Chinese Continuers 2023 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

• speak clearly with excellent pronunciation, syntax, register and intonation
• answer the questions with minimal hesitation, allowing the conversation to flow at a good pace
• answer questions with relevant information and in some depth, for example, to communicate feelings, provide opinions and justify their responses
• address the requirements of the question
• elaborate on their responses without extra prompts from the examiner
• respond in full sentences, using compound and complex sentences
• use language structures and features effectively to enhance their responses, for example, 不是……而是……、尽管……但是……、无论……都……、不但……而且……、像……一样
• demonstrate excellent knowledge of a wide repertoire of vocabulary, such as, 吃货、稳定的工作、996的工作
• accurately use tenses as required by the question
• use authentic and idiomatic expressions appropriately, for example, 志同道合、虎头虎脑、用心良苦、多个朋友多条路、名扬四海、桂林山水甲天下、上有天堂，下有苏杭.

Areas for students to improve include:

• responding personally and effectively by avoiding over-reliance on rote-learned material which may not be relevant to the question
• fully understanding a question before responding to it
• expanding their response when possible instead of just giving a brief and simple one
• using particles such as 了  and 过  that indicate past experience accurately
• using negation adverbs such as 不 and  没  correctly, for example, 我不去中国，但是我很想去中国
• using the adverb 都  correctly, for example, 都我们喜欢吃中国菜
• avoiding English at all times, for example, use 请您再说一遍，好吗？when they want the examiner to repeat a question
• using more conjunctions to form complex sentences and convey their ideas effectively, for example, 虽然我以前没有去过北京，但是如果我以后有机会的话，我一定要去北京看看.

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:

• clearly describe and summarise Xiao Hong’s problem (Q1)
• answer the question first, for example, ‘It’s highly likely…’ (Q4)
• identify what the proposed opportunity is, that is, ‘teaching English online’ (Q4)
• summarise the advice shared by Ai Ling instead of directly translating all information (Q6)
• analyse how Peter tries to convince Na Na in making a choice, with detailed reference to his use of language (Q7)
• explain how the mother conveys her feelings, such as, ‘surprised’, ‘worried’, ‘relieved’ and ‘helpless’, with detailed reference to the text (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• being specific with their answers, instead of just saying ‘make money ‘or ‘make friends’ (Q4)
• using the number of lines as an indication to summarise the three points (Q6)
• supporting the response with appropriate language techniques, as indicated by the question requiring ‘reference to his use of language’ (Q7)
• using detailed reference to the text to explain how the mother conveys her feelings (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:

• identify the personality traits with appropriate reference to the text (Q9b)
• provide appropriate reasons to explain the impact of the documentary on Lan Lan (Q9c)
• clearly explain the purpose of Martin’s first post: asking advice on which city to go to (Q10a)
• thoroughly analyse the texts, for example, ‘比西安现代，比上海古老’ (Q10b)
• compare effectively by mentioning both similarities and differences (Q10c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• carefully reading the question to avoid missing any important points (Q9a)
• using the appropriate adjectives to describe personality traits. For example, ‘rich’ is not an adjective for describing one’s personality (Q9b)
• justifying ideas with relevant reference to the texts (Q10c)
• answering questions concisely instead of translating all information from the texts.

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:

• use connectors to sequence ideas, for example, 首先、此外、最后
• use their own creative ideas to support their decision, for example, ‘我想成为作家，所以我想加入读书会’
• address the main points mentioned in the texts
• respond to all the main points coherently, for example, ‘在视频会，我可以……; 在读书会，我可以……; 但我更喜欢……, 因为……’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using conjunctions such as 虽然……但是…… to express ideas clearly
• addressing advantages and disadvantages of joining these two clubs
• choosing one club to join and making the decision very clear.

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:

• use the correct format of a message
• use a variety of sophisticated expressions, for example, 为你感到骄傲、梦想成真、多才多艺、忙得不可开交
• use conjunctions effectively such as 不但…而且、如果…就.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding this message should be written in the past tense ‘我刚在网上看到你……’， not the future tense ‘你下周会……’
• ensuring that the context is provided, for example, ‘我看到你在脸书上发的你获奖的照片……’
• 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
• proofread and edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• include an introduction, three good paragraphs, and a conclusion
• use descriptive expressions, for example,‘耳边会听到鸟儿在唱歌，风吹树叶落到地上’
• use language techniques such as ‘鸟儿总是像早上的闹钟吵醒他们’
• use the conjunctions to convey more complex ideas, for example, ‘虽然乡下的环境和风景比城市的更美丽，但是我就觉得太无聊’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding confusion of the expressions of times, such as ‘我下个月去了农村住了两个星期， 所以上年我和我的朋友一起去了农村’
• addressing the requirements of the question and including evaluations and/or reflections rather than only providing a description
• paying attention to Chinese syntax, for example, 城镇的人都互相支持, not ‘城镇的人都支持互相’
• effectively using conjunctions and connectives to sequence ideas.