Exam Report 2015

Question 1

Candidates need to increase / improve their level of language awareness, particularly in the area of phonology.

Answer 1

Some candidates continue not to manage their time effectively. Tasks 4 and 5 in Paper One, and Tasks 2 and 3 in Paper Two carry a large number of marks and candidates are strongly advised to allow adequate time for these tasks. Candidates are free to attempt the tasks in the order of their choosing and those candidates who attempt the high scoring tasks first are therefore able to complete them fully and maximise the number of marks that they can gain for

In Paper Two, Task 1 continued to generate a high number of marks with more than half the candidates achieving at least 10 marks. Candidate performance in Task 2 was in line with previous sessions with candidates performing better on part (a) than on part (c) which continues to reflect the fact that candidates need more experience, and possibly training, in identifying the kind of principles that can inform the design of teaching material.

Question 2

General advice

Candidates are strongly advised to do the following in order to maximise their performance in the examination:

Answer 2

• do the sample test in the Delta Modules Handbook and review their answers against the Guideline Answers and sample scripts with accompanying Examiner comments
• plan their time carefully to make sure that the time they allocate for each task is commensurate with the maximum number of marks that they can obtain from each task. Candidates who start with high scoring tasks, e.g. Paper One, Tasks 4 and 5 often do well if they attempt these tasks first.
• read question rubrics very carefully, underlining or highlighting key points they contain. It is essential that candidates provide the information asked for and do not provide unrequested information.
• only provide the number of features (1.3), strengths/weaknesses (1.4), features (1.5a), points (2.1), purposes, ways the exercises combine and assumptions (2.2) as stated in the rubrics for these tasks. Only the first required number produced by a candidate will be marked.
• in 2.3, only make 15 points which will allow candidates to produce more depth in their answers.
• plan the order in which they are going to answer the tasks and complete at least two full mock examinations in timed conditions to get used to the exam format and time requirements.
• do not waste time making rough notes – there is no time available for this. Instead candidates should do what is suggested in the above bullet point and do more tasks under timed conditions to get used to the requirements and formats of the different tasks
• follow the layout as suggested in each task.
• number the points they make to ensure that they respect the rubric
• use headings and sub-headings to signpost their answers as indicated in the Examiner’s comments for each task.
• start each task on a new page and clearly label their answers, showing what task or part of a task they are answering
• lay their answers out with plenty of space – candidates might find it easier to write their answers on every other line in the answer booklet. Many answers were very cramped and written in the margins, making it very difficult for Examiners to mark the tasks. Candidates need to consider their audience and by leaving extra space, they can include more points later in the exam if they realise that they have something more to add.

Question 3

2 Delta Module One Markscheme

2.1 Distribution of marks

In Delta Module One, candidates accumulate marks across questions and it is the total number of marks obtained across the two papers that determine which grade a candidate is awarded. Candidates do not therefore gain a grade for each task.

Answers are marked against a detailed markscheme containing guideline answers, with candidates being awarded marks for each correct answer given. Relevant alternative wordings and examples are accepted. The number of marks available for each task is as follows:

Answer 3

Paper 1 
Task 1  6 
Task 2  12 
Task 3  12 
Task 4  20 
Task 5  50 
Total 100 

Paper 2 
Task 1  18 
Task 2  42 
Task 3  40 
Total  100 

Grand Total 200

Points made twice within an answer are not credited twice and no marks are deducted for wrong answers.

Question 4

2.2 Markscheme for each task

Paper One

Task 1
One mark is awarded for each correct answer.

Task 2

A total of three marks are available per answer:

 two marks for the basic definition

 one mark for a correct example

Note: The example is only awarded if the basic definition is correct.

Task 3
 Two marks are awarded for each language feature correctly identified up to a maximum of three features.

 Two marks are awarded for each correct example / illustration. An example cannot be awarded marks if the feature is not identified.

Answer 4

Task 4
 Three marks are awarded for each strength/weakness correctly identified up to a maximum of four strengths and weaknesses.

 Two marks are awarded for each example from the text illustrating the strength or weakness identified. Note: no mark can be given for an example if its accompanying strength or weakness has not been correctly identified.

Task 5
One mark is awarded for each point correctly made up to a maximum of 50.

Note: In a, there is a maximum of five marks available and a mark is only awarded if a correct

Question 5

Paper Two

Task 1
 Two marks are awarded for each positive/negative feature identified.

 One mark is awarded for each application to the learner for each positive/negative feature identified.

Task 2
 In a, two marks are awarded for each purpose correctly identified to a maximum of 12 marks.

 In b, two marks are awarded for each combination correctly identified to a maximum of 12 marks.

 In c, one mark is awarded for each assumption listed, one mark is awarded for each example provided, and one mark is awarded for one reason given for an assumption to a maximum of 18 marks.

Answer 5

Task 3

 Two marks are awarded for each correct point made up to a maximum of 30 marks.

Question 6

Paper 1 Task 1

There has been no change to this task. For examples of Task One questions, detailed feedback on how to approach this task, and comments on sample answers, see previous Examination Reports on the Cambridge English Teaching Support website and the latest Delta Modules Handbook.

Answer 6

As in previous sessions, candidates are recommended to:

 only write the required term, not giving an example or any extra information

 only write one answer and not provide alternative answers

 spell terms correctly (a very limited number of alternative spellings are accepted e.g. US and UK spellings)

 provide an answer, even if they are not sure it is correct.

Question 7

Paper 1 Task 2

Candidates are recommended to:

Answer 7

be succinct in their answers

 attempt all the definitions

 think carefully about the basic definition that they give and make use of linguistic/technical terms rather than the more simplified terms they might use with students

 only provide one example for each definition

 lay out their answers clearly using the sub-headings of Point, Example.

Question 8

Paper 1 Task 3

The extract for this task is the speaking activity below for pre-intermediate (CEFR B1) level learners.

In order to complete this activity successfully, learners at this level would need to use the following key language features:

• verbs and nouns relating to childhood activities, e.g. go swimming, watch cartoons, play computer games
• back-channelling and responding to others’ contributions, e.g. Oh, really?, Yes, I did that too!

Identify a total of three further key language features learners at this level would need to use. Provide an example specific to this activity to support each choice.

Answer 8

Guideline Answer

• Turn-taking / holding the floor / interrupting / recognising end of turn / inviting contributions / clarifying and asking for clarification

Example What do you think? Can I ask a question? Sorry, I don’t understand. I mean when I was in Spain.

• Used to/would (for past habits/states) / narrative tenses OR past simple / past continuous / past perfect (NB: candidates must mention 2 of these verb forms)

Example I used to go to the beach every summer. I was staying with my grandmother when I first met Sonia.

• Question forms / yes/no / wh- questions

Example Did you enjoy it? How did you get there?

• Comparatives / Superlatives

Example It was the happiest time of my life. It was the best holiday I ever had. Things were easier when I was young.

• Language to express memories / adverbs of frequency

Example I remember long evenings by the pool. We always went to the seaside.

• Adjectives for feelings / situations / places

Example I was sad. It was lovely. The town was crowded.

• Time linkers / language to indicate time /prepositions/adverbs of time

Example One day we got up very early. Meanwhile, they were looking everywhere for us. We went in July.

Question 9

The most common features identified were:

• turn-taking/ holding the floor / interrupting / recognizing end of a turn / inviting contributions / clarifying and asking for clarification
• used to/would (for past habits/states) / narrative tenses / mention of two of the following verb forms: past simple / past continuous / past perfect
• question forms.

The least common features identified were:

• comparatives / superlatives
• language to express memories / adverbs of frequency.

Answer 9

The inaccurate/imprecise features listed below were frequently identified:

• Candidates did not provide three distinctly different features, e.g. they cited used to/would and narrative tenses as two separate features but they are part of the same language feature, i.e. verb forms to talk about the past. This meant that the total number of marks that they could gain was 8. In a few extreme cases, candidates chose three separate past forms (e.g. past simple, used to, would) and so only gained 4 marks for the whole task
• Providing more than three features, sometimes six or more, which was not a productive use of time as only the first three are marked
• Back-channeling, fillers (these were part of one of the features mentioned in the rubric)
• Paralinguistic features, e.g. nodding (these are not language features)
• Language to express feelings (with no mention of adjectives) or descriptive adjectives without stating what they were describing, i.e. situations, feelings or places
• Using past tenses rather than stating the precise names of the verb forms
• Providing one past tense, e.g. simple past (which is too limited for pre-intermediate learners) rather than two or three
• Writing linkers/conjunctions/discourse markers without stating the function i.e. to indicate time
• Providing more than one example of each feature. The Examiners only marked the first example which meant that if the first example was incorrect (e.g. too complex or low for the level), it would be marked but no marks awarded even if the second example was appropriate
• Examples for language items which were not in full sentences and so were not illustrative of their use in relation to this particular text type.

Question 10

Candidates are recommended to (18):

Answer 10

1 research features of spoken and written discourse in depth in terms of what different text types require

2 read the rubric carefully

3 only discuss what the rubric requires

4 avoid repeating features and examples which are mentioned in the rubric

5 outline no more than three features as only the first three features will be marked

6 make sure their answers cover three distinctly different areas from a range of relevant language features, i.e. grammatical forms (e.g. one verb form, one non verb form), functions, lexical areas, sub-skills and discourse features

7 avoid relying on pre-learnt answers from previous Guideline Answers

8 make sure their answers, including examples, are specific to the activity described in the task

9 make sure that they give a point and an example – marks for correct examples cannot be awarded without a clearly stated, accurate point

10 provide one example for each feature

11 only use the same example once

12 provide full language examples, not just sentence stems, e.g. I used to play outside with my friends rather than I used to …

13 remember the level of the learners (pre-intermediate in this case) and give examples which learners at this level could realistically produce)

14 avoid including any information on why the feature is included

15 list the points they wish to make, avoiding any introduction, summary or conclusion

16 use a bullet point or similar format when answering the task

17 number each feature that they include in their answer

18 lay their answer out using the headings of Feature and Example to ensure that they include both requirements.

Question 11

3. 1 The following sample answer gained full marks
4. Learners may require ‘used to’ to describe habitual actions in the past.

For example “I used to go swimming every Sunday.”

2. Learners would need to use adverbs of frequency.

For example “I often went to the cinema.”

3. Learners would need phrases to encourage others to contribute. In order for the task to be successful even the more reticent students should contribute.

For example: “What about you, John?”

Answer 11

Examiner’s comments on sample answer

The three features that the candidate lists are accurate and are accompanied by an appropriate and full example. The features are also clearly distinct from each other, i.e. there is a verb form (used to); a non-verb grammatical feature (adverbs of frequency); and a speaking sub-skill (inviting contributions). The answer has the benefit of clear layout with the use of numbers for the features and the heading For example to distinguish the feature from its example. Each example is in a full sentence. The examiners also noted that it was positive that the candidate did not waste time by identifying more than three features or providing more than one example for each feature.

Question 12

3.2 The following sample answer gained two thirds of the marks available for this task

1. Narrative tenses to describe past events / states
   E.G. We lived in Saudi Arabia. I hadn’t eaten camel before
2. Discourse markers to manage the conversation, in groups.
   E.G. Anyway / What about you? / For me,
3. Comparative and superlative adjectives to describe important events and their accompanying structures

EG: It was the most exciting day of my life
My sister was better at school than me.

Answer 12

Examiner’s comments on sample answer

Again, it is positive that this candidate has respected the rubric and only listed three features. Two of these were credited: narrative tenses to describe past events/states and the use of comparative and superlative adjectives to describe important events. The other feature of discourse markers to manage conversation could not be credited as it was too vague – the candidate needed to specify how they were used to manage the conversation, e.g. through recognising the end of a turn etc. This lack of specificity also meant that the first example could not be awarded any marks, although it would not have been possible to do so, even if the feature had been credited because it consisted of a single word, Anyway, and was not embedded in a sentence, e.g. Anyway, what do you think? The first examples for the other two features were credited as being appropriate to the feature and the level of the learners, but future candidates should note that it is not a productive use of time to provide more than one example for each feature as only the first feature provided will be marked.

Question 13

Paper 1 Task 4

Focusing on the areas listed below, identify a total of four key strengths and weaknesses of the text. Provide an example from the text of each choice. Include at least one strength and one weakness in your answer.

Answer 13

• Organisation
• Accuracy of grammar
• Range of lexis
• Accuracy of lexis

Question 14

6.1 Guideline Answer

Key strengths

• Organisation

Logical/clear organisation

Example for logical organisation: title, statement of aims, introduction of the situation, traditional food, factors for changes, conclusion (NB: a minimum of two points must be mentioned)

OR
Use of title / (sub-)headings / statement of aims / clear layout / paragraphs (NB: a minimum of two points must be mentioned)

Example for the organisation features: title Changes in eating habits in Italy (line 1), sub-headings TRADITIONAL FOOD IN ITALY (line 5), FACTORS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ITALIAN HABITS TOWARDS FOOD (line 12), statement of aims The aims of this report are to … (line 2), paragraphs paragraph 1 (lines 1-4) aims, paragraph 2 (lines 6-7) introduction of the situation; paragraph 3 (lines 8-11) traditional food; paragraph 4 (lines 13-19) factors for changes. (NB: not paragraph 5 lines 20-22)

• Accuracy of grammar

Accurate use of complex clauses / use of linkers/discourse markers (and following grammatical pattern)

Example for complex clauses Although it is known … (lines 6-7), In order to have a good
result … (lines 10-11), Even if the 80% of people still prefer … (lines 13-14), Although Italian habits… (lines 21-22)

Example for linkers Although (line 6, 21), In order to (line 10), Even if (line 13), Another factor is (line 16), Moreover (line 18)

• Accuracy of grammar

Accurate use of passives
Example it is known (line 6), to be cooked (line 8), Preservatives and colourants are not used (line 9), are fully taken (line 9), it has also been revieled (line 20)

•Accuracy of grammar

Good control of present simple with the present perfect simple (NB: candidates need to mention both verb forms)

Example Even if the 80%of people still prefer their tradition food, it has emerged (lines13-14), It
has been also revieled that fast food has … this king of food is available (lines 20-21),Although Italian habits have changed towards the food they eat(lines 21-22)

•Range of lexis

Collocations / fixed expressions / lexical chunks / set phrases / food / topic related lexis

Example preservatives(line 9), colourants (line 9),ingredients(line 10),a considerable amount(line
8),a totally different(line 14),get the message that ‘food is fun’ across to the people (line 15),allude to (line 16),due to (their job responsibilities)(line 17),traditional recipes(line 18),I don’t totally agree with (line 22)

Answer 14

Key weaknesses

•Organisation

Wrongly paragraphed conclusion
Example: conclusion should begin at line 21-22

• Accuracy of grammar
Incorrectword order

Example: are remarkably changing (line 7),It has been also reviled(line 20),grandparents do not teach any more their traditional recipes (line 18)

• Accuracy of lexis

Misuse of collocations/fixed expressions/lexical chunks/set phrases

Example: take pround of (line 6), to obtain for a totally different option (line 14), thrown by big companies(line 15), job responsibilities(line 17), the family lost its worth (lines 18-19)
• Accuracy of lexis

Inaccurate spelling

Example: pround (line 6), remarcably(line 7), Tipical(line 8), ammount(line 8), wheras(line 9), byological (line 9), test (line 11), advertaisments (line 14), responsabilities (line 17), revieled (line 20), costumers (line 20)

Question 15

The choice of text was good and discriminated well between stronger candidates who could analyse strengths and weaknesses of a written student-generated text and those who could not. The average mark achieved was 13 which was in line with previous sessions and showed a marked improvement on June 2014 when candidates struggled to analyse the phonological features of a spoken text. Very few candidates did not attempt this task or failed to complete it which suggests that they understood the importance of allocating an appropriate amount of time to complete the task. A large number of them answered the task first or second in the examination which was a good strategy as it allowed them to maximise the number of marks they were able to gain, as long as their language awareness was accurate. Some candidates outlined more than four strengths and weaknesses which was not a productive use of time as only the first four can be considered. A few evaluated the text in terms of criteria which were not listed in the rubric, particularly in terms of task achievement. Another key problem was that some candidates included more than one specific point of grammar under the heading of Accuracy of grammar. They appeared to think that this meant that they were outlining one strength or weakness but in fact each different grammatical area was counted as one feature. For example, if the candidate included use of the passive, linkers and articles as strengths under Accuracy of Grammar, this was marked as three features (two correct, one incorrect) which meant that the candidate’s next point (a weakness) would be the fourth one and the Examiner would then ignore any other features cited in the answer. Another problem in this session was exemplification because the majority of candidates included more than one example of each strength or weakness cited. This meant that if the first example was incorrect but the second one was correct, no marks could be allocated. Layout of answers was problematic at times, particularly where the candidate had chosen to organise their answer in two columns or two lists which were headed strengths and weaknesses. This meant that the Examiners had to mark one strength, then one weakness and so on to ensure that the candidate had the potential to gain marks for at least one strength and one weakness in their answer which is now a requirement of this task.

Answer 15

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

the learner’s use of individual lexical items was a strength or a weakness (candidates had to mention that it was the learners’ use of collocations or topic related lexis (not individual items) which was a strength or weakness
the learner was good at using the present simple or the present perfect simple (it was the fact that the learner could use both verb forms together which was the strength of the text)

the learner’s use of articles was accurate (this was a minor strength)

some candidates lost marks for exemplification because the example was inaccurate or they had not included one

some candidates mentioned the over-arching criteria (e.g. accuracy of grammar without then specifying the precise feature (e.g. incorrect word order)

some candidates continued to explain the reason for choosing the strengths and reasons which is not required and is not a productive use of time

a large number of candidates included more than four strengths/weaknesses in their answer
some candidates only listed strengths or weaknesses

a few candidates included an example without explicitly stating what the strength or weakness was, which meant that no marks could be awarded.

Question 16

Candidates are recommended to:

Answer 16

• read the rubric carefully and only discuss the criteria included in it
• only discuss a total of four key strengths and weaknesses (Examiners will only mark the first four mentioned)
• give a minimum of one strength or weakness
• avoid going through each criterion in the rubric listing strengths and weaknesses for each one as only the first four points mentioned will be marked
• only give one example for each strength and each weakness
• be careful with their choice of example so that they are sure that it is accurate
• bear in mind the learner’s level when commenting on the text’s strengths and weaknesses, e.g. C1 learners would be expected to have good control of the present simple
• use a bullet point layout for the strengths and weaknesses
• organise their answer by outlining a strength first and then a weakness to ensure that they comply with the rubric by including one of each in their answer. Then they can cover two more points which may both be strengths, weaknesses or one of each

• clearly signpost to the Examiner if the point that they are making is a strength of a weakness, e.g. Strength – criterion from rubric – point – example,
Strength – Accuracy of Grammar – good use of the passive – Example – it is known (line 6).

Question 17

6.3.1 The following sample answer gained full marks for this task

Strengths

Organisation

Clear aims at the beginning “The aims of this report” that reflect the structures of the report, and helped by subheadings “Traditional food in Italy” followed by “Factors that have influenced…habits…”

Grammar

Good use of passive to achieve a formal style + accurate.

“it is known that” “time to be cooked.”

Range of lexis

Good use of collocation + specific vocabulary for the topic

“traditional recipes” “preservatives and colourants”

Weaknesses

Accuracy of spelling of lexis, particularly confusion with vowels / y+i

“byological” “Tipical” “revield”

Answer 17

Examiner’s comments on sample answer
The answer is focused on the criteria outlined in the rubric. It clearly cites three key strengths and one key weakness of the text (i.e. the required four strengths/weaknesses) and gives a clear example for each one identified. As strengths, the candidate identifies the fact that the organisation is appropriate for a report; there is good use of the passive; and there is a good range of collocations and topic related lexis used. Regarding a weakness of the text, he cites inaccurate spelling. In terms of exemplification, he provides two examples for each feature where only one is required. This is not problematic for this candidate because all of the first examples that he provides are accurate. However, it is not a productive use of time. The answer has the benefits of being succinct in its expression, clearly organised with an appropriate use of underlining to highlight the criteria. It would be helpful for the Examiner if the candidate numbered the points.

Question 18

7 Paper 1 Task 5

a The text is the short biography of a writer included for information in one of his books. Identify five features of the text that are characteristic of its genre. Give one example of each feature you identify.
Do not include more than one feature of layout.

b Comment on the use of articles in the following extracts from the text.
• his father worked for the Civil Service (lines 1-2)
• an experience that inspired his first novel (line 5)
• contributed reviews (line 8)
• which brought him world-wide fame. (lines 22-23)

c i Comment on the form and meaning/use of the verbs in bold in the extracts below. Do not comment on the lexical meaning of the verbs.
• ERIC ARTHUR BLAIR (George Orwell) was born in 1903 in India (line 1)
• he also wrote for the Observer (lines 19-20)
• A few days before, Desmond MacCarthy had sent him a message of greeting (lines 24-25)
• ‘You have made an indelible mark on English literature’ (line 26)

ii Comment on the possible features of connected speech in the following extract. Do not comment on word or sentence stress.

• you are among the few memorable writers of your generation. (lines 26-27)

d Look at the following sentences taken from the text. Comment on the form and use of the words in bold as they are used in the text.

• Orwell entered Eton, where he contributed regularly to the various college magazines. (lines 3-4)
• He was admitted to a sanatorium in 1938 and from then on was never fully fit. (lines 14-15)
• He spent six months in Morocco and there wrote Coming Up for Air. (line 16)
• Desmond MacCarthy had sent him a message of greeting in which he wrote (line 25)

Answer 18

7.1 Guideline Answer

a Features of genre

Layout (only award one mark)

• Different font/italics for book titles, e.g. Animal Farm
• Capitalisation/upper case of author’s name initially, e.g. ERIC ARTHUR BLAIR
• Brackets for year of publication / author’s writing name, e.g. (George Orwell), (1937)

Content
• Names / dates of publications e.g. Burmese Days, 1934
• Factual details of life / names of places / organisations e.g. was born in India, died in London in January 1950

Organisation
• Chronological account e.g. his birth → work → death (NB: candidates need to mention 2 events)
• General comment/tribute/testimonial/quote ‘You have made an indelible mark on English literature … (lines 26-27)

Style
• Formal/semi-formal/neutral lexis / style e.g. he served in (line 4), contributed regularly (line 3), was admitted to (line 15)

Grammar / lexis
• Complex sentences / relative clauses e.g. Orwell entered Eton, where he … (lines 3-4), He lived in Paris for two years before … (lines 6-9), As literary editor… (lines 18-21)
• Passive e.g. in 1936 he was commissioned…
• Long noun phrases e.g. areas of mass unemployment (line 11), literary editor of the Tribune (line 18)
• Narrative tenses / past simple / past perfect e.g. The family moved to England (line 2), had sent him a message (line 25)
• Life story lexis e.g. was born (line 1), lived (line 6), worked (line 7), died (line 24)
• Lexis of writing e.g. contribute (line 19), novel (line 5), reviews (line 8), articles (line 9), periodicals (line 9), published (line 10), literary editor (line 18), regular page (line 19)
• Time / place adverbials/prepositions/linkers e.g. in 1903 (line 1), from 1941 to 1943 (line 18), in India (line 1), A few days before (line 24)
• Strong/positive/evaluative adjectives e.g. powerful (line 12), unique (line 21), world-wide (line 23)

b Use of articles in the following extracts from the text
his father worked for the Civil Service (lines 1-2)
• Definite article
• (Civil Service is) a singular noun
• (Civil Service is) a countable noun
• Only one Civil Service (in India) / assumes reader knows there’s only one / shared knowledge
• Definite article generally used with organisations

an experience that inspired his first novel (line 5)
• Indefinite article
• (Experience is) a singular noun
• (Experience is) a countable noun
• One experience referred to / Orwell had more than one experience
• Use of indefinite article an because of following initial vowel

…contributed reviews… (line 8)
• Zero article
• (Reviews is) a plural noun
• (Reviews is) a countable noun
• (Reviews are) referred to for the first time here
• (Reviews are) not post-modified/defined / are referred to in general / non-specific

which brought him world-wide fame. (lines 22-23)
• Zero article
• (Fame is) an uncountable noun
• (Fame is) not post-modified/defined / is referred to in general / non-specific

C i Form and meaning/use of the verbs in bold. Do not comment on the lexical meaning of the verbs

ERIC ARTHUR BLAIR (George Orwell) was born in 1903 in India (line 1) 
Form 
• Past (simple) (of be) 
• Auxiliary (was) 
• Passive 
• 3rd person singular (of be) 
• Irregular verb (bear) 
• Past participle (of bear) 

Meaning/use
• Used as a lexical chunk/collocation/fixed phrase/expression
• Is a completed action
• Passive keeps person who was born as the subject/focus/theme / the agent is obvious/not important
• An event / activity in life story/biography

he also wrote for the Observer (lines19-20)

Form
• Past simple (of write)
• Irregular verb (write)

Meaning/use
• An event / activity in life story/biography
• Describes a past activity that is finished/completed
• Activity was repeated over a period of time

A few days before, Desmond MacCarthy had sent him a message of greeting (lines 24-25)

Form 
• Past perfect simple 
• Had is the (simple) past (of have) 
• Auxiliary (had) 
• Irregular verb (send) 
• Past participle of (send) 

Meaning/use
• Shows that the sending took place before Orwell died / an action completed before another.
• The events are described out of sequence. Had sent precedes the verb in the previous sentence.
• This enables the writer to end with a summing up of Orwell’s contribution/avoids death being the
final point mentioned.

You have made an indelible mark on English literature’ (line 26)

Form 
• 2nd person singular 
• Present perfect simple 
• Auxiliary (have) 
• Irregular verb (make) 
• Past participle (of make) 

Meaning/use
• Shows the present importance of Orwell’s work at the time that MacCarthy was writing i.e. when Orwell was still alive / shows the relationship between past and present / a significant achievement in the life of a living person
• There is no specific time reference

C ii Possible features of connected speech. Do not comment on word or sentence stress.

you are among the few memorable writers of your generation (lines 26-27)

• Weak forms/schwa you /ʊ/, are /ə/, of /əv/, your /jə/, the /ðə/
• Intrusive /w/ you‿are →/jʊwə/, /ju:wə/, /jʊwɑː/, /ju:wɑː/
• Linking ‘r’ / intrusive /r/ are‿among → /ərəmʌŋ/ /ɑːrəmʌŋ/
• Consonant + vowel linking / linking / liaison / catenation writers‿of →/raɪtəzəv/
• Possible contraction you are → you’re

D Form and use of the words in bold as they are used in the text

Orwell entered Eton, where he contributed regularly to the various college magazines. (lines 3-4)
Form
• Relative pronoun
• (Introduces) non-defining relative clause
• Needs a comma (before it as it is non-defining)

Use 
• Referring to a place (Eton) 
• Avoids repetition of Eton 
• Anaphoric reference to Eton 
• Gives extra/non-essential information (about Eton) 

He was admitted to a sanatorium in 1938 and from then on was never fully fit. (lines 14-15)

Form 
• Adverbial (phrase) 
• Of time 
• (Semi-)fixed phrase / chunk / prefabricated phrase / lexical phrase / collocation 
• From is a preposition 
• Of time 
• Then is an adverb 
• Of time 
• On is an adverb 

Use
• Then avoids repetition of / substitution for 1938 / the time he was admitted (to a sanatorium)
• Then is anaphoric reference to 1938 / the time he was admitted (to a sanatorium)
• Refers to time/period/continuance after 1938 / the time he was admitted (to a sanatorium)

R 
He spent six months in Morocco and there wrote Coming Up for Air. (line 16) 
Form 
• Adverb 
• Of place 

Use
• Avoids repetition of in Morocco / substitution for in Morocco
• Anaphoric reference to Morocco
• The position/word order of there at the beginning of the second clause makes it closer to Morocco
• It is more formal to have there at the beginning of the clause rather than at the end

Desmond MacCarthy had sent him a message of greeting in which he wrote….. (line 25)

Form
• Relative pronoun (which)
• In is a preposition / in which is a prepositional phrase
• Of place
• (Introduces) defining relative clause
• No comma needed (because it’s defining)

Meaning/use
• Which is an anaphoric reference to message
• Which is used for things
• Which avoids repetition of message
• Formal style
• In locates the quote in the message / in which could be replaced by where
• Introduces essential information about the message

The following terms had to be spelt correctly for marks to be awarded for points made:
Adverbial, anaphoric, adjective, auxiliary, consonant, catenation, contraction, comma, countable/uncountable, definite/indefinite, defining/non-defining, ellipsis, infinitive, irregular, intrusive/intrusion, liaison, preposition, participle, particle, pronoun, possessive, relative, schwa, substitution

Question 19

7.2 Candidate performance
The task was an appropriate length and the majority of candidates were able to attempt all four sections, often gaining a high number of marks. They often attempted this task first which was a good strategy as it now carries 50% of the marks for the whole paper. The fact that the other tasks in this paper are now quicker to answer also means that candidates have enough time to provide detailed answers and so can maximise the opportunity to gain as many marks as possible. These two factors are reflected in the average score achieved for this task which was 35 marks. As in previous sessions, the task continues to discriminate well between candidates whose language knowledge is good and those who are not close to Delta standard. Generally, candidates performed well on parts b and c (analysing the use of articles and the form and meaning/use of different verb forms) but generally struggled to identify features of connected speech in the second part of part (c) and analyse the form and use of the words in bold in part (d).

Answer 19

a
features of the text characteristic of a short biography of a writer included for information in
one of his books

Candidates generally performed well on this part of the task and did not waste time writing too much or providing more than the five features required. Exemplification continued to be the main reason why they did not maximise their marks: either they stated a feature but did not provide a full or clear example, e.g. when referring to the use of relative clauses, they provided a line number rather than a specific example from the text or they provided more than one example, the first of which was incorrect and so could not be awarded any marks as only the first example provided will be considered by the Examiner.

The most common features identified were:

 different font size for book titles / use of capitalisation 
 chronological account 
 passive 
 narrative tenses / simple past 
 factual details of his life. 

The least common features identified were:

long noun phrases
life story lexis
time/place adverbials/prepositions/linkers
strong/positive/evaluative adjectives.

The inaccurate/imprecise features listed below were frequently identified:

mention of two features of layout (only one could be credited as stated in the rubric)

use of two paragraphs (one long / one short) (this is only a feature of this particular text and not of such texts in general)

use of line numbers rather than a precise example from the text (so it was not clear that the candidate could identify the feature).

Candidates are recommended to:

• only state five features as only the first five provided will be marked by the Examiner

• avoid spending time saying why the features have been included as no marks are allocated for
this beyond what is stated in the Guideline Answer

• only give one example for each feature and be discriminating in their choice of a good example
as only the first example given will be credited

• provide an example from the text rather than a line number as the latter is not a clear example
and cannot be marked

• only state one feature of layout as only one will be credited.

Question 20

b use of articles
Most candidates performed well on this part of the task and were able to identify points relating to the four items. All points were mentioned, apart from the fact that definite articles are generally used with organisations (the Civil Service) and reviews are referred to for the first time.

Answer 20

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

definite/indefinite were misspelt as definate/indefinate

candidates referred to the zero article as no article and so gained no marks for this point

reviews was described as an uncountable plural with no mention of it being a noun

an experience was mis-described as anaphoric reference

some candidates became side-tracked into irrelevant discussions of relative clauses.

Question 21

c form and use of verb forms: was born; wrote; had sent; have made

The focus on verb forms was accessible to all the candidates and they therefore often accrued a good number of points in this section. Those candidates who had been trained to provide a high level of detail in terms of form performed well. However, the phonological section continued to challenge a large number of the cohort. Stronger candidates used correct terminology,

e.g. intrusive /w/ and gave a clear example. All the points in the Guideline Answers were made, although the two listed below were rarely stated.

The least common points identified were:
in the sentence with had sent, the events were described out of sequence

the fact that had sent preceded the verb in the previous sentence enabled the writer to end with a summing up of Orwell’s contribution / avoided death being the final point mentioned.

Answer 21

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

a key issue with a lot of candidates was that it was not always clear which words they were referring to, e.g. had sent was the past simple but it was had which was the past simple and sent was the past participle. Stronger candidates made it very clear which part of the verb form they were referring to

mention of whether the verb was transitive or intransitive which was not relevant

mention of cataphoric and anaphoric reference (e.g. him is anaphoric reference to George Orwell)

third person singular was described as third person with no mention of singular

third person singular was mentioned for wrote and had sent but this was not relevant as there is
no auxiliary verb for the simple past and the auxiliary in the past perfect does not change

imprecision in naming verb forms, e.g. present perfect rather than present perfect simple

some candidates ignored the instruction in the rubric do not comment on the lexical meaning of the verbs and provided the meaning for the verbs, e.g. wrote = contributed article to the Observer. Instead, they need to provide the use of the verb form, e.g. a finished past activity / an activity repeated over a period of time

some candidates did not know that the infinitive of born was bear and described it as being to birth, to bare and to born

misspelling of auxiliary, participle, schwa, liaison

misuse of ellipsis instead of elision

candidates lacked sufficient terminology to describe phonological features

inaccurately identified features, e.g. they cited the intrusive sound between you are as linking /j/ rather than linking /w/

points could not be awarded for the phonology because there was no use of phonemic script,
particularly for the schwa; the phonemic script was not written accurately or between slashes; the linking was not indicated clearly as in the GLAs

unnecessary discussion of sounds/features in individual words (the schwa in memorable) which was not required in the rubric as candidates were requested to identify features of connected speech, e.g. elision between words not within individual words, repetition of features, e.g. repeating the schwa five times with different examples. Each phonological feature could only be awarded one mark.

Question 22

d form and use of the words in bold as used in the text: where; from then on; there; in which

This part of Task 4 proved to be the most challenging as candidates struggled to correctly identify the form and use of the four items. Most candidates were able to identify relative pronouns, prepositions and in a few cases, adverbs. They also identified features of the relative clauses and were better at commenting on the single word items where and there than the phrases from then on and in which. With these phrases, they lacked precision in describing referencing. Candidates should remember that referencing is a textual issue and state which word in a phrase is referencing exactly which word/phrase in the text, e.g. ‘then’ not ‘from then on’ is anaphoric referencing to 1938. All the points about the form and use of where were made and about the form of in which.

Answer 22

The least common points identified were:

from then on is an adverbial phrase of time
from is a preposition of time

then is an adverb of time

on is an adverb

there is an adverb

the position/word order of there at the beginning of the second clause makes it closer to Morocco

it is more formal to have there at the beginning of the clause than at the end

in locates the quote in the message / in which could be replaced by where

in which introduces essential information about the message.

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

a key problem was imprecision in naming the part of speech of the particle, i.e. confusion as to whether it was an adverb or preposition

use of both terms, i.e. adverb and preposition, for the same particle which automatically meant that no mark was awarded

inability to correctly identify which words in the phrases were substituting, avoiding repetition or referring anaphorically to which word/words in the previous sentence – see the next 5 points

then avoids repetition of/substitution for 1938 (not from then on)

then is anaphoric reference to 1938 (not from then on)

there avoids repetition of in Morocco / is substitution for in Morocco (not just Morocco)

which is anaphoric reference to message (not in which)

which avoids repetition of message (not in which)

the term anaphoric was omitted / candidates only wrote reference to … (this was not sufficient)

the term anaphoric reference was used but what was being referred to was not stated so a point

could not be awarded, e.g. ‘which’ is anaphoric reference rather than ‘which’ is anaphoric reference to ‘message’

where was identified as introducing a defining rather than non-defining relative clause / in which was identified as introducing a non-defining rather than a defining relative clause

where was misidentified as a wh word, determiner, pronoun (without relative)

analysis of where and in which moved into a discussion of defining versus non-defining relative clauses.

Question 23

In Parts (b) – (d), candidates are recommended to:

• make as many points as possible, as indicated in the Guideline Answer
• read the rubric carefully to see exactly what they are required to discuss

• pay attention to the words given in bold and only comment on them in the way required, not on
accompanying or surrounding words

• make sure they consistently provide the full information required, including giving examples when asked for
• make use of precise linguistic / technical terms rather than the more simplified terms they might use with students, e.g. past participle NOT third form of the verb
• spell these terms correctly: marks will not be awarded if terms are incorrectly spelt – see Guideline Answers for specific examples
• use the phonemic script / phonological symbols where appropriate: candidates will not be awarded marks if this is not used where required or used accurately
• only comment on pronunciation/phonology in sections where it is specifically mentioned in the rubric

Answer 23

• research the use of language items as well as the form

• lay out their answers in list form, and make it clear what part of the answer they are writing about
• use bullet points

• make it easy for the Examiners to locate their answers by using plenty of space/paper to write

out their answers, writing on every other line, and ensuring that they do not write in the
margins

• make as many points as possible in Task 5 as it carries half the marks available in Paper One
• allocate enough time for this task and attempt all parts of the task.

Question 24

7.3.1 The following sample answer gained the maximum number of marks available for this task

5 a)

• organisation – chronologically ordered starting with early life ‘(Orwell) was born in 1903” progressing onto key works and life events “Orwell went to Spain” and finishing with the writer’s death “Orwell died in London”
• Factual information included about places + dates and written works that are important “there wrote “Coming up for Air” “admitted to a sanatorium in 1938”
• Time linkers to sequence life events + show duration “A few days before” “From 1922 to 1927”
• Lexis related to writing and books “Literary editor” “published”
• Past simple used to show finished events in the past at a specific time. “The family moved to

England.”

5 b) 
the Civil Service 
• definite article ‘the’ 
• precedes proper noun ‘Civil Service’ 
• only 1 Civil Service – known reference, shared knowledge 

an experience
• indefinite article ‘an’
• precedes vowel sound so a + n
• referring to one experience of many
• anaphoric reference experience = serving with the police in India
• precedes countable singular noun ‘experience’

contributed reviews
• zero article
• precedes countable plural noun ‘reviews’
• unspecified reviews – general reference

worldwide fame
• zero article
• precedes uncountable abstract noun fame
• part of expression ‘worldwide fame’

Answer 24

Examiner’s comments on sample answer

Part a
The candidate gains full marks in this section by stating 5 features of the genre of this particular text with an accurate example for each one: it is chronologically ordered; contains factual details about places; includes names of publications; uses time linkers; and lexis of writing. The second and third features are contained under the same bullet point which meant that the final feature (the use of the past simple) was ignored by the Examiner. This was not problematic for this candidate as only five marks can be gained in this section but she would have been wise to number the features so that she could clearly see how many she had included. It was also not necessary for her to include two examples for the time linkers and lexis of writing as only the first example is considered. Again, this was not problematic for this candidate as her first examples were both accurate but if the first one had been inaccurate, she would not have gained a mark for it, even if the second one was accurate.

Part b
The candidate is detailed and accurate in this part of her answer and she makes 13 points out of a possible 18. In terms of the Civil Service, she does not define the kind of noun it is, i.e. singular and countable or state that the definite article is generally used with organisations – for this point she recognises that the Civil Service is a proper noun but not that it is an organisation. Her analysis of an experience is more robust as she makes all the points listed in the Guideline Answers. The same applies both for reviews where the only point that she does not make is that this is the first time that reviews are referred to, and for fame where she does not state that it is referred to in general. There are two points in the answer which are not accurate: that an experience is anaphoric reference to serving with the police in India; and that fame is part of the (fixed) expression worldwide fame. The layout of her answer is neat, her spelling of terminology is accurate and it is very helpful to the Examiner that she has used underlining to signal where she starts to analyse each item and bullet points.

Question 25

c)
i)
was born
• past simple of ‘be’, irregular verb, 3rd person singular,
• ‘to be born’ fixed pattern
• born = participial adjective, only exists in this form
• use to give the specific, finished time of his birth in the past.

he also wrote 
• past simple 
• irregular verb write 
• part of phrase ‘write for s/o / s/t’ 
• 3rd person singular 
• finite 
• past simple used to show finished action + time in the past – he no longer writes for them 
• main verb 

i) had sent
• past perfect structure
• auxiliary ‘had’ (past simple of ‘have’), 3rd person singular
• + past participle of irregular verb ‘send’
• sent = transitive verb, main verb
• past perfect used to show action (sending the message) before main event of narrative (Orwell’s death)

have made 
• present perfect structure 
• auxiliary ‘have’ 2nd person, singular 
• + past participle ‘made’ (irregular) 
• present perfect used to show Orwell’s influence started in the past + continues at the time of writing (time of writing = before his death) 
• made = delexicalised 

part of expression “make a mark on” meaning “to influence” “leave a legacy”

ii)

(page 29) liaison – linking
intrusive /w/ you /w/ are
intrusive /r/ are /r/ among
due to vowel + vowel

• weak forms – schwa /ə/

the /θə/

memorable /memrəbəl/
also elision of o

/ə/ 
Writers 
of becomes/əv/ also assimilation /f/ becomes /v/ because precedes /j/ 
/ə/ /ə/ 
generation

Answer 25

Part c

Here the candidate gains 20 out of a possible 35 marks. She identifies 2 out of the 6 points in terms of the form of was born, omitting to mention that was is an auxiliary verb used in the passive and born is an irregular past participle (she inaccurately describes it as being a participial adjective only exists in this form). Her analysis of the use of was born is slightly more confident and she recognises that it is a fixed expression to describe a completed action. There is no mention of the use of the passive or that it is an event in a biography. In terms of wrote, she identifies 3 out of a possible 5 points: it is the simple past of an irregular verb to describe a finished past action. Again, she refers to it as part of a phrase but this is not relevant because for is not bolded for analysis, it is not relevant that it is a finite verb or that it is third person singular because the form never changes in the simple past.
Regarding had sent, she identifies 5 out of a possible 8 points: the auxiliary had is in the simple past and combines with the irregular past participle of send. It is used because the action of sending the message happened before Orwell’s death. The other two points regarding the use of had sent were rarely made by candidates so the fact that she has not included them in her answer is typical of the cohort. The only other part of her answer where she could have gained a mark was when she described had sent as being a past perfect structure – to be credited this point, she needed to provide the full name of the verb form, i.e. past perfect simple. This comment also applies to the final verb form in this section as the candidate did not provide its full name, i.e. the present perfect simple although she identified all the other points regarding form and the fact that it is used to show the relationship between the past and present. The two points about the use of made could not be credited because candidates were specifically asked not to talk about lexical meaning in the rubric (the fact that it is a delexicalised verb falls under lexical meaning) and a mark on are not bolded so cannot be included in the analysis. Her phonological analysis is reasonable and she identifies the features of the intrusive /w/ and /r/ and the schwa in the. However, the reference to schwas in memorable, writers and generation and the elision of o in memorable are not relevant as the rubric asks for features of connected speech not in individual words. Layout and spelling are also strengths in this part of her answer and her use of the phonemic script and symbols to show the features of linking and the schwa are accurate.

Question 26

d) where
• relative pronoun
• shows place
• gives more information about Orwell’s life at Eton
• introduces non-defining relative clause
• comma before

from then on 
• preposition from 
• + adverb ‘then’ 
• + preposition on 
• creates expression ‘from then on’ 
• then = anaphoric reference (the time he was admitted to sanatorium) 
• adverbial clause/phrase 
• omitted subject after (‘he’) 
• use = from this moment onwards 
helps text be more concise – avoids repetition 

there 
• adverb 
• anaphoric reference (Morocco) 
• substitution “from Morocco he wrote” 
• ellipsis of ‘he’ wrote – missing subject 

use – to make the text more concise + cohesive, by avoiding repetition (Morocco) + referring back –
anaphoric reference

in which 
• preposition in 
• + relative pronoun ‘which’ 
• gives information about contents of message 
• introduces defining relative clause 
• adds detail in a concise way

Answer 26

Part d
As with the majority of answers to this part of the task, this candidate gains less than half the available marks, i.e. she gains 14 out of a possible 35. In terms of where, she identifies all of the points regarding form but not that its use avoids repetition of Eton or that it is anaphoric reference to Eton. She struggles to analyse the form and use of from then on and only recognises that it is an adverbial clause; that from is a preposition; then is an adverb; and is anaphoric reference to the time he was admitted to a sanatorium. She states that on is a preposition not an adverb; she also does not state that it is a fixed expression and that it avoids repetition of 1938. The point about the ellipsis of he is not relevant because was never fully fit is not bolded in the rubric and the comment that it makes the text more concise is too vague – this also applies to the mention of these two points later in her answer. Her analysis of there also suffers from a lack of precision and she only gains two marks for the fact that it is an adverb and is anaphoric reference to Morocco. To be awarded a mark for her points about the avoidance of repetition/use of substitution, she needs to be more precise and state that it is avoiding the repetition of in Morocco rather than just Morocco. In terms of in which, she is reasonable in her analysis of form and only omits mention of the fact that it is a preposition of place and that no comma is needed. However, the same lack of precision means that none of the points that she makes about use can be credited: she needs to state that it gives essential information about the contents of the message and, as mentioned above, the points that it is more concise are too vague to be credited.

Question 27

8 Paper 2 Task 1

The text for this task is reproduced on the opposite page. It is being used in the following situation:

A group of elementary (CEFR A2) level students has just started a 4-week general English course. The teacher is using the test to diagnose their abilities in listening so that she can plan the listening component of their course.

Using your knowledge of relevant testing concepts, evaluate the effectiveness of the test for these learners in this situation.

Make a total of six points. You must include both positive and negative points.

Answer 27

8.1 Guideline Answer
Positive points

• The instructions are clear / an example is given
• The design of the task is simple / the layout is clear / there are key words in the task to guide the learners through the text
• The items that the learners are listening for are well spread out in the transcript
• The test is a direct test of the learners’ listening skills
• There is minimal text to read and very little writing required in the answers
• The learners know that they will have the chance to listen to the recording twice
• The test is an appropriate level / there are simple short sentences in the recording / the complexity of the language is appropriate
• Shopping is a general/familiar/relevant topic / lexical area of shopping
• The marking is practical / objective
• The learners are given time to write down their answers

Positive applications

• The learners will feel motivated to do the test / will have faith in the test/course / see the relevance of the test (because it’s testing their listening skills)
• The learners will know what to do
• The learners will feel reassured/confident because of the clear format / won’t panic because they know they will hear it again
• The learners will be able to perform to the best of their abilities / shouldn’t be blocked by unknown vocabulary or complex grammar
• The test will provide the teacher with some evidence of the learners’ listening skills / it should work well as a diagnostic test of their listening abilities
• The results of the test will be (more) reliable / efficient to mark

Question 28

Negative points
• It only tests one listening sub-skill / listening for specific information/detail

• It only tests listening to a monologue / it doesn’t assess the learners’ ability to listen to dialogues
• The learners hear the recording twice / having a second chance to listen does not reflect real life
• The tapescript does not contain features of spoken language (contractions, false starts, etc.) (Candidates needed to mention one feature)
• The test relies on the learners’ ability to write and spell certain words
• The test is too short to test the learners’ listening ability
• Learners may not be familiar with the task type

Answer 28

Negative applications

• The learners may not be motivated by the test / have faith in the test/course / may not trust the results of the test
• The teacher will get limited data about the students’ listening sub-skills / will be unable to diagnose the students’ listening abilities / may get inaccurate/false information about their listening ability
• The learners may not be able to perform to the best of their abilities
• It may be difficult for the teacher to design the listening component of the course

Question 29

8.2 Candidate performance

Candidates scored reasonably well on Task One with the average number of marks achieved being 10 which is in line with previous sessions. They generally found it easier to identify the strengths of the test rather than its weaknesses. The majority seemed clearly confident in their understanding of what is required in this task and how best to approach it but a significant number provided more than the six features required in the rubric which meant that they lost marks because only the first six were marked. In cases such as these, the Examiners marked the first positive point, then the first negative point and so on until they had marked a total of six. This meant that some candidates lost out on marks because accurate points were outlined in the later part of their answer, i.e. after the first six points had been considered. Other issues were that some candidates laid their answers out as per the Guideline Answers despite having been strongly advised against doing this in the previous examination report, i.e. they listed points and then listed applications separately, which meant that they lost marks because the points and applications were not clearly linked which they have to be for marks to be awarded. A large majority identified the key points, but then did not gain more marks because they did not include applications or repeated them – this is the main reason why candidates continue to score less well. Some candidates used testing terms to organise their answers which sometimes led to incoherence. Poor organisation continued to be a problem with candidates still continuing to ignore the advice given in previous reports to use the headings Point and Application to organise their answers which meant that they often forgot to include the latter and therefore automatically could not score more. On a more positive note, the fact that there are no longer separate marks available for the accurate use of terminology meant that candidates did not try to use testing terms in a random manner in their answers. The majority of candidates read the rubric carefully and therefore centred their comments around the fact that the test was only designed to test listening skills and the majority of the points in the Guideline Answers were covered in candidates’ answers.

Answer 29

The most common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

shopping
the instructions are clear
it is a direct test of listening skills
the level of the test is appropriate
only one listening sub-skill is tested
the learners have two opportunities to listen to the recording (this is a strength and a weakness)
the test relies on the learners’ ability to write and spell certain words
the test is too short to test the learners’ listening ability.

The least common strengths and weaknesses identified were:

the items that the learners are listening for are well spread out in the transcript
there is minimal text to read and very little writing is required in the answers
the learners are given time to write down their answers
the tapescript does not contain features of spoken language
the learners may not be familiar with the task type.

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

the learners may not be familiar with the topic of shopping or may not understand the lexis (this is very unlikely to be true)
the instructions are unclear (this is not the case as there are examples of completed information)
the test does not test other skills (this was not the aim of the test as is clearly stated in the rubric)
the test will have positive/negative backwash (it has neither as it is a diagnostic test)
the test contains fresh starts (it contains five gaps that the learners have to complete not new opportunities if they get stuck on one item). Candidates who made this point did not understand what constitutes a fresh start.

Question 30

Candidates are recommended to:

• only make six points – no more and no less
• make sure that they respect the rubric by mentioning at least one positive and one negative
• point so that they can score the maximum number of points as only a maximum of either five strengths or five weaknesses can be credited
• use a clear layout and clearly signal to the Examiner which points are positive and which are negative
• discuss a positive point first followed by a negative one so that they ensure that they respect the rubric
• avoid repeating the same point, e.g. that it is a direct test of listening skills
• use a wide range of criteria with which to evaluate the test, e.g. type of test, language content, skills content, assessment mode, test content/topics, task types, level, instructions so that they do not risk repeating a point and therefore only outline five rather than six points
• explicitly state what kind of test it is which will help them to use the correct terminology relevant to that type of testing, i.e. in this examination, it is a diagnostic test

Answer 30

• ensure that they understand the meaning of key testing terms, particularly backwash, fresh starts and construct validity and refer to them where appropriate
• read the situation in the rubric carefully, seeing how each part of it can be relevant to the test and to the specified learner
• make sure their answers are specifically about the particular test and situation, and not repeated from previous Guideline Answers
• avoid approaching their evaluation through assessing the test against testing concepts, such as validity, reliability, objective marking, as this means that their points may not be fully explained or developed and so they lose marks
• make sure they always show how the points they make about the test’s effectiveness apply to the particular learner, i.e. always include an application for each point they include
• avoid repeating the same application to the learner under different points, e.g. that the learners would be motivated or demotivated by the test
• avoid laying their answers out in columns or two separate sections as this may mean that they lose marks if they inadvertently outline more than six strengths/weaknesses
• number the points that they make from 1-6 so that they do not outline more than the maximum of 6
• use the headings of Point and Application, so that they remember to include both elements in their answer.

Question 31

8. 3 Sample Answers
9. 3.1 The following sample answer gained almost all the marks available for this task

Positive points
1. It is suitable for the level of the learners.

Application for learner = they will feel able to complete the task.
2. Objective marking as there is only one correct answer for each question.

Application = the results will be reliable.
3. It is a direct listening test which increases face validity.

Application for learner = they will have faith in the test and see this part of the course as relevant.
4. There is an example answer provided / the rubric is quite clear.

Application for learner = They will know what to do so feel motivated.

Negative points
1. There is no opportunity for fresh starts.

Application for learner = They may get stuck on an answer and not be able to show abilities.
2. There is only one task type that the learners need to complete and the exam is quite short.

Application = teacher may not be able to design an effective course from the results.

Answer 31

Examiner’s comments on sample answer
The candidate outlines six points about the relative effectiveness of the test with how these apply to the learners, five of which are accurate. The points and applications are that the test is an appropriate level which will give the learners confidence to complete the test; the marking is objective which means that the results will be reliable; it is a direct test of listening skills so the learners will have faith in the test; the instructions are clear so the learners will know what to do; and that the test is quite short so that the teacher may not be able to design an effective listening component of the course. The point about the test having the benefit of fresh starts could not be credited as it is inaccurate. These points cover a reasonable range of criteria, e.g. test design, type of test and assessment mode but the answer would be stronger if the candidate also gave consideration to the design of the transcript and type of spoken language it contains, what listening skills are tested or not, and how the test is administered, i.e. the opportunity to listen twice. However, the organisation and layout of the task is a particular strength. It is very helpful that the candidate has separated each point from its application by leaving a line between the two; that she has indicated which are positive and negative points; and that she has numbered these although it would be a safer strategy if she numbered them from 1-6 rather than 1-4 for the positive points and 1-2 for the negative ones.

Question 32

9 Paper 2 Task 2

The purpose of the extract as a whole is to enable learners to express obligation and permission.

a Identify six purposes of the exercises listed in the box below in relation to the purpose of the extract as a whole.

Do not make reference to the Analysis box or Language Summary A on pages 152-153 mentioned on page 112.

Language focus 1 Exercise 1
Language focus 1 Exercise 3
Practice 1a

b Comment on six ways in which the exercises listed in the box below combine with the exercises discussed in a.

Pronunciation 1 and 2
Practice 3a and 3b

c Identify a total of six key assumptions about language learning that are evident in the exercises listed in the box below. Explain why each assumption might be considered important for language learning. State which exercise or exercises each assumption refers to.

Language focus 1 Exercise 1
Language focus 1 Exercise 3
Pronunciation 1 and 2

Answer 32

9.1 Guideline Answer
A Purpose of the exercises Exercise Intended Purpose
Language focus 1, Exercise 1

• generate interest / introduce topic / set context for rules / activate schemata
• provide the opportunity to use TL (of obligation & permission in the present) / for teacher/learners to assess the students’ ability to express obligation and permission
• provide the opportunity to teach/use context-related vocabulary

Language focus 1, Exercise 3

• provide examples of/introduce/present the TL (obligation/permission structures)
• review and extend different ways of talking about obligation and permission
• draw attention to the form
• allow teacher to see/test what the students know / allow students to show/check what they know / to check students’ understanding of the meaning/use of the TL
• contextualise the TL (NB: this point was either awarded for this exercise or the next one)

Practice 1a
• contextualise the TL (NB: this point was either awarded for this exercise or the previous one)
• give controlled/written practice of the TL
• check understanding of the TL / use of the TL
• check understanding of the form/spelling of the TL

Question 33

B Combination of exercises Exercise How exercise combines with exercises in Task Two a

Pronunciation 1
• extends focus to / focuses on the pronunciation / provides pronunciation models of the TL in Practice 1a
• focuses on features of connected speech of the TL (schwa, sentence stress, linking, elision, contractions) in Practice 1a [NB: candidates needed to mention a minimum of two features]

Pronunciation 2 • provides (controlled) oral practice / drilling of the TL in Practice 1a
• stages the production of the TL in Practice 1a / practises connected speech
• allows the teacher to assess the learners’ ability to say/pronounce the TL in Practice 1a
• moves the focus from written to spoken

Answer 33

Practice 3a • maintains context/topic established in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• gives learners freer/written practice of the TL after controlled practice in Practice 1a
• further checks understanding of/consolidates the form/meaning of the TL in Language focus 1 Exercise 3
• allows the learners choice/more freedom to write about the places they want to which they didn’t have in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• allows the learners to improve their ideas/ability to produce the TL after their initial attempts in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• the learners produce sentences on their own/individually which they also did in Language focus 1 Exercise 1

Practice 3b • gives the learners practice in listening to the TL from Language focus 1 Exercise 3/Practice 1a
• provides freer/oral practice of the TL from Language focus 1 Exercise 3/Practice 1a
• provides a change of interaction patterns/pace – some group work after individual work in Language focus 1 Exercises 1 & 3, Practice 1a
• provides enjoyable/fun activity to balance the previous activity types

Question 34

C Assumptions and reasons

• It is helpful to use a familiar topic (rules) (Language focus 1 Exercises 1 & 3)
Because it will help them to see its relevance to their everyday life / increases motivation / easier to activate learners’ schemata

• Learners need to see the target language in full sentences/(language) context (Language focus 1 Exercise 3)
Because context provides meaning / examples of the target language will be clear / it is similar to learning L1

• Learners need to check/build on what they already know / Test/Teach/Test / it is useful for teacher to find out what learners already know (Language focus 1 Exercises 1 & 3)
Because learning takes place on the foundations of previous learning / it helps the teacher to know what to teach / isolates and forefronts problem areas which is an efficient use of classroom time

• (Intermediate) learners should acquire different ways of expressing obligation and permission / functions (Language focus 1 Exercise 3)
Because this will allow them to express themselves more effectively and appropriately in different situations / these are high frequency language functions

• Learners need to look at similarities and differences in the meaning and form of language which are potentially confusing / it’s useful to compare/contrast different language items (Language focus 1 Exercise 3)
Because it helps understanding / promotes a more sophisticated/accurate use of target language / prevents errors becoming fossilised

Answer 34

Learners need to look at meaning, form and pronunciation of a language item / meaning comes first, form second, pronunciation third (Language focus 1 Exercise 3, Pronunciation 1 & 2)
Because this will allow them to use the new language effectively / really ‘knowing’ an item involves all three aspects

• Learners need to focus on pronunciation/features of connected speech / need to have pronunciation models (Pronunciation 1, 2)
Because this helps them to recognise them outside the classroom / learners often struggle with pronunciation

• Learners need controlled pronunciation practice/repetition/drilling of target language (Pronunciation 2)
Because this helps consolidate learning / gives learners a chance to focus on form and accuracy / allows for identification and elimination of error / helps fluency / helps them to be understood outside the classroom / aids automaticity / reflects more recent theories such as chunking

• Learners need cognitive engagement/challenge (Language focus 1 Exercise 3)
Because if learners are actively engaged, language is more likely to be learnt/retained

• It’s important to scaffold learning / guide learners step-by-step (Language focus 1 Exercise 3, Pronunciation 1 & 2)
Because this gives learners confidence / will help them achieve accuracy with the language

• It’s helpful to use visuals (Language focus 1 Exercise 3, Pronunciation 1 & 2)
Because it saves time / helps learners to memorise the language / helps to clarify meaning

• Learners will benefit from moving from recognition to production (Language focus 1 Exercise 3, Pronunciation 1,2)
Because learners may notice the language / this is how languages are learned outside the classroom / this provides useful scaffolding for less confident learners

Question 35

9.2 Candidate performance

Examiners commented that candidates were generally confident with the material from a coursebook which had a systems focus and the majority restricted themselves to outlining six points for each part of the task although some were obviously unaware that only the first six in each part will be marked. As in tasks 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5a, the candidates need to ensure that the points that they make are distinct so that they do not lose marks because they only make six points but two (or more) are repeated. Parts (a) and (b) were done equally well (or badly) although the focus on phonology was slightly challenging for some of the cohort. A strength of the revised task is that they appeared to find it easier to identify how the exercises combined in part (b) having just identified the purposes of the exercises immediately before although they were still generally less confident with this part of the task than with part (a). As in previous sessions, part (c) was the least well completed with candidates citing inaccurate assumptions – see below. However, rationale was stronger because candidates only had to give one reason and almost all of them stated an exercise for each assumption.

Part (a)
Candidate performance was most confident in this part of the task and the average number of marks gained was 8 out of a maximum of 12, i.e. for four valid purposes. The majority of candidates only outlined six purposes over the three exercises although some lost marks because they described how the exercises combined with the others. As can be seen from the list below, the key purposes that the candidates often failed to identify were those which were related to language and this is an area where they appear to need more training.

The most common purposes identified were:
to generate interest (Language focus 1 Exercise 1)
to provide an opportunity to use the TL (Language focus 1 Exercise 1)
to provide examples of the TL (Language focus 1 Exercise 3)
to contextualize the TL (Language focus 1 Exercise 3 or Practice 1a)
to give controlled/written practice of the TL (Practice 1a).

The least common purposes identified were:

to provide the opportunity to use context-related vocabulary (Language focus 1 Exercise 1)
to review/extend different ways of talking about obligation and permission (Language focus 1 Exercise 3)
to check understanding of the TL/its use (Practice 1a)
to check understanding of the form/spelling of the TL (Practice 1a).

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:

Language focus 1 Exercise 1 – to personalise the TL (candidates appear to believe that if learners are asked to do something based on their knowledge of the world that this equates to personalisation)
Language focus 1 Exercise 3 – to relate rules to signs (this is what the learners have to do in the exercise but its purpose is to allow the learners and teacher to test what they know about the TL)
Practice 1a – to provide the learners with a written record of the TL (a written record of the TL consists of a breakdown of its meaning/use, form and pronunciation or elements of these – a gapfill exercise does not provide the learners with such information).

Part (b)
The Examiners commented that candidates generally knew how to approach this task in terms of linking their points to the exercises in part (a) and this was evidenced in that the average number of marks gained was 6, which showed an improvement on previous sessions and is an indication that the re-positioning of this task has helped candidates to recognise the internal staging of exercises that occur in a sequence. The key reason that candidates did not get marks was because they commented on the two pronunciation and practice activities together rather than commenting on each one separately. Some also lost marks because they did not say which exercises in part (b) combined with which ones in part (a). Stronger candidates looked at how the exercises combined in terms of the nature of the tasks and the interaction patterns evidenced in them – see the list below of combinations which were less frequently cited.

Answer 35

The most common points made about how the exercises combine with those in part (a) were:

Pronunciation 1 extends the focus to pronunciation of the TL in Practice 1a
Practice 3a gives learners freer/written practice of the TL after controlled practice in Practice 1a
Practice 3b provides freer/oral practice of the TL after controlled practice in Practice 1a.

The least common points made were:

• Pronunciation 1 focuses on features of connected speech
• Pronunciation 2 stages the production of the TL / practice connected speech
• Pronunciation 2 moves the focus from written to spoken
• Practice 3a maintains the topic of the extract established in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• Practice 3a further checks understanding of the form/meaning of the TL in Language focus 1 Exercise 3
• Practice 3a allows the learners more choice/freedom to write about the places they want to which they didn’t have in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• Practice 3a allows the learners to improve their ideas /ability to produce the TL after their initial attempts in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• Practice 3a allows the learners to produce sentences individually which they also did in Language focus 1 Exercise 1
• Practice 3b gives the learners practice in listening to the TL from Language focus 1 Exercise 3/Practice 1a
• Practice 3b provides a change in interaction patterns/pace/some group work after individual work in Language focus 1 Exercises 1 & 3/Practice 1a.

The inaccurate/imprecise points listed below were frequently identified:
•
• Pronunciation 1 provides oral practice (it is a receptive rather than production exercise). Candidates often did not realise that the pronunciation exercises moved from receptive to productive work.
• Pronunciation 2 provides practice of the TL (this is too general and the candidates need to specify the type of practice, i.e. controlled oral practice).
• Practice 3a provides oral practice of the TL (it does not as the learners are working individually and are asked to write a list).
• Practice 3a & 3b allow for personalization (they allow for choice rather than personalization as the learners are not talking about their own experiences).
• Candidates were often imprecise in their choice of verbs, particularly in terms of checking learner understand of the form/meaning of the TL, e.g. they often chose the verb to focus on the meaning rather than to check understanding of the meaning.

Question 36

Part (c)
As in previous sessions, candidates generally struggled to identify a range of assumptions and this part of the task scored the lowest with the average number of marks being 8 out of a possible 18 marks. Weaker candidates often produced pre-learnt assumptions, thereby reflecting the fact that they are not looking closely at the material or doing the exercises. It also meant that they did not look at the language in the sequence closely enough or at what it is focused on. Where they did identify accurate assumptions, they were generally able to provide a reason why the authors might think that it is important and also reference it to a specific exercise.

The most common assumptions identified were:
• learners need to see the target language in full sentences/a language context
• learners need to focus on pronunciation
• they benefit from repetition/drilling of the TL
• it’s helpful to use visuals to clarify meaning.

The least common assumptions identified were:
• learners should acquire different ways of expressing obligation and permission / functions
• learners need to look at similarities and differences in the meaning and form of language which are potentially confusing
• learners need to look at the meaning, form and pronunciation of a language item / meaning comes first, form second, pronunciation third
• it is important to scaffold learning.

Inaccurate assumptions frequently identified were:
• the value of activating schemata
• the usefulness of personalisation
• the value of guided discovery/an inductive approach
• the usefulness of learners noticing features of language
• the benefits of collaborative work
• the importance of providing learners with a written record
• the value of learning language in chunks.

Answer 36

Candidates are recommended to:
• • read the rubric carefully to ensure that they discuss only those exercises specified in the task rubric
• • do the exercises themselves so that they really understand what the learners have to do and therefore what their purposes are, how they combine and the assumptions behind them
• • group their answers together as indicated by the task rubric sections i.e. discuss only purposes in part (a), combinations in part (b) and assumptions and reasons for them with clear reference to the exercises where they are evidenced in part (c)
• • look at each exercise separately, even if they are listed together
• • lay out their answers using plenty of space/paper so that the Examiners can read their answers
• • number the purposes, combinations and assumptions 1-6 so that they ensure that they provide the maximum number required in the rubric and no more
• • ensure that they outline a range of purposes, combinations and assumptions so that they avoid the possibility of repeating them and so not gaining as many marks as possible.

Part (a)
• • write six relevant purposes and no more as only the first six will be marked
• • write more than one purpose for each exercise
• • avoid repeating pre-learnt purposes from previous Guideline Answers and generic purposes, e.g. that the exercises prepare the students for the next one, which could apply to most exercises in a sequence of material
• • ensure that all the purposes cited refer to the stated focus of the material, i.e. to enable learners to express obligation and permission
• • look at the language included in a text (written or spoken) and within the different exercises cited in the rubric in relation to the focus of the extract
• • look at the skills necessary to achieve the focus of the extract if appropriate
• • look at the purposes of the exercise rather than describe what the learners have to do in them
• • clearly state what the target language is in the first purpose that they outline, i.e. in this exam, it is language to express obligation and permission
• • state the purposes of each exercise separately so that they ensure that they look closely at the purposes of each exercise and identify how they differ from the other exercises in the rubric
• • use numbers1-6 to highlight each purpose that they outline

Part (b)
• • read the rubric carefully and only discuss the exercises they are asked to discuss
• • identify six ways that the exercises combine with those in part (a) as no more than six will be marked
• • write more than one combination for each exercise
• • approach this task by discussing each exercise on its own so that they maximise the number of points that they make and ensure that they look closely at how each exercise combines with the ones in part (a)
• • make sure they discuss how the specific exercises combine with the exercises in part (a) rather than with each other
• • make sure they say how the exercises combine rather than describe what the learners have to do in them
• • consider a range of ways exercises can combine, e.g. in terms of language and skills, the focus of the extract, the type of practice, presentation to practice, student interaction patterns, opportunities for personalisation, progression, recycling, the balance between accuracy and fluency, the topic/context etc.
• • use numbers1-6 to signpost each combination that they outline

Part (c)
• • research in detail the principles behind the design of material
• • identify six assumptions as no more than six will be marked
• • give one different reason for each assumption to a maximum of six different reasons
• • use headings to organise their answers, e.g. assumption, reasons, exercise which means that they ensure that they provide all the information required in the rubric
• • avoid using exercises as headings because this can result in the repetition of assumptions if they are evident in more than one exercise
• • use numbers1-6 to signpost each assumption that they outline.

Question 37

9. 3 Sample Answers
10. 3.1 The following sample answer gained a large number of marks for this task

2a) Purposes
Language focus 1 Ex 1
• to check / test what language learners already know to express obligation + permission
• to introduce context used to teach the target language (rules)

Language focus 1 Ex 3
• To introduce target language used to express obligation + permission
• To check learners understand the meaning of the target language

Practice 1a
• To provide controlled written practice of the target language
• To check learners understand the differences in meaning and form of the positive and negative form of the target language

2b
Pronunciation 1
• focuses student attention receptively on pronunciation of target language (including contractions) from Practice 1a

Pronunciation 2
• Then provides students with opportunity for productive practice of pronunciation of target language from Practice 1a

Practice 3a
• provides ss with further freer written practice of target language to express obligation + permission following more controlled practice in Practice 1a.
• Revisits contexts from Lang focus 1 and allows students to improve + upgrade their initial ideas with the new language they have learned – cycle of learning – completes test, teach, test cycle.

Practice 3b
• allows students to practise the pronunciation + provides oral practice of target language, further recycling target language. following written practice in Practice 1a
• allows students to work in a group in a fun activity after some focused individual work

2c
Assumptions
Language focus 1 Ex 1
• It is useful for learners and teachers to see what learners already know before introducing new language (test, teach)

because learners + teachers will see where gaps in knowledge are + lessons can be tailored accordingly.

Language focus 1 Ex 3
• It is beneficial to have a task that checks meaning + compares differences in meaning of target language.
because students will be able to understand the target language + use it in the correct way.

• It is beneficial for learners to be exposed to the target language receptively + see examples before producing it in written/oral form themselves.
because it gives them models to follow and helps their confidence.

Pronunciation 1 and 2
• It is useful to focus learner attention receptively on pronunciation of new language by isolating it + exposing learners to connected speech.

because it will help their understanding when listening.

• It is useful for learners to practise pronunciation of new language + features of connected speech (e.g. contractions).

because this will help learners be understood when speaking + to speak more naturally.

• building pronunciation tasks up from single items, to phrases, to sentences is helpful for learners.

because it builds their confidence in stages + provides scaffolding to help them achieve longer connected speech.

Answer 37

Examiner’s comments on sample answer
Part (a)
The candidate identifies seven purposes over the three exercises which are all valid but the seventh one cannot be credited because the maximum number of purposes which can be marked is six. The purposes that she identifies are: to test what language of obligation and permission the learners already know; to introduce the context used to teach the TL (Language focus 1 Exercise 1); to introduce the TL; to check that the learners understand the meaning of the TL (Language focus 1 Exercise 3); to provide controlled written practice of the TL; to check understanding of the meaning of the TL; and to check learner understanding of the form of the TL (Practice 3a). It is understandable that the candidate combined meaning and form under one purpose although the two are generally focused on separately in Guideline Answers and it did not matter that she had done this as the previous six purposes were all accurate and she therefore gained maximum marks for this section. Her answer contains no inaccuracies, clearly states what the TL is in the first purpose and makes good use of space to highlight the answers. The candidate could use numbers rather than bullet points to signpost the purposes to ensure that she does not produce more than the required six.

Part (b)
The candidate’s response to this part of the task is also convincing although she outlines seven rather than the required six ways that the exercises combine with the ones in part (a). The points that she makes are that: Pronunciation 1 focuses on the pronunciation of the TL; Pronunciation 2 provides productive practice of the pronunciation of the TL; Practice 3a provides the learners with freer written practice of the TL, revisits the context established in Language focus 1 Exercise 1 and allows the learners to improve their initial ideas; and Practice 3b provides oral practice of the TL. The final point that Practice 3b allows for group work after individual work could not be marked as the candidate had already outlined six combinations. There are two other potential points that she attempts to make but which lack sufficient detail: that Pronunciation 1 focuses the learners on contractions (to get this point she would need to state another feature of connected speech, e.g. elision); and that Practice 3b provides a fun activity without saying that this balances the previous activity types. However, this was not problematic for this candidate as she had already outlined six valid combinations. Again, the layout of the task is clear with each exercise discussed separately, thereby ensuring that each one is discussed in depth. She also makes it clear which exercise she is referring to by underlining it but again, she would be wise to replace the bullet points with numbers so that she ensures that she only outlines six combinations.

Part (c)
This is the weakest part of the candidate’s answer (thus reflecting the general trend of the cohort) but she still manages to identify five appropriate assumptions out of the six which she states with a reason and exercise for each one. These are that: it is useful for learners and teachers to find out what the learners already know because the lessons can be tailored to the learners’ needs; it is useful to compare/contrast different language items because students will be able to understand the TL and use it correctly; learners benefit from seeing the TL before producing it because it gives them models; learners need to focus on pronunciation, particularly connected speech, because this will help their understanding when listening; and scaffolding pronunciation builds their confidence. Her penultimate assumption could not be credited because she does not explicitly state that learners benefit from controlled oral practice/drilling – rather she simply writes it is useful for learners to practise pronunciation. In terms of the organisation of the answer, it has the benefit of a clear layout, but the candidate could use the headings of assumption, exercise, reason (rather than because) and number the assumptions rather than use bullet points.

Question 38

10 Paper 2 Task 3

The text for this task is reproduced below. It is an extract from an article in an English language teaching journal.

Many teachers believe that they should at all times reduce their own talking time and increase that of their students.

a What reasons are there for reducing teacher talking time and increasing student talking time?

b How do learners benefit from teacher talking time in a lesson?

Answer 38

10.1 Guideline Answer
A Reasons for reducing TTT and increasing STT

• It allows the teacher to listen to/monitor learners / to spend time with (individual) learners
• Learners have the opportunity to make errors and learn from them / the teacher can diagnose errors
• It allows the teacher to give learners individual feedback
• If the teacher talks too much, there is no guarantee that students understand / they can get confused / lost in TTT (=white noise) / especially at lower levels
• Learners can get frustrated/bored/switch off if they are being talked at / STT can raise learner engagement/motivation/confidence
• Speaking is often a high priority for learners / language is a communication tool
• It encourages the learners to be independent of the teacher so they can continue learning outside the classroom
• The learners can use the teacher as a resource/a facilitator / encourages learners to be active participants in the classroom/learning process / it makes for a student centred classroom
• The more learners use language, the more they will acquire it
• The classroom is an important opportunity to use L2 / some learners have little opportunity to use the L2 outside the classroom / benefit from a safe environment
• It is essential to maximise practice of language that is the focus of the lesson / students need to try out/use language
• It reflects a central tenet of CLT / some approaches do not require it, e.g. Silent Way, CLL
• It reflects the importance of communicative competence/fluency rather than focus on accuracy
• It increases the opportunity for risk-taking / experimenting / stretches learners
• Learners can learn from each other / easier to speak to a peer rather than a teacher / peer correction
• It allows learners to negotiate meaning/use communication strategies/features of spoken discourse e.g. asking for clarification
• It helps ensure a variety of classroom interaction / tasks
• It helps with group cohesion / socialising
• It can mirror real life as learners are often more likely to interact with non-LI users
• It’s less tiring for the teacher / gives them a break

Question 39

B How do learners benefit from TTT in a lesson?
• Teacher can build a good relationship with the learners, e.g. social chit-chat, personal anecdotes, praise
• It provides models of language
• It provides learners with information/explanations about language/skills
• It provides learners with information about culture
• It improves learners’ listening skills.
• It fits in with Natural Approach / i+1 where it is important to provide language input above the level of the learners / language appropriate to the level
• TTT is needed to provide feedback to tasks / correct learners’ errors
• Learners benefit from working with a ‘better other’/competent language user, i.e. the teacher (socio-cultural theory/Vygotsky) / teacher can scaffold a learner’s language
• It is needed in certain approaches e.g. live listening, TPR, audio-lingual
• It can remove pressure for learners to perform immediately/all the time / learners sometimes appreciate passive/listening time in class / it gives them a break / makes them feel secure
• It is motivating for learners because they can see that they understand a competent speaker
• Learners need a period of time to listen to language/a silent period before they produce it / reflects L1 acquisition
• Moving between TTT and STT allows for a change in pace
• It is important for classroom management / the teacher needs to speak in order to manage the learners (e.g. giving instructions, organising learners, maintaining discipline, dealing with breakdowns in communication)
• The teacher needs to speak in order to perform a variety of classroom techniques/procedures (e.g. checking, prompting, eliciting, drilling)
• It fits in with some learner expecations where the teacher is an authority figure/giver of information
• It may reflect the requirements of the learners’ course (e.g. EAP lectures)

Answer 39

10.2 Candidate performance
Examiners commented that the focus of Teacher Talking Time was a familiar one which meant that all candidates had something to say, although they often only restricted their points to a limited context. They tended to make more points in part (a) and there was quite a lot of repetition, which reflected candidate performance in previous sessions, but they were not penalised for doing this. The average number of marks gained in this task was 22 marks, which is in line with previous sessions. However, these marks were generally gained for making eleven points (i.e. breadth) rather than developing them (i.e. depth). This is not surprising as this is a new feature of the examination and is an indication to centres that they need to make candidates aware of the possible allocation of 10 marks for reference to their own experience and observation of learners, examples from a range of contexts, and reference to different sources and theories of language learning. However, the Examiners commented that centres need to be careful about training their candidates explicitly to do this and indeed, it is debatable whether candidates can be trained to provide evidence of ‘depth’ as this can result in vague comments such as I tend to .. or In my experience … or In my classes, I always .. In the case of candidates with less experience, they could be better advised to focus on outlining fifteen different points. Candidates should note that they are not penalised for outlining more than fifteen points because all points are marked by the Examiners but capped at 30 marks for breadth. Overall, all the Examiners agreed that this change in the markscheme is a positive one because it discriminates well between candidates who have a range of experience and those who do not. It allows the former to display the knowledge that they have which the previous markscheme did not do as the quantity of points made was more important than their depth.

Question 40

The most common points identified in Part (a) were:
• reduced TTT allows the teacher to monitor learners
• the teacher can diagnose errors
• the teacher can give learners individual feedback
• learners can get bored if they are being talked at
• it encourages learners to be independent
• the teacher can act as a facilitator
• students need to practise language
• students can learn from each other
• it helps with group cohesion.

The least common points identified in Part (a) were:
• the more learners use language, the more they will acquire it
• it increases the opportunity for risk taking
• it allows learners to negotiate meaning and use communication strategies
• it helps ensure a variety of classroom interaction and tasks
• it can mirror real life as learners are more likely to interact with non-L1 users.

Answer 40

The most common points identified in Part (b) were:
• TTT can allow the teacher to build a good relationship with the learners
• it provides models of language
• it improves learners’ listening skills
• TTT is needed to provide feedback on tasks and correct learners’ errors
• the teacher needs to speak in order to manage the learners
• the teacher needs to speak in order to perform a variety of classroom techniques and procedures.

The least common points identified in Part (b) were:
• TTT provides learners with information about culture
• learners benefit from working with a ‘better other’
• it can remove pressure for learners to perform immediately
• moving between TTT and STT allows for a change in pace.

Candidates are recommended to:
• • read the rubric very carefully
• • only provide the information they are asked for about a topic, i.e. keep to the point
• • consider the question (where appropriate) from the viewpoints of learners, teachers, institutional requirements, materials, etc. in order to generate a greater range of ideas
• • make as many relevant different points, up to a maximum of 15 over the two sections
• • develop the points made, supporting them with rationale based on relevant reference to one or more of the following: specific examples from their own experience; examples from a range of contexts; reference to sources and theories
• • prepare for this task by reading a methodology book which covers a range of topics, e.g. Learning Teaching (Scrivener) or The Practice of English Language Teaching (Harmer)
• • allow themselves enough time for both parts of the task.

Question 41

10. 3 Sample Answers
11. 3.1 The following sample answer obtained a high number of marks available for this task

3a) - students should be more active than the teacher in the classroom.
- Reducing teacher talking time contributes to the student-centeredness.
- If the teacher talks a lot, learners cannot find enough chance to produce the language orally, especially in countries where English is taught as foreign language, sts cannot find a place to speak outside the classroom. That’s why they need to be provided with chances to speak as much as possible in the classroom.
- Thurnbory states TTT shouldn’t be very long but it should be quality. The main reason why teachers speak is to direct the students. So they need to use simple and short sentences to be meaningful.
- Students have limited class hours. If the teacher talks a lot, the time left for the students won’t be enough.
- TTT should be short especially in crowded classes because if TTT is a lot, each student may not have equal opportunity to participate and practice.
- The teacher prefers pair and groupworks to reduce TTT and it contributes to students because they can learn from each other and they can gain more self-confident.

3b)
- Students can benefit from TTT because teacher is a model for them. They can observe and imitate the teachers to sound more accurately.
- In many countries where English is taught by the L1 teachers, students do not have any other chances to listen to a natural conversation, so they can make us of it as listening practice.
- Also TTT is important to provide sts with meaningful inputs. Without these inputs sts cannot improve themselves.

• Also for some activities the written instruction can be confusing and the teacher can simplify it for students and it contributes to their success.
• TTT is also contributory to feedback. Written feedback is not always clear enough to understand. In this circumstance teachers should provide feedback orally in the class for all of the students.
• Concept Check Questions form a part of TTT and this is very useful for students, especially in vocabulary learning. They can understand the meaning of a word through CCQs.
• It is also necessary while revising or presenting a topic. Students can make use of teacher talking when a topic is not clear because the teacher will supply them simplier explanation.

3a)
- The learners can be more motivated when they know they will take part in the lesson more actively, so it is good to reduce Teacher talking.

• The main reason of language learning is to communicate. If the sts cannot find enough chances to practice in class, they become the passive listener in a conversation and they cannot keep the conversation. That’s why they need to do more practice.
• The idea of reducing TTT is supported in the latest approaches in language teaching for example
  CLL, CLIL.
• This idea is also encouraged in lesson designs; Test Teach Test and Task Based Learning. Both methods supports group activities which are more communicative and reduce Teacher Talking.
• This idea helps Sts to increase learner autonomy.

3b)
- Some sts trust the teacher more and they want to hear everything from the teacher instead of discovering them on their own. They think it is safer and they don’t want to take risk of making error while speaking.

Answer 41

Examiner’s comments on the sample answer
Breadth Points
The candidate makes fourteen valid points over parts (a) and (b) which is one less than is needed to achieve the maximum number of points for breadth. In terms of part (a), she makes eight points which are that: low TTT encourages learners to be active participants in the classroom (stated twice); the classroom is an important opportunity to use the L2, especially in countries where English is not the L1 (stated twice); students can learn from each other; learners can be more motivated; language is a communication tool; they need to practise language; increasing TTT is part of certain methodologies e.g. CLT (although the Examiners noted that this is not particularly the case in Test Teach Test or Task Based Learning as stated by the candidate); and it increases learner autonomy. In terms of part (b), she makes six valid points which are that: TTT provides models of language; it provides learners with listening practice; it is needed to give instructions; it allows the teacher to give oral feedback; it is needed to carry out certain classroom procedures/to ask concept check questions; and learners expect the teacher to give them information.
Depth Points
The candidate gains three marks out of a possible five (which are doubled to six) for depth as the points that she makes are generally supported by rationale, mostly from her own experience. For example, when she makes the first point about language being a tool for communication, she expands on this point by writing If the students cannot find enough chances to practice in class, they become the passive listener in a conversation and they cannot keep the conversation. She provides a supporting reason for her point about students learning from each other, i.e. because they can become more self-confident and a reference to a specific context (large classes) when she states the points about the classroom providing an important opportunity to use the L2. Depth is also evident in part (b). For example, when writing about TTT providing listening practice, she cites the context of where English is taught by an L1 teacher, they may have no other opportunity to listen to the spoken language. When talking about the use of TTT to give spoken instructions and feedback, she usefully contrasts this with the potential confusion that can be caused by relying on written instructions/feedback which strengthens her argument. When talking about classroom procedures, she gives an additional example of the need to use TTT when presenting a topic. The Examiner commented that her rationale could be more wide-ranging in that she could refer to sources (e.g. reference to her reading); or theories (e.g. the importance of involving the learner in humanistic approaches), but future candidates should note that the most important consideration in terms of awarding marks for depth is that the rationale provided is convincing in terms of the points made.
In terms of organisation, this could be neater but it is good that the candidate has added more points to her answer and that the sections are clearly signposted so that Examiner can identify which part of the task they belong to. There is some unnecessary repetition of points but this is not penalised in this task.