IB Spanish Language External Assessment – Written Assignment -SL
February – March 2013
Standard Level – Spanish 5
Assignment

I give you 3 articles / sources (based on the 3 IB Core Topics) to read and base your writing on; you need to use facts and figures
from the texts and incorporated them into your writing

Your text can and probably will be fiction, although you will use facts from the articles / sources

You decide on the subject or title and I allow it or not

You choose a text type from this list:
o
Article, column
o
Blog
o
Brochure, leaflet, flyer, pamphlet, advertisement
o
Essay
o
Interview in any form
o
News report
o
Report
o
Review
o
Set of instructions, guidelines
o
Written correspondence

The content of your writing and the articles comes from the 3 IB Core Topics:
o
Communication and media
o
Global issues
o
Social relationships

You must write a 100 word rationale that introduces the assignment, states your aims and how you have achieved them

Content and organization are more important than format; you must understand the subject matter and organize and use the
information from the sources well

Use language appropriate to the text type (blogs may be less formal than essays, interviews may contain more colloquialisms [be more
conversational] etc.)
Articles / Sources

12 students will have the same 3 articles

Of those 12, no student may repeat the same subject

You may address the same topic with a different text type or use the same text type with a different subject (for example, if the
topic is global warming, one student could blog as a fake person displaced by hurricane Katrina, while another could blog as a fake
Indian whose crops have been destroyed 3 years in a row due to vicious weather)
Technicalities

300-400 word limit

100 word rationale

If you write less or more (yes they count the words) you lose 1 point from criterion A
o
I assume the rationale can be a few more or a few less words

You must hand-write the text

You may use a paper dictionary and other “reference material” (for example 501 Spanish Verbs)

The “suggested time” is 3 to 4 hours, which includes:
o
Reading the sources
o
Writing the final text
o
Writing the rationale

You sign a coversheet and we send the work to IB for evaluation
Written assignment: Receptive and written productive skills (SL)
Criterion A: Language
 How effectively and accurately does the student use language?
Failure to write the minimum number of words will result in a 1-mark penalty.
Marks
0
1–2
3–4
5–6
7–8
Level descriptor
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
Command of the language is generally inadequate.
A very limited range of vocabulary is used, with many basic errors.
Sentence structures are rarely clear.
Command of the language is limited and generally ineffective.
A limited range of vocabulary is used, with many basic errors.
Sentence structures are sometimes clear.
Command of the language is generally adequate, despite many inaccuracies.
A fairly limited range of vocabulary is used, with many errors.
Sentence structures are usually clear.
Command of the language is effective, despite some inaccuracies.
A range of vocabulary is used accurately, with some errors.
Sentence structures are clear.
Criterion B: Content
 How well has the student used the sources to achieve the aim(s) stated in the rationale?
 How skillfully are the sources used for the task?
 How well organized is the information gathered from the sources?
Marks
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
The student makes little use of the sources and has not fulfilled the aim(s) stated in the rationale.
1–2
Use of the sources is superficial or poorly developed.
There is no evidence of organization.
The student makes some use of the sources and partially fulfills the aim(s) stated in the rationale.
3–4
Use of the sources is basic, though at least relevant.
There is an attempt at organization.
The student makes use of the sources and generally fulfills the aim(s) stated in the rationale.
5–6
Use of the sources is adequate.
There is some organization.
The student makes good use of the sources and mostly fulfills the aim(s) stated in the rationale.
7–8
Use of the sources is good.
The work is mostly organized.
The student makes effective use of the sources and fulfills the aim(s) stated in the rationale.
9–10
Use of the sources is effective.
The work is organized.
Criterion C: Format
 How correctly does the student produce the required text type?
 To what extent are the conventions of text types appropriate?
Marks
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
The text type is not recognizable.
1
Conventions appropriate to the text type are not used.
The text type is hardly recognizable or is not appropriate.
2
Conventions appropriate to the text type are limited.
The text type is sometimes recognizable and appropriate.
3
Conventions appropriate to the text type are evident.
The text type is clearly recognizable and appropriate.
4
Conventions appropriate to the text type are effective and evident.
Criterion D: Rationale
 How clear and convincing is the rationale?
Marks
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1
The rationale is not clear.
2
The rationale is clear to some extent.
3
The rationale is clear and directly linked to the sources.