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5. 2015 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre — Classical Greek Continuers

2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Classical Greek Continuers

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Classical Greek Continuers 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 Classical Greek Continuers Stage 6 Syllabus
• the 2015 Higher School Certificate Classical 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 Classical Greek in Stage 6.

Section I – Prescribed Text – Plato, Crito

Characteristics of better responses:

• translations of the texts were in idiomatic English, but accurately represented the Greek extracts, with particular care taken when the subjunctive and optative moods of verbs was used (Q1a and Q1b)
• responses to short-answer questions were clearly focused on the extracts given (Q2)
• appropriate quotations from the extracts were included (Q2c)
• candidates demonstrated a perceptive understanding of what is meant by ‘structure’ and were able to articulate specifically the significance of the two extracts within the overall structure of the argument in the Crito (Q3).

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• translations of prescribed extracts did not show a full understanding of the flow of the argument being presented (Q1a and Q1b)
• responses to short-answer questions demonstrated a weaker grasp of the extracts and featured information only loosely relevant to the question (Q2)
• little or no understanding of the meaning of the Greek extracts was offered and a general description of the content of the dialogue was included (Q3).

Section II – Prescribed Text – Aristophanes, Clouds

Characteristics of better responses:

• translations accounted for every word and meanings were appropriate to the context (Q4a and 4b)
• responses to short-answer questions demonstrated a thorough understanding of the Greek by referring to the extracts, particularly where in-depth analysis of the extract was used to explain the function of the Chorus (Q5b)
• use of quotations from the extracts demonstrated understanding of the Greek (Q5 and Q6)
• a significant understanding of the intellectual climate of the play was demonstrated (Q5b and 6)
• the examples of elements of humour in the presentation of Socrates in each of the extracts were isolated and further referenced to the rest of the play (Q6)

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• single words from the prescribed translations were omitted. For example; only two of the words Strepsiades used to describe himself were provided (Q4a)
• entire constructions or sentences were misunderstood, for example the expression of a wish in line 1 (Q4a) and the Creditor’s insistence that Strepsiades will not ill-treat him with impunity (Q4b)
• responses did not always focus on the requirements of the question and often did not indicate a thorough knowledge of the Greek (Q5)
• Aristophanes’ humour was discussed from a general knowledge of the play and neglected both the extracts and the intellectual climate to which the play refers.

Section III – Unseen Texts

Characteristics of better responses:

• translations of the Birds gave a more accurate rendering of the first two lines because the dative was recognised. (Q7d)
• translations of the Euthyphro extract indicated the way the individual clauses related to each other to form a flow of thought using a question and answer format.

Characteristics of weaker responses:

• translations of the Birds were characterised by confusion over who actually was doing something to whom. For example, verbs and participles that referred to nourishing and feeding were given negative meanings such as ‘striking’ and ‘beating’ (Q7d)
• basic words and phrases in the Euthyphro extract were mistranslated (Q8d).