the text. If Welsh or English words appeared in an answer, no credit could be given for that particular section. (ii) Generally, fairly well done with most gaining some marks but few full marks. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Une augmentation de 87%. There was often a mix up between figures, thus the correct percentage was required for the mark. C est la même/les mêmes logos/les mêmes styles/panoplies but not Le même look. Les deux sexes deviennent plus similaires. Difficulty in answering this question, with a great deal of lifting from the text. 2 different answers needed. Quite well answered. Il est moins macho. (inference required). We found plus macho often. Two answers needed: pour montrer leur identité + individualité but not légalité. Alternative answers also available. 3

6 (iii) Less well done than the preceding question and considerable confusion between answers to the first three questions. (1) 2 answers needed, and had to be in the past tense: reference to he liked football and he had health problems but not an accident. (2) Again, answer had to be in past tense: reference to he had to stop sport with contact and he preferred swimming. (3) Here present tense was accepted with reference to emotion and competition but not success or motivation. (4) Some good interpretations but frequent lifting from the text. Three answers: references to success in the past but not history on its own, to be near the swimmers of the club and to share the same values than the manager. (5) Well answered. Two answers needed with reference to his international experience and to be able to pursue his studies after the bac but not to pass his bac. Q.4 Gap-filling reading (grammatical) The answers to fill the gaps chosen from a list had to be copied completely error free. No error whatsoever could be tolerated including accents and minor spelling errors. A number of candidates still select the correct word but end up copying it out incorrectly and thus lose valuable marks. The main discriminators in this question were 6, 9 and 10. This question requires candidates to understand the text but also be familiar with verb endings including tenses; adjectival agreements; prepositions and pronouns, amongst other grammatical aspects. Q.5 Translation into English/Welsh Generally pleasing renderings in English/Welsh, a marked improvement on the same question in the Summer examination. It is encouraging that centres are according this skill its due attention. Candidates had to translate six sentences into English/Welsh. All parts of a sentence had to be incorporated into the answer with verbs in correct tense. A mark was not awarded for a section if one word or its meaning was missing. The translation had to make sense either in English or Welsh. An idiomatic translation was fine as long as every part of the sentence had been fully assimilated into the meaning. French words were not accepted and meant that the mark for that particular section was not awarded. Questions (i), (iii), (iv) were each worth two marks and that meant that there were 2 sections to be marked and questions (ii) and (v) were worth 3 marks with 3 sections to be marked. Question (vi) was worth 4 marks with 4 sections to be marked. 4

7 (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) 1) Siècle often mistranslated as cycle or omitted 2) also sous-vêtement.- few showed they knew the simple preposition sous created as bottom clothes for men and created from the beginning of time for underdressed men! 1) well translated 2) walking often given for market 3) well answered. 1) Passionnante almost always translated as passionate/passion which was incorrect and progressed instead of increased 2) only a few candidates answered correctly. 1) Translation of donc often omitted. 2) milieu was often translated as million better beginning and one candidate wrote mile long town! 1) En fait often omitted and verb in wrong tense 2) well translated 3) well translated. 1) I integrated was not acceptable 2) rentrée was not understood by candidates 3) well translated 4) well translated. Q.6 Essays Overlong essays were not marked after 280 words. For short essays, the total mark was scaled down. Material taken from the reading passages was not credited and was not included in the word count. Candidates are by now very aware of the word count and not many essays were too long. The short essays presumably were due to not allowing sufficient time for the essay, which is worth about a third of the marks for the paper. The best candidates DEALT WITH THE TITLE SET, focused on a narrow range of ideas and developed them well, analysing and presenting good solutions/ conclusions. (a) (b) (c) (d) Le stress est mauvais pour la santé: this topic was again very popular this year and was quite well answered. There were long lists of the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drugs. Other effects of stress dealt with unmarried mothers, working mothers, credit crunch, early retirement, obesity, repeating school year. Many of these were CAUSES rather than effects, which skewed the essay, lack of focus. On est ce qu on mange: Some candidates were confused at a time and diverted on importance of sport to avoid obesity problems only, but on the whole essays were well focused and dealt well with the title. Il est important que les jeunes se conforment aux normes de la société: Least popular, but also tended to waffle, but there were some interesting interpretations. Many dealt with parental issues and conflicts. L école secondaire est le secteur le plus important de l enseignement: generally well answered. A few candidates described education in France from primary to end of secondary school only. Not as popular as a) and b). Essay quite well done, but the idea of discutez often ignored led to overlydescriptive essays about school system and education in general. 5

8 Main errors: common present tense forms of verbs adjectival endings use of adverbs use of pronouns incorrect syntax with impersonal verbs incorrect use of prepositions Some new phrases: Provider is now commonly used for to provide Nous fallons Ils ont expecté de vivre plus longement (sic) On voit beaucoup d étoiles sur la télé On doit se repasser On veut casser les regles (break rules!) Social background environnement used incorrectly instead of milieu One feature to address: Use of impersonal on still too many candidates thinking in English and using tu/vous/les personnes often incorrectly!!! The disappearance of the AO4 Knowledge of French Society has had a liberating effect on average-ability students who can now concentrate on the structure and cogency of their essay rather than basing essays around random facts about France that often did little to support their views and opinions. Less able candidates were often able to score for showing knowledge of French Society even though the ideas, accuracy and range were extremely poor. It would therefore appear that this new specification allows those candidates who can garner their thoughts and write a well-organised essay in accurate French using a good range of structures are being rewarded in this sense marks for essays now seem to reflect to a better degree the standard of candidates French, which is pleasing. GCE French (New) Examiners Report - January 2010/KB 12/04/2010 6

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