Section outline

    • High level response


    • Section 1: Presentation and follow-up discussion

      Presentation, interaction/responsiveness

      Presentation

      • Communication: The candidate communicates detailed information with clearly stated ideas and opinions on cultural preservation. The speech includes multiple arguments supporting the importance of cultural preservation, the role/ influence of globalisation; and the needs for government, education and media to be involved.
      • Justification: The candidate consistently justifies, develops, and explains ideas and opinions, giving examples such as the comparison between Chinese and Western festivals and the role of cultural confidence.
      • Engagement: The candidate appears fully engaged in delivering the presentation, showing confidence. A more organised speech would be even better.


      Follow-up discussion

      • Communication: The candidate provides detailed responses with clear ideas and opinions, discussing practical ways to promote Chinese culture among the youths, to balance Western and Chinese cultural influences, and to encourage engagement of international students in Chinese traditions.
      • Justification: The candidate justifies his answers well, providing examples like participating in school activities, recommending Chinese traditions to international schools’ students, and discussing the importance of traditional activities like setting off/ introducing fireworks during Spring Festival.
      • Engagement: The candidate engages well with the examiner, responding to questions fully and confidently, also providing thoughtful and well-developed answers.

      The candidate demonstrates an excellent ability to communicate detailed information with clearly stated ideas and opinions about cultural preservation. Throughout both the presentation and follow-up discussion, the candidate consistently justified, developed, and explained his viewpoints. He fully engages in the conversation, showing confidence and interacting well with the examiner. The examples provided are relevant and support his arguments effectively. Overall, the candidate exhibits a high level of responsiveness and engagement, fulfilling the criteria for the highest level.

      Mark awarded = 9 out of 10 


      Language range

      • Linking and cohesive devices: The candidate uses a range of linking and cohesive devices to connect a series of well-developed points, such as "在随着全球化的推进" "比如说," "然后," "所以我觉得," "并不是说," and "向他们推荐和让他们了解." These devices help in maintaining the flow and coherence of the speech.
      • Vocabulary: The candidate demonstrates a good range of vocabulary appropriate to the tasks, including less common terms such as "文化入侵," "全球化浪潮," "文化自信," "潜移默化," and "文化底蕴." The vocabulary used is varied and relevant to the topic.
      • Variation and repetition: The candidate shows an ability to vary formulation and avoid repetition, with a few instances of repeated phrases such as "发扬文化" and "文化自信." Overall, the speech and responses are well-formulated with minimal repetition.

      The candidate effectively uses a wide range of linking and cohesive devices to connect a series of well-developed points, ensuring the presentation and follow-up discussion are coherent and smoothly flowing. The vocabulary is varied and appropriate to the tasks, with several instances of less common vocabulary that enrich the content. There is a notable effort to vary the formulation of ideas, resulting in minimal repetition. The candidate's language range demonstrates a high level of proficiency, meeting the criteria for the highest level.

      Mark awarded = 9 out of 10


      Language accuracy

      • Simple grammar: The candidate consistently uses simple grammar accurately throughout the presentation and discussion. Sentences like "保护文化是我们每一个人应当尽的历史责任" ("Protecting culture is a historical responsibility that each of us should fulfil.") and "我们应该从自身做起" ("We should start with ourselves") demonstrate accurate use of basic grammatical structures.
      • Complex grammar: The candidate shows a good degree of control over some complex grammar. Examples include sentences like "如果我们自己对自己的文化都缺乏文化自信和认同感的话,那么如何让其它国家的人相信我们自己的文化呢?" ("If we ourselves lack cultural confidence and identity in our own culture, then how can we expect people from other countries to believe in our culture?"). This sentence illustrates the use of conditional structures with inspiring rhetorical question.
      • Occasional slips: There are occasional slips, such as in the phrase "向其他人发挥我们的文化" ("Exert our culture to others"), which is somewhat unclear. A better phrasing might be: "向其他人展示我们的文化" ("Showcase our culture to others"). However, these kinds of slips are rare and do not impede communication. The candidate demonstrates a strong and accurate use of simple grammar throughout the presentation and discussion. There is also a good use of complex grammar.

      Overall, the candidate's language accuracy is strong, fitting well within the highest level.

      Mark awarded = 10 out of 10


      Total mark awarded for Presentation and follow-up discussion = 28 out of 30

    • Section 2: Conversation task card

      Task completion and communication

      • Completes all tasks fully and confidently:
      The candidate addresses each prompt in detail, providing clear and structured responses. He covers the pros and cons of joining clubs, the impact of volunteering, the reasons some people might not want to volunteer, and the relationship between volunteering and the sense of responsibility.

      • Communicates relevant information with clear and supported ideas and opinions:

      The candidate’s answers are relevant and provide well-supported ideas and opinions. For example, he discusses both the benefits and drawbacks of joining clubs and provides a personal example to illustrate the connection between volunteering and the sense of responsibility.

      • Develops a justified argument:

      The candidate generally develops his arguments clearly, providing justifications and examples to support his points. For instance, he explains how volunteer work can alleviate staffing pressures in the hospitals and the schools, and why some people might not choose to volunteer. The meaning of volunteering was well elaborated.

      • Fully engages in the conversation:

      The candidate engages thoroughly with the examiner, responding promptly and fully to all questions and prompts. He maintains a good level of interaction throughout the conversation.


      1. 加入社团的优点和缺点(Joining clubs' advantages and disadvantages):

      The candidate discusses both advantages (enrich learning, expand horizons and interpersonal development) and disadvantages (impact on academic time) clearly and thoroughly, meeting the criteria for a justified argument.

      1. 你对做志愿者的看法(Your view on volunteering):

      The candidate articulates a clear and positive view on volunteers, highlighting their selflessness and societal contributions, which aligns with the criteria for communicating clear and supported ideas.

      1. 有些人不愿意做志愿者,是什么原因?(Why some people are unwilling to volunteer):

      The candidate mentions personal commitments as a reason, providing a valid explanation. While the point could be further expanded, it still addresses the prompt sufficiently.

      1. 志愿活动对社会的影响 (Impact of volunteer activities on society):

      The candidate gives a detailed explanation of how volunteer work supports societal development, using specific examples like hospitals to illustrate his point.

      1. 在你住的地方哪些人最需要志愿者的帮助?(Who needs volunteer assistance the most in your area):

      The candidate identifies hospitals and schools as needing volunteers and provides reasons for these needs, demonstrating a good understanding of the prompt.

      1. 做义工和责任感的关系 (The relationship between volunteering and a sense of responsibility):

      The candidate explains the connection between volunteering and responsibility well, using a personal anecdote to support his argument, which aligns with the criteria for a justified argument.

      1. 做义工会让你成为一个更好的公民吗?(Will volunteering make you a better citizen?):

      The candidate provides a nuanced view, arguing that volunteering alone does not make one a better citizen and emphasizing the importance of genuine intention and responsibility, demonstrating depth in his response.

      Mark awarded = 10 out of 10 


      Language range

      • Linking and cohesive devices: The candidate uses a range of linking and cohesive devices to structure their answers and connect ideas. This includes terms such as "首先" (firstly), "并且" (and), "例如" (for example), and "并不是说" (not saying that). For this part of the exam, these devices are used effectively to maintain coherence.
      • VocabularyThe vocabulary is appropriate and well-chosen for the context. The candidate uses relevant terms related to the topic of volunteering and social impact, such as "人际关系" (interpersonal relationship), "社会发展" (social development), and "缓解压力" (alleviate pressure). In the context of AS level, this demonstrates a good grasp of the topic-specific vocabulary.
      • Variation and repetition: Although some repetition occurs, the candidate manages to convey his ideas clearly and cohesively. The ability to vary sentence structures and avoid excessive repetition is present, and this level of variation is commendable given the almost impromptu nature of the task.

      Mark awarded = 10 out of 10


      Language accuracy

      • Simple grammar: The candidate uses simple grammar accurately throughout most of the conversation. Basic sentence structures and grammatical rules are consistently followed.
      • Complex grammar: While there are occasional slips and some not so precise phrasing, these do not significantly impede communication. The candidate demonstrates a good grasp of complex grammatical structures and is generally able to convey his ideas effectively.
      • Minor errors and communication: Errors, such as "不懈千里" "做义工,他并不是为了某一个回报," are present but are relatively minor and do not detract from the overall clarity of communication. The candidate's ability to convey his points clearly and engage in the conversation supports the higher mark.
      • Consistency: The candidate's language accuracy is consistent and shows a good degree of control, even with complex structures. Errors are infrequent and do not hinder the overall effectiveness of the communication.

      Mark awarded = 10 out of 10 


      Total mark awarded for Conversation task card = 30 out of 30

       

      Pronunciation and intonation for the whole speaking test

      Pronunciation is intelligible and intonation is appropriate. Individual sounds are articulated clearly.

      Mark awarded = 5 out of 5

        

      Total mark awarded for Speaking test = 63 out of 65 

    • Moderator comments (Whole test)

      Conduct of the test:

      The examiner introduces the candidate and the exam very clearly at the start. Most importantly, she clearly indicates the beginning of each section. The questions she asks, especially in the Follow-up discussion, are open-ended and prompted opinionated responses, as well as detailed explanations from the candidate.

      How the teacher/examiner performance could improve:
      The teacher/examiner conducts the exam well in terms of format, adhering to the time limit of each section, asking for the topic of the presentation at the beginning and indicating the transition between different sections clearly. In terms of content, the teacher/examiner asked open-ended questions enabling the candidate to fully express his opinions and give justifications. The teacher/examiner also prompted the candidate to give specific examples to support his opinions. The good conduction of the exam certainly contributes to the high marks achieved by the candidate.

      How the candidate performance could improve:

      Presentation

      • Expand on ideas: The candidate could provide more detailed explanations and examples to support his points. For example, when talking about cultural preservation, the candidate could discuss specific initiatives or programs that help preserve cultural traditions.
      • Logical structure: Ensure the presentation follows a clear, logical and organised structure: introduction, main points, and conclusion.
      • Complex sentences: Incorporate more complex sentence structures to demonstrate a higher level of language proficiency.

      Conversation task card

      Even better if the candidate could incorporate idiomatic expressions and phrases to enrich language use.