German Continuers 2022 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• be prepared to communicate on 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
• express ideas and opinions that justify their point of view by providing depth and insight in their responses rather than only giving short pre-prepared responses
• 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
• use Wie bitte/Wiederholen Sie bitte to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• engage with all questions and elaborate confidently
• demonstrate a wide repertoire of vocabulary, for example, Herausforderung(en), Schwierigkeit(en), einerseits … andererseits, trotzdem…
• show mastery of a variety of language structures and correct use of present, perfect and future tenses, subordinate clauses, for example, wenn, weil, obwohl, dass., use of conditional würde and hypothetical, such as, Wenn ich die Gelegenheit und genügend Zeit dafür hätte
• deliver a mixture of pre-prepared and off-script material that sounded natural
• use authentic pronunciation and intonation
• reply to questions using natürlich, bestimmt, leider nicht, eigentlich schon/nicht, leider ist das nicht der Fall, das würde ich gerne tun, aber, before replying in more depth.

Areas for students to improve include:

• being prepared to speak in depth about their given answers
• thinking carefully in preparation for this examination about what they would say to possible questions across the topic areas
• revising the correct use of past tense, especially verbs taking the auxiliary sein
• being sure to use the full range of grammatical structures available, especially tense, correct case and word order
• avoiding simple adjectives such as, gut, cool and especially geil
• knowing when to use gehen and fahren
• applying the correct use of the dative case with mit, von and seit, and especially the endings for plurals
• reviewing the correct use of comparative forms, such as, älter, traditionneller, unabhängiger
• avoiding the use of the definitive article for professions, such as, ich will Arzt werden
• differentiating between Glück haben and glücklich sein/sich interessieren für and ein Interesse haben an/gestresst and stressig
• knowing that meine Familie is singular.

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 on to 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:

• provide all the necessary textual evidence to support their response, and not add extra (incorrect) information
• respond succinctly within the allocated space while including all necessary details
• complete a table using dot points, not sentences (Q3)
• summarise using dot points, concepts rather than details and justification (Q7)
• use adjectives to describe character traits or feelings and link evidence to those adjectives (Q4, Q6)
• comment on the unexpectedly different social dynamic, the separation of the boys and girls, and compare it to Anja’s life in Germany (Q6)
• pay attention to the key words in the question, for example, ‘summarise’
• give both sides of the justification when saying ‘somewhat successful’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the Candidate’s Notes section effectively
• using their dictionary effectively, for example, Bienen was said three times (Q8) and was key to understanding but students did not refer to dictionaries for the meaning even if they wrote it in the Candidate's Notes column
• cross-checking their understanding of expressions in the dictionary
• ensuring that their responses are succinct and do not include extra information that is not required to answer the question
• proofreading their responses so that they are logical, plausible and not contradictory
• improving on vocabulary words that caused students difficulty:  Behälter (container), vierten Stock (not fünften), Wohnung (apartment), Wohnwagen (caravan), Jugendherberge (youth hostel), confused with Berge (mountains) komisch (funny/strange, not funny looking or funny/comical in this context) (Q6), Dosen (tins/cans), Unterstützung (support), marschieren (to march), Werkzeug (tool), Vorväter (forefathers) (Q7), Bienen (bees), Gemeinde (community/area), bewundern (to admire), einführen (to introduce), erzählen (to tell), wachsen (to grow), (gigantic), Begeisterung (enthusiasm), Hinterhöfe (backyards), Unkraut (weeds), Pausenbrot (recess food, not bread) (Q8) and the difference between Freund (male friend, boyfriend), Freunde (friends, male friends), Freundin (female friend, girlfriend), Freundinnen (female friends) (Q6).

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
• 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:

• show that they understood that in (Q9) Joachim returned to Germany after many years in Australia, and although he enjoyed the new Hannover, his German language skills had declined
• show understanding that Joachim’s childhood exposure to music led to his participation in the orchestra in Australia, but also was a comfort in difficult times (Q9b)
• demonstrate understanding that Joachim was impressed by the new Hannover’s openness to foreigners and new things, which meant understanding a dative construction using gegenüber (Q9c)
• recognise that the teasing in Australia was a challenge, as were the Australian pastimes like cricket and the beach, in addition to the heat (Q9d)
• show care when writing about statistics, for example, where 10% of the young people interviewed did not keep their New Years’ resolutions longer than a month (Q10)
• show that they understood Birgit’s personality traits and clearly linked them to the text, either by content or language (Q10c)
• compare Horst’s and Silke’s experience, not just simply translate the text (Q10d)
• translate the German comment or clearly infer its meaning, linking their response to the comment (Q10d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• translating all German quotes into English
• using the dictionary wisely
• understanding vocabulary: schätzen, Unvertrauten, spüren, die Bedienung wohler, gegenüber, mitgehalten, lebendig, keinen Sinn, scheitern, durchsetzen, Fortbildungskurs.

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
• plan effectively to organise their thoughts, paying attention to purpose, audience, context and the type of text required in question
• edit their work to ensure clarity of the response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an excellent understanding of the whole text by addressing the key points in depth. These were:
  • disappointment regarding the poor grades
  • worries regarding the parents’ reaction to the poor grades
  • Kris’ passion for nature and not giving up on their dreams (despite the poor grades)
  • the career advisor’s suggestion to do a gap year and to work at a nature park or a zoo
  • that this experience could contribute to future university entry
  • that this experience could help Kris clarify what his future interests may be
  • Kris’ worries regarding his parents’ reaction towards his change of plans (the gap year rather than study)
  • reference made to a suggested meeting with the career advisor with or without parents to discuss Kris’ future.
• structure a cohesive response incorporating the key points creatively
• manipulate language accurately and include a broader repertoire of vocabulary and expression and a wide range of grammatical structures
• make the response plausible by employing authentic language and expression.

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading the (English) instruction carefully to ensure that they write to the appropriate audience
• being explicit in the treatment of each point rather than only repeating the key words and phrases from the source text
• paying attention to lexical accuracy, specifically Es hört sich gut an (not ‘aus’), es klingt gut, Sie hat vorgeschlagen (not vorgeschlagt or vorschlagen), ich habe Angst vor (not ‘auf’) der Reaktion meiner Eltern
• attending to verb conjugation, correct tenses and pronoun cases. For example: Sie hat mir eine Email geschickt (not ‘mich’)
• ensuring capitalisation of nouns and punctuation
• using lower case of ich when not at the start of the sentence.

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
• proofread and edit work
• adhere to the suggested word length.

In better responses, students were able to:

• compose a creative and largely cohesive text in the correct text type (message)
• accurately describe the chosen souvenir and explain why the item has a special significance for them
• use a range of expressions and structures
• manipulate language with high accuracy
• use vocabulary creatively and authentically to express their ideas.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring that the text is relevant to the actual question
• planning the response for a clear sequence
• ensuring that both the text type (message to a friend) and the description of the item are clearly stated.

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
• proofread and edit their work
• adhere to the suggested word length.

In better responses, students were able to:

• compose a text for a diary entry that provided the correct background information (your class had organised a second-hand stall at a neighbourhood market) and a genuine reflection on the experience of the day
• manipulate language authentically
• sequence and structure the response effectively
• use a wide variety of relevant vocabulary and structures creatively and authentically.

Areas for students to improve include:

• planning the response logically to meet the requirement of the task
• ensuring that the response addresses the purpose of the task, that is to reflect on the experience of organising a second-hand market stall, rather than describing the event
• avoiding the inclusion of irrelevant pre-learnt material
• avoiding listing
• avoiding anglicised syntax and structures
• choosing the appropriate translation for the context in which the term is used from the dictionary.