Chinese Continuers 2022 HSC exam pack

Conversation

Students should:

• be prepared to communicate on a variety of topics relating to their personal world
• elaborate and provide relevant details to address the questions in a way that engages with the examiner
• express ideas and opinions that justify their point of view by providing depth and insight in their responses rather than only giving short pre-prepared responses
• 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
• use Chinese to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• respond to questions precisely, especially to those of high level of difficulties, for example, hypothetical questions such as 如果你不用考试，你最想做什么？ or comparative questions such as 你觉得澳大利亚和中国的学校有什么不一样？
• demonstrate an excellent knowledge of vocabulary such as 随时随地、 千变万化、志同道合、博大精深、一分耕耘一分收获，and can use them authentically
• demonstrate excellent control of grammatical structures using 即使、 要么、 并且etc and tenses using 了、过、已经、会、打算
• demonstrate outstanding use of language features such as 像……一样……，为什么我会这么说呢？……又快又安全
• demonstrate authenticity, creativity and confidence through responses that are original and humorous
• demonstrate an understanding of Chinese culture.

Areas for students to improve include:

• always focusing on what the question is asking and ensure that the response addresses the question instead of using inappropriate rote-learnt contents
• preparing all topic areas thoroughly
• expanding responses when possible, and not to go beyond the questionavoid English at all times such as “yeah”, “so”, “ummm”, use 请您再说一遍  or 您再说一遍，好吗？when the question is not understood
• paying attention to intonation and pronunciation as these can affect the markers’ understanding of the response
• using more connective words such as 不但……而且……，因为……所以……
• using correct tenses including the use of 没、不
• avoiding literal translation and pay attention to word order, and some incorrect examples are 我喜欢都中国菜、附近家、学习在图书馆…..
• using correct measure words rather than using 个  for all nouns.

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.

In better responses, students were able to:

• understand the key information and ideas from the texts, for example, ‘灰色的’and ‘调皮’(Q1); ‘not committed, arrogant and dishonest, not a man of his words’(Q5); communication barriers and solutions (Q7)
• try to summarise the reasons provided instead of just directly translating all information (Q3)
• identify the language techniques like rhetorical questions, simile, listing, parallelism and imperative tone and analyse their effects with reference to the text (Q6).

Areas for students to improve include:

• distinguishing between the words that sound similar, for example, ‘灰色’ not ‘黑色’ (Q1)
• not making assumptions, for example, convenient for work, close to cinema (Q3)
• addressing the problems first and then identifying the solutions (Q7)
• answering the question straight to the point first, for example, ‘The trip to Italy is to a large extent a life-changing experience’ (Q8).

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
• 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:

• demonstrate the ability to compare, for example, ‘the differences between people in the past and people in the present in their celebration of Valentine’s Day’ (Q9c)
• identify the correct information and respond to the question with details, for example, ‘she does not have any experience’ and ‘her ability is not good enough for the job’ (Q10a)
• accurately comprehend the meaning of the useful information in the text and include it in the response, for example, ‘I think you are suitable for the job’ (Q10b)
• effectively analyse Anna’s personality using a range of adjectives, for example, ‘arrogant, negative and money-minded’, with extensive reference to the text (Q10c)
• answer the question straight to the point by addressing “to what extent” clearly at the beginning (Q10d)
• demonstrate the ability to identify the language techniques like rhetorical questions, listing, simile, and analyse their effects with extensive reference to the text (Q10d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding direct quotations in responses, for example, ‘Grandmother says…’ (Q9b, Q9c)
• remembering to answer questions in Part A only in English
• avoiding repetition of information in responses
• choosing adjectives specifically for Anna’s personality like ‘arrogant’, ‘negative’ and ‘money-minded’ instead of just using some general descriptions like ‘bad’ or ‘not friendly’ (Q10c)
• ensuring that the reference to the text is effective and supports the argument.

Part B

Students should:

• read the whole text in order to respond fully to the question
• plan effectively to organise their thoughts, paying attention to context, purpose, and audience, and the type of text required in question
• respond to the question asked in relation to the text
• use the conventions of the type of text required by the question
• demonstrate understanding of the whole text in their response
• 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
• provide a creative and authentic response in relation to the text and question
• use the appropriate register throughout the response
• 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 excellent understanding of the text and provide appropriate responses, for example, ‘恭喜你高考取得好成绩’，‘根据我的个人经验’
• provide reasonable and effective advice, for example, ‘和父母沟通的时候，不要发脾气’, ‘你可以在中国做英语家教’
• respond to all points in the text coherently and comprehensively.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using conjunctions to improve the structure of the argument, for example,一方面…另一方面， 除了…还
• avoiding rote-learnt answers
• avoiding using their own name when signing off the email.

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
• adhere to the suggested word length
• proofread and edit work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• write the text appropriate to the purpose with correct text type, that is, a note
• use a variety of language structures
• clearly explain the reason for not being able to go to the barbeque lunch.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the correct format for a note
• avoiding literal translation, for example, ‘烤肉架’ for barbeque
• ensuring that the context is provided, for example, weekend, barbeque lunch
• writing only in Chinese characters.

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
• adhere to the suggested word length
• proof-read and edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• construct original texts using complex language structures
• address the key words in the questions and provide relevant information, for example, ‘why the new school is suitable for you’ (a) and ‘how your high school experiences have affected you’ (b)
• use different words to mean ‘affect’ in the response, such as 影响，改变，变化，让我变成 (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct tenses and format for a diary entry
• correctly using a variety of vocabulary instead of just repeating the same expressions
• avoiding just describing how great your new school or your high school experience is without addressing the key words ‘suitable’ (a) and ‘have affected’ (b).