Preparing for GCE O Level English Language Listening Comprehension and Oral Communication Examinations

I was trained to teach secondary-level English language in my Post-Graduate Diploma in Education course back at the National Institute of Education (NIE). I still remember those days when we had to really 'mug' to clear a Grammar test based on some of the rules and concepts included in our 'textbook' (see orange book below by Dr Lubna Alsagoff).

reference for student-teachers

reference for students

I also fondly recall my tutor Dr Alexius Chia who painstakingly ensured that we were ready to teach EL even though it was not our first Curriculum or Teaching Subject. My classmates then included Art and Music teachers and one other Maths/English (weird) combination teacher. One of my favourite memory was a lesson in which we were tasked to teach and experience the teaching of listening, reading and representing skills through a 'Wanted' Activity (lesson plan here). In fact, I loved it so much that I used it at least once yearly for the classes I taught EL to (mostly lower secondary). The activity worked pretty well as I had experience serving in the Singapore Police Force and I also had the unique experience of being assigned to be an Oral Examiner in the Changi Prison Complex.

I put up a mugshot backdrop for their drawings as if it was like in a police station's viewing gallery

Student pairs worked together - one read out descriptions while the other sketched

The other thing about teaching EL required us to be very familiar with the syllabus document (see 1128 and the upcoming 1184). Not really being one who teaches for the examination, I focused on developing the skills that my students would need to be effective communicators for life and ensuring that they enjoyed the learning process (so as to be lifelong learners) and were engaged enough to make memories (and thus naturally recall) some of what they have learnt for the eventual assessments.

extracted from syllabus document readily available online

Note the changes (red box on the right) in the Scheme of Assessment based on the syllabus documents

Before moving on to the tips for specific papers, it is useful to have knowledge of the distribution of marks and the duration for 'papers' 3 and 4 (see pic above). Needless to say that the weightage of the marks also suggests that the marks in those 'papers' are relatively easier to earn and thus it is worth spending a bit more time to get better at them and secure those marks.  

Paper 3

My teacher friend, J, has this amazing google site full of useful resources for LC and more (there's Literature stuff too). He is proud to share that if you googled 'O Level Listening Comprehension', his site is one of the top, if not the top site featured. I think as of this moment there are 9 papers for students to practise. If tight with time, I'd recommend practising at least 3 times to get the hang of the paper and what is required to do well in it. 

 

For Section A, Part 1 tends to be fairly straightforward with MCQ options so technically 25% chance to get it right and more often than not the options are quite distinct. Scanning the questions just before listening to the extract also helps as one can figure out which parts of the extract would be useful to answer which questions. A few questions can get a bit tricky and for those, it helps to have a decent knowledge of synonyms and also be able to differentiate the severity/degree/extent of the words spoken aloud or the similar words included in the different options.  For Part 2, it is important to skim through the list of texts as the order in which they are spoken or alluded to tends to vary quite a bit. Again, synonyms help and knowledge of the context of the texts will help in activating schema while/before listening to the audio.

Part 3 requires a higher level of language skill as it expects students to infer based on what was said. It is also important to read the instruction as it is stated that 'No marks will be awarded if you tick more than four main ideas.' Losing 4 marks out of a possible 30 because of that would definitely be a waste.

From Part 4 onwards, students are required to fill in the blanks with suitable words or phrases from the audio. In some ways, this is like a form of note-taking skill that we hope students would develop from their time in school. Part 4 specifically, is one which takes the form of a graphic organiser. 

In the only part (Part 5) of Section B, there are longer blanks but note that answers need not be in full sentences and in fact even spelling need not be 100% perfect. Even minor spelling errors are fine as long as the sound is close enough. As a final note, the students should also use the time when the audio is repeated to check their answers and sometimes it could mean saving a mark or marks to secure a pass or even a distinction. 

Paper 4

Researching how to prepare students for the Oral Communication Examinations, I came across this study by educators from Singapore (published in AST's ELIS' Classroom Inquiry). It was about the use of discussion circles to improve oral literacy effectiveness. Do check out the paper if keen on this. Another treasure at the back of the document (in the Annex) is the assessment rubrics (see below).

Note that it may be outdated for the new syllabus but I believe it may not change much as the assessed components are not drastically different. For practice, teachers can access this rubric document (with useful descriptors and pitfalls) that can be printed and filled up for each student as they try out the reading aloud and spoken interaction components. 

Starting with the 'Reading aloud' segment, J shared that students who do well are generally able to vary their speed, pitch and stress (or emphasis) appropriately. Something weaker students tend to lack is the proper tone and J said that one way to practise is by reciting nursery rhymes with only flat intonations (monotonous) (then only high and/or only low) before letting them find the appropriate mix while repeating the nursery rhymes. Another way for students to practise is by reading aloud news articles in an expressive and confident manner just like a newscaster. Students can also practise with actual text like that from the N levels (1190) below. Note that now there are e-Oral examinations and there is a video (not picture/photo) stimulus for students to watch while preparing for their turn to be assessed by the Oral Examiners.

 

Last week a new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line opened near your house.

You and your friend happened to be among the first group of commuters to take a trip.

You now give a report on the experience to your class.

Similar video: Children playing at a playground cum fitness corner with adults watching them.

1. How do you think the people in the video are feeling?
2. Tell me about a game you used to play when you were younger.
3. How far do you agree with the view that children today do not get enough play?

Following the video stimulus, the student will be asked 3 questions for the spoken interaction. Note that the theme throughout would be close if not consistent. Question 1 is normally more directly about the students' thoughts and feelings about what is seen in the video. Question 2 makes things a bit more personal by asking the student to either put themselves in the shoes of a person in the video or at least in a similar situation or context. Question 3 then gets the students to discuss at a higher (more abstract) level and argue or rationalise their opinions with justifications or evidence. J offered a tip for his students to think of potential questions while waiting for their turn and prepare 2 points for each question to either offer a more balanced view or one that is a bit more comprehensive.

O levels

N levels

The above 2 snapshots help a teacher or student see the difference between 1128 and 1190 questions for paper 4. It is also good to know that there are several topics that tend to be chosen as themes so it helps to familiarise students with the necessary vocabulary and expose them to a wide range of subject matter to expand their general knowledge so that they are able to bring up relevant ideas or even contemporary issues in the spoken interaction.  

I really hope that all the above helps teachers (parents) who want to better prepare their students (or children) for the English Language Listening Comprehension and Oral Communication Examinations as it has helped me to prepare to go back to school to teach too.