The following assessment criteria have been established by the IBO for Language
B in the MYP. All final assessment in the final year of the MYP must be based on these assessment criteria
even if schools are not registering students for IB-validated grades and
certification.
Language B Foundation - Assessment Criteria
|
Language B Foundation |
|
Oral Communication |
|
Criterion A |
Speaking and listening -
message and interaction |
Maximum 8 |
|
Criterion B |
Speaking - language |
Maximum 8 |
|
Writing |
|
Criterion C |
Writing -
message and organization |
Maximum 8 |
|
Criterion D |
Writing - language |
Maximum 8 |
|
Reading comprehension |
|
Criterion E |
Reading comprehension |
Maximum 16 |
Criterion A: Oral communication - Speaking and listening
- message and interaction
Maximum: 8
To what extent does the student show the ability to
communicate ideas, interact and maintain the flow of the
conversation?
To what extent can the student:
understand and respond to questions and statements
present his/her ideas, giving details where appropriate
demonstrate the ability to maintain a coherent and flowing
conversation?
Tasks used to assess criteria A and B often include role
plays, discussions,
pair work, interviews, presentations with question and
answer sessions, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate genuine, spontaneous interaction.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student communicates information
some of the time, on a
limited variety of aspects within
common/everyday topics.
The student's
responses show difficulty in understanding
most of the questions or comments even
when rephrased; responses are often
inappropriate.
The student's ideas are not always relevant;
little or no detail is given.
Frequent prompting
and/or
rephrasing and/or hesitation consistently
affect the flow of ideas. |
|
3-4 |
The student communicates
information
most of the time, on a
limited variety of aspects within
common/everyday topics.
The student's
responses show difficulty in understanding
some of the questions or comments; some
of the responses are inappropriate.
The student's ideas are relevant though
they contain limited detail.
Prompting
and/or rephrasing and/or
hesitation sometimes affect the flow of
ideas. |
|
5-6 |
The student communicates information most of
the time, on a variety of aspects
with ease within common/everyday topics.
The student's
responses show understanding of most
questions/comments and are usually
appropriate.
The student's ideas are relevant and
contain some detail where appropriate.
The student needs some prompting
and/or rephrasing, but this
does not affect the flow of ideas. |
|
7-8 |
The student consistently communicates information,
on a variety of aspects within
common/everyday topics.
The student's
responses show understanding of most
questions/comments and are almost always
appropriate.
The student's ideas are relevant and
detailed where appropriate.
The student rarely needs prompting
and/or rephrasing and actively
contributes to the flow of ideas. Any pauses
are natural. |
Notes:
-
Reading from prepared texts or the use of
memorized speeches does not constitute real interaction according to
language B objectives.
-
Teachers should bear in mind the different
cultural norms and acceptable practices of the target language when engaged
in conversation.
Criterion B: Oral communication
- Speaking - language
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to use
the language effectively and accurately?
To what extent can the student:
-
use clear
pronunciation and/or intonation
-
correctly
use a range of vocabulary
-
correctly
use a range of grammatical structures
Tasks used to assess criteria A and B often include role
plays, discussions,
pair work, interviews, presentations with question and
answer sessions, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use the language.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student's pronunciation and intonation
have many errors and
make understanding difficult
throughout
the exchange.
The student uses a limited vocabulary,
and has
difficulty in finding words.
The student makes frequent errors when
using basic grammatical structures. |
|
3-4 |
The student's pronunciation and intonation
have some errors, some of which make
understanding difficult.
The student uses a basic range of vocabulary,
though there is some inappropriate word
choice.
The student uses basic grammatical
structures, though with some errors. |
|
5-6 |
The student's pronunciation and intonation
have some errors, though these don't
interfere with comprehensibility.
The student makes good use of a basic range
of vocabulary.
The student uses basic grammatical
structures, generally accurately.
There are some attempts at more complex
structures. |
|
7-8 |
The student's pronunciation and intonation
are clear and make communication easy.
The student makes excellent use of a basic
range of vocabulary.
The student uses basic and more complex
grammatical structures, generally
accurately. |
Note:
Criterion C: Writing - message and organization
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to
communicate, organize and support relevant ideas?
To what extent can the student:
Tasks used to assess criteria C and D often include letter writing,
advertisements, essays, creative
writing, presentations, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student communicates information
some of the time, on a limited variety
of aspects within common/everyday topics.
The student's
ideas are basic and/or repetitive;
they are not always relevant and
little or no detail is given.
There is
little or no formal structure, making the
information/ideas difficult to follow.
|
|
3-4 |
The student communicates information
most of the time, on a limited variety
of aspects within common/everyday topics.
The student's
ideas are usually relevant, though they
contain limited detail and/or support.
The
presentation shows a good attempt at
structure, though there are some lapses.
The student uses few cohesive devices.
|
|
5-6 |
The student communicates information
most of the time, on a variety of
aspects within common/everyday topics.
The student's
ideas are relevant and contain some
detail and/or support where appropriate.
The
presentation follows a logical
structure. The student uses a basic range
of cohesive devices.
|
|
7-8 |
The student always communicates
information, on a variety of aspects
within common/everyday topics.
The student's
ideas are relevant and detailed and/or
supported where appropriate.
The
presentation follows a logical
structure. The student uses cohesive
devices that add clarity to the message.
|
Notes:
-
Structure: This refers to the format or pattern of the piece of writing. For
example, this may involve an introduction, development and conclusion as in
some types of formal essay.
-
Cohesive devices: This refers to the grammatical and/or lexical items that
link the different elements of a text.
-
Teachers should make sure that students are aware of the different writing
norms and practices of the target language when setting writing tasks.
Criterion D: Writing
-
language
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to use the language
effectively and accurately?
To what extent can the student:
-
correctly
use a range of vocabulary
-
correctly
use a range of grammatical structures
-
show
accuracy in spelling or writing of characters?
Tasks used to assess criteria C and D often include letter writing,
advertisements, essays, creative
writing, presentations, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student uses a limited range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures; there are
frequent errors that interfere
with communication.
There are some errors in spelling/writing
that occasionally interfere with
communication.
Spelling/writing
often impede communication. |
|
3-4 |
The student uses a basic range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures; there are
some errors that interfere with
communication.
There are some errors in spelling/writing
that sometimes interfere with
communication.
|
|
5-6 |
The student makes good uses of a basic
range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Vocabulary and grammar are generally accurate.
There are some attempts at more complex
structures.
There are some errors in spelling/writing,
but these do not interfere with
communication.
|
|
7-8 |
The student makes excellent use of a
basic range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures, and uses
some more complex structures.
Vocabulary and grammar are accurate.
There may be occasional errors in spelling/writing,
but these do not interfere with
communication.
|
Note:
-
The importance attached to the assessment of spelling and/or writing will
vary from language to language. For example, the techniques of writing will
be particularly important in languages such as Chinese or Japanese, whereas
spelling will take on greater importance in English or Russian.
Criterion E: Reading Comprehension
Maximum:
16 (8 x 2)
To what extent does the student show the ability to comprehend a
piece of writing in the target language?
To what extent can the student:
Tasks used to assess criterion E often include letters,
advertisements, magazine and newspaper articles, prose, and so on. The questions must
address each level descriptor so that students have the opportunity
to achieve all levels.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student identifies basic facts in texts with familiar language.
The student shows a limited understanding
of the text(s) overall. |
|
3-4 |
The student identifies basic and more complex
facts in texts with familiar
language and identifies the main
idea.
The student makes inferences that are
insufficiently supported and shows
difficulty in identifying aspects of
style.
The student shows an understanding of
some parts of the text(s). |
|
5-6 |
The student identifies basic and more complex
facts in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language, and identifies the
main
idea and supporting details.
The student shows an understanding of
most parts of the text(s). |
|
7-8 |
The student identifies basic and more complex
facts in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language, identifies the
main
idea and supporting details, and draws
conclusions.
The student shows good understanding of
the text(s). |
Notes:
-
Please note that the final level for criterion E should be multiplied by two
in order to give equal weighting to comprehension and expressive skills
overall. However, this should only be done when determining the final grade.
-
Teachers must choose texts and set tasks that will allow the students to
reach the highest levels for the criterion: questions must pertain to the
descriptors.
-
If students respond in the target language, they should not be penalized for
language errors.
Top
Language B Standard - Assessment Criteria
|
Language B Standard |
|
Oral Communication |
|
Criterion A |
Oral communication -
message and interaction |
Maximum 8 |
|
Criterion B |
Oral communication -
language |
Maximum 8 |
|
Writing |
|
Criterion
C |
Writing -
message and organization |
Maximum 8 |
|
Criterion D |
Writing - language |
Maximum 8 |
|
Reading comprehension |
|
Criterion E |
Reading comprehension |
Maximum 16 |
Criterion A: Oral communication - message and
interaction
Maximum: 8
To what extent does the student show the ability to
communicate ideas, interact and maintain the flow of the
conversation?
To what extent can the student:
-
communicate information, ideas and opinions
-
respond and react to questions and ideas (familiar and
spontaneous situations)
-
contribute to the conversation and engage actively
-
maintain a flow of ideas and a logical continuity in the
conversation?
Tasks used to assess criteria A and B often include role
plays, discussions,
pair work, interviews, presentations with question and
answer sessions, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate genuine, spontaneous interaction.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student communication information is
incoherent; ideas are generally
irrelevant and/or repetitive;
opinions are unsupported.
The student
has difficulty in responding, even if
familiar situations.
The student often needs prompting
to encourage
a response; conversation/dialogue does not
flow. |
|
3-4 |
The student has
some difficulty in communicating
information; ideas are sometimes irrelevant
and/or repetitive; some
opinions are supported.
The student
shows understanding through responding
correctly in familiar situations.
The student needs occasional prompting
to encourage
a response and this contributes to
some
lapses in the flow of conversation. |
|
5-6 |
The student communicates information
clearly, though there is some
difficulty with more complex ideas. The
student's ideas are relevant but not always
developed; opinions are usually
justified.
The student
shows understanding through
responding correctly in familiar and some
spontaneous situations.
The student can maintain the flow of
conversation, and may show some active and/or
spontaneous engagement. The student needs
occasional prompting but this does not
disturb the flow of conversation.
|
|
7-8 |
The student communicates information
clearly and effectively; both
simple and complex ideas are relevant and
developed; opinions are justified.
The student
shows understanding through
responding correctly in familiar and some
spontaneous situations.
The student contributes to the coherent flow
of conversation, and is actively and
spontaneously engaged. Any prompting is
natural and does not disturb the flow . |
Notes:
-
Reading from prepared texts or the use of
memorized speeches does not constitute real interaction according to
language B objectives.
-
Teachers should bear in mind the different
cultural norms and acceptable practices of the target language when engaged
in conversation.
Spontaneous engagement in the conversation needs to be
appropriate to the conversation and to the cultural
context.
Criterion B: Oral communication
- language
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to use
the language effectively and accurately?
To what extent can the student:
-
use clear
pronunciation and/or intonation
-
correctly
use a range of vocabulary
-
correctly
use a range of grammatical structures
Tasks used to assess criteria A and B often include role
plays, discussions,
pair work, interviews, presentations with question and
answer sessions, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use the language.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student's pronunciation and/or intonations
are inaccurate and
consistently interfere with
comprehensibility.
The student's range of vocabulary and structures
is limited and/or is used
inappropriately or incorrectly. Errors
interfere frequently. |
|
3-4 |
The student's pronunciation
and/or
intonations have mistakes that
sometimes interfere with comprehensibility.
The student uses a basic range of
vocabulary and structures, with occasional
mistakes. Errors sometimes interfere. |
|
5-6 |
The student's pronunciation
and/or
intonations have occasional mistakes
but these rarely interfere with
comprehensibility.
The student uses a range of vocabulary
and structures appropriately; and
attempts to use idiom and register
appropriate to the context. Errors
rarely interfere. |
|
7-8 |
The student's pronunciation
and/or
intonations have occasional mistakes
but these do not interfere with
comprehensibility.
The student uses a wide range of
vocabulary and varied structures
appropriately, including idiom and
register appropriate to the context. Errors
do not interfere. |
Note:
-
Pronunciation/intonation: clarity must be considered here, rather than
issues of accent.
-
Register: This refers to tone, vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure,
and their appropriateness for the situation.
Criterion C: Writing - message and organization
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to
communicate, organize and support relevant ideas?
To what extent can the student:
Tasks used to assess criteria C and D often include letter writing,
advertisements, essays, creative
writing, presentations, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student's communication of information is
incoherent; ideas are generally
irrelevant and/or repetitive;
opinions are unsupported.
The
lack of structure contributes to the
poor clarity of the message.
|
|
3-4 |
The student has some difficulty in
communicating information;
ideas are
sometimes irrelevant and/or repetitive;
opinions are often unsupported.
The student
make an attempt at structuring the work,
and uses some basic cohesive devices.
|
|
5-6 |
The student communicates information clearly,
though there is some difficulty with more
complex ideas.
The
student's ideas are relevant but not always
supported;
opinions are
sometimes justified.
The student
structures the work
appropriately, which adds to the
clarity of the message; there is an
appropriate use of cohesive devices.
|
|
7-8 |
The student communicates information clearly
and effectively; both simple and complex
ideas are relevant and supported; opinions
are
justified.
The student
structures the work
clearly and
effectively,
which adds to the clarity and coherence
of the message; there is effective use
of cohesive devices.
|
Notes:
-
Structure: This refers to the format or pattern of the piece of writing. For
example, this may involve an introduction, development and conclusion as in
some types of formal essay.
-
Cohesive devices: This refers to the grammatical and/or lexical items that
link the different elements of a text.
-
Teachers should make sure that students are aware of the different writing
norms and practices of the target language when setting writing tasks.
Criterion D: Writing
-
language
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to use the language
effectively and accurately?
To what extent can the student:
-
correctly
use a range of vocabulary
-
correctly
use a range of grammatical structures
-
show
accuracy in spelling or writing of characters
-
w
rite with a
particular audience in mind?
Tasks used to assess criteria C and D often include letter writing,
advertisements, essays, creative
writing, presentations, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student uses a limited range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures; these may
be used inappropriately or incorrectly.
Errors interfere frequently with
communication.
There are some errors in spelling/writing
that occasionally interfere.
|
|
3-4 |
The student uses a basic range of
vocabulary and structures, with occasional
mistakes.
Errors sometimes interfere.
There are occasional mistakes in spelling/writing
that sometimes interfere with
communication.
There is an attempt to use appropriate
register, which shows some evidence of a
sense of audience.
|
|
5-6 |
The student uses a range of
vocabulary and structures appropriately;
and attempts to use idiom appropriate to
the context.
Errors rarely interfere.
There are occasional mistakes in
spelling/writing but these do not interfere with
communication.
The student shows a sense of audience,
though there may be some lapses in using
the appropriate register.
|
|
7-8 |
The student uses a wide range of
vocabulary and varied structures
appropriately, and uses idiom
appropriate to the context.
Errors do not interfere.
The student shows a good command of
spelling/writing.
The student shows a clear sense of audience
by consistently using an appropriate register.
|
Note:
-
The importance attached to the assessment of spelling and/or writing will
vary from language to language. For example, the techniques of writing will
be particularly important in languages such as Chinese or Japanese, whereas
spelling will take on greater importance in English or Russian.
-
"Sense of audience" is linked to "register"; this refers to tone,
vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure, and their appropriateness for
the situation.
Criterion E: Reading Comprehension
Maximum:
16 (8 x 2)
To what extent does the student show the ability to comprehend a
piece of writing in the target language?
To what extent can the student:
-
identify
both stated and implied information
-
identify
main ideas and supporting details
-
draw
conclusions and
recognize implied opinions and attitudes
-
identify aspects of format and
style?
Tasks used to assess criterion E often include letters,
advertisements, magazine and newspaper articles, prose, and so on. The questions must
address each level descriptor so that students have the opportunity
to achieve all levels.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student identifies basic information in texts with familiar language.
The student shows a limited understanding
of the text(s) overall. |
|
3-4 |
The student identifies stated information,
main ideas and some supporting details in texts with familiar
language.
The student shows an understanding of
some parts of the text(s). |
|
5-6 |
The student identifies stated and implied
information, main ideas and supporting
details in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language, and/or complex
ideas.
The student draws conclusions.
The student shows an understanding of
most parts of the text(s). |
|
7-8 |
The student identifies stated and implied
information, main ideas and supporting
details in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language, and/or complex
ideas.
The student draws conclusions and
recognizes opinions and attitudes implied within
the text. The student identifies some
aspects of format and style where
appropriate.
The student shows a good understanding of the text(s)
overall. |
Notes:
-
Please note that the final level for criterion E should be multiplied by two
in order to give equal weighting to comprehension and expressive skills
overall. However, this should only be done when determining the final grade.
-
Teachers must choose texts and set tasks that will allow the students to
reach the highest levels for the criterion: questions must pertain to the
descriptors.
-
If students respond in the target language, they should not be penalized for
language errors.
Top
Language B Advanced - Assessment Criteria
|
Language B
Advanced |
|
Oral Communication |
|
Criterion A |
Oral communication -
message and interaction |
Maximum 8 |
|
Criterion B |
Oral communication -
style and
language use |
Maximum 8 |
|
Writing |
|
Criterion C |
Writing -
message and organization |
Maximum 8 |
|
Criterion D |
Writing -
style and
language use |
Maximum 8 |
|
Text interpretation |
|
Criterion E |
Text interpretation |
Maximum 16 |
Criterion A: Oral communication - message and
interaction
Maximum: 8
To what extent does the student show the ability to
communicate ideas, interact and maintain the flow of the
conversation?
To what extent can the student:
-
communicate information, ideas and opinions
-
respond and react in a sophisticated manner to questions and ideas (familiar and
spontaneous situations)
-
contribute to the conversation and engage actively
-
maintain a flow of ideas and a logical continuity in the
conversation?
Tasks used to assess criteria A and B often include role
plays, discussions,
debates, pair work, interviews, presentations with question and
answer sessions, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate genuine, spontaneous interaction.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student communications information at a
superficial level; ideas may be
irrelevant and/or frequently repetitive;
ideas and opinions have little or no relevant
support.
The student
shows little or no understanding of the
topic through their responses and reactions.
The student needs prompting
to engage in conversation.
There are
lapses in coherence of ideas and these
interfere with the flow of the message and
interaction. |
|
3-4 |
The student communicates basic information
easily but has difficulty with more
complex information; ideas may be
irrelevant and/or frequently repetitive;
ideas and opinions are insufficiently
supported.
The student shows some understanding of
the topic through their responses and reactions,
though some of the discussion remains
superficial.
The student
engages
in conversation,
but needs prompting at times.
There are
some lapses in coherence of ideas but these
do not interfere with the flow of the
message and interaction.
|
|
5-6 |
The student communicates most information
with ease, though there may be some
difficulty with more complex information;
ideas and opinions are
rrelevant generally supported.
The student shows a good understanding of
the topic through their responses and reactions.
The student
actively engages
in conversation.
The message
and interaction generally flow coherently.
|
|
7-8 |
The student communicates basic and complex
information with ease; ideas and
opinions are
relevant, focused and supported by examples and
illustrations.
The student shows a complete and
sophisticated understanding of the topic
through their responses and reactions.
The student
is actively engaged and contributes much
to the conversation.
The student's
coherent structuring of ideas enables
the flow of the message and interaction.
|
Notes:
-
Reading from prepared texts or the use of
memorized speeches does not constitute real interaction according to
language B objectives.
-
Teachers should bear in mind the different
cultural norms and acceptable practices of the target language when engaged
in conversation.
Spontaneous engagement in the conversation needs to be
appropriate to the conversation and to the cultural
context.
Criterion B: Oral communication
- Style and language use
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to use
the language effectively and accurately?
To what extent can the student:
-
use clear
pronunciation and/or intonation
-
correctly
use a range of vocabulary
-
correctly
use a range of grammatical structures
-
show the ability to adapt register and style of language to the
situation?
Tasks used to assess criteria A and B often include discussions,
pair work, interviews, presentations with question and
answer sessions, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use the language.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student uses inaccurate intonation and/or
frequently hesitates, which interferes
with
comprehensibility.
The student shows little variety in vocabulary and
idiom; grammar is often inaccurate or
inappropriate.
There is
little sense of register or style. |
|
3-4 |
The student makes some errors in
intonation and/or shows some lapses
in fluency, which
sometimes interferes with comprehensibility.
The student's vocabulary is varied though
sometimes inappropriate for the context;
some errors occur in basic and complex
grammar.
Register and style are apparent but are
inconsistent and/or inappropriate. |
|
5-6 |
The student makes some errors in
intonation and/or shows some lapses
in fluency, but this does not interfere with communication.
The student's vocabulary is varied and
generally correct, with some idiomatic
expressions; basic grammar is accurate,
though some errors occur with complex
grammar.
Register and style are generally appropriate
to the task.
|
|
7-8 |
The student's intonation and fluency
contributes effectively to communication.
The student's vocabulary is varied,
appropriate and idiomatic. The student uses
basic and complex grammar with a good
degree of accuracy.
Register and style are effective and
appropriate to the task.
|
Note:
-
Pronunciation/intonation: clarity must be considered here, rather than
issues of accent.
-
Fluency: This refers to the student's ability to maintain a flow in linking
words and phrases, similar to that of a native speaker.
-
Register: This refers to tone, vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure,
and their appropriateness for the situation.
Criterion C: Writing - message and organization
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to
communicate, organize and support relevant ideas?
To what extent can the student:
Tasks used to assess criteria C and D often include letter writing,
critical reviews, news articles, editorials, essays, creative
writing, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student communicates information at a
superficial level; ideas may be irrelevant and/or
frequently repetitive; opinions have
little or no relevant support.
The student
shows little depth in understanding of
the topic.
There are
lapses in structure and these
interfere with the development of ideas.
|
|
3-4 |
The student communicates basic information
easily, but has difficulty with more
complex information;
ideas are
not always relevant and/or
opinions are
insufficiently supported.
The student
shows some depth in understanding of the
topic, though some of the message remains
superficial.
The
structure is
mostly appropriately; there are some
lapses but these
do not interfere
with the
development of ideas.
|
|
5-6 |
The student communicates most information
with ease, though there may be some difficulty with more
complex information;
ideas and
opinions are relevant and generally
supported.
The student
shows satisfactory depth in understanding
of the topic.
There is an appropriate
structure and the student makes good use of
cohesive devices.
|
|
7-8 |
The student communicates complex information;
ideas and opinions are relevant, focused and
supported by examples and illustrations
where appropriate.
The student
shows a sophisticated, in-depth in
understanding of the topic.
The
structure is clear and effective and
adds to the message being conveyed;
cohesive devices enhance the development of
ideas.
|
Notes:
-
Structure: This refers to the format or pattern of the piece of writing. For
example, this may involve an introduction, development and conclusion as in
some types of formal essay.
-
Cohesive devices: This refers to the grammatical and/or lexical items that
link the different elements of a text.
-
Teachers should make sure that students are aware of the different writing
norms and practices of the target language when setting writing tasks.
Criterion D: Writing
- style and
language use
Maximum:
8
To what extent does the student show the ability to use the language
effectively and accurately?
To what extent can the student:
-
correctly
use a range of vocabulary and idiom
-
correctly
use a range of grammatical structures and syntax
-
show
accuracy in spelling or writing of characters
-
w
rite with a particular
audience in mind?
Tasks used to assess criteria C and D often include letter writing,
critical reviews, news articles, editorials, essays, creative
writing, and so on. These tasks give students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student shows little variety in
vocabulary and idiom; grammar is often
inaccurate or inappropriate, though this
does not affect comprehensibility.
There are some errors in spelling/writing
that occasionally interfere with
communication.
There is an
attempt at addressing audience.
However, register and/or style are
often inconsistent and/or
inappropriate.
|
|
3-4 |
The student's choice of
vocabulary is varied though sometimes
inappropriate for the context; some
errors occur in basic and complex grammar,
though these do not affect comprehensibility .
There are occasional errors in
spelling/writing but these do not interfere with
communication.
There is a
good attempt at addressing audience.
However, register and/or style are
sometimes inconsistent and/or
inappropriate.
|
|
5-6 |
The student's choice of
vocabulary is varied and appropriate with
some idiomatic expressions. Basic
grammar is accurate; although some
errors occur in complex grammar,
these do not affect comprehensibility .
Spelling/writing contributes to the quality
of the work.
There is a
clear sense of audience; register and
style are appropriate to the task.
|
|
7-8 |
The student's choice of
vocabulary is varied, sophisticated and
idiomatic. The student uses complex
grammar that adds to the style of the text;
he/she shows the ability to manipulate
the language.
Spelling/writing contributes to the quality
of the work.
There is a
clear sense of audience; register and
style are effective. The student
may be creative with the language, or
show humour or irony when appropriate to
the task.
|
Note:
-
The importance attached to the assessment of spelling and/or writing will
vary from language to language. For example, the techniques of writing will
be particularly important in languages such as Chinese or Japanese, whereas
spelling will take on greater importance in English or Russian.
-
"Sense of audience" is linked to "register"; this refers to tone,
vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure, and their appropriateness for
the situation.
Criterion E:
Text
interpretation
Maximum:
16 (8 x 2)
To what extent does the student show the ability to comprehend a
piece of writing in the target language?
To what extent can the student:
and
recognize implied opinions and attitudes
identify aspects of format and
style?
Tasks used to assess criterion E often include letters,
advertisements, magazine and newspaper articles, short stories,
extracts from literary texts, poetry, and so on. The questions must
address each level descriptor so that students have the opportunity
to achieve all levels.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student
does not reach a standard described by any of
the descriptors below. |
|
1-2 |
The student shows understanding of basic
information stated in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language. The student
identifies main ideas but has some
difficulty in understanding supporting
details.
The student
makes simple inferences that are
rarely supported.
The student shows an superficial
understanding of the text(s) overall. |
|
3-4 |
The student shows understanding of stated and
implied information, main ideas and some
supporting details in texts with familiar and
unfamiliar language and/or complex ideas.
The student
makes inferences that are
insufficiently supported and shows
difficulty in identifying aspects of
style.
The student shows general understanding of the text(s). |
|
5-6 |
The student shows understanding of stated and
implied information, main ideas and
supporting details in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language and/or complex
ideas.
The student
makes inferences that are supported
with details from the text and can
identify some aspects of style.
The student shows a good understanding of
most of the text(s). |
|
7-8 |
The student shows understanding of stated and
implied information, main ideas and
supporting details in texts with familiar
and unfamiliar language and/or complex
ideas and subtleties.
The student
makes inferences that are convincingly
supported with details from the text and can
interpret aspects of style.
The student shows a perceptive understanding of the text(s)
overall. |
Notes:
-
Please note that the final level for criterion E should be multiplied by two
in order to give equal weighting to comprehension and expressive skills
overall. However, this should only be done when determining the final grade.
-
Teachers must choose texts and set tasks that will allow the students to
reach the highest levels for the criterion: questions must pertain to the
descriptors.
-
If students respond in the target language, they should not be penalized for
language errors.
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