2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – Modern Greek Continuers
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Modern Greek Continuers 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 Modern Greek Continuers Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2014 Higher School Certificate Modern Greek Continuers examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for students attempting HSC languages examinations, and HSC Languages oral examinations – advice to students
- 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 Modern Greek in Stage 6.
Oral examination
Characteristics of better responses:
- language was manipulated effectively in response to a range of questions
- an excellent knowledge of vocabulary and language structures with a high level of grammatical accuracy was demonstrated
- candidates responded well to a range of question styles that included recall/informational, comparative, hypothetical and reflective
- candidates justified their opinions effectively.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- language was not manipulated effectively and sentences were often incomplete
- language structures were used with inaccuracies in grammar and syntax
- the incorrect article was used for basic words such as members of the family and school subjects
- the verbs, I like and I must were often used incorrectly
- candidates had difficulty with gender agreement and used tenses and cases incorrectly, especially the accusative and the genitive.
Written examination
Section I – Listening and Responding
Characteristics of better responses:
- candidates deduced meaning and included examples (Q.1 and Q.5)
- the change in attitude from being pessimistic to optimistic was identified (Q.4)
- an understanding of the ungrateful nature of the students was demonstrated (Q.6)
- candidates identified the point on which the two speakers agreed (Q.7)
- a comprehensive understanding of how language techniques were used to convey the feelings of the speakers was demonstrated (Q.8).
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- candidates translated without interpreting and evaluating information
- days of the week and time were misinterpreted
- candidates did not make appropriate references to texts when considering language techniques.
Section II – Reading and Responding – Part A
Characteristics of better responses:
- a comprehensive understanding of the main purpose of the texts was demonstrated
- appropriate references to the text were provided to support answers
- an understanding of language techniques used in both the magazine article and the blog was demonstrated
- candidates manipulated language authentically and creatively
- a thorough understanding of the key issues raised in the magazine article was demonstrated
- the phrase μάλλον της λείπει το μυστικό υλικό... was understood and interpreted
- candidates expressed and supported an opinion with relevant references from the text.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- the initial purpose of the magazine article and the blog was not identified
- some of the language techniques used to attract the reader’s attention were recognised
- candidates misunderstood the phrase τα έχει τετρακόσια...
- candidates translated rather than interpreted.
Section II – Reading and Responding – Part B
Characteristics of better responses:
- an excellent understanding of the whole text was demonstrated
- language was manipulated authentically and creatively
- the main points that emerged from the stimulus text were addressed and used to express their concerns about their participation in the program.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- a limited range of questions, statements and specific information from the stimulus text was addressed
- simple language structures with grammatical inaccuracies and anglicisms were used.
Section III – Writing in Modern Greek
Characteristics of better responses:
- candidates wrote appropriately and effectively in relation to the audience, context and purpose of the task
- vocabulary, language structures and features were manipulated authentically and creatively.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- there were errors in grammar and syntax, particularly in the use of the nominative and accusative case, for example πήγα με η φίλη μου, ήταν την πρώτη μου φορά
- there was a lack of agreement between article and noun and adjective and noun, for example μια μεγάλη ευχαριστώ, τα εξετάσεις, όλα τα μαθητές
- candidates could not distinguish between active and passive voice in the use of verbs, for example χρειάζω (χρειάζομαι), να ξεκουράζεις, (ξεκουράζεσαι), and used the verb πρέπει incorrectly, for example ήπρεπα, πρέπαμε, πρέπετε
- anglicisms were used, for example Θα μπορέσεις να κάτσεις για τις εξετάσεις σου (sit for your exams), είχα καταπληκτικό ώρα (I had a good time)
- candidates confused some letters of the Greek alphabet, in particular γ, δ, θ, ψ, π, μ.
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