11 September 2019

Dear Parent/Carer,

Spoken Language Endorsement

As part of his English Language GCSE, your son/ward will be assessed for the Spoken Language
Endorsement in English lessons this half-term. This is a formal qualification for which he will be
awarded a certificate at the end of Year 11 at Pass, Merit or Distinction. Some students will be
selected to have their presentations filmed as part of the examination board sample; more
information about this will follow later in the term.

Students have been briefed about this assessment in English lessons and will be given some
time to prepare but, given the individual nature of each presentation, this is mostly an independent
learning task which students must work hard on at home.

There are two parts to the test. Part 1 is the individual presentation which lasts between three
and five minutes during which the candidate talks on a single topic or theme which they have
chosen. Part 2 involves a discussion between the student, teacher and classmates which will last
approximately five minutes.

Students are encouraged to choose a topic of personal interest and to research it carefully in
preparation for the assessment. To quote the exam board, the best presentations are those in
which ‘students argue with passion and fluency about issues which matter to them and the society
they live in.’ Successful candidates have presented on a range of topics in the past including
issues such as mental health, knife crime, LGBT issues, their own education, refugees and
immigration, and the impact of social media use.

Students may bring in a maximum of three flashcards to use as prompts during the assessment.
Each flashcard should contain only key words, bullet points and images and will be checked by
a member of the English department before the assessment. Students can also bring in visual
aids, including maps, charts and pictures or use a PowerPoint presentation containing images if
they wish. All students should note, however, that no visual aids are required as the sole focus
of this formal assessment is their speaking and listening skills.

We expect that parents/carers ensure that their child has both completed his research and
flashcards and, crucially, rehearsed his presentation. You should also question him on his chosen
topic in preparation for the discussion element of the assessment.

Please note that students may only attempt the assessment once and therefore must be
thoroughly prepared. If you have any further questions, please refer in the first instance to your
son/ward’s English teacher who will be happy to assist.

Yours sincerely,

Miss S Hannon
Curriculum Leader - English