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GUIDELINES Basic and Intermediate courses
2
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
INDEX
Part 1: Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………..…….. 3 Part 2: Coursebook and Philosophy …………………………………............................................................. 3 Part 3: About the course……………………………..………………………………………………………………………………. 4
A. Structure of the course………………………………..…………………………………………………………. 4 B. Course Breakdown……………………………………….…………………………………………………………. 4
Part 4: Materials...........…………………………..…………………..………………..……………………………………………. 5 A. Student’s book……………………………………..……………………………………………....................... 4 B. Workbook.…………………………………………………………………………………………..….................. 5 C. MyEnglishLab …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 D. Student’s Resource Bank…………………………………………………………………………………………. 6 E. ActiveBook and ActiveTeach……………………………………………………………………………………. 6 F. Teacher’s Resource Book………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 G. Syllabus…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Part 5: Evaluation...........…………………………..…………………..………………..………………………………………….. 8 A. Introduction…………………………………………………………..................................................... 8
I. Continuous Assessment…………………………………………………………………………….. 8 II. Exams…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………. 8
B. All about Continuous Assessment ………………………………………………………………………….. 9 I. About giving marks …………………………………………………………………………………… 9 II. Evaluation Criteria for Continuous Assessment …………………………………………. 10
1. Speaking & Listening…………………………………………………..…………………….... 10 2. Written Work……………………………………………………………………………………... 13
C. All about Exams ………………………………………………………………………………………………….….. 16 I. Speaking Exam (SE)…………………………………………………………………………………………... 16 II. Reading Exam (RE)………………………………………........................................................ 17 III. Final Exam (FE)……………………………………………………………………………………………….… 18 IV. Progress Test (PT)…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18 V. Feedback Sessions……………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
Part 6: Academic Documents …..……………..…………………..………………..………………………………………..…. 20 Part 7: Frequently Asked Questions …………………………………………………………………………..………………. 25 Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Appendix 1: Author Tips ……………………………………………...................................................... 27 Appendix 2: About Written Work …………………………………………………………………………………. 29 Appendix 3: About Preparing your students for the Speaking Exam ……………………………… 31
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
To focus on the development of the four skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
To enrich students’ language awareness through the study of Grammar and Vocabulary from Elementary to Upper Intermediate level.
To teach language promoting the “Active Learning” approach through the use of discovery techniques and tasks that use the language in context.
To promote self-study through engaging tasks and projects that reflect language learned in class.
To expose students to real spoken English by giving them the opportunity to work with authentic material taken from the BBC.
To familiarise students with functional language they will find useful when facing real life situations.
The textbooks used for our Adults Courses are:
SPEAKOUT Elementary by Frances Eales and Steve Oakes
SPEAKOUT Pre-Intermediate by Antonia Clare and JJ Wilson.
SPEAKOUT Intermediate by Antonia Clare and JJ Wilson
SPEAKOUT Upper Intermediate by Frances Eales and Steve Oakes.
“SPEAKOUT has been designed to satisfy both students and teachers on a number of different levels. It offers
engaging topics with authentic BBC material to really bring them to life. At the same time it offers a robust and
comprehensive focus on grammar, vocabulary, functions and pronunciation. As the name of the course might
suggest, speaking activities are prominent, but that is not at the expense of the other core skills, which are
developed systematically throughout.” (SPEAKOUT Pre-Intermediate Teacher’s Book, p.18).
SPEAKOUT is a series that was created to bring the real world into the classroom through communicative activities
and independent and blended learning. These components result in lessons that really work.
Part 1: OBJECTIVES
SPEAKOUT BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Part 2: COURSEBOOK AND PHILOSOPHY
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
A. STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE
This is a 24-cycle course (12 for Super intensive courses) offered in five different systems:
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION LENGTH
Daily (D) Monday to Friday (1.5 hour classes) 18 sessions in 1 month (27 hours)
Saturday (S)
Saturdays only (3.5 hours classes) 7 sessions in 2 months (24.5 hours)
Superintensive (F)
Monday to Friday (3 hour classes) 18 sessions in 1 month (54 hours)
Every other day (A)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (2 hour classes) 13 sessions in 5 weeks (26 hours)
Every other day (B)
Tuesday and Thursday (3 hour classes) 9 sessions in 5 weeks (27 hours)
B. COURSE BREAKDOWN
PHASE CYCLE (F COURSES)
CYCLE (D,S,A,B COURSES)
UNITS COVERED
COURSEBOOK
BASIC
F01
B01
1, 2
SPEAKOUT Elementary
B02
3, 4
F02
B03
5, 6
B04
7, 8
F03
B05
9, 10
B06
11, 12
F04
B07 1, 2
SPEAKOUT Pre-Intermediate
B08 3, 4
F05
B09 5, 6
B10 7, 8
F06
B11
9, 10
B12
11, 12
INTERMEDIATE
F07
I01
1, 2
SPEAKOUT Intermediate
I02
3, 4
F08
I03
5, R1
I04
6, 7
F09
I05
8, 9
I06
10, R2
F10
I07
1, 2
SPEAKOUT Upper
Intermediate
I08
3, 4
F11
I09
5, R1
I10
6, 7
F12
I11
8, 9
I12
10, R2
Part 3: ABOUT THE COURSE
5
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
SPEAKOUT has a number of different components for teachers and students:
TEACHER’S SET STUDENT’S SET
Student’s Book Workbook Student’s Resource Bank
ActiveBook & DVD (1 disc) Class Audio CD (1 disc) Workbook Audio CD (1 disc)
Teacher’s Resource Book (1 book) ActiveTeach & DVD (1 disc)
Student’s Book Workbook Student’s Resource Bank
ActiveBook & DVD (1 disc) Workbook Audio CD (1 disc)
Teachers and students receive the Student’s book, the Workbook, Student’s Resource Bank, the ActiveBook & DVD and the Workbook Audio CD in one pack, as this is a special customised version especially designed for the BRITÁNICO.
A. STUDENT’S BOOK
The SPEAKOUT Elementary & Pre-Intermediate books consist of 12 units each. The SPEAKOUT Intermediate & Upper Intermediate books also consist of 12 units each, but in these books there are 2 Revision units in the middle and at the end of each book (see chart on page 4).
All units have been designed to deal with the four essential skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. You can find the objectives based on these skills on the front page of each unit.
For a detailed overview of the Student’s Book components, please refer to pages 10-21 of the Teacher’s book.
R1 and R2 (Revision) Units in the Intermediate and Upper Intermediate Student’s Books In the Intermediate and Upper Intermediate books there are two Revision Units (after units 5 and 10). In these units: There is no new grammar points to deal with. There is Grammar Revision. The first Revision unit (R1) in the Intermediate book contains exercises focused on PET
(Cambridge English: Preliminary). The second Revision unit (R2) in the Intermediate book and the two Revision Units in the Upper
Intermediate book contain exercises focused on FCE (Cambridge English: First). These units are skills-based with emphasis on the development of the 4 skills.
B. WORKBOOK
The Student’s Workbook contains extra exercises and deals with all the areas studied in the Student’s book. Refer to page 16 of the Teacher’s book for a complete description. The Workbook is accompanied by an Audio CD that contains all the listening material. You can also find “Review and check” sections and “Tests” every three units. The Workbook can be used: In class, for extra practice and to consolidate content seen during the teaching period. As homework, so students can practice language and skills on their own.
C. MYENGLISHLAB (MEL)
MyEnglishLab is an online tool that contains all the exercises in the Workbook and the Video Podcasts in the Student’s Book. Students are able to do the exercises online in an interactive way and teachers can monitor their progress. To have access to this tool all teachers must attend a session with the Británico E-Learning area in which they will be provided with an access code and they will also receive instructions and general guidelines to use MyEnglishLab. Every month, teachers must:
Part 4: MATERIALS
(1 book) (1 book)
6
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Create their courses in the online component. Turn off the messenger for your courses. Provide their students with their Course ID. Monitor their progress and prepare remedial work based on students’ performance. Delete the course when it is over.
Find Complete Guidelines and help videos in the MEL Speakout Guidelines, which are uploaded in the
Portal’s Intranet: INTRANET>ESTUDIOS>DESCARGA>TEACHERS NOTES-GUIDELINES> MEL SPEAKOUT
GUIDELINES.
D. STUDENT’S RESOURCE BANK The Student’s Resource Bank contains a selection of the Photocopiable Activities in the Teacher’s Resource Book. All these exercises are communicative activities and are aimed at extending language practice seen in the book. You can also find Mid-Course and End of Course Tests at the end.
E. ACTIVEBOOK AND ACTIVETEACH All students will receive a CD that contains the ActiveBook, which is the digital version of the course, the listening, DVDs and podcasts. Teachers receive the ActiveTeach, which is similar to the ActiveBook, but with extra features such as answers to exercises and extra resources to make their classes more interactive. Refer to page 17 of the Teacher’s Resource Book for a complete description.
What is the difference between the ActiveTeach and the ActiveBook? The ActiveTeach is the digital version of the book for teachers and contains: answers to activities, a tool box to design lessons and games to be used if time available. The ActiveBook is the digital version of the book for students and does not contain the features mentioned before.
Are there any general recommendations about the ActiveTeach? When working with the ActiveTeach, teachers should:
Explore it first.
Avoid showing the answers to students at once.
Use the answers as a reference.
Use the zoom.
Watch the “Help” videos (available in the same disc) to find out about the options you have.
F. TEACHER’S RESOURCE BOOK The Teacher’s Resource book contains specific instructions for teachers so that they can exploit the material described above in the best way. It contains:
Teacher’s Notes with specific and vital methodological guidelines All photocopiable Activities with instructions to use them. Mid-course and End of course tests and Answer key.
G. SYLLABUS Each cycle has a syllabus that provides teachers with guidelines on how to develop lessons using the SPEAKOUT series. You have access to syllabi through the Portal’s Intranet: www.britanico.edu.pe > Intranet > Descarga > Estudios. You need your Británico’s Teacher code (find yours on your Británico photocheck). Some important points, for your kind attention: The syllabus indicates how many pages/units should be covered in a number of lessons. Teachers are free to organise their lessons as long as the content is fully covered at the end of the cycle. Homework is not indicated in the syllabus. Teachers decide which parts to leave for homework. See the “Authors tips” (see appendices) for suggestions on organising lessons effectively. Refer to the Teacher’s Resource Book for methodological procedures and recommendations. The syllabi must be seen as a guide for teachers. They have been designed to provide them with
information about the material teachers have in order to prepare their lessons. Find a model on page 7.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
SESSION 1
SESSION 2
SESSION 3
SESSION 4
SESSION 5
SESSION 6
SESSION 7
SESSION 8
Lead-in + Unit 1: Lessons 1 & 2
Unit 1: Lesson 3, 4 & 5
Lead-in: SB p. 6 Lead-in
Unit 1 “welcome”:
SB p. 7 Unit objectives
Lesson 1.1 SB p. 8-9. WB p. 5-6. # SRB p. 146
Lesson 1.2 SB p. 10-11. WB p. 7-8 # SRB p. 145-147
Lesson 1.3 SB p. 12-13. WB p. 9 # SRB p. 148
Lesson 1.4 SB p. 14-15
Lesson 1.5 SB p. 16. Video Podcast
SESSION 9
SESSION 10
SESSION 11
SESSION 12
SESSION 13
SESSION 14
SESSION 15
SESSION 16
Unit 2: Lessons 1 & 2
Unit 2: Lessons 3, 4 & 5
Unit 2 “lifestyle”:
SB p. 17 Unit objectives.
Lesson 2.1 o SB p. 18-19. o WB p. 10-11. o # SRB p. 150
Lesson 2.2 SB p. 20-21. WB p. 12-13 # SRB p. 149-151
Lesson 2.3 SB p. 22-23. WB p. 14 # SRB p. 152
Lesson 2.4 SB p. 24-25
Lesson 2.5 SB p. 26. Video Podcast
SESSION 17
SESSION 18
Final Exam
Marks
1. GENERAL INFORMATION: Cycle, System, hours per session, version, date in which the syllabus was designed. 2. CONTENT: Parts of the coursebook and/or workbook to be done in a number of sessions. 3. EVALUATION DATES: When to give marks for Continuous Assessment “A” and “B”. 4. MATERIALS: Materials you will use for this cycle.
ACPB – GG – GE – SY – D – B01
BASIC 01 – SYLLABUS SPEAKOUT Elementary – Units 1-2
DAILY COURSES (1 ½ hours per session)
System : D Version : 01 By : LB Date : 13/11/2012
BOOK: - SPEAKOUT Elementary (Pearson) - Teacher’s Resource Book
CDs : - Active Teach & DVD
- Active Book & DVD - Workbook Audio CD
SB = Student’s Book
WB = Workbook
p. = page
SRB = Student’s Resource Bank
# = to be done if time available
All “A” Marks
All “B” Marks
①
②
④
③
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
A. INTRODUCTION
The Evaluation system consists of two big areas: CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT and EXAMS. Marks are given as follows in all cycles for all systems:
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
EXAMS
40 marks
60 marks
100 marks
I. CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT: This refers to work done during the cycle and consists of two parts:
a) Speaking & Listening b) Written Work
Marks are given as follows:
BASIC PHASE INTERMEDIATE PHASE
SPEAKING & LISTENING
WRITING SPEAKING & LISTENING
WRITING
30 marks 10 marks 20 marks 20 marks
40 marks 40 marks
II. EXAMS: Exams vary depending on the cycle. There are four types of exams:
a) Final Exam: This exam takes place in all cycles (B01-I12/ F01-F12). b) Speaking Exam: This exam takes place only in cycles in which students finish a book: B06/ F03, B12/
F06, I06/F09 and I12/F12. c) Reading Exam: This exam takes places only in Intermediate cycles which cover a Revision Unit:
I03/F08, I06/F09, I09/F11, I12/F12. d) Progress Test: This exam takes place in SUPERINTENSIVE courses only (F01-F12).
Marks are given as follows:
DAILY/ EVERY OTHER DAY/ SATURDAY COURSES
CYCLE
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT EXAMS TOTAL SPEAKING &
LISTENING WRITTEN
WORK TOTAL READING
EXAM SPEAKING
EXAM FINAL EXAM
TOTAL
B01 – B05 B07 – B11
30
10
40
60
60
100
B06 / B12
30
10
40
10
50
60
100
I01/I02/I04/I05 I07/I08/I10/I11
20
20
40
60
60
100
I03 / I09
20
20
40
10
50
60
100
I06 / I12
20
20
40
10
10
40
60
100
Part 5: EVALUATION
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
SUPERINTENSIVE COURSES
CYCLE
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT EXAMS
TOTAL
SPEAKING & LISTENING
WRITTEN WORK
TOTAL
READING EXAM
SPEAKING EXAM
PROGTEST
FINAL EXAM
TOTAL
F01/F02 F04/F05
30
10
40
30
30
60
100
F03/F06
30
10
40
10
25
25
60
100
F07/F10
20
20
40
30
30
60
100
F08/F11
20
20
40
10
25
25
60
100
F09/F12
20
20
40
10
10
20
20
60
100
B. ALL ABOUT CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT I. ABOUT GIVING MARKS
Teachers give TWO Continuous Assessment marks out of 20 during the cycle. The first mark (CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT “A”) is given in the middle of cycle. The second mark (CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT “B”) is given at the end of the cycle. This is the way to do it:
BASIC PHASE INTERMEDIATE PHASE
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT “A”
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT “B”
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT “A”
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT “B”
SL WW TOTAL SL WW TOTAL SL WW TOTAL SL WW TOTAL
15 5 20 15 5 20 10 10 20 10 10 20
SL= Speaking & Listening WW= Written Work
Teachers must have the first mark (Continuous Assessment “A”) on the following dates: Session 10 for Daily and Superintensive courses.
Session 4 for Saturday courses.
Session 6 for Every other day courses “A”.
Session 4 for Every other day courses “B”.
Teachers must have the second mark (Continuous Assessment “B”) on the following dates:
Session 16 for Daily courses.
- Session 17 for Superintensive courses.
- Session 7 for Saturday courses.
- Session 12for Every other day courses “A”.
- Session 8 for Every other day courses “B”.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
II. EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT:
1. SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Teachers evaluate SPEAKING & LISTENING in BASIC and INTERMEDIATE phases based on students’ participation in class following this criteria:
Criteria
Aspects to be evaluated
1. Interactive communication
Development of conversations: Ability to participate in different situations.
Proactive participation: Willingness to participate in lessons.
2. Discourse and Fluency
Fluency: Ability to speak the language well, easily and quickly. Coherence: Logical arrangement of utterances and relevance
of contributions. Linking devices: Words and expressions used to connect
speech making discourse cohesive. Hesitation: Pauses that we make when we are not sure or
certain.
3. Pronunciation
Stress: Emphasis laid on a syllable or word. Intonation: The sound changes produced by the rise and fall
of the voice when speaking. Individual sounds: Specific phonemes such as /ð/ or /θ/
4. Listening
Understanding of questions and instructions given by the teacher or peers.
Listening exercises: Performance in specific exercises which deal with this skill (audio or DVD)
5. Grammar and Vocabulary
Accuracy Correct use of grammatical forms taught. Range: Variety of grammar and vocabulary. Mistakes that obscure communication: Language problems
which confuses the listener.
Refer to Speaking & Listening Assessment Scales for Basic and Intermediate on pages 11 and 12 to give your students the appropriate mark. It is very important that teachers monitor their students in class so that they can give the appropriate mark to their students. Students should be encouraged to participate because they can be evaluated better in this way. However, teachers must not confuse amount of participation with good speaking and/or listening performance. In the specific case of LISTENING, do not go around the classroom during the listening activity itself. Teachers should monitor students when they are comparing their answers in order to see how they are performing in the different exercises. When collecting feedback, encourage students to participate even if they think they are wrong as this is part of their evaluation. Do not forget that LISTENING is one of the activities in which our students need more support. Pre-Listening activities, task advice and Post-Listening activities are essential to develop this skill more efficiently. Refer to your Teacher’s Book for more information about LISTENING (“Teaching Approaches” section).
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
SPEAKING & LISTENING (SL) ASSESSMENT SCALE – BASIC PHASE (B01-B12)
Above Average
15
Interacts very well. Conversations are effective. Mostly fluent with some hesitation. Very good pronunciation. Good listening performance. Some prompting is needed, but not often. Range of grammar and vocabulary according to the level Few mistakes.
14 -13
Performance shares features of bands 12 and 15
Average
12
Interacts well. Conversations are proper. Generally fluent with some hesitation. Good pronunciation. Average listening performance. At times, prompting is needed. Appropriate range of grammar and vocabulary. Some mistakes.
Pass
11 - 10
Performance shares features of bands 9 and 12
Below Average
9
Does not interact very well. Conversations are barely developed. Fluency problems and some irrelevant contributions with a lot of hesitation. Some pronunciation problems. Below average listening performance. Prompting is needed most of the time. Grammar and vocabulary is below the level. Several mistakes
8 - 7
Performance shares features of bands 6 and 9
Weak
6
Does not interact well. Conversations are not developed properly. Not fluent, irrelevant contributions with a lot of hesitation. Many pronunciation problems. Listening performance is not good. A lot of prompting is needed. Problems with grammar and vocabulary. Mistakes obscure communication.
5 - 4
Performance shares features of bands 3 and 6
Poor
3
Does not interact. Conversations are not developed. Serious fluency problems, irrelevant contributions with intrusive hesitation. Serious pronunciation problems. Too much prompting is needed. Very poor listening performance. Serious problems with grammar and vocabulary Too many mistakes obscure communication.
2 - 1
Performance below band 3
Unrated
0
Achieves nothing: Language cannot be assessed because of total lack of participation in class or student was absent (FDA).
12
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
SPEAKING & LISTENING (SL) ASSESSMENT SCALE – INTERMEDIATE PHASE (I01-I12)
Above Average
10
Interacts very well with peers and teacher. Conversations are developed effectively. Mostly fluent and coherent. Good use of linking devices to connect speech without too much
hesitation. Good intonation, word stress is mostly accurate and individual sounds are clearly pronounced. Very few problems understanding questions and good performance in listening exercises. Good and accurate range of grammar and vocabulary with few mistakes which do not obscure
communication.
9
Performance shares features of bands 8 and 10
Average
8
Interacts well with peers and teacher. Conversations are developed properly most of the time. Generally fluent and coherent. Quite good use of linking devices to connect speech. Some
hesitations might be present, but do not impede communication. Appropriate intonation, word stress is generally accurate and individual sounds are clearly
pronounced most of the time. Few problems understanding questions and average performance in listening exercises. Appropriate range of grammar and vocabulary. Some mistakes are present, but do not usually
obscure communication.
Pass
7
Performance shares features of bands 6 and 8
Below Average
6
At times, does not interact very well. Conversations are barely developed. Has some problems with fluency and there are times in which contributions are irrelevant. Uses
simple linking devices. Hesitations are present and interferes communication. Intonation and word stress problems are present. Individual sounds are often mispronounced. Some problems understanding questions and below average performance in listening exercises. Use of grammar and vocabulary that is below the level. At times, mistakes obscure
communication.
5
Performance shares features of bands 4 and 5
Weak
4
Does not interact well and conversations are not developed properly Not fluent, irrelevant contributions. Linking devices are barely presents. Many hesitations are
present, interfering negotiation. Many intonation and stress problems. Individual sounds are mispronounced most of the time. Many problems understanding questions and performance in listening exercises is not good. Problems with grammar and vocabulary with mistakes that usually obscure communication.
3
Performance shares features of bands 2 and 4
Poor
2
Does not interact with peers. Conversations cannot be developed. Clear fluency problems with irrelevant contributions. Does not use linking devices and hesitations
are intrusive. Serious intonation and stress problems. Individual sounds are mispronounced. Misunderstands questions and very poor performance in listening exercises. Use of grammar and vocabulary with so many mistakes that obscure communication.
1
Performance below band 2
Unrated
0
Achieves nothing: Language cannot be assessed because of total lack of participation in class or student was absent (FDA).
13
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
2. WRITTEN WORK: Teachers evaluate WRITTEN WORK based on the following criteria:
BASIC PHASE:
CRITERIA ASPECTS TO BE EVALUATED
CONTENT Is all the content relevant and complete? Is the target reader (hypothetical reader in a task) fully informed?
LANGUAGE Is the use of vocabulary and grammar correct? Is the range appropriate? Are there many mistakes that might impede communication?
INTERMEDIATE PHASE:
CRITERIA ASPECTS TO BE EVALUATED
CONTENT Is all the content relevant and complete? Is the target reader (hypothetical reader in a task) fully informed?
COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT
Is the format and style correct? Is the communicative purpose (e.g. giving suggestions) achieved? Does it have a positive effect on the reader as the text is not difficult to
follow?
ORGANISATION Are the ideas coherent and well-connected? Is the paragraph organization effective? Is the use of linking words and punctuation correct?
LANGUAGE Is the use of vocabulary and grammar correct? Is the range appropriate? Are there many mistakes that might impede communication?
ABOUT WORD LIMIT
BASIC CYCLES INTERMEDIATE CYCLES
B01 – B06: 40 – 70 words B07 – B12: 70 – 100 words
I01 – I06: 100 – 120 words I07 – I12: 120 – 150 words
ABOUT WRITING ACTIVITIES
You must have at least one session of Guided Writing. This means, students write the composition in class with their teacher’s assistance. This must not be seen as a Writing exam. Students are free to use their dictionaries and ask questions. They may also refer to their books or references purposes, but any copying or ‘lifting of whole phrases from the book should be strongly discouraged and punished accordingly if it does occur when marking.
In the case of Superintensive courses, teachers are expected to do the four writings suggested as they will cover two cycles. During the Progress Test, students will be evaluated on the correspondent two and it will be the same in the Final Exam. To obtain WW “A” the marks from the first two writings must be divided. The same happens to obtain WW “B”. For example:
The pre, while and post writing activities are already included in the Student’s book. You can leave the other piece of writing for homework or do it in class as long as it is guided.
ABOUT MARKING AND EVALUATION OF WRITTEN WORK (WW)
Read WW first focusing on content. When reading it for the second time, underline mistakes made by students. Do not circle them or write the correct version. This is to encourage self-correction when teachers conduct feedback. If you use any correction symbol (eg. “sp” for spelling), make sure students know what the symbols mean in advance. You should also write comments on positive points and aspects that could be improved.
F01 Writing 1 = 3.5 Writing 2 = 4.5 WW “A” = 3.5+4.5/ 2 = 4
F07 Writing 1 = 8 Writing 2 = 6 WW “A” = 8+6 / 2 = 7
14
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Guidelines on length are provided for each task. However, do not automatically penalise WW if it contains more or fewer words. Do it if it affects the criteria described. Nevertheless, this is likely to happen as answers with too many words might contain irrelevant information and answers that are too short might not be successful in answering the question. This is why it is still necessary to make students aware of the importance of word limit.
When conducting feedback, write good use of language and general mistakes seen in WW on the board and ask students to discuss the problems they might have. Then, check with the whole class and distribute pieces of writing and allow students some minutes to check their own mistakes. Finally, answer individual questions.
When marking all written work, we are providing you with Assessment Scales for the Basic and Intermediate Phases (see pages 14 and 15), which contain descriptors that enable you to give students the appropriate mark in each criterion. Once you finish giving each criterion the appropriate mark, add up the marks and divide them by two. Then, check the Total Mark Table, which must be used to check you are giving students the appropriate mark.
There is a list of COMPULSORY PIECES OF WRITING to be done in each cycle (see appendices).
WRITTEN WORK (WW) ASSESSMENT SCALE – BASIC PHASE (B01-B12)
Band
CONTENT
LANGUAGE
5
Covers all points in the task. All points are relevant. Target reader is fully informed.
Very good use of grammar and vocabulary structures.
Very few mistakes which do not impede communication.
4
Covers most points in the task. Most points are relevant. In general, the target reader is
informed.
Use and range of grammar and
vocabulary structures are appropriate. Some mistakes might be present but do
not impede communication.
3
Performance shares features of bands 2 and 4
2
Some points in the task have not been covered.
Irrelevances are present. Target reader is not well-informed.
Grammar and vocabulary that is below the level.
Several mistakes that impede communication.
1
Several important points have not been covered.
Several irrelevances. Target reader is minimally informed.
Narrow range of grammar and vocabulary structures.
Mistakes impede communication.
0
Irrelevant content points. Target reader is not informed.
Performance below band 1
TOTAL MARK TABLE 5 Above Average: Great effect on the reader
4 Average: Positive effect on the reader
3.5 Pass: Quite good effect on the reader
3 Below Average: Quite negative effect on the reader
2 Weak: Negative effect on the reader
1 Poor: Very negative effect on the reader
0 Unrated
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
WRITTEN WORK (WW) ASSESSMENT SCALE – INTERMEDIATE PHASE (I01-I12)
BAND
CONTENT COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT
ORGANISATION LANGUAGE
5
All content is relevant and complete.
Target reader is fully informed.
Effective format and style.
Achieves communicative purpose.
The text holds reader’s attention easily.
Text is well-connected.
Effective paragraph organisation.
Effective use of linking words and punctuation.
Very good use of grammar and vocabulary structures.
Very few mistakes which do not impede communication.
4
Content is generally relevant and complete.
In general, the target reader is informed.
Appropriate format and style.
Achieves communicative purpose in a reasonable way.
On the whole, the text holds reader’s attention.
On the whole, text is well-connected.
Adequate paragraph organisation.
On the whole, good use of linking words and punctuation.
Use and range of grammar and vocabulary structures are appropriate.
Some mistakes might be present but do not impede communication.
3
Performance shares features of bands 2 and 4
2
Irrelevances and omissions are present.
Target reader is not well-informed.
Inadequate format and style.
Communicative purpose is barely achieved.
Text is difficult to follow in some parts and does not hold reader’s attention.
Text is not very well-.connected.
Paragraphs are not well-organised.
Linking words and punctuation have been misused.
Grammar and vocabulary that is below the level.
Impeding errors and mistakes that impede communication.
1
Several irrelevances and omissions.
Target reader is minimally informed.
Ineffective format and style.
Communicative purpose is hardly achieved.
Text fails to hold reader’s attention as it is too difficult to understand and make sense of.
Text is not well-connected.
Disorganised paragraphs.
Linking words are barely present and misused.
Lack of punctuation
Narrow range of grammar and vocabulary structures.
Many mistakes that impede communication.
0
Irrelevant content.
Target reader not informed.
Performance below band 1
TOTAL MARK TABLE 9-10 Above Average: Full realisation of the task set.
8 Average: Good realisation of the task set.
7 Pass: Reasonable realisation of the task set.
5-6 Below Average: Quite inadequate realisation of the task set.
3-4 Weak: Inadequate realisation of the task set.
1-2 Poor: Poor realisation of the task set.
0 Unrated
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
C. ALL ABOUT EXAMS
I. SPEAKING EXAM: There is a Speaking Exam in the following cycles:
B06/F03 B12/F06 I06/F09 I12/F12
The aim of the oral exam is to test students’ ability in spoken English. On the day of the SE, students go in pairs (or in groups of three) to a special room where a Speaking Examiner is waiting for them. Teachers must continue with activities in the classroom while students are taking the SE.
The exam takes approximately 8 minutes for pairs and 10 minutes for groups of three. Dates are chosen by Heads of Centre and teachers are informed in advance. They are always published on the board in the Teacher’s Room.
1. STRUCTURE
PART 1 INTRODUCTION 2 MINUTES (Pairs) 2 ½ MINUTES (Groups of three)
In BASIC and INTERMEDIATE phases, the examiner asks students some questions based on topics seen in
the SPEAKOUT books. The language students are expected to produce reflects what they have done in the
preceding cycles. The examiner has a list of questions to choose from and might ask each student different
questions. If the examiner thinks it is appropriate, he/she can ask the same questions. The main aim of this
part is to put students at ease by asking a number of familiar questions. Possible topics include family,
lifestyle, hobbies, etc.
PART 2 COLLABORATIVE TASK 4 MINUTES (Pairs) 4 ½ MINUTES (Groups of three)
-including instructions-
In the BASIC SPEAKING EXAM, students are given some pictures with a specific situation and are provided
with some thinking time to analyse it (maximum 1 minute). After that the examiner tells them they will
have three minutes to develop the conversation. Students are given 3 minutes to develop the conversation
(3 ½ minutes for groups of three).
In the INTERMEDIATE SPEAKING EXAM, students are given an A3 piece of paper with some visual stimuli.
The examiner sets a situation and asks two questions. Both questions are printed on the piece of paper. To
deal with the first question, students discuss together about each picture. To answer the second question
they try to reach a decision. It is not necessary to agree on this part as long as the discussion is natural and
interactive. Students are given 3 minutes to develop the conversation (3 ½ minutes for groups of three).
PART 3 FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS 2 MINUTES (Pairs) 3 MINUTES (Groups of three)
In this part, students are asked questions related to the topic they were discussing in part 2. The aim is to
develop ideas and give them the opportunity to answer opinion-based questions. The examiner has a list
of questions to choose from. Again, he/she decides if students are asked the same or different questions.
2. EVALUATION CRITERIA
To mark SE, examiners consider four criteria:
Interactive Communication
Discourse and Fluency
Pronunciation
Grammar and Vocabulary
Each criterion is given a mark out of 5 to add up 20 points. This mark is divided by 2, to obtain the Final
Result, which is out of 10.
Examiners use the Speaking Exam Assessment Scale (see corresponding Speaking File) to evaluate
students.
17
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
The Speaking Exam is an official exam and students need to have this mark to pass the cycle. If a student
is absent or knows is going to be absent on the day of the Speaking Exam, tell him/her to go to the
Reception Desk and explain his/her problem there.
Please, check the corresponding SPEAKING EXAM FILE available in the Head of Centre’s office.
3. SPEAKING EXAM VIDEO
To provide our students with a model of how to perform in the Speaking Exam, there is a video showing
Basic and Intermediate Speaking Exams available in all laptops in all centres (SPEAKING EXAMS icon).
In the video you will also find slides with information about the exam: General information about each
part, Evaluation Criteria and a list of Dos and Don’ts for your students. There is a subtitle option, but we
recommend using this only to analyse the language that is being used in the exam.
Remember this is a tutorial and the students in the video might take less time to answer the questions in
the exam. Teachers must make them aware of the fact that they have to speak in the time specified above.
There is a list of tips to prepare your students for the SPEAKING EXAM (see appendices).
4. SPEAKING EXAMS DOS AND DON’TS: BASIC & INTERMEDIATE PHASE
Dos Don’ts
Do inform students of the date of the SE as soon as you know it.
Do check the format of the SE in your centre. You must be familiar with it.
Do make sure students know the SE structure and evaluation criteria.
Do practise timed activities in class that are similar to SE tasks and questions.
Do check that on the day of the SE the students are punctual and do not take anything that might distract them (mobile phones, for example).
Don’t forget to remind your students of the date of the SE from time to time.
Don’t ignore the importance of feedback. This is very important to make sure students have a good performance in the SE.
Don’t ignore the importance of body language and eye-contact.
Don’t forget to tell students they should greet
the examiner when they enter the
examination room and to try to give a good
first impression.
II. READING EXAM: There is a Reading Exam in the following cycles:
I03/F08 I06/F09 I09/F11 I12/F12
The aim of the Reading exam is to test students’ competence in this skill so that they feel better prepared when facing the Advanced Phase. These cycles were chosen because they contain one of the four special units designed for the BRITÁNICO, which are skills-based and have exercises that are PET like (I03) and FCE like (I06,I09,I12). The Reading Exam takes place in:
DAILY EVERY OTHER DAY “A”
EVERY OTHER DAY “B”
SUPERINTENSIVE SATURDAY
Session 15 Session 11 Session 8 Session 16B Session 7B
The RE consists of two texts with tasks similar to the ones seen in the book and it carries 10 marks.
On the day of the RE, have a normal class and save the last 45 minutes for the exam:
5 minutes to arrange chairs.
30 minutes for the exam.
10 minutes for teachers to correct alone in the classroom.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
The feedback on this exam is conducted together with the Final Exam (see page 19 for more information
about Feedback Sessions). This means, teachers show both exams (FE and RE) to students in the feedback
session.
Do not show the RE before this under any circumstances.
III. FINAL EXAM: There is a Final Exam in all BASIC and INTERMEDIATE cycles. The aim of the Final Exam is to test
students’ knowledge of the Grammar, Vocabulary and Functional Language seen during the cycle.
The Final Exam takes place in:
DAILY EVERY OTHER DAY “A”
EVERY OTHER DAY “B”
SATURDAY SUPERINTENSIVE
Session 17 Session 13A Session 9A Session 8A Session 18A
STRUCTURE AND WEIGHTING
CYCLES READING GRAMMAR, VOCAB.
& FUNCTIONS
WRITING TOTAL
B01 – B05 / B07 – B12 I01/I02/I04/I05/I07/I08/I10/I11
F01/F02/F04/F05/F07/F10 (cycles with Final Exam ONLY)
10 marks
40 marks
10 marks
60 marks
B06/B12 | F03/F06 (cycles with Final Exam AND
Speaking Exam)
10 marks
30 marks
10 marks
50 marks
I03/I09 | F08/F11 (cycles with Final Exam AND
Reading Exam)
40 marks
10 marks
50 marks
I06/I12 | F09/F12 (cycles with Reading Exam,
Speaking Exam AND Final Exam)
30 marks
10 marks
40 marks
For Superintensive courses, FE mark is divided by 2 in all cases. On the day of the FE, start with the exam ten minutes after the session starts. Students have 1 hour to complete the exam. Once they finish, they can leave the room.
For Daily courses, inform students they will be able to check their exams the next day.
For Every other day courses “A” and “B”; Saturday courses and Superintensive courses, inform students they will be able to check their exams and final marks as soon as you finish them. You should not take more than an hour to finish marking exams and transferring marks.
IV. PROGRESS TEST: The Progress Test takes place in all Superintensive cycles only. The aim of the Progress Test
is to test students’ knowledge of the Grammar, Vocabulary and Functional Language seen during the first half of the cycle.
The Progress Test takes place in Session 10 and it has the same structure as the Final Exam.
The day of the PT is divided as follows:
First hour: continue with your class normally. Second hour: Students sit the PT.
Third hour: Teachers mark the PT.
On the next day, teachers conduct feedback on the Progress Test in the following way:
Start the class by distributing the PTs.
Let students some minutes to check their tests in silence.
Students mustn’t copy answers or take notes of any part of the test.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Give feedback about general mistakes.
Don’t go through every single question.
Collect tests and count them.
The whole process shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes.
Late comers are not permitted to check their PT. Give them only their final mark at the end of the
class.
V. FEEDBACK SESSIONS: The aim of the feedback sessions is to give students the opportunity to check their exams (Final Exam and Reading Exam, if applicable) and ask questions that might help improve their performance.
The Feedback Sessions take place:
DAILY EVERY OTHER DAY “A”
EVERY OTHER DAY “B”
SATURDAY SUPERINTENSIVE
Session 18 Session 13B Session 9B Session 8B Session 18A
The procedure is as follows:
Students can arrive at any time during the feedback session.
Give feedback individually. Show each student their Final Exam (and Reading Exam, if applicable).
Students mustn’t copy answers or take notes of any part of the exam.
Give final marks.
Students can leave the room.
Teachers must stay in the classroom the whole session even if there are no students.
Don’t forget to count your exams.
The whole process for each student shouldn’t take more than 6-8 minutes, specially with large
groups.
VI. STUDENTS BEING ABSENT ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMS For Final Exams, Speaking Exams or Reading Exams, students must be sent to the Reception area to obtain information about Overdue Exams. For Progress Tests, in Superintensive courses, write a red circle in the corresponding box. Teachers will put the same mark that students obtain in the Final Exam, as long as it is a Pass Mark (70%). For example:
Cycle PT FE Comments
I01
25
25
Student got 25 in the FE, so this mark is also considered for the PT as it is a Pass Mark.
I03
0
15
Student got 15 in the FE. This mark does not represent 70% of the maximum mark. Therefore, the PT result is 0.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Look at the following chart with a summary of academic documents and how to deal with them:
DOCUMENT
WHEN TEACHERS RECEIVE IT
WHAT TO DO WITH IT DEADLINE TO RETURN IT TO HEAD OF CENTRE
BACK-UP CLASS
REGISTER
Session 1
This document is to be used only if teachers do not have access to CAMPUS Keep record of students’ attendance, marks and work done in class (at the back of it) See sample on page 21
When the cycle finishes
MARK SHEET
Once teachers complete marks in CAMPUS, Heads/ Deputy Heads validate the marks in the system and print the marksheet. Teachers receive it before the Feedback session.
Check the marks are OK, sign the document and use it to give feedback to your students. See sample on page 22
Daily, Superintensive, Saturday and Every other day courses: When the cycle finishes, together with the exams.
Part 6: ACADEMIC DOCUMENTS
21
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
HOW TO FILL IN THE BACK UP CLASS REGISTER
ONLY TO BE USED IF TEACHERS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CAMPUS Academic Area: CENTRES Page: 1 of 1 Location: SAN BORJA Date: 06/01/2015 Period: 201501 Time: 09:25 User: DCASTILLOZ
SPEAKOUT ELEMENTARY BACK-UP CLASS REGISTER
BASIC REGULAR
Course: B01 Class: 15971 Room: SB 109 Start Date: 06/01/2015 Frequency: DAILY Schedule: 07:00-08:30 End Date: 29/01/2015 Teacher: 3456 ARANA WINDER CESAR GUILLERMO
N° CODE LAST NAME FIRST NAME Date 6/1 11/1 11/1 18/1
Item Att SLA Att WWB
1 P 2013049880 CASTILLO FARIAS CLARA 11 5
2 2013672919 COAQUIRA SUCA GLADYS 15 4.5
3 F 2009827810 MELGAR RODRIGUEZ GIANINA ZULEIKA 10 3
4 2010817830 MORAN MACHUCA ALICIA CELESTE 12 a 4
5 2013828711 OCHOA RIOS JUAN LEO 12 5
6 2013434291 PALACIOS LATORRE FAVIO ENRIQUE a 13 3.5
7 F* 2010353535 SABA GUERRA PEDRO JUNIOR 13 3
8 2008177171 TABOADA HUAMANI LUZ ESTHER l 12 l 3
9 P* 2010489200 GOMEZ PEREZ ANDREA 11 4.5
10 2012001091 García Vega _ Isabel _ 11 3
11 __________ ____________________ ________________
12 __________ ____________________ ________________
13 __________ ____________________ ________________
14 __________ ____________________ ________________
15 __________ ____________________ ________________
16 __________ ____________________ ________________
17 __________ ____________________ ________________
18 __________ ____________________ ________________
19 __________ ____________________ ________________
20 __________ ____________________ ________________
INSTRUCTIONS -Format to be used only when there is no system. -Please, transfer the information to the system as soon as it is back.
① If CAMPUS does not work, write down the Date and the Item:
Att (Attendance) CAA (Continuous Assessment A) SLA (Speaking & Listening A), CAB (Continuous Assessment B) SLB (Speaking & Listening B), CAT (Continuous Assessment Total) SLT (Speaking & Listening Total) RE (Reading Exam) WWA (Written Work A) SE (Speaking Exam) WWB (Written Work B) PT (Progress Test) FE (Final Exam)
② Complete the columns according to the item. For attendance:
(Present) a (Absent) l (Late) le (Left early)
③ If a student’s name is not printed on the list, refresh the system. If his/her name appears in the system, write it down. If it does not appear, check the Registration Slip and try to detect the problem. If the information on the slip is accurate, but the student does not appear in the system, tell him/her to go to the Reception Desk.
①
③
②
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
A MARK SHEET
Academic Area: CENTRES Page: 1 of 1 Location: SAN ISIDRO Date: 29/01/2015 Period: 201501 Time: 17:45
User: DCASTILLOZ SPEAKOUT ELEMENTARY
MARK SHEET BASIC
REGULAR Course: B01 Class: 15971 Room: SI 101 Start Date: 06/01/2015 Frequency: DAILY Schedule: 07:00-08:30 End Date: 29/01/2015 Teacher: 5383 – AYIN LEON DANIELA LILIANA
CA
CA
EXAMS
TOTAL
FR
ATT
A
B
FE
TOTAL
N°
CODE
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
20
20
60
100
FR
1
200819811
ANDIA ALVAREZ
JORGE EDUARDO
15
18
58
91
OUTSTANDING
25h30m
①
2
200981818
ALVAREZ CASTRO
LUIS JORGE
18
16
51
85
PASS
27h00m
②
3
201302010
CONDORI MORA
JOHN MARTIN
14
13
38
65
FAIL
21h00m
③ 4 F*
201301010
DIAZ GARCIA
DIANA CATALINA
0
0
0
FDA
FDA
0h00m
④ 5
201239399
PAUCAR VERA
OSCAR DANIEL
20
0
0
FDA
FDA
6h00m
⑤
6
201102991
PONCE TENORIO
MIGUEL MARTIN
14
14
49
77
PASS
22h00m
7 P
201499119
PONCIANO TORO
MAGALY
14
15
50
79
PASS
21h00m
8
201200129
TENORIO PONCE
JULIA BEATRIZ
15
16
ABS
ABS
ABSENT
22h10m
⑥
OBSERVATIONS: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
KEY FINAL RESULT CHART SUMMARY OF RESULTS⑦
(F) : Indicates a student who is doing the cycle for the second time because he failed the previous ones. (F*) : Indicates a student who is doing the cycle for the third time because he failed the previous ones. (P) ; Indicates a student who has taken the placement exam. (P*) : Indicates a student who was re-evaluated due to his/her low performance
⑧___________D.Ayin_________
Teacher’s Signature confirming final results
______ Martha Diaz _____
MDiaz_____
Name and signature of member of
⑨confirming accuracy of information and
final results ① This student has all marks complete. His final result is OUTSTANDING (90 to 100). ② This student has all marks complete. His final result is PASS (70 to 89). ③ This student has all marks complete. His final result is FAIL (less than 70). ④ This student stopped attending the course and was not evaluated: FDA (Fail due to Absences). ⑤ This student attended the first part of the course but he stopped attending or had a high absence rate. ⑥ This student attended regularly but was absence on the day of the Final Exam. ⑦ “Summary of Results” is completed by the system automatically. ⑧ Sign Mark Sheet to confirm accuracy of results. ⑨ Teachers receive Mark Sheets at the end of the cycle with the signature of the member of staff who validated marks in the system. When the Feedback session is over, return Mark Sheet together with the exams.
PASS+OUTS
FAIL
FDA
ABS
TOTAL
4
1
2
1
8
CA-A = CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT A CA-B = CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT B FE = FINAL EXAM FR = FINAL RESULT ATT = ATTENDANCE RECORD
OUTS (OUTSTANDING) : 90 to 100 PASS : 70 to 89 FAIL : Less than 70 ABS : Absent FDA : Fail due to absences
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
I. ABOUT CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
1. What are “A” and “B” Marks? “A” and “B” Marks refer to Continuous Assessment in class.
2. When should teachers complete “A” and “B” Marks? Teachers should complete “A” marks in the middle of the cycle and “B” marks at the end of it (see page 9 for more specific information).
3. If a student is absent on the first days of classes, how do we evaluate his/her first SL mark? Students who are absent on the first days of classes must be aware of the importance of being registered on time. Of course, this is a rule we have set and it is important to know that these students will be evaluated with the evidence teachers have. If a student misses a lot of lessons, he/she will not have the same opportunities to be fully evaluated as the ones that attend regularly.
4. In a Guided Writing activity, can students leave when they finish? No, they can’t. Students should be aware of this fact and must be told that they are given time not only to write, but also to make sure their work is accurate and has completed the criteria.
5. Can we tell our students when we will have a Guided Writing Activity (Writing Session)? Yes, you can and you must. We know that when we tell students we will have a Writing Activity in class, most of them come. In this way, you can avoid having students that are absent on those days.
6. If a student is absent on the day I decided to have a Guided Writing Activity, does he/ she get 0? No. Give him/her the opportunity to do the piece of writing as homework and do not discount marks. If the student was absent, he/she missed the opportunity to have guidance and support to produce a good piece of writing. Set a new date for him/her to hand in the piece of writing and make sure this date is before the session you are supposed to complete CA “A” or CA “B” in the system.
7. In the list of COMPULSORY PIECES OF WRITING of the Elementary Level, there are three pieces of writing. Do I have to mark all of them? Teachers must choose two pieces of writing from the three provided. Mark the two pieces of writing selected and consider these marks for WW A and WW B. The piece of writing that you did not consider to be part of the evaluation might not be marked, but it must be done in class.
8. Can I inform my students about the criteria for Continuous Assessment? Yes. What is more, you must inform them about this. Students deserve to know how they are being evaluated.
9. Can I show the Assessment Scales to my students to support how they were evaluated? Yes. Again, students should be informed about this and if you think it is necessary, you can show them the scales to support your evaluation.
II. ABOUT EXAMS
1. What will students find in the Final Exam? Final Exams are designed to test that the objectives of the cycle have been accomplished, so students will find exercises that evaluate their knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, functions and how to deal with skills. For specific details, please see page 18.
2. How do I find out when the day of the Speaking Exam is? All centres decide when Speaking Exams take place within the first days of classes. You can check the role on the board in the Teacher’s Room or you can ask your Head of Centre directly.
3. When teaching B06, B12, I06 or I12, should I allocate time to practise for the Speaking Exam? Yes. All teachers are expected to inform their students about dates, structure and Evaluation Criteria. You should also have some practice in class so that they feel more confident on the day of the exam.
4. What can I do while my students are taking the Speaking Exam? Remember students cannot leave after they have taken the Speaking Exam. Teachers should continue with the syllabus in class. However, it is not recommended to deal with new grammar or vocabulary points.
Part 7: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
24
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
5. What does the Reading Exam consist of? It consists of two texts. The first one is longer than the second one and the tasks are similar to the ones students have seen in the corresponding cycle.
6. Do all Final Exams have a Reading exercise? No. Cycles with Reading Exam (I03, I06, I09, I12, F08, F09, F11, F12) do not have a reading exercise included in the Final Exam.
III. ABOUT VIDEO PODCASTS
1. What’s the objective of the Video Podcasts? The Video Podcasts are designed to expose students to real English and were recorded in the street. Students will find people talking naturally, with different accents and pronunciation.
2. What happens if I don’t have time to do the Video Podcasts activities in class? Students can do it as homework. They have the Video Podcasts, the Video Worksheets and the tapescripts in their ActiveBook. What is more, they can do it interactively in MyEnglishLab.
3. How can I use the Video Worksheets provided in the ActiveTeach? Students can print them out since they have these sheets in their ActiveBook. Another alternative is to project them on the board.
IV. ABOUT MYENGLISHLAB See MEL SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES in the Portal’s Intranet, please: INTRANET>ESTUDIOS>DESCARGA>TEACHERS NOTES-GUIDELINES>MEL SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES
25
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
APPENDIX 1: AUTHOR TIPS
In this section you will find practical advice on how to work with the SPEAKOUT series. The tips below were given
by one of the authors of the book, Frances Eales.
A. DVD LESSONS
All SPEAKOUT Intermediate and Upper Intermediate units contain a DVD lesson, which has been designed with
authentic video material, taken from the BBC.
What are the advantages of using authentic video?
They are motivating.
It has been expected by students for a long time.
It is language rich.
Why is video easier than audio?
It provides students with a different context and pace.
Tolerance of ambiguity.
Real life listening skills which appeals to learner styles.
What will students and/or teachers find challenging?
Language used.
Background information.
Thinking they have to understand everything.
How can we help?
Focusing on what students can understand.
Providing plenty of support (scaffolding).
What would be a good sequence for a DVD lesson?
1. Set the scene/check vocabulary.
2. (Teach a lexical set useful for the topic/tasks if necessary).
3. Students watch the DVD with an ultra easy task.
4. Students see some of the language from the DVD and use this to do a comprehension task whilst
watching.
5. Students listen to an audio model of people doing a speaking task related to the DVD.
6. Students notice and practise keyphrases, focusing on pronunciation
7. Students do the speaking task.
8. Students read a text which is the model for a writing.
9. Students do the writing task.
B. BBC VIDEO PODCASTS
All SPEAKOUT units (except R1 and R2 in the Intermediate and Upper Intermediate books) contain a Video
Podcast, which features a range of real people talking about one of the topics in the unit. It is at the end of the
Lookback pages.
Why do students like them?
They expose students to real pronunciation and different accents.
APPENDICES
26
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Students can learn new and useful vocabulary.
They improve confidence.
They provide with extra listening practice.
What would be a good sequence for Video Podcasts?
PRE:
• Students discuss the questions that people will be answering in the interviews.
• Students learn key phrases.
DURING:
• Play video in parts.
• Ultra-simple first task
• You can design a range of other tasks, your own or worksheets on the ActiveBook.
• Students could be asked to do some of the comprehension work at home.
POST
Students discuss more questions based on opinions or related to what people said in the interviews.
Students can develop their own projects by interviewing people and filming them as homework.
C. PRONUNCIATION
Pronunciation must always be integrated with grammar, vocabulary and functions.
Focus on sentence and word stress features of connected speech.
Focus on intonation and individual sounds.
Find phonemic chart and a list of phonetics in the Active Book.
D. ORGANISING LESSONS
All the exercises in Functional and DVD lessons (Lesson 3 & 4) should be done in one session each.
Do not do the “Vocabulary PLUS” section together with another Vocabulary section. Students might
feel overloaded if you do so.
An alternative suggestion is to do the “Vocabulary PLUS” together with the BBC Video Podcast in the
same session.
Use the front pages of each unit to discuss the objectives. You can use the pictures so that students can
predict the topic they will be dealing with later.
Always refer to the input when dealing with Language-focused lessons. This might be a Reading or
Listening as students must be able to see how the language works in context.
Work with the Reading and Listening tips and strategies in the Revision Units. This is vital to guarantee
students’ success in doing these tasks.
27
SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
APPENDIX 2: ABOUT WRITTEN WORK: LIST OF COMPULSORY PIECES OF WRITING
ELEMENTARY*
PRE INTERMEDIATE
B01
Unit 1
-SB page 15. Write back: Exercise 6B. Write an e-mail to book a hotel room
B07
Unit 1
SB page 15. Write back: Exercise 7B Write an entry about your best friend or someone special
Unit 2
-SB page 21. After doing exercise 7B, students write about their daily routines. -SB page 25. Write back: Exercise 5B Write an internet posting to a penpal
Unit 2
SB page 19. Writing: Exercise 9C Write a formal email to a company
B02
Unit 3
-SB page 31. Ex 6D Write about two people in your family
B08
Unit 3
SB page 35. Write back: Exercise 7 Write an invitation
Unit 4
-SB page 39. Writing Ex. 6C Write an email to a friend about your home -SB page 45. Write back: Exercise 5B Write a blog about your favourite place
Unit 4
SB page 45. Write back: Exercise 9B Write an email giving advice
B03
Unit 5
-SB page 55. Write back: Exercise 5C Write a recipe
B09
Unit 5
SB page 51. Writing: Exercise 9C Write a paragraph about a trip for a weekend away
Unit 6
-SB page 61. Ex 9C. Write your life story SB page 65. Write back: Exercise 3B Write a profile essay
Unit 6
SB page 61. Writing: 6D Write a paragraph about food
B04
Unit 7
-SB page 71. Ex 7B. Write about your last holiday -SB page 75. Write back: Exercise 5B Write a travel article about a town/city
B10
Unit 7
-SB page 69. Writing: 9C Write a story about a decision which changed your life
Unit 8
-SB page 85. Write back: Exercise 7C Write a review of an event
Unit 8
SB page 79. Writing: 8B Write an advertisement for a product
B05
Unit 9
-SB page 95. Write back: Exercise 6B Write an e-mail about an experience at an airport/plane
B11
Unit 9
SB page 95. Write back: 9B Write a paragraph about a place
Unit 10
-SB page 101. Exercise 6C. Finish a story -SB page 105. Write back: Exercise 6B Write a message board notice about your country
Unit 10
SB page 99. Writing: Exercise 8D Write a formal letter to the mayor
B06
Unit 11
-SB page 111 Ex 5B. Write a ‘Health Diary’ -SB page 115. Write back: Exercise 5 Write a website message
B12
Unit 11
SB page 115. Write back: Exercise 8B Write a web comment giving your opinion on technology
Unit 12
SB page 119 Writing Write a postcard about a place you are visiting
Unit 12
SB page 121. Writing: Exercise 9C Write the profile of a famous person you admire
*Choose two pieces of writing from the three provided to evaluate students. The other piece of writing might not be marked but has to be done in class.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
INTERMEDIATE
UPPER INTERMEDIATE
I01
Unit 1
SB page 10. Writing: Exercise 12. Emails of introduction.
I07
Unit 1
SB page 17. Write back: Exercise 7B A summary.
Unit 2
SB page 25. Writing: Exercise 11 C. A news report.
Unit 2
SB page 25. Writing: Exercise 9B. A letter of complaint.
I02
Unit 3
SB page 41. Write back: Exercise 7B. A memo.
I08
Unit 3
SB page 34. Writing: Exercise 10D. An opinion essay.
Unit 4
SB page 49. Writing: Exercise 11. A covering letter.
Unit 4
SB page 46. Writing: Exercise 9A. A story.
I03
Unit 5
SB page 58. Writing: Exercise 9. An advantages and disadvantages essay.
I09
Unit 5
SB page 65. Write back: Exercise 5C. A product leaflet.
Review 1
SB page 73. Write back: Exercise 7A. Emails. (PET Part 2)
Review 1
SB page 73. Write back: Exercise 9. An informal email (FCE Part 2).
I04
Unit 6
SB page 85. Write back: Exercise 6B A website entry.
I10
Unit 6
SB page 85: Write back: Exercise 7C. A forum comment
Unit 7
SB page 93. Writing: Exercise 11B A summary.
Unit 7
SB page 93: Writing: Exercise 13B. An essay about one of the topics given.
I05
Unit 8
SB page 109. Write back: Exercise 9B. A web advert.
I11
Unit 8
SB page 109: Write back: Exercise 5B. A family ritual.
Unit 9
SB page 114. Writing: Exercise 11A. A ‘What if…’ essay.
Unit 9
SB page 117: Writing: Exercise 12. A ‘how to’ leaflet on one of the topics given.
I06
Unit 10
SB page 133. Write back: Exercise 7B. Email for action.
I12
Unit 10
SB page 133: Write back: Exercise 6C. A work of art.
Review 2
SB page 141: Write back: Exercise 8B. A film/book review (FCE Part 2).
Review 2
SB page 141: Write back: Exercise 7. A discursive essay (FCE Part 2).
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
APPENDIX 2: PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS FOR THE SPEAKING EXAM
PART 1
BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE
Part 1 has been designed to put students at their ease, so they should relax and answer the questions naturally.
Students should always give reasons for their answers even if the examiner does not ask for them.
Encourage your students to respond with answers which are complete and spontaneous.
Rehearsed speeches are not recommended because they sound unnatural.
PART 2
BASIC
Students should interact in this part. It is the main focus.
Students should not take turns to talk about the options in the task. For example:
Student A: “I like reading books. My favourite author is William Shakespeare. He is great!” Student B: “I like going shopping. It is exciting and interesting” Student A: “I hate going to the gym. I prefer staying at home…”
This is not interactive communication because the students are not listening to each other and they are not reacting to their partner’s contributions.
Students should respond to what the other one says. For example:
Student A: “I like reading books. My favourite author is William Shakespeare. He is great!” Student B: “Really? I hate reading…It’s boring. It’s better to go shopping. It is exciting and interesting” Student A: “Well, I agree with you, but reading is a very nice activity, too…”
In this case, a real conversation is taking place.
The most important thing in this part is that students have a conversation together, reacting to their partner’s comments.
Functional language is extremely useful in this part. Focus on agreeing, disagreeing, justifying opinions, etc.
Students should be aware of the fact that they have to discuss for 3 minutes. Otherwise, they are missing the opportunity to show how well they can interact in English.
INTERMEDIATE
Students should talk about each picture before moving on to negotiate a decision.
It is very important that students interact with each other in this part.
Students should not take turns to talk about the pictures. For example:
Student A: “The first picture shows people doing exercise, which is good for our health. However, people do not usually have the time to do it”. Student B: “The second picture shows some women going shopping. This is a good activity if you want to relax…” Student A: “The third picture shows…”
This is not interactive communication because the students are not listening to each other and they are not reacting to their partner’s contributions.
Students should respond to what the other one says. For example: Student A: “The first picture shows people doing exercise, which is good for our health. However, people do not usually have the time to do it”.
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SPEAKOUT GUIDELINES- BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Student B: “You are right. But it is also true that in spite of this, there are people who like going to the gym before they go to study…” Student A: “I agree, but it is very difficult… What about the second picture?”
In this case, a real conversation is taking place.
The most important thing in this part is to discuss the visual prompts fully. Students will not lose marks if they fail to reach a decision, but they will if they fail to discuss all the pictures.
Functional language is extremely useful in this part. Focus on agreeing, disagreeing, justifying opinions, etc.
Students should be aware of the fact that they have to discuss for 3 minutes. Otherwise, they are missing
the opportunity to show how well they can interact in English.
PART 3
Students should give full answers to the questions asked.
The examiner might decide to ask a student about his/her partner’s opinion, so it is necessary for students to pay attention to what their partners are saying.
The examiner might decide to ask the same question to both students, so they should be ready to react to their partners’ comments.
Remind your students that there are no right answers to the questions and that they will not be judged on their opinions.
Make your students aware of the use of cohesive devices and discourse markers. They enrich their spoken
language.
STUDIES AREA/ July 2016 [email protected]