Paper 1 Task 3 

12 marks

Recommended time: 13 minutes

 

Information, tips and strategies

 

In this task you are presented with a productive skills activity (either writing or speaking) from a coursebook together with examples of two or three key language features which the learners would need to complete the activity. You are asked to identify a further three key language features (systems features and/or sub-skills) which the learners need to complete the task successfully.

 

DO:

· Briefly attempt the activity yourself as if you were a learner. This should give you a much better idea of what they might need.

· Read the rubric carefully to see if it specifies language features or if it specifically excludes any.

· Identify three distinctly different features to avoid overlaps. Two features that are obviously connected (i.e. it would be pointless to do one without the other) will only be counted as one feature by the examiner. Examples could be making and responding to suggestions, stating opinions and justifying them.

· Provide one full example. This should be a full sentence unless you are listing relevant lexis, for example, or possibly just describing discourse organization.

· Ensure your example is appropriate to the indicated level.

· Also, ensure it is task-specific, not just a generic example.

· Number the points you make from 1- 3.

· Use labels within the point, e.g. Feature, Example.

 

DON’T:

· Provide more than three features because only the first three are marked, regardless of whether they are correct or not. So if your first three were wrong and the fourth was right, you still wouldn’t get any marks.

· Mention the same features which are given as an example!

· Provide more than one example per point because only the first will be marked.

· Use generic examples – they must be specific! For example, lexis is not sufficient without specifying the topic.

· Use the same example more than once.

· Give reasons for your choice (they won’t be marked, so they will be a waste of words).

 

As with every task, it’s essential to read the instructions very carefully.

 

Use bullet points in describing the features to save time and to improve the readability of your answer.

  

Paper 1 Task 4

20 marks

Recommended time 20 minutes

 

Paper 1 Task 4 is worth 20 marks and you shouldn’t spend more than 20 minutes on it. This task always looks at some written text or a transcription of spoken text produced by a learner of a particular level. You are asked to study the learner’s text and identify 4 strengths and weaknesses, that is, a total of 4 combined. You must identify at least one strength and at least one weakness but the split between strengths and weaknesses doesn’t have to be equal. It can be  1:3 or 2:2 but what it must not be is only 4 strengths or only 4 weaknesses.

 

· Usually, you are directed to consider certain areas such as ‘task achievement’ or ‘complexity of grammar’ and so on. Be sure only to comment on the areas specified and no others.

 

· Look for trends and patterns to identify a strength or weakness. For example, if there is only one misspelled word, this is not an indication of spelling being a weakness.

 

· Ensure you take the level of the learner into consideration. Obviously, you wouldn’t expect an elementary learner to use rare lexis or complex grammar accurately. However, at the same time, if an advanced level learner uses present simple accurately, that is not a strength.

 

· If you comment on complexity or accuracy, you need to state specifically which items/structures you are referring to. Don’t just list complexity of grammar by itself as a strength, for example, because it’s too generic. You need to say something like ‘accurate use of a range of tenses’.

 

· If you talk about organization, you still need to illustrate your point. Refer to the organization within a certain paragraph, for example, or outline how ideas have been sequenced. The same goes for ‘content’ if you talk about task achievement. Give examples of the range or level of relevant detail in the content, for example.

 

· For this task, it’s best to use bullet points to save time. Clearly indicate whether the point made is a strength or a weakness. Then mention the criterion from the rubric. Make the point and finally include the example (labelling it ‘example’). Like this: 

o Strength: Accuracy of grammar – accurate use of superlatives – Example: the most beautiful (line 4).

 

Reading

 McGrath, I. 2013. Teaching Materials and the Roles of EFL/ESL Teachers. Bloomsbury Academic

 Tomlinson, B. 2014. Developing materials for language teaching. Bloomsbury

 Pawlak, M. 2012. Error Correction in the Foreign Language Classroom. Springer

 

Activities

 For Task 3, use any mainstream course books and analyse some of the productive tasks. Check ideas suggested in the relevant teacher’s book. Look at the language input that precedes the given task

 Involve your peers in doing this together.

 For Task 4, exchange samples of your learners’ materials and analyse these for strengths and weaknesses.

Paper 1 Task 3 (practice task)

(12marks)

Recommended time:13 minutes

 

The extract for this task is a speaking activity for pre-intermediate level learners.

 

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

 

· language for talking about quantities e.g. Half of us, about 20% of us, the majority of us use mobile phones all the time.

· agreeing / disagreeing e.g. I’m sorry, I don’t agree with 1. Yes, you’re right, computers are bad for children.

 

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

 

Paper 1 Task 4 (practice task)

(20 marks)  

Recommended time:18 minutes

 

The text for this task is reproduced  on the page below. It was spoken by a learner in an intermediate (CEFR Level B1) class in response to the following task:

 

Tell your teacher the story in the pictures below.

 

 

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.

 

· Task achievement

· Range and accuracy of grammar

· Range and accuracy of lexis

· Pronunciation: sounds, stress, connected speech

  

The extract is taken from Composition through Pictures, J. B. Heaton, Longman, 1966, pages 47 and 48.

 

 

Note: Parts of the text are transcribed in phonemic script representing how they were spoken and the syllables which the learner stressed are underlined.

Guideline answer (P1T3)

clarifying what you have said / asking for clarification / paraphrasing / circumlocution / repair / negotiation of meaning

Example: I mean … / Do you mean you believe…? / I don’t know how to say it but it’s the thing that you do when….

 

expressing /asking for / giving reasons for / supporting opinions

Example: I think… / In my opinion… / It’s wrong/right that… / For me… /  What do you think? / …because… / …in order to…

 

summarising / reporting / presenting results

Example: Everyone in our group agreed that… / No one in our group thought that… / We all thought that….

 

use of modals (to express obligation/possibility/ability)  

Example: children should(n’t) / I can’t understand English people when they speak fast / you really mustn’t use your phone

 

use of zero/first conditional (for giving reasons or examples)

Example; (because) if / when children play computer games they don’t spend time with their friends.    

 

comparatives

Example: English grammar is more difficult than German.

 

using reported speech

Example: Jose said that he thought computer games are bad for children.

 

using causative linkers and conjunctions

Example: because (causative conjunctions)

 

question forms / tag questions / indirect questions

Example: what happens in your country?

 

range of appropriate lexis/collocations relevant to the topic

Example: for 1: seeing friends / making friends / social skills; for 2 annoying / irritating / makes me angry / disturbs me; for 3 grammar / pronunciation / vocabulary

 

knowledge and use of appropriate discourse structure

Example: initiating / closing / asking for an opinion); expressing an opinion, responding to the opinion expressed / adjacency pairs (an opinion needs an agreement / disagreement) / initiating closing a conversation

 

language and strategies for keeping the conversation going  

Example: back-channelling / inviting others to speak / recognising (falling) intonation to indicate someone has finished speaking/ interrupting / using discourse markers to manage conversation / using hesitation devices /fillers / turn taking

 

Guideline answer (P1T4)

 

Key strengths

 

• Task achievement

Main events in the narrative are expressed in sequence / the narrative is coherently told / the listener would be able to follow the narrative.

Example The man goes into the shop, puts the radio in his bag, it turned on, he ran away, the police caught him (a minimum of two events must be mentioned)

 

• Task achievement

 Speaker self-corrects / fills pauses / uses compensation strategies

       Example .. er ..., about ...er...one radio...er...which

 

• Range and accuracy of grammar

Accurate use of past simple AND/OR past continuous tenses

Example he realised the man was trying

 

• Range and accuracy of grammar

Accurate use of articles

Example a man with a jacket followed by man with the jacket

 

• Range and accuracy of grammar

Good use of relative clauses / subordinate time clauses

Example a shop where arrived a man, one radio which was at the top ... when the owner was trying to take it, when the man started to run away

 

• Range of lexis

Good collocations/chunks

Example made the mistake, run away, at the top of the, had the opportunity

 

• Range of lexis/grammar

Accurate use of linkers

Example so, then, and, but

 

• Pronunciation

Word stress is accurate / sentence stress generally placed correctly on the content words, not function words.

Example jacket, owner, button, radio, furniture, mistake, away, arrived, policeman, opportunity

 

• Pronunciation

Linking / elision

Example the opportunity /ði:jɒpɔ:t.../ and a /ənə/ that the /ðætə/

 

 

 

 

Key weaknesses

 

• Accuracy and range of lexis

Limited/inaccurate for level

Example bag (briefcase), put on the button (switch it on), furniture (shelf), take it (get it down, lift it down), singing (playing)

OR

The learner needs to use synonyms to refer to the man / whilst it is usual in a spoken text to repeat lexis, the repeated use of the man with the jacket creates a negative effect on the listener

Example after the man with the jacket is first used in line 1, it is repeated in lines 2, 5, 8, 9 / learner could use the robber, the thief

 

• Pronunciation

Weak forms / not using schwa

Example to, was, at, and, arrived

 

• Pronunciation

Inconsistent pronunciation of the (regular) past simple forms / -ed endings / tends to pronounce the final syllable

Example arrived /æraɪved/, realised /reɪəlaɪzɪd/

 

• Accuracy of grammar

Wrong preposition

Example mistake that put on the button, arrive to the street, asked to the owner, arrived to the street

 

• Accuracy of grammar

Errors in verb patterns / verb structures

Example start to singing, trying to stole