Today I received a publicly available link to the AQA policy briefing paper on the DfE GCSE MFL Subject content proposals. Please see link below.
Links
- ALL Webinar 2: http://www.all-london.org.uk/site/index.php/all-gcse-content-review-2021-webinar-2/ [Includes recording, Ppt, chat + poll results]
- DfE consultation document: https://consult.education.gov.uk/ebacc-and-arts-and-humanities-team/gcse-mfl-subject-content-review/
- DfE consultation online: https://consult.education.gov.uk/ebacc-and-arts-and-humanities-team/gcse-mfl-subject-content-review/consultation/intro/
- OFQUAL consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/revised-gcse-qualifications-in-modern-foreign-languages/revised-gcse-qualifications-in-modern-foreign-languages
- AQA Policy Briefing Paper on GCSE MFL content proposals: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/our-standards/AQA-GCSE-MFL-POLICY-BRIEFING-APRIL-2021.PDF
This AQA briefing paper gives a detailed exposition which links closely to the most popular views expressed at the recent ALL Webinar 2 which was held to explore further concerns expressed in ALL Webinar 1. It is very powerful to have such a paper which has many academic research references and which is very much in accord with views expressed by many members through the polls in ALL Webinar 2.
If you feel that your views are similar to many views expressed at the ALL webinar 2 and in the AQA policy briefing paper, then, given the way that the DfE consultation process works, I would suggest that you should plan to answer the questions in the following way in order to make your points.
If you have any further comments, then add them into the text which becomes available if you answer no to 10-14. Note that there is no opportunity to comment on 15 or 16.
Questions 17 &18 ‘Yes’ (around setting question in English to test comprehension and give instructions.)
Questions 19 & 20 ‘No’ (where the DfE are specifying the assessment types (19) reading aloud and demonstrating understanding and (20) dictation.)
Question 21 ‘Yes’ to (speaking at a moderate pace).
Question 22 ‘No’ to “not specifying it” as a theme, rather than ‘no’ to the “not testing”.
This is a logically poorly worded question because
(a) it begins with the premise that students will continue to learn about the culture , and yet that has been removed as a requirement in the subject content (in 2015 it was a required theme)
and
(b) it asks ‘will not be specified or tested’ thus combining two separate points.
The last sentence in italics says: “therefore, it is proposed that students will continue not to be marked on their cultural knowledge.” There is general support for the continuation of the current arrangement where students are not tested on the cultural content per se but on the other hand, there was very strong support that a cultural context should be required.
‘No’ to “not specifying it” as a theme, rather than ‘no’ to the “not testing”.
Question 23 (Grammar) ‘No’
I strongly recommend you look at the actual questions posed in the ALL webinar 2 poll – pasted below – especially the equality question and the overall questions about whether there should be a defined word list.
STOP PRESS: Many high profile organisations are calling for a halt to the process / stating that the process should be suspended. If ypu support this, writing something along the lines of 'I call upon you to halt the process' should send a powerful message if included in many responses.
Ofqual Consultation
3 – strongly agree (to have both Foundation and Higher
Tiers)
4 – agree about not splitting the tiering - sensible to have this generally - split
tiering for different parts can be complex issue from a technical perspective -
depends on how AOs are set up
5 – comment to make these points
7 – agree (25%)
8 – comment
- would support keeping NEA for to give speaking at least
25% (spoken responses and interactions), but this is puzzling because the
proposed NEA involves mixed skill testing (reading aloud, answer questions on
the text) and therefore if the maximum is 25%, speaking cannot be 25%.
REFERENCE
ALL WEBINAR 2 POLL QUESITONS
|
Poll 1/1 |
Do you agree that there should be a defined word list for
listening? |
|
Poll 1/2 |
Do you agree that there should be a defined word list for
reading? |
|
Poll 1/3 |
Do you agree that there should be a defined word list for
writing? |
|
Poll 1/4 |
Do you agree that there should be a defined word list for
speaking? |
|
Poll 2 |
The proposals state that all vocabulary listed can be
tested in all skills, with no scope for ‘receptive only’ words. |
|
All vocabulary should be for all skills |
|
|
The vocabulary for both listening and reading should be
relatively larger than the other 2 skills |
|
|
The vocabulary for listening should be relatively larger
than the other three skills |
|
|
The vocabulary for reading should be relatively larger
than the other three skills |
|
|
Poll 3/1 |
The proposals do not propose themes and topics and do not
require an AO to provide themes and topics to be examined. Should students
know for exams the range of contexts / themes / topic from which they are
going to be tested? |
|
Poll 3/2 |
If students do not know for exams the range of contexts /
themes / topic from which they are going to be tested, will the questions be
valid and reliable across students from different schools? |
|
Poll 3/3 |
Should there be agreement between exam boards for a common
set of themes so as to promote collaboration, comparison of standards,
transferability of textbooks, etc? |
|
Poll 4/1 |
If it were essential to retain the principle of words
lists, in the light of the concerns expressed in Webinar 1 about using
tightly controlled highest frequency from general corpora, should alternative
ways be explored? |
|
Poll 4/2 |
Which of the following approaches should be considered
instead? |
|
From highest frequency occurrences in a corpus relevant
to 16 year olds16 year olds |
|
|
From themes specified by DfE or exam boards |
|
|
50% from the highest frequency list with 50% specified to
match themes |
|
|
Not applicable |
|
|
Poll 5 |
Do you agree that it avoids "double
testing/penalty" by having comprehension questions and rubrics in English? |
|
Pol 6/1 |
Do you agree that the DfE should be specifying the
pedagogy teachers should be using? |
|
Do you agree that the DfE should be specifying the details
of the assessment question types (e.g. reading a passage aloud then being
asked questions on it)? |
|
|
Do you agree that the DfE should be specifying mixed
skills testing? (i.e. Dictation/ Read aloud text and answer questions on the
text)? |
|
|
Poll 7 |
Do you agree with the mixed skill Assessment Objectives
from the Ofqual consultation i.e. AO1 = Understand and respond to spoken
language in speaking and in writing (35%) AO2 = Understand and respond to
written language in speaking and in writing (45%) |
|
Poll 8 |
Do you agree that there is a risk of dilution regarding an
awareness of the culture of the countries in the proposals? |
|
Do you agree that no longer specifying the use of authentic
materials is a risk? |
|
|
Do you agree that there is a risk in not specifying that
themes should include culture (e.g. customs and festivals)? |
|
|
Poll 9 |
Do you agree with the reduction in emphasis on
communication and the downgrading of the statement of purpose for learning
and using a language? |
|
Bearing in mind that comparable outcomes means that
grading outcomes will remain the same, do you believe that these proposals
will increase the take-up of ML at KS4 ? |
|
|
Pol 10 |
The proposals state that all grammar listed can be tested
in all skills, with no scope for ‘receptive only’ elements. Do you agree that
there should be no ‘receptive only’ elements? |
