1. L161: Assessment criteria - written TMAs
A Knowledge, understanding and relevance
Assesses the choice of ideas and concepts from L161 module materials and the relevance of the answer to the task set (33.33% of overall mark)
B Development of answer and use of evidence
Assesses the structure of the answer, the development of the argument and the use evidence to support it (33.33% of overall mark)
C Language: style and accuracy
Assesses the use of the correct style for the assignment task set and the stage of the module reached so far, including academic conventions; it also considers spelling, grammar, syntax and punctuation (33.33% of overall mark).
Please note that citing and referencing will be covered under academic conventions, once these have been taught, and only to the extent to which it has been covered in the materials by the point of assessment.
L161 Unit 1 The nature of Language Preparing for TMA 1: Assessment criteria: written TMAs
The aim of this activity is to prepare students for TMA1 by clarifying what the marking criteria are, what the task and the guidance say, and by getting them to work with an example of a critical incident from the book.
1 (slide 1) Explain to students what the assessment criteria are, and what they mean. Remind them to keep them in mind when planning and writing their TMA.
Study tip: it is also useful to come back to their TMA answer a couple of days after writing it and reading it critically with the TMA criteria in front of them.

2. L161: Preparing for TMA 1: the task
For this assignment you need to reflect on the work you did with the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters (AIE) in Unit 3.
Choose an intercultural encounter that you want to analyse and write a short reflective piece of 400–700 words about it. You should:
briefly summarise the essential parts of the encounter
explain why you chose this particular incident
set out what you have learned from the encounter with regards to language and culture
comment on the extent that using the AIE helped you to reflect on the development of your own intercultural awareness.
Ask students to read through the TMA task
Study tip: Remind them that it is useful to read through their TMA after they have written it and check they have answered all the elements of the task

3. L161: Preparing for TMA 1: guidance
how effectively you have explained the incident and what you have learned from it.
how you link this to other content from Unit 3.
demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of relevant ideas and debates covered in Unit 3 and appropriate use of relevant glossary terms covered in the module so far.
choose an example of your own and not use any of those discussed in the module materials. If you feel uncomfortable writing about a personal encounter of your own, you can choose to write about one that you observed, involving two other people.
The reflective element of this task is important. Make sure that at least half (50–60%) of what you write deals with the last two bullet points listed in the task brief on the previous page.
Style should still be sufficiently formal and objective, i.e. more formal than a forum entry for fellow students or an to your friends.
Remind students that there is guidance for each TMA, and that it is important they take it into account.

4. L161: TMA 1: is this enough?
An unsuccessful encounter Some years ago I joined a weekly folk music group in North East England. Being Spanish, I was hoping to make some English friends and learn some English folk music. Unfortunately, the director insisted on talking to me as though I could barely understand English, perhaps because I had to keep translating chord names from ‘C-D-E’ to ‘do-re-mi’. Despite my best efforts to demonstrate that I was able to give perfectly articulate responses, he would simply fail to notice that I could actually speak English. To make matters worse, other group members did pretty much the same and I never understood why. After a couple of months I just left and found myself a singing group, where I was finally allowed to hold a normal conversation. (Book 1, p, 115)
Ask students to read through the critical incident (this is from p. 115 in book 1).
Discussion: is this a suitable answer to the TMA. Why/Why not?
Although this is a critical incident, it is not a suitable answer to the TMA, as it only deals with the first part of the TMA question. In the discussion, try to stay away from providing answers to the TMA question, but rather help students to understand what else is needed.
In the discussion, you can prompt students by referring back to the following elements of the task, the assessment criteria and the guidance:
Task:
This is only an answer to the first bullet point of the question, i.e. briefly summarise the essential parts of the encounter. The student would then have to:
explain why they chose this particular incident
set out what they have learned from the encounter with regards to language and culture
comment on the extent that using the AIE helped them to reflect on the development of their own intercultural awareness.
Assessment criteria:
Does this answer demonstrate Knowledge, understanding and relevance?
Does it refer to any of the ideas and concepts from L161 module materials? Does is answer the task? This accounts for 33.33% of overall mark.
Does the answer demonstrate Development of answer and use of evidence
How would you structure the answer so that it would achieve good marks here? This criterion is about structure, development of the argument and use evidence to support it (33.33% of overall mark)
What about the Language: style and accuracy
This TMA doesn’t have to written in an academic style, but the guidance says the style should be formal and objective. Remember that quoting and referencing will be introduced later in the module, so students are not expected to follow the conventions yet. Also remind them to be careful with spelling, grammar, syntax and punctuation (33.33% of overall mark).
Guidance:
Has the incident been explained effectively? What about what the person learnt form it? Is this linked to any other content in Unit 3?
Does the answer demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of relevant ideas and debates covered in Unit 3 and appropriate use of relevant glossary terms covered in the module so far? The answer doesn’t do any of this.
The reflective element of this task is important. Atleast half (50–60%) of what you write should deal with the last two bullet points listed in the task brief:
set out what you have learned from the encounter with regards to language and culture
comment on the extent that using the AIE helped you to reflect on the development of your own intercultural awareness.