Croatian Continuers 2023 HSC exam pack (archive)

Section 1 – Listening and Responding

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:

• explain the benefits of Dragec’s donation to the children. For example, by playing with the handmade toys, children develop creativity, imagination and understanding of their cultural heritage (Q2b)
• explain how the speaker uses language features to show persuasion. For example, rhetorical questions such as ‘Doesn’t that sound phenomenal?’  (Q3)
• show how Gabrijel expressed his enthusiasm. For example, korisiti retoričko pitanje, Tko nebi htio biti dio njihove povijesti? S time iskazuje svoje oduševljenje (Q6).

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding the recounting of information when the question asks how the speaker attempts to persuade (Q3)
• avoiding long unpunctuated sentences and paragraphs
• knowing the months of the year and how to spell these correctly.

Section 2 – Reading and Responding – 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 justify
• 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 tone as admiration/awe/praise (Q7a)
• refer to the volunteers’ identified characteristics as selfless, passionate people who give up their time to save lives. For example, they spend endless hours helping the community and looking after their wellbeing (Q7b)
• explain the type of people who would likely participate in the event. For example, people who are adventurous, have skills in endurance, not afraid of the danger in doing some of the activities (Q8)
• refer to the text to substantiate their ideas, For example, brave people who thrive on adventure and winning, people who love the outdoors and have skills in erecting tents (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• practising listening to the way speakers uses their voice to pick up tone (Q7a)
• reading the question carefully to avoid retelling large sections of information without addressing the key elements of the question
• providing an explanation of why being a Sea Rescue volunteer is a calling and not a job (Q7b)
• referring to the text to justify their response.

Section 2 – Reading and Responding – Part B

Question 9

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
• plan effectively to organise their thoughts, paying attention to purpose, audience, context and the type of text required in question
• edit their work to ensure clarity of the response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• refer to both texts. For example, kao što si spomenula, u emajlu, tako da ću te uzeti za riječ
• provide a definite response as to whether Tonka would join Tea in attending the holiday camp and workshop such as ne zanima me, baš bi bilo dobro
• refer to the suitability of the workshops offered. For example, znaš da mi je zlo kad pomislim na matematiku, znaš da volim glumu, nema šance, da ti budem iskrena.

Areas for students to improve include:

• responding to all elements in the stimulus texts
• using appropriate vocabulary suitable to the topic of the text
• avoiding the repetition of the same words or phrases, for example, vrlo sretna, sretna
• using the range of complex sentence structures in Croatian grammar
• providing relevant information to the content of the text in response.

Section 3 – Writing in Croatian

Students should:

• read the question carefully and address all parts of the question
• plan their response to ensure a clear structure and sequence their response logically for maximum effect
• use the appropriate register and conventions of the type of text required
• use the conventions of the style of writing required by the question
• use language appropriate for the context, purpose and audience of the question
• support their ideas and opinions with appropriate examples
• 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
• use the dictionary effectively by selecting vocabulary to suit the context
• proofread and edit their work
• adhere to the suggested word length.

In better responses, students were able to:

• maintain the conventions of a speech throughout the response (Q10)
• engage the audience from the start. For example, zamislite da hodate po bijelom pijesku, pored blistave plaže (Q10)
• use language that would entice the audience to think about travelling to experience new things in Croatia. Use a range language features including similes pijesak je mekan kao da hodate po deci, osjećali bi se da ste u bajci; rhetorical questions such as Jeste li vi jedan od njih?; personification such as dragi kamen skriven u pustinji; effective use of superlatives such as najčišći zrak, najljepša zemlja na svijetu; and appropriate adjectives such as bogat, mekan, jedinstvene, bjelom.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using a variety of vocabulary appropriate to the topic of the question
• avoiding the repetition of the same, simple words throughout the response
• using a range of language features such as similes, metaphors, descriptive words, phrases, sentences and expressions
• supporting the stance taken in the speech with relevant examples and elaboration (Q10).