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@Linguist_CIOL FEBRUARY/MARCH The Linguist 13 AWARDS FOCUS T he Real Lives exam, which I took in French, differed significantly from other language exams I have taken. What makes it different is that you are thrown in at the deep end right from the beginning. It develops a set of skills which can be seen as much more useful in real life than those needed for traditional exams. Dulwich College's teaching is at a very high level and we were told that specific preparation, beyond our usual three and a half hours a week of French teaching, was not required. I took the Real Lives oral exam in a classroom setting. In the beginning, I was nervous as I didn't know what to expect. It took some concentration to get used to the format, as it was different from the average unit test, but once I focused hard, it all made sense to me and I realised there was nothing to worry about. After the exam, I felt relatively confident but I certainly did not expect to receive full marks. Winning the Real Lives Award gave me a great feeling of accomplishment and it was an honour to represent my school. I have definitely been inspired to pursue languages further, and I plan to continue French and Spanish to A level. I see myself being heavily involved in linguistics throughout my education and career. I am particularly interested in becoming a translator, as I enjoy languages and they are in incredibly high demand. the Young Interpreters themselves. Taking part in the project helps pupils to shift the way they perceive their own language backgrounds. As one Young Interpreter in a secondary school put it: "You don't know how people are going to react to you being a speaker of another language, but being a Young Interpreter helps you realise that your languages… it's something you should celebrate, not hide." There is still much to learn, and we are fortunate that more research is being carried out as part of a Master's and PhD at Reading University's Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism. Follow the Young Interpreter Scheme at www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/emtas or on Twitter @YIscheme. To find out how one school is implementing the scheme, see 'Manchester's Language Army' in TL57,3. r story. By Astrid Dinneen Astrid Dinneen is a Specialist Teacher Advisor and leads on the Young Interpreter Scheme®. TL Award-winner Alex Sicking on the IoLET exams that are inspiring pupils with real-life scenarios Real Lives success What is Real Lives? Real Lives is a brand new CEFR A2 language exam for Year 10, which aims to address the declining interest in language learning in Key Stage 4 (ages 14-16) by creating a stepping stone for those working towards GCSE. It is designed to motivate learners by presenting them with the challenge of real-life scenarios where accurate communication is critical. Situations that have authenticity and urgency appeal to students who don't always recognise the usefulness and relevance of learning another language. The 35-minute exam takes the form of a listening comprehension test with multiple- choice questions in English. The first listening task is heard once only, as in real life; the last two are heard twice. No extra teaching is required; students need to be able to listen carefully and apply thinking, as they would in real situations. Just over 500 students took the exam in 2018, in French, German and Spanish. This is expected to grow in 2019, when English, Arabic, Mandarin and Welsh will be available. Teachers can find out more, register their school's interest and order audio recordings at www.ciol.org.uk/real-lives. © CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU