Topic 7

Presentation: 

• Although the syllabus clearly states that candidates must refer to a Portuguese-speaking country during their presentation, some forget to do so. As a result, even strong presentations end up having their marks significantly reduced by half, which is unfortunate.
• While it is acceptable to use cue cards with bullet points, reading the entire presentation is not allowed. The focus should be on delivering the content naturally and engagingly, rather than relying on a script.
• Candidates are encouraged to research a topic of their choice when preparing their topic presentation. However, the material presented should be original, and not a copy of a webpage.

Topic conversation: 

• There were occasions when the teacher/examiner asked a series of prepared questions that led students to repeat material from the presentation. Although it is recommended that the candidate anticipates questions when preparing for the exam, the teacher/examiner should ask spontaneous questions and encourage students to share additional insights about the topics they have researched.
• Asking questions in sections 2 and 3: candidates should ask at least 1 question in both sections. When candidates do not ask questions spontaneously, teacher/examiners should prompt and encourage them to do so. Candidates are not penalised for being prompted. Questions should be relevant to the conversation and well formulated. No marks can be awarded when candidates do not ask any questions in both sections.

General conversation:

• In this part of the conversation, the teacher/examiner should ask questions on at least two topics unrelated to the topic presentation. This approach aims to provide candidates with plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Successful candidates can offer spontaneous answers that arise naturally during the discussion, expressing themselves clearly using correct language, a wide range of vocabulary, and varied structures, while minimising the influence of their mother tongue.

For further details about how candidates performed in this particular examination series please refer to the Principal Examiner Report for Teachers (PERT).