Arabic Continuers 2017 HSC exam pack

General Feedback

Students should:

• communicate fluently in Modern Standard Arabic, and be prepared to talk about a variety of ideas and opinions about their personal world
• remember that neither the number of questions nor the number of topics are predetermined
• not dominate the conversation with long, pre-learned material. Students who memorise responses on topics and recite them, regardless of the actual questions being asked or the flow of the conversation, will disadvantage themselves
• attempt to answer all the examiner’s questions, whether expected or unexpected, and answer in depth.

Students should expect:

• questions to be of varying difficulty
• to respond to questions that require them to describe, explain, and justify an opinion
• to be asked to reflect on aspects of the past, present and future.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• practising speaking in a variety of contexts and with various people
• listening to news and media sources in Modern Standard Arabic.

Student Strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• give opinions and/or comments in a fluent and confident manner, and provided relevant information when answering the examiner’s questions
• use a variety of different words appropriate to the conversation
• talk on a range of topics about their personal world, with only minor inaccuracies in grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure.

Students should:

• read all questions in English before listening to the item in Arabic
• respond specifically to the requirements of the question and not simply translate segments of texts that relate to the question
• use the Candidates’ Notes column to make notes and ensure all relevant information is incorporated into the final response
• use the time between the playing of each text to re-read and understand the questions asked
• use the time given at the end of the paper to read over their responses to ensure they are meaningful and not contradictory
• refrain from simply retelling the text and avoid use of irrelevant phrases learnt by heart
• present their ideas coherently and effectively and ensure that the response is well-structured and the ideas flow logically
• include a variety of appropriate and relevant vocabulary and structures
• develop a response which clearly addresses the requirements of audience, purpose and context.

Listening and Responding

General Feedback

Students should expect to:

• respond adequately to the range of items, which cover different topics of the syllabus
• respond to questions that identify the purpose and context of spoken text
• interpret or evaluate information
• focus on both language and content, elaborating on relevant feelings in each instance
• carefully phrase their responses so that they convey their intended meaning.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• communicating with others in a variety of contexts
• listening to news, songs, media sources  and clips from the internet in Arabic
• viewing Arabic radio and television programs
• answering questions from past HSC papers and underlining or highlighting the key words in the question
• developing efficient and effective dictionary skills.

Student Strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements of the question through the presentation of relevant information
• justify their opinions and/or infer points of view, attitudes or emotions from language and context
• convey the meaning of texts and identify specific information through summarising the main ideas
• demonstrate the ability to explain, analyse and conclude using good referencing style
• provide opinions based on general and specific details of the text.

Reading and Responding Part A

General Feedback

Students should expect to:

• consider all parts of the question and the implications of each one before answering
• avoid repetition of information and ensure that detail is provided in the appropriate question part
• identify where content from the text is sufficient to answer a question, and where interpretation is required in addition to content, followed by supporting evidence from the text
• understand that where a key quote appears in a question, its meaning should be given in the response.

Student Strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• include relevant details from the text to support opinions
• analyse and summarise information from texts appropriately
• use textual references effectively to justify a point of view
• demonstrate a clear understanding of the purpose of the text
• demonstrate the ability to reflect in a perceptive and logical way
• demonstrate the ability to use information from the text to draw logical conclusions and textually based opinions.

Reading and Responding Part B

General Feedback

Students should:

• read the stimulus text carefully more than once to ensure they have understood both the general message and the finer detail
• identify the elements of the text requiring comment, ensuring good comprehension is reflected in the response
• ensure that the response is well-structured and the ideas flow logically
• develop a response which clearly addresses the requirements of audience, purpose and context
• communicate their ideas in an authentic and accurate way
• base their response on the information provided in the text, not on prior knowledge of the topic.

Students should expect to:

• engage with the stimulus and avoid copying sections of information from the text
• respond in detail, giving a range of ideas
• write from a particular perspective in a specific context.

Student Strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• successfully refer to the stimulus and respond to all required points mentioned in the notice
• link ideas appropriately and mention the expectations consistent with the stimulus
• compose a cohesive response with sustained control of expression.

Question 10

In better responses, students were able to:

• engage with the stimulus and respond well with a degree of creativity
• demonstrate how some of their expectations were not met and talk about their disappointment
• reflect on their experience and not simply retell the notice organise and structure their response
• demonstrate an extensive knowledge of the language and its structures.

Writing in Arabic

General Feedback

Students should expect to:

• produce different kinds of texts (for example informative, imaginative, reflective, persuasive or descriptive) appropriate to context, purpose and audience
• demonstrate control of a range of language structures and vocabulary.

Student Strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• structure ideas logically and coherently with the use of connecting words/expressions, appropriate punctuation and paragraphing
• use a range of vocabulary and language structures
• demonstrate a perceptive understanding of the purpose, context and audience
• maintain the purpose of the task throughout
• utilise appropriate language features.

Question 12 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• illustrate how they are impressed with their friend’s neighbourhood and use persuasive language to convince the Mayor of the Council to make improvements to their area
• include examples of improvements, such as building sporting facilities for the youth, parks for families with small children and recycling bins to keep the area clean.
• elaborate on their examples

Question 12 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• use persuasive language to convince the year coordinator to include their ideas in their program to promote good health throughout the school
• include examples of ideas, such as healthy eating posters around school, the sale of healthy meals in the canteen and more sporting activities
• elaborate on their examples.