The persistent problems with language aurals came into focus again yesterday with harsh criticism for the Junior Cert French listening comprehension.

The Irish aurals caused a stir last week with complaints that the exam halls were too large and those near the back had difficulty hearing the tape, that some tape-players were of poor quality and that, in at least one school, students were forced to sit the exam with their backs to the tape-recorder.

Measures were not put in place to resolve these problems prior to the French exam and students again had difficulty deciphering the material.

"It should never happen that students have their backs to the tape," said Sean Higgins, who teaches French at St Mary's Diocesan School in Drogheda, Co Louth.

"The Department of Education must produce clearer guidelines for the aurals, with specifications for the tape-player to be used."

Higgins welcomed the presentation of the higher-level paper, which was "showing an improvement all the time". Disappointingly, the strong presentation at higher level was lacking at ordinary level. "The script was difficult to make out and very small in places," said Anne Weafer, a teacher at St Thomas's Community College, Bray, Co Wicklow. "It was a very wordy, tiring paper."