adminTHE above two aspects of the English Language Paper 2 are always tested in question number 3 and Section B of the paper. If a candidate scooped all marks from the two questions, he or she would have 30 marks in the bag (30 out of 50 is not bad). The summary alone gives you a total of 20 marks and the Registers 10 in total. That means a candidate can possibly pass the paper if he or she answered the 2 questions only. “Possible” does not mean “Do it!”
Examination experts say a clever candidate attempts all questions. Really? Advisably yes! But is the one who attempts only the “juicy ones” foolish? Well, maybe, but not always. If a Comprehension Paper were some hunting ground, and indeed it is, would it be a foolish idea for a hunter to ignore the rabbits and focus on the eland and/or buffalo? Especially given the constraint of time? Would a teacher be foolish to train his or her hunters to kill the buffalo than have “much ado about rabbits”? I am of the opinion that there is wisdom in this foolishness if the time to hunt were controlled or limited. And exams do control and limit time!
I want teachers of English Language to deeply reflect on this hunting concept. Is it wiser to chase 100 rabbits and kill them than to go straight for one buffalo and a wildebeest, and go home?
The examiners suggest that the pupils answer comprehension questions in the order they are asked. Fine. I know reasons they advise so.
One is that if you follow the order, you gradually or steadily follow the development of the comprehension story and by time you come to the number 3 question, which is the Summary, you have a fuller understanding of what is going on- hence the précis question becomes easier.
There is some truth in this. Definitely. Another reason is that by beginning with the “rabbits” you gather or accumulate confidence in the process (warming up). By the time you get to the buffalo, the summary question, you are a great shot who shoots without missing.
If you were driving, you are in top gear needed to climb up the steep slope. There is also some truth in this theory.
My submission, however, is, this works perfectly well for above average candidates who are smart enough not to waste time scavenging for answers in the areas literally valueless in terms of marks per question. My experience as a teacher of both brilliant and struggling candidates tells me that the latter group waste their arrows shooting rabbits and by the time the buffaloes come, they have none at all and it is time to go home anyway.
I have carefully estimated the time below-average candidates or students spend before the Summary question and Section B. It is not less than one hour. Really struggling pupils stretch deep into the second hour, then rush through the Summary and Registers sections.
They end up rushing through these important questions at the risk of losing a good part of 30 marks. If that is wise, I do not know what the word “foolish” means.
What am I saying and suggesting? For slow-learners, and these form the bulk of our candidates, commonly referred to as “plap” cases, try the following strategy:
- Practically coach, drill if you like, how to handle the summary question. Take your time on this 20-mark question.
- Start by clearly defining what summarising is. And it is not shortening passages. Never! Haisi Pfupiso paChingezi. It is selecting specific detail or information as directed by the examiner and reorganising it so that it makes a new set of meaning.
- Identify what I call the “commands” of the summary. These refer to what you are asked to do. Eg. Does the question ask you to summarise the differences alone or with similarities? Does it ask you to summarise the advantages of something or the disadvantages as well? Is it about identifying reactions of something or somebody alone or including the actions? You must be very clear about this first.
Sometimes the question asks you to do one thing, sometimes two things or even three things. Then the given or suggested ten words give you the entry point. They give you the door through which you enter the new piece of literary work (the summary).
- You cannot teach a summary by tutorial lecturing alone, which means idealising the concept and sticking to rules and regulations . . . no matter how beautifully you may do it. You need a hands-on approach, meaning practical exercises clearly illustrating how to answer the summary question.
You need examples, many of them before students can master the know-how. Go through the paces with them and show them how this statement or that statement is relevant or not relevant and so forth and so on . . . ticking or underlining the points as you go along. If they are less than 20 points obviously you have missed some.
Re-examine the relevant paragraphs.
Please note that I have used this method (Summary first approach) and it has made hopeless candidates cross the proverbial River Jordan. Even chronic cases in my private tutorials have passed their Paper 2 English examinations.
REGISTERS: Notoriously boring to teach or learning. Yet very easy to master, both in the art of teaching and learning.
- First define what registers are. Use examples to define them. Go through the paces with the students practically answering past exam questions to acquaint them with the examiners questioning techniques.
- What is the secret of teaching or learning these registers? Careful examination of the given situations. Understand the little ‘story’ first. Then understand the question. Most of them will ask you to describe Manner, Character, Attitude, Reaction, Feelings. Easier said than done. You cannot answer these questions if you do not have banks/funds of words to describe these human attributes. There is simply no way! If you go into an exam with at least ten under each attribute, you would have done yourself a tremendous favour. Smart candidates would have learnt much more throughout the year or years. Consider the following:
Manner: polite/ modest/ gracious/ considerate/ respectful/ caring/ concerned gentle/ civil/ grateful/ rude/ arrogant/proud
Character: humble/generous/ sympathetic/ honest/ cunning/ responsible/ realistic/restrained / sensitive/ blunt/ aggressive/ ungracious/ boastful/pompous.
Attitude: apologetic/ regretful/ defensive/ accommodating/ supportive/ forgiving/ understanding/ assuring/ hopeful/ hopeless/ patient/ considerate.
Reaction: very happy/ jovial/ excited/ interested / eager/ confident/surprised/ amazed/ taken aback. Shocked/ dismayed/ exasperated/ annoyed/ insulted.
Feelings: delighted/ glad/ motivated/ gratified/ impressed/ captivated thrilled/ appreciative/ placated/ comforted/ pacified/ composed/
Enjoy your examinations!
Online Reporter