IGCSE 4365. Paper 2. Marked Sample. Sample 1

IGCSE 4365 Paper 2 Marked Sample Sample 1

IGCSE French (4365) Paper 2 Question 4 (Short essay) Commentary on Training sample 1 _4365_02_04. This essay is too long. It is 99 words long, excluding proper nouns. The candidate has both wasted valuable time and has make more mistakes than s/he would have made in a short piece. Communication and Content: Look at Band 5. This is highest mark on the grid. (There are times when you can see instantly that the candidate might not even reach a mark of 4. In Such cases, start at 4 or below). The simple task of talking about a visit to the zoo has been completed. However, the information is not fully relevant. Look at Band 4. The information is not always relevant (je voudrais être vétériene) and there is more than minor ambiguity (il y a beaucoup de magazines; au bout le zoo; the tenses are not consistent). The candidate would have done well to leave out the penultimate sentences, thus reducing the length of the essay to 87 words still unnecessarily long Look at Band 3. The essay would seem to fit into this band, but the candidate has lifted more than one sentence from the original text (Dans [le] zoo il y a plus de protection pour les animaux / Dans [le] zoo les animaux peuvent manger et dormir tanquillement). This amount of lifting (20 words) from the original text reduces the candidates possible mark. The candidate could easily have afforded to leave out these words. S/he would still have written 87-20 = 68 words) Look at Band 2 The amount of lifting is evident, but there is some use correct language which is not lifted directly from the text and despite the inaccuracies, the main points are communicated. To check that you have reached the correct band, now Look at Band 1. There is effective communication. It would be an exaggeration to say that most of the text has been lifted from the original. Much of the text is comprehensible. The mark must be higher than 1. The mark for Communication and Content is therefore 2/5 Knowledge of Language Ensure that you award the candidates marks for what s/he has achieved in his or her own words. For example, you must now ignore the language lifted from the text but you may reward language that is irrelevant to the essay title. Question 4 is aimed at Grade C candidates and below. Perfect grammar is not required, even for top marks. Look at Band 5. The vocabulary and structures are generally accurate. Minor accents would include misplaced accents (aprés-midi; j ai achété). However, the lapses are more than minor: 1

Spelling: amieé; incorrect idiom: être un vétériene; beaucoup desinconsistent tenses: present confused with passé composé / imperfect incorrect agreements: nous sommes arrivé; poissons tropique etc Look at Band 4. The vocabulary is appropriate to the task: aprés-midi; grand; moderne; aquariume; poissons tropique; un livre The structures are appropriate to the task: idiom (il y a quelques jours); range of tenses (present, conditional, imperfect ); pronominal verbs (s apelle; je me rapelle); possessives (mon before a feminine noun starting with a vowel; mon village) As the number of nouns is quite low, if is difficult to determine if genders are generally correct. However, this is very thin pickings, especially as the tenses are not always accurately used and some of the errors do interfere with communication. Look at Band 3. The description of this mark would seem to suit this candidate well, but to double check that you have reached the correct mark Look at Band 2. This would be too harsh for this candidate. The mark for Knowledge and Application of Language is therefore 3/5. The candidate has a final total of 5/10 This candidate would have done well to write a shorter, simpler piece. See Training Sample 2/4365_02_04 for further practice in marking. 2

IGCSE French (4365) Paper 2 Question 6 (Comprehension and writing) Training sample 1_4365_02_06 General comments on the preparation and marking of Question 6. Weaker candidates should be reminded that they do not need to write complete sentences. In that way, they can ensure that they complete the comprehension part of the test and that they do not make too many grammatical errors. More able candidates should be encouraged to write full sentences if they are sure that they are not making grammatical errors. Copying from the text is quite acceptable for the Comprehension element of the test. It will not, however, earn any marks for Knowledge and application of language. Weaker candidates should be trained to merely spot the correct part of the text to copy, making minor alterations if necessary. More able candidates should be trained to transpose the correct part of the text into their own words. Training sample 1/4365_02_06 1. Comprehension: (a) Correct (b) Correct (c) Correct (d) Correct (e) Correct (f) Incorrect this answer was not accepted as the candidate has confused on and il. The candidate appears to think that King Louis might have cured his own leg. (g) Correct (h) Incorrect the use of Il makes the answer too ambiguous to be correct. (i) Incorrect the answer does not convey the meaning of the phrase «de réputation mondiale».( 2. Knowledge and application of language - comments This mark is awarded globally for questions (a) to (i). The notes below on individual answers is for guidance only. (a)the candidate has done little more than manipulate the syntax of the question. The candidate would have done well to use a pronoun: Elle s appelle Enghien. (b) The candidate has correctly copied depuis from the stimulus text but has astutely used the expression 50 ans. An accurate answer both for content and grammar. 3

(c) The candidate has wisely substituted the pronoun ils for the noun les habitants in the answer. Unfortunately the candidate has not realised that fière must now be changed to fiers. The candidate has not even realised that there should be a plural s on the adjective. (d) Again, the candidate has correctly replaced a noun Cette ville with the correct pronoun, Elle, but has too slavishly copied the original text. The mark was given for comprehension, but this clumsy answer will not help the candidate to reach a high Knowledge and application mark. (e) The candidate knew enough to answer pourquoi with parce que but has forgotten to use the very basic form of elision. (f) Although this is an incorrect answer, it may be marked for Knowledge and application of Language. Here, the candidate has done no more than copy the stimulus text, but inaccurately. S/he would have done better to copy the text exactly as it stood: on a guéri un ulcère à la jambe or even better à sa jambe. (g) Correctly lifted from the text, but the use of the verb facilité is an invitation to the candidate to use a verb: on a ouvert or even better en ouvrant (h) The pronoun Il in the candidate s answer does not correspond to a noun in the question. It is therefore an incorrect use of a pronoun. The candidate has copied the text without any real understanding and without being able to show a sound command of the French required. (i) This is, of course, the most difficult question on the whole of Paper 2 as the candidates must both understand the phrase and find their own words to express the answer. However, it will be seen from the mark scheme that there are several simple ways of doing so, none of which should be beyond candidates aiming at Grades A and A*. This candidate has used fairly accurate language, but it is extremely clumsy. It contains two serious grammatical errors. 3. Awarding the Knowledge and application of language mark. It must be stressed that this part of Question is a test of the candidates ability to write French. A key point to take into account before awarding the Knowledge and application of language mark is to note that Band 2 of the marking grid contains the following words: Some evidence of accurate language, which is mostly lifted straight from the original text. Therefore any set of answers which rely heavily on copying from the stimulus are unlikely to be placed above Band 2.For the candidate in this sample anwer there is no need to look at either Band 5 or Band 0 as the candidate clearly does not fall into either mark band Look at Band 4. Despite accurate vocabulary and structures the candidate has made more than a few basic errors. Communication is impeded by the incorrect use of the pronoun in (f) and (h) and by the use of populaire in (i) 4

Look at Band 3. Although the description in this band would seem to fit almost exactly the performance by the candidate, there is far too much direct lifting from the stimulus text for the candidate to be placed in this band. Look at Band 2. Because the candidate has lifted so much material, the vocabulary and structures must be described as Limited. The main points have been communicated, despite inaccuracies. Look at Band 1 to ensure that this does not apply to the candidate. The candidate obviously can use basic vocabulary and structures, has language awareness, and has made some attempt at not lifting nearly all material directly from the original text. The candidate should therefore be placed higher than Band 1. The overall mark for this candidate was 6/10 for Comprehension and 2/5 for Knowledge and Application of Language 8/15 overall. See Sample 2/4365_02_06 for further practice in marking. 5

IGCSE French (4365) Paper 2 Question 7 (The long essay) Training sample 1/4365_02_07(b) Communication and content The Communication and content mark must always be awarded first. Take the position of the sympathetic native speaker. Each bullet point in the stimulus must be addressed, but not necessarily in detail. Le travail que vous avez fait: we learn that the candidate was a salesperson in a shop. Quelqu un que vous avez rencontré: we have a vague idea that the candidate met a client but que je suis rencontrée distorts the message a little. There is some development about this person, but poor vocabulary prevents the candidate from expressing herself clearly Vos opinions sur le travail: The basic attitude towards the work is made clear in very simple terms, but the last two and a half lines of the second paragraph fail to convey clearly the candidate s development of this bullet point. Si vous voulez faire ce travail à l avenir et pourquoi: see previous point Clearly the candidate is not going to be placed in Band 5, so start consideration of marks in Band 4. Band 4: There are no real omissions as such in the essay. There is some evidence of attempts at description (ma travail n est difficle; c est une travail excellent pour moi) although these are rarely very successful and they are not extensive. There are opinions: Ce travail, c est super et j aime beaucoup; je n aime pas les otre travail and expansion: parce que je usi une fanatique; parce que je parle beaucoup. The essay shows some attempt at organisation. However, There is a serious lack of clarity throughout, and indeed a level of incoherence at times, which takes the candidate out of this band Look at Band 3. As noted, there is little irrelevance and no point has been entirely omitted. The candidate has gone beyond a minimal response in terms of IGCSE. The candidate is beginning to expand ideas and express opinions despite the grammatical errors. The piece is ambiguous in places, but overall the main thread of the essay is comprehensible. To check if Band 3 is the correct band Look at Band 2. There is more than just the key information. There are no omissions as such. There is some repetition, but it is not excessive. It is not easy to read, but there is an attempt to write a cohesive essay. The sentences are not written in isolation. It would be too severe to place the candidate in this band. The mark for Communication and Content should therefore be 3/5 6

Knowledge and application of Language Look at Band 4. The range of vocabulary is very limited. Apart from vocabulary given in the stimulus and English cognates, the candidate has some knowledge of vendeuse; magasin; semaine; ma vie; contente; supermarché; personnes. The gender of these nouns falls in the domaine of Accuracy. However, the candidate seems unaware of la mode; la robe; passion; nourriture [or la chère which would be an error of register]; maths or sciences. The candidate was not required to use any of these words, but as she thought they were necessary for her account, she should have ensured correct usage. The range of idiom is particularly poor: je suis le vendeuse; pas semaine; je suis mal avec [= je suis nulle en?] ; The structures used are appropriate to the task: past tenses; use of the relative pronouns que and que; dependents clauses starting with parce que; demonstrative, disjunctive and possessive adjectives ce travail, pour moi, ma vie and an attempt at mon; lack of knowledge of relexive pronouns, elles aime moi; some verbs correctly used in the negative; a minimal use of adverbs beaucoup; très bien. However, the attempts at such structures are so limited they do not qualify the candidate for Band 4 on that count. The candidate fails to use a correct past tense. There is only one example of a future: Je vais faire. It cannot be said that the candidate generally uses tenses appropriately On the whole the candidate cannot manipulate language adequately to suit her purpose Look at Band 3. Whilst the vocabulary is barely adequate to convey what the candidate wishes to say, she has used a limited range of structures which is just adequate to the task but the overall effect is one of repetition of structures. Syntax is generally accurate. The present tense is not well known. The range of correct verbs is extremely limited: je suis; il y a; qui s appelle; c est; je vais faire; je n aime pas; je parle. There are frequent lapses in the use of verbs. There are Some attempts to manipulate language. Very little seems to have been pre-learnt Look at Band 2. The first three sentences and the last of this band seem to describe the essay very accurately. As this description is the best fit for this essay, the candidate should be placed in Band 2. Check that this is the correct band Look at Band 1. This would seem to severe for this candidate. The Mark for Knowledge and Application of Language should therefore be 2/5 7

Accuracy It would be fair to start at Band 3 as the candidate clearly is not described by Band 5 and cannot be said to be Generally accurate so is not described by Band 4. Look at Band 3. The overall feeling is of inaccuracy. Errors prevent communication. There are a few groups of words which are free of error but no complete sentence is free of error: j ai travaille; de le magasin; tous les clientes; adore moi; je suis rencontrée; elle faire; elle achat; dix heure; dificil; une travail; le (s)ciences; que ils; elles aime. Overall more than half of what is written contains errors. The candidate cannot be placed in Band 3 Look at band 2. This would seem to describe the essay well, so Look at Band 1. This is just to check that Band 2 is the correct band. Communication has not been entirely prevented by the errors in the grammar. Within a fairly accurate syntax, there are some basic, acceptable phrases: Il y a une cliente que; tous les jours dans le magasin; Ce travail c est super et j aime beaucoup; je suis une fanatique de; Je vais faire ce travail à l avenir et pour [à l avenir correctly copied from the stimulus and placed correctly in the sentence]; Je suis fantastique avec les personnes parce que je parle beaucoup; (Pour) tavailler dans un magasin c est très bien This pulls the essay out of Band 1. The mark for accuracy should therefore be 2/5 The total mark for the essay should be 3 + 2 + 2 = 7 / 15. See Training Sample 2.4365_02_07 for further practice in marking. 8