Changes to JC Irish exam 2010

Toto Wolfcastle

So we finally got the sample papers sent to the school during the week and have been discussing the changes to the Irish exam. In particular, the fact that the aural is now only worth 40 marks stands out. The conversation is now gone and there is a grammar section at HL. There are other changes outlined here.

I feel that the aural should have remained at 100 marks. Understanding a spoken language is important. If you can't understand spoken Irish then what is the point. I do like the addition of the grammar section.

What I am most annoyed about, however, is the fact that it is mid-October and we are only finding out about the specific changes now. One of the other Irish teachers in my school contacted the SEC and the DES on numerous occasions and was told that there would be a slight change to the layout of the paper. I think that the changes are a bit more than slight.

So what do we think of the new paper?

gaeilgegrinds

The Oral is REALLY being pushed but in fairness having to examine your own students in your own time over a two month period for nothing is hardly good practice. We start that now and soon the LC Oral will also be a farce. I don't really like the grammar question, I think some of mine will struggle with that. They will miss the cluastuiscint marks and the comhrá marks aswell. To be honest I'm not overly happy with it.

gaeilgebeo

I am really annoyed/angry/disappointed having seen the new paper today. Firstly, we were told at inservice last week that the changes would be very minor! In my opinion, this is not the case! I feel that there are significant changes to the layout and the structure of the questions.
Secondly, I think the grammar question is ridiculous! I know for a fact my group will struggle with it and I now dont know where I'm going to get the time to revise every aspect of grammar before the mocks.
I am angry that my class bought exam papers that are now completely different to the exam they will be doing!
Most of all, I am so disapponited that the Aural is dropping to a mesely 40marks! Such a drop! Will this now warrant the 1 class of aural a week we are doing? Does it justify all students buying "An dtuigeann tú" in future? I feel the Aural is so important in the learning of Irish and many students really depended on it to bring up their grade!
I wonder if this is simply a DES cost cutting measure now that they will only have to print off 2 papers rather than 3 and probably pay the correctors less too? :mad:
Really disappointed

Toto Wolfcastle

The oral is open to all sorts of abuse tbh so I really don't see the point.

I don't have HL this year but I have HL 2nd years and I am glad to have the extra year's notice to prepare them for the exam in 2011.

For those teaching current HL JC students it's far from ideal.

TheDriver

from my time in school (maths teacher here), i hated the Aural becasue no matter how hard I tried, I had difficulty hearing it, from bad tape players to just my own hearing trying to listen and decipher. I must say I found it unfair, as a pupil, trying to figure out Irish whereas an oral and written exam was more trustworthy. Just my 2 cents.

ytareh

Non Irish teacher here too...always thought -and still do that aural was handy marks...diff strokes I guess...

aloevera

oh my god, ive just stumbled across this. This is ridiculous! A minor change my a***e!

In my opinion it is so unfair that they have only announced this now, it is nearly November.. Students have already been practicing for the comhra and such like. Its appalling.

Also, I do agree with OP - the aural is hit and miss - I personally did find it difficult for my Junior Cert, but improved and did my degree in Irish etc.., but at the time it was hard - as the OP said, sometimes the quality of the tapes werent the best - and being partially deaf in one ear didnt help..

Can anyone tell me where I could get some sample exam papers??? I dont work in a school ,but give grinds..

I actually pity the student Ive been givning grinds to - she's been finding it really difficult to get a grasp on the comhra but I finally cacked it with her 2 weeks ago- its so unfair - it just seems like a waste of her parents money now on something that's not even going to be on the paper!!

rant over.

gaeilgegrinds

In my opinion the aural is an area that with practise marks can be gained wholesale, am not at all impressed with this. The grammar section is very difficult. Modh C in 3rd year?! Mine haven't a notion of being confident in this section by June.

rossean

The first we heard of these changes in our school was from a rep selling the exam papers. He showed us the letter the Department which was sent to his publishing company, while the official letter outlining the changes only arrived in our school in recent days. With a good chunk already gone out of the school year, this year's Junior Certs are going to be at a disadvantage.

Toto Wolfcastle

rossean wrote: »

The first we heard of these changes in our school was from a rep selling the exam papers. He showed us the letter the Department which was sent to his publishing company, while the official letter outlining the changes only arrived in our school in recent days. With a good chunk already gone out of the school year, this year's Junior Certs are going to be at a disadvantage.

We first heard it from the publishing company rep too. That's how an awful lot of people I, and my colleagues, know found out.

gaeilgebeo

My HL class have already purchased papers for the old exam and we have been using them. I cant expect them to buy another set now. I'm so mad :mad:

gaeilgegrinds

I think strongly worded e-mails are in order here. We should have been told in May, not on in my opinion.

gaeilgebeo

gaeilgegrinds wrote: »

I think strongly worded e-mails are in order here. We should have been told in May, not on in my opinion.

Who should we email? Publishers or DES? I think it was so wrong of publishers to come in and sell the old papers when they obviously had an idea there would be a change. Students are under enough financial pressure without having a useless set of exam papers in front of them.
I do realise that a lot of the questions on the old set are the same, however , I feel that one of the most important reasons to do exam papers is for students to recognise the format and layout of the paper and get practised before the exam in June.
Its just not good enough!:mad::mad::mad:

Toto Wolfcastle

Folens didn't sell the papers though, although the Educational Company did. It was Folens that informed our school that there would be changes.

youngblood

To ask a question already highlighted above

Are there any sample papers for the new layout online??

Online anywhere??

gaeilgebeo

youngblood wrote: »

To ask a question already highlighted above

Are there any sample papers for the new layout online??

Online anywhere??

On examinations.ie. On the homepage.

sock_snatcher

I actually can't believe this, my sister is doing her J.C this year and just came in today telling me about this. I'm in my final year of my degree in Irish so it will be hands on helping her out, but seriously why is the Dept. Education only announcing it now? Isn't this a change that should be introduced to the now first years....While I agree that a grammer section is a good idea,it's unfair to introduce these changes at such a late stage for both the teachers and especially the students.

pjtb

The changes to paper 1 all seem very artificial and contrived to me. The contexts of the questions on Trialacha Teanga Comhthéacsúla seem very patronising-

'Chum Terry cuntas ar an gceolchoirm ar a ríomhaire glúine d’iris na scoile ach ar chúis éigin nuair a phriontáil Terry an cuntas bhí cuid de na briathra san Aimsir Fháistineach.'
This never happens when you print things. I think it would be make much more sense to just have grammar questions (still put in context), but without the makey-uppy stories behind them. It makes the exam very childish imo.

The reduction of marks for An Chluastuiscint doesn't make any sense at all. The vast majority of JCers won't being doing an oral, meaning the aural is the closest thing they will get to the spoken language. Reducing its value is daft.

The new type of questions in the Léamthuiscint seem a bit strange to me. I see why they have been put in (to see if the general gist of a paragraph is understood I suppose?), but they are still weird questions in my eyes.