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Achieving Success in Urdu and Arabic. At GCE AS and A2 levels with Edexcel. Aims of this talk: Receive key observations from Summer 2009 Examiners’ Reports on the new AS papers Consider potential areas for improvement in candidates’ performance.
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Achieving Successin Urdu and Arabic At GCE AS and A2 levels with Edexcel Training from Edexcel
Aims of this talk: • Receive key observations from Summer 2009 Examiners’ Reports on the new AS papers • Consider potential areas for improvement in candidates’ performance. • Tips on preparing for the A2 units : focus on translation and essay writing • Support: • Handouts • Free downloads via Edexcel websites Training from Edexcel
Examiners’ Reports:Common concerns and advice Follow the required procedures: • Instructions on cover page • Rubric: know exactly what is required • Answer in full within the word limit • Keep focussed on question • Avoid slang, repetition, vague language. Training from Edexcel
Translation from and into English: • Look for obvious phrases which require a knowledge of idiomatic expressions, avoiding word-for-word anglicised renderings • Do not leave gaps by omission • Develop confidence by practising with short, familiar pieces of English, and gradually lengthen / less familiar extracts Training from Edexcel
Read the passage through carefully Check carefully for obvious pitfalls (adjectives, agreements, gender, case, tenses) Devise your own checklist based on your recurrent errors! Do not offer alternatives. Make up your mind on which phrase translates the original best. Do not paraphrase. Re-read your translation and check that it makes sense. Translation (continued) Training from Edexcel
URDU: Creative / Discursive EssayARABIC: Topics and Texts • Choose the right essay! - fully understand title and all its implications • Analyse title – plan clear structure • Ensure content is relevant and always related back to title • Produce a balanced argument in your discursive essay, with clear and logical conclusion Training from Edexcel
Practical tips: • Pre-learned essay phrases can enhance writing but beware of clumsiness and over-use. • Examiners want to read what you have to say and not what has been borrowed from others. • Avoid long introductions . Tackle the subject fairly promptly. • Keep to prescribed word limits: • answers that are too long lose marks for content (defective structure/organisation) • answers that are too short are self-penalising Training from Edexcel
Practical tips: • Clearly indicate which question is being attempted • Cross out rough work neatly • Write clearly, on alternate lines • No gel pens / tippex / footnotes / asterisks, etc Training from Edexcel
A successful RBE: reflects candidate’s views and opinions , has an analytical or evaluative dimension, answers the essay question set as fully as possible, does not rely too heavily on English sources , shows evidence of individual research and reflection, conveys candidate’s genuine enthusiasm for and interest in the chosen topic . URDU: Research-Based Essay Training from Edexcel
SupportEdexcel websites: free downloads • URDU: Oral Training Guide featuring sample assessments and related commentaries plus tips on requirements of tests: http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCE%20New%20GCE/GCE-2008-Urdu-OTG.pdf ARABIC: Past papers, mark schemes, exemplification booklet, Specification and Sample Assessment Materials http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/lang/arabic/Pages/default.aspx Training from Edexcel