1. Achieving Success in Urdu and Arabic
At GCE AS and A2 levels
with Edexcel
Training from Edexcel

2. Aims of this talk:
Receive key observations from Summer 2009 Examiners’ Reports on the new AS papers
Consider potential areas for improvement in candidates’ performance.
Tips on preparing for the A2 units : focus on translation and essay writing
Support:
Handouts
Free downloads via Edexcel websites
Many delegates will have attended the launch meetings so they may well be familiar with the overall skeleton format. Today though we are going to focus on Units 1 and 2 and look more closely at what is going on in these 2 units.
The delegate activities should, hopefully, enable delegates/teachers to focus on what they need to do in their teaching to facilitate students’ learning in terms of preparation for the new AS.
Many assessment issues have not yet been decided. It will therefore be difficult to give definitive advice on the finer details. What we can do is offer some general pointers. It is important to stress that in MFL we have no internal assessment i.e. there is no requirement on the teachers to do any marking of student/candidate work: everything is assessed externally by Edexcel. Teachers will still be able to conduct their own speaking tests but these will continue to be marked externally.
Training from Edexcel

3. Examiners’ Reports: Common concerns and advice
Follow the required procedures:
Instructions on cover page
Rubric: know exactly what is required
Answer in full within the word limit
Keep focussed on question
Avoid slang, repetition, vague language.
Training from Edexcel

4. Translation from and into English:
Look for obvious phrases which require a knowledge of idiomatic expressions, avoiding word-for-word anglicised renderings
Do not leave gaps by omission
Develop confidence by practising with short, familiar pieces of English, and gradually lengthen / less familiar extracts
Training from Edexcel

5. Translation (continued)
Read the passage through carefully
Check carefully for obvious pitfalls (adjectives, agreements, gender, case, tenses)
Devise your own checklist based on your recurrent errors!
Do not offer alternatives. Make up your mind on which phrase translates the original best.
Do not paraphrase.
Re-read your translation and check that it makes sense.
Training from Edexcel

6. URDU: Creative / Discursive Essay ARABIC: Topics and Texts
Choose the right essay! - fully understand title and all its implications
Analyse title – plan clear structure
Ensure content is relevant and always related back to title
Produce a balanced argument in your discursive essay, with clear and logical conclusion
Training from Edexcel

7. Practical tips:
Pre-learned essay phrases can enhance writing but beware of clumsiness and over-use.
Examiners want to read what you have to say and not what has been borrowed from others.
Avoid long introductions . Tackle the subject fairly promptly.
Keep to prescribed word limits:
answers that are too long lose marks for content (defective structure/organisation)
answers that are too short are self-penalising
Training from Edexcel

8. Practical tips: Clearly indicate which question is being attempted
Cross out rough work neatly
Write clearly, on alternate lines
No gel pens / tippex / footnotes / asterisks, etc
Training from Edexcel

9. URDU: Research-Based Essay
A successful RBE:
reflects candidate’s views and opinions ,
has an analytical or evaluative dimension,
answers the essay question set as fully as possible,
does not rely too heavily on English sources ,
shows evidence of individual research and reflection,
conveys candidate’s genuine enthusiasm for and interest in the chosen topic .
Training from Edexcel

10. Support Edexcel websites: free downloads
URDU:
Oral Training Guide featuring sample assessments and related commentaries plus tips on requirements of tests:
ARABIC:
Past papers, mark schemes, exemplification booklet, Specification and Sample Assessment Materials
Training from Edexcel