gcse english language (8700) for first teaching in 2015 and for first assessment in 2017 notes...

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

GCSE English Language (8700)For first teaching in 2015 and for first assessment in 2017

Notes version for use in schools and colleges

Slide 1 Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Structure of the presentation

Overview of the new specification

• Underlying principles and key features• Specification at a glance• Summary of content and assessment objectives

Paper 1

• Content and question types

Paper 2

• Content and question types

Support and resources

Slide 2 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Objectives

• To understand the key elements of the specification structure, teaching content and assessment.

• To start thinking about the implications for teaching and learning.

• To review the resources and support available from AQA.

• To enable any questions to be aired about the specification – and set out ways that these can be answered by the English subject and curriculum adviser team.

Slide 3 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

Context

• Developed by an experienced team of teachers and examiners.

• Reviewed by a subject panel of stakeholders and subject experts.

• Piloted in a range of schools to ensure effective, robust and engaging question strategies.

• Fulfils all new National Curriculum requirements and complements all other qualifications in this suite: for example, GCSE English Literature.

• The new specification is for teaching from September 2015 with first assessment in summer 2017.

Slide 4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Underlying principles

• An accessible and enabling qualification for all abilities of learner.

• An assessment journey that supports students through each paper to make it a positive and engaging experience for all.

• Two clear and distinct identities: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, and Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives.

• NFER: “The AQA specification for English Language is innovative, combining reading and writing in each of the two papers. This is effective as the reading texts serve a double purpose: as the basis for comprehension questions and as supporting text for the writing tasks”.


Overview of specification content

• Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing.

• Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives.

• Spoken Language as a separate endorsement.


Specification at a glance


Assessment Objective 1


Assessment Objective

• Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas.

• Select and synthesise evidence from different texts.




• Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views.




• Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts.




• Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references.

Assessment Objective 5 and 6


Assessment Objectives

AO5

AO6

• Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

• Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts.

• Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Weightings


Assessment Objective No of Marks % of total GCSE marksPaper 1 AO1 4 2.5%

AO2 16 10%AO4 20 12.5%AO5 24 15%AO6 16 10%

Total Paper 1 80 Paper 2 AO1 12 7.5%

AO2 12 7.5%AO3 16 10%AO5 24 15%AO6 16 10%

Total Paper 2 80

Overall GCSE English Language

AO1 16 10% Allowed range (5-10%)

AO2 28 17.5% Allowed range (10-20%)AO3 16 10% Allowed range (5-10%)AO4 20 12.5% Allowed range (10-20%)AO5 48 30%AO6 32 20%

Grand Total 160 100%

Key features and benefits 1

• Two distinct papers, each of similar length and demand to minimise assessment fatigue and encourage equal performance.

• Integrated reading and writing tasks on both papers to support learning.

• Assessment of a single AO per question.

• Consistency of questions on same papers in same sequence each series.

• A range of question types and strategies – Simplicity and symmetry in the way both papers provide a learning scaffold and develop progression.

Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.Slide 14

Key features and benefits 2

• Commitment to define which texts will be assessed on which paper.

• Co-teachable with GCSE English Literature.

• Writing tasks with a choice of stimulus materials.

• Assessment of technical accuracy through candidates’ own writing.

• Commentary document and student responses appendix.

• KS3 papers to support effective formative and summative assessments of progress.


Structure of Question Paper 1

1 hour and 45 minutes: includes 15 minutes reading time

Section A:

• 40 marks for reading (25% of the qualification)• 4 reading questions: 4+8+8+20 marks

Section B:

• 40 marks for writing (25% of the qualification) • 1 writing question: 24+16 marks


Content and skills for Paper 1 Section A: Reading

• Reading a single source drawn from literature fiction in order to consider how established, modern and emerging writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to capture the interest of readers.

• The genre of the source will be literature prose fiction such as extracts from novels and short stories and focus on openings, endings, narrative perspectives and points of view, narrative or descriptive passages, character developments, atmospheric descriptions and other appropriate narrative and descriptive approaches.

• The source for the reading questions will be selected from the 20th or 21st centuries.

• 40 marks in total.


Assessment objectives for Paper 1 Section A



The paper will assess in this sequence:

• AO1 4 marks

• AO2 16 marks

• AO4 20 marks

Paper 1 Section A: Sample question 1

Read again the first part of the source, lines 1 to 7.

List four things from this part of the text about the weather.

a b c d

[4 marks]



Look in detail at this extract from lines 8-17 of the source.

The wind came in gusts, at times shaking the coach…

How does the writer use language here to describe the effects of the weather?

You could include the writer’s choice of:

• words and phrases• language features and techniques• sentence forms.

[8 marks]



You now need to think about the whole of the source.

This text is from the opening of a novel.How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?

You could write about:

• what the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning• how and why the writer changes this focus as the extract develops• any other structural features that interest you.

[8 marks]



Focus this part of your answer on the second half of the source, from line 18 to the end.

A student, having read this section of the text said: “The writer brings the very different characters to life for the reader. It is as if you are inside the coach with them.”

To what extent do you agree?

In your response, you could:

• write about your own impressions of the characters• evaluate how the writer has created these impressions• support your opinions with quotations from the text.

[20 marks]


Evaluates clearly

Relevant quotations

Clearly explains views

Some perceptive

comment

Selects relevant

quotations

To a large extent, I agree with the reader. I think because the writer had described the characteristics. The weather also helps as I feel that each character’s view as they saw the weather allows us to empathise with their feelings. For example, the fact that all the passengers “huddled together” for warmth, exclaiming in unison” shows that they are all cold and frightened for they “huddled together”. They must all be terrified and are feeling and thinking the same. They are “exclaiming in unison”. The use of the word “exclaiming” just shows us how scared they must be, and how terrified because of the weather. By them all being together and acting as one, I feel as if I am there too, with them. As Mary Yellan sits in the “opposite corner” from the others implies that she feels secluded and alone but she sits where rain fell through a crack in the roof. I am sympathetic towards her and feels as though I want to go and comfort her in some way. Especially because her eyes were “fixed” on the window and she seemed to be hoping “with desperate interest that some ray of light would break the heavy blanket of sky”. The use of the the descriptive phrase “desperate interest” shows that she is hoping with all her might that something will happen and stop herself and the others on the coach, feeling discombobulated. Normally blankets make you feel protected and warm, but in this case, she was hoping that “some ray of light would break the heavy blanket”. This blanket was smothering and suffocating them and she seeked a saviour, the Sun. Reading this, I think and want the same as she does. I feel as though I too am on the coach, seeking protection.

Question 4


Content and skills for Paper 1 Section B: Writing

• Always a choice of written prompt and visual image that is linked to the topic of the reading text in section A.

• Always a creative task focusing on narrative and, or descriptive writing skills: one narration and one description, or two description, or two narration.

• Marks for content and organisation as well as for technical accuracy.

• Mark scheme designed to encourage ambition.

• Section B will be allocated 40 marks to give an equal weighting to the reading and writing tasks.


Assessment objectives for Paper 1 Section B



The section will assess:

• AO5 24 marks

• AO6 16 marks

Paper 1 Section B: Sample question 5

You are going to enter a creative writing competition. Your entry will be judged by a panel of people of your own age.

Either: Write a description suggested by this picture:

Or: Write the opening part of a story about a place that is severely affected by the weather.

[24 marks for content and organisation16 marks for technical accuracy]

[40 marks]


Structure of Question Paper 2

1 hour and 45 minutes: includes 15 minutes reading time

Section A:

• 40 marks for reading (25% of the qualification)• 4 reading questions: 4+8+12+16 marks

Section B:

• 40 marks for writing (25% of the qualification) • 1 writing question: 24+16 marks


Simplicity and symmetry: Progression


Paper 1

Q1

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5: Writing

Paper

2

AO1

List 4 things…

Identify explicit information Identify explicit ideas

4 marks

AO1 AO1

True/false statements… Write a summary… Explicit and implicit ideas synthesis of explicit and information and implicit ideas

and information 4 marks 8 marks

AO2 AO2

How does the writer’s How does the use of language… structure… Comment, explain, Comment, explain, analyse analyse

8 marks 8 marks

AO2 How does the writer’s use of language…

Comment, explain, analyse

12 marks

AO4

To what extent do you agree?

Evaluate texts critically

20 marks

AO3

How the writers present… Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, and how they are conveyed

16 marks

AO5/AO6

Descriptive or narrative writing

Communicate clearly Organise information Use a range of vocab and sentence structure Accurate spelling and punctuation

AO5/AO6

Students write about their own views

Communicate clearly Organise information Use a range of vocab and sentence structure Accurate spelling and punctuation

Content and skills for Paper 2 Section A


• To develop students’ insights into how writers have particular viewpoints and perspectives on issues or themes that are important to the way we think and live our lives.

• Two linked sources from different time periods and genres in order to consider how each presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader.

• Sources will be drawn from the 19th century, and either the 20th or 21st centuries depending on the time period selected for paper 1 in each series.

• Choice of genre for the sources will be non-fiction and literary non-fiction such as high quality journalism, articles, reports, essays, travel writing, accounts, sketches, letters, diaries, reports, autobiography and biographical passages or other appropriate non-fiction and literary non-fiction forms.

Assessment objectives for Paper 2 Section A



The section will assess in this sequence:

• AO1 12 marks

• AO2 12 marks

• AO3 16 marks



Read again source A, from lines 1 to 15. Choose four statements below which are TRUE. Shade the boxes of the ones that you think are true Choose a maximum of four statements.

A Jay Rayner has good memories of his time in school. B Jay Rayner was happy to help his son with his homework. C As a boy, Jay Rayner worried about handing in his homework on Monday mornings. D Jay Rayner could not think of a food metaphor to help his son. E Jay Rayner was very able in school. F As a boy, Jay Rayner did not enjoy doing homework. G Jay Rayner looked forward to receiving feedback from his teachers. H Jay Rayner makes a joke to cover up his own real exam

results. [4 marks]


You need to refer to source A and source B for this question:

Use details from both sources. Write a summary of the differences between Eddie and Henry.

[8 marks]


Eddie is quite academic and so is Henry but Eddie doesn’t seem to try particularly hard. ‘He’s irritatingly good at it’ and ‘he is too busy killing things, while talking on Skype! This suggests he wants to do well and does do well, without trying very hard, and is living in comfort. Whereas Henry is having a very uncomfortable time at boarding school, ‘our bread is nearly black’, suggesting they have very scarce or low quality food but Henry works hard and looks after himself unlike Eddie. Henry also does not have his father’s support as Eddie does. Eddie just ignores his father as he comes into the room but Henry is pleading to see his father at all. ‘If God permit me to live as long,’ this shows that Henry is basically saying how desperate he is! This contrasts with Eddie, who doesn’t realise how lucky he is!



You now need to refer only to source B, the letter by Henry written to his father.

How does Henry use language to try to influence his father?

[12 marks]



For this question, you need to refer to the whole of source A together with source B, the father’s letter to a family friend.

Compare how the two writers convey their different attitudes to parenting and education.

In your answer, you should:

• compare their different attitudes• compare the methods they use to convey their attitudes• support your ideas with quotations from both texts.

[16 marks]


Jay Rayner clearly has a much closer relationship with his son than Henrys father in Source 2. There is a physical closeness in that Jay and his son live in the same house and share everyday life and concerns, whereas Henry lives away from his father at boarding school and rarely comes home, “It is now two years come October since I left you at Islington.” This means that Henry’s father has no real idea of Henry’s everyday life and concerns apart from the occasional letter.

Jay Rayner clearly empathises with his son’s concerns, including homework and decides to “share a little solidarity” by attempting his maths homework. While Henry’s father has to rely on the intervention of a friend to find out more about Henry’s problems and asks him to “ascertain whether you think it would be advisable for me to send for them home.”

Jay Rayner writes in an informal tone which matches his relaxed and more modern approach to parenting. He talks about children, such as his who “take the mickey” out of their parents. Henry’s father uses a much more formal tone with his choice of language, “induced to write to you”, “excuse the liberty I take” which reflects the language of the time the letter was written. The letter was to even written to his son, but to a friend.

Both fathers seem to value education but have different approaches to their sons’ learning.

Jay Rayner uses humour to convey his own moderate academic achievement. He confessed that his “grades lined up like a line of Pac-Men doing a conga”. He also uses humour to express his pride at his son’s educational achievement in Maths when he describes him as being “irritatingly good at it.” Irritatingly reflects Jay’s wonder at his son’s natural talent while he struggles.

Henry’s father is very concerned about his son’s education, particularly his spelling “I see several words wrong-spelt.” This is ironic as the father has made grammatical mistakes himself “several words wrong-spelt”. He is unaware of his educational weaknesses whereas Jay Rayner makes a joke


Content and skills for Paper 2 Section B


• The task will require students to produce a written text to a specified audience, purpose and form in which they give their own perspective on the theme that has been introduced to them in section A.

• There will be a single writing task which could use a range of opinions, statements and writing scenarios to provoke a response.

Assessment objectives for Paper 2 Section B



The section will assess:

AO5 24 marks

AO6 16 marks

Section B will be allocated 40 marks to give an equal weighting to the reading and writing tasks.

Paper 2 Section B: Sample question 5


‘Homework has no value. Some students get it done for them; some don’t do it at all. Students should be relaxing in their free time.’

Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you explain your point of view on this statement.

(24 marks for content and organisation16 marks for accuracy)[40 Marks]

Resources and support from AQA

360° SUPPORT

Choosing the right qualification• Draft specification• Draft question papers and mark schemes• Specification at a glance• Summary of changes• Documents to help you compare exam

boards’ specificationsResults: reviewing and planning for improvement• Enhanced Results Analysis• Teacher support feedback

meetings• Examiner reports• Candidate exemplars with

examiner commentary

Planning your course• Teacher support launch

events• Teacher support preparing

to teach events• Schemes of work • Guidance on teaching

GCSE English Language

Teaching your students

• Resources linked to topics in the specification and throughout the teaching year (plan, teach, assess, results)

• Command words used in exams• Publisher textbooks and digital resources• Direct access to subject teams

Assess: preparing for exams• Specimen question papers and

mark schemes• Additional sample questions• Candidate exemplars with

examiner commentary


GCSE English Language resources

• Commentary and student responses.• KS3 assessment tests.• Free printed anthologies for short stories in

Literature support preparation for Paper 1.• Expanded and evolved Digital Anthology. • Collection of sample texts.• Additional sample questions and

commentaries.• Support with course planning.• Network of subject advocates.• Best practice schools.


AQA resources

Include:

• AQA website

• e-AQA

• secure key materials

• ERA (Enhanced Results Analysis)

• training courses (2014 onwards)

• preparing to teach events (2015)

• publishers

• AQA family of businesses.


Contact points for more information and guidance

• Customer Support [email protected] 953 7504

• Teacher Support and CPD [email protected] 957 3646

• AQA website: aqa.org.uk



Thank you

Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD.

gcse english language (8700) for first teaching in 2015 and for first assessment in 2017 notes...

Documents

glance slide

aqa specification

colleges copyright aqa

assessment objectives

specification structure

assessment journey

teaching content

english subject