IGCSE 4365 Paper 2 Marked Sample Sample 1

IGCSE 4365
Paper 2
Marked Sample
Sample 1
IGCSE French (4365)
Paper 2 Question 4 (Short essay)
Commentary on Training sample 1 _4365_02_04.
This essay is too long. It is 99 words long, excluding proper nouns. The candidate
has both wasted valuable time and has make more mistakes than s/he would have
made in a short piece.
Communication and Content:
Look at Band 5. This is highest mark on the grid. (There are times when you can see
instantly that the candidate might not even reach a mark of 4. In Such cases, start at 4
or below). The simple task of talking about a visit to the zoo has been completed.
However, the information is not fully relevant….
Look at Band 4. The information is not always relevant (je voudrais être vétériene)
and there is more than “minor ambiguity” (il y a beaucoup de magazines; au bout le
zoo; the tenses are not consistent). The candidate would have done well to leave out
the penultimate sentences, thus reducing the length of the essay to 87 words – still
unnecessarily long…
Look at Band 3. The essay would seem to fit into this band, but the candidate has
lifted more than one sentence from the original text (Dans [le] zoo il y a plus de
protection pour les animaux / Dans [le] zoo les animaux peuvent manger et dormir
tanquillement). This amount of lifting (20 words) from the original text reduces the
candidates possible mark. The candidate could easily have afforded to leave out these
words. S/he would still have written 87-20 = 68 words)
Look at Band 2 The amount of lifting is evident, but there is some use correct
language which is not lifted directly from the text and despite the inaccuracies, the
main points are communicated.
To check that you have reached the correct band, now…
Look at Band 1. There is “effective communication”. It would be an exaggeration to
say that “most” of the text has been lifted from the original. Much of the text is
comprehensible. The mark must be higher than 1.
The mark for Communication and Content is therefore 2/5
Knowledge of Language
Ensure that you award the candidates marks for what s/he has achieved in his or her
own words. For example, you must now ignore the language lifted from the text but
you may reward language that is irrelevant to the essay title. Question 4 is aimed at
Grade C candidates and below. Perfect grammar is not required, even for top marks.
Look at Band 5. The vocabulary and structures are generally accurate. Minor accents
would include misplaced accents (aprés-midi; j’ai achété). However, the “lapses” are
more than minor:
1
Spelling: amieé;
incorrect idiom: être un vétériene; beaucoup desinconsistent tenses: present confused
with passé composé / imperfect
incorrect agreements: nous sommes arrivé; poissons tropique etc
Look at Band 4. The vocabulary is appropriate to the task: aprés-midi; grand;
moderne; aquariume; poissons tropique; un livre
The structures are appropriate to the task: idiom (il y a quelques jours); range of
tenses (present, conditional, imperfect ); pronominal verbs (s’apelle; je me rapelle);
possessives (mon before a feminine noun starting with a vowel; mon village)
As the number of nouns is quite low, if is difficult to determine if genders are
generally correct.
However, this is very thin pickings, especially as the tenses are not always accurately
used and some of the errors do interfere with communication.
Look at Band 3. The description of this mark would seem to suit this candidate well,
but to double check that you have reached the correct mark…
Look at Band 2. This would be too harsh for this candidate.
The mark for Knowledge and Application of Language is therefore 3/5.
The candidate has a final total of 5/10
This candidate would have done well to write a shorter, simpler piece.
See Training Sample 2/4365_02_04 for further practice in marking.
2
IGCSE French (4365)
Paper 2 Question 6 (Comprehension and writing)
Training sample 1_4365_02_06
General comments on the preparation and marking of Question 6.
Weaker candidates should be reminded that they “do not need to write complete
sentences”. In that way, they can ensure that they complete the comprehension part of
the test and that they do not make too many grammatical errors.
More able candidates should be encouraged to write full sentences if they are sure that
they are not making grammatical errors.
Copying from the text is quite acceptable for the “Comprehension” element of the
test. It will not, however, earn any marks for “Knowledge and application of
language”. Weaker candidates should be trained to merely spot the correct part of the
text to copy, making minor alterations if necessary. More able candidates should be
trained to transpose the correct part of the text into their own words.
Training sample 1/4365_02_06
1.
Comprehension:
(a) Correct
(b) Correct
(c) Correct
(d) Correct
(e) Correct
(f) Incorrect – this answer was not accepted as the candidate has confused on and il.
The candidate appears to think that King Louis might have cured his own leg.
(g) Correct
(h) Incorrect – the use of Il makes the answer too ambiguous to be correct.
(i) Incorrect – the answer does not convey the meaning of the phrase « de réputation
mondiale ».(
2.
Knowledge and application of language - comments
This mark is awarded globally for questions (a) to (i). The notes below on individual
answers is for guidance only.
(a)The candidate has done little more than manipulate the syntax of the question.
The candidate would have done well to use a pronoun: Elle s’appelle Enghien.
(b) The candidate has correctly copied depuis from the stimulus text but has astutely
used the expression 50 ans. An accurate answer both for content and grammar.
3
(c) The candidate has wisely substituted the pronoun ils for the noun les habitants in
the answer. Unfortunately the candidate has not realised that fière must now be
changed to fiers. The candidate has not even realised that there should be a plural “s”
on the adjective.
(d) Again, the candidate has correctly replaced a noun Cette ville with the correct
pronoun, Elle, but has too slavishly copied the original text. The mark was given for
comprehension, but this clumsy answer will not help the candidate to reach a high
“Knowledge and application” mark.
(e) The candidate knew enough to answer pourquoi with parce que but has forgotten
to use the very basic form of elision.
(f) Although this is an incorrect answer, it may be marked for Knowledge and
application of Language. Here, the candidate has done no more than copy the
stimulus text, but inaccurately. S/he would have done better to copy the text exactly
as it stood: on a guéri un ulcère à la jambe – or even better à sa jambe.
(g) Correctly lifted from the text, but the use of the verb facilité is an invitation to the
candidate to use a verb: on a ouvert or even better en ouvrant…
(h) The pronoun Il in the candidate’s answer does not correspond to a noun in the
question. It is therefore an incorrect use of a pronoun. The candidate has copied the
text without any real understanding and without being able to show a sound command
of the French required.
(i) This is, of course, the most difficult question on the whole of Paper 2 as the
candidates must both understand the phrase and find their own words to express the
answer. However, it will be seen from the mark scheme that there are several simple
ways of doing so, none of which should be beyond candidates aiming at Grades A
and A*. This candidate has used fairly accurate language, but it is extremely clumsy.
It contains two serious grammatical errors.
3.
Awarding the Knowledge and application of language mark.
It must be stressed that this part of Question is a test of the candidates’ ability to write
French. A key point to take into account before awarding the Knowledge and
application of language mark is to note that Band 2 of the marking grid contains the
following words:
“Some evidence of accurate language, which is mostly lifted straight from the original
text.” Therefore any set of answers which rely heavily on copying from the stimulus
are unlikely to be placed above Band 2.For the candidate in this sample anwer there is
no need to look at either Band 5 or Band 0 as the candidate clearly does not fall into
either mark band…
Look at Band 4. Despite “accurate vocabulary and structures” the candidate has made
more than “a few basic errors”. Communication is impeded by the incorrect use of
the pronoun in (f) and (h) and by the use of populaire in (i)…
4
Look at Band 3. Although the description in this band would seem to fit almost
exactly the performance by the candidate, there is far too much direct lifting from the
stimulus text for the candidate to be placed in this band….
Look at Band 2. Because the candidate has lifted so much material, the vocabulary
and structures must be described as “Limited”. The main points have been
communicated, “despite inaccuracies”.
Look at Band 1 to ensure that this does not apply to the candidate. The candidate
obviously can use “basic vocabulary and structures, has “language awareness” , and
has made some attempt at not lifting “nearly all material directly from the original
text”. The candidate should therefore be placed higher than Band 1.
The overall mark for this candidate was 6/10 for Comprehension and 2/5 for
Knowledge and Application of Language
8/15 overall.
See Sample 2/4365_02_06 for further practice in marking.
5
IGCSE French (4365)
Paper 2 Question 7 (The long essay)
Training sample 1/4365_02_07(b)
Communication and content
The Communication and content mark must always be awarded first. Take the
position of the “sympathetic native speaker”.
Each bullet point in the stimulus must be addressed, but not necessarily in detail.
•Le travail que vous avez fait: we learn that the candidate was a salesperson in a
shop.
•Quelqu’un que vous avez rencontré: we have a vague idea that the candidate met a
client but que je suis rencontrée distorts the message a little. There is some
development about this person, but poor vocabulary prevents the candidate from
expressing herself clearly
•Vos opinions sur le travail: The basic attitude towards the work is made clear in
very simple terms, but the last two and a half lines of the second paragraph fail to
convey clearly the candidate’s development of this bullet point.
•Si vous voulez faire ce travail à l’avenir et pourquoi: see previous point
•Clearly the candidate is not going to be placed in Band 5, so start consideration of
marks in Band 4.
Band 4: There are no real omissions as such in the essay.
There is some “evidence” of attempts at description (ma travail n’est difficle; c’est
une travail excellent pour moi) although these are rarely very successful and they are
not extensive.
There are opinions: Ce travail, c’est super et j’aime beaucoup; je n’aime pas les otre
travail and expansion: parce que je usi une fanatique; parce que je parle beaucoup.
The essay shows some attempt at organisation.
However, There is a serious lack of clarity throughout, and indeed a level of
incoherence at times, which takes the candidate out of this band…
Look at Band 3. As noted, there is little irrelevance and no point has been entirely
omitted.
The candidate has gone beyond a “minimal” response in terms of IGCSE.
The candidate is “beginning to expand ideas and express opinions” despite the
grammatical errors.
The piece is ambiguous in places, but overall the main thread of the essay is
comprehensible.
To check if Band 3 is the correct band…
Look at Band 2. There is more than just the “key information”. There are no
omissions as such. There is some repetition, but it is not excessive. It is not “easy to
read”, but there is an attempt to write a cohesive essay. The sentences are not
“written in isolation.” It would be too severe to place the candidate in this band.
The mark for Communication and Content should therefore be 3/5
6
Knowledge and application of Language
Look at Band 4.
•The range of vocabulary is very limited. Apart from vocabulary given in the
stimulus and English cognates, the candidate has some knowledge of vendeuse;
magasin; semaine; ma vie; contente; supermarché; personnes. The gender of these
nouns falls in the domaine of “Accuracy”. However, the candidate seems unaware of
la mode; la robe; passion; nourriture [or la chère which would be an error of
register]; maths or sciences. The candidate was not required to use any of these
words, but as she thought they were necessary for her account, she should have
ensured correct usage.
•The range of idiom is particularly poor: je suis le vendeuse; pas semaine; je suis mal
avec [= je suis nulle en?] ;
•The structures used are appropriate to the task:
past tenses; use of the relative pronouns que and que;
dependents clauses starting with parce que;
demonstrative, disjunctive and possessive adjectives – ce travail, pour moi, ma vie
and an attempt at mon; lack of knowledge of relexive pronouns, elles aime moi;
some verbs correctly used in the negative;
a minimal use of adverbs – beaucoup; très bien.
However, the attempts at such structures are so limited they do not qualify the
candidate for Band 4 on that count.
The candidate fails to use a correct past tense. There is only one example of a future:
Je vais faire. It cannot be said that the candidate generally uses tenses
“appropriately”
On the whole the candidate cannot manipulate language adequately to suit her
purpose…
Look at Band 3. Whilst the vocabulary is barely adequate to convey what the
candidate wishes to say, she has used a limited range of structures which is just
adequate to the task but the overall effect is one of repetition of structures.
Syntax is generally accurate.
The present tense is not well known. The range of correct verbs is extremely limited:
je suis; il y a; qui s’appelle; c’est; je vais faire; je n’aime pas; je parle. There are
frequent lapses in the use of verbs.
There are “Some attempts to manipulate language”. Very little seems to have been
pre-learnt…
Look at Band 2. The first three sentences and the last of this band seem to describe
the essay very accurately. As this description is the “best fit” for this essay, the
candidate should be placed in Band 2.
Check that this is the correct band…
Look at Band 1. This would seem to severe for this candidate.
The Mark for Knowledge and Application of Language should therefore be 2/5
7
Accuracy
It would be fair to start at Band 3 as the candidate clearly is not described by Band 5
and cannot be said to be “Generally accurate” so is not described by Band 4.
Look at Band 3. The overall feeling is of inaccuracy. Errors prevent communication.
There are a few groups of words which are free of error but no complete sentence is
free of error: j’ai travaille; de le magasin; tous les clientes; adore moi; je suis
rencontrée; elle faire; elle achat; dix heure; dificil; une travail; le (s)ciences; que ils;
elles aime.
Overall more than half of what is written contains errors. The candidate cannot be
placed in Band 3…
Look at band 2. This would seem to describe the essay well, so…
Look at Band 1. This is just to check that Band 2 is the correct band. Communication
has not been entirely prevented by the errors in the grammar. Within a fairly accurate
syntax, there are some basic, acceptable phrases: Il y a une cliente que; tous les jours
dans le magasin; Ce travail c’est super et j’aime beaucoup; je suis une fanatique de;
Je vais faire ce travail à l’avenir et pour… [à l’avenir correctly copied from the
stimulus and placed correctly in the sentence]; Je suis fantastique avec les personnes
parce que je parle beaucoup; (Pour) tavailler dans un magasin c’est très bien… This
pulls the essay out of Band 1.
The mark for accuracy should therefore be 2/5
The total mark for the essay should be 3 + 2 + 2 = 7 / 15.
See Training Sample 2.4365_02_07 for further practice in marking.
8