English End of Primary Benchmark 2014

The Speaking Component Task 1 1 minute Warmer (not assessed) Task 2 3 minutes Interview (ability to narrate, describe and give opinion about two topics) Task 3 3 minutes Inverted Interviews (ability to ask questions) Task 4 3 minutes Thematic Picture (ability to express opinion and substantiate it)

Performance in the Speaking Component Most of the candidates did generally well in the Speaking Component. However, some lacked in the following areas: Question formation (wh questions) Limited vocabulary – thus resorting to hesitation and use of Maltese Substantiating opinion – therefore answers were dry Fluency and cohesive devices – therefore there was a lot of fragmentation

The Listening Component Task 1 L – M 8 multiple-choice questions testing the candidates’ ability to: understand key words; deduce meaning from context; listen for specific information; infer from context; and recognise cohesive devices.

The Listening Component – Task 1 Most of the questions were within the candidates’ ability and a high proportion of candidates accomplished this task. However, questions 3, 6 and 8 proved to be quite challenging for some candidates. Items 3 and 6 – failure to make connections between words/phrases in the question and words/phrases in the text; Item 8 – failed to recognise the synonym of “frighten” (“scare”).

The Listening Component Task 2 M - H Tasks tested ability to: infer from context; follow a sequence; understand key words; and listen for specific information. recognise cohesive devices

The Listening Component – Task 2: Question 1 a-e The majority of candidates were able to successfully complete this task. However, a few confused False with No Information Given. Some candidates did not understand the meaning of “looking so annoyed” and lost the mark in item 1c.

The Listening Component – Task 2: Question 2 a-d Most candidates fared well in this exercise but some confused the option “thinks” with “is certain” when answering 2b.

Listening Component – Task 2 : Question 3 a-b Some candidates did not fully understand the given instructions and ignored the extra half. Others matched two sentence halves in Column B to the same half in Column A.

Listening Component – Task 2 : Question 4 a-c The candidates did generally well in this task. Some disregarded the instruction, wrote more than one word and lost marks.

The Reading Comprehension Component Reading Comprehension 1 L – M 6 marks These tasks assessed the candidates’ ability to: follow a sequence, locate specific information, recognise cohesive devices, and infer from context. The majority performed well in this task

Reading Comprehension 2 TextA non-fiction text [M-H]24 marks Questions on the two sections targeted the candidates’ ability to: identify main ideas and key words; follow written instructions; use prior knowledge; follow a sequence; recognise the writer’s purpose; recognise cohesive devices; and make inferences.

Reading Comprehension 2 Section 1 Many candidates answered most of the questions correctly. Some candidates found it difficult with some vocabulary items. A few failed to interpret the timeline and identify the correct sequence of events in 3a/b. Some did not include the time reference in question 4 to substantiate their answer.

Reading Comprehension 2 Section 2 Most of the candidates gave suitable answers to questions 6, 9, 11 and 12. Questions 7 and 8 posed difficulties. In 7a, some mistakenly identified “came” instead of “arrive” as the opposite of “leave”. In 7b, some ignored the instruction and quoted a whole sentence instead of the requested phrase of two words – “for centuries” meaning “for a very long time”

Reading Comprehension 2 Section 2 (continued) In answering 8a and 8b, some ignored “objects” in the question and wrote “queen” and “king” as symbols of royalty. Question 10 also posed difficulties to a number of candidates who lost the mark because they gave an incomplete answer.

Reading Comprehension 2 Questions on the two sections Many candidates encountered difficulties in questions 13, 14 and 15. Some did not refer to the “legend”” that gave importance to the ravens’ presence at The Tower. In 14a, a considerable number of candidates did not distinguish between “timeline” and “timetable”; and confused “an article” with “a short story” in 14b.

Reading Comprehension 2 Questions on the two sections (continued) Some of the more able candidates, who obtained full marks in question 15, located the information in the text and wrote the dates next to the given sentences before they put the events in the order they a happened.

The Writing Component Candidates were assessed on their ability to: plan their writing; write coherently, cohesively, and accurately; vary sentence structure; organise writing in paragraphs; write for different purposes with a sense of audience; use task-appropriate presentational features; use a range of vocabulary effectively and write relevantly.

The Writing Component Each candidate’s linguistic competence and ability in performing the tasks impinged on the level attained in the writing tasks. Writings which scored high were good examples of the text type specified in task set and communicated the purpose clearly to the intended audience.

The Writing Component Task 1 – Write between 50 and 60 words Candidates, who did well in the first task, produced creative headings and original designs and adhered to the prompts. These candidates wrote concisely and effectively announced the activity/event. Candidates who did poorly in this task could not express themselves well in writing. Some used the wrong tense and the writing was characterised by spelling mistakes, wrong use of punctuation and misuse of prepositions.

The Writing Component Task 2 – Write between 140 and 200 words Some candidates produced excellent writings. They used a good range of vocabulary, appropriate linking words, correct grammar and accurate syntax. Some writings were characterised by engaging letter openings, interesting narratives, detailed descriptions of funny or exciting scenes, and justified opinions on character preferences and well expressed film/book recommendations.

The Writing Component Task 2 – Write between 140 and 200 words Some used good English to express themselves; however, their writing lacked good paragraphing skills.

The Writing Component Very poor scripts were characterised by: disjointed sentences, spelling and punctuation mistakes and omissions, incorrect and inconsistent tense usage, incorrect sentence structure, misuse of prepositions, limited vocabulary, and very poor construction of paragraphs.

The Writing Component Task 2 – Write between 140 and 200 words Candidates, who lost marks in the longer writing task, very often did not use the correct letter format. These candidates made mistakes in the address, omitted the date and / or salutation, and used the formal “yours sincerely/faithfully” to sign off.

The Writing Component Task 2 – Write between 140 and 200 words Some ignored the instructions, wrote their address and signed off with their name. Some candidates chose only to narrate the story, ignoring both the purpose of the writing and the intended audience. These write-ups failed to achieve the task.

Implications for teaching and learning Expanding learners’ knowledge of a wide range of lexical items Encourage production and creative use of oral language Encourage learners to listen attentively to authentic texts, respond correctly Give students opportunities to read and discuss a range of genres Encourage students to observe the presentational features of texts

Implications for teaching and learning Engage students in explaining purpose for reading Give students opportunities to explore a range of reading material Help students develop appropriate skills to interpret and analyse texts Promote active and collaborative participation in structured activities to plan relevantly with supporting details for writing and use their plans effectively to improve their writings

Implications for teaching and learning Give due importance to all aspects of writing, including accuracy in structures, spelling and punctuation. Teach students how to proofread and edit their writing before publishing a final draft. Ensure that students learn to use the appropriate style to fit the specific context, purpose or audience. Engage students in choosing words and varying sentence length to achieve specific effects.

Implications for teaching and learning Make students aware of and help them to use the correct letter format when writing informal letters. Teach students how to organise their writing in paragraphs, modelling the process involved and teaching them how to write coherently and cohesively.