Indonesian Beginners 2023 HSC exam pack

Conversation

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
• 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 Indonesian to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to: 

• use a wide range of language accurately and authentically
• provide clear responses to questions with minimal hesitation
• provide relevant answers to unexpected questions rather than giving a rehearsed answer
• respond appropriately with correct pronunciation and intonation, and ensuring the stress is in the correct position within the word, particularly with the words karena, kadang-kadang, perpustakaan, kesehatan, lapangan
• demonstrate a consistent knowledge across topics by responding in detail to follow-up questions
• demonstrate a good understanding of various grammatical points including affixation, for example, boasn/membosankan
• develop ideas by using connectives, adverbs of frequency and contrasting connectors, for example, sebaiknya, walaupun, supaya, selain itu, serta, sering, paling, baik X maupun Y
• respond to more abstract and less predictable questions such as Anda menerima kebanykana PR dari mata pelajaran yang mana? Mengapa Anda cocok menjadi <occupation>? Menurut guru, apakah Anda siswa ideal?

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the full range of question words, for example, Apakah …?, yang mana? Berapa lama…? Mengapa…? Bagaimana ….?
• avoiding overly-prepared responses which limits the capacity to ‘communicate by exchanging information’ as it becomes too much like a monologue
• avoiding the over-rehearsing of responses as intonation begins sounding artificial and does not enhance communication
• understanding the meaning of vocabulary items with similar sounds, for example, belajar/belanja, asli/asil, terbaik/tertarik
• consistently applying Indonesian syntax (noun+adjective), for example, guru favorit, aktor terbaik.

Students should:

• read each question 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:

• directly address the intentions of the question through a considered and structured response incorporating appropriate detail from the text.
• avoid creating responses based on the identification of simple English cognates
• use the dictionary appropriately to support their engagement with relevant vocabulary within the text
• make effective use of the Candidate’s Notes column to support their engagement with the text.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding of vocabulary, for example, expressing good/not good at an activity (kurang pandai + verb), understanding times of day/meals based on greetings (pagi,siang,malam), occupations (tukang + noun; perawat, pelatih olahraga), time (setengah)
• identifying the information required of the question then applying relevant details to support the judgement/conclusion. For example, identifying the occupation first then applying details to support the judgement as to appropriateness of occupation.

Students should:

• read the whole text(s)
• address all parts of each question
• use the lines, table and chart 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:

• address the key words in the question and use relevant details to support judgements/conclusions
• provide balanced and comprehensive responses that addressed the whole text using conjunctions such as, although, however, to structure their arguments
• avoid translating the entire text, instead using the question intentions to guide their engagement with the text.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding quotes in Indonesian when using detail from the text as evidence of understanding of the text is through the inclusion of relevant detail in English
• identifying base words to support dictionary usage
• providing a succinct summary without adding dot points or the use of excessive detail.

Students should:

• write to the word length required
• address the context, purpose and audience required by the question
• apply the conventions of the type of text indicated in the question
• use correct register consistently 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:

• compose a relevant response that directly addressed the purpose of the question with appropriate vocabulary and register, that is, write a message/email
• structure responses logically and coherently through the use of sentence starters and conjunctions such as, Yang pertama, selain itu, walaupun, sedangkan, pada pertama.
• use a variety of language structures to add depth and demonstrate their engagement with Indonesian for example, baik…maupun…, lebih… daripada…, object-focus construction
• plan their responses using the PACT method, that is, ‘Purpose, Audience, Content/Context, Text type’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding vague responses that do not address the intentions of the question or simply use prepared speaking responses. For example, specific details of the party should be given (Q16) and more persuasive language should be employed to convince your cousin to study Indonesian (Q17), and the response should be constructed around one specific interesting experience (Q19)
• using the dictionary appropriately and not to translate every word resulting in the application of English syntax and frequent affixation issues
• understanding the acronyms in the dictionary, for example, lih. – lihat (see).