Chinese Continuers 2017 HSC exam pack

General feedback

Students should:

• manipulate language naturally using a variety of relevant vocabulary and sophisticated grammar
• 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 in depth, whether expected or unexpected remain calm and ask the examiner for clarification if they are unsure of the questions.

Student strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topics with relevant elaboration
• maintain conversation flow with confidence and coherence
• use a wide range of vocabulary, sentence structures and idiomatic expressions
• exhibit consistent, clear pronunciation and intonation.

Students should:

• make good use of the 10 minute reading time to read the questions and start mentally planning for the responses
• express ideas clearly using accurate vocabulary and sentence structures on known topics
• read each question carefully and make sure that they understand what it is asking them to do
• listen carefully for the general meaning of the texts as well as specific details
• use the Candidates’ Notes column to make notes and ensure all relevant information is incorporated into the final response
• give relevant responses to the questions instead of just writing memorised responses on topics.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• expanding their vocabulary list and familiarising themselves with the vocabulary and sentence structures on known topics
• actively participating in class activities and practising the acquired vocabulary and sentence patterns as frequently as possible
• practising past HSC examination papers
• listening to audio files, news and media sources in Chinese.

Student strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the texts
• identify accurate and detailed information (Q1-Q3)
• analyse the information from the texts effectively to support the responses (Q4 and Q5)
• make logical inference with sufficient textual support (Q6 and Q7)
• provide a valid argument with relevant textual evidence (Q8).

Student strengths

Questions 9 – 10

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify accurate and detailed information (Q9 (a), Q10 (a))
• include relevant details from the texts to support opinions (Q9 (b), Q10 (b))
• analyse the texts perceptively (Q9 (c), Q10 (c))
• use textual references effectively to justify a point of view (Q9 (c), Q10 (c), Q10 (d))
• demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast with concrete textual references (Q10 (c), Q10 (d)).

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the text
• understand the subtlety of the language used when identifying the issues raised in the text
• respond to the issues raised in the text with reasonable justification
• demonstrate logical thinking with good control of vocabulary.

Student strengths

In better responses, students were able to:

• use a wide range of appropriate vocabulary and language structures
• address the questions in depth with relevant illustrations
• demonstrate the ability to reflect and recount in a perceptive and logical way
• use correct text types.