JC English Language 2024-26 Syllabus-1675064664

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Junior Certificate English Language Syllabus 101

November 2024 – 2026 Examinations
CONTENTS
Contents Page
Junior Certificate Examinations 3
Introduction 5
Rationale for teaching English 5
Aims 6
Assessment Objectives 7
Specification Grid 8
Assessment 9
Scheme of Assessment 9
Description of Papers 10
Curriculum Content 14
Appendix 1: Notes on the Admin of the Listening Examination 15
Appendix 2: Notes on Conducting and Recording the Oral Examination 16
Appendix 3: Paper 2 Marking Criteria 20
Appendix 4: Paper 4 Marking Criteria 22
Appendix 5: English Language Oral Examination Summary Form 23
Instructions for completing the Summary Form 24
Requirements for External Moderation 24
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JUNIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS
Broad Guidelines
The Ministry of Education and Training in Eswatini is committed, in accordance with the National Policy Statement on
Education, to provide a Curriculum and Assessment System (Form 1 to Form 3) so that at the completion of secondary
education, learners will:
 be equipped to meet the changing needs of the nation, and

 have attained internationally acceptable standards.
Eswatini’s National Education Policy Directives
Junior Certificate (JC) syllabuses for studies in Form 1 to Form 3 will individually, and collectively, enable learners to
develop a broad learning experience which:
 inculcates values and attitudes as well as knowledge and understanding,

 encourages respect for human rights and freedom of speech,
 respects the values and beliefs of others, relating to issues of gender, culture and religion,
 develops desirable attitudes and behaviour towards the environment,
 provides insight and understanding of global issues which affect quality of life in Eswatini and elsewhere, e.g.
emerging health issues, climate change, global warming, misdistribution of wealth and technological advances.
The National Curriculum for Form 1 to Form 3
Learners will be given opportunities to develop essential skills which will overlap across the entire range of subjects
studied. These skills are listed below:
 Communication and language skills

 Numeracy skills: mathematical ideas, techniques and applications
 Problem-solving skills
 Technological awareness and applications
 Critical thinking skills
 Work and study skills
 Independent learning
 Working with others
To develop these skills, learners must take six compulsory subjects and any other subjects selected from the
electives below.
Compulsory Subjects
 English Language
 Literature in English
 Mathematics
 Religious Education
 Science
 SiSwati
Electives
 Additional Mathematics
 Agriculture
 Bookkeeping and Accounts
 Business Studies
 Consumer Science
 Design and Technology
 Development Studies
 French
 Geography
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 History
Fields of Study
 Agriculture
 Business Studies
 Consumer Science
 Pure Sciences
 Social Sciences and Humanities
 Technical Studies
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INTRODUCTION
The Junior Certificate syllabuses are designed as three-year courses for examination in Form 3. The syllabus
assumes that the learners have been through a Primary School (Grade 1 to 7) Programme of English Language. The
Junior Secondary English Language Syllabus is designed to follow on from the seven year Primary School English
Programme. It also assumes that the learners have been through an elementary programme of language learning.
This covers the four basic language skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
English Language is one of the compulsory subjects in the National Curriculum of Eswatini. The content of this
syllabus is arranged under various headings, but it should be read overall to encourage a communicative and
appropriately integrated approach to language learning and teaching. It also recognises that language learning is a
complex process, usually involving the interplay of listening, speaking, reading and writing underpinned by knowledge
of the structure of the language. Learners’ needs and the strategies available to teachers may vary greatly from area
to area and within any class; but in all cases the English Language Syllabus must encourage awareness of the
usefulness of the language, making learners appreciate its importance for their personal, social and intellectual
development.
This syllabus recognises the fact that society is dynamic, and socio–cultural changes need to be incorporated.
Therefore, the assessment of this syllabus will include current issues to make the syllabus relevant to the needs of
the society.
The syllabus will act as an instrument that will direct assessment in the classroom, as well as guide examinations. It
is structured such that it dove-tails with the Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Education (EGCSE) and it
conforms to international standards.
Rationale for Teaching English
The rationale to teach English Language in the Junior Secondary Level of Education is as follows:
1. The constitution of Eswatini states that English and siSwati are the two official languages in the country.
2. The medium of instruction is English and most instructional materials are also in English.
3. It is an international language which allows learners to compete and or participate in the global market
educationally, economically, commercially, politically, technologically, socially and culturally.
4. It provides the English Language skills necessary for employment and life in general.
5. It also provides a language foundation for continuing education, and tertiary education within Eswatini,
Southern African Development Community (SADC) and internationally.
6. It is a language of business, used in formal sectors such as Parliament, Courts and writing Government reports
and Gazettes.
JC syllabuses follow a general pattern. The main sections are:

 Aims
 Assessment Objectives
 Assessment
 Curriculum Content
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AIMS
The aims of the syllabus are the same for all learners. These are set out below and describe the educational purposes
of a course in English Language for the JC Examination. They are not listed in order of priority.
 To develop an awareness of the usefulness of English Language as a medium of national and international
communication,
 To promote the value of effective language command and use for personal development,
 To develop an awareness of the nature of language and language-learning skills along with skills of a more
general application,
 To form a sound base for the effective use of English for the purpose of further study and employment.
Sections of the Syllabus
The main sections of the syllabus are as follows:

 Aims
 Assessment objectives
 Assessment
 Curriculum content
 Appendices
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ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES
The content and assessment objectives of this syllabus focus on the communicative tasks and activities, where
learners practise the following skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Reading
Learners will be assessed on their ability to:
R1 comprehend and respond to texts presented in a variety of forms.

R2 select, organise and analyse material relevant to specific purposes.
R3 recognise, understand main ideas and distinguish between facts, opinions and ideas using appropriate
support from the text.
R4 understand what is implied but not actually written, e.g. relationships, gist, writer’s purpose/intention,
writer’s feelings, situation or place.
Writing
W1 communicate effectively through various types of written texts

W2 write simple prose for description, narration, exposition and argument
W3 write coherent and cohesive paragraphs sequentially
W4 summarise passages and other texts
W5 write notes, notices, minutes, advertisements, telegrams, reports, dialogues, speeches, and complete a
variety of forms
W6 employ and control a variety of accurate grammatical structures.
Listening
L1 understand and respond to information presented in a variety of forms.

L2 select and organize material relevant to specific purposes.
L3 recognise, understand and distinguish between facts, ideas and opinions.
L4 infer information from texts.
Speaking
S1 communicate effectively and efficiently in a range of different contexts
S2 use the appropriate register, stress and pronounce words properly
S3 make a formal presentation in Standard English using appropriate rhetorical devices.
S4 Convey information and express opinions effectively
S5 engage in and influence the direction of a conversation
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SPECIFICATION GRID
Objectives R1 R2 R3 R4 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 L1 L2 L3 L4
Paper
1   
Exercise 1
1       
Exercise 2
1    
Exercise 3
1    
Exercise 4
1         
Exercise 5
2      
Exercise 1
2      
Exercise 2
2      
Exercise 3
3  
Exercise 1   
3  
3  
3  
Exercise 4    
3  
Exercise 5    
Paper 4 assesses Objectives S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5
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ASSESSMENT
The purpose of assessment in English Language is two-fold:
i) To provide feedback to both the teacher and learner as part of the teaching/learning process.
ii) To evaluate the effectiveness of the English Language Programme at secondary school level.
Scheme of Assessment
All papers are compulsory.
The exam is categorized into four (4) components, and these are as follows:
Duration of Exam Weighting

Paper 1
Reading and Directed 2 hours 35%
Writing

Paper 2
Continuous Writing 2 hours 35%

Paper 3
Listening Approx. 45 minutes 15%

Paper 4
Speaking School-based assessment 15%
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Description of Papers
Paper 1 Reading and Directed writing (2 hours) consisting of 50 marks.
For all parts of this component, candidates write their answers in the spaces provided on the question paper.
Dictionaries should not be used. The paper is divided into Five Compulsory Exercises.
Exercise 1 Reading 1 (10 marks)

Assessment Objective R1, R2 and R3
This is a reading exercise based on a text of approximately 400-500 words in which candidates will be required
to answer a series of questions examining reading skills and more detailed comprehension. The text will take
the form of a report/newspaper/magazine article etc., which may incorporate a graphical element.
Exercise 2 Information Transfer (10 marks – 6 for Reading Objectives and 4 for Writing Objectives)
Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R4, W1, W2, and W5.
This is an information transfer task based on a text of approximately 300-400 words in which candidates will be
required to complete a form template on the basis of information provided in the question paper. They will also
be required to write two sentences based on the information in the text.
Exercise 3 Note-making (10 marks)

Assessment Objectives R1, R2 and R3
This is a note-making task based on a text of approximately 400-500 words in which candidates will be required
to make brief notes (under supplied heading or headings) relating to a text printed in the question paper.
Exercise 4 Reading 2 (10 marks)

Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R3 and R4
A reading comprehension task of 400-500 words in which candidates will be required to respond to a series of
questions. These include short answers testing understanding of both explicit and implicit meanings which may
include imagery, writer’s feelings and attitudes, effects of language use etc.
Exercise 5 Summary (10 marks – 6 for Reading Objectives and 4 for Writing Objectives)
Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R3, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6
This is a summary writing task based on a text of approximately 450-550 words in which candidates will be
required to write a summary of about 100 words about an aspect or aspects of the passage.
This paper will be weighted at 35% of the final total available marks.
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Paper 2 Continuous Writing (2 hours) Consisting of 50 marks
For all parts of this component, candidates write their answers in the spaces provided on the question paper.
Dictionaries should not be used.
Exercise 1 Informal Writing 1 (15 marks)
Assessment Objectives: W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6

Candidates will be required to write approximately one page (150-200 words) of continuous prose in response to
a short stimulus (which must take the form of visuals, and or short prompts printed on the paper. A purpose, format
and audience will be specified.
Candidates receive up to 8 marks for content and up to 7 marks for style and accuracy in language.
Exercise 2 Formal Writing 2 (15 marks)
Assessment Objectives: W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6. Candidates will be required to write approximately one
page (150-200 words) of continuous prose in response to a short graphic stimulus and/or short prompts printed on
the paper. The purpose, format and audience will be specified.
Candidates receive up to 8 marks for content and up to 7 marks for style and accuracy of language.
Exercise 3 Extended Writing 3 (20 marks)
Assessment Objectives: W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6

Candidates will be required to write approximately 1½ – 2 pages (250-350 words) of continuous prose. They will
be required to write on one topic from a choice of three titles. Candidates will be required to write either an
argumentative/discursive, expository/factual, descriptive or narrative piece which may have a visual element as a
stimulus.
Candidates receive up to 10 marks for content and up to 10 marks for style and accuracy of language.
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Paper 3 Listening (Approximately 40 minutes) consisting of 25 marks.
For all exercises in this component, candidates will write their answers in the spaces provided on the question
paper. Each exercise examines listening comprehension of recorded texts (e.g., dialogue, announcements,
conversations, talks) on a compact disc (CD) played in the examination room. Each text is heard twice on the CD.
The CD is controlled by the invigilator of the examination, not the candidate(s).
Dictionaries should not be used.
This paper is divided into Five Compulsory Exercises
Exercise 1
Consists of questions 1 - 5 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2 and W1
Five scenarios based on a series of short spoken text (e.g., travel announcement, answer-phone message, brief
dialogue), requiring short answers.
Exercise 2 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2 L3 and W1

Examining listening for understanding based on longer spoken texts (e.g. conversation, interview, monologue, talk)
requiring completion of gaps on forms/charts printed in the question paper.
NB: Questions in this exercise will have leads and examples.
Exercise 3 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2, L3 and W1

Examining listening for understanding based on longer spoken texts (e.g. conversation, interview, monologue, talk)
requiring completion of gaps on form/charts printed in the question paper.
NB: Questions in this exercise will have leads only – no examples.
Exercise 4 ( 5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2, L3, L4 and W1

Examining listening for understanding based on longer spoken texts (e.g. conversation, interview, monologue, talk).
The exercise will consist of questions requiring short or sentence-length answers.
Exercise 5 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2, L3, L4 and W1

Examining listening for understanding based on longer spoken texts (e.g. conversation, interview, monologue, talk).
The exercise will consist of questions requiring short or sentence-length answers.
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Paper 4 Speaking (approximately 8 – 10 minutes) consisting of 15 marks.
Assessment Objectives S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5
Oral examinations are conducted during a period before the main examination session. Materials for the
examination are dispatched to Centres before this period, and once these have been opened the examination must
be conducted as soon as possible. After the examination, the Centre must send back to ECESWA the recorded
CDs for moderation before the official deadline.
At least five Oral Assessment Cards will be issued, with an accompanying set of Teacher’s Notes. Each card will
introduce a topic for discussion between the Teacher/Examiner and the candidate, together with suggestions for
the development of the conversation.
The Teacher/Examiner selects ONE Oral Card for each candidate from the range provided.
The total duration of the oral examination should be approximately 8 – 10 minutes, made up of:
 Non-assessed ‘warm-up’ conversation (approximately 1 - 2 minutes)
 Time for the candidate to read the Oral Assessment Card and to prepare a response (no written notes are
permitted) (approximately 1 - 2 minutes)
 Assessed conversation (approximately 4 - 5 minutes)
The Teacher/Examiner will usually be the Centre’s English Language teacher, but someone from outside the
Centre could be used if there is need.
The Teacher/Examiner will conduct and internally assess the Examinations using the oral assessment criteria grid,
and will submit recorded conversations of all the candidates’ performances for external moderation. These will then
be moderated by ECESWA.
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CURRICULUM CONTENT
Learners will develop all skills in the curriculum content outlined below.
SKILL : READING
Competencies
All learners should be able to:
 demonstrate the ability to recognise public notices and signs (including timetables and advertisements);
 demonstrate the ability to extract relevant specific information from forms, letters, brochures and examples
of imaginative writing considered likely to be within the experience of and reflecting the interests of young
people from varied cultural backgrounds;
 scan for particular information, organise the relevant information and present it in a logical manner/given
format;
 demonstrate the ability to identify the important points or themes within an extended piece of writing;
 draw conclusions from and see relations within an extended text.
SKILL : WRITING
Competencies
 carry out writing tasks, such as completing forms, taking notes or writing summaries in an appropriate and
accurate form of English in response to a written stimulus;
 demonstrate the ability to describe, report, give personal information;
 identify, organise and present given material in a particular form;
 carry out longer original writing tasks on a wide range of topics in response to a written or graphic stimulus.
SKILL : LISTENING
Competencies
 demonstrate understanding of specific details, information and semi-formal announcements, (e.g., news,
weather, travel broadcasts, and in interviews, dialogues and telephone conversations);
 demonstrate general comprehension of the speaker’s intentions where appropriate;
 identify the important points or themes of the material they hear, including attitudes;
 draw conclusions from and identify relationships between ideas within the material they hear;
 show awareness of major variations in register;
 take notes from material they have heard.
SKILL : SPEAKING
Competencies
 demonstrate competence in a range of speech activities, (e.g. respond to questions on topics within a
defined range such as past and present schooling, future plans, current affairs);
 conduct a sustained conversation;
 demonstrate flexibility in dealing with new, topical ideas;
 show a sense of audience.
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APPENDIX 1: NOTES ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LISTENING EXAMINATION
Centres will be supplied with one Compact Disk (CD) for every 30 candidates plus one spare, and will be able to keep
these after the examination. Centres are strongly advised to hold the listening examination in a room that is suitable
for up to thirty candidates at a time. If a Centre has equipment that is especially powerful, more candidates may be
accommodated without special permission, but no applications for special consideration will be accepted on the
grounds of inaudibility. Language laboratories may be used, but particular care must be taken to ensure adequate
supervision.
Checking Listening CDs
 Listening CDs must be spot-checked for recording and sound quality one working day before the exam, in the
presence of the invigilator. This check must not affect the security of the examination.
 In order to check the acoustics (i.e. the loudspeakers and sound quality), one of the CDs must be spot-checked
at the appropriate volume in the examination room on the day of the examination and no later than 30 minutes
before the examination is due to take place. This check must not affect the security of the examination.
 On neither of the above occasions may the CDs be listened to in full nor may the CDs be removed from the
Centre for checking.
Conduct of the Listening Examination
Ideally, a teacher of English should be present to deal with any technical difficulties that may arise. This person should
not be the teacher who prepared the candidates for the subject under examination.
Once started, the CDs must not be stopped except in the case of a serious emergency. Noise from outside the
examination room does not constitute a serious emergency and the CD must not be stopped in these circumstances.
Candidates should be warned of this before the examination begins.
In the event of the CD being stopped in a serious emergency, it should be restarted, once the emergency has been
dealt with, at exactly the same place. A statement from the Invigilator, indicating at which point in the recording the
interruption took place, the nature of the incident and the length of the interruption, should be submitted to the
Examinations Council of Eswatini, along with an application for special consideration. If there is good reason to doubt
whether certain items have been heard by all candidates, these items should be identified in the report and the reason
for doubt given.
Centres should contact the Examinations Council of Eswatini if equipment fails during the examination in order to
make alternative arrangements for the conduct of the listening examination.
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APPENDIX 2: NOTES ON CONDUCTING AND RECORDING THE ORAL EXAMINATIONS
GENERAL
1. The oral examination take place in the period before the main examination session as notified on the
timetable. Each Centre decides on a convenient period within these dates for its oral examinations. It is
recommended that the examinations are conducted within one week to allow sufficient time for a single
Examiner to conduct all of the examination. See Section 4 below.
2. Centres must ensure well in advance of the examinations that a suitably quiet room is available and that
recording equipment is in good order.
3. Centres must adhere to dates for completion of the oral examinations and for the receipt of mark sheets and
recordings at ECESWA to allow sufficient time for external moderation. It is vital that material does not arrive
late.
4. For Centres with 30 or fewer candidates, there should normally be just one Examiner. The Examiner is
normally the English Language teacher, but could be someone from outside the Centre if there is need. A
group of neighboring Centres might choose the same teacher to conduct all their examinations; in such a
case each Centre is still responsible for submitting properly completed forms and recordings. ECESWA is not
responsible for any fees agreed upon.
Centres with more than 30 candidates may use more than one Examiner (applying the ratio of an additional
Examiner for each 30 candidates). If using more than one Examiner, internal moderation must be carried out
by the Centre so that a common standard is applied to all candidates.
5. Centres receive a set of Oral Assessment Cards accompanying this set of Examiner’s Notes.
Teachers/Examiners responsible for conducting the oral examination should familiarise themselves with
these materials before the examination are held. These materials must remain confidential and must be kept
in a secure place by the Centre until the end of the examination period.
6. Each Centre must send to ECESWA the following: (a) recorded CD(s) of all candidates’ performance; (b)
completed MS1 Forms; (c) completed Oral Examination Summary Form(s) and (d) the attendance register.
(a) Recorded sample
For instruction on how to do the recording see Section 14 below. CDs must be sent to ECESWA together
with completed documents. CDs must be clearly labelled with details of the candidates recorded.
(b) Form MS 1
The computer-printed school based assessment mark sheet (Form MS 1) has two parts:
* The top sheet must be sent to ECESWA in the separate envelope provided.
* The bottom sheet must be retained by the Centre in case of postal loss or subsequent enquiries, until
after the issue of results.
Form MS1 is to be completed by transferring the mark for each candidate from the total mark column on the
Oral Examination Summary Form.
(c) Oral Examination Summary Form
This is a document on which marks for each candidate are to be entered in detail. Instructions for its completion will
be found on the reverse of the form. The form must be submitted together with the recorded sample and the MS1
form.
Please be careful to check all mark additions. The Oral Examination Summary Form must show the breakdown of
marks for all the candidates
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7. The CD(s) along with completed MS1 and Oral Examination Summary Form should be returned to ECESWA
as soon as the oral examinations have been completed at the Centre. Please do not wait until the end of the
assessment period before sending them.
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CONDUCTING THE ORAL EXAMINATIONS
8. The oral examination should proceed along the following lines:
(A) Start the recording. Give the candidate’s name and number. Welcome the candidate and explain
briefly what is going to happen in the course of the examination.
(B) Warm-up section. Conduct a general conversation by asking the candidate a few questions about
herself/himself, the school, etc., to give the candidate time to get used to the examination situation.
The purpose of this section of the examination is to put candidates at their ease. As a guide, about
2-3 minutes should be spent on this section.
(C) Hand the Oral Assessment Card to the candidate. This must take place AFTER the warm-up. Any
necessary explanation should be given at this point, followed by a short preparation period
(approximately 2-3 minutes), when the candidate is at liberty to ask questions. The candidate may
not make notes during this period. The recorder should be paused by the Examiner while the
candidate considers the Topic Card. The Examiner should indicate this by saying ‘the recording will
now be paused’ so that the External Moderator knows that the candidate is being given time to study
the card.
(D) Main part of the examination: conversation based on the Oral Assessment Card. Either the Examiner
or the candidate may start the conversation. The notes in this booklet on each card give some
suggestions about questions and prompts which might be used. This section of the examination
should last approximately 4-9 minutes.
The total duration of the oral examination, from the beginning of (B) to the end of (D) should be
approximately 8-15 minutes.
Note that only (D) is to be assessed.
The oral examination must be conducted in English throughout.
9. Examination conditions must prevail in the area where the oral examinations take place. Adequate
supervision must be provided to ensure that candidates leaving the room from the oral examinations do not
communicate with those waiting to enter.
10. No other person should be present during the oral examination, with the exception of a representative of
ECESWA.
11. Candidates are not allowed to bring any notes into the examination room, nor are they allowed to consult
dictionaries.
12. A range of Oral Assessment Cards is provided, and the Examiner (not the candidate) chooses the card to be
used for each candidate. As wide a variety as possible of the cards should be used during the oral
examinations at the Centre. In order that candidates are given every chance to do themselves justice, the
Assessment Card should be selected with care. The warm-up may give the Examiner an indication of the
best card to select. Remember that the examination is one of spoken language not subject knowledge:
If it becomes apparent that the candidate finds the topic difficult or inappropriate it is perfectly
permissible to move into more productive areas. There is no need to stick rigidly to the Examiner
prompts in such cases.
13. The Examiner should be positioned so that s/he is facing the candidate, with a table or desk in between.
Candidates should not be able to see notes made on Oral Examination Summary Forms or similar paperwork.
RECORDING THE SESSION
14. Centres must ensure that their recording equipment is in good working order. The recorder and the CD(s)
should be examined on site, sometime before the actual oral examinations, ideally with one of the candidates.
The warm-up section of the examination also provides an opportunity to check audibility. Where possible it is
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advisable to use a recorder with external microphones so that separate microphones can be used for
candidate and Examiner. If only one microphone is used it should be placed facing the candidate.
It is important to check audibility levels before recording begins; adjustments to the volume control during an
examination should normally be avoided. Care should be taken to avoid extraneous noise and long gaps. Checks
should be made throughout the oral examination session to ensure that voices are clearly audible.
With the exception of a permitted pause between the warm-up and the main part of the examination (see Section 8
above), once the oral examination has begun the recording should run without interruption.
Each CD should begin with a clear statement by the Examiner as follows:
Centre Number: [e.g.] 1000

Centre Name: [e.g.] Malungisa High School
Examination: 101 English Language
Examiner Name: [e.g.] Mr. A. Lukhele
Date: [e.g.] 1 October 2018
Each candidate recorded should be clearly indicated on the recording by the teacher as follows:
Candidate Number: [e.g.] 0021

Candidate Name: [e.g.] Blessing Dlamini
At the end of the sample the Examiner should state clearly ‘End of Recording’.
Before the CD is dispatched, spot checks must be made to ensure that every candidate is clearly audible. The
contents of each CD must be clearly labelled.
GENERAL ADVICE
15. Please bear the following in mind when marking:

Be objective. Do not allow any knowledge of a candidate’s personality and attitudes to influence objective
assessment. For example, knowledge that a candidate is very conscientious in her homework is irrelevant in
assessing her oral examination. If the candidate’s performance is affected because s/he faces difficult
circumstances or personal problems at the time of the examination, n this is a matter to be dealt with via
Special Considerations procedures, for which the Head of Centre completes separate documentation. Oral
Examiners must not make any separate adjustments themselves in such cases.
Be realistic. Remember that it is not necessary for a candidate to be of native speaker standard to be given
maximum marks within any single category. Knowledge of a candidate’s first language must not make the
examiner ignore particular habitual errors and overlook inaccuracy.
Be consistent. It is important that the marking criteria are applied in the same way for all the candidates at
the Centre, so that a reliable rank order for the Centre is obtained.
Be positive. Marking the examination should be seen as giving credit for what candidates can do, not
penalising them for what they cannot do. This does not mean that matters of inaccuracy in, for example,
grammar and pronunciation are to be overlooked but is a reminder that J.C. oral examination is intended to
credit positive achievement.
16. To conduct Oral Examinations effectively, good Examiners:
 always put candidates at ease from the outset (smiling as candidates enter the room, indicating where
they should sit etc.) while maintaining a clear sense that the oral examination is being conducted in
a formal examination situation,
 never walk about or distract candidates,
 always appear interested, even in mundane matters,
 never interrupt with their own views,
 never correct mistakes,
 never show undue surprise or impatience,
 never give the impression that there must be ‘right’ answers to questions,
 always bring the best out of their candidates by asking ‘open’ questions which allow candidates to
respond at length, not strings of ‘closed’ questions prompting yes/no answers,
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 never conduct the oral examination as if it is a test of knowledge,

 never indicate their opinion of candidates’ performance during or after the oral examination– a good
Examiner will normally send a candidate out of the examination smiling, no matter how good or bad
the candidates’ performance has been.
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APPENDIX 3: PAPER 2 – MARKING CRITERIA
GENERAL CRITERIA FOR MARKING EXERCISES 1 AND 2
Mark CONTENT: relevance and development of Mark LANGUAGE: style and accuracy
Band ideas Band (AO: W1, W3, W4, W5)
(AO: W1, W2, W6
8 Highly effective: 7 Fluent:
 Relevance: Fulfills the task, with consistently  Style: Almost first language competence.
appropriate register and excellent sense of purpose Ease of style. Confident and wide ranging
and audience. use of language, idioms and tenses.
 Development of ideas: shows independence of  Accuracy: No or very few errors. Well-
thought. Ideas are well developed, at appropriate constructed and linked paragraphs.
length and persuasive. Quality is sustained
throughout. Enjoyable to read. The interest of the
reader is aroused and sustained.
6-7 Effective: 6 Precise:
 Relevance: Fulfills the task, with appropriate  Style: Sentences show variety of
register and good sense of purpose and audience. structure and length. Uses some idioms
 Development of ideas: Ideas are well developed and precise in use of vocabulary.
and at appropriate length. Engages reader’s However, there may be some
interest. awkwardness in style making reading less
enjoyable.
 Accuracy: Generally accurate, apart
from occasional frustrating minor errors.
There are paragraphs showing some
unity, although links maybe absent or
inappropriate.
4-5 Satisfactory: 4-5 Safe:

 Relevance: Fulfills the task, with reasonable  Style: Mainly simple structures and
attempt at appropriate register, and some sense of vocabulary, sometimes attempting more
purpose and audience. A satisfactory attempt has sophisticated language.
been made to address the topic, but there may be  Accuracy: Meaning is clear, and work is
digressions. of a safe, literate standard. Simple
 Development of ideas: Material is satisfactorily structures are generally sound, apart from
developed at appropriate length. infrequent spelling errors, which do not
interfere with communication.
Grammatical errors occur when more
sophistication is attempted. Paragraphs
are used but without coherence or unity.
2-3 Partly relevant: 2-3 Errors intrude:
 Relevance: Partly relevant and some engagement  Style: Simple structures and vocabulary.
with the task. Does not quite fulfil the task, although  Accuracy: Meaning is sometimes in
there are some positive qualities. Inappropriate doubt. Frequent, distracting errors
register, showing insufficient awareness of purpose hamper precision and slow down reading.
and/or audience. However, these do not seriously impair
 Development of ideas: Supplies some detail and communicating. Paragraphs absent or
explanation, but the effect is incomplete. Some inconsistent.
repetition.  Multiple types of error in grammar /
Award 1 mark. spelling / word usage / punctuation
 Limited engagement with task, but this is mostly throughout, which mostly make it difficult
hidden by density of error. Award 1 mark. to understand. Occasionally, sense can
be deciphered. Paragraphs absent or
haphazard. Award 1 mark.
0-1 Little relevance: 0-1 Hard to understand:
 No engagement with the task or any engagement with  Density of error completely obscures
task is completely hidden by density of error. Award 0 meaning. Whole sections impossible to
marks. If essay is completely irrelevant, no mark can recognize as pieces of English writing.
be given for language. Paragraphs absent or inconsistent.
22
GENERAL CRITERIA FOR MARKING EXERCISE 3
MARK CONTENT : relevance and development of ideas MARK LANGUAGE : style and accuracy (AO: W1,
Band (AO: W1, W2,W6) Band W3,W4,W5)
10 Highly effective: 10 Fluent :
 Relevance: Consistently relevant, uses  Style: Almost first language competence.
appropriate register and excellent sense of Sentence structure varied for particular
purpose and audience. effects. Confident and wide ranging use of
 Development of ideas: shows independence of language and idioms. Vocabulary is wide
thought. Ideas are well developed, at appropriate and precise to convey intended shades of
length. The interest of the reader is highly aroused meaning.
and sustained. Quality is sustained throughout  Accuracy: Highly accurate apart from
and enjoyable to read. very occasional slips. Paragraphs have
unity, are linked and show evidence of
being well organized.
8-9 Effective: 9 Precise
 Relevance: Fulfils the task with consistently  Style: Generally accurate apart from
appropriate register and a sense of purpose and occasional errors that are either slips or
audience. caused by ambition. Uses some idioms
 Development of ideas: Shows some and precise in use of vocabulary to convey
independence of thought. Ideas are well intended shades of meaning
developed, at appropriate length. The interest of  Accuracy: Paragraphs have unity, are
the reader is aroused and sustained. Quality is usually linked and show some evidence of
sustained. Enjoyable to read. being well-organized.
6-7 Upper satisfactory: 7-8 Mostly accurate:

 Relevance: Fulfils the task, with appropriate  Style: Some variety of sentence structures
register and good sense of purpose and audience. and vocabulary, sometimes attempting
 Development of ideas: Ideas are well developed sophisticated language.
and at appropriate length. Some interest is  Accuracy: Mostly accurate, errors from
aroused. ambition do not mar clarity of
communication. Grammatical errors occur
when more sophistication is attempted.
There are paragraphs showing some
unity, although links may be absent or
inappropriate.
4-5 Lower satisfactory: 5-6 Safe:
 Relevance: Fulfils the task, with reasonable  Style: Mainly simple structures and
attempt at appropriate register, and some sense vocabulary.
of purpose and audience. A satisfactory attempt  Accuracy: Meaning is clear, and work is
has been made to address the topic, but there of a safe literate standard. Simple
may be digressions or failures of logic. structures are generally sound, apart from
 Development of ideas: Material is satisfactorily infrequent spelling errors, which do not
developed at appropriate length. interfere with communication. Spelling of
simple vocabulary is accurate, errors in
more difficult words. Paragraphs are used
but without coherence or unity.
2-3 Partly relevant: 3-4 Errors intrude:
 Relevance: Partly relevant and some  Style: Simple structure and vocabulary.
engagement with the task, although there are  Accuracy: Meaning is sometimes in
some positive qualities. Inappropriate register, doubt. Frequent, distracting errors hamper
showing insufficient awareness of purpose and/ or precision and slow down reading.
audience. However, these do not seriously impair
 Development of ideas: Supplies some detail communicating.
and explanation, but the effect is incomplete.
Some repetition.
0-1 Little relevance: 1-2 Multiple errors:
 Limited engagement with the task or any  Multiple types of error in
engagement is completely hidden by density of grammar/spelling/word usage/punctuation
errors. throughout which mostly make it difficult to
No relevance: understand. Occasionally, sense can be
 No engagement with the task. If essay is deciphered.
completely irrelevant, no mark can be given for Hard to understand:
language  Density of errors. Whole sections
impossible to recognize as pieces of
English writing.
23
JC English Language Syllabus 101
APPENDIX 4: PAPER 4 MARKING CRITERIA

Give a mark out of 5 for each category (structure, vocabulary, development and fluency), and then add these marks to
give an overall total out of 15.
Mark Structure Vocabulary Development and Fluency
5 The candidate demonstrates ability to use The candidate shows enough The candidate shows sustained ability to
a variety of structures accurately and command of vocabulary to respond maintain a conversation and to contribute at
consistently. The candidate is confidently with precision. Shades of meaning are some length. The candidate can respond to
in control of the structures used. achieved and some sophisticated change in direction of the conversation.
ideas are communicated.
Pronunciation and intonation are clear.
4 Structures will be generally sound, but will The candidate has a sufficient range of The candidate responds relevantly and at
not be used entirely accurately or with vocabulary to convey information and length which makes frequent prompting
consistent confidence. There will be some ideas with competence. Errors are unnecessary, resulting in a competent
errors in attempting to use more complex noticeable, however, when attempting conversation.
sentences. to use more complex and precise
vocabulary. Pronunciation and intonation are generally
clear.
3 The candidate can use simple structures Vocabulary conveys simple ideas and The candidate makes an attempt to respond
securely but has difficulty venturing information clearly, though it is not to questions and prompts. Effort will need to
beyond them. wide or varied. There may be be made to develop the conversation; only
hesitation, repetition and searching for partial success will be achieved.
words.
There is some lack of clarity of pronunciation
and intonation, but it is unlikely to impede
communication.
2 Structures will generally be very simple, Vocabulary will generally be Responses tend to be brief and widely
limited and with errors, which will restrict inadequate to convey simple ideas. spaced. The candidate has to be encouraged
communication. to go beyond short responses and struggles
to develop a conversation.
Pronunciation and intonation cause some

communication difficulty.
1 Attempts at structured sentences will Use of single words is the norm and Responses are so brief that little is
rarely achieve communication. However, there will be long gaps. communicated. The candidate hardly
some attempt at a response will be made engages in a conversation.
during the discussion.
24
APPENDIX 5: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ORAL EXAMINATION SUMMARY FORM JUNIOR CERTIFICATE 101/04
Please read the instructions printed overleaf and in the Instructions and Mark Scheme before completing this form.
Centre Number Centre Name November 2 0
Fluency and Externally

Candidate Candidate Name Oral Structure Vocabulary Development Total Moderated
Number Assessment Mark Mark
Card (max 5) (max 5) (max 5) (max 15) (max 15)
Name of teacher completing this form Signature Date

Name of internal moderator (where appropriate) Signature Date
25
A. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING ORAL ASSESSMENT SUMMARY FORMS
1. Complete the information at the head of the form.

2. List the candidates in an order which will allow ease of transfer of information to a computer-printed
mark sheet MS1 at a later stage i.e. in candidate index number order.
3. Indicate the Oral Assessment Card (Card with Oral Topics) selected for the candidate.
(a) Indicate marks awarded out of a maximum of 5 for each section (Structure, Vocabulary and
Fluency and Development).
(b) In the column headed ‘Total Mark”, add the marks to present a total out of 15.
4. Where there are more than one teacher conducting the Oral Assessment.
5. The teacher completing the form and another teacher in the English Language Department should
check the correctness of the information on the form and both complete and sign the bottom portion.
B. REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTERNAL MODERATION
1. Examinations Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) sends a computer-printed Coursework Mark Sheet

(MS1) to each Centre showing the names and index numbers of each candidate. Transfer the total
mark for each candidate from the Oral Assessment Summary Form to the computer-printed mark
sheet (MS1).
2. Once the Oral Examination has been completed and all additions thoroughly checked by another
teacher, all the relevant material should be dispatched immediately to ECESWA. These include:
 The recorded CD with all the candidates’ performance

 Oral Examination Summary Form
 MS1 Form (including the unlisted page; even if there are no candidates listed on it)
 Attendance Register (it must be completed and submitted)
26
J C ENGLISH LANGUAGE Syllabus 101
27

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2

Junior Certificate English Language Syllabus 101

Junior Certificate Examinations 3

Appendix 1: Notes on the Admin of the Listening Examination 15

Appendix 2: Notes on Conducting and Recording the Oral Examination 16

Appendix 3: Paper 2 Marking Criteria 20

Appendix 4: Paper 4 Marking Criteria 22

Appendix 5: English Language Oral Examination Summary Form 23

Instructions for completing the Summary Form 24

Requirements for External Moderation 24

JUNIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS

 be equipped to meet the changing needs of the nation, and

Eswatini’s National Education Policy Directives

 inculcates values and attitudes as well as knowledge and understanding,

The National Curriculum for Form 1 to Form 3

 Communication and language skills

Rationale for Teaching English

JC syllabuses follow a general pattern. The main sections are:

Sections of the Syllabus

The main sections of the syllabus are as follows:

Learners will be assessed on their ability to:

R1 comprehend and respond to texts presented in a variety of forms.

Learners will be assessed on their ability to:

W1 communicate effectively through various types of written texts

Learners will be assessed on their ability to:

L1 understand and respond to information presented in a variety of forms.

Paper 4 assesses Objectives S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5

The purpose of assessment in English Language is two-fold:

All papers are compulsory.

Duration of Exam Weighting

Duration of Exam Weighting

Duration of Exam Weighting

Duration of Exam Weighting

Paper 1 Reading and Directed writing (2 hours) consisting of 50 marks.

Exercise 1 Reading 1 (10 marks)

Exercise 3 Note-making (10 marks)

Exercise 4 Reading 2 (10 marks)

Paper 2 Continuous Writing (2 hours) Consisting of 50 marks

Exercise 1 Informal Writing 1 (15 marks)

Assessment Objectives: W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6

Exercise 2 Formal Writing 2 (15 marks)

Exercise 3 Extended Writing 3 (20 marks)

Assessment Objectives: W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6

Paper 3 Listening (Approximately 40 minutes) consisting of 25 marks.

Dictionaries should not be used.

This paper is divided into Five Compulsory Exercises

Exercise 2 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2 L3 and W1

Exercise 3 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2, L3 and W1

Exercise 4 ( 5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2, L3, L4 and W1

Exercise 5 (5 marks) Assessment Objectives: R1, L1, L2, L3, L4 and W1

Paper 4 Speaking (approximately 8 – 10 minutes) consisting of 15 marks.

Assessment Objectives S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5

APPENDIX 1: NOTES ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LISTENING EXAMINATION

Checking Listening CDs

Conduct of the Listening Examination

APPENDIX 2: NOTES ON CONDUCTING AND RECORDING THE ORAL EXAMINATIONS

(a) Recorded sample

(c) Oral Examination Summary Form

CONDUCTING THE ORAL EXAMINATIONS

8. The oral examination should proceed along the following lines: