Swedish Continuers 2019 HSC exam pack (archive)

Students should:

• be prepared to talk on a variety of topics relating to their personal world
• answer the question asked rather than presenting pre-prepared responses
• express their ideas and opinions and justify their point of view
• be prepared to respond to questions from a different perspective
• 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 Swedish to ask for repetition and/or clarification of the question.

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide specific examples to expand their response
• express their point of view and ideas on the syllabus topics relating to their personal world
• answer with a range of appropriate expressions using a variety of vocabulary, adjectives, verbs, sentence structures and grammar
• offer opinions and support their points of view by describing, explaining and justifying
• respond in a fluent and confident manner with correct intonation and pronunciation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct sentence structures and appropriate word order
• revising verb, noun and adjective agreement
• using the correct tense to reply to questions
• avoiding repeating the same vocabulary irrespective of the topic relating to their personal world
• avoiding using English structures with Swedish expressions and phrases.

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 their in-depth study
• reflect on their research findings to help them express opinions or develop new perceptions about their 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(s) asked
• avoid relying on general knowledge about the in-depth study.

In better responses, students were able to:

• state their views and opinions about their research on their in-depth study and support their comments and opinions with clear reference to their texts
• draw a conclusion about the issues raised in their research
• evaluate the validity and reliability of their sources
• present different points of view and perspectives based on their research
• analyse information and distinguish between facts and opinions
• respond appropriately to the questions asked
• demonstrate a high level of grammatical accuracy and use a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures.

Areas for students to improve include:

• discussing their research in a logical and coherent manner
• linking information presented to their texts
• avoiding superficial comments about their in-depth study
• analysing and evaluating information rather than just listing information.

Students should:

• make notes in the Candidate’s Notes column on the right-hand side of the page
• respond in English or Swedish as required by question
• 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:

• understand that political commentators are concerned because despite the greater exposure to news through digital media, people are less politically aware and engaged than in the past (Q1b)
• demonstrate that Anna changes Per’s opinion by her positive manner and by providing sensible explanations why it would be fun to attend the Park Festival this summer (Q3)
• provide a succinct and concise response as to why Sara has concerns (Q5)
• mention the main concerns for Sara regarding spending the holidays in Africa, for example, a lack of money, getting leave from work, contracting malaria (Q5)
• understand that Lisa’s solution to the situation does not involve lying to her employer or doing anything unprofessional (Q6).

Areas for students to improve include:

• expressing their responses clearly and unambiguously
• responding with relevant information in a clear and coherent manner
• providing specific detail relating to the question rather than transcribing chunks of the text.

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 in order 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:

• explain how Sweden has transformed from a poor agricultural country to a successful modern country because governments have been able to focus on developing infrastructure, educational reforms and a good social security system rather than fighting wars (Q7)
• address the key aspect of the question, that is, whether the title of the article was appropriate, throughout their response (Q8)
• understand that the word förgyller expresseshow pets can make people’s everyday life more special (Q8).

Areas for students to improve include:

• referring to language and content in their own words to respond to question.

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
• edit their work to ensure clarity of the response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• address the audience, that is, the students at his school, consistently throughout the article
• incorporate the information in both emails, using their own words creatively to write their article
• address the positives and negatives of working immediately after completing school or going straight to university
• provide the pros and cons of other alternatives to going to university
• conclude the article appropriately.

Areas for students to improve include:

• responding with all relevant information in a clear and coherent manner
• providing their own on ideas on the topic of the article
• using own words and without lifting chunks from the text
• using a greater variety of tenses, linkers and vocabulary
• using connectives to create more accurate and authentic sentence structures.

Students should:

• read the question carefully and address all parts of the question
• plan their response to ensure a clear structure and sequence their response logically for maximum effect
• use the appropriate register and conventions of the type of text required
• use the conventions of the style of writing required by the question
• use language appropriate for the context, purpose and audience of the question
• support their ideas and opinions with appropriate examples
• 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
• proof read and edit their work   
• adhere to the suggested word length.

In better responses, students were able to:

• address the audience appropriately (Q10)
• state their concerns and provide suggestions for possible solutions to the problem of litter and the use of plastic packaging (Q10)
• use the language of persuasion and encouragement to get audience onside rather than preaching to and reprimanding the audience (Q10)
• address the Swedish ambassador respectfully and appropriately (Q11)
• use expressions and language features to entice students to visit Sweden on a study exchange (Q11).

Areas for students to improve include:

• planning their response so the response is logical and coherent
• expressing themselves creatively and including their own ideas on the topic
• avoiding using language expressions repetitively
• using linking words to compose more complex sentences
• focusing on grammatical accuracy with tenses and possessive pronouns.