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3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

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Assessment for certification

Assessment in senior cycle takes different forms and is used for a variety of purposes. It is used to determine the appropriate route for learners through a differentiated curriculum, to identify specific areas of difficulty or strength for a given learner and to test and certify language achievement. Assessment supports and improves learning by helping learners and teachers to identify next steps in the language teaching and learning process.

As well as varied teaching strategies, varied assessment strategies will support language learning and provide information that can be used as feedback so that teaching and learning activities can be modified in ways that best suit individual learners. By setting appropriate and engaging language tasks, asking higher order questions and giving feedback that promotes learner autonomy, assessment will support language learning and summarise achievement.

Assessment for certification in Leaving Certificate Portuguese is based on the aims, objectives and learning outcomes of this specification. In any year, the learning outcomes to be assessed will constitute a sample of the outcomes from both strands. 

The key skills of senior cycle are embedded in the learning outcomes and will be assessed in the context of the learning outcomes.

Assessment will focus on the ability to use language effectively with accuracy and fluency appropriate to the age and stage of learning*, on understanding Portuguese as a linguistic system, on manipulating it for a range of communicative purposes, on the ability to develop their awareness as language users and their understanding of the interdependence of language and culture. 

Reading and oral/ spoken stimulus materials used will represent a diverse range of standard variations of Portuguese. Candidates will not be penalised for responding, orally or in writing, using one of the standard varieties of Portuguese, even if it is different to that of the interlocutor/stimulus material. 


Assessment components 

Leaving Certificate Portuguese will be assessed through three assessment components: 

  • an oral examination 
  • an aural examination
  • a written examination.

Each component will be administered and assessed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC). All components of assessment will reflect the integrated approach outlined in this specification. 
There are two levels of examination, Ordinary level and Higher level, to which a differentiated allocation of marks will apply, as outlined below.

The different mark allocation applied to Ordinary and Higher levels is based on the understanding that for most language learners, the development of receptive skills outpaces the development of productive skills during the process of language learning. Therefore, a greater proportion of the marks are allocated to receptive tasks at Ordinary level and to productive and interactive tasks at Higher level.
 

Assessment component Ordinary level Higher level
Oral examination 25% 30%
Aural examination 30% 25%
Written examination 30% Reading / 15% Writing 25% Reading / 20% Writing

The oral examination will assess language proficiency. It will focus, in part, on discussion about the Language Portfolio*. 

The oral examination will specifically assess learners’ ability to: 

  • use the target language with accuracy, fluency and complexity consistent with the requirements of the specification, while engaging in spoken reception, interaction, production and mediation 
  • demonstrate an awareness of the target language communities and cultures
  • discuss a sample of texts from their Language Portfolio which reflect the plurilingual and pluricultural dimensions of their language learning journey. 
     

GENERAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: ORAL COMPONENT
Note for all levels: Learners may respond using another standard variety of the target languages which is different to that of the interlocutor.

High level of achievement Moderate level of achievement Low level of achievement
is characterised by high levels of accuracy, fluency, coherence and a wide range of vocabulary appropriate to the level. is characterised by moderate levels of accuracy, fluency, coherence and an adequate range of vocabulary. is characterised by limited accuracy, fluency, and coherence.
Learners can understand, present, offer their views and interact with confidence in unscripted conversations and a wide range of familiar situations and topics. The learners’ range of vocabulary and structures allows them to communicate clearly enough to be understood and with a degree of confidence in unscripted conversations and familiar situations and topics. They can present, offer their views and interact using direct or simple phrases. The learners’ range of vocabulary and structures allows them to communicate with limited confidence and effectiveness in unscripted conversations and about very familiar situations and topics, using very simple phrases.
Inaccuracies and/or hesitations do not cause significant misunderstandings, and learners demonstrate an ability to self-correct where appropriate. Inaccuracies may occasionally cause misunderstanding and they may request repetition, a slower speed of communication and clarifications. Inaccuracies sometimes cause misunderstandings and their communication is unclear at times. They may frequently request repetition, clarification and reformulation and require a slower speed of communication.
Learners can demonstrate high levels of awareness and understanding of cultures associated with the target language, appropriate to their stage of learning. Learners can demonstrate adequate levels of awareness and understanding of cultures associated with the target language, appropriate to their stage of learning. Learners can demonstrate very little awareness or understanding of cultures associated with the target language, appropriate to their stage of learning.

The aural and written examination papers will consist of two components and be presented at Higher and Ordinary level. 

  • The first component (aural examination) will assess listening reception and mediation.
  • The second component (written examination) will assess written reception, written production and mediation. 

GENERAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: AURAL COMPONENT

High level of achievement Moderate level of achievement Low level of achievement;
is characterised by the learners’ ability to understand shorter and extended speech on relatively familiar topics and in a variety of contexts through standard variations of the target language. is characterised by the learners’ ability to understand shorter and extended speech on familiar topics and in a variety of contexts through standard variations of the target language, which they encounter in their sphere of experience. is characterised by the learners’ more limited ability to understand shorter and extended speech on very familiar topics through standard variations of the target language.
Learners can demonstrate very good awareness of cultural conventions associated with the target language. Learners can demonstrate a good awareness of cultural conventions associated with the target language. Learners can demonstrate a limited awareness of cultural conventions associated with the target language.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: WRITTEN COMPONENT

High level of achievement Moderate level of achievement Low level of achievement
is characterised by the learners’ ability to communicate effectively and accurately in the target language, demonstrating a good range of vocabulary and structures and characterised by a high level of coherence. is characterised by the learners’ ability to communicate quite effectively and with an adequate degree of accuracy in the target language, demonstrating a sufficient range of vocabulary and structures and characterised by an adequate level of coherence. is characterised by a limited ability to communicate accurately and with a basic degree of accuracy in the target language, demonstrating a limited range of vocabulary and structures which allows them to produce simple written texts, characterised by short sentences and basic argumentation.
Register is appropriate to the task and reveals a very good understanding of the purpose and potential audience for the communication and, where appropriate, aspects of the target language country/ countries or culture. Register is generally appropriate to the task and reveals an adequate understanding of the purpose and potential audience for the communication and, where appropriate, aspects of the target language country/ countries or culture. Register is sometimes appropriate to the task and reveals a limited understanding of the purpose and potential audience for the communication and, where appropriate, aspects of the target language country/ countries or culture.
Learners can understand a range of questions about texts. Learners can understand and answer questions on a range of texts, particularly if expressed in relatively high-frequency language. Learners can understand and demonstrate basic understanding and ability to answer questions about the main points of texts in a number of variations of the target language, particularly if expressed in high-frequency language and close to their sphere of experience, although they may give short answers.
Learners demonstrate good ability to capture the cultural conventions associated with the target language, although they may express themselves in another standard variation of the language. Learners demonstrate adequate ability to capture the cultural conventions associated with the target language, although they may express themselves in another standard variation of the language. Learners demonstrate limited ability to capture the cultural conventions associated with the target language, although they may express themselves in another standard variation of the language.

* The specification is broadly aligned with A2/B1 of the CEFR.

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