NSSCAS Oshikwanyama First Language 8191 key terms

To listen: the skill of hearing spoken Oshikwanyama accurately enough to follow instructions, catch specific detail, notice the speaker's tone and grasp the main point of what has been said.

To listen attentively and with purpose, paying attention to what a speaker means rather than only to the words used, and holding on to detail that will be needed in a later response.

To speak: producing connected Oshikwanyama aloud with clear pronunciation, suitable vocabulary and enough fluency to be understood, including in discussion, presentation and role-play tasks.

The voice: the sound a speaker produces, including its loudness, pace, pitch and clarity. In oral work, control of the voice helps carry meaning and hold the listener's attention.

A speaker: the person producing the words, whether in a real conversation, a recorded passage or a play. In drama the term also covers a character who has lines to deliver.

To read: recognising written Oshikwanyama and making sense of it, from decoding individual words to following a full argument across paragraphs and linking it to what you already know.

A book, document or written message; the word is also used for a letter sent to someone. In the exam it often points to a text you must read, or to the letter-writing task in composition.

A piece of writing; any text that has been composed and set down, such as a story, an article, an essay or a report. Analysis means looking at both its content and how it is put together.

A lesson, subject or set topic studied in class, and by extension a passage set for reading. In the exam it usually signals the text or theme you are expected to work from.

A thing, matter or subject. In reading work it means the content or topic a text deals with - what the passage is actually about - as distinct from the way the writer expresses it.

A picture, illustration or image, including a word picture created in language. It helps the reader see what is being described and is often analysed for the impression it creates.

The Kwanyama dialect of the Oshiwambo language cluster, spoken mainly in northern Namibia and southern Angola. It is the language in which this syllabus is taught and examined, including its grammar, literature and writing conventions.

The group of closely related Bantu dialects spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola, including Oshikwanyama and Oshindonga. Candidates should know that the exam covers one member of this wider family.

A word: the smallest unit of meaning that a speaker or writer can move around inside a sentence, such as a noun, a verb or a qualifier. Grammar questions often begin by asking you to identify one.

A sentence: a complete unit of written or spoken Oshikwanyama that begins with a capital letter, carries one main idea and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.

A name, and in grammar the noun: the word that names a person, place, thing or idea. In Oshikwanyama nouns are grouped by class prefixes, and the prefix controls agreement across the sentence.

Time; in grammar, tense - the form of the verb that shows whether the action happens now, has already happened or is still to come. Oshikwanyama marks tense with verb prefixes and infixes.

Manner or way of doing something; in language study, the style or register a speaker or writer chooses, from formal to casual, and the tone it creates for the reader or listener.

A way or method. In language work it names the pattern or procedure being used, for example the way a particular sentence type is formed or the approach taken to answering a task.

An example: a short model that shows how a rule, structure or task should be done, so that the candidate can follow the same pattern in their own answer.

An explanation or interpretation that makes the meaning of a word, sentence or passage clear, usually by unpacking it in simpler language rather than repeating it word for word.

Questions: the items in a paper that ask a candidate to read, identify, explain, compare or comment. Reading each question carefully and noting its instruction words is essential before answering.

Answers: the responses a candidate gives to the questions. A full answer in this exam usually makes a point and then supports it with evidence from the text or with the grammar rule involved.

To choose or select: picking the correct option, item or quotation from those offered. In exams this instruction word tells you that one answer is wanted, not a full explanation.

To write: putting Oshikwanyama down in clear, correctly spelled and punctuated sentences, organised into paragraphs that suit the purpose and audience of the task.

A narrative or story: an account of events, usually with people, a setting, a problem and a resolution, told in a deliberate order that keeps the reader interested.

To narrate or tell a story: to relate events in sequence, choosing what to describe in detail, what to summarise and how to build interest towards the ending.

A type or kind. In writing tasks it identifies the text type expected - such as a report, a letter, a narrative or an argument - each with its own layout and conventions.

An author or writer: the person who composes a text. In literature, distinguishing the author from the narrator or the speaker of a poem is an important step in interpretation.

Drama: a play written to be performed, built from dialogue, stage directions and scenes rather than from a narrator's description. Study covers character, conflict, staging and the effect on the audience.

To compare or liken one thing to another for effect, as in a simile. The comparison is signalled by words of likeness and helps the reader see a familiar idea in a new way.

A person; in literature, a character created by the writer. Analysing a character means looking at what they say, what they do and what other characters say about them.