TO DO:
Make a copy of the IO worksheet
Read the information below INCLUDING the rubric
Write down at least 5 questions for me
The timing of the 15-minute preparation period begins when the student is presented with clean copies of each of the two stimuli (from two different themes) from which to choose the one stimulus they would like to use for the individual oral assessment. After choosing the stimulus, the student has the remainder of the 15 minutes to prepare the presentation. During this preparation time, the student may write brief working notes (a maximum of 10 bullet points). These notes may be used for reference only and must not be read aloud as a prepared speech.
During the preparation time, the student must be supervised. The student may not have access to course materials, class notes, dictionaries (in any form), computers, mobile phones or other IT equipment. The student must be given a blank sheet of paper on which to make up to 10 notes in bullet-point form. The visual stimulus and any notes that have been made in the 15 minutes of preparation time for the individual oral assessment are to be collected and retained by the teacher.
As schools are required to keep coursework submissions anonymous, students are asked to avoid using their names or any other identifying information in their presentations. During the presentation, the student should:
provide a brief description of the visual stimulus
relate the visual stimulus to the relevant theme from the course
express his or her opinions on the ideas implied in the visual stimulus.
The presentation must be spontaneous and relate specifically to the content of the visual stimulus provided; pre-learned presentations on generic aspects of a course theme that do not directly focus on the ideas in the visual stimulus provided will not score high marks.
In order to reassure students and help them focus on the requirements of the individual oral assessment, the teacher should signal the changes between the respective parts through the use of an appropriate phrase.
The presentation should last 3–4 minutes, during which time the teacher should avoid interrupting the student, unless it is clear that guidance is needed. At four minutes, if the student has not drawn the presentation to a close, the teacher is expected to interrupt the presentation and make the transition to the second part of the individual oral assessment, using a phrase such as: “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need to move on now”. This exact phrase does not need to be used, but it is good practice for teachers to prepare their students before the day of the examination so that a necessary interruption in order to adhere to timings does not unduly disturb the student.
Following the student’s presentation, the teacher initiates a discussion by asking questions about the theme represented by the visual stimulus. These questions should:
seek clarification or extension of observations made by the student in the presentation
invite the student to interpret and evaluate ideas presented by the visual stimulus and the teacher
encourage connections and comparisons with the student’s other cultural experiences
provide the student with opportunities to demonstrate his or her understanding and appreciation of the target language culture(s)
encourage the student to engage in authentic conversation to the best of his or her ability.
This section of the individual oral assessment should last 4–5 minutes and should offer the student the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to engage in authentic discussion on a topic. The teacher should ask open-ended questions in order to offer the student the opportunity for authentic engagement, thus facilitating an assessment of the student’s interactive skills.
The teacher should signal that they are moving to the final section of the individual oral assessment in order to prepare the student for the change of theme. The teacher may use a phrase such as “Let’s move on to the final section of the exam. First of all, I’d like to talk with you about [theme]”. This section lasts 5–6 minutes and should:
introduce at least one additional theme
seek clarification or extension of observations made by the student in relation to the additional theme(s) broached
invite the student to interpret and evaluate ideas that arise in the general discussion
encourage connections and comparisons with the student’s other cultural experiences
provide the student with opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and appreciation of the target language culture(s)
encourage the student to engage in authentic conversation to the best of his or her ability
allow an assessment of the student’s interactive skills.
The individual oral assessment for language B SL should last a minimum of 12 minutes and a maximum of 15 minutes. Examiners will be instructed to stop listening after 15 minutes. The individual oral assessment must be scheduled during the final year of the course.
Students must be given adequate notice of when the individual oral assessment is to take place. It may take place in or out of the classroom, but care should be taken to ensure that students are not disturbed by external distractions such as school bells and announcements, people entering the room, or any audible or visual distractions from outside the room.
Students must not take mobile phones and other IT equipment into the examination room.
Audio recordings of the individual oral assessment will be required for external moderation. However, the samples selected for moderation will not be identified until the teacher’s marks are entered into IBIS; therefore, it is vital that all students are recorded and that the recordings are of a high quality.
Under no circumstances should a recording be stopped or modified in any way.
Timings for the individual oral assessment are approximate, but should be adhered to as much as possible without disturbing the student. It is imperative that all three sections are adequately addressed.
The teacher is encouraged to interact with the student to facilitate an authentic discussion, but must avoid dominating the exchange.
It is the teacher’s responsibility to:
be aware that the purpose of the individual oral assessment is to assess the student’s ability to produce, understand and interact using spoken language
ensure that the correct number and range of visual stimuli are prepared for the individual oral assessment and that an accurate record is kept of the allocation
have a very clear understanding of the format of the individual oral assessment as well as the assessment criteria
ensure that the questions asked are adapted to the student’s ability and are designed to give the student every opportunity to show the full extent of the student’s language skills
rephrase a question or statement, if a student is having difficulty understanding, in order to support the student and maintain the flow of the conversation
avoid correcting the student or dominating the conversation
ensure that students are allowed sufficient time to respond to questions.