Persian Continuers 2023 HSC exam pack (archive)

Conversation

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

In better responses, students were able to:

• speak with clear pronunciation, syntax, register and intonation
• answer the questions with minimal hesitation, allowing the conversation to flow at a natural pace
• respond to questions with relevant, in-depth information, for example, communicating feelings, providing opinions and justify their responses
• elaborate on their responses without extra prompts from the examiner
• respond in full sentences, using compound and complex sentences
• use language structures and features effectively to enhance their responses
• demonstrate knowledge of a wide repertoire of vocabulary
• accurately use tenses as required by the question
• use authentic and idiomatic expressions appropriately.

Areas for students to improve include:

• elaborating on points and avoiding responses with short answers
• responding to questions asked and not giving pre-prepared answers
• avoiding repetition of the same vocabulary irrespective of the question
• practising reading aloud and conversing to improve pronunciation and fluency
• translating vocabulary and expressions literally from English to Persian
• avoiding the use of English words and expressions.

Discussion

In preparation for the Discussion

Students should:

• choose a topic that has good quality reference texts and sources available
• prepare for the discussion by referring to at least three texts in their research
• ensure that one of the texts used in their research is a literary source.

During the Discussion examination

Students should:

• support their discussion with evidence from the texts they have sourced
• express and justify opinions and points of view on the in-depth study topic
• reflect on their research findings to help them express opinions or develop new perceptions about their in-depth topic
• 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
• address the question rather than responding with pre-prepared responses
• avoid relying on general knowledge about the topic of in-depth study.

In better responses, students were able to:

• ensure chosen sources were relevant to the topic of in-depth study
• compare the validity and reliability of their texts
• refer to their sources and comment on how each source contributed to their understanding of the in-depth topic
• discuss how their research impacted on their views and helped them gain a better understanding of the in-depth topic
• develop an analytical approach to texts studied rather than memorise information from the texts
• provide logical and well-structured responses to questions
• draw insightful conclusions regarding issues raised in their research
• use specific vocabulary and expressions relating to the topic
• use complex sentences and suitable idiomatic expressions to strengthen and support their opinions.
• respond using grammatical accuracy, sophisticated vocabulary and expressions
• manipulate the language effectively to support their ideas and justify their point of view.

Areas for students to improve include:

• elaborating on information regarding issues raised in the in-depth study
• avoiding the use of unreliable websites for their research as sources
• revising vocabulary appropriate to the topic of in-depth study
• referring to the sources to support their ideas and opinions
• stating the issues raised in their research.