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QCA- GSCE Oral exams 'too stressful'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7249090.stm

According to the Telegraph...thoughts?

A silly idea if you ask me, the only reason for learning a language properly is the ability to speak it. What are they thinking, honestly?

Reply 1

Barry Scott

That is a load of rubbish. They only want to do it to make more people do a language GCSE because they will se it as easier. What's the point in this since the people with the GCSE won't be able to use it in foreign countries because they won't be able to speak it. Also, it will not prepare them for and A-Level language where the oral parts of the course are much harder. It'll be much better keeping the GCSE the same and making a language at GCSE compulsory.

Reply 2

.x.alexa.x.

That's stupid. Language GCSE's are already so easy. You can pass a language reading and listening exam without knowing the language well because most of it's to do with logic. The only actual hard part is the speaking.
And i like my French Speaking Examm :smile:

Reply 3

Jesska xD

I got stressed out. :s-smilie:

Jessikar

I don't really know where to post this.

Today i walked out of my German oral exam because i couldn't cope with the stess. I seem to have a terrible memory and no matter how much i revise, i just forget everything - my mind goes blank.

The exam started fine, the B roleplay went ok i guess, but the C... Oh my god, i got 1/10 :frown:

because i couldn't understand it and my teacher was practically shouting at me in German because i'm meant to be one of the 'best students' and couldn't even understand the first thing.

Reply 4

spartakist

Perhaps languages aren't for you, jessikar, if the prospect of speaking them stresses you that much...

Reply 5

Jesska xD

I can do it. I do two :s-smilie:

My French one was great and its because i suppose i wasnt the best in my group so there wasnt the 'pressure' to do well.

Reply 6

rotor

I personally found the speaking exam the exam which boosted my marks because I was the most confident in the speaking exam as I had prepared alot.
But to learn a language you have to be able to speak it, so the QCA are jsut being stupid.

Reply 7

city_chic

What a joke! Honestly.

Reply 8

hannah_dru

Haha that's just what my mum said- what's the point of getting rid of orals cos you need to SPEAK the language. I like how their argument was, "That you can't really excel yourself in 3 minutes." Yeah you can, if you know the grammar well enough.

Reply 9

Joanna May

Language GCSEs are a walk in the park. All getting rid of the oral exams will do is make a load of people with no real talent get their easy GCSE and never progress further than that. And those who do want to go further, to A-level and degree, with get a hell of a shock when they see the orals these require.

Reply 10

AnythingButChardonnay

Kiddies my age should be sheltered from the horrors of the real world.

I struggle with speaking. Do I deserve a good GCSE? No, of course I don't.

Reply 11

Sorani

I agree that oral exams can be stressful, and are, to me, the worst part of the language GCSE (my nerves are terrible).

However, I'd never in a million years scrap them. You need to be able to speak and, on top of that, you need the confidence to be able to speak in your language one-on-one to someone. You can't learn another language if you're constantly nervous about speaking it.

Reply 12

Eien

If anything, there should be more oral assessments - perhaps a continuous assessment could be made for general use of language in class or group discussions as an oral exam to reduce the stress experienced in "one on one" exams.

However, on further inspection, it appears they are simply changing the way it is done, which looks ideal - I think group presentations or other 'situational' oral exams are probably more applicable to the real world rather than a set interview, where set responses can be memorised. I remember certain people in my college and school who simply memorised whole chunks of phrases or entire sentences for an oral exam, with little ability to manipulate or understand them, as the 'easy option', instead of being encouraged to be more creative with the language. However, I still believe there should be one or two final oral examinations that can be clearly assessed and marked - study can be stressful, c'est la vie!