Re Asset being an alternative to GCSE
I have applied to pilot the Asset languages assessment because I think that
it may offer a certification that can I can use for adult ed courses or for
schools where Chinese is offered as a club or after school option.
However I think that in Secondary schools where Chinese is offered as a
timetabled Modern Language option the school, parents and the students will
expect that student to take GCSE in Chinese and not an alternative
qualification. I have started teaching in a school where every year 7 pupil
has to choose either Chinese or Latin. We now have 2 years of Chinese and
Chinese is already a very popular choice. But if in 3 years time those
students do not achieve grades at GCSE that are comparable with other
foreign languages, students will not opt for Chinese.
The Chinese dept in that school will then just dwindle away.
There must be many other schools at this stage of their development to GCSE
and now is the time to lobby to get changes made.
Anne Martin
The Ashcombe School and Trinity School
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sue Balmer" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: GCSE Chinese
I have been following the discussion with interest so that I can inform
schools thinking of offering Mandarin Chinese in the future of the
opportunities and the difficulties. Thank you to all who have
contributed.
Are any of you involved in the pilots of Asset languages (languages
ladder) and do you think that eventually this may be a reasonable
alternative to GCSE?
Sue
Sue Balmer
National Specialism Coordinator - languages
Specialist Schools Trust
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Mair [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 27 September 2005 11:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GCSE Chinese
I would like to suggest these concerns are voiced through the linguanet
forum as well - the real chances of reasonable grades for non-natives is
something that Head of departments should be aware of...
Quite apart from league tables, etc surely the pupils themselves must
see that the playing field is level
So many positive things seem to be happening with the teaching of
Mandarin that it would be a shame if progress were halted because of
exam grades
Nick Mair
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Wood [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Mon 26/09/2005 20:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Re: [MANDARIN-CHINESE-TEACHING] GCSE Chinese
Katharine
In my opinion, it is all to do with grade boundaries now. The
exam is fine,
but the grade boundaries are unrealistic and warped by the high
level of
native-speaker entrants. The depressing thing is that all this
was put
quite forcefully at the meeting with the exam board/QCA last
year (hosted by
the British Council) and still nothing has changed.
Mary
-----Original Message-----
From: Katharine Carruthers <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:41:48 +0100
Subject: [MANDARIN-CHINESE-TEACHING] GCSE Chinese
> Dear All
>
> Since my original email to you about the Chinese GCSE, there
has been
> some discussion on the forum and I have had a number of emails
from
> people off-forum aswell.
>
> There seems to be a prevailing view that whilst results have
been good
> this year, it is still an enormous effort to get students
through the
> GCSE - a much greater effort for both teacher and student than
for
> other
> foreign language GCSEs.
>
> It has been suggested that representations should be made by
teachers
> to
> Edexcel, QCA etc to address this. However, in order to put
together a
> document to give weight to your views, we do need to use the
forum to
> collate exactly what we think about the examination. I have
agreed to
> put together your responses via the forum.
>
> The questions seem to be:
> a) Is the exam set at the right level or is it still too
difficult?
> b) Should the level of difficulty of the Chinese GCSE be a
matter of
> looking at contact hours per GCSE and saying it takes a given
number of
> hours to get the average child a C in GCSE French or German,
therefore
> whatever level of Chinese the average child reaches after the
same
> number of contact hours of Chinese, then that should be the
level at
> which the GCSE is set?
> c) Is the problem more to do with how the exam is marked and
grade
> boundaries than the actual exam itself?
>
> It would be really helpful if as many of you as possible could
respond
> to the above questions and add any other comments you think
are
> relevant
> and then once this information is collated, we can take things
forward
> as a group.
>
> Best wishes
> Katharine
> --
>
> Katharine Carruthers
> Brooke House
> Ashdon Road, Saffron Walden
> Essex, CB10 2AA
>
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