Integrating preparation for the a level kpg exams in the ‘all day’ school programme: A proposal for an exam preparation syllabus (2009)
Nikaki Doriana (Full Paper)
Master's Dissertation
Department of Language and Linguistics
Faculty of English Studies
School of Philosophy
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

The present dissertation focuses on the integration of a preparatory course for the KPG A1/A2 level exams in the Greek primary school and specifically in the ‘all day’ school programme. The motivation for this study springs from the primary school EFL teachers’ dissatisfaction with their students’ low levels of motivation in English lessons in school. Students’ lack of motivation is primarily due to the fact that the content of the English lesson does not correspond to their actual level of language proficiency; it is actually less demanding than it should be since the majority of students attend private language centres (frontistiria) with a view to obtaining language certificates. Bridging the gap between the primary school and the learners’ need for formal certification is expected to increase students’ motivation and enhance the status of English as a subject at school. Thus, the present study aims at examining the feasibility of integrating an exam preparation course for the KPG A1/A2 level exam within the context of the primary school all day programme, as well as  providing English teachers with an exam syllabus for the preparation of primary school students for the A level KPG exams.

The findings of the study indicated that the majority of the teachers who participated believe that their students tend to be de-motivated. Moreover, they claim that the Greek primary school should cater for the learners’ need for formal language certification. The results were also exploited in the design of an exam syllabus (i.e. for the duration of the school year) to be implemented in the ‘all day’ school with the aim to prepare fifth and sixth grade students for the A level KPG exams. The syllabus suggested focuses on the development of test-taking strategies, and especially test wiseness strategies, that could enhance the candidates’ performance in the exam. As learners are assumed to develop their linguistic competence in the morning classes of primary school, the present exam preparation syllabus aims at developing their strategic competence, that is, the learners’ testing intelligence, while becoming acquainted with testing situations from an early age.