Guidelines for assessing the performance of the exam. Section "Letter"

Exam test task in the section "Letter" was a check of the level of formation of the skills of the examinees to use written language to solve communicatively-oriented tasks. The “Letter” section in 2008 consisted of two tasks:

C1 - A personal letter (the assessment criteria of which belonged to the base level);

C2 - A written statement with elements of reasoning (the evaluation criteria of which belonged to a high level).

C1 there was an excerpt from a friend’s correspondence letter reporting on events in a friend’s life and asking questions.

Incentive for speaking in the assignment C2 there was a statement with which the test person could agree or disagree, express his opinion on this statement, giving arguments and evidence.

The table provides information on the types of tasks, difficulty level, volume, duration of the tasks of the control measuring materials in the "Letter" section.

The average result of task C1 was 77% (2007 - 75%) of the maximum score. The average result of task C2 was, as in 2007, 62% of the maximum score.

Groups of “good” and “excellent students” received high marks for both tasks on all criteria. The group of “troechniks” coped only with task C1.

Analysis of the implementation of this section by examiners can be done based on the nature of the typical mistakes made.

When completing a task C1 (Personal letter) most of the examinees correctly chose the elements of an informal style. Almost all the subjects complied with the rules of courtesy, starting a letter of gratitude for the letter received, the vast majority used the corresponding final phrase and correctly put the signature at the end of the letter. In some cases, the address and date were missing. The communicative task turned out to be more difficult. More than a third of the examinees were not able to provide a complete answer to the information requested in the letter.

Table: Structure and content of the “Letter” section

The task

Job Type

Checked skills (main blocks)

Volume required

lead time

Personal letter

- Give a detailed message

- Request information

- Use unofficial style

- Follow informal letter format

100–140 words

20 minutes.

Written statement with elements of reasoning.

- Express your opinion and give arguments, evidence, examples

- Make a conclusion.

Consistently and logically correctly construct a statement

- Use appropriate means of logical communication

- Correctly stylize in accordance with the task

200–250 words

40 min

For instance:

Personal letter

Student assignment

C1. You have 20 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend Bill who writes

… I don't think it will be a problem for me to choose a good job in the future as I'm really interested in foreign languages, cultures and countries and I hope I'll work as a translator or teacher of foreign languages \u200b\u200bsome day. Have you already decided on your career? What job are you going to choose? Why?

I’ve lived in the USA my whole life but I’d really love to travel to other countries ...

Write a letter to Bill.

- answer his questions

- ask 3 questions about his plans for traveling.

Write 100 - 140 words.

Remember the rules of letter writing.

Text 1 of the student’s personal letter

Thank you for your letter. Well, I shall answer your questions.

I have already decided on my career. I want to be a translator of English. It was not a problem to chose this profession because I like English. Also I want to be a teacher of English. It’s a good idea too.

But I want to have a break and enjoy myself before I go to a University. I want to travel alone or with my parents. What about you? What are your future planning of traveling? Would you like to visit my country? It will be nice if we meet soon.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Analysis of task 1

Job Type: Job with Expanded Answer

Feasibility of style and format: personal letter, informal communication style, basic level.

Required Volume: 100-140 words

What is expected of the student?

- Give a detailed message and answer all the questions of a friend;

- Request information;

- Use an informal style;

- Follow the format of the informal letter.

Comments on the personal letter

A personal letter is evaluated according to two criteria: the content and organization of the text. However, the verification of work begins with a formal, but important point - counting the number of words in the task. The required volume is given in the assignment for the student (C1: 100–140 words). Clause 11 of the specification gives clear instructions on this subject: “The permissible deviation from a given volume is 10%. If the completed task C1 has less than 90 words ..., then the task is not subject to verification and 0 points are evaluated. If the volume is exceeded by more than 10%, i.e. if in completed task C1 there are more than 154 words ..., only that part of the work that corresponds to the required volume is subject to verification. Thus, when checking task C1, 140 words are counted from the beginning of the work ... and only this part of the work is evaluated. ” In this case, all words are counted (prepositions and articles including), short (long forms) of verbs (didn’t, can’t, let’s) are counted as 1 word.

After making sure that the required volume is met, we proceed to the assessment of the completed task.

Evaluating first criterion - content (solving a communicative problem), we must answer the following questions:

1. Does the content reflect all aspects specified in the assignment;

2. whether the style has been chosen correctly, taking into account the purpose of the statement and the addressee (for personal writing, this is an unofficial style);

3. whether the courtesy standards adopted in the language are complied with;

4. whether the required amount of expression has been complied with.

In detailing the first question, it is necessary to formulate all aspects of the content that the examiner should disclose in his personal letter. To do this, you need to analyze the stimulus letter and the additional task that is given after it. The result is the following list (we will immediately note whether this aspect of the content is reflected in the analyzed work and how fully it is reflected):

1.1. Is there a message that the student has already chosen a future profession? - Yes: I have already decided on my career.

1.2. Is there a message about who the author of the letter wants to become? - Yes: I want to be a translator of English. Also I want to be a teacher of English.

1.3. Is there a message why the author wants to become a translator and teacher? - Yes, but the argument is not detailed and weak in the first case, why she wants to become a translator: “because I like English” and is absent in the second case, why she wants to become a teacher.

2.1. Is the appeal given in the correct form in accordance with the informal style? - Given correctly.

2.2. Is the concluding phrase given in the correct form in accordance with the informal style? - Yes, given correctly.

2.3. Is the correct form given, only the name of the writer? - Dana.

According to the third component of the solution of the communicative problem (accepted in the language of politeness):

And, finally, (4) does the volume of the statement correspond to the task and the requirements specified in the task? - Corresponds. Unfortunately, there may be cases when, with a formally observed volume of 90 words, the examiner does not perform substantive tasks, limiting himself to brief unreasoned answers to the questions asked in the stimulus letter, and the required volume is performed by presenting the “topic” learned by heart.

Summarizing the content criterion: the maximum is 3 points for the content, the analyzed work can be rated 2 points, since it does not have a detailed argumentation why the examinee chose this profession. In addition, the information was completely repeated (the same profession was selected) from the stimulus letter, Bill's letter. However, the score will not be lowered for this, as perhaps Olga really wants to become a translator and teacher too.

Second criterion by which a personal letter is evaluated - organization of the text.

Evaluating the task by this criterion, we must answer the following questions:

5.1. How logical is the overall statement? - In general, the letter is logical, but in the first paragraph there are two phrases that are not quite logically connected, and some other sentence between them is required.

5.2. Are logical communications present and are they used correctly? - Present, but minimally. Used generally correctly.

5.3. Is the text divided into paragraphs? - The letter is divided into paragraphs, the division is logical, paragraphs are clearly marked with a red line. However, it was desirable to separate questions to a friend in a separate paragraph.

5.4. Does the design of the text comply with the standards adopted in the country of the language being studied?

This last question requires details:

a) An appeal on a separate line - consistent.

b) The final phrase on a separate line - matches.

c) Signature on a separate line - does not correspond.

e) Date - appropriate.

To summarize the criterion for organizing the text: the maximum score for this criterion is 3 points, the student will receive 2 points with some stretch. The rating is reduced for the lack of an address, for the fact that a signature is not given on a separate line and some violation of logic. Thus, in general, the student will receive 4 points for a personal letter.

Text 2 of the student’s personal letter

(with preservation of language design)

Many thanking for your letter. Sorry, but I had no time to answer. I’m very beasy, because I prepare to my exams.

You asked me about my career. I think it is rather difficult to do a wright choice. Many of young people want to have a very good job.

I want to become a translator as you. I’ll love this job and I love traveling. What is your favorite country and where have you never been?

Comments on the personal letter

The volume of the completed letter is less than 90 words. The letter will not be checked. The student will receive 0 points for the content, and therefore for the entire letter.

When completing a task C2 (Speaking with elements of reasoning) the test subjects also found it difficult to solve the communicative problem in full. Nevertheless, a significant part of the graduates was able to present a statement of the required volume, demonstrated the ability to give arguments for and against, or formulate their own opinions and see other possible points of view.

The task was difficult to formulate the problem at the beginning of the statement, not repeating the statement of the task, but using synonymous means and syntactic periphrase. The tendency to use the material of the notorious “topics” as ready-made passages inserted into a written statement makes itself felt again. As for the organization of the text, the problem of dividing the text into paragraphs and the use of logical communications still remains.

For instance:

Student Activity

C2. You have 40 minutes to do this task.

Comment on the following statement.

It’s reported that billions of dollars are spent on space exploration projects every year. Some people believe that this money should be used to solve problems on Earth.

What is your opinion? What problems should humanity solve first of all?

Write 200 - 250 words.

Use the following plan:

- make an introduction (state the problem)

- express your personal opinion and give reasons for it

- give arguments for the other point of view and explain why you don’t agree with it

- draw a conclusion

The text of the student’s written statement with elements of reasoning

(with preservation of language design)

Nowadays a lot of people spend their money on new projects or researches. For example billions of dollars are spent on space exploration projects every year. I think it is not right. Our Earth needs some helpness from goverments from different countries. People have a lot of problems in medicine. We have illnesses like cancer with which people don’t know how to fight We will know everything about spaces, but nothing about our health, our life on Earth. Is that right? No, I think.We should take care about each other and our goverment should spend money on people, on life’s troubles. Government should spend money on our grandmothers and grandfathers, take care about nature, because we have problems with atmosphere. We know about pollution but we don’t want to find the solution about this problem. We should take care about our animals who are in danger. We should take care about poverty, we shall think about it. A lot of people need our help, our money, because they don’t have something to eat. We should think about children, whose parents denyed from them when they were born. They are lonely and need our help. To sum up I think that we can spend our money on new projects but we should remember one rule “we are people and we need each other. We need help from each other. "

A written statement with elements of reasoning, in this case, an essay-statement of opinion, is evaluated according to five criteria: content, organization of the text, vocabulary, grammar, spelling and punctuation.

1. Does the content of this essay correspond to the proposed communicative task? In the additional assessment scheme, the following questions are proposed that detail the content of this item:

1.1. Is there an introduction to the problem statement? - There is, however, the author did not even rephrase the problem that is indicated in the instructions for the assignment. Moreover, the first and second entry phrases carry almost the same information (the second phrase clarifies the first somewhat).

1.2. Is the author's opinion on the problem expressed and reasoned? - Opinion expressed - I think it is not right. As for the argument, it is presented somewhat confused and not always logical. There is a phrase that the Earth needs the help of governments of different countries, but this thesis is not argued and the author immediately proceeds to the fact that people have health problems and it is not known how to treat, for example, cancer. Hence, the author concludes that people should take care of each other, and the government should spend money on life's problems (life’s troubles.). The following is a list of the problems that governments should tackle: grandparents, concern for nature, poverty, abandoned children. The argument is weak or not, and the problems themselves are poorly worded.

1.3. Does the essay present other points of view and an explanation of why the author disagrees with them? - In the essay, there is no other point of view on this issue and there is no argument for disagreeing with it.

1.4. Is there a conclusion with a conclusion? - There is a conclusion, but it is somewhat contrary to the content of the introduction and the main part, since if earlier it was said that you need to spend money on people and nature, then the conclusion is that you can spend money on new projects (it’s not clear which ones) and that we should help each other. The second part of the conclusion is in no way connected with the communicative task. Thus, the communicative task is only partially completed, and the content of the essay can be rated at 1 point.

The second criterion for evaluating the composition is the organization of the text. The main question:

“Does the organization of the text comply with generally accepted rules?” It is necessary to detail, namely:

2.1. Is there a division into paragraphs and is it implemented correctly? Unfortunately, the author did not select paragraphs.

2.2. Is the composition logical and are the means of logical communication used correctly: the lack of paragraphs prevents the building of logicality, the use of logical communication is minimal.

In general, according to this criterion, 1 point will be put.

The third criterion by which a written statement with elements of reasoning is evaluated is vocabulary. Assessing the work on this criterion, the expert should answer the following questions:

3.1. Does the vocabulary correspond to the communicative task? In general, consistent.

3.2. Is the vocabulary sufficient, how diverse is it, does it correspond to a high level? - In general, yes. Vocabulary is relatively diverse, but there are unjustified repetitions of words and phrases, such as “take care”, “need”, “think”.

3.3. Does the author comply with the rules of word formation, collocations, are words used correctly in a specific context, and do errors (if any) affect understanding of the content? - In this essay there are errors in the use of words in a specific context, in word formation. One mistake, namely, in the sentence: “People have a lot of problems in medicine” can affect the understanding of the content, since the author does not mean medicine in general, but health problems. A number of errors are lexical and grammatical in nature and can be attributed both to vocabulary and to grammar, for example, prepositions.

If we attribute lexico-grammatical errors to vocabulary, then in this case vocabulary can be estimated at 1 point.

The fourth criterion by which a written statement with elements of reasoning is evaluated is grammar. Assessing the answer according to this criterion, the expert should answer the following questions:

1.1. Is the choice of using grammar tools appropriate to the purpose of the utterance? - In general, yes.

1.2. How diverse are the grammatical means and do their complexity correspond to a high level? - Grammar means are pretty monotonous and do not fully correspond to a high level. The author often uses the same grammatical constructions, for example, with should.

1.3. How correctly and accurately used grammatical means? - Errors are observed in several sections of the grammar, for example, in the order of words, in complex sentences, the use of indefinite pronouns, uncountable nouns. However, in general, these errors do not affect the understanding of the content.

According to this criterion, the answer can be rated at 2 points.

According to the fifth criterion - spelling and punctuation - the work will be rated at 1 point (maximum score - 2), as there are errors in spelling and punctuation (there is no comma after For example).

Thus, the composition as a whole can be rated at 6 points.

The analysis of typical mistakes made during the assignments in the “Letter” section allows us to formulate the following general recommendations for preparing students for the exam in the English language:

1. Students should be introduced to different species assignments by writing, to discuss the specifics of a communicative task of a certain type and the features of each kind arising from this communicative task.

2. It is necessary to teach students to carefully read the instructions for the assignment, to extract as much information from it as possible, to see the communicative task and formal restrictions (recommended lead time, required volume).

3. It is recommended that students be trained to complete written assignments of various volumes so that they are ready to write work in accordance with the volume specified in the test assignment. Insufficient volume of a written statement, as well as a significant excess of a given volume, lead to a decrease in points.

4. To master the skills of writing, students should be taught to analyze their own work and edit them in the right direction.

5. Before starting work, students should be able to select the material necessary for the complete and accurate completion of the assignment in accordance with the assigned communicative tasks, and after writing the work, be able to verify it both in terms of content and in terms of form.

6. It is also necessary to determine the style (official, unofficial) depending on the addressee and type of assignment and adhere to it throughout the text.

When performing task C1 (personal letter), students should pay attention to the following aspects:

2. When familiarizing themselves with the stimulus text, students should be able to identify the main issues that should be revealed in the work and outline a plan for their response letter.

To successfully complete task C2 (a written statement with elements of reasoning), one must keep in mind the following:

1. In the current KIM, two types of tasks are proposed: to express one’s own opinion on a certain problem and to state the arguments “for” and “against” a certain point of view. Students should understand how these two types of essays are close and how they differ, and accordingly build their own text.

2. The instructions for the assignments suggest the most general plan for written statements, which students should be able to concretize in accordance with the proposed topic. It is necessary to develop the ability to plan a written statement and build it in accordance with the plan. At the same time, the introduction and conclusion should not be more in volume than the main part.

3. It should also be remembered that writing is characterized by dividing the text into paragraphs that reflect the logical and informative structure of the text.

Criteria for assessing the performance of tasks C1 and C2 of the "Letter" section

Points	Content	Text Organization	Vocabulary	Grammar	Spelling and punctuation
Points	K1	K2	K3	K4	K5
3	The task is completed in full: the content reflects all aspects specified in the assignment; the style of speech is chosen correctly, taking into account the purpose of the statement and the addressee; the rules of politeness accepted in the language are observed.	The statement is logical; logical communications are used correctly; the text is correctly divided into paragraphs; The speech format is selected correctly.	The vocabulary used corresponds to the task; there are practically no violations in the use of vocabulary.	Grammar structures are used in accordance with the task. Virtually no errors.
2	The task is completed: some aspects indicated in the assignment are not fully disclosed; there are some violations of the style of speech; generally respected in the language of courtesy.	The statement is mostly logical; there are some disadvantages when using logical communications; there are certain disadvantages when dividing the text into paragraphs; there are some violations of the format of the statement.	The vocabulary used corresponds to the task, however, there are some inaccuracies in the use of words or the vocabulary is limited, but the vocabulary is used correctly.	There are a number of grammatical errors that do not impede the understanding of the text.	Spelling errors are missing. The text is divided into sentences with the correct punctuation.
1	The task is incomplete: the content does not reflect all aspects specified in the assignment; violations of the style of speech are quite common; Basically, the rules of politeness accepted in the language are not respected.	A statement is not always logical; there are numerous errors in the use of logical communications; their choice is limited; there is no division of text into paragraphs; There are numerous errors in the utterance format.	Unreasonably limited vocabulary used; often there are violations in the use of vocabulary, or some of them may make it difficult to understand the text.	Either errors of an elementary level are often encountered, or errors are few in number, but complicate the understanding of the text.	There are a number of spelling and / or punctuation errors that slightly complicate the understanding of the text.
0	The task is not completed: the content does not reflect those aspects that are indicated in the task or does not correspond to the required volume	There is no logic in the construction of the statement; Speech format not respected.	Extremely limited vocabulary does not allow you to complete the task.	Grammar rules are not respected.	Spelling and punctuation rules are not respected.

Notes: The criterion “Spelling and punctuation” (K5) in the “Letter” section is evaluated on a scale of 0 - 2 points. Experts evaluate the performance of tasks C1 according to the criteria K1 and K2. Task C2 is evaluated according to the criteria K1 - K5. When an examiner receives 0 points according to the “Content” criterion, the entire task is evaluated at 0 points.

The letter was prepared by members of the federal subject commission on foreign languages

doctor of Philosophy M.V. Verbitskaya and Ph.D. K.S. Makhmuryan

Write a letter to Ann.

Ask 3 questions about the favorite sport of Ann’s friend.

Write 100 - 140 words.

Remember the rules of letter writing.

MISSION 12. Compose two assignments for students to write a personal letter on any topic taken from the school standard in foreign languages \u200b\u200bfor high school educational institutions. Develop an additional assessment scheme for them. Prepare students for writing a personal letter, taking into account the requirements of an additional assessment scheme tasks.

Test questions.

What skills does task C1 test?
What strategies are used by students in task C1?
What are the assessment criteria for task C1?
What items are included in the additional assessment scheme for task C1? What determines the set of these items? Which of them are determined by the type of task (Personal letter), and which depend on the content of the stimulus letter? What other points of task C1 are taken into account when preparing the task?
What kind typical mistakes do students allow in task C1? How can these errors be prevented?
When is the 3rd student review scheduled?

REFLECTION

Was it easy or difficult for you to evaluate task C1? Why?
What tasks in this topic seemed most useful / superfluous?
Will your new experience help in evaluating the work of your students and are you going to implement it in your school?

Topic 2. Technology for assessing the performance of tasks by letter C2. “Written statement with elements of reasoning (“ Your opinion ”)

Key topics

The technology for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning (expressing one’s opinion) (C2).
Criteria for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning (expressing one’s opinion) (C2) in a single rating scale.
Additional assessment schemes for a written statement with elements of reasoning (expressing one’s opinion) (C2).

Main literature

4 Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Methodical letter on the use of the results of the unified state exam of 2008 in the teaching of foreign languages \u200b\u200bin educational institutions of secondary (full) general education. - www. fipi.org.

5 Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Handbook for the preparation of exam experts in English. Section "Letter". - M .: MIOO, 2008.

6 Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Unified State Exam 2009. English. Training tasks.- M .: EKSMO, 2008. (p. 121-128)

7 McNamara T. Language Testing. OUP-Relod, 2005.

Written statement with the elements of the argument “Your opinion” (C2)

EXERCISE 1. Read and discuss the assignment and comments on the written statement with elements of the “Your Opinion” (C2) reasoning. Use an optional grading scheme. Do you agree with these comments? Can you add anything to them?

Student Activity

It’s reported that billions of dollars are spent on space exploration projects every year. Some people believe that this money should be used to solve problems on Earth.

What is your opinion? What problems should humanity solve first of all?

Write 200 - 250 words.

Use the following plan:

Make an introduction (state the problem)

Express your personal opinion and give reasons for it

Give arguments for the other point of view and explain why you don’t
agree with it.

Draw a conclusion.

However, the verification of work begins with a formal, but important stage: counting the number of words in the completed task. The required volume is given in the assignment for the student (C2: 200-250 words). Clause 11 of the specification gives clear instructions on this subject: “The permissible deviation from a given volume is 10%. If the completed task C2 has less than 180 words ..., then the task is not subject to verification and is rated at 0 points. If the volume is exceeded by more than 10%, i.e. if in completed task C2 there are more than 275 words ..., only that part of the work that corresponds to the required volume is subject to verification. Thus, when checking task C2, 250 words are counted from the beginning of the work ... and only this part of the work is evaluated. ” In this case, all words are counted (prepositions and articles including), short (long forms) of verbs (didn’t, can’t, let’s) are counted as 1 word.

After making sure that the required volume is met, we proceed to the assessment of the completed task.

Assessing the work of first criterion

1. Does the content of this essay correspond to the proposed communicative task? In the additional assessment scheme, the following questions are proposed that detail the content of this item:

1.2. Is the author's opinion on the problem expressed and reasoned? - Opinion expressed- I think it is not right. As for the argument, it is presented somewhat confused and not always logical. There is a phrase that the Earth needs the help of governments of different countries, but this thesis is not argued and the author immediately proceeds to the fact that people have health problems and it is not known how to treat, for example, cancer. Hence, the author concludes that people should take care of each other, and the government should spend money on life's problems (life’s troubles.). The following is a listing of the problems that the government should address: grandparents, concern for nature, poverty, abandoned children. The argument is weak or not, and the problems themselves are poorly worded.

1.3. Does the essay present other points of view and an explanation of why the author disagrees with them? - The essay does not present a different point of view on this issue and there is no argument for disagreeing with it.

Second criterion

2. 1 Is there a division into paragraphs and is it implemented correctly? Unfortunately, the author did not select paragraphs.

2.2 Is the composition logical and are the means of logical communication used correctly: the construction of logicality is hindered by the absence of paragraphs, the use of logical communication is minimal.

In general, according to this criterion, 1 point will be put.

Third criterion

3.1. Does the vocabulary correspond to the communicative task? - In general, corresponds;

3.2. Is the vocabulary sufficient, how diverse is it, does it correspond to a high level? - In general, yes. The vocabulary is relatively diverse, but there are unjustified repetitions of words and phrases, such as “take care”, “need”, “think”.

3.3. Does the author comply with the rules of word formation, collocations, are words used correctly in a specific context, and do errors (if any) affect understanding of the content? - In this essay there are errors in the use of words in a specific context. One mistake, namely, in the sentence: “People have a lot of problems in medicine” can affect the understanding of the content, since the author does not mean medicine in general, but health problems. A number of errors are lexical and grammatical in nature and can be attributed both to vocabulary and to grammar, for example, prepositions.

If we attribute lexical and grammatical errors to vocabulary, then in this case, vocabulary can be rated 1 point (in this case, we have no right to lower points for the same lexical and grammatical errors a second time - according to the criterion of grammatical presentation of speech).

Fourth criterion

4.1 Is the choice of using grammar tools appropriate to the purpose of the utterance? - In general, yes.

4.2 How diverse are the grammatical means and do their complexity correspond to a high level? - Grammar means are pretty monotonous and do not fully correspond to a high level. The author often uses the same grammatical constructions, for example, with should.

4.3 How correctly and accurately are grammatical tools used? - Errors are observed in several sections of the grammar, for example, in word order, in complex sentences, in the use of indefinite pronouns, uncountable nouns. However, in general, these errors do not affect the understanding of the content.

According to this criterion, the answer can be rated at 2 points.

By fifth criterion- spelling and punctuation - the work will be rated 1 point (maximum score-2), as there are errors in spelling and punctuation (there is no comma after For example).

Thus, the performance of task C2 as a whole can be rated at 7 points.

TASK 2.Work in pairs or individually. Find an additional assessment scheme in Appendix 4. Check, put down scores for all criteria, and comment on the following written statements with elements of reasoning (“Your opinion”) (C2). Student work is also given in Appendix 11.

Written statement with elements of reasoning (“Your opinion”)

(

WORK 1

The text of the written statement made by the student with elements of reasoning (while maintaining the language design)

It’s reported that billions of dollars are spent on space exploration projects every year. Some people believe that this money should be used to solve problems on Earth.

Billions of dollars should be spent on space exploration projects every year.

Secondly, government must pay to the scientists.

Thirdly, material for works is very expensive.

But on the other hand, billions of dollars should be used to solve problems on Earth

Also, our invornment are polute by people, cars, factories.

Many animals are kild by man because of beautiful wools and expensive meat.

In my opinion, billions of dollars should be used borth to solve problems on Earth and on space exploration projects.

I think that government should use part of this money on universities, colleges, schools because if people get a good knowledge they will be explorate space projects without billions of dollars.

TASK 3.Read the student assignment. Make an additional assessment scheme for it.

You have 40 minutes to do this task.

Comment on the following statement.

Our grandparents say their way of life was much more secure. However, young people have many more life opportunities nowadays.

What is your opinion? Which way of life do you find more satisfying?

Write 200 - 250 words.

TASK 4.Read the student assignment. Make a plan for it and a list of keywords and expressions for writing a written statement with elements of the “Your opinion” argument.

You have 40 minutes to do this task.

Comment on the following statement.

Many people think that modern society could do without advertising. Some people think that new types of advertising could change our life for better.

What is your opinion?

Write 200 - 250 words.

TASK 5.Discuss in pairs what difficulties the students may experience with the following assignment:

You have 40 minutes to do this task.

Comment on the following statement.

Society should identify those children who have special talents and abilities and begin training them at an early age.

What is your opinion?

Write 200 - 250 words.

TASK 6.Discuss in groups the most common mistakes that students made while completing assignment C2 - “Your opinion”.

TASK 7. Work in groups. Make brief recommendations for students on how to write a written statement with the elements of a “statement of opinion” reasoning.

TASK 8.Work in groups. Work in groups. Based on the general assessment criteria for completing the tasks of the "Letter" section and additional assessment schemes, make brief recommendations for experts on what and how to consider when checking a written statement with elements of the "Your opinion" argument.

TASK 9. Make two assignments for students to write a written statement with elements of reasoning on any topic taken from the school standard in foreign languages \u200b\u200bfor high school educational institutions. Develop additional assessment schemes for them.

TEST QUESTIONS

1What skills does task C2 - “Your Opinion” test?

2What strategies should the student use to complete assignment C2 - “Your opinion”?

3What are the assessment criteria for assignment C2 - expression of opinion?

4What items are included in the additional assessment scheme for task C2 - “Your opinion”?

5What are the typical mistakes students make when completing task C2 - “Your opinion”? How can they be prevented?

6When is the 3rd student review scheduled?

REFLECTION

1 Was it easy or difficult for you to evaluate task C2? What is more difficult to evaluate: a personal letter or a detailed written statement with elements of the reasoning “Your opinion”? Why?

2What tasks in this topic seemed most useful / superfluous?

3 Did you find it easier to evaluate work in pairs / groups or individually?

4Can you prepare students to write assignments C2-opinion-expression? Will the ability to apply assessment criteria help you in this?

5 Will your new experience help in evaluating the work of your students and are you going to implement it in your school?

Topic 3. Technology for assessing the performance of tasks by letter C2. "A written statement with elements of reasoning (" For "and" against ")"

Key topics

1Technology for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning “for” and “against” (C2).

2 Criteria for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning “for” and “against” (C2) in a single rating scale.

3Additional assessment schemes for a written statement with elements of reasoning pros and cons.

Main literature

1Codifier of content elements in English for compiling control and measuring materials of the unified state exam 2009 - www. fipi.org.

2Specification of examination work in foreign languages \u200b\u200bfor graduates of the 11th (12th) grades of general education institutions in 2009 - www. fipi.org.

3Federal component of state educational standards of primary general, basic general and secondary (complete) general education. - M .: Astrel, 2004.

5 Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Handbook for the preparation of exam experts in English. Section "Letter" .- M .: MIOO, 2008.

6 Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Unified State Exam 2009. English. Training tasks.- M .: EKSMO, 2008. (p. 121-126)

7 McNamara T. Language Testing. OUP-Relod, 2005.

8Prokhorova E.F. and etc. Teaching Aid to prepare experts for the unified state exam. Part 1. Section "Letter". - M .: Unicum Center, 2004.

Written statement with elements of reasoning “for” and “against” (C2)

EXERCISE 1. Read and discuss the assignment and comments on the written statement with elements of the pros and cons (C2). Use an additional assessment scheme (Appendix 4). Do you agree with these comments? Can you add anything to them?

Student assignment

C2. You have 40 minutes to do this task.

Comment on the following statement

What can you say for and against international and domestic tourism?

Write 200-250 words.

Use the following plan

Introduction (State the problem)

Arguments “for”

Arguments “against”

The text of the written statement made by the student with elements of reasoning (“for” and “against”) (with spelling and punctuation of the original)

On the one hand, it's’s good to travel abroad. You can learned about people of different countries, their culture and custorms. You can practize your language. You can make new friends. Of course, it’s very interesting to visit different monuments, parks, rivers, mountains abroad.

As for me, I want to travel by my country, by Russia. I know that there are many interesting monument in Russia. There are a lot of big rivers and forests. I prefer to travel by Russia. But several weeks ago I was in China. This trip abroad was wonderful. I recommend my friend to visit this country. In China beautiful strets, interesting people.

At the result, I can say that it is good to travel abroad. And of course, it is very interesting to learnd about our own country.

Analysis of task C2

Job Type:detailed answer task

Feasibility of style and format:essay, neutral communication style, high level

Lead time: 40 min

Required Volume:200-250 words

What is expected of the student?

Demonstrate the ability to use written language to solve a communicative problem.

Comments on the completed task

A written statement with elements of reasoning (pros and cons) is evaluated according to five criteria: content, text organization, vocabulary, grammar, spelling and punctuation.

The required volume is sustained, the work is subject to verification.

Assessing the work of first criterion - content (solving a communicative problem), we must answer the following questions:

1. Does the content of this essay correspond to the proposed communicative task? In the additional assessment scheme, the following questions are proposed that detail the content of this item:

1.1. Is there an introduction to the problem statement? - The introduction does not reflect the statement of the problem. The author used part of the instructions for the assignment, without even rephrasing it.

1.2. Are there any arguments for in the second paragraph of the paper? - Given 3 arguments for traveling abroad: You can learned about people of different countries, their culture and custorms. You can practize your language. You can make new friends. The fourth argument illogically combines the component of the culture monuments with geographical realities: rivers, mountains.

1.3. Are arguments against traveling abroad and traveling around your country presented in the third paragraph? - Yes: We must not to learn new language. We can learnd about traditions of our country. Traveling abroud is very expensive. We need in money. However, the first two arguments are the same as the arguments in paragraph 2. The argument “We need in money” is not clear: either the author wanted to say that it takes more money to travel abroad than to travel in his native country, or he wanted to say that it is necessary to have currency.

1.4. The content of the fourth paragraph seems illogical, since the first phrase of the paragraph, which is usually key, contains the opinion of the author “As for me, I want to travel by my country, by Russia” and which is confirmed by the arguments “I know that there are many interesting monument in Russia. There are a lot of big rivers and forests. " Moreover, here the author notes that “I prefer to travel by Russia”. However, a line below in the same paragraph, he advises a friend to visit China.

1.5. Is there a conclusion with a conclusion? - There is a conclusion, but the author was not able to formulate the idea (both probably due to insufficient vocabulary, and also due to a lack of ideas) that both types of travel are good, so the choice remains with the person based on conditions and his preferences.

Thus, the communicative task is only partially completed, and the content of the essay can be rated at 1 point.

Second criterion Evaluation of the essay - organization of the text. The main question:

“Does the organization of the text comply with generally accepted rules?” It is necessary to detail, namely:

2.1. Is there a division into paragraphs and is it implemented correctly? Yes, in general, right.

2.2. Is the composition logical and are the means of logical communication used correctly: there are violations in the logic mentioned above. Logical communications are present and, in general, used correctly.

In general, this criterion will be rated at 2 points.

Third criterion by which a written statement with elements of reasoning is evaluated is the lexical design of speech. Assessing by this criterion, the expert should answer the following questions:

3.1. Does the vocabulary correspond to the communicative task? - In general, corresponds;

3.2. Is the vocabulary sufficient, how diverse is it, does it correspond to a high level? - Presented vocabulary of the basic level. The vocabulary is monotonous, unjustified repetitions of words and phrases are observed, for example, “good”, “interesting”, “of course”, etc.

3.3. Does the author comply with the rules of word formation, collocations, are words used correctly in a specific context, and do errors (if any) affect the understanding of the content? - In this statement there are practically no errors in the use of words in a specific context and in word formation. This is due to the fact that vocabulary of a basic level is used, there are no complex collocations.

Vocabulary can be rated at 1 point.

Fourth criterionby which a written statement with elements of reasoning is evaluated is the grammatical design of speech. Assessing the answer according to this criterion, the expert should answer the following questions:

4.1 Is the choice of using grammar tools appropriate to the purpose of the utterance? - Partly, yes.

4.2 How diverse are the grammatical means and do their complexity correspond to a high level? - Grammar means are rather monotonous and do not correspond to a high level. There are practically no complicated offers. The author often uses the same grammatical constructions, for example, with “can”, with the verb “to be”.

4.3 How correctly and accurately are grammatical tools used? - There are errors in several sections of the grammar, for example, in the plural of nouns, in the construction of “there is / are”, in prepositions, in the use of the infinitive after modal verbs, for the subjunctive mood.

According to this criterion, the answer can be estimated at 1 point.

By fifth criterion- spelling and punctuation - the work will be rated 1 point (maximum score-2), as there are spelling errors.

Thus, the composition as a whole can be rated 6 points.

TASK 2.Work in pairs or individually. Find the additional assessment scheme in Appendix 5. Check the work done by students, put down scores for all criteria, and comment on the following written statement with elements of reasoning (“Pros and Cons”) (C2). Student work is also given in Appendix 12.

WORK 1

The text of the written statement made by the student with the elements of reasoning (“for” and “against”) (while maintaining the language design)

Today’s world presents a variety of challenging aspects. The sensitive issue is pluses and minuses domestic and international tourism.

Some people think that domestic tourism better, then international. They believe that these people can have more useful information about their country. They can communicate with people and understand each other. They can see the wonderful, exciting, beautiful nature and other things. They believe that domestic tourism is astonishing thing.

On the other hand, others think that people must to travel abroad. They believes so, because people can learn useful, exciting, nessesary information about the culture other country. These people can have a new friends, they can learn foreign languages, and communicate with such people. People can visit historical places and sights of interest.

I adore travel. I want to have knowledge, and to have exciting and useful information, which can helps me in my future live. I believe that international tourism should be an unacceptable thing in our changeable life. Sometimes, in this complex world solutions are harder to find, than needle in a haystock. I believe that the problems of domestic and international tourism can have a place in our world, in our society.

TEST QUESTIONS

What skills does task C2 test - a written statement of “for” and “against”?
What is in common between a written statement of C2 ("for & against") and a written statement of C2 ("opinion")?
What is the difference between a written statement of C2 ("for & against") and a written statement of C2 ("opinion")
What are the criteria for assessing the performance of task C2 - a written statement “for” and “against”?
What items are included in the additional assessment scheme for the performance of task C2 - a written statement “for” and “against”?
What are the typical mistakes students make when completing assignment C2 — written pros and cons?
Sample programs in foreign languages. In the book: New state standards for school education in a foreign language. 2-11 classes. Education in documents and comments. - M .: AST Astrel, 2004.
Pan-European Competencies in Foreign Language Proficiency: Study, Teaching, Assessment. - M.: MSLU, 2003.
Specification of examination work in foreign languages \u200b\u200bfor graduates of the 11th grade of a secondary (full) comprehensive school (USE 2009). - fipi.ru.
Unified state exam in English. Demo version of 2009. - fipi.ru
Final certification in 11 classes. - Bulletin of Education No. 4, 2007.
The codifier of content elements in English for the preparation of control and measuring materials of the unified state exam of 2009 - fipi.ru
Azimov E.G., Schukin A.N. Dictionary of methodological terms. - St. Petersburg: Zlatoust, 1999.
Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Methodical letter “On the teaching of foreign languages, taking into account the results of the unified state exam 2008 - fipi.ru, as well as “English at school”, No. 1 - 2009.
Kokkota V.A. Linguodidactic testing. - M .: Higher school, 1989.
McNamara T. Language Testing. OUP-Relod, 2005.
Prokhorova E.F., Timofeeva T.M., Andreeva E.A. and others. Unified state exam. English. Teaching aid for examiners training courses. Part 1. Section "Letter", - M .: Unicum Center, 2004.
Safonova V.V. Communicative competence: modern approaches to multilevel description for methodological purposes. - M.: Euroschool, 2004.
Solovova E.N. Methods of teaching foreign languages. Basic course of lectures. - M.: Astrel, 2008.
Alderson Charles. Assessing Reading. Cambridge: CUP, 2003.
Alderson J. Charles, Clapham Caroline, Wall Dianne. Language Test Construction and Evaluation. Cambridge: CUP, 1995.
Bachman Lyle F., Palmer Adrian S. Language Testing in Practice. Oxford: OUP, 2004.
Bachman Lyle F. Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford: OUP, 2004.
Buck Gary. Assessing Listening. Cambridge: CUP, 2004.
Cushing-Weigle Sara. Assessing Writing. Cambridge: CUP, 2004.
Hughes Arthur. Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge: CUP, 2004.
Kolesnikova I., Dolgina O. A Handbook of English-Russian Terminology for Language Teaching. - St. Petersburgh: CUP-BLITZ, 2001.

ADDITIONAL LITERATURE

Verbitskaya M.V., Makhmuryan K.S. Intensive training. Unified State Exam. English. Training materials.-M .: Eksmo, 2009.
Verbitskaya M.V., Solovova E.N. Unified State Exam. Universal materials for preparing students. English. - M.: FIPI-Intellect Center, 2009.
Verbitskaya M.V. and other basic level KIM: development approaches. - “Assessment of the quality of education”, No. 4, 2008
Verbitskaya M.V. etc. Do I need a exam in foreign languages \u200b\u200bat the basic level. - “Assessment of the quality of education”, No. 5, 2008
Prokhorova E.F., Timofeeva T.M., Verkhovskaya Z.Z. and others. Unified state exam: English: control measuring materials 2008 - M .: Education; St. Petersburg: branch of the publishing house Enlightenment, 2008.
Chelyshkova M.B. Theory and practice of constructing pedagogical tests. - M .: Logos, 2002.
Davies A., Brown A., Elder C., Hill K., Lumley T., McNamara N. Dictionary of Language Testing: Studies in Language Testing // Ed. By M. Milanovic, Vol. 7. Cambridge: CUP, 1999.
Changing Language Teaching through Language Testing. A Washback Study: Studies in Language Testing, Vol. 21, Cambridge: CUP, 2005.
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The most difficult, in my opinion, assignment for the exam in the English language is task 40, which is a written statement with elements of reasoning (Opinion Essay). To complete it qualitatively, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for writing an essay and the criteria for evaluating this assignment.

The maximum score you can get for task 40 — 14 points.

5 criteria for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning:

1) Solution of the communicative problem (3 points)

Experts rate

does your work have an introduction with a statement of the problem (rephrase the problem);
whether the author expressed an opinion on the proposed problem with arguments;
does your work present an opposite point of view;
is there an explanation why the author does not agree with another point of view (counterarguments);
is there a final phrase with a conclusion at the end of your essay;
did you choose the style for the statement (neutral)

2) Organization of the text (3 points)

Experts rate

how logical you built the statement;
have you used the means of logical communication (unions, introductory words, pronouns);
is there a division into paragraphs ( there should be 5)

3) Lexical design (3 points)

Experts rate

does the vocabulary that you used in the statement correspond to the communicative task?
the correct use of lexical phrases and word formation methods (e. g. to go on foot);
your vocabulary and the variety of vocabulary used (synonyms, antonyms, phraseological units -give up smoking)

4) Grammar (3 points)

Experts rate

whether the choice of grammatical constructions corresponds to the purpose of the statement;
lack of gross grammatical errors (2 - 3 errors are allowed);
variety and complexity of grammar tools used

5) Spelling and punctuation (2 points)

Experts rate

do you follow punctuation rules in english language (capital letter, period, comma, exclamation point and question mark);
do you follow spelling standards in English

Undoubtedly, when starting this task, you should be well acquainted in practice with its format. Task 40 is communicative in nature. You will be asked to comment your personal opinion on a specific issue. In completing this task, you must follow a detailed answer plan:

Write 200 - 250 words.

Use the following plan:

Make the introduction (state the problem)
Express your personal opinion and give 2 - 3 reasons for your opinion
Express the opposing opinion and give 1 - 2 reasons for this opposing opinion
Explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion
Make a conclusion restating your position

On the Internet you can find many different types of essays written by both professionals and ordinary students. Check out interesting options and write your version on a given topic.

In this article, I suggest you consider an essay-reasoning that has attracted my attention on one of the training sites.

Using 5 criteria for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning, you can determine the approximate score that can be obtained for this work.

Task 40

Sample answer

Inventions of email and text messaging have been wonderful for communication between people.

Nowadays email and text messaging are widespread all over the world. Thousands of people can communicate, sending each other short and long messages. But some people think that it is not a convenient way to contact and find a lot of disadvantages of it. (44)

In my opinion, email and text messaging is an excellent way to connect and converse with people.
Firstly, this kind of communication can save our time. For example, if you need to say some information to several people, you can send it using an email and contact a group of people at once. Secondly, when you do not have any possibility to make a phone call being on a noisy bus or at an important meeting, texting will be a great solution in these situations. More, sending emails and messages are cheaper and sometimes without any cost. For instance, some telecommunication companies make a good offer like free text messages. (154)

However, some people find a lot of disadvantages in using these technologies. They believe that a person who prefers such way of communication loses speaking skills. What is more he becomes a phone addict as he gets stuck to his phone and does not notice what is happening around him. (204)

I cannot fully agree with this point of view because there are a lot of shy people. They obviously become more sociable using emails than when they talk with others face to face. (237)

In conclusion, I want to say that invention of email and text messages simplifies our life and makes communication between people more convenient. (260)

Remember!

When an examiner receives 0 points according to the “Content” criterion, the entire task is evaluated at 0 points!

How to Successfully Complete Task 40 (Opinion Essay), Letter Section

USE Grammar and Vocabulary Tasks 32 - 38

5 criteria for evaluating a written statement with elements of reasoning:

1) Solution of the communicative problem (3 points)

2) Organization of the text (3 points)

3) Lexical design (3 points)

4) Grammar (3 points)

5) Spelling and punctuation (2 points)

Task 40

Sample answer

Remember!

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