GCSE English / English Language (AQA) Unit 1 Examination. A Guide for Parents

Transcription

1 Slide 1 GCSE English / English Language (AQA) Unit 1 Examination A Guide for Parents

2 Slide 2 GCSE Qualification at a Glance Written Controlled Assessments 40% x 4 assignments for English Language x 5 assignments for English Speaking & Listening 20% x 3 assignments Final time for entry is November 2013 Unit 1 External Examination 40% This will be worth 60% from June 2014

3 Slide 3 Unit 1 Examination Section A: Reading response to non-fiction/media texts Advised time: 75 mins You will be given three sources to read There will be a range of questions Answer all the questions Section B: Writing Advised time: 60 mins Answer both questions (Q.5 & Q.6); there is no choice Q.5 Shorter task = writing to inform / explain / describe (approx 25 mins) Q.6 Longer task = writing to argue / persuade (approx 35 mins) A past paper for reference

4 Slide 4 Section A Summary Foundation Tier Question & approach Marks Approx Timing 1a. Read Source 1 and find 4 things 4 1b. Infer meaning from Source mins 2. Read Source 2 and infer meaning 8 15 mins 3. Read Source 3 and analyse language mins 4. Compare presentation in S3 and another source mins Higher Tier Question & approach Marks Approx Timing 1. Read Source 1 and retrieve information 8 15 mins 2. Read Source 2 and interpret presentational features 8 15 mins 3. Read Source 3 and interpret meaning 8 15 mins 4. Compare language features in S3 and another source mins

5 Slide 5 Section A: Reading Texts Non Fiction Texts Newspaper / magazine articles Web articles Travel writing Autobiography Blogs Leaflets The more students read non-fiction texts in their daily lives, the better prepared they will be to answer questions in the examination.

6 Slide 6 Revision Tip 1 Encourage your child to read news articles and tell you what they are about. BBC Radio 1 s Newsbeat website provides accessible articles The Independent s sister newspaper, the i, is a great way to introduce students to broadsheet journalism Set a news site as your home page (BBC, Sky, Google) so students are exposed to rich non-fiction texts every time they go online Students with smartphones can access news articles on the go

7 Slide 7 Revision Tip 2 Encourage your child to annotate non-fiction texts with the effects created by pictures and headlines Go on to link the picture and headline to the text itself

8 Slide 8 Revision Tip 3 As well as news articles, students should read texts which expose them to the writer s thoughts and feelings. Encourage them to read about someone who interests them.

9 Slide 9 Revision Tip 4 Students will benefit from knowing a range of language terms and techniques. Encourage them to form a tool-kit of examples from texts they read. See the next page for examples

10 Slide 10 LANGUAGE Narrator Adjectives / verbs Formal / informal language Rhetorical questions Puns / humour / sarcasm Emotive language Facts / Opinions Figurative language Statistics Exaggeration Anecdote Lists / repetition / rule of 3 Alliteration / onomatopoeia EFFECTS? First more personal: I Second directly addresses reader friendly and inviting? Third more objective and impersonal Specific words (vocabulary) can make writing more vivid, descriptive or dramatic. Formal: can seem important, serious and authentic Informal: can seem warm, light-hearted and personal These questions imply their own answer and engage and help persuade the reader. Can be used to exaggerate / emphasise a point Words and phrases deliberately used to provoke an emotional reaction Used to support a writer s point of view. Look out for opinions disguised as facts: TV is the most effective way of... Simile, metaphor and personification create images that can be engaging and involving. Facts and figures from recognisable sources appear believable and add authority. Exaggeration can create a persuasive impact:.is surely every person s dream. The use of short, interesting anecdotes personalizes the writing and engages the reader s attention: John, a poor, homeless boy who.. Can be used for emphasis particularly in persuasive writing. Can draw attention to specific words for impact

11 Slide 11 Revision Tip 5 Proof-reading writing is essential. Students should get into the habit of checking all their writing for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors and amending it as needed. When students undertake written homework for any subject, encourage them to spend 5 to 10 minutes checking through their writing carefully and correcting errors as necessary.

12 Slide 12 Revision Tip 6 Students often struggle with timing in the exam. It is essential they answer all questions fully if they are to be successful. Students should try to re-create the conditions of the exam when working at home. They should work in silence to produce a handwritten response, without assistance, in the time allowed in the exam.

13 Slide 13 General Revision Strategies Encourage students to complete the tasks in their Revision Guide and past exam papers Devise a revision timetable and allow time for other activities minutes revision interspersed with short breaks works well Write key notes on flashcards and review them regularly Make posters with all you need to know and display them Try to teach someone else what you are revising Attempt past exam questions in exam conditions Keep a spelling diary of interesting vocabulary and ask someone to give you a spelling test

14 Slide 14 Useful Websites resources/english_gcse_masterclass/gb-reading- MASTERCLASS.pdf Guides you could buy if you prefer paper: 21&hvadid= &ref=asc_df_ Revision/dp/ /ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y Workbook/dp/ /ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

15 Slide 15 YouTube Channels Some useful YouTube channels are: WCSEnglish Cheney Takeaway Mr Bruff Free E School CherwellOnline Resources