Study Guide

Field 020: French
Sample Written Expression Assignment

The following materials contain:

Test Directions for the Written Expression Assignment

[Note to examinee: These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide.]

This section of the test consists of a written expression assignment. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.

Your response must be written in the target language. Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response to each assignment must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.

Please note that special characters (such as letters with accents or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the symbol button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select "Insert ." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.

A list of suggestions is provided to help direct your response to the assignment. It is not necessary that you cover every point on the list, nor are you limited in your response to those points indicated. You are, however, required to write about the general assignment which you are given, and part of your score for the assignment will be based on the degree to which you elaborate on the assignment by addressing either the suggested points or points of your choosing.

Your response to the written expression assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

PURPOSE: the extent to which the objective of the assignment is achieved and the appropriateness of the response for the intended audience

COHERENCE: organization and clarity of ideas

CONTENT: development of ideas and relevance of supporting details

GRAMMAR: accuracy of grammatical forms and syntax

VOCABULARY: command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions

MECHANICS: accuracy of spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation

Be sure to write about the assigned topic and use multiple paragraphs. You may not use any reference materials during the test. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.

Sample Written Expression Assignment

Competency 0013
Write a well-organized passage of several paragraphs in French that is appropriate in style and diction for a given audience, purpose, and occasion and that communicates a message effectively through use of a range of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and simple and complex linguistic constructions.

Imagine that you have received a letter from a friend who lives in a francophone country and who has not heard from you for almost a year. The friend asks for news of your recent activities and future plans, including your professional goals. Write a letter in French in which you give a brief account of your activities over the last year, tell your friend of your plans to become a language teacher, and explain why you have chosen to enter this profession. You may wish to include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Sample Strong Response to the Written Expression Assignment

Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work.

Chère Sophie,

Merci pour ta bonne lettre d'il y a... un an déjà (comme le temps passe vite!). Pardonne-moi mon long silence, dû à ma célèbre paresse épistolaire, mais aussi à mes multiples activités de cette dernière année, activités qui vont transformer ma vie. Voilà: j'ai décidé de devenir professeur de français, ce qui me permettra de retourner à mes racines, d'utiliser et de partager chaque jour avec d'autres cette langue de mon enfance que j'aime tant.

Grâce à l'inspiration et à l'aide de ma voisine Micheline, dont je t'ai parlé et qui est chef du département de français de l'université locale, j'ai obtenu en mai mon "BA" en français et mon brevet d'enseignante. Ça n'a pas été facile car je devais faire la navette chaque jour (presque deux heures de voiture) pour aller à mes cours, puis à mon retour m'occuper de ma fille de sept ans, préparer le dîner et faire mes devoirs.

Je viens de poser ma candidature dans une petite école privée pas trop loin d'ici, et je crois que mes chances sont bonnes. Ce serait idéal pour moi: les classes sont petites, les élèves motivéés, et peut-être réussirai-je à leur communiquer mon enthousiasme pour les langues et mon amour de Baudelaire et Flaubert.

A bientôt de tes nouvelles j'espère.

Amitiés, Claudine

Performance Characteristics for the Written Expression Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the written expression assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses
PURPOSE the extent to which the objective of the assignment is achieved and the appropriateness of the response for the intended audience
COHERENCE organization and clarity of ideas
CONTENT development of ideas and relevance of supporting details
GRAMMAR accuracy of grammatical forms and syntax
VOCABULARY command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions
MECHANICS accuracy of spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation

Scoring Scale for the Written Expression Assignment

Scores will be assigned to each response to the written expression assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response reflects a thorough application and strong command of the performance characteristics for the written assignment.
  • The response thoroughly fulfills the purpose of the written assignment and is completely appropriate for the intended audience.
  • The candidate's ideas are well organized and clearly expressed.
  • Ideas are extensively developed and well supported with relevant information.
  • The response shows a comprehensive command of syntax and grammar, containing only minor errors that do not interrupt communication.
  • Vocabulary reflects a broad command of the language and appropriate use of idiomatic expressions.
  • Spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation are mastered, with few, if any, errors.
3 The "3" response reflects a general application and command of the performance characteristics for the written assignment.
  • The response satisfactorily fulfills the purpose of the written assignment and is generally appropriate for the intended audience.
  • The candidate's ideas show some organization and are generally clear.
  • Ideas are generally developed with some elaboration and support of specific points.
  • The response shows a good command of syntax and grammar, though some errors may cause minor interruptions in communication.
  • Vocabulary and idiomatic expressions are general, but do communicate a complete message.
  • There are minor errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation that do not interfere with communication.
2 The "2" response reflects a partial application and limited command of the performance characteristics for the written assignment.
  • The response partially fulfills the purpose of the written assignment and may not be entirely appropriate for the intended audience.
  • The candidate's ideas show limited organization and are somewhat unclear.
  • Ideas are developed in a limited way with minimal support.
  • The response shows a limited command of syntax and grammar, containing frequent errors that partially impede communication of ideas.
  • Vocabulary is simple, lacks key words and expressions, and communicates a partial message.
  • There are some errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation, which partially interfere with communication.
1 The "1" response reflects a weak application and little or no command of the performance characteristics for the written assignment.
  • The response does not fulfill the purpose of the written assignment and is inappropriate for the intended audience.
  • The candidate's ideas are unorganized and unclear.
  • Ideas are developed minimally, if at all, and lack any relevant supporting detail.
  • The response shows little command of basic elements of grammar or syntax, containing numerous and frequent errors that impede communication.
  • Vocabulary, with numerous word usage errors, does not communicate a complete message.
  • Errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation are so numerous that they impede communication.
U The response is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
B There is no response to the assignment.