2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Arabic Extension
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Arabic Extension course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2015 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 Arabic Extension Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2015 Higher School Certificate Arabic Extension 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 Arabic Extension in Stage 6.
Oral examination
Characteristics of better responses:
- ideas were communicated confidently and fluently
- a clear introduction, a number of good arguments and a suitable ending were evident
- examples were clearly linked to the question
- arguments were well structured and the ideas flowed logically.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- organisation of ideas and the use of grammar were poor
- only one aspect of the question was addressed
- ideas were expressed briefly and without appropriate elaboration
- the response did not fully address the topic.
Written examination
Section I – Response to Prescribed Text
Part A
Characteristics of better responses:
- relevant details from the novel were included to justify opinions
- a good explanation of the impact of Yasmine’s past relationships was provided (Q1b)
- the relationship between the description of the city and Yasmine’s situation was thoroughly explained (Q1c)
- a good comparison was drawn of how the issue of transformation is explored in the extract and in one other part of the novel (Q1d).
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- a limited explanation was given of the relationship between Yasmine and Afetab (Q1a)
- a limited understanding of the prescribed text was demonstrated
- only some relevant information was identified
- the issue of transformation was not explored well through the character of Yasmine (Q1d)
- ideas were listed without appropriate explanation and without linking them to the issue.
Part B
Characteristics of better responses:
- a perceptive understanding of the issues raised was demonstrated
- textual references were used to support these issues
- ideas were relevant, logical and well organised
- clear explanation and justification were provided.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- candidates described the relationship between Yasmine and Afetab but not what led to the conversation
- candidates did not effectively engage with the question
- ideas were repeated, or ideas were not extended.
Section II – Writing in Arabic
Characteristics of better responses:
- a range of vocabulary and language structures were used
- ideas were logically structured using appropriate text type conventions
- analytical treatment of the argument was demonstrated
- a high level of grammatical accuracy as well as sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structure were demonstrated.
Characteristics of weaker responses:
- ideas were not fully developed or were irrelevant to the purpose of the task
- responses were long with repetition of expressions and ideas
- inaccurate grammar and spelling were used.
NSW Government