A lev: IRP

IRP: Independent Research Project

​What is IRP?

IRP is a part of the Speaking exam. Content for this task will be based on the subject of interest that you have chosen for your independent research project. This may be (but doesn't have to be) based on any of the four themes of study or on a subject of interest of your own choosing. However, it must relate to the Russian-speaking cultural and social context.

Where does it fit in?

Reorder

In what order will the tasks in speaking exam will be?

• 5 min preparation

• Response to statement A or B

• Discussion of Sub-theme

• IRP

• Follow up questions on IRP

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

​Key points to remember:

• You have approximately 10 to 11 minutes for this task.

• You must prepare for this part in advance of the exam

• You must submit your RP3 form no later than three weeks before exam

• You must initiate and conduct your own research

• You must use written sources like newspapers, magazines, blogs, interviews

The discussion must be broadened out to a wider exploration of the content of your presentation. The teacher-examiner will use the key findings and list of sources on Form RP3 to help them formulate their own questions. You will need to meet the requirements of the assessment criteria, i.e. to elicit examples and information to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the cultural and social context and to analyse aspects of the theme by developing and justifying arguments and forming conclusions.

​Part 2

The discussion must open with a presentation from you in which you provide a summary of at least two of the written sources you have used as part of your research, outlining the authors’ main points/ideas and giving a personal response to what they have read. The presentation must not exceed two minutes. In this part of the task, you are assessed on your ability to respond in speech to written sources.

Part 1

Structure

Open Ended

Своими словами опишите что будет происходить в первой части IRP

Open Ended

Своими словами опишите что будет происходить во второй части IRP

​Examples of Questions the teacher-examiner will ask :

• ‘Приведите, пожалуйста, пример....’

• ‘Почему вы говорите это?’

• ‘Какие выводы можно сделать из....’

• ‘Какие примеры можно привести, чтобы подтвердить эту точку зрения?’

• ‘Почему важно...’

• ‘Что означает....’

You need:

​In both tasks, you are expected to ask questions that elicit opinions as part of the natural discourse and to confirm that your own points of view have been understood. Examples of questions that you may ask to achieve this are:

• ‘Вы согласны со мной?’

• ‘Разве неправильно подумать, что...?’

• ‘Можно ли сказать, что...?’

• ‘Что вы думаете о...?’

• ‘Вы понимаете, что я хочу сказать?’

​You are also expected to take the lead in the discussions.

Be aware!

We should be aware of the mark scheme for the IRP (Task 2) section of the exam, to ensure that the chosen topic will allow candidates to access all bands of the mark scheme. In particular, to access the top band (10–12) of the mark grid for “Knowledge and understanding of Russian-speaking society and culture” (AO4), candidates must demonstrate the ability to offer:

• information / examples / references, consistently focused on the Russian-speaking cultural and social context

• analysis of the Russian-speaking cultural and social context demonstrated by consistently developed and justified arguments and viewpoints, drawing convincing conclusions.

Marking

A level Russian: IRP

Three mark grids are applied to this task:

• knowledge and understanding of society and culture

• accuracy and range of language

• interaction

Open Ended

Своими словами напишите, что будет оцениваться в IRP

Let's look at some examples of IRP

This is an idea of what you may want to include into your presentation and how you can structure it.

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