Chinese 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 questions by making comments, expressing a point of view and elaborating with appropriate examples
• use a range of authentic expressions
• demonstrate mastery of a wide range of vocabulary and language structures
• manipulate language appropriately to respond to questions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding the use of irrelevant and pre-prepared responses
• asking for clarification of the questions in Chinese if they do not understand what is being asked
• avoiding answering with single words or ‘yes’ or ‘no’
• using a variety of sentence structures in their responses
• avoiding repetition of the same vocabulary.

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 thorough understanding of the shorter texts including key vocabulary, for example, jiē nǐ, wǎn xià bān (Q1), dù zi, shū fu (Q2), nián gāo, hóng bāo (Q3), hù shi, liáo tiān (Q4), kuài cān, dǎ zhé (Q5)
• precisely identify and summarise the required detail (Q4), (Q5)
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the longer texts (Q6,7,8)
• compare Anna’s and Paul’s opinions not just describe what they said (Q6)
• demonstrate an understanding of the son’s personality by providing detailed evidence from the text (Q7)
• provide detailed examples of content AND language to support their response (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• provide all the details required to address all parts of the question
• formulating responses with the question in mind, not just describing what was said.

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:

• accurately identify key words and expressions in the text, for example, gāi bù gāi qù (Q9a), bù tài shì, pále chángchéng (Q9b), yòu zàng yòu luàn, késòu, lántiān, báiyún, míngshèng, shūfǎ, liúlì (Q9c), bǎ fángjiān bùzhì (Q10a) zhàogù (Q10b) děng, xǐzǎo, làngfèi (Q10c), xíguàn, qíguài (Q10d)
• demonstrate a perceptive analysis of the text supported with comprehensive reference to the text (Q9c, Q10c,d)
• illustrate well-supported opinions using appropriate details from the text (Q9c, Q10b, c, d).

Areas for students to improve include analysis of:

• both Andy and Mark’s influence (Q9c)
• the mother’s interaction with both the grandmother and Jimmy (Q10d).

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:

• demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the letter by responding to all key points
• demonstrate high grammatical accuracy
• organise information and ideas coherently
• sequence their ideas logically, using appropriate conventions of language.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding audience, context and purpose
• responding to issues raised in the letter comprehensively
• using a range of language structures and vocabulary in Chinese.

Question 12

Students should:

• address all parts of the question
• use the appropriate register and conventions of the type of text
• commence and conclude appropriately
• use the correct tense for the requirements of the question
• sequence their response logically for maximum effect
• use the dictionary effectively by selecting vocabulary to suit the context
• proof read and edit work
• adhere to the suggested word length.

Question 13

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 the questions in depth with relevant examples
• demonstrate control of a range of language structures and vocabulary in Chinese
• write text appropriate to audience, context and purpose
• write effectively on recreation and the world of work
• sequence and structure ideas coherently
• use persuasive language structures accurately.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using a range of language structures and vocabulary in Chinese
• writing Chinese characters correctly
• applying correct linking words to express ideas and information
• adhering to text type conventions of a diary and an email
• including a range of tenses accurately and appropriately to suit the question.