IB INDIVIDUAL ORAL

Example 1 HL

Moderator comments

General

The student is very comfortable in her participation. She expresses her ideas clearly and is able to bring to the conversation examples that give evidence of her sophisticated use of the language. Timing is very appropriate: she manages to deliver interesting ideas within adequate time limits.

Criterion A: Productive skills

The student is able to display varied vocabulary and structures in her description of the picture. She makes use of complex structures to talk about the past (“we would see windmills …”) and she uses precise language to describe her impressions about the picture (“it has a soothing quality to it” … ”the blue hue of the solar panels … makes it look a lot like an ocean …”). Although she sometimes makes repetitive use of some structures (“can have a hold of”), her command of the language is quite authentic, expressive, fluent and idiomatic.

Criterion B: Interactive and receptive skills

The student delivers a clear presentation and responds appropriately to the questions during the discussion; she combines personal experience with her description of the visual elements that attract her attention in the picture. Using her imagination, she even ventures a literary concept to describe the scene (“the conflict which would be nature versus human …”). At the same time, she remains objective enough in her response to a question asking her to suggest small steps that can be taken in her community in order to become more environmentally aware.

She is also able to reflect on interesting elements about the cultures discussed (renewable energies in the UK and summer jobs in the USA), and is able to make adequate comparisons with her own culture. She engages actively in the conversation and naturally demonstrates that she enjoys it.

Example 2 HL

Moderator comments

General

The student makes an extraordinary description of the rich elements portrayed in the picture, yet he would have needed to discuss ideas more deeply in the second part of the oral in order to achieve the highest mark in his interaction. He makes very good use of the allowed four minutes to discuss the elements in the picture.

Criterion A: Productive skills

The student is very successful in his description of the picture; he displays varied vocabulary in his interpretation and uses every single element included in it to reflect on the culture, which reveals keen observation and interpretation skills.

His rather formal use of “one” to present his ideas could become a bit repetitive; but given that he knows he is performing this task “as part of an evaluation”, he makes an effort to be up to the occasion. Towards the second part of the oral, he speeds up a little bit, which causes him to hesitate on a couple of expressions. However, these could be considered mistakes rather than errors in his use of the language, for instance, when he says that “people in our country don’t support global warming that much”.

His use of language is very good, clear and authentic, and mostly accurate.

Criterion B: Interactive and receptive skills

The student has clear analytical skills that integrate his intellectual awareness and knowledge of English literature, in order to comment about this cultural aspect of the UK. His participation in the conversation is quite active, and although he is not able to go more deeply into his analysis of problems of environmental awareness in the second part, he effectively demonstrates that he is able to present ideas and opinions “clearly and coherently”.

Moderator comments

General

The picture allowed the student to reflect on a topic that she was interested in; this circumstance gave her the opportunity to comment on a number of facts she knew about the culture, thus enabling her to be active in her interaction. Her use of time is very good, and her participation in the conversation is lively and coherent.

Criterion A: Productive skills

The student is very fluent, and she interacts actively throughout the conversation. Her use of language is also quite authentic and she makes use of idiomatic expressions (“I’m really into education”) although not always appropriately. For instance, she says that “they were a bunch of families”, when she clearly intends to express her admiration for Native Americans. Mistakes in agreement such as “the woman are the ones that” or “copy on exams or homeworks” do not obscure meaning at all. Minor inaccuracies are still there, yet her intonation definitely “enhances communication”.

Criterion B: Interactive and receptive skills

She manages to structure her talk quite well, and she participates actively in the conversation as she explains interesting ideas. When asked to compare the evolution of Native Americans in her own country, and in the USA she does not answer directly, but she is able to introduce another example that enables the flow of the conversation to continue. She explains quite clearly why children should be more active and interact socially, rather than spend time in front of a computer. The conversation flows coherently and naturally.

Example 4 HL

Moderator comments

General

The student renders a very interesting interpretation of the picture and uses the elements she describes to expand on some of the ideas during her very active interaction in the discussion. She makes adequate use of her time during the first part of the task.

Criterion A: Productive skills

The student is quite articulate; her conversational pace is agile and she is able to get her ideas across clearly. Yet there are a few inaccuracies that might cause misunderstandings such as her misuse of a couple of idiomatic expressions, her use of “he” when she means “she” or the various ways in which she pronounces “women”. She seems hesitant at times during her presentation on the picture, but only briefly, as she ponders what she is about to say. Her further interaction in the discussion is quite active. Her language is varied and idiomatic, though not always accurate.

Criterion B: Interactive and receptive skills

The student is clever, analytical and confident: she does not hesitate to explain her point of view or ask for clarification when necessary. She explains the context of the picture in terms of the historical moment depicted and the social practices at that time. Her interpretation is quite sound and she combines details in the composition of the scene to describe certain elements, such as the “tranquility and satisfaction” of women aware of the fact that “they were beginning something new”. She is quite perceptive and is able to introduce a number of interesting ideas throughout the conversation.