Pointing and demonstration — AQA GCSE Bengali
Teaching note based on the AQA specification.
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Pointing and demonstration explained
Pointing and demonstration is a non-verbal production strategy: the learner indicates an object, person or place so the listener can follow, and may support the gesture with short, appropriate Bengali expressions.
Read the full explanation
The specification gives examples such as এটা (this one), েী এটা? (what is this?), লজলনেটা (that one over there), ঐ কয (that's where), ঐ কিাে (that thing), ও / ওগুলিা (that / those), এগুলিা (these), জালন না (I don't know), ঐ লেলে (over there) and ওলেলে (there). The point is not to memorise a fixed list but to pair a clear gesture with a brief phrase so meaning is carried jointly. In an MCQ, match the function of each expression to the situation: identifying, questioning, locating or declining knowledge.
Your focus
- Match short Bengali pointing expressions to their communicative functions.
- Explain how a gesture and a brief phrase together carry meaning.
- Select the most appropriate expression for a given pointing or demonstration situation.
Pointing and demonstration exam tips
Marking Points
- Selects a short Bengali expression that matches the pointing function required by the situation, such as identifying an object or asking what it is.
- Pairs the chosen expression with a clear gesture or demonstration so the listener can locate the referent.
- Distinguishes locating expressions from identifying expressions when choosing the best option.
- Recognises that a phrase such as জালন না signals the speaker does not know, rather than naming an object.
- Rejects an option that switches into English when an appropriate Bengali expression is available.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Read the stem to decide the function first: identifying, asking, locating or declining knowledge, then match the expression.
- 💡Eliminate any option that abandons Bengali for English when a suitable Bengali phrase is offered.
- 💡Check that the chosen phrase would make sense alongside a pointing gesture in the described situation.
Common Mistakes
- Chooses a locating phrase when the task asks the speaker to identify an object; match the expression to the function, whether identifying, questioning or locating.
- Ignores the gesture and treats the phrase alone as the whole strategy; pointing and demonstration work by combining a clear indication with brief language.
- Picks an expression meaning the speaker does not know when the task requires naming or locating something; read the function of each option before choosing.