How the Afrikaans FAL Paper 1 is marked
Paper 1 is called "Taal in konteks" (Language in context). It is written in 2 hours and counts 80 marks. Knowing where the marks sit tells a learner where to spend practice time.
The three sections
| Section | What it is | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A | Reading comprehension | 30 |
| B | Summary | 10 |
| C | Language structures and conventions | 40 |
The policy lists the paper as 80 marks in total and gives 30 for section A and 40 for section C. The 10 marks for the summary section are what is left over.
Section A: reading comprehension
A range of texts can be used, including visual and graphic texts such as advertisements or cartoons. Learners should be able to say what effect things like font size, headings and captions have. For Grade 12 the text is 600 to 700 words long.
Practise: read a short text, then answer questions in full, using words from the text, before checking the answers.
Section B: summary
The summary text must not be one of the comprehension texts. For Grade 12 the text is about 250 words, and the summary is about 60 to 70 words.
Practise: underline the key points, then rewrite them in your own words, counting the words.
Section C: language structures and conventions
This is assessed in context, not as a list of isolated sentences. It covers vocabulary and language use, sentence structures and critical language awareness. At 40 marks it is half of the paper.
Practise: short, regular practice with word order, tenses and the little connecting words.
Where to start
If a learner is losing marks, look at section C first: it is the biggest block, so every mark gained there counts for the most.
Source
- Department of Basic Education, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Afrikaans First Additional Language, Grades 10-12 (2011), section 4.4.2, "Eksamen" (exam format).