Resume of the Languages
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RESUME OF THE LANGUAGES 1. STANDARD OF THE PAPERS There was a broad consensus among the Chief Examiners that, as far as previous papers were concerned, the standard for this year’s papers was maintained. 2. PERFORMANCE OF CANDIDATES On the contrary, different performance ratings were ascribed to candidates for the various papers. While an ‘improved performance’ was observed for some, others witnessed a decline in performance compared to that of previous years. Yet, in some other papers, the performance was said to have remained the same. French 1, Ga 1, Ewe 2 and English Language 1 are examples of papers in which candidates’ performance was reportedly the same, in comparison with the previous years’. Average performance was reported for Akuapem Twi 1, while candidates performed ‘below expectation’ in Literature-in- English 3. There was ‘slight improvement’ in Dangme 1 while performance in Ga 2 was said to be ‘below that of last year’. Performance was described in Akuapem Twi 2 as ‘good’, while in Dangme 2, it was ‘commendable’. In Asante Twi 1, it was ‘very encouraging’. 3. A SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS Some commendable features were identified in candidates’ scripts. Notable among them include the following: (1) Adherence to Rubrics A good number of candidates were lauded for strictly observing the rubrics in terms of the number of questions to answer, choice of questions from the various sections and the length of essays required. These were noted in Literature-in- English 3, Ewe 1, Akuapem Twi 2 and Fante 2. (2) Good Organizational Skills In Ga 2, Ewe 2 and Dangme 1, candidates were praised for the orderly manner in which they presented their ideas. (3) Mastery of Subject-Matter Evidence of in-depth knowledge of subject-matter was reported in Dangme 1, Kasem 2, Ga 2 and French 1 for some candidates. (4) Knowledge of the Formal Features of Essay Writing Some candidates were commended for the able manner in which they handled the formal features of essay such as speech writing, letter writing, both formal and informal, debates etc. (5) Appropriate Use of Language Some candidates were applauded for making appropriate and effective use of language in areas such as diction, syntax and expression. Examples were cited in Asante Twi 1, Dangme 1 and Fante 2. 4. A SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES The strong points of candidates notwithstanding, certain weaknesses were identified in the following areas: (1) Poor Orthography and Inappropriate Use of Language It was reported that some candidates could not spell words correctly. Neither could they apply the rules of syntax appropriately. They had difficulty, for instance, in word division in Akuapem Twi 1, Asante Twi 1 and Fante 1. Other grammatical errors were identified in English Language 1, Gonja 1, Ewe 1, Dagbani 1 and Kasem 1. (2) Lack of Answering Skills and Understanding of Questions. A number of candidates were said to have misunderstood some of the questions and therefore provided answers which were off the mark. Examples were given in French 1, Ewe 2, English Language 1 and Literature-in-English 2. (3) Poor Preparation Answers provided by a significant number of candidates showed that they had not adequately prepared for the exams. This was noted in English Language 1, French 1 and Literature-in-English 3. (4) Non Adherence to Rubrics Some candidates were said to have failed to observe the rubrics with regard to the number and choice of questions as well as required length of essays. These were observed in Akuapem Twi 2, Ga 2, Nzema 1 and English Language 1. (5) Poor Handwriting The Chief Examiners for English Language 1, Kasem 1 and Nzema 1 reported that the handwriting of a substantial number of candidates left a great deal to be desired. This seriously affected reading and marking of answers scribbled. 5. SUGGESTED REMEDIES A number of recommendations were proposed to address the weaknesses identified. These include: (1) A thorough study and appreciation of the set texts instead of candidates relying on pamphlets. (2) Extensive reading of good material to improve language usage. (3) Conscious effort to cover the entire syllabus instead of selecting aspects thereof. (4) Careful reading and understanding of questions as well as strict adherence to rubrics. (5) Encouragement of more class exercises and spelling drills. (6) Need to improve on handwriting. ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1 1. GENERAL COMMENTS The general standard and quality of the paper was appropriate and the interest level of the essay topics was very high. The passages were also topical issues. However, as in previous years, the general performance of the candidates was not good enough. Performance, especially in the Comprehension and Summary tasks, witnessed a downward trend. 2. A SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS Use of Language The good candidates demonstrated some degree of expertise in the use of language. Their grasp of rudiments such as grammar, tense, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure was commendable. Sentences were well constructed and there was variety in sentence patterns. Vocabulary and Use of Registers Most of the good scripts demonstrated ability to use registers in the discussion of points, particularly in the article and informal letter writing. There was also an attempt by the good candidates to use varieties of English as dictated by situation, audience and purpose. Development of Points Some of the candidates discussed the points raised exhaustively, usually with illustrations drawn from school life experiences or from their own reading. There was evidence of transfer of knowledge from other subject areas. Rubrics In most cases, rubrics were strictly observed. 3. A SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES Most of the candidates have not still grasped the basic workings of the language; hence, their structures are faulty. They are on the whole, not observing the various rules of agreement i.e. subject with the attendant verbs, pronouns, number and gender. Expression Candidates did not seem to keep their eyes on the subjects of sentences; hence they wrote sentences like: ‘Such a hawker do not know how to keep the street tidy’ or ‘the hawking of goods on the street are risky’. They could not use the present and past participles correctly e.g. ‘She was giving a beautiful dress by his father’ or ‘The teacher is now given the pupils exercise books’. Some candidates could hardly use ‘being’ and ‘been’ correctly. Punctuation Some candidates omitted full stops at the end of sentences and started sentences with small letters. There was also the wrong use of semi-colons, colons and wrong syllabification of line endings. Candidates did not use capital letters for some proper nouns too. 4. SUGGESTED REMEDIES Extensive/Intensive Reading Programme Students should cultivate the habit of reading good novels, magazines and newspapers as this will go a long way in honing their use of the English language. Candidates should also do more writing exercises as part of their preparation towards the examination. Note-Taking Exercises Exercises aimed at helping students to take short notes from passages read can help them to develop the skill of extracting essential points from the elaborations used by writers. Also, helping in this regard is the knowledge of paragraph structure and connectives used by writers to introduce, emphasize or restate the crucial points in the passage. Grammar and Spelling Drills Teachers should spend time to teach their students the various rules of agreement i.e. subject, verb, pronouns, number and gender. 5. DETAILED COMMENTS Question 1 Write an article on the topic “The menace of hawking on the street and how to deal with it” The performance of the candidates was not too good. A good number of them just discussed hawking on the street without bringing out clearly the menacing nature of it i.e. the bother and the inconvenience hawkers cause, the littering of the environment and also the risk to themselves as they confront all sorts of vehicles on the street. Some candidates deviated into discussing the causes of street hawking, which, unfortunately, was not part of the question. Question 2 As the Senior Prefect of your school, write the speech you would deliver to first-year students on how to manage their time. The performance, here again, was average. The discussion of most of the candidates veered into the need for the first year students to keep to the rules and regulations of the school. The advice to the first year students should have been for them to make sure that all or most of their time on campus was spent on their studies (including using the school library) and not on frivolous activities. Question 3 Your sick grandmother is admitted to hospital. Write a letter to your brother describing the state of her health when you visited her. Most of the candidates who answered this question did well. The narration of events before the illness and the changing status of the grand mum’s health was commendable. Question 4 Write a story to illustrate the saying: “The lazy man goes to bed hungry”. Many of the candidates did not attempt this question. The few who did thought that the saying could be explained literally (i.e. a lazy man going to bed hungry). Question 5 The Society for the Improvement of Living Conditions is organizing a debate on the motion: “The rapid development of a country depends solely on politicians”. Write your argument for or against the motion. This was not a popular question and the few who did attempt it missed the main point of the argument: whether the politician is indispensable or not in terms of the rapid development a country. Instead of this, most of them merely discussed the functions and importance of the politicians.