French Beginners 2016 HSC exam pack

Characteristics of better responses:

• a variety of tenses to refer to present, future and past events was used
• language features such as adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, comparatives and negative structures were manipulated to express ideas and opinions across a range of topics
• a variety of vocabulary and expressions were used to engage authentically with the conversation
• ideas were expressed at a natural pace and with accurate pronunciation.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• tenses were not successfully manipulated and the past and the future were often confused
• basic grammatical structures were lacking such as possessives, verbs, pronouns, connectives, modal verbs and adjectives, often resulting in incomplete sentences
• responses were hesitant and short or irrelevant which made conversation difficult
• common words were poorly pronounced and this often impeded communication
• basic vocabulary and repetitive expressions were used.

Questions 1–7

Characteristics of better responses:

• a holistic understanding of the text was demonstrated
• numbers, spelling, price and time were identified
• an understanding of the text was demonstrated and included detail and interpretation of information
• an understanding of challenging vocabulary and expressions including tempête, Tu es pénible, les romans historiques was evident.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• phone numbers, price and spelling of the surname were not fully identified
• some words were identified but ideas were not linked to form solid responses
• appropriate detail was limited, particularly in Questions 5 and 7
• adverbs of time such as ce soir and hier soir were not recognised which would have aided in identifying difference between the past and present tenses.

Questions 8–10

Characteristics of better responses:

• the ability to listen critically to each text in its totality was demonstrated
• information in the text was interpreted and meaning inferred
• a deep understanding in the development of responses was evident.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• specific details to justify responses were not provided
• differentiation between the present and future tense was limited
• the meaning of some words was confused: comme eux for commerce, professeur for professor, petit déjeuner for little lunch, le journal for diary and not newspaper, gratuit for graduate or grateful
• copine in the singular feminine was misunderstood.

Question 11

Characteristics of better responses:

• the purpose of the message was clearly understood
• all relevant detail of the message was provided.

Characteristics of weaker responses

• poor translation of patinage (de glace) and concours was evident
• À huit heures was incorrectly translated as for eight hours.

Question 12

Characteristics of better responses:

• a holistic understanding of the text was demonstrated
• reasons why health experts thought the event was important were provided.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• some words/phrases were poorly translated including legumes, à cause de.., la lutte contre cancer, la popularité de végetarianisme
• background or general knowledge about healthy eating/diet were used rather than specific details from the text.

Question 13

Characteristics of better responses:

• a cohesive response that addressed each part of the question was provided.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• some key words and phrases eg hâte, ne marche pa, were poorly translated
• key phrases used in the descriptions were not linked eg..: il fait beau – it was a beautiful place rather than it was beautiful weather, l’auberge de jeunesse est confortable – she felt comfortable rather than the youth hostel was comfortable.

Question 14

Characteristics of better responses:

• tenses were correctly identified and reflected a deeper understanding of Pascal’s situation
• linguistic structures such as negatives like ne personne were interpreted accurately
• the ability to move beyond a translation to give a concise summary by identifying and incorporating only relevant information was demonstrated.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• incorrect meaning was drawn from English cognates
• a dictionary meaning, which did not consider context, was used
• detail was lacking.

Question 15

Characteristics of better responses:

• English expressions, such as; whilst, whereas, on the other hand to, were used to construct a comprehensive comparison
• the text was analysed to develop a cohesive and well supported point of view
• specific details to support the response were provided.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• relevant details were extracted without demonstrating a comparison
• words, such as devoirs and notes were misinterpreted and this impeded the ability to explain
• appropriate detail and justification was lacking.

Question 16 –17

Characteristics of better responses:

• a range of language structures was correctly used
• all aspects of the questions were addressed through relevant elaboration and inclusion of appropriate detail
• correct format and consistent use of register and tenses was used.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• poor verb conjugation and inconsistent use of tenses were evident
• responses did not address all parts of the question, omitted key details and/or were below the word limit
• the format required was not used
• indiscriminate use of English syntax and of dictionaries led to ambiguity.

Questions 18–19

Characteristics of better responses:

• a well-structured narrative, which linked relevant ideas and information to the question was provided
• a variety of vocabulary, tenses and language features were used
• use of text-type, register and syntax were appropriate
• a clear explanation of what they were going to do with their French visitor in the winter holidays was provided (Q18)
• a clear expression of the desire to organise a party to farewell their best friend before she/he travelled overseas and details as to what will happen were provided (Q19).

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• irrelevant details and comments were provided and ideas were not presented in a coherent manner
• a basic understanding of vocabulary, tenses and language features was demonstrated
• responses were often under the word limit with literal translations and Anglicism
• the dictionary was not used successfully, resulting in wrong word choices
• there was no reference to winter and/or it was not explicit as to what they were going to do with their French visitor (Q18)
• there was no reference to organising a farewell party for their best friends and/or limited details were provided (Q19).