Japanese in Context 2022 HSC exam pack (archive)

Students should:

• choose a topic for Personal Investigation that is related to one of the issues set for study
• ensure they support their research using relevant and quality texts and sources
• discuss and substantiate a point of view effectively by providing evidence from their research
• reflect on their research findings to help them express opinions or develop new perceptions about their Personal Investigation
• reflect on their research findings to indicate how the research helped them to express opinion/change opinion or develop a new perception about the issue related to the Personal Investigation
• manipulate language to respond in a coherent and logical way to the questions asked
• use a variety of relevant vocabulary, grammar, sentence structures and expressions
• avoid responding with pre-prepared responses that do not address the question asked.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the issue chosen for the Personal Investigation
• make references to a range of texts and sources which were chosen from more than one context
• speak fluently and confidently, providing well-structured responses to questions
• respond using a high level of grammatical accuracy and sophisticated vocabulary.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating more than a superficial understanding of the chosen topic
• responding directly to the question posed rather than relying on pre-prepared responses
• making clear references to the texts studied
• linking the chosen topic to a syllabus issue
• avoiding the incorporation of colloquial language and/or unsophisticated vocabulary into their text.

Students should:

• respond in English or Japanese as required by question
• demonstrate their understanding of the issue(s) raised in the text
• include all relevant details and support their response with reference to the text
• use appropriate vocabulary, expressions and language to address the style of writing required by the question
• apply the conventions of the text type
• use appropriate register when responding in Japanese
• respond within the required word and/or character limit
• respond to the number of texts referred to in the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• summarise the benefits of participating in the workshop concisely in approximately 50 words as required (Q1)
• include all relevant details and write a reassuring letter (Q2)
• demonstrate an understanding of both texts and choose the suitable program (Q3)
• write a formal letter suggesting how to address the challenges using the appropriate level of language, including keigo (Q4)
• discuss the language and the content used in the text, and link them to and explain effectively how the writer tries to convince the reader of the writer’s view (Q5)
• identify and analyse the main issues in the blog and write an article about how parents and teachers can help young people to decide on their plans after high school (Q6)
• use appropriate vocabulary, expressions and language to address the style of writing required by the question
• use the appropriate register when responding in Japanese
• respond within the required word and/or character limit.

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading carefully and responding to questions with reference to relevant information from the texts
• using correct grammar and sentence structures
• using appropriate expressions and vocabulary
• using accurate kanji
• avoiding irrelevant/unnecessary information
• referring to both texts where necessary
• summarising the content concisely with relevant reference to the text in English
• aligning the language level used to the required text type so that it is appropriate to audience, context, and purpose
• planning the answer so that responses are structured and sequenced, show breadth and depth and address all aspects of the question
• ensuring that responses are clearly linked to the content of texts to demonstrate their understanding
• making clear reference to texts to demonstrate their ability to synthesise information and ideas addressing both content and language features in their answers where required.

Students should:

• use the conventions of the style of writing required by the question
• use language appropriate for the context, purpose and audience of the question
• use a wide variety of vocabulary, sentence structures and prescribed words and/or characters
• structure the response in a logical and coherent manner
• support their ideas and opinions with appropriate examples
• respond in Japanese as stated in the question
• use appropriate register consistently throughout response
• use vocabulary, expressions and structures that are suitably connected with the issue raised in the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• use a wide variety of vocabulary, sentence structures and suggested kanji with few grammatical errors
• include highly relevant ideas which were well-structured and sequenced
• use appropriate vocabulary and expressions to engage the audience
• provide valid examples and reasons to support ideas and opinions
• successfully state their own opinions on the topic of advantages of having a Japanese heritage in Australia (Q7)
• successfully state their own opinions on the topic of the reasons students should clean their own school in Australia (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using accurate spelling, kanji and grammar structures
• using the appropriate language register
• demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of texts by including relevant ideas and information in responses
• sequencing for a logical flow of ideas and information
• using formal language appropriately, where necessary
• successfully connecting the issue raised to their own context
• presenting some original ideas for each topic.