2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – Latin Extension
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Latin Extension course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2014 Higher School Certificate examination, indicating the quality of the responses and highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses.
This document should be read along with:
- the Latin Extension Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2014 Higher School Certificate Latin Extension examination
- 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 Latin in Stage 6.
Section I – Prescribed Text
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing a fluent translation which reflects a sophisticated understanding of Ovid’s style using contemporary English idiom (Q.1b)
- familiarity with the themes and purpose of the three elegiac poets, and, where relevant, demonstrating an appreciation of their humour and irony (Q.2, Q.3)
- familiarity with the context of the given extracts (Q.2, Q.3)
- demonstrating knowledge of cultural and mythological references and their significance in context (Q.2, Q.3)
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing a fluent and coherent translation using appropriate English idiom, and accounting for every word in the extract (Q.1a)
- adhering to the specific requirements of the question, rather than providing a general analysis of the extract(s) (Q.2c, Q.3)
- demonstrating an awareness of the different ways in which a theme may emerge across a set of extracts – for example, the extracts chosen for Q.3 represented both significant and subtle differences in the poets’ exploration of the theme of power
- presenting a logical and cohesive response to the question (Q.3)
- presenting an appropriately balanced response when required to comment on a number of extracts or different authors (Q.3).
Section II – Non-prescribed Text
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- demonstrating an awareness of the elegiac genre in terms of the tone of the extracts for translation and the intention of the authors (Q.4a and Q.5a)
- being familiar with Ovid’s elegiac poetry in terms of content, purpose and techniques (Q.4b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- demonstrating a consistent understanding of Latin syntax (Q.4a, Q.5a and b)
- demonstrating knowledge of vocabulary in context (Q.4a, Q.5a and b)
- linking typical features of Ovid’s elegiac poetry to the extract given (Q.4b).
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