Modern Hebrew Continuers 2021 HSC exam pack

In 2021, due to COVID-19, the HSC examinations for some courses were cancelled or the requirements adjusted, and no HSC feedback is available.

Please refer to marking feedback previously published for this component.

Listening and Responding

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:

• express the advice in terms of principles rather than state the details, for example, that one should stop eating 2 hours before going to bed (Q1)
• explain the intention and strategy of the son in the way he constructed the conversation and clearly state the purpose of the son of getting the mother to approve of his tattoo, for example, use words to show that the son used the strategy of ‘reminding the mother of her own words, ‘building up expectation’, ‘leading the mother towards having to approve the tattoo’ (Q2)
• define both Ronit’s and Daniel’s opinion and provide an explanation as to why they each thought the way they did (Q3)
• identify that the obstacles that Gal faced were related to lack of money for the various aspects of his business and the way he managed to find solutions (Q4)
• provide a summary outlining the changes made to playgrounds succinctly (Q5a)
• include in their response that the changes benefited disabled carers as well as disabled children (Q5b)
• provide evidence from the text using their own words in Modern Hebrew to identify Dalia’s personality traits (Q6)
• refer to both content and language in explaining how Yael was successful in convincing her grandfather to accept the present, for example, refer to the simile and the hyperbole used such as ‘stubborn as a mule’ ‘suitable for every pocket’ ‘endless’ (Q7).

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding recounting the conversation and not showing how the son structured the conversation (Q2)
• identifying personality traits, such as Dalia is friendly, rather than saying she loves her friends (Q6)
• ensuring identifying language techniques and explaining them in the context of the exchange rather than just referring to content details (Q7).

Reading and Responding

Part A

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 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:

• write their response in the first person from the point of view of a candidate participating at the testing day of the new system (Q8a)
• provide all the disadvantages without including irrelevant information (Q8b)
• state that the writer is supportive of the change and referred to the title and to vocabulary such as ‘finally’, ‘an unnecessary delay’ to support their stance (Q8c)
• identify that the address was to students doing a creative course, and that the purpose was to use the exhibition as an example for creative thinking (Q9a)
• demonstrate that the quote referred to the fact that the exhibition was a mobile one and travelled around the country, making it accessible for many more people (Q9b)
• show the extent to which the title aligned with the presentation of the exhibition by referring to the innovative approach and special features that the organisers came up with to hold the exhibition when the original venue was undergoing renovations - this demonstrated that one can ‘think outside the box’ to find solutions to obstacles (Q9c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading the text in its entirety to be able to respond fully to questions
• stating the writer’s opinion, that is, approves of the change (Q8c)
• avoiding including all the features of the exhibition without explaining their connecting to the title of the text (Q9).

Part B

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:

• structure their response as an article, with a title and a call for action at the end
• make creative reference to the issues mentioned in the original stimulus, without quoting or using direct phrases or sentences from the text
• write in first person based on what they saw on their tour of Haifa
• relate the issue of tipped rubbish bins to the pigs
• include all the issues raised such as:

no fences: ‘they [the pigs] came from nowhere without anything to stop them’

החזירים הגיעו מכל מקום בלי שום דבר שיעצור אותם

no warning signs: ‘we almost ran into a wild pig, there were no signs saying they were around’

כמעט התנגשנו בחזיר בר. לא ראינו שום שלט שהזהיר אותנו.

causing accidents: ‘we almost had an accident and ran over a pig as we were reversing’

כמעט דרסנו חזיר בר כשעשינו רברס

lots of rubbish tipped over by the pigs: ‘it was a horrible sight, pigs everywhere eating from rubbish bins, there was garbage all over the place’

    זה היה מראה נורא, חזירים בכל מקום אוכלים מפחי אשפה והיה זבל בכל מקום.

ideal environment for pigs, such as olive trees, grass and dirt soil: ‘when we visited my grandfather’s place, we saw a pig eating his olive tree’

כשביקרנו בבית של סבא שלי ראינו חזיר בר אוכל את עץ הזית שלו.

pigs eating the cats’ food, cats dieing of starvation and city problem with rats and mice: ‘this time we didn’t see so many cats but there were lots of rats and mice’

הפעם לא ראינו הרבה חתולים אבל היו הרבה עכברים וחולדות.

no instructions for how to deal with the pigs if encountered: ‘we had no idea what to do or what we were not allowed to do’

.לא היה לנו מושג מה לעשות ומה לא לעשות

evidence that previous attempts to deal with the problem (allowing hunting of pigs) have been unsuccessful: ‘outside the forest we came across a hunter who explained that he had been hired….’

מחוץ ליער פגשנו צייד שהסביר ש......

Areas for students to improve include:

• including a title for their article
• writing with a purpose in mind
• making reference to issues in the stimulus text, without taking words, expressions or whole sentences from the original text. 

Writing in Modern Hebrew

15 mark Question

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

In better responses, students were able to:

• use content and language that is suited to writing to a best friend, not just any friend (Q11a), for example,

‘I can’t wait to see you’; ‘what do you think I should do?’; 'I knew you’d understand. מה את חושבת שאני צריכה לעשות?' 'ידעתי שתביני' – ‘

‘Do you think I should ask him?’  אתה חושב שכדאי לי לשאול אותו? –‘, or feeling compelled to share with a best friend,  ‘I had to share this with youהייתי מוכרח לשתף אותך -”; ‘you would not believe what I found’ – 'לא תאמין מה מצאתי”, or joking with a close friend: ‘I must have my grandfather’s genes, which explains why I am better than you in soccer '

כנראה שיש לי את הגנים של סבא שלי, בגלל זה אני יותר טוב ממך בכדורגל'’.

• use language that reflected pride and explain why they felt so
• include reflection on the possible reasons for not being previously aware of the information in the old newspaper article (Q11a)
• use content and language that is suited to writing to a best friend, not just any friend (11b), for example,

'if you haven’t received the yearbook yet, I have some upsetting news: they did not include our event אם עדיין לא קיבלת את השנתון יש לי חדשות לא כל כך - טובות: הם לא פרסמו את האירוע שלנו'.’

‘you and I both know… שתינו יודעות ש’

• describe an event that is worthy of being included in the school’s yearbook
• use language that reflected feelings of anger, frustration, disbelief, disappointment  

‘after all the hard work and endless hours – not a word! אחרי כל העבודה הקשה והשעות שהשקענו – אפילו לא מילה!'’. Or: ‘couldn’t they even write just 3 sentences about it? הם לא יכלו לכתוב אפילו רק 3 משפטים’, and: ‘but do you know what they did include? … Can you believe it? ואת יודעת מה הם כן כללו? את ...י׳. את מאמינה?'’.

• end the letter appropriately: ‘it was still a worthwhile event, even if only you and I remember it.זה היה שווה את זה, אפילו אם רק את ואני זוכרות אותו ‘.

Areas for students to improve include:

• expanding on ‘I am so proud of him’ and including language that expresses this feeling such as “I have always thought of my grandfather as a hero but now I know it is true’ (Q11a)
• using language to express a feeling, such as anger: “how could they forget to include it?” rather than only identify the feeling such as ‘I am angry’ (Q11b).