IGCSE Preparation

Assessment in IGCSE English as a Second Language 0510

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Question papers (1):Reading - Locating specific information

• Timetables and signs

• Newspaper advertisements

• Collecting and analysing brochures

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• Factual/informative articles• Newspaper and magazine articles• Articles which include a visual display - e.g.

graph, chart, diagram

Question papers (2):Reading - Locating more detailed information

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Question papers (3): Reading and writing as an integrated skill

• Filling out a form – the information transfer exercise

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• Analyse summaries to recognise similarities• Convert a set of notes to a summary• Practise the language of summaries• Encourage use of own words

Question papers (4): Reading and writing – writing a summary

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Question papers (5): Extended writing - Descriptive/personal writing

• Writing letters• Recording personal feelings, opinions• Describing events, places, people• Semi-formal style and register• Audience is always given

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• Of a more formal style/register• Often deals with an issue open to debate, e.g. to

persuade, to comment upon, to state own point of view, to consider a variety of others’ views

• Higher level concepts are introduced

Question papers (6): Extended writing: Using language for a specific purpose

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Question papers (7): Listening for specific information in short statements

• Factual detail presented• Often in the form of announcements, e.g. at

railway stations, airports, etc.• News reports, weather reports, travel reports• Understanding directions• Recognising numbers, amounts, currency

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Question papers (8): Listening to longer conversations/interviews/talks

• Semi-formal interviews are often used• Most interviews have a developed topic or theme• Gap-filling is required for some exercises• ‘Gist’ is also tested - working out the attitudes,

opinions and feelings of speakers• Extended candidates will answer using sentence-

length responses

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Question papers (9):Speaking - the Oral Test

• Topic-based conversation/discussion

• Includes a 2-3 minute ‘Warm up’ - not assessed

• Conversation to last 6-9 minutes - assessed

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• Enjoyable to read • Very few errors• Confident and wide-ranging use of language, idiom

and tenses • Excellent sense of purpose and audience• Shows independence of thought• The interest of the reader is aroused and sustained

Extended Writing criteria (1): extracts from Mark Band 8-9

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• Meaning is clear and work is of a safe, literate standard

• Mainly simple structures and vocabulary• Infrequent spelling errors, which do not interfere

with communication • Material is satisfactorily developed • Fulfils the task

Extended Writing criteria (2): extracts from Mark Band 4-5

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• Partly relevant and some engagement with the task

• Frequent, distracting errors hamper precision and slow down reading

• Simple structures and vocabulary• Supplies some detail and explanation, but the

effect is incomplete

Extended Writing criteria (3): extracts from Mark Band 2-3

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• Weak, with many errors in grammar and spelling • Only partial engagement with the task • Language simple but still often wrong choice of

register and vocabulary • Meaning may be obscured or neutralised by the

weight of linguistic error

Extended Writing criteria (4): extracts from Mark Band 0-1

Closing comments