Unexpected Irish Questions cause confusion
June 8, 2012
Trapattoni, Justin Bieber and Jedward provided topical but “challenging” questions in the higher level Junior Cert paper, one teacher felt.
For those listening to the higher level aural tape, there were a couple of “tough, bordering on unfair, and unexpected questions”, according to Robbie Cronin of the ASTI and Marian College, Dublin. “One question was to write down the title of the Réamhaisnéis na hAimsire – the weather forecast. My students were surprised and couldn’t answer it,” Mr Cronin said, adding the news item about the Young Scientist also caused confusion.
The reading comprehension pieces centred around an Irish teenage radio station, Raidio Ri- Ra, and Justin Bieber, which provided topical but challenging questions, said Mr Cronin.
However, the ASTI’s Richie Mac Liam from Chanel College, Dublin 5, felt the comprehensions were not as “straightforward” as in other years.
He said the comprehension question was still asking pupils to put answers in their own words, even though they wouldn’t get more marks than if they repeated what was in the text.
Mr Cronin said a glossary should have been provided for certain difficult words – such as ‘ craoladh sealadach’, meaning temporary broadcast. The choice of essay topics – featuring the Irish soccer team – were heralded as good and topical.
In Paper 2, the unseen prose question was described as “challenging but student- friendly”.
A broad glossary was provided for difficult words in the poetry section which underlines the unfairness of using similar difficult words in paper one, Mr Cronin argued.
Overall, most teachers agreed that the ordinary level paper did not appear to cause any major difficulties.
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