Study Guide

Field 262: World Language: Arabic 
Presentational Writing

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This study guide contains some Arabic. To hear Arabic please use a screenreader that has Arabic enabled.

Review the tutorial video and scanning instructions. The scanning instruction document will be available to you during the actual test.

Directions for Presentational Writing Assignment

For this section of the test, you will compose a written response to an assignment presented on screen. You must respond to the assignment in the target language.

The assignment includes a prompt and an exhibit. Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You may use the erasable notebooklet provided to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response must be written on the response sheets provided and scanned using the scanner provided at your workstation.

Instructions for scanning your Response Sheets are available by clicking the "Scanning Help" button at the top of the screen.

Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

• PURPOSE: the extent to which the response fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience
• SUPPORT: the extent to which the response is elaborated with explanations and comparisons that are supported with relevant details from the exhibit and the candidate's own ideas
• ORGANIZATION: the extent to which the response communicates a logically sequenced and coherent written message
• VOCABULARY: the extent to which the response uses words and idiomatic language appropriate for the specified context and audience
• GRAMMAR: the extent to which the response uses appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics (e.g., spelling, punctuation, capitalization, diacritical marks)

Your response will be evaluated on the criteria above, not on any personal opinions expressed in your response. Be sure to write about the assigned topic and use multiple paragraphs. You may not use any reference materials during the test. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.

A response will be considered unscorable if it is unrelated to the assigned topic, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.

Any time spent responding to the assignment, including scanning the response sheet(s), is part of your testing time. Monitor your time carefully. When your testing time expires, a pop-up message will appear on-screen indicating the conclusion of your test session. Only response sheets that are scanned before you end your test or before time has expired will be scored. Any response sheet that is not scanned before testing ends will NOT be scored.

Select the Next button to continue.

Sample Presentational Writing Assignment

Objective 0007 
Apply knowledge of target-language structures and writing conventions to compose an effective, coherent, and clear response to a prompt.

[The examinee will see on screen the following directions:
To view the exhibit, click the button above. A pop-up window will appear. The pop-up window can then be resized and/or repositioned on your screen so that you can access the information while completing your response.]

Use the exhibit provided to complete the assignment below.

Imagine that you are currently living in Amman, Jordan. You are planning to go on an excursion outside of the city with the goal of learning about local cultures. You want to invite an Arabic-speaking friend to join you. Drawing on the excursion options advertised in the provided exhibit and your knowledge of Arabic writing conventions, write an e-mail in Arabic to your friend in which you:

• explain how you made the decision to go on an excursion and invite your friend to join you;
• compare the two excursion options advertised in the exhibit, providing one advantage and one disadvantage of each option; and
• explain which option would best help you and your friend learn about the products, practices, and/or perspectives of local cultures.

Your response must be written in your own words, except for quotations and paraphrases from the exhibit used as evidence to support your ideas.

Exhibit

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Sample Strong Response to Presentational Writing Assignment

Rationale for Sample Strong Response to Presentational Writing Assignment

The response largely fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment and effectively uses Arabic writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience. It is an e-mail to a friend and maintains a casual, polite mode to seek some advice. It explicitly addresses the three tasks presented in the assignment starting with the reason for the decision to go on the excursion ( . ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???????? ????? ) , followed by an invitation to the friend to join ( ???? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ). The two options presented in the exhibit are compared, and an advantage and a disadvantage of each option are provided ( .????? ??????? ? ?? ????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????????.......???????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ). The e-mail concludes by explaining why the writer would recommend to go to the Wadi al Mujib Natural Reserve ( ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ). The response demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and explanations and comparisons are supported with relevant details from the exhibit as well as the candidate's own ideas ( ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ????????? ? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ).

The response communicates an effectively sequenced, coherent written message. It is written in a series of paragraphs with a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion that is reasonable based on the preceding ideas.

With the exception of quotations and paraphrases from the exhibit, the e-mail is written in the candidate's own words. Vocabulary and idiomatic language ( ??????? ????? ? ???? ??????. ??? ????? ??? ?????? ) are appropriate for the context and audience. Narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics are largely appropriate and effective. Minor errors do not interfere with comprehensibility.

Performance Characteristics for Presentational Writing Assignment

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

Purpose	the extent to which the response fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience
Support	the extent to which the response is elaborated with explanations and comparisons that are supported with relevant details from the exhibit and the candidate's own ideas
Organization	the extent to which the response communicates a logically sequenced and coherent written message
Vocabulary	the extent to which the response uses words and idiomatic language appropriate for the specified context and audience
Grammar	the extent to which the response uses appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics (e.g., spelling, punctuation, capitalization, diacritical marks)

Score Scale for Presentational Writing Assignment

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

Score Point	Score Point Description
4	The "4" response demonstrates effective presentational writing skills. The response largely fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions appropriate for the specified context and audience. The response is largely elaborated with explanations and comparisons that are largely supported with relevant details from the exhibit and the candidate's own ideas. The response largely communicates an effectively sequenced, coherent written message. Minor errors in connecting ideas do not interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses words and idiomatic language largely appropriate for the specified context and audience. Minor errors do not interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses largely appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics. Minor errors do not interfere with comprehensibility.
3	The "3" response demonstrates generally effective presentational writing skills. The response generally fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates general engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions generally appropriate for the specified context and audience. The response is generally elaborated with explanations and comparisons that are generally supported with relevant details from the exhibit and the candidate's own ideas. The response communicates a generally effective, sequenced, coherent written message. Some errors in connecting ideas interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses words and idiomatic language generally appropriate for the specified context and audience. Some errors interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses generally appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics. Some errors interfere with comprehensibility.
2	The "2" response demonstrates partially effective presentational writing skills. The response only partially fulfills the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates limited engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions that are only partially appropriate for the specified context and audience. The response is only partially elaborated. Explanations and/or comparisons are only partially supported, with few relevant details from the exhibit and/or the candidate's own ideas. The response communicates a written message that is only partially effective and/or only partially coherent. Frequent errors in connecting ideas interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses basic words and idiomatic language that are only partially appropriate for the specified context and audience. Frequent errors interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses only basic and/or only partially appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, and mechanics. Frequent errors interfere with comprehensibility.
1	The "1" response demonstrates ineffective presentational writing skills. The response does not fulfill the tasks outlined in the assignment, demonstrates little or no engagement with the exhibit, and uses writing conventions that are inappropriate for the specified context and audience. The response is ineffectively elaborated, with few or no explanations or comparisons and few or no details from the exhibit or the candidate's own ideas. Any support present may be irrelevant. The response communicates an ineffective, incoherent written message. Constant errors in connecting ideas significantly interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses few or no words and little or no idiomatic language appropriate for the specified context and audience. Constant errors significantly interfere with comprehensibility. The response uses few or no appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, or mechanics. Constant errors significantly interfere with comprehensibility.
U	The response is unscorable because it is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
B	There is no response to the assignment.

Acknowledgements:

Biris, Paul. Grand Canyon of Jordan, Wadi al Mujib Natural Reserve, Jordan. Collection: Moment. Credit: Paul Biris. Getty Images. Copyright: © Paul Biris.

Todorovic, Aleksandar. Treasury in ancient city of Petra in Jordan. It was carved out of a single rocks. It is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra, Jordan. Credit: Aleksandar Todorovic. Shutterstock. Copyright: © Aleksandar Todorovic.

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