Chinese Beginners 2019 HSC exam pack

Conversation

Students should:

• be prepared to talk about a variety of topics relating to their personal world
• answer the question asked rather than presenting pre-prepared responses
• provide information, express ideas and comment on their personal world
• be prepared to respond to questions from a different perspective
• avoid the repetition of the same vocabulary, phrases and expressions
• manipulate the language to fulfil the requirements of the question
• respond using the correct tense required in the context of the question
• be prepared to be interrupted by the examiner.

In better responses, students were able to:

• make comments, express opinions and elaborate on information about their personal world
• use a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures, for example, 如果……就…… and  不但……而且……
• speak clearly and with good intonation and pronunciation
• speak confidently and fluently.

Areas for students to improve include:

• responding in full sentences and avoiding giving single words as an answer
• supporting their response with appropriate information to extend their answers
• asking for repetition or rephrasing questions in Chinese to clarify what is being asked.

Students should:

• read each question carefully
• make notes in the Candidate’s Notes column on the right-hand side of the page
• transcribe their response on to the lines, using the space provided for each question
• use the lines provided as a guide to the length of the response required
• ensure that their responses are clear and address all parts of the question
• use their own words and respond in English
• avoid translating text as part of their response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• understand key vocabulary and expressions, for example, chuān (to wear) and xǐ (to wash) (Q1), gèng (even more) (Q2), yáng​tái (balcony) (Q3) bùyīng​gāi​de (was not supposed to) (Q4), lèi (tired) (Q7), qián​bian (in the front), hòu​bian (in the back), huài (broken) (Q10)
• understand conjunctions, for example, kěshì, dànshì (but, however) (Q3, 4), yīnwei (because) (Q5, Q8), suǒyǐ(therefore) (Q6)
• identify that Shanshan was jealous, supported by examples (Q5)
• summarise information succinctly (Q6)
• demonstrate an understanding of the speaker’s suggestion, that is, raising money for the animals affected by the draught (Q6)
• explain the compromise reached by the speakers (Q7)
• explain the mother’s realisation that her son was lying to her (Q9)
• express their opinion substantiated by detailed evidence, not simply translate segments of the text (Q10).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing detail in their responses
• using Candidates Notes more effectively
• avoiding translation in favour of critical and reflective responses to questions.

Students should:

• read the whole text(s)
• address all parts of each question
• use the lines, table and/or chart allocated for the response
• provide all necessary details to respond to the question fully
• support their responses with evidence from the text where required
• use their own words rather than giving a literal translation
• use their dictionary appropriately to find the correct meaning of the word(s) in context.

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide detailed information and justify their opinions with reference to the text
• understand key expressions and vocabulary, for example, 送餐 (delivery) (Q11), 毕业 (graduation) (Q12), 聊天 (chat), 下棋 (play chess) (Q14)
• understand adverbial phrases, for example, 先…然后（first….., then……）(Q12), 一边……一边……(while……) (Q13), 一起（together）(Q14), 从来不（never）(Q16)
• understand the idea that Australia has higher wages than China (Q13)
• summarise succinctly without giving reasons (Q14b)
• express their opinion substantiated by detailed evidence, not simply translate segments of the text (Q15b) and (Q16b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding the inclusion of irrelevant detail from common knowledge to answer questions
• demonstrating a more holistic understanding of texts that is beyond the literal understanding, and using this understanding to respond to questions appropriately and correctly
• paying special attention to the requirements of every question.

Students should:

• write to the word length required
• address audience, purpose and context required by the question
• apply the conventions of the type of text indicated in the question
• use correct register throughout the response
• use a range of tenses, sentence structures and a variety of vocabulary
• avoid repeating the same expressions throughout the response
• use the dictionary carefully to access vocabulary and expressions that are meaningful in the context of their response
• avoid listing
• edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• organise information and ideas coherently and succinctly
• write appropriately for the audience, purpose and context of the task
• apply relevant vocabulary appropriately and correctly use language structures
• sequence and structure their responses using appropriate language conventions, correct grammatical structures and a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using a range of expressions and structures for a variety of communicative purposes
• practising writing compositions of the required text types under examination conditions
• writing for the purpose and audience specified in the question.