French Continuers 2019 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• be prepared to talk about 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:

• communicate naturally and engage with the question, providing opinions and justifications
• manipulate language with a high level of grammatical accuracy
• understand questions and provide relevant and extended answers
• communicate with good intonation and pronunciation
• maintain effective communication steadily for the duration of the conversation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring accurate verb conjugation when describing events in the past, present and future
• using a wide variety of vocabulary to avoid repetition of common basic words
• avoiding anglicisms
• using the correct word order, in particular adjective and adverb position
• using direct and indirect pronouns.

Students should:

• make notes in the Candidate’s Notes column on the right-hand side of the page
• transcribe their response on to the lines using the space allocated beneath the question
• read the question carefully and respond to all parts of the question
• support their answers logically with relevant evidence from the text
• use the allocated lines as an indication of the required length of the response
• support their responses with reference to relevant content and language, using in their own words
• avoid translating the text as part of their response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• address the key words of the question in their response, for example ‘why’ (Q1), ‘explain why’ (Q5, Q8), ‘how’ (Q7)
• refer to language devices and their effects in various texts, for example the use of gentle persuasion (Q7)
• provide evidence from the text using their own words in English
• identify Julien’s mother’s reasons for her point of view, the strategies Julien used to change her mind, and in what way her view had changed by the end of the conversation (Q7)
• identify language techniques employed in the text, and support their response with evidence from the text using their own words in English (Q7)
• identify the key features of Amélie’s experience which were remarkable, together with a clear explanation of why each feature was inspirational (Q8).

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
• explain quotes in English and their significance in the relevant context rather than just translating them, or paraphrasing the quotes
• 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:

• use their dictionary effectively to check the meaning of words, paying particular attention to false cognates, for example, histoire (Q9)
• explain the idiom Son cœur bat la chamade and its significance in the text (Q9b)
• articulate clearly that Aurélien’s emotions changed from being anxious/fearful to astounded, then furious/angry and finally feeling the emotion of relief (Q9d)
• provide evidence of the importance of gardening as a form of relaxation and a way to de-stress and counteract the negative effects of city life (Q10d)
• refer to the content to show the benefits of gardening in various areas of modern society, for example school, charitable organisations and old age facilities (Q10d).

 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:

• give a reason why Dominique has not been in touch with his grandparents for a while
• refer to what had happened the previous year concerning sport
• provide information about the mother’s reaction and the father’s ideas to which the grandmother is referring
• refer to the grandmother’s suggestions concerning Dominique’s next stay with his grandparents
• comment on the grandmother’s desire to support her grandchild’s plans.

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
• avoid anglicisms
• 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:

• use the language of evaluation to support or reject the idea of ‘having one day per week without meat of fish’ (Q13a)
• support their argument for or against ‘having one day per week without meat of fish’ with examples
• use the language of persuasion to convince the audience to support the school improvements that are being proposed (Q13b)
• the appropriate conventions for giving a speech
• use language that is appropriate for the audience of a school assembly
• propose more than one well-developed proposals for school improvements (Q13b).