EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871

November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

CONTENTS

Page

Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Education 3

Introduction 4

Aims 4

Content Overview 4

Assessment Objectives 5

Specification Grid 6

Assessment 7

Scheme of Assessment 7

Weighting of Papers 9

Curriculum Content 10

Grade Descriptions 11

Appendix: Notes on the Administration of the Listening Test 12

Appendix: Notes on Conducting the Oral Tests 13

Appendix: Oral Assessment Criteria Grid 16

Appendix: Sample Oral Examination Summary Form 17

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ESWATINI GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Broad Guidelines

The Ministry of Education is committed, in accordance with the National Policy Statement on Education,
to provide a Curriculum and Assessment System (Form 4 and Form 5) so that at the completion of
secondary education, learners will

• be equipped to meet the changing needs of the Nation, and

• have attained internationally acceptable standards.

Swaziland’s National Education Policy Directives

EGCSE syllabuses for studies in Form 4 and Form 5 will individually, and collectively, enable learners to
develop essential skills and provide a broad learning experience which

• inculcates values and attitudes as well as knowledge and understanding,

• encourages respect for human rights and freedom of speech,
• respects the values and beliefs of others, relating to issues of gender, culture and religion,
• develops desirable attitudes and behaviour towards the environment,
• provides insight and understanding of global issues which affect quality of life in Eswatini and
elsewhere, e.g., the AIDS pandemic; global warming; maldistribution of wealth; and technological
advances.

The National Curriculum for Form 4 and Form 5

Learners will be given opportunities to develop essential skills which will overlap across the entire range
of subjects studied. These skills are listed below.

• Communication and language skills

• Numeracy skills: mathematical ideas, techniques and applications
• Problem-solving skills
• Technological awareness and applications
• Critical thinking skills
• Work and study skills
• Independent learning
• Working with others

To develop these skills, learners must offer four compulsory subjects and at least three elective
subjects chosen from one or more Field of Study.

Compulsory Subjects
• SiSwati – either First Language or Second Language
• English Language
• Mathematics
• Science

Fields of Study
• Agriculture Field of Study
• Business Studies Field of Study
• Home Economics Field of Study
• Social Sciences and Humanities Field of Study
• Technical Field of Study
 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

INTRODUCTION

The Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Education (EGCSE) syllabuses are designed as two-year
courses for examination in Form 5. It is presumed that most learners for SiSwati as a Second Language
will have a primarily instrumental motivation – that is, they will be studying the language in order to
promote their educational or employment prospects. The rationale for SiSwati as a Second Language is
based on the widespread use of SiSwati as one of the two languages of communication in the Kingdom
of Eswatini. Candidates will be expected to understand a wider range of social registers and styles than
they can produce. They will be expected to communicate appropriately within formal and semi-formal
relationships. The topics selected will relate to the interests and needs of the candidates in using SiSwati,
e.g., education, the world of work, current affairs, health and welfare, travel, school affairs. The kinds of
settings to be used will be the ones that candidates are likely to encounter, e.g., in dealing with official
and semi-official bodies, in studying for academic or occupational purposes, in places of work or in using
public services.

All EGCSE syllabuses follow a general pattern. The main sections are:
Aims
Content overview
Assessment Objectives
Assessment
Curriculum Content

SiSwati as a Second Language falls into the SiSwati Compulsory Subjects Group along with First
Language SiSwati. SiSwati as a Second Language is intended for those whose mother tongue is not
SiSwati. First Language SiSwati is for those whose mother tongue is SiSwati. This syllabus may not be
offered in the same session with EGCSE First Language SiSwati Syllabus 6870. Candidates cannot
pursue a career in SiSwati Language since the syllabus is intended for those whose mother tongue is
not SiSwati.

AIMS

The aims of the syllabus are the same for all learners. These aims are set out below and describe the
educational purposes of a course in SiSwati as a Second Language for the EGCSE Examination. They
are not listed in order of priority.

The aims are to enable learners to:

1. develop the ability to use SiSwati effectively for purposes of practical communication;
2. form a sound base of the skills required for further study or employment using SiSwati as a medium;
3. develop an awareness of the nature of language and language-learning skills, along with skills of a
more general application;
4. promote personal development.

Content Overview
EGCSE SiSwati as a Second Language offers the opportunity to develop practical communication skills
in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Learners will be presented with a variety of stimuli that will build up their skills in reading and writing.
They will learn to select relevant details, understand the difference between what is directly stated and
implied, and practice writing for different purposes and audiences. Learners will listen to a range of
spoken material, including talks and conversations, in order to develop listening skills. Leaners will
engage in conversations on a variety of topics, and develop their skills in responding to different
situations and audiences with a degree of accuracy and clarity.

EGCSE as a Second Language will enable learners to become independent users of SiSwati and to be
able to use SiSwati to communicate effectively in a variety of practical contexts.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

The syllabus assesses the receptive skills of Reading and Listening, and the productive skills of Writing
and Speaking. The Assessment Objectives have been grouped under skill headings, but it is recognised
that these are interrelated.

A description of each of the Assessment Objectives in SiSwati as a Second Language follows.

Learners are assessed on their ability to:

Reading
R1 understand and respond to information presented in a variety of forms.
R2 select and organise material relevant to specific purposes.
R3 recognise, understand and distinguish between facts, ideas and opinions.
R4 understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, writer’s purpose, intention and feelings.

Writing
W1 communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately.
W2 convey information and express opinions effectively.
W3 employ and control a variety of grammatical structures.
W4 demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of appropriate vocabulary.
W5 observe conventions of paragraphing, punctuation and spelling.
W6 employ appropriate register/style.

Listening
L1 understand and respond to information presented in a variety of forms.
L2 select and organise material relevant to specific purposes.
L3 recognise, understand and distinguish between facts, ideas and opinions.
L4 understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, writer’s purpose, intention and feelings.

Speaking
S1 communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately.
S2 convey information and express opinions effectively.
S3 employ and control a variety of grammatical structures.
S4 demonstrate knowledge of a range of appropriate vocabulary.
S5 engage in and influence the direction of conversation.
S6 employ suitable pronunciation and stress patterns.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

Specification Grid

Objectives
R1 R2 R3 R4 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 L1 L2 L3 L4
Paper

1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 1

1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 2

1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 3

1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 4

1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 5

1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 6

2
✓
Exercise 1

2
✓ ✓
Exercise 2

2 ✓
✓
Exercise 3

2
✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 4 ✓

2 ✓
✓ ✓ ✓
Exercise 5

Paper 3 assesses Objectives S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

ASSESSMENT

Scheme of Assessment

All papers are compulsory. Candidates must enter for Papers 1 (Reading and Writing), 2 (Listening)
and 3 (Speaking) and are eligible for the award of Grades A* to G.

A description of each paper follows.

Paper 1 Reading and Directed Writing (2 hours) consisting of 70 marks.

For all parts of this component, candidates write their answers in the spaces provided on the question paper.

Dictionaries may not be used.

The paper is divided into Six Compulsory Exercises. The Exercises have different total mark allocations,
and some are broken down into a series of sub-questions.

Exercise 1 Reading 1 (10 marks) Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R3 and R4

A reading exercise of 400 – 500 words in which candidates will be required to answer a series of questions
testing more detailed comprehension, based on a text printed in the question paper. The text will take the
form of a report, newspaper/magazine article, advertisement, brochure, leaflet, guide, report, manual,
instructions.

Exercise 2 Reading 2 (8 marks) Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R3 and R4

A reading exercise of 350 - 450 words in which candidates will be required to answer a series of questions
testing more detailed reading comprehension requiring (short single word/phrase) answers, based on a text
in which different speakers give their views on a particular subject, printed in the question paper.

Exercise 3 Note-making (8 marks) Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R3 and R4

A note-making task of 350 – 450 words in which candidates will be required to make brief notes under supplied
heading or headings related to a text printed in the question paper.

Exercise 4 Summary (12 marks) Assessment Objectives R1, R2, R3, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6
A summary writing task of 400 - 500 words in which candidates will be required to write a summary of about
80 – 90 in length, about an aspect or aspects of a passage printed in the question paper.

Exercise 5 Informal Writing (16 marks) Assessment Objectives W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6
A writing exercise in which candidates will be required to write approximately 150-200 words of an informal
piece in continuous prose in response to a short stimulus (which may take the form of pictures) and/or short
prompts printed in the question paper. A purpose, format and audience for the writing will be specified.

Exercise 6 Formal Writing (16 marks) Assessment Objectives W1, W2, W3, W4, W5 and W6
A writing exercise in which candidates will be required to write approximately 150-200 words of a discursive
or argumentative/persuasive in continuous prose in response to a short stimulus (which may take the form of
pictures) and/or short prompts printed in the question paper. A purpose, format and audience for the writing
will be specified

This paper will be weighted at 60% of the final total available marks.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

Paper 2 Listening (approximately 45 minutes) consisting of 40 marks.

For all parts of this component, candidates write their answers in the spaces provided on the question paper.
Each part tests listening comprehension of recorded texts (e.g. dialogue, announcements, interviews,
conversations, talks, lectures) on a compact disc (CD) played in the examination room. Each text is heard
twice on the CD. The CD is controlled by the Invigilator of the examination, not the candidate(s) (see
Appendix: Notes on the Administration of the Listening Test).

Dictionaries should not be used.

The paper consists of Five Compulsory Exercises.

Exercise 1 (5 marks) Assessment Objective L1

Five comprehension items based on a series of short spoken texts (e.g. Announcement, answer phone
message, brief dialogue news bulletin extract), requiring short answers.

Exercise 2 (8 marks) Assessment Objectives L1 and L2

Comprehension exercise based on a longer spoken text (e.g. conversation, interview, monologue, talk)
requiring completion of gaps on forms/charts printed in the question paper. Questions in this exercise may
have leads and examples.

Exercise 3 (7 marks) Assessment Objectives L3 and L4

Candidates will listen to 7 short extracts in which different speakers give their views on a particular subject.
(e.g. short monologues). Candidates will choose from the list A to H, which opinion each speaker expresses.
There will be one extra letter which they do not need to use.

Exercise 4 (10 marks) L1, L2, L3 and L4

Candidates will listen to a talk and complete gaps in notes/sentences. They will listen to longer spoken text
(e.g. conversations, talks, monologues, interviews) and complete gaps in sentences.

Exercise 5 (10 marks) Assessment Objectives L1, L2 L3 and L4

A comprehension exercise based on longer spoken texts (e.g., conversation, interview, monologue, talk).
Candidates will be required to answer with short phrase or sentence-length answers.

This paper will be weighted at 25% of the final total available marks.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

Paper 3 Speaking (approximately 15 minutes) consisting of 30 marks.

Assessment Objectives S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6

Oral tests are conducted during a period before the main examination session. Materials for the test are
dispatched to Centers before this period, and once these have been opened the tests must be conducted as
soon as possible, leaving sufficient time to ensure that the material for external moderation is received by the
official deadline.

At least five Oral Assessment Cards will be issued, with an accompanying set of Teacher’s Notes. Each card
will introduce a topic for discussion between the Teacher/Examiner and the candidate, together with
suggestions for the development of the conversation.

Each candidate will be examined using one Oral Assessment Card selected by the Teacher/Examiner from
the range provided.

The total duration of the oral test should be approximately 10-15 minutes, made up of:
• Non-assessed ‘warm-up’ conversation (approximately 2-3 minutes) in which a candidate is allowed to
ask questions if there is something he/she does not understand about the format of the test.
• Time for the candidate to read the Oral Assessment Card and to prepare a response (no written notes
are permitted) (approximately 2-3 minutes)
• Assessed conversation (approximately 6-9 minutes)

Internal assessment will be conducted by a Teacher/Examiner approved by the Examinations Council of

Eswatini at the Centre using the Oral Assessment Criteria grid (see Appendix: Notes on Conducting the Oral
Tests and Appendix: Oral Assessment Criteria Grid).

The Teacher/Examiner will usually be someone from the Centre’s SiSwati Language department, but could
be someone local from outside the Centre.

The Teacher/Examiner will conduct and internally assess the tests, and will submit a recorded sample of
candidates’ performances for external moderation ECESWA.

Centres will receive a brief report on the outcome of the moderation.

This paper will be weighted at 15% of the final total available marks.

Weighting of Papers

Paper Weighting

1 60%

2 25%

3 15%

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

CURRICULUM CONTENT

Learners will develop all skills in the Curriculum Content outlined below.

Appropriate teaching time for the SiSwati as a Second Language syllabus should be equivalent to six (6)
periods of forty (40) minutes each over a period of sixty (60) weeks/cycles.

SKILL : READING

Competencies
All learners should be able to:
• demonstrate the ability to recognise public notices and signs (including timetables and
advertisements);
• demonstrate the ability to extract relevant specific information from forms, letters, brochures and
examples of imaginative writing considered likely to be within the experience of and reflecting
the interests of young people from varied cultural backgrounds;
• demonstrate the ability to extract relevant information from a wider range of texts, including
magazines and newspapers likely to be read by young people;
• demonstrate the ability to identify the important points or themes within an extended piece of
writing;
• understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, purpose and intention.

SKILL : WRITING

Competencies
All learners should be able to:
• carry out simple writing tasks, such as completing forms or short compositions in an appropriate
and accurate form of SiSwati in response to a written stimulus;
• demonstrate the ability to describe, report, and give personal information;
• identify, organise and present given material in a particular form;
• carry out longer writing tasks on a wide range of topics in response to a written stimulus.
• produce written texts with a wide range of language structures (i.e. grammatical and lexical)
• produce written texts that show very good control of punctuation and spelling.

SKILL : LISTENING

Competencies
All learners should be able to:
• demonstrate understanding of specific details, information and semi-formal announcements in
contexts such as news, weather, travel broadcasts, and in interviews, dialogues and telephone
conversations;
• demonstrate general comprehension of the speaker’s intentions where appropriate;
• identify the important points or themes of the material they hear, including attitudes;
• draw conclusions from and identify relationships between ideas within the material they hear;
• show awareness of major variations in register.

SKILL : SPEAKING

Competencies
All learners should be able to:
• demonstrate competence in a range of speech activities, (e.g., respond to questions on topics
within a defined range such as past and present schooling, future plans, current affairs);
• conduct a sustained conversation;
• demonstrate flexibility in dealing with new, topical ideas;
• show a sense of audience.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

GRADE DESCRIPTIONS

The scheme of assessment is intended to encourage positive achievement by all candidates. Grade
descriptions are provided to give a general indication of the standards of achievement likely to have been
shown by candidates awarded particular grades. The grade awarded will depend on the extent to which
the candidate has met the assessment objectives overall and may conceal weakness in one aspect of
the examination that is balanced by above-average performance on some other.

Criteria for the standard of achievement likely to have been shown by candidates awarded Grades A, C
and F are shown below.

A Grade A candidate has demonstrated expertise in:

• understanding and communicating arguments, ideas and information both at a straightforward

and a more complex level;
• structuring work overall so that the reader can follow the argument from the beginning to the
end;
• selecting material from texts and developing it in relationship to the question, sufficient to show
some independence of thought;
• describing and reflecting upon experience and expressing effectively what is felt and imagined;
• recognising and explaining underlying meaning and the writer's attitude to the subject matter;
• varying style straightforwardly in different types of writing and giving evidence of a satisfactory
range of language;
• spelling and punctuating accurately, with few, if any, mistakes;
• using well-constructed paragraphs and sentences (of average complexity) and obeying standard
grammatical conventions;
• speaking clearly and confidently in response to other speakers and occasionally taking the
initiative.

A Grade C candidate has demonstrated competence in:

• understanding and communicating arguments, ideas and information at a straightforward level;

• ensuring that all work has a clear beginning, middle and ending, and that ideas generally follow
on from one another;
• selecting material from texts in answer to questions and providing straightforward explanations
and developments to show relevance;
• recognising the more obvious implicit meanings and attitudes;
• writing with some knowledge of style and the possibility of varying it according to different types
of writing, and using a range of language adequate to all the tasks set;
• spelling and punctuating accurately so that communication is not impaired;
• using adequate paragraphing and some variety of sentence construction;
• speaking clearly with some confidence, mostly in response to the directions of other speakers,
showing a readiness to listen to others and to respond appropriately.

A Grade F candidate has demonstrated competence in:

• understanding and communicating arguments, ideas and information at a basic level;

• ensuring that all work has a basic sequence;
• selecting material from texts in answer to questions and providing basic explanations;
• recognising straightforward meanings and attitudes;
• writing at least in single sentences with the possibility of varying it according to different types of
writing, and using a range of language adequate to most of the tasks set;
• spelling and punctuating so that weaknesses do not seriously impair communication;
• using occasional paragraphing and variety of sentence construction, with some regard to
everyday grammatical conventions;
• speaking with some confidence, but usually in response to the directions of other speakers,
and showing a readiness to listen to others and to respond.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

NOTES ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LISTENING TEST

Centres will be supplied with one Compact Disk (CD) for every 30 candidates plus one spare, and will be able
to keep these after the examination. Centres are strongly advised to hold the listening test in a room that is
suitable for up to thirty candidates at a time. If a Centre has equipment that is especially powerful, more
candidates may be accommodated without special permission, but no applications for special consideration
will be considered on the grounds of inaudibility. Language laboratories may be used, but particular care must
be taken to ensure adequate supervision.

Checking Listening CDs

• Listening CDs must be spot-checked for recording and sound quality one working day before the
examination. This check must not affect the security of the examination.
• In order to check the acoustics (i.e., the loudspeakers and sound quality), one of the CDs must be spot-
checked at the appropriate volume in the examination room on the day of the examination and no later
than 30 minutes before the examination is due to take place. This check must not affect the security of
the examination.
• On neither of the above occasions may the CDs be listened to in full nor may the CDs be removed from
the Centre for checking. After each check the CDs must be returned to the Centre’s examination question
paper store.

Conduct of the Listening Test

Ideally, a SiSwati Teacher should be present to deal with any technical difficulties that may arise. If this person
has to be the Teacher who prepared the candidates for the subject under examination, they must not be the
sole Invigilator.

Once started, the CDs must not be stopped except in the case of a serious emergency. Noise from outside
the examination room does not constitute a serious emergency and the CD must not be stopped in these
circumstances. Candidates should be warned of this before the test begins.

In the event of the CD being stopped in a serious emergency, it should be restarted, once the emergency has
been dealt with, at exactly the same place. A statement from the Invigilator, indicating at which point in the
recording the interruption took place, the nature of the incident and the length of the interruption, should be
submitted to the Examinations Council of Eswatini, along with an application for special consideration. If there
is good reason to doubt whether certain items have been heard by all candidates, these items should be
identified in the report and the reason for doubt given.

Centres should contact the Examinations Council of Eswatini if equipment fails during the examination in order
to make alternative arrangements for the conduct of the listening test.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

NOTES ON CONDUCTING THE ORAL TESTS

1. The oral tests take place in the period before the main examination session as notified on the timetable.
Each Centre decides on a convenient period within these dates for its oral tests. It is recommended that
the tests are conducted within one week to allow sufficient time for a single Examiner to conduct all of the
tests. (See point 4. below).

2. Centres must ensure well in advance of the tests that a suitably quiet room is available and that equipment
is in good order.

3. Centres must adhere to dates for completion of the oral tests and for the receipt of mark sheets and
recordings to allow sufficient time for external moderation. It is vital that material does not arrive late.

4. For Centres with 30 or fewer candidates, there should normally be just one Examiner. This is normally a
Teacher within the SiSwati Language department, but could be someone local from outside the Centre. A
group of neighboring Centres might choose the same Teacher to conduct all their tests; in such a case
each Centre is still responsible for submitting properly completed forms and samples.

Centres with more than 30 candidates may use more than one Examiner (applying the ratio of an additional
Examiner for each 30 candidates). If using more than one Examiner, internal moderation must be carried
out by the Centre so that a common standard is applied to all candidates.

5. Centres entering candidates for the examination will receive a set of Oral Assessment Cards, notes about
administration and forms for entering marks. Examiners responsible for conducting the oral tests should
familiarise themselves with these materials before the tests are held. The Oral Assessment Cards must
remain confidential and must be kept in a secure place by the Centre until the end of the examination
period.

6. Each Centre must send the following to the Examinations Council of Eswatini: tape-recorded sample on
Compact Disks (CDs); completed mark sheet forms; and completed Oral Examination Summary Form(s).
Please be careful to adhere to instructions given on the forms about their completion and return.

(a) Recorded Sample

Each Centre must provide a sample of oral tests, to be recorded on CD(s). The size of the
sample required is given in the instructions on the back of the Oral Examination Summary Form.
Please ensure that you do not send the recordings of all candidates (unless there are ten or
fewer.) Ideally the sample should be transferred to one or two cassettes.
The sample CD(s) along with the completed Oral Examination Summary Form(s) should be
returned as specified as soon as the oral tests have been completed at the Centre.
The person responsible for internal moderation at the Centre must ensure that the sample
covers the whole mark range of the candidates at the Centre, with marks spaced as evenly as
possible from the top mark to the lowest mark. Where there is more than one Examiner involved,
the sample must include an equal number of candidates tested by all Examiners.
CD(s) must be clearly labelled with details of the candidates recorded. For instructions on
recording the samples see Recording the Sample below.

(b) Oral Examination Summary Form

This is a document on which marks for each candidate are to be entered in detail. Instructions
for its completion will be found on the reverse of the form.
Please be careful to check all mark additions. The Oral Examination Summary Form must show
the breakdown of marks for all the candidates, not just those selected for the sample. Please
put an asterisk (*) against the names of candidates whose interviews have been recorded on
the cassette.

7. The sample CD(s), along with the Oral Summary Form(s) should be returned as specified as soon as the
oral tests have been completed at the Centre. Please do not wait until the end of the timetable period
before sending them.

8. The oral tests should proceed along the following lines:

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

(A) Start the recording. Give the candidate’s name and number. Welcome the candidate and explain
briefly what is going to happen in the course of the test.

(B) Warm-up section: conduct a general conversation by asking the candidate a few questions about
herself/himself, the school, etc., to give the candidate time to get used to the examination situation.
The purpose of this section of the test is to put candidates at their ease. As a guide, about 2-3 minutes
should be spent on this section.

(C) Hand the Oral Assessment Card to the candidate. This must take place AFTER the warm-up has
taken place. Any necessary explanation should be given at this point, followed by a short preparation
period (approximately 2-3 minutes), when the candidate is at liberty to ask questions. The candidate
may not make notes during this period. The recorder should be paused by the Examiner while the
candidate considers the Oral Assessment Card. The Examiner should indicate this by saying ‘the
recording will now be paused’ so that the External Moderator knows that the candidate is being given
time to study the card.

(D) Main part of the test: conversation based on the Oral Assessment Card. Either the Examiner or the
candidate may start the conversation. This section of the test should last approximately 6-9 minutes.

The total duration of the oral test, from the beginning of (B) to the end of (D), should be approximately
15 minutes.

Note that only the main part of the test (D) is to be assessed.

The oral test must be conducted in SiSwati throughout.

9. Examination conditions must prevail in the area where the oral tests take place. Adequate supervision
must be provided to ensure that the candidates leaving the room for the oral tests do not communicate
with those waiting to enter.

10. No other person should be present during the oral test, with the exception of another Examiner, the person
at the Centre responsible for internal moderation or a representative of the Examinations Council of
Eswatini.

11. Candidates will be examined singly.

12. Candidates are not allowed to bring any notes into the examination room, nor are they allowed to consult
dictionaries.

13. A range of Oral Assessment Cards is provided, and the Examiner (not the candidate) chooses the card to
be used for each candidate. As wide a variety as possible of the cards should be used at the Centre. In
order that candidates are given every chance to do themselves justice, the Oral Assessment Card should
be selected with care. The warm-up may give the Examiner an indication of the best card to select.
Remember that the test is one of spoken language not subject knowledge: if it becomes apparent
that the candidate finds the topic difficult or inappropriate it is perfectly permissible to move into
more productive areas. There is no need to stick rigidly to the Examiner prompts in such cases.

14. The Examiner should be positioned so that so that s/he is facing the candidate, with a table or desk in
between. Candidates should not be able to see the notes made on Oral Examination Summary Forms or
similar paperwork.

RECORDING THE SAMPLE

Centres must ensure that their recording equipment is in good working order. Recorders must be used. The
recorder should be tested on site, sometime before the actual oral tests, ideally with one of the candidates.
The warm-up section of the test also provides an opportunity to check audibility. Where possible, it is advisable
to use a recorder with external microphones so that the separate microphones can be used to candidate and
Examiner. If only one microphone is used it should be placed facing the candidate.

It is important to check audibility levels before recording begins; adjustments to the volume control during an
examination should normally be avoided. Care should be taken to avoid extraneous noise and long gaps.
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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

Checks should be made throughout the oral testing session to ensure that voices on recordings are clearly
audible.

With the exception of a permitted pause on the recording between the warm-up and the main part of the test,
once the oral test has begun the recording should run without interruption.

Each CD should begin with a clear statement by the Examiner as follows:

‘Centre Number: (e.g.,) SZ123
Centre Name: (e.g.,) Abcxyz High School
Examination: 6871 EGCSE SiSwati as a Second Language
Examiner Name: (e.g.,) Khontaphi Tsabedze
Date: (e.g.,) 1 October 2024

Each candidate recorded on the sample should be clearly indicated on the recording by the Examiner as
follows:
‘Candidate Number: (e.g.,) 0254
Candidate Name: (e.g.,) Mkhatswa Thulile’

At the end of the sample the Examiner should state clearly ‘End of Recording.’

Before the CD is dispatched, spot checks must be made to ensure that every candidate is clearly audible. The
contents of each CD must be clearly labelled.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

ORAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA GRID

Give a mark out of 10 for each category (structure, vocabulary, development and fluency), and then add these
marks to give an overall total out of 30.

Mark Structure Vocabulary Development and Fluency

The candidate demonstrates The candidate shows enough The candidate shows sustained
ability to use a variety of command of vocabulary to ability to maintain a conversation
structures accurately and respond with precision. and to contribute at some length.
consistently. The candidate is Shades of meaning are The candidate can respond to
9 - 10 confidently in control of the achieved and some change in direction of the
structures used. sophisticated ideas are conversation.
communicated.
Pronunciation and intonation are
clear.

Structures will be generally The candidate has a sufficient The candidate responds
sound, but will not be used range of vocabulary to convey relevantly and at length which
entirely accurately or with information and ideas with makes frequent prompting
consistent confidence. There will competence. Errors are unnecessary, resulting in a
7-8 be some errors in attempting to noticeable, however, when competent conversation.
use more complex sentences. attempting to use more
complex and precise Pronunciation and intonation are
vocabulary. generally clear.

The candidate can use simple Vocabulary conveys simple The candidate makes an attempt
structures securely but has ideas and information clearly, to respond to questions and
difficulty venturing beyond them. though it is not wide or varied. prompts. Effort will need to be
There may be hesitation, made to develop the
repetition and searching for conversation; only partial
5-6 words. success will be achieved.
There is some lack of clarity of
pronunciation and intonation, but
it is unlikely to impede
communication.

Structures will generally be very Vocabulary will generally be Responses tend to be brief and
simple, limited and with errors, inadequate to convey simple widely spaced. The candidate
which will restrict communication. ideas. has to be encouraged to go
beyond short responses and
3-4 struggles to develop a
conversation.
Pronunciation and intonation
cause some communication
difficulty.

Attempts at structured sentences Use of single words is the norm Responses are so brief that little
will rarely achieve and there will be long gaps. is communicated. The candidate
communication. However, some hardly engages in a
1-2 attempt at a response will be conversation.
made during the discussion.
Pronunciation and intonation
patterns cause difficulty for even
the most sympathetic listener.

Completely limited/no attempt at Completely limited/no attempt Completely limited/no attempt at

0 a response. at a response. a response.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

SAMPLE ORAL EXAMINATION SUMMARY FORM

After the oral assessment has been undertaken an Oral Examination Summary Form must be completed. A
sample of this form is provided on the opposite page for information. Copies of the form to be used for the
examination will be provided by ECESWA at the appropriate time and will contain instructions on the reverse.
The form should be used in conjunction with the Teacher’s Notes and Mark Scheme which will be provided for
the examination session.

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 EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE EGSCE 6871/03

Sample Oral Examination Summary Form

Centre Number S Z Centre Name November 2 0

Internally
Candidate Candidate Name Teaching Oral Fluency and Total Moderated
Number Group/Set Assessment Structure Vocabulary Development Mark Mark
Card (max 10) (max 10) (max 10) (max 30) (max 30)

Name of teacher completing this form Signature Date

Name of internal moderator (where appropriate) Signature Date

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EGCSE SISWATI AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Syllabus 6871
November 2024 to November 2026 Examinations

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