Oral in Latin, Taught Through French: Which Language Is Being Assessed?
A candidate in the French-language section takes Latin as a four-period option. The Latin course is taught in French, and the oral examination is conducted in French, the language of the section. The candidate's Latin is strong: she identifies the gerundive in a passage of Caesar, explains the use of the historical infinitive, and relates the passage to Caesar's propaganda. But her French is hesitant: she repeats 'donc', makes gender errors ('le fin'), and pauses to search for words. The oral mark scheme has three criteria, each out of 10: understanding of the Latin text, literary/historical analysis, and expression in the language of the examination. The candidate scores 9 and 9 on the first two. One examiner wants to give 5/10 for expression; the other says 8/10 because the French is not what the Latin exam is testing. The candidate asks whether she may answer in Latin for one question.
1. Interpret the 'expression' criterion for a Latin oral taught through French. Is the examiner assessing French accuracy, or something else? Propose a mark out of 10 and justify it.
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Expression means clarity, coherence and control of the language of the examination; it does not mean native-like French grammar. The candidate's errors do not impede comprehension: 'le fin' is a gender slip, not a breakdown, and the repeated 'donc' is a fluency tic. She structures her answers and uses technical terms correctly. A mark of 7/10 is fair: 5/10 would penalise L2 proficiency twice, since the Latin content is already assessed, while 8/10 would ignore real hesitancy and word-search pauses.
The criterion must be applied consistently to every candidate in the section. A Latin oral is not a French oral; the language is a vehicle for demonstrating Latin understanding. Total: 9 + 9 + 7 = 25/30. The examiner should note that the hesitancy slowed but did not obscure the answer.
2. How should the examiner answer the candidate's request to answer one question in Latin?
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The examination is conducted in the language of the section, so allowing a full switch for one question would make marking inconsistent unless the syllabus explicitly permits it. The examiner should explain that the assessment is of Latin understanding, but the response must be in the language of the examination. Offer a short thinking pause and, if needed, allow a Latin technical term as a gloss, not a full answer. For example, the candidate may say 'the gerundive - le gérondif' while continuing in French. This keeps the criterion fair without turning the oral into a Latin composition. Record the request and the examiner's response in the mark sheet.