Verbal strategies — AQA GCSE Modern Hebrew
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Verbal strategies explained
Verbal strategies covers 3 specification points, including Making use of synonyms or words from a cognate… and אני רוצה לומר / להגיד / לספר / לגלות לך Using….
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Making use of synonyms or words from a cognate 'semantic field' Students should be encouraged and trained to use, when appropriate, synonyms or a word which belongs to a cognate 'semantic field'. This strategy will enable the student to make up for the forgotten word, and to learn to distinguish between meanings and nuances eg:
This guidance teaches a verbal strategy for GCSE Modern Hebrew: when you cannot recall an exact word, you may use a synonym or another word from the same cognate semantic field, provided it fits the context. For example, if you forget the word for 'car' (מכונית), you might say 'vehicle' (כלי רכב) or 'taxi' (מונית) if the situation allows. The strategy helps you keep communication going and shows you can distinguish meanings and nuances, such as formal versus informal or general versus specific. You should practise choosing an appropriate alternative and checking that it does not change your intended meaning. This is a guided reading note, so no marks are awarded here; instead, use it to build awareness for speaking and writing tasks.
אני רוצה לומר / להגיד / לספר / לגלות לך Using a word which refers to a similar item Using a word which refers to a similar item to the one the speaker/writer wishes to refer to, but for which he/she has forgotten the word. This is not always effective and its use would be assessed according to its effectiveness in a particular context.
This guidance explains a verbal strategy for GCSE Modern Hebrew: when you forget a specific word, you may use a word that refers to a similar item. The Hebrew example אני רוצה לומר / להגיד / לספר / לגלות לך shows several verbs meaning 'to say', 'to tell', 'to relate' or 'to reveal', which you can choose between depending on context. The strategy can help you keep going, but it is not always effective: its success depends on how well the substitute fits the particular context. You should practise selecting a similar word and judging whether it conveys your intended meaning clearly. This is a guided reading note, so no marks are awarded here; use it to develop awareness for speaking and writing assessments.
Request for help This can include requests for translation eg ?... איך אומרים בעברית and questions which make no reference to English eg ? איך קוראים לזה בעברית .While these strategies are obviously useful in authentic situations, they are likely to be less helpful to students in the exam. However, it is clearly preferable to use such requests for help than for communication to collapse and their use will be assessed according to the context. When requests for help with specific problems occur, the teacher should maintain the role of a sympathetic native speaker and help accordingly.
This guidance explains how to handle a student's requests for help during the speaking assessment. Such requests may ask for a translation, for example the Hebrew phrase meaning 'how do you say in Hebrew ...?', or they may be questions that make no reference to English at all, such as the Hebrew question meaning 'what is this called in Hebrew?'. The guidance notes that while these strategies are useful in authentic situations, they are likely to be less helpful to students in the exam. Even so, it is clearly preferable to use such requests for help than for communication to collapse, and their use will be assessed according to the context. When requests for help with specific problems occur, the teacher should maintain the role of a sympathetic native speaker and help accordingly.
Your focus
- Identify and use synonyms or words from the same semantic field to replace a forgotten word in a given context.
- Distinguish between meanings and nuances when choosing an alternative word, such as formal versus informal or general versus specific.
- Apply the strategy in speaking and writing tasks, checking that the replacement preserves the intended meaning and fits the context.
Show all 10 objectives
- Use a word referring to a similar item when the exact word is forgotten, and judge whether it is effective in the given context.
- Distinguish between the Hebrew verbs לומר, להגיד, לספר and לגלות and select the one that best fits the intended meaning.
- Monitor your own speaking and writing, and rephrase when a substitute word does not convey the intended meaning clearly.
- Identify the two kinds of request for help named in the guidance and give a Hebrew example of each.
- Explain why such requests are useful in authentic situations but likely to be less helpful in the exam.
- Describe how the teacher should respond when a request for help with a specific problem occurs.
- Explain how the context of a request for help affects how it is assessed.
Verbal strategies exam tips
Examiner Tips
- 💡Before the exam, build topic vocabulary lists and group words into semantic fields (e.g., food, travel, school) so you have ready alternatives.
- 💡In speaking practice, when you forget a word, try to paraphrase using a synonym or a related word rather than switching to English; record yourself and review whether the meaning stayed clear.
- 💡In writing, if you use a synonym, re-read the sentence to check that the word fits grammatically and in register; if unsure, choose a simpler word you know well.
- 💡When you forget a word in speaking, try a broader or related term (e.g., 'vehicle' for 'car') and then continue; do not pause too long or switch to English.
- 💡In writing, if you use a similar word, check that it fits the sentence grammatically and that the meaning is still clear; if not, rephrase the whole idea.
- 💡Practise with past paper speaking and writing tasks by noting where you used a substitute word and whether it was effective; build a personal list of useful alternatives for common topics.
- 💡Read the guidance as a teacher or assessor would: note that the judgement is contextual, so consider whether the request kept the exchange going or replaced the student's own Hebrew.
- 💡Distinguish the two kinds of request named in the statement: a request for translation and a question that makes no reference to English. Be ready to describe how each would sound in Hebrew.
- 💡When you practise, decide in advance which specific problems you would ask about, so that any request for help is targeted rather than a general appeal.
- 💡Remember the teacher's role: a sympathetic native speaker who helps with the specific problem, not someone who takes over the conversation.
Common Mistakes
- Misunderstanding: any synonym will do. Correction: the alternative must fit the context and register; for example, using a very general word like 'thing' (דבר) for a specific object may confuse the listener.
- Misunderstanding: cognate semantic field means words that sound similar. Correction: it means words related in meaning, such as items in the same category (e.g., fruits, vehicles, emotions), not words that merely sound alike.
- Misunderstanding: using a synonym always improves your answer. Correction: if the synonym changes the meaning or is too vague, it can reduce clarity; always check that the replacement preserves your intended message.
- Misunderstanding: this strategy is only for speaking. Correction: it applies to writing too, but you must ensure the word is spelled correctly and suits the written register.
- Misunderstanding: any similar word will be understood. Correction: the substitute must be close enough in meaning and fit the context; otherwise the listener or reader may misunderstand.
- Misunderstanding: the strategy always works. Correction: the statement says it is not always effective; you must judge each situation and be ready to rephrase if the substitute causes confusion.
- Misunderstanding: the Hebrew verbs in the example are interchangeable in all contexts. Correction: לומר, להגיד, לספר and לגלות have different nuances (e.g., 'to say', 'to tell', 'to relate', 'to reveal'); choose according to what you mean.
- Misunderstanding: using a similar word is only for speaking. Correction: it can be used in writing too, but you must ensure the word is appropriate for the written context and spelled correctly.
- Misunderstanding: any request for help automatically damages the student's mark. Correction: the guidance says such requests are assessed according to the context, so a well-placed request that keeps communication going is judged in context rather than penalised automatically.
- Misunderstanding: the teacher should refuse to help so the student struggles alone. Correction: when a request concerns a specific problem, the teacher should maintain the role of a sympathetic native speaker and help accordingly.
- Misunderstanding: requests for help are equally useful in the exam as in real life. Correction: the guidance states they are obviously useful in authentic situations but are likely to be less helpful to students in the exam.
- Misunderstanding: only requests that mention English count. Correction: the guidance covers both requests for translation and questions that make no reference to English, such as asking what something is called in Hebrew.