1. ENGLISH A2 ORAL COMMENTARY

2. INTERNAL ASSESSMENT Oral Commentary15% Interactive Oral (best of 3) 15% Total 30% internally assessed, externally moderated MARKING ME MARKING YOU

4. 3 C RITERIA A. QUALITY OF IDEAS How well do you UNDERSTAND the THEME & PURPOSE of the EXTRACT? STYLISTIC DEVICES Would you know one if you saw one? How do the devices support theme and purpose? How RELEVANT and FOCUSED are your ideas? Are you thinking CRITICALLY? Did you SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT with RELEVANT evidence from the extract only for every argument you posed?

5. B. PRESENTATION How well did you STRUCTURE your commentary? Does the commentary HANG TOGETHER NICELY or does it mention many random, discrete points? How well did you INTEGRATE the EXAMPLES?

6. C. LANGUAGE Did you use a FORMAL register and style? Was our speech FLUENT? Did you speak with ACCURATE grammar? Which tense should you use? Avoid Present Continuous Did you demonstrate a VARIED and sophisticated vocabulary?

7. THE PASSAGE

8. THE EXTRACT/PASSAGE Not more than 40 lines of text There will be line numbers so that you can refer to them e.g. In line 20… The extract will be from at least TWO works you have read in a literary option

10. T HE R ECORDING E QUIPMENT ‘Audacity’ – free download off the internet & Magic Music Editor Speak 5 cm from the microphone – not too far or too close Move the mic between you and the teacher RUN A TEST RECORDING -5-4- 3-2-1 AND PLAYBACK

11. P REPARATION T IME Catch your breath BEFORE prep. The guiding questions do not have to be used Read for meaning - Round 1 no hands. Round 2 annotate (5 min) ‏ Spotlight the EXTRACT Focus on STYLE, not PLOT Write the Introduction up until your thesis to read aloud and get you going. Everything else in short notes. (3 min) ‏ Be NEAT.

12. ORGANISING YOUR COMMENTARY – EXAMPLE ONLY. THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO STRUCTURE DEPENDING ON THE PURPOSE OF THE EXTRACT E.G. SIMILARITIES/DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHARACTERS; STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT IN THEME/CHARACTER, TRACKING CHANGES IN MOOD THROUGHOUT EXTRACT ETC. 2 mins - Introduction – Author, Title, contextualise passage (setting of scene in extract, before & after), thesis (theme, purpose) ‏ 2 min – Narration Who is the narrator - point of view? (not for drama) ‏ Characterisation – discuss diction and imagery Tone - Mood RELATE TO PURPOSE OF TEXT 2 min - Imagery. Metaphors, symbols, sound/visual imagery 2 min – Other devices - structure (if important. contrasts) diction, sound devices and their EFFECT ON THE PASSAGE. 1 min – Conclusion: Why is this passage significant for the THEME in the work? Connect to MOOD RELATE TO THEME/PURPOSE – end each para.

14. SHOW, DON’T TELL Address EVERY single image, sound device, structural device and Relate it to the extract’s meaning - theme/ purpose Signposting: firstly, secondly, another device used to create this effect is… Focus on the extract. Annotate with highlighters. Rewrite the commentary structure

16. DON’TS Summarise the entire work or even the extract when contextualising – before & after will do Talk about what happens in other parts of the work at length Ignore devices – they won’t go away… Be late be disorganised

17. THE PRESENTATION 8-10 mins Follow-up questions – 5 mins, typically 2-3 questions Max recording time 15 mins BREATHE Do a test-run and playback, if possible. Speak in a relaxed manner Keep tabs of your time If you finish early or get stuck, answer the guiding questions provided

18. ENGLISH A2 ORAL COMMENTARY