Section outline

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►Topic 6
    • Low level response

      • Whole test - click to listen

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      Part 1 Presentation

      Teacher/examiner: Examiner's name …,, candidate number …, candidate name …, date 20th April 2022.

      Teacher/examiner: Hujambo …?

      [Moderator comment: This is a good introduction to the exam.]

      Candidate: Sijambo.

      Teacher/examiner: Habari za leo? Candidate: Nzuri.

      [Moderator comment: This is a good way to help settle the candidate into the examination.]

      Teacher/examiner: Leo unazungumzia mada gani?

      [Moderator comment: The teacher/examiner allows the candidate to introduce their topic well.]

      Candidate: Ajira za siku zijazo.

      Teacher/examiner: Vizuri sana. Ningeomba utoe barakoa ndio uweze kusikika Vizuri sana, sasa tunaweza anza.

      [Moderator comment: The teacher/examiner is aware that the candidate needs to be heard properly and asks them to take off their face mask. It is important for teachers/examiners to be aware that the recording must be clear.]

      Candidate: Leo ningependa kuzungumzia taaluma za siku zijazo. Aina za kazi zinazowezeka katika siku zijazo ni mwandishi, madaktari, mwanasheria, hakimu, mhandisi na mengi kadhalika. Mpango wa siku zijazo…siku zijazo..m Mpango wa siku zijazo ni kuend…. Mpango wa siku zijazo ni kuandaa mwongozo kwa mtu mwenye ulemavu wa kiakili au kimwili kuishi Maisha mazuri na kujitegemea iwezekanavyo ili kupata ….ili kupata msuli unaji… unaji… Sir can I please skip this out.. ili kupata msuli unaji,.. unafaa kubeba mzigo huo inabidi msuli … ili kukua katika taaluma yako.. taaluma sir that’s it. I don’t want to do any more.

      [Moderator comment: The chosen topic is interesting, but the candidate has memorised their presentation and seems to have forgotten their script. Candidates are allowed to take a small cue card into the test on which they can note down their main points for the presentation.]

      Part 2 Topic conversation

      Teacher/examiner: eh tumekamilisha sehemu hiyo. Sehemu ya pili ni nitakuuliza maswali kutokana na kile ambacho umezungumzia. Swali na kwanza ni je, una mawazo gani kuhusu uzuri na ubaya wa kusoma hadi chuo kikuu.

      [Moderator comment: While the teacher/examiner may want a candidate to finish their presentation, it is good practice to let weaker candidates stop once they indicate or realise that they can't continue. The teacher/examiner introduces the second part well.]

      Candidate: Uzuri ya kusoma hadi kituo.

      Teacher/examiner: Chuo kikuu.

      Candidate: (silence) Nii uzuri kwa sababu utakuw ana elimu nyingi. (silence).

      Teacher/examiner: Kuna wale ambao wanasema si lazima usome ili ufanikiwe maishani, je una maoni gani?

      [Moderator comment: This is a good question which asks for an opinion.]

      Candidate: (silence) … ni kweli kwa sababu ili ufike mahali kwa maisha. Ili uishi maisha mazuri unafai kusoma. (silence).

      [Moderator comment: The candidate should ask the teacher/examiner to clarify or rephrase if needed rather than attempt a response which risks not answering the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: Kuna swali ambalo nitakuuliza – kuna wakati unasoma halafu unamaliza shule ya upili halafu unaenda chuo kikuu moja kwa moja. Kuna wale ambao wanaamua watasalia nyumbani kwa mwaka mmoja. Una maoni gani kwa wale ambao wanaamua kwamba watasalia nyumbani kwa mwaka mmoja kabla ya kuenda chuo kikuu?

      [Moderator comment: The teacher/examiner attempts to explain in detail what the question is. For a candidate who is struggling with the language, it is better to ask short and simple questions.]

      Candidate: Hiyo inachukua muda mengi kwa kusoma viti mingi kwa hiyo saa. Pia ni vizuri kwa sababu mtu aliye … mtu aliye… aliyefanya vizuri katika..katika…results zao, wanataka kuji .. kuji. (silence)

      [Moderator comment: The candidate does not answer the question but makes remarks that are unrelated. It is likely that they (still) did not understand the question.]

      Part 3 General conversation

      Teacher/examiner: Sawa tutaondoka kwenye sehemu hiyo na tutaenda kwenye sehemu inayofuata. Nimekuchagulia mada ya sehemu ya kwanza, A – Je, wewe husaidia vipi nyumbani?

      [Moderator comment: The teacher/examiner does not persist with Part 2 for too long, which is prudent. The teacher/examiner announces the start of the third part of the exam. The teacher/examiner selects Topic A for this candidate.]

      Candidate: Ninasaidia ku (silence) ninasaidianga kuosha nguo za (silence) za dada zangu na kaka zangu sababu wanaendaga kazini kila siku na hawana muda wa kujioshea nguo zao. Napikanga siku za .. sikua za..sina shule na niko na muda mwingi na … napikanga. Napikanga kumsaidia mama yangu ili asikuwe na kazi mingi ya kufanya kwa nyumba.

      [Moderator comment: The candidate answers and expands quite well.]

      Teacher/examiner: Ni kazi gazi ambayo wewe hupendi kufanya ukiwa nyumbani na ni kwa nini?

      [Moderator comment: A good open-ended question.]

      Candidate: Sipendi kutayarisha meza wakati watu wako … wakati saa ya kukula kwa sbabu watu kwa nyumba yangu hupenda kunituma mahali … hupenda kunituma kila mahali kama duka kununua ndizi ya kukula chakula nayo au kununua soda kunywa na kukula nayo.

      [Moderator comment: The candidate can discuss their daily life effectively and enjoys responding and expanding.]

      Teacher/examiner: Niambie zaidi kuhusu familia yako, uko na ndugu wakubwa wangapi na wangapi wadogo.

      [Moderator comment: This closed question leads to a response that will likely be very short (‘How many siblings do you have?’) Better cues or questions might be: ‘Tell me about any siblings you have’ or ‘What do you do with your siblings at the weekend?’.]

      Candidate: Mimi ndo mdogo na niko na ndugu nane wakubwa kwangu.

      [Moderator comment: The candidate gives a short response. Candidates should, however, try to expand their answers as much as possible.]

      Teacher/examiner: Je ni matatizo gani yanakuja – yanatokana na kuwa mtoto mdogo nyumbani?

      [Moderator comment: An excellent open-ended question.]

      Candidate: Kila mtu ananidharau sababu siwezi kuwadharau. Au wananichapa kwa sababu wanaweza kunifanyia kila wanapotaka.

      [Moderator comment: This is a good beginning to the response. The candidate could perhaps have spoken about what generally happens with younger siblings, or what happened with her as a younger sibling. Teachers/examiners should allow candidates time to think of what they want to say.]

      Teacher/examiner: Unafikiri kuna uzuri wowote wa kuwa mtoto wa mwisho nyumbani?

      [Moderator comment: The teacher/examiner asks a simplified, open-ended question that asks for an opinion. this is excellent practice, especially with weaker candidates.]

      Candidate: Naam wazazi wangu huniletea ..eeh …wananiletea vitu mingi kama nguo, peremende, simu au, tablet wakiwa wanaenda … wanaenda majuu kufanya…kufanya kazi zao.

      [Moderator comment: A good short response.]

      Teacher/examiner: Vizuri sana tumefika mwisho wa sehemu hii, Ninakutakia kila la heri na mchana mwema. Karibu.

      [Moderator comment: An excellent end to the exam. The closing remarks are positive. The teacher/examiner is able to pitch this exam at the level of the candidate, allowing them to show what linguistic skill they possess fully.]

    • Moderator comments - Part 1 Presentation 

      Conduct of the test

      The teacher/examiner welcomes the candidate and puts them at ease by asking them to take off their facemask so they can be heard properly.

      Candidate response

      The candidate has chosen an interesting topic but unfortunately appears to recite their presentation fully from memory, struggling to remember what they wanted to say. This has a detrimental effect on the presentation: the delivery is rather stilted and the length too short.

      Mark awarded for Content and presentation = 4 out of 10
      Mark awarded for Quality of language = 4 out of 10
      Total mark awarded = 8 out of 20


      Moderator comments - Part 2 Topic conversation

      Conduct of the test
      The teacher/examiner tries to rephrase and simplify the questions to make it easier for the candidate to answer, which is appropriate and shows good examining technique, especially for weaker candidates. While the candidate is generally unable to give appropriate answers the first time, the teacher/examiner sometimes persists too long with rephrasing their questions. While the examiner undoubtedly does this to ensure they get the most out of their candidate this persistence does not always bear fruit and risks being counterproductive.

      Candidate response 
      The candidate seems to understand most questions, once they have been rephrased by the examiner. There is a slight tendency to want to respond in English, for the which they can naturally not receive credit. Regularly practising Swahili conversation in good time before to the Speaking test will help candidates amass the required linguistic tools as well as build up their confidence.

      Mark awarded for Comprehension and responsiveness = 3 out of 10
      Mark awarded for Quality of language = 3 out of 10
      Total mark awarded = 6 out of 20


      Moderator comments - Part 3 General conversation

      Conduct of the test 
      The teacher/examiner chooses to ask questions on the topic of ‘Home’, presumably because they judge it to be sufficiently accessible for a weaker candidate. Choosing to explore this accessible topic pays off as the candidate is able to engage with it better than with their chosen topic. (It should be mentioned that choosing more accessible topics for stronger candidates may not be appropriate as it risks inhibiting the chance for them to showcase their wider linguistic skills.)

      Candidate response
      The candidate responds better to questions here than in the previous sections of the test. The candidate does, however, tend to use rather informal language, e.g. adding ‘nga’ to sentences, which is not the appropriate register for a Speaking test and has a negative impact on their Quality of language mark.

      Mark awarded for Comprehension and responsiveness = 5 out of 10
      Mark awarded for Quality of language = 4 out of 10
      Total mark awarded = 9 out of 20


      Moderator comments - Whole test


      How the teacher/examiner performance could improve 

      The teacher/examiner gauges the candidate’s level of ability well from the outset and takes care to rephrase questions the candidate hasn’t initially understood.

      While rephrasing and simplifying questions is an effective exam technique, teacher/examiners should not persist with this in cases where candidates have still not understood. This can make the candidate more nervous and lead to undue concern on their part that the conversation has become stuck. In such cases, it is more advisable to move the conversation along with a fresh question.

      How the candidate performance could improve

      The presentation comes across as quite stilted and scripted. The candidate’s performance might have got off to a better start had their presentation been more natural and engaging. Sustained practise with engaging in spontaneous conversations in preparation may well have helped with delivery throughout the test.  The style and linguistic quality of what is being said are as important as its substance.
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►Topic 6