2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – English ESL
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Society and Culture course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2014 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the English ESL Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2014 Higher School Certificate English ESL examination: Paper 1, Paper 2 and the Listening Paper
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of English ESL in Stage 6.
Paper 1
Section 1
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- demonstrating understanding of the concept of belonging
- providing some textual references
- understanding the connection between belonging and the language and visual features used to present information and ideas in the texts
- writing responses that took into account the mark value of the question.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing sufficient textual references
- showing understanding of the overall meaning of a text
- writing concise responses
- not including unnecessary details in their responses.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the prescribed texts and aspects of belonging
- understanding how the concept of belonging was conveyed through texts
- synthesising quotes, techniques and communication of ideas about belonging
- using the language forms and structures of an essay
- using language features and demonstrating control of expression.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- discussing all texts in detail and not just ‘storytelling’
- selecting ways that ideas are communicated that are connected with the question
- synthesising ideas from prescribed texts and related texts
- discussing the related text in terms of aspects of belonging, the question and techniques used.
Paper 2
Section I – Module A: Experience through Language
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- integrating their analysis and discussion of the ways in which the comparisons of Australian visions or Australian voices have been created in their prescribed text
- developing a thesis
- demonstrating knowledge of the prescribed text
- demonstrating understanding of the text form in relation to their prescribed text
- composing a cohesive response with control of expression
- discussing a range of Australian visions or voices with well-chosen supporting textual evidence to reflect values, attitudes and perceptions within Australian society.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- addressing the question and not merely relying on learnt responses from previous examination questions
- engaging with the text as a whole and avoiding recount of the prescribed text
- establishing clear links between the Australian visions or voices presented and why these are reflective of Australian society’s values, beliefs and attitudes
- demonstrating a thorough understanding of the textual forms and features
- choosing relevant examples and textual references to support their thesis.
Section II – Module B: Texts and Society
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- demonstrating knowledge of the electives
- incorporating relevant examples of learning
- understanding the connection between audience, context and purpose
- responding to a scenario through the prescribed text type .
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to the question through their knowledge of the elective, not simply creating an answer in isolation from it
- fully addressing the requirements of the question, not just elements of it
- providing a connection between the relevance of the elective and their response
- including only necessary detail in their responses.
Listening Paper
Candidates showed strengths in these areas:
- providing a definition stated in the text (Q.1)
- giving direct information from the text (Q.2)
- identifying techniques used by the speaker (Q.6).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- addressing the two parts of a quote when giving a detailed explanation (Q.3)
- providing more than one example when required, as in ‘sound effects’ (Q.4)
- identifying examples from the text, not giving a generic response; for example, there was no music in this presentation (Q.4 and Q.6)
- addressing the question given, such as referring specifically to ‘RASA’ (Q.5)
- writing synthesised responses (Q.6).
NSW Government