German Beginners 2020 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• be prepared to communicate about a variety of topics relating to their personal world
• answer the question asked rather than presenting pre-prepared responses
• 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
• avoid the repetition of the same vocabulary, phrases and expressions
• manipulate the language to fulfil the requirements of the question
• be prepared to be interrupted by the examiner
• use German to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• manipulate the language well to respond appropriately to the question asked
• use complete sentences with correct verb endings, matching the subject
• provide extended responses using subordinate clauses and conjunctions with correct word order, in particular, weil clauses
• use tenses correctly, for example, using sein and haben as auxiliaries with correct past participles and the simple past tense of the verb sein
• use correct tenses in line with the intent of the question
• develop accurate responses in the future tense, using werden, möchten or a time phrase
• demonstrate a good understanding of many grammatical points including case endings, adjectival endings, verb conjugation in the third person both singular and plural, subject verb inversion, and use of modal verbs
• use correct word order
• have an awareness of prepositions
• use good pronunciation and intonation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• responding in full sentences or complete phrases rather than giving single word responses
• elaborating and giving detailed information and/or examples to add depth to their responses using a variety of tenses, especially the perfect tense with haben and sein
• using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures
• revising the questioning words wo, wann, wie, warum and especially wer so they are able to respond appropriately
• applying correct conjugation rules to verbs
• using correct pronunciation especially for the cognates, such as Englisch, Deutsch, Universität, Basketball
• using a variety of adjectives to avoid the overuse of one item of vocabulary or repetition of expressions
• using modal verbs with an infinitive and correct word order
• responding with the correct subject-verb form required by the question, especially with regards to pronouns
• avoiding only responding in the first person
• learning the correct pronunciation of kochen, Kuchen and Küche
• revising the difference between Hausaufgaben and Hausarbeit
• revising the basic questions about names and ages
• knowing the verbs gefallen, gewinnen, verlieren and füttern
• knowing the syllabus vocab suchas Beruf & Zukunft
• revising the construction of the expressions mit jemandem gut auskommen  and  sich mit jemandem gut verstehen.

Students should:

• read each question very carefully
• 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 provided for each question
• use the lines provided as a guide to the length of the response required
• ensure their responses are clear and address all parts of the question
• use their own words and respond in English.

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide all the necessary textual evidence to support their response
• choose only one response to multiple choice questions
• demonstrate understanding of sophisticated  expressions or vocabulary, for example, Aufsatz (Q1), ausser, geht das? (Q2), raus aus dem Haus, Gegenteil (Q3) Roman, vorzustellen (Q4), ausserdem (Q6), weitermachen, Möglichkeiten, ausserhalb (Q7), Parkplatz (Q8), erfolgreich (Q9)
• demonstrate understanding of complex grammar, for example, the imperfect and the genitive case ein alter Schüler unserer Schule (Q3)
• choose only one response to multiple choice questions (Q6, Q9)
• understand the German pronunciation of the German alphabet, in particular the letters ‘e’ and ‘i’ to spell Peter’s surname correctly as FRIEDEMANN (Q7)
• summarise succinctly without giving a translation as part of their response (Q8)
• link the information in the texts to indicate global understanding
• provide an opinion or conclusion based on the information in the text
• avoid relying purely on translating the text, instead using interpretation skills
• use correct spelling.

Areas for students to improve include:

• transferring notes from the Candidates Notes column into their responses
• reading the questions carefully and providing all the information required to answer the question fully
• giving an opinion if the questions asks for one
• writing clear and concise responses
• ensuring that their English response makes sense
• avoiding repetition of the same information within the response.

Students should:

• read the whole text(s)
• address all parts of each question
• use the lines, table, chart etcetera allocated for the response
• provide all necessary details to respond to the question fully
• support their responses with evidence from the text where required
• use their own words rather than giving a literal translation
• use their dictionary appropriately to find the correct meaning of the word(s) in context.

In better responses, students were able to:

• understand and interpret vocabulary correctly to assist in providing detailed responses, including Aufsatz, inzwischen, weitermachen (Q11), Vorschlag, Streit, gewandert (Q12), keine Ahnung, unangenehm, erwarten, peinlich,traurig (Q13), Dorf, Entscheidung, jeder/jeden, Möglichkeit (Q14), höchstens, Schaffner (Q15)
• link their response to specific evidence from the two diary entries preceding and the diary following the missing page (Q13)
• interpret tenses correctly, including the subjunctive
• interpret the cases correctly, including the genitive
• make connections within the text to provide opinion and justify them with details from the text.

Areas for students to improve include:

• looking beyond the first meaning of a word in the dictionary
• writing clear sentences and checking that their English makes sense
• attempting all questions and sections of each question
• identifying key points or gist first, then looking up the vocabulary that is hindering their complete understanding
• ensuring they have answered the why or to what extent component of the question
• summarising information succinctly if the question asks for a summary.

Students should:

• write to the word length required
• address audience, purpose and context required by the question
• apply the conventions of the type of text indicated in the question
• use correct register throughout the response
• use a range of tenses, sentence structures and a variety of vocabulary
• avoid repeating the same expressions throughout the response
• use the dictionary carefully to access vocabulary and expressions that are meaningful in the context of their response
• avoid listing
• edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly use conjunctions and subordinate clauses to make longer sentences
• make their text engaging by using a good variety of vocabulary and including some authentic German words or phrases, for example, je……desto, bummeln, Oma/Opa
• manipulate the language to suit the requirements of the task, for example, explaining their choice
• use correct tenses, including perfect and imperfect tenses, and vary the tenses appropriately
• use modal verbs correctly
• use the verb werden correctly
• understand the difference between Uhr and Stunde.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding repetition of words or phrases
• using a greater variety of tenses, vocabulary and structures
• writing to the required word length
• using their dictionary more effectively
• planning and sequencing the information in their responses
• avoiding use of English syntax and English words
• using third person and plural prepositions with the correct verb conjugation
• avoiding short phrases and aiming to use conjunctions or subordinate clauses.