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Study Guide

Field 120: Cantonese CST
Presentational Speaking

Review the speaking assignment tutorial video opens in a new window.

Directions for Presentational Speaking Assignment

For the Presentational Speaking section of the test, you will record a spoken response to an assignment presented on-screen.  start bold You must respond to the assignment in the target language. end bold 

The assignment will be displayed on the next screen and the screen timer will count down the allotted preparation time (refer to the upper right corner of the screen to monitor the preparation time remaining).   start bold You may take up to 12 minutes to review the assignment and prepare your response. end bold   Please note that you are not required to take the entire 12 minutes; however,  start bold if you choose to advance to the next screen to start your response before the preparation time is over, you will not be able to go back. end bold 

When the preparation time is complete, the screen will automatically advance, and you will record your response to the assignment.  Do NOT begin speaking until the screen advances and you see the recorder presented on-screen.  A tone will indicate when to begin speaking and the status on the recorder will show “Recording.”   start bold You may take up to 3 minutes to record your response. end bold   A sample of the recorder appears below.

recorder

 start bold You will have three minutes to record your response. end bold   Monitor your time by referring to the timer, which will count up from 00:01 to 03:00.  Bars will appear with the sound of your voice to indicate that recording is in progress.

When your recording time is over, the status will change to "Complete," indicating the conclusion of the assignment.

recorder showing the recording is complete

You will automatically be advanced to the next screen.  DO NOT click the  start bold Next end bold  button unless you have finished recording your response with time remaining and wish to move to the next screen.   start bold If you advance to the next screen with recording time remaining, you will not be able to go back. end bold 

Your response will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Your response will be evaluated on the criteria above, not on the position you take. In your response, you must use your own words. With the exception of appropriately identified quotations and paraphrases from the passage, the response must be your own.

You may use the erasable notebooklet provided to take notes; however,  start bold you will be scored only on the response that is recorded in the exam. end bold  You will have only  start uppercase bold ONE end uppercase bold  opportunity to record your response. Be sure that your microphone is in a downward position near your mouth before you begin speaking.

Select the  start bold Next end bold  button to continue.

Sample Presentational Speaking Assignment

Competency 0004 
Presentational Speaking

[The examinee will see on screen and hear the following directions:]

You may take up to 12 minutes to review the assignment and the passage provided and to prepare your response. Then, the screen will automatically advance and recording will begin. The assignment and the passage will remain on the screen during recording. You may take up to 3 minutes to respond to the assignment. You will be told when the preparation time is over and the recording is about to begin. Begin reviewing the assignment and preparing your response now.

[The examinee will see on screen ONLY:]

你认为手机对青少年的身心有害吗?
你認為手機對青少年的身心有害嗎?

Imagine that you are addressing an audience of educated adults. Speaking in Cantonese, respond to the question above. In your response, you must:

In your response, you must use your own words. With the exception of appropriately identified quotations and paraphrases from the passage, the response must be your own.

[The examinee will see on screen ONLY:]
Passage from an article published by the worldjournal.com:

[Simplified]

现代青少年交友的方式已经很大程度上依赖于手机等电子产品,这些产品成为他们维系和发展友谊的重要途径。根据丕优研究中心网站,有57%的青少年通过网络认识新朋友,社交媒体和网上实时游戏成为许多青少年交朋友的平台。每天收发短讯已经成为青少年和朋友互动的重要途径,有55%的青少年每天会花一定时间和朋友们发短讯,尤其是密友之间,更是传的频繁。

还有研究显示,频繁过度的使用手机可能会让青少年出现健康隐患。根据Deseret News,最近有研究者发现每五个青少年就有一个人经常会在半夜醒来去翻看手机,还有研究显示那些经常会在夜里起来看手机的青少年往往会伴随有抑郁和焦虑的问题,有学者指出,青少年如今对手机的上瘾不亚于对毒品和酒精的程度,且上瘾后表现出来的行为往往具有相似性。该网站建议父母可以鼓励孩子多与外界交流,而不是花大量时间在手机上,每天最好有一段时间不使用任何电子科技产品。

[Traditional]

現代青少年交友的方式已經很大程度上依賴於手機等電子產品,這些產品成為他們維繫和發展友誼的重要途徑。根據丕優研究中心網站,有57%的青少年通過網絡認識新朋友,社交媒體和網上實時遊戲成為許多青少年交朋友的平台。每天收發短訊已經成為青少年和朋友互動的重要途徑,有55%的青少年每天會花一定時間和朋友們發短訊,尤其是密友之間,更是傳的頻繁。

還有研究顯示,頻繁過度的使用手機可能會讓青少年出現健康隱患。根據Deseret News,最近有研究者發現每五個青少年就有一個人經常會在半夜醒來去翻看手機,還有研究顯示那些經常會在夜裡起來看手機的青少年往往會伴隨有抑鬱和焦慮的問題,有學者指出,青少年如今對手機的上癮不亞於對毒品和酒精的程度,且上癮後表現出來的行為往往具有相似性。該網站建議父母可以鼓勵孩子多與外界交流,而不是花大量時間在手機上,每天最好有一段時間不使用任何電子科技產品。

Helen(Fang) Meng Chao. 青少年手機上癮 家長憂心 by 孟芳編譯 published in the World Journal on May 3, 2016, 6:00 am. URL:http://www.worldjournal.com/3941658/article-青少年手機上癮-家長憂心/. Reprinted with permission of the author.

[After 12 minutes of silence, the examinee will hear:
"Your preparation time is now over. At the conclusion of these directions, the screen will automatically advance and recording will begin. Begin speaking when you see the recorder presented on the next screen. Prepare to begin speaking now."]

[If examinee clicks "Next" before the preparation time is over, the following warning appears in a pop-up:
"You have chosen to begin speaking before your 12 minutes of preparation time has ended. If you click "Yes" below, the screen will advance and recording will automatically begin. Are you sure you want to begin speaking now?"]

recorder

 start bold  start uppercase DO NOT end uppercase  click the Next button unless you have finished recording your response. end bold 

[After 3 minutes of recording, the status on the recorder will change to "Complete" and the examinee is automatically advanced to the next screen.]

Sample Strong Response to Presentational Speaking Assignment

Having trouble with the audio player? Right-click and download the .mp3.

Enter to expand or collapse transcript. Transcript expanded

[Note: In the transcripts below, there are two-dot and/or three-dot ellipses. Two dots indicate that the speaker paused. Three dots indicate that the speaker omitted text when quoting from the article.]

[Simplified]

现在手机已经成为人类普遍的交流工具,也成为大多数人不可缺少的必需品。尽管如此,我觉得青少年过于依赖手机会对他们的身心有害。

现代的青少年连社交和结识新朋友时都是通过互联网来进 .. 行的,跟好朋友倾计也是不断地 用手机发短讯。这已经严重影响到他们与其他人交流的技能,让口语能力下降,不善于表达 自己。这会对他们将来在社会工作的时候会有很大的负面影响。

除了交流问题,青少年也喜欢用手机玩游戏,这令到他们运动的机会几乎为零。这样静坐 着玩游戏对他们的身体健康有害,长期用手机对视力也不好。青少年对手机的依赖就似吸 毒者对毒品的依赖一样,是会上瘾的,手机无法离手,导致经常半夜起来翻看手机,影响 睡眠。

我觉得父母应该培养每个青少年都去学一门跟运动有关的兴趣爱好。这样青少年有 更多机会面对面地跟别人交流,而且运动也有助于他们的身心发展。

[Traditional]

現在手機已經成為人類普遍的交流工具,也成為大多數人不可缺少的必需品。儘管如此,我覺得青少年過於依賴手機會對他們的身心有害。

現代的青少年連社交和結識新朋友時都是通過互聯網來進 .. 行的,跟好朋友傾計也是不斷地 用手機發短訊。這已經嚴重影響到他們與其他人交流的技能,讓口語能力下降,不善於表達 自己。這會對他們將來在社會工作的時候會有很大的負面影響。

除了交流問題,青少年也喜歡用手機玩遊戲,這令到他們運動的機會幾乎為零。這樣靜坐 著玩遊戲對他們的身體健康有害,長期用手機對視力也不好。青少年對手機的依賴就似吸 毒者對毒品的依賴一樣,是會上癮的,手機無法離手,導致經常半夜起來翻看手機,影響 睡眠。

我覺得父母應該培養每個青少年都去學一門跟運動有關的興趣愛好。這樣青少年有更多機 會面對面地跟別人交流,而且運動也有助於他們的身心發展。

Note: The sample strong response for the presentational speaking assignment is an example of a response that a candidate might record. While the sample response demonstrates effective presentational speaking skills, it could contain typical errors that candidates may produce when speaking in the target language. Please see the rationale below for more details.

Rationale for Sample Strong Response to Presentational Speaking Assignment

The response communicates clear and logically sequenced ideas, delivered with a good flow of speech, few pauses, and largely intelligible pronunciation and appropriate intonation. The candidate establishes a clear position on the issue presented in the question and largely supports the established position with relevant information from the passage, as well as his or her own relevant ideas and examples. Overall, the response demonstrates a good level of engagement with the passage.

The response largely uses the candidate's own words and uses a range of vocabulary and idiomatic language, as well as a style and sociolinguistic conventions that are largely appropriate for the assignment. The candidate uses a range of appropriate grammatical constructions, time frames, and sentence structures. Errors are minor and do not interfere with overall comprehensibility. Examples of such errors include the awkward sentence structure 青少年对手机的依赖就好似吸毒者对毒品的依赖一样,是会上瘾的 / 青少年對手機的依賴就好似吸毒者對毒品的依賴一樣,是會上癮的, and word choice (父母应该培养每个青少年 / 父母應該培養每個青少年) that is too informal and not appropriate for the level of formality.

Performance Characteristics for Presentational Speaking Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the Presentational Speaking assignment.

APPROPRIATENESS The extent to which the response uses the candidate's own words, demonstrates engagement with the provided passage, establishes a position on the issue presented in the question, and uses language, style, and sociolinguistic conventions appropriate for the assignment (task, context, and specified audience)
SUPPORT The extent to which the response supports the established position with information (appropriately cited details, quotations, and paraphrases) from the provided passage and the candidate's own ideas or examples
FLUENCY The extent to which the response communicates clear and logically sequenced ideas delivered with a consistent flow of speech, intelligible pronunciation, and appropriate intonation
GRAMMAR The extent to which the response uses a range of appropriate grammatical constructions, time frames, and sentence structures
VOCABULARY The extent to which the response uses a range of appropriate vocabulary and idiomatic language

Score Scale for Presentational Speaking Assignment

A score will be assigned to each response to the Presentational Speaking assignment according to the following score scale.

Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response demonstrates effective presentational speaking skills.
3 The "3" response demonstrates generally effective presentational speaking skills.
2 The "2" response demonstrates partially effective presentational speaking skills.
1 The "1" response demonstrates ineffective presentational speaking skills.
U The response is unscorable because it is inaudible or unintelligible, merely a repetition of the assignment, not related to the assignment, not primarily in the target language, or not of sufficient length to score.
B There is no response to the assignment.