IGCSE First Language English Paper 2 Notes

IGCSE First Language English Paper 2: Writing Paper

  • This video provides guidance for the IGCSE First Language English Paper 2, the writing paper.

  • Resources, including the PowerPoint and a review quiz, are available on taughtley.co.uk.

Paper 2 Overview

  • Paper 2 is the writing paper.

  • Worth 50% of the overall IGCSE First Language English grade.

  • It is a two-hour handwritten exam.

  • Total of 80 marks.

  • Two equally weighted questions:

    • Section A: Directed writing (40 marks).

    • Section B: Composition (40 marks).

Section A: Directed Writing

  • Directed writing requires reading two articles and responding to their arguments.

  • Response format: argumentative or persuasive speech, letter, or article.

Section B: Composition

  • Composition offers a choice between narrative and descriptive writing.

Coursework

  • Some students may complete coursework instead of Paper 2.

  • Narrative and descriptive writing video lessons are helpful for both exam and coursework.

Timings

  • Allocate time equally: one hour for Section A and one hour for Section B.

  • Section A: 10 minutes for reading and planning, 45 minutes for writing, 5 minutes for proofreading.

  • Section B: 10 minutes for planning, 45 minutes for writing, 5 minutes for proofreading.

  • Adhere to the timings to maximize marks in both sections.

Grade Boundaries (Summer 2023)

  • Grade boundaries were consistent across different paper variants in summer 2023.

  • A: 55 out of 80.

  • B: 49 out of 80.

  • C: 43 out of 80.

  • Grade boundaries are relatively low, reflecting Cambridge's discerning marking.

  • Remember that you need approximately 60% to get an A.

Directed Response (Section A)

  • Presents two short texts with differing opinions on a topic.

  • Topics often involve a "for and against" debate.

  • Examples of past topics:

    • Listening to podcasts at work (November 2023).

    • Environmental change by individuals (2021/2022).

    • Giving gifts.

    • New Year's resolutions.

    • Online friendships.

  • Writing is usually persuasive and argumentative.

Marks for Directed Writing

  • Two marks:

    • Reading (15 marks).

    • Writing (25 marks).

Evaluation

  • Evaluation involves recognizing implicit attitudes, ideas, or logical fallacies in a writer's argument.

  • Involves making effective counterarguments.

  • Cambridge may favor one side of the argument more than the other.

  • Some questions explicitly state the desired perspective.

Mark Scheme

  • Identifying one evaluative counterargument places the response in the bottom of the 10-12 mark band for reading.

  • 10 marks: one evaluation point.

  • 11 marks: two evaluation points.

  • 12 marks: three evaluation points.

  • Higher bands require four or more evaluation points.

  • Without evaluation, marks are awarded for details and opinions.

Identifying Cambridge's Perspective

  • Example 1: Podcasts at Work

    • Question explicitly asks for a letter arguing why staff should be allowed to listen to podcasts.

    • Evaluation points focus on the benefits of podcasts in the workplace.

  • Example 2: Apologizing to a Colleague

    • Question implies advising the friend on how to apologize.

    • Evaluation points favor arguments for apologizing and taking accountability.

  • Example 3: Small Change, Big Difference

    • Title suggests that small changes can make a big difference.

    • Evaluation points focused on how schools and individuals can make a difference.

  • Example 4: Holiday Destination

    • Question assumes the young people will go on holiday.

    • It focuses on responsible tourism.

    • Tourism is not inherently negative

    • Evaluation points focus on solutions for issues caused by tourism and responsible decision-making.

Evaluation Practice

  • Identify explicit details from the texts.

  • Think of counterarguments or solutions to the issues in the texts.

  • Consider how young people can still go on holiday responsibly.

Explicit Ideas - Text A (Tourism)

  • Too much tourism detrimentally affects the environment and local populations.

  • Tourism taxes restrict travel to the wealthy.

  • Over-tourism impacts countries in different ways.

  • Tourism has some benefits for some local people.

  • Some don't benefit, or have less access to their culture.

Explicit Ideas - Text B

  • Tourism has raised the standard of living and employment opportunities.

  • Facilities may focus just on tourists or no longer be used by the locals

  • The cost for locals are high as a result of tourism.

  • Some locals are hostile towards tourism or feel alienated from their own cities.

Evaluation Points

  • Change behavior in tourist hotspots (avoid crowded cities).

  • Go to places that benefit from tourism.

  • Use companies that contribute to local economies.

  • Visit less popular sites to avoid over-tourism.

  • Use local businesses and make sustainable decisions about transport/accommodation.

  • Don't visit hotspots at peak times.

  • Don't visit places just because they're on trend.

  • Do focus on benefiting communities rather than oneself.

  • * Those will most likely be your evaluation points. This is why young people can still go on holiday if they do X, Y and Z responsibly.

Other Evaluation Ideas

  • Cultures can be eroded, commercialized, inauthentic, or ignored.

  • Cities aren't designed for fluctuating populations.

  • Tourism is driven by greed, not cultural exchange.

  • Over-tourism is bad for both residents and tourists.

  • Tourism needs to benefit both sides.

  • All benefits to locals come with costs.

  • Tourist taxes are unfair to poorer tourists.

Examiner Report Feedback

  • More effective evaluations challenge ideas in the text rather than reproduce them.

  • Suggest an understanding of the need for the interests of the tourists, the local population, and the environment to be better balanced

  • Engage with the ideas within the two articles by having that counter argument, by having that debate and that discussion with the ideas are at the heart of those two texts.

Writing Marks

  • Structure is included.

  • 25 marks awarded for writing.

  • Top marks require careful structure, effective paragraphing, wide range of precise vocabulary, highly effective register, and almost always accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPaG).

VOIP (Voice, Audience, Register, Purpose, Format)

  • Tool for analyzing language questions.

  • Voice: Who are you writing as?

  • Audience: Who are you writing to?

  • Register: How formal or informal should your language be?

  • Purpose: Why are you writing (persuade, discuss, argue)?

  • Format: What text type (letter, article, speech)?

  • For example if you're writing to your boss you're probably not going to be arguing you are going to be persuading them gently, respectfully.

Example: Holiday Destination Question

  • Voice: Generic journalist.

  • Audience: Young people (16-25).

  • Purpose: Advise/Inform. - You're just gonna be discussing around the issues.

  • Format: Magazine article.

  • Register: Semi-formal, chatty - Should sound more knowledgeable but not argumentative.

Examiner Report (Writing)

  • Engage the attention of peers with shared values and interests.

  • Use a more rhetorical style, presenting arguments in an engaging and impactful way.

  • Responses pitched at the level of a mature, environmentally responsible, and socially aware young audience.

General Advice for Writing

  • Use correct paragraphs based on theme rather than copying the structure of the two texts.

  • Don't copy words or phrases from the texts, instead use your own words.

  • Tone is usually semi-formal and lively, or formal and lively.

  • Don't invent facts or statistics as they won't give you evaluation points.

  • To get a high reading mark, avoid just summarizing and agreeing with the articles. ALWAYS be probing & challenging.

Key Takeaways (Directed Writing)

  • Use paragraphs, grouping by argument.

  • Revise speech, letter, and article text types.

  • Be critical and probing of ideas.

  • Tone is semi-formal but lively, or formal but lively.

  • Remember the voice, audience, register, purpose and format.

  • Don't copy words from the text, always use your own words.

  • Analyze the question carefully to decide what perspective Cambridge want you to have.

  • Include explicit ideas from both texts.

Composition (Section B): Descriptive Writing

  • Differences between description and narrative writings.

  • Description can be thought of like a photograph

  • Narrative can be thought of like a movie

  • Description will have no events, dialogue, or detailed characterization. The narrator can observe but not participate. Something can change like a sunset

  • Narration is like film: it does have plot and a climax, and characterization

Content and Structure

  • Cambridge are looking to see that your plot, your plot structure, which we'll talk about in a second is well defined and that you have got description, character, setting and an effective climax which is strongly developed.

    • Many well-defined and developed ideas.

  • Creates a convincing overall picture with a variety of focus.

Style and Accuracy (same as directed writing)

  • Style and accuracy, basically the same as for directed writing except that structure and paragraphing isn't included.

  • Precise and effective vocabulary, range of different sentence structures, and almost always accurate grammar.
    Often the most common mistake in written pieces are shifting tenses

Five Paragraph Structure

  • This five paragraph structure will be familiar to you. I'm not going to overtalk it because you've already watched that video, right? But basically the five paragraph structure, write these five different paragraphs in your descriptive writing and you'll probably score quite well.

  • Paragraph 1: Zoom out, long shot, describe the whole scene and mention something that you will return to at the end of your description.

  • Paragraph 2: Zoom in: Pick one small, symbolic detail. Describe it in extreme depth and this could be a good opportunity for an extended metaphor.

  • Paragraph 3: Change perspective where there is a shift, purposefully, deliberately to create an effect.

  • Paragraph 4: Zoom in again: Pick another symbolic detail, but pick something that really contrasts with the second paragraph detail.

  • Paragraph 5: Emotional ending and circle back: Pick something that you mentioned in that very, very first paragraph and circle back to it to create this emotional atmosphere.

  • It is important to make sure that each paragraph flows into the next one.

Circular Description

  • Do make sure that they're linked. It shouldn't seem like they're random or disconnected.

  • Important to start with an image and end with an image

  • creates a sense of unity and continuity
    Even at the very start of writing your description, I knew how it was going to end. So it makes them think this student has really thought about the effect that they want to have on the reader, which is an A star skill to do.

Example Prompt: "A Special Place Inside and Out"

  • Examiners saw a lot of childhood homes, that's good. But the descriptions given were basic and did not leave room for high marks.

  • Hospitals can be presented as that special place for new life and rebirth.
    From there, I am gonna shift. I'm gonna shift perspective of a little boy who's inside the hospital and he is looking at his newborn premature baby sister. She is in an incubator because she's been born a little bit too early. And so this little boy is also worried and stressed much like the doctor, but there is this ray of hope that accompanies it because new life.

General Advice (Descriptive Writing)

  • Follow five-paragraph structure to ensure proper paragraphing.

  • Link the paragraphs together so that they don't sound like five disconnected image.

  • Consider how a camera would logically move through space.

  • Consider what tone or atmosphere you are trying to create: What should the images present?

  • Avoid narrative elements.

  • Develop images in depth and detail to maximize your marks.

Examiner Report (Descriptive Writing)

  • Avoid cliched scenarios and consider a more individual and original selection of content. Do choose a scenario which gives you a range of details to focus on

  • Look at more individual and original content

  • Keep your focus on details which help to evoke a particular atmosphere

  • Write sentences with proper verbs and do not switch tenses check your tenses, please.

  • Use vocabulary precisely

Remember to only include sophisticated words that allow an atmosphere and are precisely used.

Key Takeaways (Descriptive Writing)

  • Use the five-paragraph structure.

  • Link paragraphs and ideas smoothly.

  • Avoid narrative features.

  • Describe images in-depth and detail.

  • Consider tone/atmosphere.

  • Imagine you are a camera, and consider how your images will flow for the reader to ensure continuity.
    Save time to check spelling, punctuation, tense.

Composition (Section B): Narrative Writing

Content and Structure For narrative writing, Cambridge are looking to see that your plot structure that you have got description, character, setting and an effective climax which is strongly developed.

  • All of your ideas are combined with character setting and climax

  • Note, it is most effective to make the reader CARE about the character.

Well-Defined Plot

Introduction

  • Who: Include the person's NAME

  • What their motivations are

  • Tell me who they are , even if it can't be determined by society: Are they old or young?

  • Inciting Incident. - Something should happen that begins the main action of the plot. Usually an obstacle, something that gets in the way from the main character from achieving what they want or what they desire.

Rising Tension

  • Build tension towards the climax.

  • Tell me, What is happening? Will everything be okay?So we are building tension towards the climax. It will often have misunderstandings and conflict.

Climax

  • The most intense or exciting part of the story. Is the plot defined? Does it have good characterization? Is the dialogue there? Is the spelling, punctuation and grammar accurate?

  • Could be a battle or argument

Resolution

  • A conclusion where we answer any final questions that have not yet been addressed. This is optional and can be solved in a cliff hanger.

Most common mistakes for narrative pieces come from poor plot management, rather than descriptive vocabulary.
Prepare ahead

  • Plan for any setting or climax, don't just include boring details!

Dialogue punctuation.

Firstly, for structure, notice new speaker, new paragraph. So here we've got James speaking. Here we've got the narrator speaking. Here we've got a description of both of them, what they're doing.

Also new events should occur with new paragraphs.

It is obvious that it's James who's speaking here. Also notice that for good dialogue, we're describing what's happening to whispered James, comma, his eyes firmly fixed on the floor. And down here, I shook my head blinking back my tears. So don't make it like a script where you're just reporting what people are saying.

You should still be describing how they're saying it, what their body language is like, what is going on whilst this dialogue is being said.

From Cambridge's summer examiner report, this is what they say about how narrative writing could commonly be improved at on paper. Take the time to review a story to remember if it can be told to give any feeling of interest

Develop your character's thoughts and feelings to help engage your reader. Do not rely on events. So we need to care about the characters. And why would I care about a character who doesn't even have a name?

Common errors are basic spelling and punctuation mistakes and mixing up tenses
In particular in description look for sophisticated writing examples without getting into precision problems
To bring this all together then, here is my revision card of key takeaways for narrative writing.

Remember: First idea is always the worst idea! Make sure that you use any of the planning-timeline to develop even more complex themes.

Always have time to go over the writing and to make sure there not any consistent shifts back and forth

Revision Card (Key Takeaways for Narrative Writing)

  1. Prepare character ideas and settings beforehand.

  2. Don't use your first idea.

  3. In dialogue, new speaker, new paragraph.

  4. Build tension and mystery so there is a climax

  5. Care for your structure

  6. Always create your character with an important story that is known to the audience.

  7. Save time to check spelling, punctuation esp on dialogue, make sure that tenses are consistent.