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Initial steps with Trinity

First qualifications in English: GESE Grades 1–3


cover photos: top middle and bottom right — Speak! Learning Centre; top right and bottom left — Martin Dalton; bottom middle — Sylva Nay
photos: opposite left — Sylva Nay; opposite right — Rebecca Rufener
Contents
Contents

What is Trinity College London? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3


The Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Trinity GESE Grade 1 — Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
GESE Grade 1 — Syllabus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
GESE Grade 1 — Teaching materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
GESE Grade 2 — Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
GESE Grade 2 — Syllabus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
GESE Grade 2 — Teaching materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
GESE Grade 3 — Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
GESE Grade 3 — Syllabus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
GESE Grade 3 — Teaching materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
General information — Initial stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

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2 photos: top opposite — Speak! Learning Centre, bottom opposite — Martin Dalton
What is Trinity College London?
What is Trinity College London?
Trinity College London is an independent international
examinations board, fully accredited in England as an awarding
body. Trinity provides qualifications in the English language,
music and performing arts throughout the world.
Trinity has been examining since 1872 and now over half a
million people each year take one of our examinations.
At Trinity, we believe in recognising the achievements of every
learner. Each journey starts with a first step — including the
journey of learning English. In this booklet, you will learn how
Trinity recognises the achievements of learners of English at
the beginning of their journey.

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The Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)
The Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)

The Graded Examinations in Spoken English are designed for all learners of English.
There are 12 grades in total, so whatever your student’s level of English there is an
examination that they can take — and should pass!
Learners of English — particularly children — like to know that they are progressing
and that the language they have learnt can be used in a real-life situation. Trinity
recognises this and values the positive motivational effect of an examination which
encourages further learning.
Each GESE examination is conducted in person by a Trinity examiner. All Trinity
examiners are highly-trained and experienced native speakers of English who travel
from the UK to your country, normally to your school, to meet your students. The
exam consists of an unscripted one-to-one conversation with the examiner (held in
a designated examination room) during which the students demonstrate that they
can communicate in English.
The 12 grades of GESE are divided into four stages:

Initial Elementary Intermediate Advanced

Grades 1–3 Grades 4–6 Grades 7–6 Grades 10–12

5–7 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 25 minutes

Topic presentation

Topic discussion

Candidate-led
Interactive task
discussion of topic

Topic discussion Interactive task Listening task

Conversation Conversation Conversation Conversation

Since, for many, the journey of learning English begins at an early age, this booklet
has been prepared to help teachers of young learners prepare them for their Trinity
examinations. Teachers of older learners may find the techniques outlined in this
booklet helpful, but should bear in mind that the materials are designed specifically
for younger learners
Full details of all Trinity’s ESOL examinations can be found in the latest edition of our
syllabuses or on our website www.trinitycollege.co.uk/esol

4 photo: Martin Dalton


Trinity GESE Grade 1 — Introduction
Trinity GESE Grade 1 — Introduction
Grade 1 takes the form of a conversation with a Trinity examiner, which
lasts approximately five minutes. During this time the examiner will
exchange greetings with the candidate and then ask simple questions
or give simple instructions.
As with all the Graded Examinations in Spoken English, it will be a
friendly and enjoyable experience. The examiner will have pictures or
objects to elicit the language we want the learner to use.
At Grade 1, candidates do not have to use full sentences when they talk
to their examiner. They will show that they understand the examiner
by responding appropriately to their questions or instructions.
The syllabus for Grade 1 (see overleaf) lists what candidates need to be
able to understand and use in order to pass their exam. Exam practice
can easily be incorporated into students’ general English courses.
Students can practise for their exam in class, for example, by talking to
each other and playing educational games focusing on the language
items required for Grade 1.
At the end of the exam, the candidate will realise that they have been
able to understand someone they have never met before and who
does not speak their language. They see that even the limited English
they have learned is real and useful. Trinity’s aim is that students
leave the examination room smiling and looking forward to their
next English lesson.

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GESE Grade 1 — Syllabus
GESE Grade 1 — Syllabus

Please refer to the ‘General Information’ section on page 28 for more details.

Grade 1
Format
Total time: 5 minutes
The examination consists of one assessed phase:
• Conversation with the examiner (up to 5 minutes).
Candidate performance
In performing the required task, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative
skills and use the language items listed below.

Communicative skills
• Exchange greetings with the examiner
• Show understanding of simple instructions through appropriate actions
• Give very short, even single-word, answers to simple questions and requests for information

Functions
• Exchanging greetings
• Giving personal information (name, age)
• Identifying and naming items given in the lexical list below
• Leave-taking

Language — understanding and production


Grammar
The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to:
a) Understand
• Imperatives for common actions, e.g. go, come, show, point, give, touch, stand up
• Question words what? how many? how old?
• Demonstratives this, that
b) Understand and use
• The present simple tense of to be
• Common nouns in singular and plural (regular), e.g. ear/ears, shoe/shoes
• Simple adjectives, e.g. small, big, green
• Determiners a, the, my, your, his, her
• Pronouns I, you, he, she, it, they

Lexis
The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use the vocabulary related to
• Personal information
• Immediate surroundings including classroom objects
• Parts of the face and body
• Animals — common domestic, farm and wild
• Cardinal numbers up to 20
• Colours
• Items of clothing

Phonology
• The correct pronunciation of individual sounds to form intelligible words
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GESE Grade 1 — Syllabus
Examiner and candidate language
The sample exchanges below show some ways in which examiners and candidates might express
themselves during the conversation. These are only examples, not models to be learned.

Examiner Candidate

Hello! My name’s … What’s your name? Hello. My name’s…


How old are you? I’m ten.
Stand up please. (candidate stands up)
Go to the window. (candidate walks to the window)
Touch the window. (candidate touches the window)
What are they? They’re pens.
What colour is that? It’s green.
And this one? Brown.
How many pencils are there? One, two, three…
What’s this? It’s a table.
Show me his ears. (candidate indicates ears in picture)
And what’s this? His nose.

Look at me. This is a white shirt, a black (candidate says what he or she is wearing)
jacket ... And you? A red shirt, blue trousers.

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GESE Grade 1 — Teaching materials
GESE Grade 1 — Teaching Materials

Examples for practising Grade 1


In the following pages there are some examples of how you can practise a Trinity
GESE Grade 1 examination with your students. These examples have been designed
specifically to practise for the real Grade 1 exam.
Below there are sample materials and questions for two areas in the syllabus. These
are only suggestions and there are many other ways of doing the exam. Please use the
samples below to help you develop your own materials for examination practice.

Warning
The suggestions given in this document are only examples of some of the many ways
of practising for the real exam, as examiners will use a range of methods and questions
for eliciting the required language of Grade 1. Therefore, teachers who want to practise
a real Grade 1 exam should use a range of elicitation techniques and relevant materials.
The examples given are NOT models to be learnt.

8 photo: above top — Sylva Nay


Introductions

GESE Grade 1 — Teaching Materials


Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions
[No materials needed in this section] – Hello!
– What’s your name?
– How are you?
– How old are you?
– My birthday’s in ... (insert month).
When’s yours?

Examiner suggests the wrong day – Is it Saturday today? What day is it?
– Do you have a question for me?

Introductions: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 6.

There is a sample below

Communicative skills

✓ Exchange greetings with the examiner


✓ Give very short, even single-word, answers to simple questions and requests
for information

Functions

✓ Exchanging greetings
✓ Giving personal information (name, age)

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Numbers
GESE Grade 1 — Teaching Materials

Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions


– How old are you?
Examiner shows the number chart – Point to (student’s age).

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20

Examiner points to a correct number – Is this 13?

Examiner points to an incorrect number – Is this 15? Point to 15.

Examiner points to another number – What’s this?

Numbers: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 6.

10 photo: English for Asia


GESE Grade 2 — Introduction
GESE Grade 2 — Introduction
Grade 2 takes the form of a six-minute conversation with the examiner during
which the candidate has the opportunity to show how much they have progressed
since their Grade 1 exam. They are now able to use English at level A1 of the
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
The Grade 2 exam is a pleasant and friendly experience and the candidate will use
short phrases and statements and even ask their examiner a question.
The list of what learners should be able to do is longer (see overleaf) and reflects
the way students learn English in the classroom. Because the candidate asks
at least one question during the conversation, they start to understand that
language is a two-way communication and can begin to see the advantages they
gain from learning English.

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GESE Grade 2 — Syllabus
GESE Grade 2 — Syllabus

Grade 2
Format
Total time: 6 minutes
The examination consists of one assessed phase:
• Conversation with the examiner (up to 6 minutes).

Candidate performance
In performing the required task, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative
skills and use the language items listed below.

Communicative skills
• Understand short, simple questions, requests and statements
• Respond with appropriate actions and positive and negative short form answers
• Contribute to the conversation using memorised phrases and short statements
• Use a basic range of words and simple phrases related to personal details and situations
• Ask for very basic personal information, e.g. about possessions

Functions
• Indicating the position of people and objects
• Describing people, animals, objects and places very simply
• Stating simple facts
• Informing about possessions
• Asking very simple questions about personal details

Language — understanding and production


Grammar
The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to
a) Understand
• Present simple tense questions
• Question words — who, when
• Present continuous tense questions
• Determiners some, any

b) Understand and use


• Present simple tense
• There is/are and has/have got/have you got?
• Question words, e.g. where, what
• Prepositions of place in, on, under, between, next to
• Determiners our, their, its
• Possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers
• Yes/no answers to present continuous tense questions

Lexis
The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use the vocabulary related to
• Rooms in the home
• Household objects
• Family and friends
• Pets
• Possessions
• Days of the week and months of the year
• Cardinal numbers up to 50
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GESE Grade 2 — Syllabus
Phonology
• The correct pronunciation of items associated with the lexical areas listed above
• The appropriate stress for short form answers, e.g. Yes, I do
• Contractions, e.g. I’ve, I’m, he’s

— in addition to the items listed for the previous grade.

Examiner and candidate language


The sample exchanges below show some ways in which examiners and candidates might express
themselves during the conversation. These are only examples, not models to be learned.

Examiner Candidate

Hello! Where do you come from? Hello! I come from Granada.


Have you got any brothers and sisters? Yes, I’ve got one sister.
What’s her name? (Her name is) Elizabeth.
How old is she? She’s sixteen.
Please look at this picture.
How many people are there in the picture? There are two people (in the picture).
Where are they? They’re in a house…
Do you have any pets? Yes, I have a dog.
Tell me about your dog. His name is … He’s two years old.
What do you have for breakfast? Toast.
This man in the picture — is he wearing a Yes, he is.
white shirt?
Put the red pen next to the clock. (candidate puts the pen next to the clock)
Where’s my pencil? (It’s) under the book.
What day is it today? … And the month? (It’s) Monday … (the month is) June.
Have you got a dog?
Yes I have. What’s its name?

Grade 2 communicative skills and functions have been mapped to A1 in the CEFR.

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GESE Grade 2 — Teaching materials

GESE Grade 2 — Teaching materials


Examples for practising Grade 2
In the following pages there are some examples of how you can practise a Trinity GESE
Grade 2 exam with your students.
In order to make the exam practice as authentic as possible, you can use these
materials to play the role of the examiner, asking the suggested questions and adding
your own to elicit the required language from your students.
The practice exam materials and questions have been divided into three different
examples. Using these examples is only a suggestion — there are many other ways of
preparing for the exam.
Students can prepare for their Grade 2 examination in their English classes, for
example, by asking each other questions in the classroom and making sure that they
understand the answers. It can be useful for teachers and students to work together
to create wallcharts of samples of the language required for Grade 2.

Warning
The suggestions given in this document are only examples of some of the many ways
of practising for the real exam, as examiners will use a range of methods and questions
for eliciting the required language of Grade 2. Therefore, teachers who want to practise
a real Grade 2 exam should use a range of elicitation techniques and relevant materials.
The examples given are NOT models to be learnt.

14 photo: Martin Dalton


Prepositions

GESE Grade 2 — Teaching materials


Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions
Using flashcards – Look at this cat. Where is it?

Examiner points to incorrect picture – Is it on the box?


– Where is it?

Prepositions: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 12.

Communicative skills

✓ Understand short simple questions, request and statements


✓ Respond with appropriate actions and positive and negative short form answers
✓ Contribute to the conversation using memorised phrases and short statements
✓ Use a basic range of words and simple phrases related to personal details and solutions

Functions

✓ Stating simple facts

Grammar

a) Understand
✓ Present simple tense questions
✓ Question words — who, when
b) Understand and use
✓ Present simple tense
✓ Question words, e.g. where, what

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Home/Rooms
GESE Grade 2 — Teaching materials

Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions


– Where do you live?

Does the student know the difference – Do you live in a house or a flat?
between ‘room’/‘living room’/‘bedroom’? – Describe your house/flat.
– How many rooms are there?
– Do you have a computer? Where is it?
– Is it yours?
The examiner shows a picture of a house
with rooms, furniture, etc. – Look at this house. What’s in the kitchen?
– There are some flowers. Where are they?

– Do you have a question for me?

Home/Rooms: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 12.

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Present continuous

GESE Grade 2 — Teaching Materials


Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions
Using flashcards – Look at these pictures
Examiner points to a mixture of correct – Is he .....ing?
and incorrect pictures, asking…
– Is she .....ing?
– Are they .....ing?

Present continuous: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 12.

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18 photo: Martin Dalton
GESE Grade 3 — Introduction
GESE Grade 3 — Introduction
Grade 3 is the final examination in the Initial Stage of the GESE exams and
means that the learner has reached A2.1 in the Common European Framework
of Reference (CEFR).
This examination lasts up to seven minutes and now candidates are able to have
a more complex conversation with their examiner.
As the Grade 3 speaker of English can use the different tenses and prepositions
specified in the syllabus (see overleaf) in addition to the language of Grades
1 and 2, they can now describe their daily routines and other events to the
examiner, give very simple directions and describe what people are doing.
They can also talk about their parents’ jobs and what they do in their free time.
The Grade 3 examination is a stimulating communicative experience with the
candidate interacting more with the examiner. Like all the GESE grades there
is no script for the examiner to follow and they enjoy meeting their candidates
as much as the candidates enjoy talking — in English! — with their examiner.
Now that the learner has completed the GESE Initial stage, it is time to start
thinking about the next stage — Elementary stage. Next stop: Grade 4!

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GESE Grade 3 — Syllabus
GESE Grade 3 — Syllabus

Grade 3
Format
Total time: 7 minutes
The examination consists of one assessed phase:
• Conversation with the examiner (up to 7 minutes).

Candidate performance
In performing the required task, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative
skills and use the language items listed below.

Communicative skills
• Show understanding by responding appropriately to simple questions and requests
• Use basic sentence patterns with memorised phrases to communicate limited information
related to simple everyday situations
• Exchange basic personal information and descriptions of everyday life and activities
• Link groups of words in a very simple way (using and, and then)

Functions
• Describing daily routines, events and weather
• Telling the time and giving dates
• Expressing ability and inability
• Giving very simple directions and locations
• Describing current activities of real people or those in pictures
• Describing states in the past

Language production
The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use the items listed below, in
addition to the items listed for the previous grades.

Grammar
• Present continuous tense
• Can and can’t
• Prepositions of movement from, to, up, down, along, across
• Prepositions of time on, in, at
• Prepositions of place near, in front of, behind, opposite
• Past tense of verb to be
• Ordinal numbers up to 31st (for dates)
• Link words and, and then

Lexis
• Jobs
• Places in the local area
• Place of study
• Home life
• Weather
• Free time
• Times and dates

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GESE Grade 3 — Syllabus
Phonology
• The correct pronunciation of the items associated with the lexical areas listed above
• The use of contractions where appropriate
• Basic stress and intonation patterns for words and short sentences

Examiner and candidate language


The sample exchanges below show some ways in which examiners and candidates might express
themselves during the conversation. These are only examples, not models to be learned.

Examiner Candidate

Hello! Where do you live? Hello! I live in Perugia.


Is that near here? No, it’s half an hour from here by bus.
What’s the weather like today? It’s hot and sunny.
Is it raining now? No, it isn’t.
And what about yesterday? It was cloudy and cold.
What do you do when you get home from school? I listen to some music, I do my homework
and then I have dinner.
What’s the name of your best friend? Marco.
Tell me about Marco. Marco’s ten years old. He’s tall and has
brown hair.
Let’s look at this picture. What are these They’re sitting in front of a café. They’re
people doing? drinking coffee.
When’s your birthday? The fourteenth of April.
What time do you go to bed? At ten o’clock.
Can you play the piano? No, I can’t.
Where’s your classroom? Go up the stairs. It’s on the left.

Grade 3 communicative skills and functions have been mapped to A2.1 in the CEFR.

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GESE Grade 3 — Teaching materials
GESE Grade 3 — Teaching materials

Examples for practising Grade 3


In the following pages there are some examples of how you can practise a Trinity GESE
Grade 3 exam with your students.
In order to make the exam practice as authentic as possible, please use these materials
to play the role of the examiner, asking the suggested questions and adding your own
to elicit the required language from your students.
The practice exam materials and questions have been divided into four different
examples. Using four examples is only a suggestion. Use these ideas to develop your
own materials for exam preparation.

Warning
The suggestions given in this document are only examples of some of the many ways
of practising for the real exam, as examiners will use a range of methods and questions
for eliciting the required language of Grade 3. Therefore, teachers who want to
practise a real Grade 3 exam should use a range of elicitation techniques and relevant
materials. The examples given are NOT models to be learnt.

22 photo: Martin Dalton


Jobs/Family jobs

GESE Grade 3 — Teaching materials


Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions
– Tell me about your family. What are
Examiner shows the student pictures of their jobs?
different jobs – Look at these pictures. What jobs can
you see?

– What’s her job?


– And his?
– Do you have a question for me?

Jobs/Family jobs: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 20.

Communicative skills

✓ Show understanding by responding appropriately to simple questions and requests


✓ Use basic sentence patterns with memorised phrases to communicate limited
information related to simple everyday situations
✓ Exchange basic personal information and descriptions of everyday life and activities
✓ Link groups of words in a very simple way (using and, and then)

Functions

✓ Describing daily routines, events and weather


✓ Expressing ability and inability

Grammar

✓ Can and can’t


✓ Prepositions of movement from, to, up, down, along, across
✓ Link words and, and then

Lexis

✓ Jobs

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Places in the local area
GESE Grade 3 — Teaching Materials

Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions


– Tell me about your house. Is it near this
school?

If a window with a view is available – Walking from this school to your house,
what can you see? A park? Some shops?
– Look out of the window. What can
you see?
– Do you have a question for me?

Places in the local area: Which language items are we testing?


Please check the criteria listed on page 20.

24 photos: above top — Speak! Learning Centre; above bottom — Sylva Nay; opposite — Sylva Nay
Time, Daily routines, Place of study, Free time

GESE Grade 3 — Teaching materials


Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions
– Tell me about your daily routine. What
time do you go to school?

– What subjects do you study at school?


– What time does school finish?
– What do you do in your free time?
– What do you do with your brother/sister/
parents/friends?

Time, Daily routines, Place of study, Free time: Which language items are we testing?
Please check the criteria listed on page 20.

25
Free time, Present continuous, Can/can’t
GESE Grade 3 — Teaching Materials

Examiner materials/gestures Examiner questions


– Look at these pictures of free time
activities.
Examiner points to different activities – What are they doing?
– What is she doing?
– What is he doing?
– Can you…?
– Do you have a question for me?

Free time, Present continuous, Can/can’t: Which language items are we testing?
Please check the criteria listed on page 20.

26 photo: Martin Dalton


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General information — Initial stage
General information — Initial stage

Candidate profile
By the end of the Initial stage, the candidate can:
• understand what is said clearly, slowly and directly in simple everyday conversation with support
• communicate in basic routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar
matters to do with work and free time
• use basic sentence patterns and communicate through memorised phrases, groups of a few words and
formulae about himself or herself and other people, what they do, places and possessions.
This profile is based on the level Basic User, A2, the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (2001).

Format
The examination at each grade consists of the following:
• greetings and setting at ease
• conversation
• end of conversation and leave-taking.

Procedure
In all grades, the examiner begins by greeting the candidate and trying to set him or her at ease. The
conversation is then initiated by the examiner and gives the candidate the opportunity to demonstrate
through both speech and actions the range of language required at this stage.
During the examination, the candidate is required to display understanding through gesture and simple
actions, such as moving around the room or pointing to specific objects, and by giving short responses.
The examiner asks questions using the grammatical structures listed for the grade and expects the candidate
to answer using the language indicated for the grade (and for the previous grades where applicable).
Examiners select their own materials appropriate to the age and maturity of the candidate. These could
include everyday objects and pictures which can be used to engage the candidate’s interest, elicit the
language of the grade and encourage the conversation to develop. The examiner may also refer to the
immediate surroundings of the examination room or centre.
At all grades, the examiner brings the conversation to an end by thanking the candidate and saying
goodbye. The candidate is expected to say goodbye.

Assessment
At each grade, the examiner assesses the candidate’s performance by selecting one of four levels of
performance and awards a letter grade A, B, C or D. These levels can be classified as follows:
A — Distinction
B — Merit
C — Pass
D — Fail
Examiners indicate key areas which are in need of improvement by using the appropriate tick boxes
provided on the Report form.

28 photo: Martin Dalton


Guidance

General information — Initial stage


At this stage, questions and answers play a major part in the conversation, but the examiner aims to
enable the candidate to participate in a genuine and interesting two-way exchange within the linguistic
limits set by the syllabus.
The examiner will speak slowly and clearly throughout and will allow the candidate time to process what is
heard and formulate a response. The examiner will provide support in the form of repetition and re-phrasing.
Candidates should be able to ask for repetition of anything they have not heard clearly or understood.
Memorised phrases such as ‘Can you repeat that, please?’ or simply ‘Sorry?’ or ‘Pardon’ are ideal for this
purpose. However, overuse of such phrases will be taken as an indication that the candidate is having
persistent difficulty understanding the examiner and this will affect the assessment of the task fulfilment.
At each grade, the candidate is expected to perform the language functions and use the language items
listed for the grade. Those responsible for preparing candidates for the examinations should ensure that
candidates are completely familiar with the items listed, can understand their meaning and can use them
accurately and appropriately.
At Grade 1, candidates are expected to answer the examiner’s questions with very short, mostly one or
two word responses as well as with gestures and actions.
At Grade 2, the question ‘What’s your brother’s name?’ could be answered in a number of ways. Full
sentence responses to questions of this kind, e.g. ‘His name’s Bruno’ are acceptable but not compulsory.
‘Bruno’ is a perfectly good response too. However, at Grade 2, candidates are expected to be able to
provide simple descriptions of people and objects and so must be able to construct full sentences such
as ‘My brother’s tall. He’s got black hair’.
At Grade 3, candidates are required to link groups of words with the simple connectors, producing such
statements as ‘My brother’s tall and he’s got black hair’.
Full details on all Trinity’s ESOL examinations can be found in the latest edition of our syllabuses or
on our website www.trinitycollege.co.uk/esol

29
Notes
Notes
Initial steps with Trinity — First qualifications in English: GESE Grades 1–3
This booklet provides teachers with a comprehensive breakdown
of the requirements and some preparation techniques for Trinity
Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) Grades 1–3.

www.trinitycollege.co.uk/esol

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