Luxor4u

Just before the final elections Egyptians who are about to leave school took there exams, this is the English exam, even if they cant speak or write English they still do the exam.

I read an interesting article some time ago part of which is pasted below:

Memorizing - Not Understanding

For decades, Egyptians have joked about the education system’s strong focus on memorizing the curriculum rather than truly understanding it. Hafez mesh fahem (memorizing not understanding) became a cliché describing many ailments in society, including authoritarianism, bureaucracy and the rigidity of the system. While the jokes are in fact funny, the reality is far from it.

Howaida El Demerdash, managing director of Nasr City educational training center Teach Right, works with students, parents and teachers to improve education techniques. She explains that students can excel in exams because they know the questions and answers by heart, but they often fail to translate abstract information they learned.

Read the full article here: http://www.egypttoday.com/news/display/ ... 4/catId:37


Take a look at the exam paper (1 sheet, both sides, time: 2 and half hours) - How well do you think you would do?

Front Page:


Back Page:


After you open the image: click on the big X on the bottom right to zoom in.

A good article looking at Egypt's education system at secondary level, and I don't suppose much has changed in the year since it was written. Another task for the incoming government to address. A quick look at that exam paper (by the way, an English paper for secondary school pupils rather than the exam for Egyptians!) reminds me of English "comprehension" tests in my secondary years. In so many areas, Egypt seems half a century behind the west.

Another btw ...

Just before the final elections Egyptians who are about to leave school took there exams, this is the English exam, even if they cant speak or write English they still do the exam.

That "there" should be "their"! Wake up at the back!

And do they really take the exam if they can't speak or write English?

If I understand correctly, the students do not need to understand what they are reading, just remember which pattern of letters is the correct answer. I say pattern because when I look at Arabic it just looks like a pattern of sqiggles so I expect to those who do not read English our letters simply look like a patten of lines.

TonyC wrote:
And do they really take the exam if they can't speak or write English?

Yes they do - as long as someone in the class can answer the question they all get the same answer.

I think question 2-5 is a good one - which answer would you give?

Question 2-8 - would you put b or c - they both mean the same (they do don't they?)

Bearded Brian wrote:I think question 2-5 is a good one - which answer would you give?

Yes, I liked that one too. I could justify all of the answers, particularly as the question is an incomplete sentence.

Possibly to make sure that if you didn't cheat you would get at least 1 right even by guessing.

Bearded Brian wrote:Possibly to make sure that if you didn't cheat you would get at least 1 right even by guessing.

Question 2 - 5, I could not decide which one, 2-8 got me thinking, had to go and check dictionary, yes b and c do mean the same.

TonyC wrote:
That "there" should be "their"! Wake up at the back!

And do they really take the exam if they can't speak or write English?

TonyC you should know by now my English went out of the window years ago

Even 2-7 could have 2 correct answers - the usual answer would be a) but if you wanted to harm the person you are talking to then answer d) would be correct :gw:

I'm not sitting this exam again. I wrote an essay about question 2-8 and the use of 'flammable' and 'in flammable' but in posting it, it seems to have disappeared into the ether!

I freely acknowledge I may have spelt flammable incorrectly - but I think there is a 50% chance I have spelt it correctly. Please mark accordingly (but politeness would be appreciated).

DJKeefy wrote:

TonyC wrote:
That "there" should be "their"! Wake up at the back!

And do they really take the exam if they can't speak or write English?

TonyC you should know by now my English went out of the window years ago

I know ... just having a pop because you were writing about English

As the paper has actually got people scratching their heads, I offer the following:

Question 2-5: In everyday usage a case could be made for any of the four answers, but I assume the examiner is testing tenses, so the answer would be "would".

Question 2-8: Flammable and inflammable are interchangeable. The former is often used on labelling in case the "in" could be read as "not". Inflammable is usually used when writing descriptively ... about a situation, say, instead of an object that can actually catch fire. As we're talking about children's safety here, I'd make it flammable!

And now I might even go back and attempt some more!

I've never understood flammable and inflammable being interchangeable. It's an odd case - accurate/inaccurate, hospitable/inhospitable, decisive/indecisive and too many more to mention are certainly not.

2-5 I can see where you are coming from with 'would' as "He told me" is in the past but 'would' also, imo, indicates a definite action, in this case it would be that he has every intention of coming to visit but what if at the time of asking he wasn't sure then 'may' would be correct.

HEPZIBAH wrote:I'm not sitting this exam again. I wrote an essay about question 2-8 and the use of 'flammable' and 'in flammable' but in posting it, it seems to have disappeared into the ether!

I freely acknowledge I may have spelt flammable incorrectly - but I think there is a 50% chance I have spelt it correctly. Please mark accordingly (but politeness would be appreciated).

I forgot to say...I am convinced that the correct answer is 'Flammable' . Reasoning: 'Inflammable' is one word not two as given in the answer choice - 'in flammable'.

Bearded Brian wrote:2-5 I can see where you are coming from with 'would' as "He told me" is in the past but 'would' also, imo, indicates a definite action, in this case it would be that he has every intention of coming to visit but what if at the time of asking he wasn't sure then 'may' would be correct.

Ah, but then the 'may' should be 'might'! This is a bit like being back at work and arguing over editing ... but I don't like being reminded of work too often. Class over!

And the moral of this story - don't ask an Egyptian to fix your torch!

Sx

So true S and nowhere did it say anything about biting the batteries to get them to work again.

TC - yes 'might' would be correct.