Moderator's Newsletter - Spanish

July 2009

From the Moderator

This newsletter discusses:

• Moderator best practice workshops
• Spanish subject page
• Clarifications documents
• TKI resources
• National moderator's report
• Version of standards
• Unit standards.

Moderator Best Practice workshops

The first moderation workshop for Languages was held last year in Wellington and are continuing this year (numbers permitting).

The dates and venues for Languages other than French are:

These dates are in the school holidays or first week of exams.

The workshops will be looking at some exemplars of the "conversation" standard using work from our own teachers and students including what helps to make this a workable and successful task. We will also look at the writing standard and what needs to be included in assessment conditions. These workshops are an excellent opportunity to discuss moderation practice as a group so I really encourage you to come along. Full details are available online.

Spanish subject page

Keep checking this page as it lists all things related to NCEA Spanish including internal moderation. The three latest additions to check out are:

• Moderation for languages. This gives a checklist for the things you need to ensure are contained within the submission: the task, assessment schedule and student work
• Clarifications document Conversation and Writing standards. A guide to assessment of the conversation and writing standards
• Moderator newsletters.

There are links to NZALT, TKI, the standards, Vocabulary and Structures guidelines, assessment specifications, National Moderators' reports and much more.

Clarifications documents

In an attempt to help give some clarification and guidelines to the conversation standard, we have published clarifications documents for the conversation and writing with resources standards.

TKI Assessment Resources

The best tasks are those that teachers have designed or adapted themselves which cater to the specific teaching and learning that has taken place within the classroom. If using a TKI activity please check that:

• for level 1, the task allows students to communicate a Spanish curriculum level 6 achievement objective
• the language samples exemplify both the appropriate level and a relevant achievement objective for that level
• for the conversation standard, that at level 2 and 3 the task is not an interview. As explained in the clarifications document this leads to students simply answering questions and does not allow for interaction.
• in the writing with resources standards the task is one which would naturally call for a piece of work to be rewritten/crafted and drafted e.g. an article as opposed to a diary entry.

National Moderator's report

The 2008 moderator's report for Spanish is also available. Please read this carefully as it will help inform this year's practice.

Version of standards

For 2009 all teachers should be assessing using version 3 of level 1. Version 2 of level 2 and 3 remains unchanged in 2009.

Until the standards review process is completed the guiding document for NCEA assessment is Spanish in the New Zealand Curriculum.

Unit standards

Teachers who are using unit standards need to be aware that the moderation process is as robust for these as for achievement standards. Assessment materials need to contain:

• judgement statements
• assessment schedules
• conditions for the assessment.

Where there is terminology in the special notes, this needs to be explained to students, exemplified and possibly quantified. For example, in US12166 performance criteria 1.2 states "Translations are expressed in natural English, avoiding transliterations". The term 'transliteration' will need to be explained to students. This can also be exemplified in the assessment schedule. The judgement statement will need to highlight areas where this might occur e.g. translation of definite articles 'Me gusta el café' is not 'I like the coffee'.

Last updated: 28 July 2009