Spanish Continuers 2025 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• be prepared to communicate about 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 ideas 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
• demonstrate the ability to manipulate language
• be prepared to be interrupted by the examiner
• use Spanish to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to: 

• speak clearly with excellent syntax, register and intonation
• answer the questions with minimal hesitation, allowing the conversation to flow at a good pace
• elaborate on their responses without extra prompts needed from the examiner
• answer questions with relevant information and in depth, including reflections, ideas, personal insights and/or opinions
• demonstrate knowledge of a range of vocabulary and language structures
• identify the tense required by the question and use it accurately to convey the message
• respond demonstrating use of a range of language structures, for example, using conditional orations such as si me pudiera cambiar, ojala que sea mas flexible que mis padres
• use language structures and features effectively to enhance their responses, incorporating a variety of verb tenses, cohesive devices, and precise vocabulary to develop arguments
• use authentic and idiomatic expressions appropriately, including using common phrases, for example, tener ganas de, vale la pena, or me di cuenta de que.., and using expressions like más vale tarde que nunca (better late than never) to make responses sound natural and culturally authentic. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• expanding on their responses
• answering questions with relevant information and in some depth, for example, communicating feelings, providing opinions and justifying their response
• using Spanish vocabulary to express words from English, such as ‘cool’, ‘exams’ and ‘HSC’
• using appropriate register and vocabulary for the situation, for example, in the examination, me apasiona, me fascina, me molesta, es emocionante is appropriate
• using a variety of vocabulary relevant to the syllabus topics and synonyms for expressions such as me gusta, interesante, mucho, and es bonito
• using tenses as required by the question, for example, ¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana pasado?, ‘Fui a una fiesta, trabajé y vi una película con mi familia or ¿Te gustaría vivir en otro país? Sí, me encantaría vivir en …
• using a wide range of tenses and grammatical structures, including conditional and past subjunctive structures, for example, si pudiera, cambiaría... or hubiera sido... si habria tenido...

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 onto 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.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify all elements required by the question, that is, movie tickets and ice cream/food, rather than just ticket (Q1)
• identify the reason for the change of mind, that is, that apples are at a good price and the daughter prefers sweeter fruit, rather than that the daughter would be happy (Q3)
• demonstrate understanding of the chain of events that caused Javi’s worries, that is, Javi was previously late, and the consequence of being late again is that he won’t play in the next match (Q4), and the girl was annoyed by the repeated tardiness/lack of committing from the boy, the boy felt unheard, and the lateness of the boy without any notice, sparked the argument (Q5)
• summarise concisely by using just the provided bullet points and lines for the length of responses to identify fast transport, feeling of freedom and core muscle development (Q7)
• demonstrate an understanding of Pedro’s attitude towards life by linking it to key elements expressed in his speech, that is, that he values learning and teamwork and believes that honesty builds authentic friendships, rather than simply he enjoys being part of a team (Q8)
• link evidence from the text effectively to justify Pedro’s attitude towards life, that is, the value of learning links to ‘knowledge is power’, and the belief in the importance of teamwork links to ‘a united team can never be defeated’ (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding that the information given in the text indicates a change of mind, rather than relying on explicit details in the text that focus on the ‘oranges’ and recounting that in their response instead of recognising the central role of the apples’ cost and sweetness (Q3)
• identifying the main ideas that explain Javi’s worries, rather than focusing on explicit elements like traffic, an angry coach, or the 30 minutes of travel time (Q4)
• summarising the main points only (Q7).

Part A

Students should:

• read the title, the questions and the whole text before responding
• use only the lines or space beneath the question for their 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
• 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 the main points or ideas when asked to summarise
• use the dictionary appropriately to find the correct meaning of the word(s) or expressions in context.

In better responses, students were able to:

• answer the questions based solely on evidence from the text
• identify the purpose of the text clearly by using strong, purposeful verbs, for example, bring awareness, invite, or influence (Q9a, Q10a)
• explain how the author engages the reader, referring to both content and language (Q9c)
• demonstrate understanding of how language is used with supporting evidence (Q9c)
• use their own words, rather than literal translations, to interpret the advice given, for example, they talk about ‘validation’, a concept implicitly explored in text (Q10d)
• support their response with reference to the paragraph stated in the question.

Areas for students to improve include:

• responding with a clear verb when referring to the purpose, for example, to discuss, to create awareness, to outline the benefits
• avoiding extensive quotes in Spanish
• including reference to both language and content, as required in the question
• using the information provided in the text to address the question
• using language techniques supported by examples and an explanation of their effect, for instance, when referring to rhetorical questions.

Part B

Students should:

• read the whole text to respond fully to the question
• plan effectively to organise their thoughts, paying attention to context, purpose and audience, and to the type of text required by the question
• use the conventions of the type of text required by the question
• demonstrate understanding of the whole text in their response
• focus on all relevant information and key points raised in the text to respond to comments made, requests for advice, issues discussed, and observations made
• provide a creative and authentic response in relation to the text and the question
• use the appropriate register throughout the response
• use a variety of vocabulary and expressions and a range of grammatical structures
• edit their work to ensure clarity of the response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a creative and balanced development of every point from the text
• provide an answer that has a clear layout using paragraphs, and connects their ideas through the use of linking words, for example, primero, segundo, y luego
• respond to the whole text, engaging the reader with comments such as las complicaciones del año pasado, tantos problemas, and esperar tanto tiempo en avisarme.

Areas for students to improve include:

• staying on topic in their answer by referring only to the stimulus text throughout, rather than giving information or ideas that are not relevant to the text
• adhering to Spanish spelling conventions by ensuring the inclusion of accent marks, particularly when conjugating in the third person preterite tense
• using correct Spanish vocabulary, rather than, for example, fijar used to say 'to fix', and fundar to say 'to find'.

Question 12

Students should:

• read the question carefully and address all parts of the question
• use the appropriate register and conventions of the type of text
• commence and conclude appropriately
• use the correct tense for the requirements of the question
• sequence their response logically for maximum effect
• use the dictionary effectively by selecting vocabulary to suit the context
• adhere to the suggested response length
• proofread and edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• address the whole question and include giving thanks for the holiday, mention a specific detail about the trip, and give an appropriate time frame
• use a range of sophisticated language and verbs relevant to the question, such as invitar, incluir, agradecer, dar las gracias.

Areas for students to improve include:

• correctly using direct and indirect object pronouns, darles las gracias, invitarme
• expanding upon their response with detail, regarding what they enjoyed on the holiday, or about what they were thanking the family for
• addressing the thanks to the ‘family' and not just to their ‘friend’.

Question 13

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 applicable to the requirements of the question
• adhere to the suggested response length
• proofread and edit their work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• show a clear change in themselves by discussing how they were before and then after the experience
• use expressions that clearly demonstrate an evaluation of their experience, and how it impacted them, for example, por un lado, lo peor, las ventajas/desventajas
• use complex language, including a variety of expressions that use each past tense, and si clause expressions that incorporate the imperfect subjunctive.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing all parts of the question, including for example, how the experience changed them as a person
• using language appropriate to the text type, for example, expressing thoughts, feelings and ideas to reflect a diary entry.