Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Language: Spoken Language Endorsement — Revision Notes

The Spoken Language Endorsement is an optional, separately reported part of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A (4EA1). You give a prepared presentation of no more than 10 minutes to an audience that always includes your teacher, then listen and respond to questions and feedback. There are no marks: you are graded Not Classified, Pass, Merit or Distinction against AO6, and the grade appears on your certificate alongside, not inside, your English Language grade. For the full skills guide, use the Spoken Language Endorsement study guide.

Format at a glance

Detail	Specification requirement (Issue 7)
Status	Optional; paper code 4EA1/E
Task	A prepared presentation, followed by questions and feedback
Forms	(a) a speech or talk followed by audience questions; (b) a formal debate or dialogue, such as an interview with prepared extended responses to prompts shared in advance, followed by audience questions
Length	Prepared, and no longer than 10 minutes
Audience	Must always include the teacher; size and make-up agreed between teacher and student
Teacher-only audience	Allowed, but the presentation should be designed for a potentially wider audience (for example, replicating a television interview)
Assessment	Live or from recordings
Outcome	Not Classified, Pass, Merit or Distinction (no marks)
Effect on grade	None; reported separately on the certificate

AO6: what is assessed

AO6, Speaking and listening skills, has three strands:

1. Demonstrate presentation skills in a formal setting.
2. Listen and respond appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and feedback to presentations.
3. Use spoken Standard English effectively in speeches and presentations.

The general criteria (needed for every grade)

To be awarded Pass, Merit or Distinction you must:

• be audible, and
• use spoken Standard English, which for this assessment means being intelligible and generally using language appropriate to the formal setting.

Pass, Merit and Distinction compared

You must meet all the criteria for a grade to be awarded it.

Strand	Pass	Merit	Distinction
Ideas and vocabulary	Expresses straightforward ideas/information/feelings	Expresses challenging ideas/information/feelings using a range of vocabulary	Expresses sophisticated ideas/information/feelings using a sophisticated repertoire of vocabulary
Organisation and audience	Makes an attempt to organise and structure the presentation; makes an attempt to meet the needs of the audience	Organises and structures clearly and appropriately to meet the needs of the audience	Organises and structures using an effective range of strategies to engage the audience
Purpose	—	Achieves the purpose of the presentation	Achieves the purpose of the presentation
Listening and responding	Responds to questions/feedback appropriately in a straightforward manner	Responds formally and in some detail	Listens and responds perceptively and, if appropriate, elaborates with further ideas and information

Key progression words: straightforward → challenging → sophisticated; attempt → clearly → effective range of strategies; straightforward response → in some detail → perceptively, with elaboration.

How moderation works

• Centres record a sample of presentations, not every student, for each June and/or November series.
• Centres with 30 or fewer students record all students; over 30, a sample of 30, including at least 10 at each grade (Distinction, Merit, Pass) where available. Students assessed as Not Classified are not included in the sample.
• A record sheet (Appendix 3 of the specification) is completed for every student.
• All work is submitted digitally.

Planning a presentation that can reach Distinction

Step	What to do	Criterion it serves
1. Topic	Choose a subject with an argument or a problem, not only facts	“Sophisticated ideas”
2. Purpose	Write one sentence: “By the end, my audience will…”	“Achieves the purpose”
3. Structure	Hook, three main points, a clear ending; signpost transitions	“Organises and structures”
4. Engagement	Questions to the audience, anecdote, a visual, varied pace	“Effective range of strategies”
5. Questions	Predict five likely questions and prepare evidence	“Responds perceptively… elaborates”
6. Timing	Rehearse to finish within 10 minutes, leaving time for questions	Format requirement

Worked example: answering a question at three grades

Question from the audience: “Isn’t banning phones in schools unfair to students who need them for emergencies?”

• Pass: “Yes, maybe, but I still think they should be banned.”
• Merit: “That’s a fair point. Schools could keep phones in a locker so students can reach them in an emergency, while still removing the distraction in lessons.”
• Distinction: “That’s the strongest objection, and it depends on what we mean by ‘ban’. If the ban means no phones on site, I agree it’s unfair. But the evidence I quoted was about phones in lessons, so a locker system answers your concern and keeps the benefit. It would also mean parents could call the office, which is how emergencies were handled before phones.”

The Distinction answer acknowledges, distinguishes, refers back to the presentation and elaborates.

Common mistakes / traps

• Reading a script word for word. It weakens audience engagement and can make the language less natural; use cue cards.
• Going over time. The presentation must last no longer than 10 minutes.
• Informal language. Slang or fillers (“like”, “basically”) undermine “spoken Standard English”.
• Preparing the talk but not the questions. Listening and responding is part of every grade.
• A topic with no purpose. Merit and Distinction both require the presentation to achieve its purpose.
• Forgetting the teacher-only rule. If the teacher is the only audience, design the talk as if for a wider audience.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Spoken Language Endorsement change my English Language grade? No. It is reported as a separate grade on the certificate, and there are no marks for it.

How long should my presentation be? The specification says it should be prepared and last no longer than 10 minutes. Leave time for the questions that follow.

Can I do an interview instead of a speech? Yes. A formal debate or dialogue, such as an interview with prompts shared in advance, is allowed, followed by audience questions.

Do I have to meet every criterion for a grade? Yes. To achieve a grade you must meet all of the criteria for that grade, plus the general criteria.

Syllabus coverage

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A (4EA1), specification Issue 7 (August 2025): section 3, Spoken Language Endorsement (optional) — overview, presentation, audience, assessment criteria, external monitoring and sample; assessment objective AO6; Appendix 3 record sheet.

Self-test

1. What is the maximum length of the presentation? (10 minutes.)
2. Who must always be in the audience? (The teacher.)
3. Name the four possible outcomes. (Not Classified, Pass, Merit, Distinction.)
4. What two general criteria apply to all grades? (Audible; spoken Standard English.)
5. What extra listening skill is required for Distinction? (Responding perceptively and elaborating where appropriate.)

Related pages

• Spoken Language Endorsement study guide
• Spoken Language Endorsement practice questions

Official specification

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in English Language (Specification A) 4EA1, Issue 7 — qualifications.pearson.com.