'Noisy' French tape exam provokes anger

Leaving Cert French: verdict: Teachers and students have reacted with anger to yesterday's aural French tape test. Many complained that the tape was noisy, making it difficult to hear speakers clearly.

The aural section - a 40-minute test after the written exam - accounts for about 25 per cent of marks. In the past, teachers have complained the State Exams Commission should use CD players, instead of relying on tape recorders. Last night, a spokeswoman said the use of CD was under consideration, but no decision had been made.

"The quality on the tape was not great," said Mr Bernard Lynch, ASTI subject representative. "This can really throw a good student. They panic unnecessarily."

Overall, Mr Lynch said his students were happy about the content of the written paper, with most feeling it was fair and balanced. But the layout and design of the paper was in need of considerable reappraisal, he said.

The paper itself featured a comprehension section, with an article on efforts to combat smoking, an essay section with a similar theme, a discussion of the Special Olympics, and letter-writing.

"The written paper was very good and topical," said Mr Lynch. "But I feel it is a very dull and boring paper ... it is very rigid and formulaic.

"In fairness, there has been an effort to get the topicality right, but overall the layout of the paper looks like something from the 1960s. They need a far more trendy, popular paper."

Ms Mary Costelloe of the TUI said her students had not reported any difficulties with the quality of the aural tape. But while the written paper didn't deviate a lot from other years, she felt the syllabus was too wide.

"There were no real surprises ... but students had to use their head on the day, really, no matter how much they had prepared," she said.

"The problem with French is that a lot of students peak with the oral exam. The syllabus is very wide. I think there should be more overlapping with the oral."

Ms Corinne Gavenda of the Institute of Education in Dublin said her students were happy with the paper overall, and had not experienced any problems with the quality of the aural tape.

"If a student was well-prepared, they wouldn't have had too many problems, but at the same time it was quite challenging," she said. "The topics were quite predictable ... but the paper always requires a close reading of the questions."

At ordinary level, Ms Gavenda said the paper was in line with previous years.

"It was very very good ... there was nothing which a well-prepared student wouldn't be able to do," she said. "Students needed to read the texts very closely ... but at the same time, it was fair enough for the standard."

Ms Costelloe welcomed the layout and content of the ordinary level paper, which she said was "very topical and very interesting for teenagers". It contained few surprises for students, who would have worked on many of the themes which appeared.

Mr Lynch also described the paper as straightforward and approachable.

The layout and design of the paper, he said, allowed students to compensate for any mistakes they had made.