French Continuers 2025 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• be prepared to communicate about 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
• use a range of vocabulary, expressions and language structures to respond appropriately to the questions
• provide information, express ideas and comment on their personal world
• be prepared to respond to questions from a different perspective
• be prepared to respond to questions that relate to past, present and future aspects of their personal world
• manipulate language to fulfil the requirements of the question
• be prepared to be interrupted by the examiner
• use French to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• speak clearly with appropriate syntax, register and intonation
• answer the questions with minimal hesitation, allowing the conversation to flow at a good pace
• communicate feelings, provide opinions and justify their responses
• respond in full sentences, using compound and complex sentences
• use tenses accurately as required by the question
• use idiomatic expressions appropriately.

Areas for students to improve include:

• conjugating verbs with a range of subject pronouns and tenses, for example, moi et ma famille, nous faisons... not ma et ma famille font ...
• using past participle versus present participle adjectives, for example, stressé versus stressant, énervé versus énervant, fatigué versus fatigant
• selecting appropriate vocabulary and avoiding false cognates, for example, actuellement, supporter.

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 onto 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:

• identify the reflexive verb s'entendre bien avec as ‘to get along well with’ (Q1)
• distinguish between adjective meilleur and adverb mieux (Q1)
• identify specific vocabulary such as une colle as a detention (Q2), manquer à as missing someone (Q3), étouffer as suffocate, dressage de chiens as dog training (Q7) and ascenseur émotionnel as emotional rollercoaster (Q8)
• distinguish between similar sounding words such as la ville and la vie (Q3)
• recognise initial vocabulary, for example, taking the exclamation j’ai de la chance into consideration when evaluating Pierre is, in fact, not a good friend (Q5)
• demonstrate understanding by providing the context in their answers, for example, that Pierre did not help Nathalie plan or prepare for her party, and instead, he chose to go to a football match (Q5)
• distinguish between discuter (to discuss) and disputer (to argue) (Q5)
• evaluate the plan with a judgement based on the evidence, rather than from Colette's point of view (Q7)
• identify the key word in the question and respond appropriately, for example, ‘evaluate’ (Q7) and ‘explain’ (Q8)
• demonstrate understanding of negative structures, for example, ne...que (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• proofreading their answers to check they make sense
• paraphrasing evidence in English
• providing the main points without extraneous detail (Q4)
• knowing high frequency verbs such as préparer and organiser (Q5)
• applying context to use the dictionary effectively, for example, d'eau and dos sound the same but can be distinguished through context, toujours nerveuse means still nervous, rather than always nervous (Q8).

Students should:

• read the title, the questions and the whole text before responding
• use only the lines or space beneath the question for their 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
• use the dictionary appropriately.

In better responses, students were able to:

• apply their understanding of vocabulary related to social media to explain who Eléonore Tarre is and what she does, for example, influenceuse, compte, viral (Q9a)
• explain that La Vie Parisienne was an online account
• identify both key purposes clearly (Q10a)
• provide the main points without extraneous detail, for example, a sleepout with activities (Q10c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding that French homophones can sometimes be distinguished by their gender, for example, le mode and la mode (Q9b)
• taking context into account when translating, for example, d’un coup, tout a changé where d'un coup was mistranslated as ‘in one blow’ (Q9c)
• interpreting false cognates, for example, gamme de jeux was misinterpreted as video games (Q10c)
• matching language techniques with relevant examples from the text (Q10d)
• paraphrasing/translating quotes into English (Q10d).

Students should:

• read the whole text to respond fully to the question
• plan effectively to organise their thoughts, paying attention to context, purpose and audience, and to the type of text required by the question
• 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 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 the 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:

• respond creatively to all points mentioned, including that Max's parents let him do what he wants and that Camille's friends all have their ears pierced
• add depth to their response by offering opinions and advice to both Camille and Max about their individual situations
• organise their response clearly and logically.

Areas for students to improve include:

• manipulating language and vocabulary without copying expressions such as l’uniforme nous transforme en copies conformes from the text
• using the conditional mood to give advice, for example, tu devrais porter, tu pourrais t’exprimer
• checking verb conjugations and the use of tenses, including the imperfect and the subjunctive
• checking the gender of nouns, for example, un uniforme, une conversation
• using indirect and direct object pronouns, for example, tu pourrais les convaincre, tu devrais les écouter, tu pourrais leur demander.

Question 12

Students should:

• read the question carefully and address all parts of the question
• use the appropriate register and conventions of the type of text
• 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 count
• proofread and edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• address one grandparent using the familiar tu
• reference the correct time for the concert
• use vocabulary appropriately for the context and purpose, for example, un billet, la scène
• manipulate a variety of tenses effectively, including the past infinitive, for example, je te remercie de m’avoir acheté un billet
• develop their responses with a degree of creativity
• use language authentically and employ idioms where appropriate, for example, je n’arrive pas à croire..., je suis aux anges.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the gender of common nouns correctly, for example, le concert, le weekend, la musique
• using vocabulary appropriate to the context, for example, un groupe de musique rather than une bande
• avoiding Anglicisms and literal translations, for example, j’ai hâte d’y aller, rather than je ne peux pas attendre voir le concert
• manipulating tenses accurately, particularly le passé composé and the past infinitive.

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
• 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 count
• proofread and edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• give an extended recount of the work experience while also evaluating it (Q13a)
• explain clearly and provide specific reasons why it was important for them to attend the session at university (Q13b)
• provide an explanation for a change to the work schedule. That is, offer a solution for their absence at work (Q13b)
• use the passé composé and imparfait accurately, and the future and conditional.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on two or three ideas and developing them, rather than just listing activities
• staying on topic without providing irrelevant information.