Clarification details
Published February 2020. This is a new document to address issues that have arisen from moderation and the update to Version 4 of the standard.
Level of the standard: Guidance Information 2
This standard is set at New Zealand Qualifications Framework level 4 and is informed by level mid-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It attests to a learner’s readiness for the academic demands of undergraduate degree or diploma courses.
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (external link)
Demonstrate understanding of spoken texts: Outcome 1 and Guidance Information 4
This standard requires learners to listen to one spoken text for an academic purpose. The text must be at least eight minutes long. Learners may only listen to the spoken text twice. Each time it is listened to, it must be delivered in its entirety; it cannot be broken down into shorter chunks. These specific conditions of assessment mean that re-submission is not available for this standard.
Independently demonstrate competency: Guidance Information 8
Assessment tasks need to provide learners with the opportunity to independently demonstrate the requirements of the standard. Assessors need to ensure that the level of scaffolding does not limit learners’ independence. A note-taking, processing, and synthesising approach is appropriate. Written transcripts for learner use are not permitted.
Presentation of evidence: Guidance Information 7 and Guidance Information 8
Evidence could be presented in a range of oral, visual, written or multi-modal forms. Care should be taken to ensure that the form selected allows learners to meet the requirements of all Performance Criteria (PC).
Assessors must take steps to ensure that the evidence presented is authentic learner work. Discussion of the spoken text with other candidates and/or listening to or observation of others’ responses is not appropriate.
Although templates may be used, identification and understanding of the ideas in the spoken texts should be made by learners, not assessors.
Assessment situation: Guidance Information 9
The assessment situation should be an authentic academic context, or closely reflect one. If the assessment situation is not authentic, the assessor needs to ensure that the manner and pace of delivery is the same as that used in real academic contexts.
Identification of key information: Performance Criterion 1.1
Learners need to identify the key information in the spoken text. Key information refers to the main ideas that are directly linked to the learners’ academic purpose.
Analysing relevance of detailed/supporting information: Performance Criterion 1.2
Assessors may provide learners with questions to respond to in order to generate this evidence. Where learners are undertaking self-directed research, they should be given examples of generic questions to guide them. Evidence for this PC could be provided in a number of ways, e.g. notes, annotations or graphic organisers.
Processing and synthesis of key information: Performance Criterion 1.3
Having analysed how supporting information is relevant to the identified key information, the learner must now process it in a way that matches the academic purpose. Learners may refer to the text, but most of the material will need to be in their own words. Evidence presented will incorporate summary and synthesis, and be presented in forms such as an essay paragraph or graphic organiser.