Modern Greek Beginners 2019 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• be prepared to talk 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
• avoid the repetition of the same vocabulary, phrases and expressions
• manipulate the language to fulfil the requirements of the question
• respond using the correct tense required in the context of the question
• be prepared to be interrupted by the examiner.

In better responses, students were able to:

• speak on a range of topics on their personal world
• provide relevant information and ideas
• express an opinion and/or comment and provide depth and elaboration in their responses
• use a range of structures and vocabulary relevant to the questions asked
• manipulate grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure to suit the context of the question
• respond to the questions using correct tenses.

Areas for students to improve include:

• revising vocabulary and expressions relating to the topics associated with the students personal world
• using grammatical structures appropriate to the question asked.

Student should:

• read each question carefully
• make notes in the Candidate’s Notes column on the right hand side of the page
• transcribe their response onto 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 questions
• use their own words and respond in English
• avoid translating text as part of their response
• edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify the correct reason Yianni calls Maria including the invitation to his birthday party (Q1)
• demonstrate a thorough understanding as to why Martha was frustrated with her brother’s response by including her brother’s refusal to discuss the situation (Q5)
• avoid the inclusion of irrelevant details when asked to summarise (Q9)
• give concise and effective responses related to the question including key points
• identify reasons as to why Mihali would follow the advice given by his teacher (Q10).

Areas for students to improve include:

• listen for specific information and identify relevant details
• transferring all relevant information in the Candidate’s Notes column to be included in their answer
• developing their ability to identify key vocabulary, expressions and structures that inform their global understanding of texts.

Students should:

• read the whole text(s)
• address all parts of each question
• use the lines, table and/or chart allocated for the response
• provide all necessary details to respond fully to the question
• support their responses with evidence from the text where required
• use their own words rather than giving a literal translation.

In better responses, students were able to:

• draw conclusions from more than simple general knowledge
• respond correctly to Question 11 by including the two places which impressed Vassili the most, το αρχαίοθέατρο στην Επίδαυρο; την όμορφη θέα από το κάστρο στο Ναύπλιο
• make a judgement of the mother’s reaction with reference to the text (Q12)
• demonstrate a thorough understanding of the text and were able to provide correct reference as to who would find the advertisement appealing and why (Q13)
• identify the purpose of the text type (Q14a) rather than recount the text
• demonstrate a sound understanding of whose advice Vangelis is likely to follow with detailed reference to both Petros and Amalia (Q14b)
• identify the purpose of the article (Q15a)
• demonstrate a perceptive understanding of the views presented in the article (Q15b)
• show a thorough understanding of the occasion and purpose of the letter (Q16a and 16b)
• effectively discuss in their own words Matina’s character development with reference to the whole text (Q16c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing knowledge of a wide range of vocabulary by reading texts of interest
• synthesising information aiming to achieve a global understanding of texts
• interpreting vocabulary and expressions correctly to enhance ability to make judgments about a situation or person
• using appropriate adjectives to describe a person, emotion or situation
• use their dictionary appropriately to find the correct meaning of the word(s) in context.

Students should:

• write to the suggested word length
• 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
• sequence their response in a coherent and logical way
• 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 use:

• μου αρέσει and μου αρέσουν appropriately (Q17)
• the simple future tense effectively in response to the text (Q18,19)
• present tense accurately and effectively, for example, υπάρχει (Q17,18)
• the simple and continuous past tense, for example, πήγα στο καινούργιο σχολείο (Q20).

Areas for students to improve include:

• revising the indefinite article
• revising the letters of the Greek alphabet, for example, πς à ψ, θ/δ, χ/ξ , π /p
• revising the diphthongs and double consonants, for example, ει, αι, μπ, ντ
• learning verb endings according to the person/pronoun
• learning article, adjective, noun and verb agreements
• learning the correct use of πρέπει and μου αρέσει with the pronoun.