Contents Level 4 Unit standard 17369, version 3 Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL) 6 Credits 1 Assessor guidelines 2 Candidate instructions 3 Candidate checklist 4 Model text on a parallel topic 5 Assessment schedule Note: The following guidelines are supplied to enable teachers/tutors to carry out valid and consistent assessment using this internal assessment resource. Teachers/tutors must manage authenticity for any assessment from a public source, because students may have access to the assessment schedule or student exemplar material. This assessment resource without modification may mean that students work is not authentic. The teacher may need to change the context or topic to be investigated, or change to a different text to read or perform. Page 1 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Assessor guidelines Level 4 Unit standard 17369, version 3 Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL) 6 Credits This unit standard has one element: Element 1: Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL). Range: two reports of approximately 500 words each on different topics. Conditions All assessment must be conducted in English, which must not be the candidate s first language. Candidates writing competence must be assessed after they have been given the opportunity to edit and proofread their work. Drafts must be attached as part of the completed assessment. Candidates writing may contain surface errors but these must not interfere with meaning. For the purposes of this unit standard the topic and purpose of the report is determined by the candidate, and approved by the supervisor. Any resource material used by the candidate must be attached to the completed assessment. Learning contexts Candidates should be assessed after they are familiar with each topic. By linking with a reading standard on a similar topic and text type (e.g. unit standards 22751 and 25098) candidates will become familiar with content, text structure, language features and specialised vocabulary. Notes for assessors It is important that candidates are familiar with the requirements of the performance criteria and the special notes. Each of the two texts should be assessed at separate times. Candidates may use the model text and the checklist to guide their writing and to ensure they meet all of the performance criteria. The assessment schedule is for assessors only and is not to be shared with candidates during the assessment process. Refer to your institution s policies before offering reassessment opportunities. Page 2 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Candidate instructions Level 4 Unit standard 17369, version 3 Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL) 6 Credits This unit standard has one element: Element 1: Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL). Range: two reports of approximately 500 words each on different topics. Element 1: Task 1 You have been reading about settlement and adapting to life in a new country. You must choose a topic related to this issue. decide the purpose of your report. write the report. Name: Date: My topic is... The purpose of my report is to Approved by. (signature of supervisor) Conditions You must write 500 words. You must submit your drafts and your final copy. You may use resource materials e.g. articles, books. Copies of any resource materials you use must be submitted with your work. Read through your writing with the checklist and make any changes you need to. Your writing does not need to be perfect, but you should try to have as few errors as possible. The assessor needs to be able to understand what you mean. Page 3 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Candidate checklist In this assessment task you will need to show you have done the following: / Written approximately 500 words. Text structure is suitable for the audience and the purpose of the report and is organized clearly (1.1). This could include: problem and solution e.g. a definition/statement of the topic followed by outlining of the problem, consideration of possible solutions and a conclusion. generalisation and examples e.g. a summary of the general issue followed by analysis of specific examples. Ideas are developed and achieve the purpose of the report (1.2). Each paragraph contains a different idea that is clarified and/or expanded and has supporting details e.g. Many students are overwhelmed by the task that faces them on arrival at a New Zealand university. Native speakers of English, who are high school graduates know about 20,000 word families. However the passive vocabulary of foreign language learners. Text is organised into coherent, logical paragraphs (1.3) i.e. paragraphs contain ideas in logical order. Writing demonstrates control of cohesive devices (1.4) These may include: substitution e.g. difference between the English language they have studied previously and the one they encounter in social situations. ellipsis e.g. However, the passive vocabulary of foreign language learners who are high school graduates and university students is usually significantly less. (than native speakers of English) conjunctions e.g. and, but, when reference e.g. it shows they can be reached at reiteration e.g. synonyms such as volume / amount / number collocation e.g. social situations, news programmes Sentence structures are complete and convey relevant meaning (1.5). This could include: simple sentences e.g. Some words are more important to learn than others. compound sentences e.g. English speakers will often use colloquialisms and speak with different accents. complex sentences e.g. When students arrive at a New Zealand university from an overseas country, they face many challenges in terms of the volume of vocabulary they are required to learn. Visual features are included and are used appropriately to help achieve the purpose of the report (1.6). This may include; sub-headings, bullet points, numbering, supporting illustrations, maps, diagrams, photographs. Page 4 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Writing demonstrates control of the language features of a report (1.7). This may include: active voice e.g. these word occur, you have to learn passive voice e.g. Vocabulary has been divided The language used is appropriate to the audience and purpose of the report (1.8). This may include: concise writing e.g. use of note form, bullet points simple language e.g. You can find vocabulary lists at a number of sites including this one.. formal style e.g. It can be seen that... Writing uses correct and relevant vocabulary (1.9) including: technical vocabulary e.g. academic, low frequency vocabulary accurate vocabulary e.g. passive, undergraduate correct grammar e.g. deliberately learned not deliberate learned You have included a bibliography that lists your resources in alphabetical order, used correct layout and correct punctuation (1.10). See below for an example. Example of format when referencing a: book chapter in a book journal article website article from a website Example Bibliography Kehoe, G. (2003). Brain development in young children. London, England: Pearson Education. Laufer, B. (1997). The lexical plight in second language reading: words you don t know, words you think you know, and words you can t guess. In J. Cody and T. Huckin (Eds.), Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition (pp 20-34). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Elley, W. R. (1989). Vocabulary acquisition from listening to stories. Reading Research Quarterly, 24(2), 174-187 Waring, R. (2009,Feb 10 ). Wordlists Page. Retrieved from http://www.robwaring.org/vocab/wordlists/vocfreq.html Nation, P. and Waring, R. (1997). Vocabulary size, text coverage and word lists. Retrieved from http://www.robwaring.org/papers/ Page 5 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Text structure is suitable for the audience and the purpose of the report. It includes a statement of the topic and purpose. (1.1) Text structure includes an outline of the problem (1.1) Topic: Vocabulary acquisition Model text on a parallel topic: Purpose: To give advice to newly-arrived university students on the problems regarding vocabulary they will encounter and to suggest strategies for dealing with this. What vocabulary do you need to learn? Advice for university students The problem When students arrive at a New Zealand university from overseas they face many challenges in terms of the amount of vocabulary they are required to learn. Firstly, the everyday language they encounter may be very different from the English language they studied in their home countries. Additionally, they may not have studied their chosen subject in English before. Thirdly, the volume of new vocabulary is so large that it is difficult to decide where to start and what to learn. Students need to take a variety of approaches to dealing with this problem, as no one solution will provide all of the answers. Many students are overwhelmed by the task that faces them on arrival at a New Zealand university. Native speakers of English, who are high school graduates, know about 20,000 word families (Nation 1990). However the passive vocabulary of foreign language learners, who are high school graduates and university students, is usually significantly less (Laufer and Yano, 2001). Texts are organised into logical coherent paragraphs (1.3) Writing demonstrates control of cohesive devices e.g. ellipsis (1.4) Page 6 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Writing demonstrates control of the language features of a report e.g. active and passive voice (1.7) Text structure includes suggested solutions (1.1) Visual features are appropriate to the presentation of the report purpose e.g. sub headings, bullet points, illustrations (1.6) The most immediate problem, in terms of vocabulary, that students encounter, is the difference between the English language they have studied previously and the one they encounter in social situations. Talking and being understood can be daunting and present numerous problems. English speakers will often use colloquialisms that are hard to understand, and speak with different accents. Added to this is the sheer volume of new vocabulary required for their studies. Some solutions It is important to remember that you cannot learn every new word. You must be selective and, once you know what words to concentrate on, the task becomes more manageable. Vocabulary has been divided into words that have to be deliberately learned and words that you should learn in other ways. Different types of vocabulary and how to deal with it. Everyday vocabulary Tertiary students should consider enrolling in a pre-session course, which can help students become acclimatised to the teaching environment before the real work of the course starts. They should also avoid spending most of their time with other international students. It is important to hear and speak English as often as possible. This can be achieved by joining clubs and other organisations. Watching news programmes, using teletext to help listeners follow what is being said is a good idea. Essential vocabulary (the first 3000 words) This vocabulary needs to be deliberately learned as it makes up nearly 84% of the English vocabulary (Francis and Kucera in Nation and Waring, 1997). University word list (836 words) These are words that occur in most academic texts and should be learned. Technical (subject) vocabulary These are words that are essential to the subjects you are studying. You will need to spend time Writing demonstrates control of cohesive devices e.g. reference, substitution, connectives (1.4) Ideas are developed to achieve the purpose of the report (1.2) Complete complex and simple sentences that convey relevant meaning. (1.5) Page 7 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
learning these words. Low frequency words These words do not occur very often. It is not worth learners spending time deliberately learning these words. These words should be learned using other strategies such as guessing from context, using word parts and using dictionaries. Learners should read widely to improve their vocabulary. Language is appropriate to the audience and purpose of the report (1.8) Learning enough vocabulary is a difficult task, but not an impossible one if students take an organized approach and spend time learning the really essential vocabulary. This key vocabulary can be found at a number of sites. One such site is http://www.robwaring.org/vocab/wordlists/vocfreq.html 553 words Bibliography Laufer, B. and Yano, Y (2001). Understanding Unfamiliar Words In A Text: Do L2 Learners Understand How Much They Don t Understand? in Reading in a Foreign Language, 13(2), 21-23 Sources of information are listed in a bibliography according to citation format (1.10) Nation, P. and Waring, R. (1997). Vocabulary size, text coverage and word lists. Retrieved from http://www.robwaring.org/papers Wakely, R. (2003). Good practice in teaching and learning vocabulary. Retrieved from http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/1421 Waring, R. (2009) Wordlists page. Retrieved from http://www.robwaring.org/vocab/wordlists/vocfreq.html Page 8 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Assessment schedule Level 4 Unit standard 17369, version 3 Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL) 6 Credits This unit standard has one element: Element 1: Write reports for a specified purpose (ESOL). Range: Two reports of approximately 500 words each on different topics. PCs 1.1 Writing structure is appropriate to the audience and purpose and follows a clear organising principle. Range: organising principle may include but is not limited to problem solution, generalisation, examples. Evidence As learners may choose their own topic to present their report on the evidence, statements below are indicative of the type of responses required. The text is a report for a specific audience and purpose. This is made clear in the report in the title and/or the text. title e.g. What vocabulary do you need to learn? Advice for university students text e.g. It is important to remember that undergraduates cannot learn every new word. The text follows a clear organising principle e.g. problem solution. a statement of the topic e.g. When students arrive at a New Zealand university from an overseas country they face many challenges in terms of the volume of vocabulary they are required to learn. an outline of the problem e.g. Many students are overwhelmed by the task that faces them on arrival at a New Zealand university. suggested solutions e.g. Learners must be selective and, once you know what words to concentrate on, the task becomes more manageable. Note that other organising principles may be used and should be accepted if they are clear. Judgment The text is a report written for a specific audience and purpose and follows a clear organising principle most of the time. This may be problem / solution, generalisation / examples or another clear organising principle. Page 9 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
1.2 Ideas are developed to achieve the purpose of the report. 1.3 Text is organised into coherent, logical paragraphs. 1.4 Demonstrates control of cohesive devices. Range: may include but is not limited to substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, reference, reiteration, collocation. Ideas are developed. clarifying and expanding e.g. The most immediate problem, in terms of vocabulary, that students encounter, is the difference between the English language they have studied previously and the one they encounter in social situations. Talking and being understood can be daunting and present numerous problems. making informed judgments e.g. It is important to remember that you cannot learn every new word. analytical interpretation e.g. by using information in another form e.g. charts and graphs. drawing conclusions e.g. Learning enough vocabulary is a difficult task, but not an impossible one if learners take an organised approach... Ideas are in coherent and logical order. between paragraphs e.g. When undergraduates arrive at a New Zealand university. Many students are overwhelmed by the task that faces them on arrival at a New Zealand university. within paragraphs e.g. When students arrive. Firstly, the everyday language they encounter may be... Additionally, they may not have studied Thirdly, the volume of new vocabulary.. Students need to take a variety of Cohesive devices are used. These may include: substitution e.g. difference between the English language they have studied previously and the one they encounter in social situations. ellipsis e.g. However, the passive vocabulary of foreign language learners who are high school graduates and university students is usually significantly less. (than native speakers of English) conjunctions e.g. and, but, because, when reference: it shows ; they can be reached at reiteration e.g. synonyms such as volume / amount / number The text contains ideas that are developed most of the time. This may include: clarifying and expanding upon ideas, drawing conclusions e.g. incorporation of theoretical concepts, analytical interpretation, making informed judgments. The text contains paragraphs that are coherent and logical most of the time. Ideas are in logical order between paragraphs and within paragraphs most of the time. Text uses a range of cohesive devices that are used correctly most of the time. Page 10 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
1.5 Sentence structures are complete and convey relevant meaning. Range: sentences include simple compound and complex. 1.6. Visual features are appropriate to the presentation of the report purpose. Range: may include but are not limited to sub-headings, bullet points, numbering, supporting illustrations, maps, diagrams, photographs. 1.7 Writing demonstrates control of the language features of a report Range: may include but are not limited to active and passive voice. 1.8 Writing demonstrates language appropriate to the audience and purpose of the report. collocation e.g. social situations, news programmes Sentence structures are complete and the meaning is clear. These could include; simple sentences e.g. These words do not occur very often. compound sentences e.g. These are academic words and should be learned. complex sentences e.g. When students arrive at a New Zealand university from an overseas country they face many challenges in terms of the amount of vocabulary they are required to learn. Visual features are included, such as sub-headings, bullet points, numbering, supporting illustrations, maps, diagrams, charts, graphs, photographs. Visual features enhance the content of the text, for example: by identifying key points e.g. bullet points illustrating points e.g. diagrams, charts The language features of a report are included. They may include: active voice e.g. students have to learn, they encounter passive voice e.g. Vocabulary has been divided The language used is appropriate to the audience and purpose of the report. This may include: concise writing e.g. the use of note form, bullet points simple language e.g. You can find vocabulary lists at a number of sites including The text contains examples of simple compound and complex sentences, which are used correctly most of the time. A range of visual features is included and is used appropriately. Control of the language features of a report is demonstrated most of the time. This may include but is not limited to active and passive voice. The language used is appropriate to the audience and purpose of the report most of the time. Page 11 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013
Range: may include but is not limited to concise writing, simple language, formal in style. 1.9 Writing makes correct use of a range of vocabulary, relevant to the topic. Range: accuracy includes meaning and grammatical form of words and phrases. 1.9. Sources of information are listed in a bibliography in accordance to citation format. Range: - references may include but are not limited to quotations, paraphrases, summaries. this one.. formal style e.g. It can be seen that Text does not contain slang, colloquialisms, inappropriate use of contractions etc Vocabulary is used accurately in relation to the topic and task e.g. passive, undergraduate, academic Grammatical form is used accurately part of speech e.g. Students should select, It is important to be selective appropriate tense e.g. are overwhelmed, undergraduates have to learn Correct citation format is used. Book e.g. Kehoe, G. (2003). Brain development in young children. London, England: Pearson Education. Chapter in a book e.g. Laufer, B. (1997). The lexical plight in second language reading: words you don t know, words you think you know, and words you can t guess. In J. Cody and T. Huckin (Eds.), Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition (pp 20-34). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Journal article e.g. Elley, W.R. (1989). Vocabulary acquisition from listening to stories. Reading Research Quarterly 24(2), 174-187 Website e.g. Waring, R. (2009). Wordlists Page. Retrieved from http://www.robwaring.org/vocab/wordlists/vocfreq.html Article from a website e.g. Nation, P. and Waring, R. (1997). Vocabulary size, text coverage and word lists. Retrieved from http://www.robwaring.org/papers/ This may include: concise writing, simple language, formal style. Correct vocabulary, both meaning and grammatical form, is used most of the time. Bibliography is included. Correct citation format is used. Page 12 of 12 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2013