Teaching and Assessing the
four skills
with reference to the new Matura exam
in Austria
Silvia Jindra
University of Teacher Education, Vienna (AT)
Listening
Reading
Writing
Individual Long Turn (monologue)
14.07.16
Paired Activity (dialogue)
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
2
Educational standards testing
• 8th form of Lower Secondary School
• age 14 years,
• A2 level (CEFR*)
• every 3 years
• listening, reading, writing, speaking (monologue
14.07.16
and dialogue)
*) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
3
PROBLEMS
Read the following four problem letters and the answers. Match
letter and correct answer and fill the numbers in the grid. Be
careful – one answer letter does NOT fit!
Problem letters:
A) I am so much in love with my boyfriend, but he always hurts my
feelings. We arrange a date, but then he makes other plans and
doesn’t even let me know. It is so frustrating when I sit at home
waiting for his phone call. I don’t know what to do.
14.07.16
B) I’ve been going steady with this girl for four months. She’s on a
school trip with her class, and last night when I visited her mum I
found letters to her ex-boyfriend in her room. I was shocked. She is
still sending him notes signed “love you”. She also met him at a party
and lied to me about where she had been. Should I still trust her?
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
4
Answer letters:
1 Children often feel that their parents act unfairly. Maybe your dad
is slowly realizing that his little girl is not so little anymore. For a
father this is not always easy to accept. Show your dad that he can
trust you. Then sit down and talk to him. Explain why this is
important for you.
2 Be honest, tell her that you are old enough to have some privacy
of your own. Explain that your relationship would be better if she
trusted you to tell her about things or if she asked you openly. Just
make sure you stay calm when you are talking to her.
14.07.16
3 Go and say sorry for what you said. It will make things better. It’s
hard, I know – but it’s the best way. Then try and explain how you
feel – but do it calmly. Tell her that you do understand why she is
worried, and tell her you need some privacy.
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
5
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK
14.07.16
Read the text about the Statue of Liberty in New York. There
are seven gaps. Find out where the sentence parts below
should go. Write the number in the boxes in the text.
Be careful – two sentence parts do NOT fit!
(1) about 2.6 kilometers southwest of the southern tip of
Manhattan
(2) and the story goes that the body was modelled after a
prostitute
(3) but with a total weight of 156 tons
(4) before the attack of September 11th, 2001
(5) is open daily from 8.30 am to 5.15 pm
(6) that hardly any tourist wants to miss
(7) they saw of the USA
(8) until they had raised the money
(9) which brought the statue to the USA
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
6
14.07.16
The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island in New York
Harbor, ¨. For most immigrants that came from Europe to New
York, the Statue of Liberty was the first image ¨. The statue was a
gift from the French government for the 100th birthday of America’s
Independence in 1776. This statue was designed by a young
French artist, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. The statue’s face was
modelled after his mother’s ¨. Finally the whole statue was
transported to the USA by ship in 350 pieces which all had to be
put together again after arrival! Perhaps the biggest problem was
the construction of the pedestal, because it was the Americans
themselves who had to pay for it. It took the Americans more than
six years ¨. So when the opening ceremony took place on
October 28th, 1886, it was in fact a present that was 10 years late!
The Statue of Liberty is 46,5 meters high and together with the
pedestal it reaches 93 meters. ¨ it was possible to walk up the
staircase inside the statue to the head from where you have a nice
view of New York City, but sadly this was no longer allowed for
security reasons after the statue opened again on August 4th, 2004.
Liberty Island can only be reached by ferry and ¨. With over 5
million visitors a year, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most
popular sights in New York ¨!
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
https://newyorksightseeingtours.wordpress.com/tag/statue-of-liberty
/
7
Writing– CEFR*
Writing
A2
B1
Icanwriteshort,simple notes
andmessagesrelatingto
matters
inareasofimmediateneeds.I
canwriteaverysimple
personal
letter,for example thanking
someone for something.
Icanwritesimpleconnected
texton
topicswhicharefamiliarorof
personalinterest.Ican write
personal
letters describing experiences
and
impressions.
*)Common EuropeanFrameworkof Referencefor Languages
14.07.16
Snack attack
Your class does a project on health and fitness in English and
Biology. It will be presented in the next school magazine.
Write a story about your cousin Max and explain what
happened to him. Look at the cartoon.
Write about 150 words.
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
9
SPEAKING - monologue (2 mins)
GROWING UP
Teenagers are often unhappy with their parents because they
are not allowed to do what they want:
n dress as they like
n use make up (girls)
n watch TV late
n talk on the phone as long as they want
n come home late in the evening
n go to discos
n listen to LOUD music
14.07.16
• How do you think and feel about the statements? Which
ones are important for you?
• Is there anything else you would like to add?
You have got 3 minutes to make notes here:
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
10
Austrian curriculum (languages)
• Based on the CEFR
• Communicative competence is the main educational goal
• The main focus is successful communication ( NOT to be
confused with flawless communication !)
• Balance of all skills ( reading, listening, writing, spoken
interaction, spoken production )
• Teaching grammar within situative contexts
• Diversity of methods
14.07.16
• Creative elements
• Cross curricular activities
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
11
Final Exams in Languages
• Standardised (only written part)
• English / French / Italian ……. on the same day for all
students / schools
• 1st foreign language ( 8 yrs of study) – B2
• 2nd foreign language ( 6 yrs of study ) – B2 (reading) , B1
(other skills)
• 2nd / 3rd foreign language ( 4 yrs of study) - B1
• corrections by class teachers with solution sheet and
14.07.16
assessment scales
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
12
Why a new state exam ?
§
high level of objectivity
§ transparency
§ comparability of student performance
§ raising validity of final state exams
§ comparability of European certifications /
qualifications
Silvia Jindra
www.phwien.ac.at
Formats – written part (B2)
receptive
productive
skill
duration
number weight
of tasks
ing
Reading
60 min.
4
25%
Listening
45 min.
4
25%
Language in use
45 min.
4
25%
Writing*
120 min.
2
25%
Total duration
270 min.
*) 1. essay ( 400 words)
2. report / or letter (e mail) / or article / or blog ( 250 words)
CEFR– related topics
1.
2.
3.
4.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Artand culture
Media
Communication
Natureand environment
17.
Modern technologies
18.
19.
Individual goals and plans
Intercultural aspects
8.
Relationshipsandsocialnetworks
Homeand neighbourhood
Fashionand trends
Nutrition, healthandsocial
security
Sport (including socio- and
politicaldimension)
School andeducation
Theworld ofwork(including supra
nationalandglobalaspects)
Leisureandfreetimeactivities
20.
9.
10.
11.
Consumerism
Traditionandchange
Transportandtourism
21.
22.
23.
12.
Culturalaspects
24.
Growing upandthesearchforidentity(
including rolesandrolemodels)
Politicsandtheinstitutions ofpublic life
Theglobalised world
Societalgroupings (minorities and
marginalised groups
Rules,regulations andlaws(youth
criminality,individual freedom)
5.
6.
7.
TestFormats
LISTENING
READING
matching
X
X
short answers
X
X
right /wrong (with
explanation)
X
x
multiplechoice
X
X
LANGUAGE inUSE
x
word formation
x
editing
x
gap filling (with
proposed answers)
x
opencloze text
x
https://www.bifie.at/node/3498
Language in Use
https://www.bifie.at/node/3494
Reading
14.07.16
https://www.bifie.at/node/3496
Listening
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
17
You see the following advertisement onthe website of aninternational
bookstore:
Englishessay competition
Dobooks as we know them have afuture?
What is your opinion?Thebest essay will be published
onour website and the author
will win the latest bestseller and €500.
You have decided to take part inthe competition.Inyour essay,argue for or against the
future of books as they exist now.
You should:
• outline the reasons why you prefer reading from abook or acomputer screen
• consider the influence of e-books onpeople’s reading habits
• discuss the possible effects of e-books onteaching and learning
Give your essay atitle.Writearound 400words.
Image:http://www.adpic-images.com/royaltyfree_pictures/health/medical%20equipment/reading_glasses_and_book_105456.html
email, B2
Kidsvacation, an international welfare association, is
offering children aged 10-14 a four-week summer camp in
a European country. The association has put up a poster in your
school asking high school graduates to work with the children.
You have decided to
send in an application.
In your email you should:
14.07.16
• describe what would make you a good candidate
• suggest which workshops and activities you could offer
• explain how you would prepare yourself for the camp
Write around 250 words.
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
19
argent. Le
comment
Le magazine La monnaie veut publier
un dossier sur la relation des Européens avec leur
argent. Le magazine souhaiterait donc savoir
comment les jeunes Européens gagnent et
dépensent leur argent.
Vous décidez d’écrire un article. Les meilleurs articles vont paraître
dans le prochain numéro.
Dans votre article, vous
• expliquez pourquoi l’argent a une grande importance pour les jeunes
• donnez des conseils aux jeunes pour gagner de l’argent
• racontez comment vous dépensez votre argent.
14.07.16
Donnez un titre à votre article. Ecrivez environ 200 mots.
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
Photo:
https://www.google.at/search?q=geld&biw=1366&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=
0ahUKEwjZvdvwlsbNAhWEHsAKHYJqBpwQsAQIGg#imgrc=AZFUP2UC9trHdM%3A
20
Oral exam
• Not knowledge based!
• Students must show ability to communicate
effectively by using communication strategies
( e. g. turn-taking, expressing opinions,…)
14.07.16
• 24 topics CEFR related ( e.g. relationships
and social networks, art and culture ….)
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
21
2 parts:
1) Individual Long Turn ( 5 min.)
2) Paired Activity ( 10 min.)
14.07.16
2 Teachers involved ( interlocutor and assessor)
+ examining board
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
22
Topic: Education (B2)
Individual long turn (5 minutes)
• Compare and contrast the pictures.
• Discuss how school has changed during the last decades.
• Suggest improvements for the Austrian school system.
Photo 1: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_8508_Gan-Shmuel_-_students_in_the_class_in_1951.jpg
Photo 2 : https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rWEwv_qobpU/maxresdefault.jpg
neue RP in Englisch mündlich / Silvia JIndra, PH Wien
23
Beispiel: individual long turn B2 (5 minutes)
Themenbereich: Moderne Technologien
• Compare and contrast the pictures.
• Explain how modern technology has changed our lives.
• Discuss which electronic device has had the most positive
impact
Photo 1: http://www.geekosystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/textingkids.jpg
neue RP in Englisch mündlich / Silvia JIndra, PH Wien
24
Topic: Cultural Studies (B2)
Paired activity (10 minutes)
The British Embassy wants to find out how young
Austrians best learn about British traditions and
culture.
The school has decided to present students’ ideas.
Discuss the following aspects and decide which
three you would recommend.
• English literature
• English films
• Staying with an English host
family
neue RP in Englisch mündlich / Silvia JIndra, PH Wien
• Weekend in London
• Discussions with an English
assistant
25
14.07.16
https://www.bmbf.gv.at/schulen/unterricht/ba/mrp_lfsp.htm
PH Wien | Silvia Jindra
26
Exemple: monologue (B1)
4 minutes
Lafamille
•Compare lesdeuxsituations représentéessurles
photos
•Expliquecommentlesrelationsentreenfantsetparents
ontchangé
•Discutedifférentsmodèlesdecohabitation
neue RP in den Fremdsprachen mündlich
27