German Beginners 2018 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• speak effectively by providing relevant information, good comments and opinions on a variety of topics
• use intonation and idiomatic language to make the conversation sound authentic and engaging
• pronounce German correctly and articulate clearly
• display their knowledge of the German language by using a wide variety of vocabulary and structures
• aim to offer as much information as possible to every question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide extended responses using subordinate clauses and conjunctions with correct word order
• use various tenses correctly; perfect tense using ‘sein’ and ‘haben’ as auxiliaries with correct past participles
• demonstrate a good understanding of many grammatical points including cases, adjectival endings, verb conjugation in the third person and plural, subject verb inversion and use of modal verbs
• respond to unrehearsed questions by applying their knowledge of the German language
• manipulate the language well.

Areas for students to improve include:

• being able to create a sentence, or at minimum, a phrase rather than reverting to single word responses
• using a variety of tenses especially the perfect tense with ‘haben’ and ‘sein’use a variety of vocabulary and structures
• knowing the questioning words ‘wo, wer, wie, wann’ etcetera so they are able to respond appropriately
• conjugating verbs correctly
• using correct German pronunciation especially for the words: ‘Englisch, Universität, joggen, Deutsch’
• using intonation to make the conversation more natural and engaging
• using more than the first person in responses
• learning the correct use and pronunciation of ‘kochen, Küche and Kuchen’.

Students should:

• make notes in the candidates’ column
• transcribe their response on to the space provided for each question
• ensure their responses are clear and address all parts of the question
• use the lines provided as a guide to the length of the response required.

In better responses, students were able to: 

• identify and provide all the details required to answer the question
• summarise appropriately when the question asked for a summary
• demonstrate understanding of sophisticated and specific vocabulary, such as: nächstes Jahr, Hundefutter, einen Witz erzählt, mähe ihren Rasen, nur Gutes, niemand kennt es, wurde, wird, unbekannt
• support their response with appropriate reference to the texts
• use their own words to express an opinion.

Areas for students to improve include:

• transferring notes from the Candidates Notes column into the space provided for the question
• reading the questions carefully and providing all the information required to answer the question
• ensuring their responses in English are clear and make sense.

Students should:

• address all the requirements of the questions
• provide all necessary details to respond to the question fully
• justify their responses with evidence from the text
• use their dictionary appropriately.

In better responses, students were able to:

• understand and interpret vocabulary correctly to provide appropriate responses to questions, such as, “Deutsch als Fremdsprache, neidisch, Ausnahme, sich verliebten,sie kommen aus Länder, die im Konflikt liegen, ein Vorteil, die See, der See, 50iger”
• support opinions and points of view by referring to the texts and using their own words
• respond focusing on the key word or words of the question, for example: explain, to what extent.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the dictionary to find the correct meaning of the word or words in context
• editing their responses to ensure that meaning is clear
• attempting all questions and sections of the examination
• identifying the key points of the question and the main ideas in the text.

Students should:

• write to the word length required
• use a range of tenses
• use correct verb conjugation and adjective endings
• use modal and separable verbs
• use correct sentence structures and aim to use complex structures
• display a variety of grammatical structures
• write complex and compound sentences using subordinate clauses and appropriate conjunctions
• use a range of subject pronouns
• avoid listing.

In better responses, students were able to:

• use the perfect and imperfect tenses correctly
• use conjunctions and subordinate clauses effectively
• make their text engaging by using a variety of vocabulary and including some authentic German words or phrases, for example, “es war todlangweilig”
• express and support an opinion or point of view
• use a range of tenses for the context
• use a variety of structures to link and sequence ideas
• include a variety of grammatical structures.

Areas for students to improve include:

• planning and sequencing their responses.
• using a variety of vocabulary and avoiding repeating the same words
• using a range of grammar structures and tenses
• writing to the required word length
• avoiding using English in their response
• using their dictionary appropriately to find the correct word or phrase for the context.