Section outline
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Now that you have read the speaking assessment criteria grids, you may want to practise marking a speaking test. Listen to the candidate responses below, make a note of the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate and give a mark, before you read the examiner comments and marks below.
Please note: Information about the candidate and centre has been removed from the recordings to protect the identity of the candidate.
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- Whole test - click to listen
Transcript and commentary
Example candidate response transcript – high
Role play card 7 transcript
Teacher/examiner: À quelle heure est-ce qu’on va au centre commercial aujourd’hui ? [The teacher/examiner reads the first question exactly as printed.]
Candidate: A midi [A brief, appropriate answer]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Excellent. Et comment veux-tu aller au centre commercial ? [The teacher/examiner gives a brief reaction and then asks the second question exactly as printed.]
Candidate: En voiture [A brief, appropriate answer.]
Teacher/examiner: Quelle sorte de magasins préfères-tu et pourquoi? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script. This question should be asked in two parts to give the candidate time to process the information.]
Candidate: J’aime les magasins de sport parce que j’aime de sport. [The candidate answers both parts of the question clearly. The incorrect partitive article is a minor error and does not impede communication.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Et qu’est-ce que tu as fait la dernière fois que tu es allé dans un centre commercial et c’était avec qui ? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script.]
Candidate: J’ai achète … j’ai acheté un T-shirt et je suis allé avec ma mère. [The candidate successfully corrects the verb and answers both parts of the question in the appropriate time frame.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Et qu’est-ce que tu voudrais acheter aujourd’hui et pourquoi? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script.]
Candidate: Aujourd’hui je voudrais un pantalon parce que je voudrais un pantalon. [Acheter is not necessarily a requirement as the message is clear, but the second part of the task is addressed with a simple repetition so not a clear reason.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Allez. On va passer à la conversation. [The teacher/examiner ends the role play and announces the transition to the first topic conversation.]
Topic conversation 1 transcript - Topic 1 La santé
Teacher/examiner: Donc le premier thème de notre conversation c’est la santé. [Clear announcement of the first topic]
Teacher/examiner: Combien de repas manges-tu? [The teacher/examiner omits the last part of the question (par jour). All questions should be read exactly as printed.]
Candidate: Je mange trois repas par jour parce que je pense que manger … manger aussi de nourriture par jour est très important pour le santé. Donc mon repas préféré est le petit déjeuner parce que j’aime le lait et j’aime de céréales et normalement dans le petit déjeuner je mange le céréales. [The candidate gives a well-developed response including opinions and uses connectors to link ideas.]
Teacher/examiner: Ok. Et qu’est-ce que tu manges aussi au petit déjeuner à part les céréales ? Qu’est-ce que tu manges au petit déjeuner ? [The candidate has already mentioned les céréales in his response to question 1 so the teacher/examiner uses this to steer him back to the set question. However, it must be noted that the teacher/examiner must not supply vocabulary to the candidate.]
Candidate: De temps en temps quand je veux je mange … pardon … je mange un fruit ou d’un légume ou les crudités parce que c’est très bon pour le santé et je veux rester en bon forme. [Not just a simple repetition of vocabulary from the previous response but evidence of a range being used.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Et parle-moi des activités que tu as faites récemment pour garder la forme. Et où as-tu fait ces activités ? [When there is a pause in the script the teacher/examiner should let the candidate answer first and then ask the second question provided after the pause]
Candidate: Oui. Hier j’ai un course de éducation physique et on a joué au foot en groupe et on a un petit tournoi au foot et heureusement on a gagné et on a joué au foot dans le terrain de sport à l’école. [A clear answer in the correct time frame despite some verb errors and the mispronunciation of cours. The candidate is able to give relevant extra details and the adverb heureusement adds an opinion to otherwise factual information.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Excellent. Et selon toi, quel est le plus grand danger pour la santé des jeunes ? Et pourquoi? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script.]
Candidate: Je pense que il y a beaucoup de dangers pour le santé des jeunes tels que les matières grasses et aussi je pense que aujourd’hui les gens rester tout le temps devant leur … oui leur écran et ne pas faire aussi de d’exercice. Et pour moi je pense que faire au moins trente minutes d’exercice par jour est très important. Aussi … de plus je aussi pense que manger beaucoup de plats avec de sucre n’est pas … n’est pas très bon pour le santé. [A very well-developed answer with opinions, examples and explanations. There is a good variety of vocabulary although the opinion expressions are a little repetitive. The verb errors and confusion between aussi/assez do not impede communication.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Excellent. Et à l’avenir, que pourrais-tu changer dans ta vie pour améliorer ta santé et pourquoi ? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script.]
Candidate: Oui. A l’avenir je voudrais améliorer mon … ma santé. Par exemple je voudrais essayer un nouvel sport tel que le ski ou le basket parce que je voudrais devenir plus grande. Et aussi je pense que je pourrais manger plus … manger plus de légumes et de crudités. Et aussi je pense que aujourd’hui je ne mange aussi de … non pardon je ne bois aussi de l’eau et à l’avenir je voudrais essayer boire plus de l’eau. [A well-developed answer with opinions and justifications. The candidate can switch from a present to a future time frame. He self corrects successfully.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Excellent. On va passer à la deuxième conversation sur le thème de l’éducation. [Clear ending to Topic conversation 1 and transition to Topic conversation 2.]
Topic conversation 2 transcript – Topic 6 L’éducation
Teacher/examiner: Alors. Où se trouve ton école ? [The teacher/examiner reads the first question exactly as printed.]
Candidate: Mon école se trouve loin de centre ville et dans un quartier industriel. Et à côté de mon école il y a un supermarché et beaucoup d’autres … beaucoup d’autres collèges et aussi il y a un lycée pour les jeunes qui … pour les adultes qui veut devenir ingénieur. [Good extra details with a range of vocabulary. Structures include correctly used prepositions of place and a relative pronoun.]
Teacher/examiner: Ingénieur. Okay. Et combien d’élèves y a-t-il dans ton collège ? [The candidate mentioned ingénieur in his response. However, it must be noted that the teacher/examiner must not supply the candidate with vocabulary and must not correct the candidate.]
Candidate: Peux-tu répéter s’il vous plaît? [The candidate can ask for the question to be repeated if it has not been understood.]
Teacher/examiner: Combien d’élèves y a-t-il dans le collège ? [The teacher/examiner repeats the question exactly as printed.]
Candidate: Un jour … oui … pour un jour il y a quatre cours. [The candidate has not understood the question and gives an irrelevant answer.]
Teacher/examiner: Non. Non, non, non, c’est pas grave. Parle-moi de ce que tu as fait hier à l’école. [There is no alternative question to question 2. As the candidate has been unable to answer the question after one repetition the teacher/examiner moves on to the next question.]
Candidate: Hier j’ai quatre courses qui commencent à huit heures. J’ai la biologie, les mathématiques, l’informatique et l’histoire. Et particulièrement j’ai apprécié la biologie. [The candidate understands the question and supplies relevant information, although there is some ambiguity as the verbs are in the wrong time frame and cours is mispronounced again. As this is quite a short, straightforward answer, the teacher/examiner could have asked an extension question to encourage a fuller response.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Alors pourquoi aimes-tu ton école, okay, et quels sont les inconvénients de ton école ? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script.]
Candidate: Oui je pense que il y a beaucoup d’avantages de mon école tels que c’est très … non pardon, il y a un terrain de jour pour jouer de sport. Il y a aussi un gymnase et une bibliothèque ou je peux … je peux gagner d’informations de quelque chose et il y a aussi un gymnase. Mais il y a … il est aussi trop loin de mon appartement. Normalement, un jour ça me prend vingt minutes d’aller à l’école en voiture. [The candidate communicates a good deal of relevant information. In spite of some errors in the choice of vocabulary the main messages come across and ideas are linked with connectors. There is also a correctly used object pronoun.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Et dans l’avenir, après avoir fini tes études, okay, qu’est-ce que tu voudrais faire et pourquoi ? [The teacher/examiner does not mark the pause in the script.]
Candidate: A l’avenir je voudrais devenir ingénieur parce que j’aime construit de quelque chose. Mais quand j’étais plus jeune je voulais devenir astronaute et … parce que j’aime l’espace et je pensais que c’est très cool. Mais je pense que ... oui, je pense que devenir ingénieur serait très dur mais je suis déterminé. [The candidate demonstrates a good command of verbs and tenses and is able to switch from a future to a past time frame giving relevant information and opinions.]
Teacher/examiner: Okay. Excellent. Merci. [The teacher/examiner ends the conversation and the exam. There is no need to add up to two further questions as the conversation has lasted around 4 minutes.]
- Whole test - click to listen
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Moderator comments - Role play
Role play card 7
Conduct of the testThe teacher/examiner identifies herself and then, as required, gives the candidate number and name followed by the date. (This has been edited out). She then reads out the role play card number. This should be done for all candidates. The teacher/examiner greets the candidate using the prompts provided but does not ask the final warm-up question. All the provided prompts should be read for all candidates.
The teacher/examiner reads the scenario of the role play, task 1 and task 2 exactly as they are printed in the instructions. However, on tasks 3, 4 and 5, the teacher/examiner does not pause between the questions. Centres are reminded that when a [PAUSE] is indicated on the script, the teacher/examiner must pause after the first part of the task to allow the candidate time to answer.
After the role play has finished, the teacher/examiner correctly announces in French that it is time to move on to the topic conversations and gives the title of the first topic.
Centres should note that the role play does not need to be timed.
Candidate response
Mark awarded for task 1 = 2 out of 2 The response is brief but communicates appropriately and unambiguously.
Mark awarded for task 2 = 2 out of 2 The response is brief but communicates appropriately and unambiguously.
Mark awarded for task 3 = 2 out of 2 The candidate says which kind of shop he likes and gives a relevant reason why.
Mark awarded for task 4 = 2 out of 2 The candidate starts to answer in an inappropriate time frame but then self corrects and answers both parts of the task relevantly and in appropriate time frames.
Mark awarded for task 5 = 1 out of 2 The candidate is successful in saying what he would like in response to the first part of the task, but merely repeats this information for the second part of the task and adds nothing extra in the way of language or ideas. This is counted as partial completion of the task, as he is only successful on the first of the two set tasks.
Total mark awarded = 9 out of 10
Moderator comments - Topic conversationsTopic 1: La santéTopic 6: L’éducation
Conduct of the test
The teacher/examiner reads the first question but misses the end (par jour). It is important that the questions are read exactly as printed and not changed in any way. The candidate gives a very full response and tries to develop his answer, but without realising starts to cover the material required for the next question on task 2 about what he eats for breakfast. The teacher/examiner is aware of this and therefore cuts in at the end of his response to task 1 and asks the next question required for task 2. This task however is slightly rephrased. Each question should be read exactly as printed. On tasks 3, 4 and 5, there are two parts to each task. The teacher/examiner reads both questions out together and does not leave a pause during which the candidate can have the time to respond to the first question.
On tasks 3, 4 and 5, the candidate clearly understands the questions and therefore does not need the alternative questions. As the candidate is able to develop his answers fully, the examiner does not need to make use of any extension questions. This part of the test lasts for just over 4 minutes and no further questions are required.
The teacher/examiner announces in French that she is moving to the second topic which she identifies. On this topic, the teacher/examiner reads the first task as printed. On the second task, the candidate asks her to repeat the question, but he still does not answer relevantly. Therefore, the teacher/examiner moves on and starts task 3. On tasks 3, 4 and 5, the teacher/examiner misses the pause between the first and second parts of each task. The second topic ends after the candidate has responded to the last of the five set tasks. This part of the test also lasts just over 4 minutes and no alternative or further questions are needed.
After the response to the last question, the teacher/examiner thanks the candidate and ends the test.
Candidate response
The candidate approaches the first topic of la santé very confidently and even on the easier first two tasks he gives full responses which communicate relevantly. On the remaining harder three tasks he carries on developing his ideas and he consistently includes ideas and opinions. There is some occasional slight ambiguity of message due to incorrect time frames. On task 3, when the candidate has to talk about what he did recently to stay healthy, one or two utterances can be heard in a present rather than past time frame. He does however switch back to appropriate time frames. The candidate also shows he can justify and explain his answers at length, particularly on the last two tasks. He understands all questions with ease and does not require any alternative questions or invitations to extend his answers. In terms of language, the candidate can use a wide range of time frames, with only occasional errors, and can produce subordinated language in longer utterances using connectors, adverbial phrases and dependent verbs. He uses a good range of vocabulary about health and has very good pronunciation. Overall, at this point on the first topic, the performance would be in the 'Very good' level of descriptors for both Communication and Quality of Language.
On the second topic, l’éducation, the candidate understands all questions, except on task 2 where he does not understand Combien d’élèves…? Even though task 1 could be answered briefly, he gives some extra relevant factual details. On tasks 3, 4 and 5, he does not need the alternative questions. His answers are better developed and he can respond rapidly. In these responses, he communicates information which is almost always relevant and develops ideas and opinions well, giving reasons for some answers. Overall, on this topic, the performance would be at the very top of the 'Good' level for Communication. In terms of language, the performance is a little less consistent than on the first topic and would be at the very top of the 'Good' level, as the range of both structures and vocabulary are not quite as wide as in the first topic. His pronunciation and fluency are generally very good despite occasional errors.
The two topics are awarded one global mark for both topic conversations. The best fit over the two topics would put this candidate at the bottom of the 'Very good' level for both Communication and Quality of language.
Communication Mark awarded = 13 out of 15
Quality of Language Mark awarded = 13 out of 15
Total mark awarded = 35 out of 40
Moderator comments - Whole testHow the teacher/examiner performance could improve
The candidate is clearly and correctly identified by the teacher/examiner and the test itself is conducted at a brisk pace, which is appropriate for a candidate of this ability, but which weaker candidates could find a little too demanding. Timings are generally correct. The teacher/examiner makes the different stages of the test very clear to the candidate and links the different sections of the test correctly in French. In terms of improvement, the teacher/examiner should always adhere to the printed script and not insert or miss out parts of the set tasks. It is also essential that, where a [PAUSE] is indicated on tasks with two parts, the teacher/examiner leaves the candidate enough time to answer before the second part of the task is asked. The pause is given so that candidates have time to think and make sure they answer relevantly. It is harder for candidates if both parts of a task are asked together as they must keep more information in their heads and process more in a short space of time. Tasks are often split to ensure that candidates have the opportunity to approach them in a logical way and this approach should, in the interests of fairness, be observed for all candidates, whatever their ability
How the candidate performance could improve
The candidate’s performance is of a high standard but more marks could be scored with careful revision of all interrogative adverbs. This would ensure that the candidate consistently understands precisely what is being asked across all tasks to achieve even greater consistency of relevance in answers. Further practice could also be given on identifying the time frame used in questions in order to respond in the same time frame in all responses. Opinions are developed well but it would be desirable to increase the range of connectors used in longer responses and introduce more attempts at complex language. The candidate frequently depended on the repetition of the structure je pense que. A wider range of structures to express opinions would have been helpful. Such strategies would enable the work to meet the 'Very good' level statements convincingly.