Revised August 2015 IGCSE French – Foreign Language (0520) 1/3
Frequently Asked Questions
IGCSE French
–
Foreign Language (0520)
–
first examination in 2015
Are there changes to the syllabus? In 2015 and thereafter a new IGCSE French syllabus will be examined. Please read the new syllabus and specimen papers carefully.
What resources are available to support this syllabus?
The following resources are available on the Cambridge Teacher Support website:
Defined Content Booklet (provides guidance on the topic areas, vocabulary and grammar/structures that are tested on the question papers) – the minimum core vocabulary is provided alphabetically and by topic area.
Speaking Test Training Handbook (provides guidance on the conduct and assessment of the Speaking test). Past Papers.
Past Mark Schemes.
Principal Examiner Reports. Resource List.
Revised Schemes of Work.
Teachers’ notes booklet in French. Material from training events held for Speaking and for the new Writing paper/mark scheme (includes marked exemplar work for Writing).
An IGCSE French Listening Resource Booklet is available from the Publications catalogue.
Is specimen material for the new 0520 syllabus available on the website?
Specimen papers are available on the main Cambridge website and teacher support. In addition, all past papers on the teacher support website contain material that is valid for the new examination:
Paper 1: all the material is valid.
Paper 2: all the reading comprehension exercises are valid; the Section 2 Exercise 2 writing exercise can be used for the new Paper 4 Question 2.
Paper 3: all the material is valid.
Paper 4: the three writing tasks can be used for the new Paper 4 Question 3.
Are students allowed to take dictionaries into the examination room?
No. This is an IGCSE Language examination and dictionaries are not permitted.
I have heard that some of the candidates who sit this paper are native speakers of French and I am worried that my foreign language speakers are being judged against what a first language speaker might achieve.
You do not need to worry. The level of performance achieved by a native speaker candidate will be off the top of the scale of what is expected from candidates taking this
examination.
Paper 1 Listening: how many candidates may I have in the room for a Listening examination?
We would advise a maximum of 30 candidates at one sitting.
Paper 1 Listening: I should like to listen to the whole Listening examination to check it before I play it to my candidates in the examination. Is this allowed?
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in the examination room one working day before the examination. On neither of the above occasions may the recording be listened to in full nor may the recording be removed from the Centre for checking. After each check the examination materials must be returned to your Centre's secure store.
Paper 3 Speaking: must I be accredited by Cambridge before conducting and
assessing the 0520 Speaking test?
Accreditation from Cambridge is not required in order to conduct the IGCSE Foreign Language Speaking test.
However, if you are new to the syllabus, you will benefit from undergoing distance training using the Speaking Test Training Handbook
materials, and in the interests of your candidates we recommend that you do so.
Paper 3 Speaking: what is the period for conducting the Speaking examinations?
Please see the timetable for the relevant series for the period for conducting the Speaking examinations.
Paper 3 Speaking: When will I receive the materials for the Speaking examination?
The materials for the conduct and assessment of the Speaking examination are sent out in February for the May/June examination and in July for the November examination. They are sent out on the basis of Centres' Estimated Entries. If your Centre has not made Estimated Entries, this may result in you not having the necessary material to carry out the Speaking examinations at the specified time.
Paper 3 Speaking: What is the deadline for submitting recorded samples and
paperwork to Cambridge for external moderation?
The necessary paperwork and recorded samples for external moderation must arrive at Cambridge by the date specified on the
timetable for the relevant series. However, once you have completed your Speaking examinations, please despatch marks and recordings to Cambridge for moderation as soon as possible. Do not wait until the end of the examination period before sending us these items.
Paper 3 Speaking: how should I record my candidates and present the sample for external moderation by Cambridge?
It is preferable for the Speaking examinations to be recorded using a suitable digital voice
recorder or sound recording program on a computer. Each candidate’s file must be saved individually and in .mp3 format. The speaking tests selected to be part of the sample to send to Cambridge for external moderation should then be transferred to a standard format CD. USB sticks or mini CDs must not be used for submitting the recorded sample to Cambridge. Cassettes are still accepted.
Paper 3 Speaking: who marks the Speaking examination?
It is the responsibility of the person conducting the Speaking examinations in the Centre to mark them. The Speaking examinations must be marked as they are being conducted. Examiners should mark the 'live' candidate and not a recording.
Paper 3 Speaking: how should I go about choosing someone to conduct the Speaking tests at my centre?
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someone outside the school, look for someone who is fluent in the target language, preferably with teaching experience and with experience of conducting other oral examinations. The person appointed must be given the opportunity to familiarise him/herself with the requirements of the examination before conducting any 'live' Speaking tests. Give the examination syllabus for the relevant year and a copy of the
Teachers’ Notes Booklet and Role Play Cards
from a previous examination session to the examiner to read before the day of the
examination so that s/he can familiarise him/herself with the general requirements for the conduct and assessment of the Speaking test and there is time to clarify any doubts. On the day of the examination, arrange for the examiner to arrive at the Centre 1-2 hours before conducting and assessing the first Speaking test, in order that s/he can prepare the role play situations and read through the instructions contained in the Teachers' Notes Booklet for the live session. It is crucial that the use of an external Examiner does not
compromise the security of the Speaking examination. For further advice, email info.@cie.org.uk
Paper 3 Speaking: what happens to my (Centre's) Speaking marks when they arrive at Cambridge?
When your recorded sample and paperwork arrive at Cambridge, they are forwarded to one of our Moderators. The Moderator listens to your sample and looks at the marks that you have awarded to ensure that they are in line with the IGCSE standard. If your marks are in line, then they will not be changed. If they are not, then an adjustment will be made to bring them into line, eg the marks will be raised if you have marked your candidates severely, or lowered if you have been too generous. A report on your conduct and assessment of the Speaking examination will be sent to your Centre with the results.
Paper 4 Writing – Questions 2 and 3: is there a limit to the number of words the examiner will mark for either of these questions?
The examiner will mark the number of words produced by the candidate as long as the material is relevant. However, candidates should be encouraged to keep to the number of words stated on the question paper, and to allow themselves time to think about what the question is asking before they start writing, and for careful checking once they have finished.
Paper 4 Writing – Question 1: if a candidate only lists 5 items and not 8 and those 5 are perfect, can they score the full 5 marks?
Yes. However, advise candidates to attempt 8 items in case they are not right in thinking that the 5 they have listed are all correct.
Paper 4 Writing – Question 1: do candidates have to attempt the examples given?
No. However the examples have been chosen because they represent linguistically frequent items of vocabulary
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: will words which have been taken from the
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rubric/question be automatically discounted by Examiners when they award marks? Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: can a candidate still score the marks for
communication if s/he doesn’t answer in the tense in which the task is phrased?
An incorrect time frame will limit the maximum mark for communication for a task to 1.
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: is it still the case that repeated use of ‘je vais’ + infinitive for future activity can score two ticks each time or just one for a different infinitive?
See 3.2 (g) of specimen mark scheme.
‘je vais’, used appropriately, can score a tick just once. A different dependent infinitive would score each time (but just once per dependent infinitive)
‘je vais aller au marché et je vais (no tick) acheter des bananes.’
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: if a verb is conjugated incorrectly will it score a tick for accuracy?
No.
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: ‘je l’aime’: is that one tick only for the verb and no tick for the pronoun?
Yes. The verb is awarded a tick if it is correct in the context. The correct use of pronouns is rewarded under ‘other linguistic features’.
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: what about if a negative version of the the same sentence is also produced…‘je ne l’aime pas’. Can the verb score again?
No. The first person singular of the present
tense of the verb ‘aimer’ can only score a tick
once. The correct use of negatives is rewarded
under ‘other linguistic features’.
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: are ticks awarded for verbs included in letter etiquette, eg if the candidate starts the letter, ‘Dear Jane, How are you? I hope you are well?’ which verbs if any are rewarded?
The mark scheme states ‘Do not tick verbs contained in the ‘letter etiquette’: appropriate
beginnings and endings to letters are
considered for reward under ‘Other linguistic
features’. Examples of letter etiquette are:
‘Thank you for your letter which I received last
week. We are all well and enjoying the
beautiful weather. How is your family? In good
health too I hope.’ (unless of course one of the stipulated tasks is to enquire as to the health of the addressees family)
Paper 4 Writing – Question 3: if a candidate writes ‘la ville est…’ and later in the same piece of writing writes ‘Jean est…’, it is a different subject so is the verb rewarded twice?
No. In both cases ‘…est’ is the third person singular of the present tense of the verb ‘être’.
Is there any exemplar marked material available for the new Writing paper?
