Spanish Continuers 2016 HSC exam pack

Characteristics of better responses:

• in-depth responses were given to a broad range of questions, and thoughts and opinions on the issues raised by the examiners were offered
• a wide range of grammatical structures and tenses were manipulated and effective vocabulary was used
• communication was fluent in a manner that allowed the conversation to be engaging and flow naturally
• opinions were compared and contrasted while discussing detailed and complex ideas.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• expressing ideas, thoughts and feelings coherently was challenging
• explaining, or justifying an opinion in detail was lacking
• simple, limited vocabulary and basic grammatical structures were used
• limited depth was evident and a lot of generalisations were used
• switching between Spanish and English or similar Romance languages was evident.

Listening and Responding

Characteristics of better responses:

• detailed answers were provided
• the attitudes of Tomas and Isabel were compared clearly and supported with textual examples (Q6)
• the qualities of the job applicant and the requirements of the job were linked, and conclusions based on this information were drawn (Q7).

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• the information required by the question was not fully provided
• focus was on what Isabel and Tomas did and didn’t do, instead of being on the attitudes of both and comparing these (Q6)
• the job requirements and the applicant’s qualities were identified in isolation but were not linked together(Q7)
• longer responses were not written in a coherent manner.

Reading and Responding

Part A

Characteristics of better responses:

• all required details were included
• writing was coherent and textual examples were given in support.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• vocabulary used in the texts was misunderstood, for example, decidir vs discutir (Q8a); se dispondrá (Q8d)
• a translation of the text was provided as an answer (Q8b)
• overlong responses which included irrelevant details were given
• the ability to explicitly identify language techniques was lacking
• ideas were not supported with textual examples
• ideas were not linked coherently.

 Part B

Characteristics of better responses:

• the stimulus text was understood and the points raised within it were addressed creatively and comprehensively
• humorous and persuasive language was used
• complex sentences and a broad range of interesting and appropriate vocabulary were used
• writing was coherent and the task requirements were met.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• the complete purpose of the stimulus text was not understood
• planning and/or organising ideas in order to write a coherent response was not evident
• basic control of grammar was lacking, for example, agreement between nouns/articles and gender
• a lack of understanding of how spelling works in Spanish was evident.

Writing in Spanish

Characteristics of better responses:

• original, authentic and creative responses, which included all relevant information were written
• sophisticated language structures were used
• complex sentences and a broad range of interesting and appropriate vocabulary were used
• texts flowed naturally
• writing was coherent and task requirements were met.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• a list of facts, which did not engage with the task requirements, was provided
• the question was misunderstood and an organised response was not provided
• simple ideas, which lacked detail were presented and irrelevant ‘filler’ were included
• poor control of Spanish grammar and a limited range of vocabulary were demonstrated
• poor syntax and Anglicisms were used.