Serbian Continuers 2024 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
• use a range of vocabulary, expressions and language structures to respond appropriately to the questions
• provide information, express and justify opinions, 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 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 Serbian to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• speak clearly with excellent pronunciation, syntax, register and intonation
• answer the questions with minimal hesitation, allowing the conversation to flow at a good pace
• answer questions with relevant information and in some depth, for example, to communicate feelings, provide opinions and justify their responses
• address the requirements of the question
• 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, for example, сам прилику да се повежем са својом културом и да боље, захваљујући послу, научила сам да боље комуницирам с људима, кроз путовања добио упознам друге културе,Сигурна сам да ће ми радно искуство помоћи у будућности у смислу самопоуздања, радне етике и тимског рада, захваљујући технологији имамо бржи приступ информацијама и на тај начин можемо да проширимо своје знање из разних области, вежбање је не само добро за физичко здравље, него, рекао бих, још више за ментално здравље
• demonstrate excellent knowledge of a wide repertoire of vocabulary, for example, моћ уметности, наш народ је успео да опстане, неуништиви српски дух, стална инспирација, сусрет са својим коренима је оно што ме покреће, вечито питање бити или не бити
• use tenses as required by the question
• use authentic and idiomatic expressions appropriately, for example, како би наш народ рекао, кад имам испите, не видим ни сунца ни месеца, само учим, као мој отац каже -радим од јутра до сутра, ко рано рани, двије среће граби.

Areas for students to improve include:

• revising tenses and cases
• using prefixes and suffixes appropriately
• responding with an explanation or justification to questions asking ‘why?’
• using third person plural correctly in the present tense
• avoiding using English words and phrases in their response
• learning and revising vocabulary and expressions which align with the prescribed topics in the syllabus.

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 that they have sourced
• express and justify opinions and points of view on the topic of in-depth study
• reflect on their research findings to help them express opinions or develop new perceptions about their topic of in-depth study
• 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
• avoid relying on general knowledge about the topic of in-depth study.

In better responses, students were able to:

• ensure that sources chosen 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 analytical approach to texts studied rather than memorise information from the texts
• provide logical and well-structured responses to questions
• come to 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
• manipulate the language effectively to support their ideas and justify their point of view, for example, за разлику од првог извора који се фокусира на …, други извор бави се …, док прва два текста истичу чињенице и статистику, филм се осврће на ту тему из другог угла представљајући ...
• respond using a high level of grammatical accuracy, sophisticated vocabulary and expressions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• naming the texts used in research
• avoiding using English phrases and words such as ‘like’, ‘so’, ‘I mean’
• using complex sentences to justify opinions
• revising genitive, accusative and locative cases
• using prepositions appropriately. 

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:

• provide all the details of Ivana’s plan for the day with Goran including taking him to the beach, surfing lesson with an instructor and lunch at a local restaurant with Australian cuisine and ocean view (Q1)
• explain that Mladen was invited to speak on the program to talk about his decision to move his family from the city to a village (Q2a)
• explain how the lives of Mladen and his family have changed, for example, his daughters have more freedom and enjoy playing with friends, Mladen is now a shepherd looking after his goats and turning milk into cheese, Mladen’s wife has an organic garden and their lifestyle is more spontaneous and relaxed (Q2b)
• identify that Petar was surprised to be invited to speak to the students because he himself didn’t like school/he didn’t finish Year 12 (Q3a)
• demonstrate that Petar tries to motivate the students by talking about his own experiences of being an unmotivated student at school but later becoming a successful businessman because he pursued the path that he was interested, that is, computers and technology. These students supported their response by referring to the language that Petar used, for example, by using emotive language do what you love, believe in yourselves, dare to dream, follow (your own path), be (yourselves), listen to (that voice in you) (Q3b)
• provide all the details in the table, for example, Грчка, све балканске земље, домаћин/Грчка
• provide both similarities and differences in their comparison of Svetlana’s and Luka’s travel choices, for example, both are interested in history and culture. However, Svetlana likes travelling abroad, going to busy tourist places, beach, learning about other cultures, meeting new people and making friends from around the world, whereas Luka likes travelling in Serbia, going to quiet places away from hotels and noise, visiting out of the way place, swimming in lakes and fishing and enjoying Serbian culture and history. These students used the language of comparison such as contrary to, compared to, similarly, whereas, on the other hand (Q5)
• identify that the aims of the agency Futura are to help young people gain work experience and improve their skills (Q6a)
• identify that the benefits to employers for hiring young people from the agency were that young people bring new creative ideas, they increase efficiency and productivity, they are open to teamwork and adopting new technologies, are willing to take risks and have good business networking (Q6b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading questions carefully and identifying the key words before answering questions, for example, ‘how’ (Q1, Q2b, Q3b), ‘why’ (Q2a, Q3a), ‘what’ (Q6a, Q6b), ‘compare’ (Q5)
• avoiding rephrasing or translating the text rather than answering the question in their own words
• avoiding providing language examples in Serbian without an explanation of meaning in English where questions require answering in English (Q3)
• practising note taking while listening to the texts and using these notes appropriately in their answers.

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 understand all 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:

• provide an explanation of the positive impact on both students and the environment of the program Garden as a Classroom. For example, students expand their knowledge of biology and ecology, develop skills for future, develop moral and aesthetic values, a sense of beauty and harmony, and an appreciation for the environment; the environment benefits from this increased awareness as can be seen by the increased number of bees pollinating the flowers in the botanical garden in the playground, and will further benefit from the expansion of the program throughout Serbia (Q7)
• support their response on how the parents express their frustration by referring to both content and language. These students demonstrated that the use of an idiomatic expression ‘like a lightning bolt out of the blue’, the use of rhetorical questions ‘Where did this come from?’, ‘Who came up with this?’, the use of words with negative connotations, such as, ‘worry’, ‘upset’, ‘confuse’ and the use of the metaphor ‘This is a nightmare’  show the frustration felt by the parent at his son’s school’s decision to introduce a new teaching method that uses software similar to video games when ‘We … trying hard to move our son away from endless sitting … in front of the screen …’. (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on key words in the question, for example, ‘how’ (Q7, Q8)
• referring to both students and the environment in their response as required by the question (Q7)
• avoiding rephrasing the text as part of their response (Q7, Q8)
• referring to both language and content as required by the question (Q8)
• avoiding providing language examples in Serbian without an explanation of meaning in English where questions require response in English (Q8).

Part B

Students should:

• respond to the question asked in relation to the text
• read the entire text 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:

• apply the text conventions of writing a diary entry with an appropriate beginning Драги дневниче and a date
• use the appropriate register, that is, informal language, friendly and intimate tone, for example, Драги дневниче, имам нешто лепо да поделим са тобом, Е мој дневниче, био сам мало и разочаран, то само теби могу да кажем
• address all relevant points in the text concerning the event, for example, the organisational challenges, such as, catering for people of different ages, needs and tastes, developing the event program, for example, film, theatre, music, folk dancing and addressing plans and improvements for future events
• reflect on both positive and negative aspects of the organisation of the event
• use reflective phrases and expressions when commenting the organisation of event, for example, Сматрам да је манифестација била веома успешна,Верујем да смо одрадили добар посао, Када добро размислим, увиђам да смо неке ствари могли да урадимо на другачији начин
• use past tense appropriately when describing past events, for example, Публика је уживала, Наши фолклористи, како смо очекивали, нису разочарали, Атмосфера је била фантастична
• use theconditional when reflecting on possible improvements in the future, for example, У будућности могли бисмо да позовемо фолклорне ансамбле из других земаља, Следеће године волела бих да организујемо више активности за децу
• use rhetorical questions to emphasise their views, for example, Како смо то могли да пропустимо?
• use modal verb требати correctly in 3rd person singular, for example, Треба да узмемо у обзир …, Требало је да обезбедимо више столица.
• use colloquial expressions effectively to describe the success of the event, for example, Професионалци су своју улогу просто убили …, осмех од увета до увета, улазнице су плануле
• create complex sentences with correct punctuation, for example, На ногама сам била сигурно тринаест сати без одмора и сад сам тек села да се мало опустим! Умор је велики, али успех је већи.
• sequence their ideas and organise into paragraphs.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying and responding to all relevant points in the text
• using informal register and tone throughout the diary entry
• organising ideas into paragraphs
• revising grammar structures such as prepositions, cases, congruence, third person plural in present tense, for example, воле instead of волеју, иду instead of идеју
• revising syntax and complex sentences
• avoiding the use of English words/phrases in response
• using a dictionary to find appropriate words in Serbian.

Writing in Serbian

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
• use the dictionary effectively by selecting vocabulary to suit the context
• proofread and edit their work
• adhere to the suggested word length.

In better responses, students were able to:

• use the text type conventions for an article (Q10) and a speech (Q11) consistently throughout the response
• use an appropriate heading for an article (Q10)
• address their audience appropriately, for example, Поштовани посетиоци, Драги родитељи, пријатељи и остали присутни (Q11)
• express a range of ideas related to the youth centre, such as, a library, learning space, concert/event venue, sporting facilities, creative workshops, a place to make friends and socialise, parents’ hub, mental health experts, healthy life suggestions (Q10)
• provide a range of views about the youth centre, for example, from perspectives such as teenagers’, parents’, community representative's, the manager’s (Q10)
• present a range of sophisticated ideas to express the significance of the youth centre, for example, developing social skills amongst young people, providing opportunities for creativity, connection between teenagers, parents, community members, a safe place that feels like home (Q10)
• use descriptive language while describing the significance of the youth centre, for example, Надамо се да ћемо у овим предивним, новим просторијама остварити младу заједницу које је срећнија, друштвенија и више уједињена ... (Q10)
• use complex sentences, for example, Овај центар, каже Младић, ће дати младима прилику да имају властито место, где могу да испоље своју креативност, да прошире своја знања у библиотеци, да стекну нова познанства и да се изразе на било који други начин (Q10)
• use rhetorical questions to engage the audience, for example, Сигурна сам да многи препознају себе у мојој причи, зар не? (Q11)
• use language creatively while reflecting on the experiences that influenced story writing, for example, Ово није бајка, ово је живот, Замисли лепоту. Сад задржи то и помисли о Аустралији (Q11)
• use a variety of tenses correctly, for example, надамо се, није било лако, ће наћи, замисли, поновила бих (Q10, Q11)
• sequence ideas and organise into paragraphs.

Areas for students to improve include:

• applying the text type conventions of an article (Q10) and a speech (Q11)
• revising Serbian syntax
• practising writing complex sentences
• using a range of vocabulary, for example, using synonyms instead of repeating the same words and sentences
• avoiding literal translation of English words or phrases into Serbian, for example, Имали су лепо време instead of Лепо су се провели
• avoiding repetition of the same thoughts and ideas
• applying the conventions of punctuation to ensure clarity of meaning
• using paragraphs to structure and organise their thoughts and ideas
• writing consistently and entirely in either Cyrillic or in Latin script and avoiding mixing the two scripts
• revising grammar structures such as cases, use of prepositions and congruence
• revising Serbian orthography, for example, using capital letters, writing negation не with a verb correctly, for example, не знам, не бих, нeћy, нисам.