Arabic Continuers 2019 HSC exam pack

Conversation

Students should:

• be prepared to talk on a variety of topics relating to their personal world
• answer the question asked rather than presenting pre-prepared responses
• express their ideas and opinions and justify their point of view
• elaborate using a variety of vocabulary, phrases and expressions suitable to the question asked
• use a range of tenses and be prepared to reflect on the past, present and future
• manipulate the language to fulfil the requirements of the question
• avoid the repetition of the same vocabulary, phrases, expressions and grammatical structures
• be prepared to be interrupted by the examiner.

In better responses, students were able to:

• respond to the questions, providing relevant opinions and justifying their point of view
• manipulate language and grammar structures to suit the question asked
• use a variety of vocabulary, synonyms and expressions
• deliver their responses confidently, using effective pronunciation and intonation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• eliminating the repetition of the same words, phrases and ideas throughout the conversation
• expanding and elaborating on their responses; particularly relating to questions that require comparison, for example, مارأيكَ.......؟ مارأيُكِ.....؟، قارن/قارني ما بين....؟
• using specific language features, for example, adverbial phrases with simile ترى المناظر الخلابة كأنك في جنة، شعرت أنني كالطير بلا أجنحة .................
• using figurative language to achieve effectiveness, for example, معلمتي موسوعة متنقلة تجعلنا نغوص في عالم من التساؤل عن وجودنا، نافذة من خلالها يطوف الإنسان في عالم ...........، القناعة هي رمز وكنز.........................
• using fillers and connectives effectively and appropriately, for example,  لكنَّ، أمَّا، بالإضافة إلى، بالرغم من
• using correct tenses (past, present and/or future) in the context of the question
• using a variety of sentence structures and grammar.

Listening and Responding

Students should:

• make notes in the Candidate’s Notes column on the right-hand side of the page
• read the question carefully and respond to all parts of the question
• support their responses with relevant evidence from the text
• transcribe their response on to the lines, using the space allocated beneath the question
• use the number of lines as an indication of the required length of the response
• support their responses with reference to relevant content and language, using their own words
• avoid translating the text as part of their response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements of the question through the identification of specific relevant information (Q1,2,3)
• identify specific information used in order to show understanding of the purpose of the announcement by summarising the main ideas (Q4)
• display a sound understanding of the elements that contribute to the persuasion of Amani by justifying opinions (Q5)
• make a judgement and draw conclusions of what the mother is likely to do by interpreting and evaluating information from the text (Q6)
• justify the speaker’s opinions and/or infer points of view, attitudes and emotions from language and context with good analysis of well-selected textual references throughout the conversation, for example, indicating how Samia’s attitude changed during the conversation (Q7)
• display a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of the text for a given audience by thoroughly analysing and interpreting content and language from both perspectives (speaker and audience) in order to draw conclusions supported with textual references (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• learning quantitative adverbs in the context of recipes and practise how to complete a cloze activity table
• providing a good analysis of the perspective of the speaker rather than relying on a literal translation of the text
• analysing the content used to convey a point of view / attitude rather than just listing adjectives to describe the attitude
• avoiding translation where deep analysis and interpretation of language and content are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of a speech to an audience
• learning how to respond to higher order thinking questions that require thorough analysis and interpretation in order to infer a point of view/attitude or draw conclusions.

Reading and Responding – Part A

Students should:

• read the title, questions and the whole text before responding
• use only the lines or space beneath the question for the response
• support their responses with reference to content and language, using their own words
• be succinct in their responses, addressing the relevant details required by the question and avoiding repetition
• focus on key words in the question, for example, ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘explain’, ‘justify’  and respond in relation to the context of the text
• read the whole text in order to demonstrate understanding of relevant information and ideas
• identify the key issue(s) and provide examples to substantiate their response when asked to analyse or evaluate information
• draw a conclusion or justify a point of view using their own words
• provide a succinct response of main points or ideas when asked to summarise
• avoid providing a literal translation of text
• use the dictionary appropriately to find the correct meaning of the word(s) or expressions in context.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify specific information relevant to the question (Q9a)
• interpret relevant details related to Nareeman’s statement from the text to support her opinion and draw conclusions (Q9b)
• analyse and interpret effectively relevant textual details related to point of views and behaviours of Nareeman’s parents to infer the implications on her attitude (9c)
• deduce the intention for starting the blog (Q10a)
• provide sound reasons for Salma’s disappointment (Q10b)
• draw a connection between the choice of the given statement and Fayez’s intention by evaluating information to imply the hidden meaning / opinion (Q10c)
• give reasons and use textual references effectively to infer a point of view / an opinion embedded in the choice of words (Q10d)
• analyse and evaluate in a perceptive way the textual and language references used by the author as a means of drawing logical conclusions (Q10e).

Areas for students to improve include:

• elaborating on ideas presented to convey the intended meaning rather than listing information
• analysing in-depth information using inferential skills (where students are required to identify the implied meaning)
• analysing in a perceptive way the language used with supporting textual references to justify a point of view / attitudes and draw conclusions, noting that when identifying language techniques and providing textual references it is important to include the effect of using a given technique to achieve the author’s intention.

Reading and Responding – Part B

Students should:

• respond to the question asked in relation to the text
• read the entire text in order to respond fully to the question
• use the conventions of the type of text required by the question
• demonstrate understanding of the whole text in their response and not just respond to questions asked in the text
• focus on all relevant information and key points raised in the text in order to respond to comments made, requests for advice, issues discussed and observations made
• use the appropriate register throughout the response
• provide a creative and authentic response in relation to the text and question
• use a variety of vocabulary and expressions and a range of grammatical structures
• edit their work to ensure clarity of the response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify most elements covered in the stimulus text
• elaborate their ideas and information
• reply to the stimulus text with relevant information and good control of vocabulary and language structure
• organise their ideas into sequenced paragraphs
• communicate their ideas using authentic and appropriate language.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the requirements of the task
• paying attention to the specific details presented in the text
• organising information and ideas in a logical sequence
• focusing on the task itself and the required ideas and elements
• formulating a response with some creativity and elaboration using their own expressions and refraining from copying the ideas directly from original text.

Writing in Arabic

Students should:

• read the question carefully and address all parts of the question
• plan their response to ensure a clear structure and sequence
• use the appropriate register and conventions of the type of text required
• commence and conclude appropriately
• manipulate the language to suit the requirements of the task
• use a variety of tenses, phrases and structures appropriate to the requirements of the question
• proof read and edit their work
• adhere to the suggested word length.

In better responses, students were able to:

• address purpose and context effectively and creatively by including all relevant details
• use a variety of grammatical structures, such as using past tense to reflect on their experience
• use appropriate and authentic Modern Standard Arabic expressions
• express clearly their ideas within the word limit (Q12)
• include ways to make the school more environmentally friendly (Q13a)
• write with some creativity (Q13a)
• emphasise the importance of participating in the Multicultural school event by using sophisticated vocabulary and language expressions (Q13b)
• use creative and reflective expressions such as, استحوذت على اعجابي وساهمت في إيقاذ فتيل في ذهني أيقظ خلايا عقلي، إنّ هذه المناسبة الثقافية كانت بمثابة نافذة تطل على حضارتنا وهويتنا. (Q13b)
• use persuasive sentences that emphasise the importance of participating in Multicultural events (Q13b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading the question thoroughly to address the requirements of the task
• utilising reflective expressions and phrases rather than recounting events
• producing the correct text type
• using persuasive style of writing, for example,هيَّا يا أصدقاء، لنعمل يداً واحدة من أجل بيئة أفضل، بيئتنا المدرسية عنوان ودليل حضارتنا.
• developing their dictionary skills.
• expanding and elaborating on their responses.
• proofreading their work in order to minimise the number of errors.