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5. 2010 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre — French

2010 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre — French

Contents

• Introduction
• Beginners
  • Oral examination
  • Written examination
  • Section I – Listening
  • Section II – Reading
  • Section III – Writing in French
• Continuers
  • Oral examination
  • Written examination
  • Section III – Writing in French
• Extension
  • Oral examination
  • Written examination
  • Section I – Response to Prescribed Text
  • Section II – Writing in French

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 courses in French. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2010 Higher School Certificate examinations, indicating the quality of the responses and highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses.

This document should be read along with the relevant syllabuses, the 2010 Higher School Certificate examinations, the marking guidelines and other support documents which have been developed by the Board of Studies to assist in the teaching and learning of French.

General comments

Teachers and candidates should be aware that examiners may ask questions that address the syllabus outcomes in a manner that requires candidates to respond by integrating their knowledge, understanding and skills developed through studying the course.

Candidates need to be aware that the marks allocated to the question and the answer space (where this is provided on the examination paper) are guides to the length of the required response. A longer response will not in itself lead to higher marks. Writing in excess of the space allocated may reduce the time available for answering other questions.

Candidates need to be familiar with the Board’s Glossary of Key Words which contains some terms commonly used in examination questions. However, candidates should also be aware that not all questions will start with or contain one of the key words from the glossary. Questions such as ‘how?’, ‘why?’ or ‘to what extent?’ may be asked or verbs may be used which are not included in the glossary, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.

Beginners

Oral examination

General comments

Most candidates were well-prepared, as evidenced by their ability to respond confidently and in depth to the examiner’s questions. Some candidates demonstrated a wider range of structures and vocabulary. Stronger performances usually resulted from French being pronounced more accurately, with grammar also being more accurate. Being able to transform information mastered in the first person into other forms was a skill displayed by stronger candidates.

Most candidates were able to justify their choice of free-time activities and their choice of subjects and describe friends and family members. Discussions about activities planned for the future often confused the period immediately after the HSC with next year. Candidates generally handled the petit boulot well this year and were able to expand on their answers. In better responses, candidates offered reasons and explanations before the examiner asked.

Candidates are encouraged to listen very attentively to the tense in which the question is phrased. Many candidates heard the key word vacances and presumed the examiner was asking about future holidays at the end of the HSC and not asking about past holidays. A similar pattern was noted in other subject areas of conversation, where it was obvious that a candidate heard the keyword and proceeded to give a prepared answer that did not directly answer the question.

In better responses, candidates did not sound the ending of third person plural verb forms, nor did they sound final consonants. Common mispronunciations included famille, dans, étudier and sœur. As je and j’ai were often not pronounced clearly, it was difficult at times to interpret the correct tense. Adjective agreements proved a problem for many candidates.

Written examination

Section I – Listening

General comments

Candidates are advised to read questions carefully and underline the key words. It is important for candidates to be familiar with numbers. It is equally important not to rely on general knowledge, but to justify answers with close reference to the text.

Specific comments

Question 2

The best responses included specific details on the topic of the discussion, such as the notion of organising a dinner to stay in contact with their classmates. Camarades de classe was sometimes interpreted as ‘camera class’.

Question 3

Better responses clearly identified the three main elements required for the excursion: money, food and appropriate clothing.

Question 4

Candidates needed to clearly indicate a single final choice for each item.

Question 5

This item proved challenging for candidates. Candidates are advised to listen to the whole of the text as a global understanding of the item is often being tested.

Question 6

In better responses, candidates understood the difference between magasin and magazine and also musée and musique. Some also noted that c’est la même chose referred to the Australians doing the same things as the French for activities.

Question 7

Better responses identified the speakers as a brother and sister, with the sister threatening to tell their mother. Punir was not well understood.

Question 8

The best responses identified and elaborated upon why Annie was fired. En panne and en retard were well understood.

Question 9(a)

In better responses, candidates understood that the text was not only about volunteering at an animal refuge, but synthesised the information about unwanted pets as Christmas presents and possible abandonment and mistreatment.

Question 10

In the best responses, candidates included all relevant detail. Many candidates understood inoubliable and enrichissante.

Section II – Reading

General comments

The best answers were accurate, included all relevant detail and did not include contradictory information. Responses including general comments based on general knowledge and not based on evidence from the texts received no marks. Candidates are also advised to avoid providing the same information for two different questions. The best responses showed that the judicious use of the dictionary plays a role in the quality of answers. To show understanding, English meanings need to be given, not quotes in French.

Specific comments

Question 11

1. In stronger responses, candidates correctly identified all the required information. Georges is boring and obsessed by his stamp collection and he doesn’t chat with Suzanne’s friends. Weaker responses provided few or incorrect details about Georges. Timbres was mistranslated and some candidates identified Georges as the name of a café. Il n’a même pas bavardé was not well understood by these candidates.
2. Stronger responses expressed Suzanne’s problem in detail. Even though she knew that Georges still loved her, her feelings had changed. She did not want to hurt his feelings, but she found him boring and she wanted to break up with him. Toujours was often incorrectly translated by ‘often changed her mind’ or ‘she has always loved him’. Some candidates thought lui was the person with whom she wanted to break up.

Question 12

1. Weaker responses lacked detail. La batterie was often mistakenly translated as battery. Some candidates interpreted regarder les autres faire du sport as ‘Cathy likes to play sport’. The noun les autres was wrongly translated as an adjective to mean different or other sports.
2. Stronger responses linked all the relevant information to provide a comprehensive answer. An enjoyable outing for Cathy Jourlin would be to walk along the beach at sunset, have a laugh with friends, preferably with a tall blond boy. Weaker responses did not include enough detail. Coucher du soleil was translated as lie/sleep/tan in the sun. Rire was mistaken for lire. In weaker responses, candidates did not use all the information provided in the text to construct an answer with enough detail or reused information from other avenues.

Question 13

1. In better responses, candidates explained not only that Gérard did not want to become a vet, but also explained why. In the weaker responses, candidates misunderstood words such as travailler, or ingénieur en informatique.
2. In some weak responses, bourse d’études was misinterpreted as ‘stock-exchange’. Candidates need to contextualise the meaning from the choices given in the dictionary. Candidates are reminded to include as much detail as possible in their responses and that the space allocated is indicative of the length of the response required.

Question 14

1. Most candidates demonstrated an overall understanding of the level of interest shown around the world in twirling, but did not include specific details such as that an equal number of men and women participated in the sport or that there is only one man out of 500 athletes who do twirling in Australia. Some candidates did not translate numbers accurately.
2. In better responses, candidates expressed exactly what twirling entailed. In weaker responses, expressions such as un bâton au moins were poorly expressed, with many candidates interpreting this expression as ‘less than a stick’ or ‘minus a stick’. The terms musique libre ou composée proved extremely difficult for many candidates. The phrase une discipline individuelle was interpreted as disciplining the individual. Un sport d’équipe was not often not understood, with équipe being translated as equipped or equipment. In weaker responses candidates often used French expressions, such as danse, in their responses or contradicted themselves when responding to this question.
   

Question 15

1. This question proved challenging for a large number of candidates. Better responses correctly identified what Didier said about this award-winning film. Weaker responses misunderstood what he was saying. The words prof, collège, élève, and milieux were often misinterpreted, once again underlining the importance of the candidates using their dictionaries to clarify meanings.
2. In better responses, candidates compared the responses of Madame Ledoux and Monsieur Gilbert to the film and they supported their answers with evidence from the text. In weaker responses, candidates indicated whether they liked or disliked the film without drawing on specifics. Some responses confused the information from all three reviewers. Candidates are encouraged to check their responses to make sure that what they have written makes sense and they have not omitted important words.

Section III – Writing in French

General comments

A number of very good responses showed knowledge of audience, purpose and context. In these, correct structures were used and the number of words was within the limit. If the word count is not met, responses often lack the detail necessary to satisfy the requirements of the task. Pre-prepared general material which in no way addressed the questions was occasionally used and this portion of the response was disregarded by markers.

When used as a reference tool, a dictionary is very useful. However, when every word is looked up it leads to incomprehensible expressions such as: louer moi savoir; environ cuis déjeuner, il le testament super. Responses that were otherwise good were tainted by this. Candidates must ensure that they have an extensive bank of vocabulary, idioms and expressions within the prescribed syllabus topics, as they do not have the time to look up everything in the dictionary. It is also important that candidates are aware of parts of speech, especially knowing how to look up verbs as opposed to nouns and vice versa.

Common errors included the mixture of tu and vous; misuse of je/j’ai; poor conjugation of reflexive verbs; infinitives in place of conjugated verbs; confusion of subject and object pronouns and tenses; incorrect past participles; misuse of prepositions; omission of the preposition à in à proximité and à côté; confusion between chercher and trouver; poor conjugation of the verb pouvoir in the present tense. Frequent spelling errors were in activités; cher/chère; plages; loin; vacances; bisous; beaucoup.

Some candidates need to pay special attention to text-types. A letter should look like a letter, with the use of paragraphs for new ideas. Responses that included an appropriate greeting and farewell were rewarded. Likewise the appropriate level of language must be used. Veuillez accepter… is unsuitable in an email to a friend.

Candidates would be well advised to develop a stock of such phrases: je t’invite; c’est dommage; tu es d’accord. Also, expressing the idea of ‘fun’ and ‘excitement’ could generally have been done better. Alternatives to je suis excité(e) like j’ai hâte de te voir, je meurs d’envie de te voir; j’attends ton arrivée avec impatience, je suis impatient(e) de te voir; je suis très enthousiaste pour ton voyage à are recommended.

Candidates are encouraged to use a variety of tenses and to use connectors for coherency and creativity.

Specific comments

Question 16

In better responses, candidates manipulated the stimulus material effectively to construct a thoughtful and original response. Weaker responses included rote-learned material. Others copied the material and poorly integrated it into the text. Many weak responses contained borrowings from the Reading and Responding section of the examination.

Responses need to be coherent, to make sense as a whole and relate to the question. Some candidates misread the question and wrote about a holiday they had been on or an upcoming holiday in Paris. The advertisement clearly implied a holiday by the sea.

Question 17

Better responses included a variety of possible activities and these ideas were expanded on, with candidates justifying their choices and using a variety of tenses accurately.

Question 18

Better responses developed original ideas and language relevant to the text type and were well-structured. There was a high degree of accuracy in the writing. In these responses, candidates used a wide range of vocabulary, tenses and language structures, with very little obvious use of the dictionary.

Some of the weaker responses indicated misuse of the dictionary, poor language structure and repetition. Candidates need to ensure that their answer responds to the question, rather than using a rote-learned answer. Generally, weaker responses did not follow the text type and were very limited in terms of relevant communication.

Continuers

Oral examination

Thorough preparation was shown by some candidates, allowing them to discuss all possible aspects of their personal world. They used sophisticated, precise and appropriate vocabulary and expressions, as well as manipulating the tenses and other grammatical structures in a manner which was convincing, confident, thoughtful, and thus authentic. Conversations were generally started with open-ended questions, which allowed candidates to respond freely with some prepared material; they were then asked questions which arose from what they had already said and which required them to explore the topic more fully. The ability to interweave learned and spontaneous material in an integrated way was a characteristic of better responses, whereas weaker responses demonstrated a clear difference in quality between what had been rote-learned and what candidates could produce thinking on their feet.

In better responses, candidates engaged with the questions, giving richness in both breadth and depth. They went beyond merely listing and explored further aspects of a particular event, idea or situation. Better responses included detailed comparisons, explanations and justifications of ideas and opinions, analysis of a problem or issue and clarification of the details of a situation.

In better responses, candidates demonstrated excellent pronunciation and intonation, displayed outstanding fluency, were highly confident, and employed highly developed vocabulary and expressions. Easy and correct manipulation of tenses, the use of a variety of conjunctions, as well as a high level of grammatical accuracy and sophistication were characteristic of the best responses.

Weaker responses often included incorrect pronunciation. Candidates should pay particular attention to silent letters or final consonants, for example in words like famille, tennis, semaine, meilleur, ville/vie, parents, temps, ans. Pronunciation of corps/cours, choix/chose also need attention. Candidates should also be aware of the need for grammatical accuracy, including verb conjugation, manipulation of tenses (at the very least, present, future, perfect, imperfect and conditional), use of the subjunctive of aller and avoir (j’aille/ j’aie), correct use of si clauses, prepositions when used incorrectly with verbs (eg J’adore de sortir, j’ai commencé de voyager, il s’intéresse le sport) and misuse of relative pronouns (eg quoi je ferai, le garçon qui j’ai rencontré, c’est quelque chose que j’ai besoin). Other common errors included: j’ai beaucoup des amis, sur le weekend, je vais au pied, c’est d’accord, j’étude français, je voyage à l’école, je joue au sport, les étudiants/ les élèves, c’est bon. Candidates should avoid anglicisms, such as especiellement and les sujets and should articulate clearly, for example je / j’ai.

Written examination

Section I – Listening and Responding

General comments

Candidates need to read each question carefully and respond to the question asked and not just translate elements of the text. They should ensure they transfer all information from the column to the responses in the spaces provided. Candidates are encouraged to spend time afterwards using a dictionary to ensure the correct meaning of words. Candidates are reminded to give their examples in English when they provide a quote. Candidates are advised to avoid using slang or abbreviations in their English expression to ensure ideas are clear. Candidates also need to be precise in their ideas; for example, if the word ‘father’ is used, they must not generalise and write ‘parents’. In multiple-choice questions, candidates must choose only one response.

Specific comments

Question 1

In weaker responses, Fête des mères was poorly understood and gâteau confused with cadeau.

Question 2

Candidates must be very precise when translating prepositions: devant was vaguely interpreted as ‘near’, ‘by’ or ‘before’.

Question 3

B was the correct response.

Question 4

Accompagner was sometimes translated as ‘country’. The term compréhensive does not equate to the English ‘comprehensive’. Parc d’attractions also proved problematic at times. The word morale was often translated as ‘teaching her morals’. In better responses, candidates deduced Catherine’s characteristics from the text and supported their responses with examples from the text.

Question 5

In weaker responses, candidates did not clearly explain that Stéphane was celebrating his 18th birthday and/or misinterpreted the tenses and moods used in the text.

Question 6

In weaker responses, candidates referred to a general problem faced by animals rather than specific ones caused by fires. ‘Animals affected by disaster’ was not enough information to receive full marks. The word incendies proved difficult for many candidates. Candidates should read the question carefully so that when they are asked the purpose of the text, they not only supply details/supporting evidence but identify the purpose.

Question 7

In some weaker responses, candidates confused Rachida’s questioning of her identity with being subjected to racism.

Question 8

In better responses candidates linked the details they provided to answering the specific question, in this case, how the interview increased the sales of the book. A number of candidates did not understand réchauffement climatique. When candidates provide linguistic devices, they should make sure the device is identified, an example given and an explanation of how the device works in relation to the question.

Section II – Reading and Responding

Part A

General comments

When using a dictionary it is important to select the meaning which fits the context. Some candidates misinterpreted the tense of some verbs.

Candidates are advised to read all the questions before reading the text. This will often provide some information about the text and enable the candidate to address each question in turn. It is useful to highlight key words in the questions, particularly those allocated 4–6 marks, to ensure that all elements of the question are addressed. When including supporting evidence from the text, responses must show clearly an understanding of the French, so translation or paraphrase is required. While many good answers had a global approach, the best responses always supported a generalisation with specific examples from the text. To ensure clarity of expression, candidates are advised to refer to the name of a person rather than a pronoun such as ‘he’ or ‘she’.

Question 9

1. Better responses included the idea that Annick’s personal experiences related to being looked at and the idea that Annick wanted to be understood. Candidates need to read the questions and the entire passage before attempting to respond. In this way they are prepared for the ‘purpose of the text’ type questions. A number of responses misinterpreted fauteuil roulant.
2. Responses needed to include the idea that Annick did not feel different despite the fact that she had a disability. A number of responses translated the quotation but omitted an understanding of pourtant which required the explanation that the real difference was Annick’s wheelchair.
3. Many responses interpreted Annick as a male, which impeded the understanding of the passage, particularly with regard to this response. If the gender is not immediately obvious there are usually sufficient clues in the text. A number of candidates used a ‘story telling’ technique which lacked both quotations from the text and the integration of language features. Candidates needed to translate or paraphrase quotations from the text. Candidates were required to explain the changes in Annick’s emotional states. Candidates who succinctly stated the changes, for example, sadness, contentedness, self-doubt, and then explained and linked them, using both content and relevant language features, provided clear responses.

Question 10

2. There was loss of clarity in some responses where candidates did not identify the two women by name, simply referring to them by the pronoun ‘she’. There was some mistranslation of fils. The phrase quand quelque chose ne va pas was mistranslated by some candidates as ‘when nothing else does’ rather than ‘when there is something wrong’. Better responses clearly identified that Carole’s advice always made Alice feel better – me font toujours du bien – and not that it helped her do the right thing.
3. Better responses clearly demonstrated a good understanding that Alice’s concerns were based on her deteriorating relationship with her son, his growing obsession with hip hop and heavy rock, and his withdrawal into music to avoid communication with his mother. A number of candidates thought that s’enferme dans son monde à lui meant Thierry’s physical withdrawal into his bedroom.
4. Many candidates clearly demonstrated a perceptive understanding of how Paul Gaudin, a professional author of books dealing with adolescence, would have explained Thierry’s behaviour as normal for a teenager searching for his identity. The better answers also correctly identified reasons why there was conflict between teenagers and their parents. Weaker responses misinterpreted tribu as a tribute to musical idols and some candidate’s interpreted les parents … ont du mal à imposer leur autorité as meaning it was bad for the parents to impose their authority.
5. This question required more than simple translation of the passage. In better responses, candidates made a clear statement of whether or not the email would be helpful to Alice and then justified their point(s) of view with relevant illustrations from the text. Some candidates confused l’internat with l’internet. En pension was mistranslated with its English cognate. Some weaker responses included judgments or generalisations about parenting practices which were not related in any way to the question nor the text.

Part B

General comments

A major focus of this question is comprehension and candidates need to demonstrate their understanding of the text by responding in an appropriate manner to the key points. It is important for candidates to identify the correct text type and use the appropriate format and language when answering. Candidates are reminded that information from the text should be manipulated appropriately and not simply transcribed. Candidates should allocate enough time to carefully check their work, as overly long responses often result in insufficient time to correct errors.

Specific comments

Question 11

Candidates had to incorporate elements from the advertisement and from the email that Sébastien wrote and write an email to Sébastien. Some candidates mistakenly wrote an email answering Sébastien’s reply, instead of writing the email which would then elicit his response. Some candidates wrote inappropriate endings which would be more suitable to that of a formal letter. The vous form was required and many candidates were inconsistent in their use of it. In assessing understanding, candidates needed to inquire about five key elements from Sébastien’s email:

• Who are the people they would be sharing with?
• What is the atmosphere like?
• What are the arrangements for meals?
• Is the room furnished?
• Could they visit the apartment?

Candidates also needed to respond to the advertisement by giving some information about themselves and their expectations of living in shared accommodation. In better responses, candidates successfully wove in some of the extra details from the advertisement, like references to the internet, location and price while maintaining a natural tone. These candidates also formulated appropriate questions and developed these in some way. In the weaker responses, candidates had difficulty forming questions and often confused qu’est-ce que and est-ce que or did not use a verb when asking a question. Many candidates did not use the word annonce when referring to the advertisement and incorrectly used une publicité or the anglicism un advertisement. Some candidates confused bureau with desk rather than ‘office’.

Better responses were characterised by the use of a varied range of vocabulary and expressions, with a good control of tenses. Some responses were marred by poor knowledge of verbs and incorrect spelling of basic vocabulary. The present tense was used poorly in a significant number of responses, for instance j’étude, j’utile. Other errors included: incorrect adjectival agreements; incorrect use of tenses, especially mixing the future and conditional tenses; confusion between words such as les cours and les courses.

Section III – Writing in French

General comments

Candidates are reminded to plan responses and to carefully select material that is relevant to the text type and answers the question. Going off on a tangent and inserting rote-learned paragraphs detracted from responses, no matter how impressive the French in these paragraphs. Reliance on rote-learned responses, especially that which candidates appear to have prepared for speaking was not advisable, as often material was not relevant to the question, nor was it well integrated. Candidates are advised to set aside time to check their writing and to use the dictionary to check genders and spelling. Many inadvertent errors could be avoided by more careful proofreading. Candidates are also reminded to manage their time well in order to complete the task and allow time for checking.

Specific comments

Question 12

The register of language used by candidates was generally appropriate, with better responses communicating ideas and information in a natural way. Overall, responses were appropriate to the text type. Developing beyond the requirements, giving too many irrelevant details, going off on a tangent and inserting rote-learned chunks of text detracted from responses. In better responses, candidates used a variety of tenses, structures and vocabulary and also manipulated language appropriately, accurately and authentically.

Candidates are reminded that the suggested word length is part of the task requirements. It is not advantageous to write more than what is required. The best responses did not exceed the word length; they were succinct, to the point and relevant. Better responses developed explanations in some detail, were logical and accurate, flowed well and communicated ideas naturally and appropriately. Notes that were too long lacked authenticity, demonstrated inadequate planning and poor selection of material and often were not proofread carefully. Using complex structures that did not fit the context or the text type impeded communication rather than enhanced it.

Better responses demonstrated a variety of structures and tenses: accurate use of present, future, imperfect and the perfect tenses, appropriate use of si clauses, the subjunctive and the perfect infinitive. Asking questions of parents and using the imperative to reassure them were very natural and appropriate ways to showcase competent manipulation of language. Better responses were credible, developed in a logical way and were well organised.

Common errors included misuse of basic vocabulary (eg des ménages for le ménage), misuse of verbs (eg visiter for rendre visite à, savoir for connaître), basic verb conjugations (especially in the tu) form, reflexive verb conjugations, irregular verb conjugations (eg pouvoir and promettre in all tenses), irregular past participles, errors in adjectival agreements, adverb placement, pronoun object use and placement, demonstrative adjectives (cet, cette), mixing of homophones (eg est/et, ces/c’est/ses), misspelling of nouns (eg le travail) where candidates confused the noun with the verb forms.

Question 13

In the weaker (a) responses, some candidates described some parties they had been to, without expressing their thoughts about their parents’ reaction. Similarly in (b), some candidates talked about an exchange experience without reflecting much about the forthcoming return home. For (a) and (b), the best responses were those scripts which addressed key words from the questions: ‘thoughts’, ‘reflect’ and ‘feelings’.

The most common grammatical mistakes were: gender of some very common words (eg journal, échange, France), basic conjugation of verbs (eg prendre, partir and sortir), si clauses, confusion between the imparfait and the passé composé, position of pronouns, prepositional verbs, confusion between savoir and connaître, misuse of the verb manquer, anglicisms, inaccuracy of idiomatic phrases, faux-amis, accents and basic errors in gender agreements (adjectives and past participles). In the weaker responses, candidates did not distinguish between a noun, adjective or verb category or between contexts and language registers when using dictionaries. These candidates had difficulty translating key terms such as ‘to experience’, ‘to miss’, ‘to party’ or ‘to feel’. English influence was also evident at times with the poor translation of ‘to make a decision’, ‘to be excited’, ‘to introduce’, ‘to have fun’, ‘to have a good time’ and ‘memories’.

Better responses demonstrated a good attempt at variety of sentence structures and tenses (si clauses, expressions in the subjunctive mood, rhetorical questions), appropriate idioms and expressions and a broad range of relevant vocabulary.

Information needed to be presented in a coherent and structured sequence. Some answers were far too long or left unfinished. Some candidates wrote introductions which were too long and did not get to the point quickly enough. Nothing is gained by writing an extensively long script. Many better responses were clear and succinct.

Extension

Oral examination

General comments

In better responses, candidates presented and developed a logical, well-structured argument within the time allocation. They outlined concisely the plan of their argument, giving relevant examples to support their argument. These responses were well explained and linked to the question asked. Better responses demonstrated a high level of linguistic competence and communicated ideas confidently and authentically, with only minor inaccuracies.

Candidates are advised to begin concluding their argument after two and a half minutes, ie upon hearing the first bell, and should aim to finish speaking by the time they hear the second bell.

Responses that relied heavily on rote-learned material often did not address the question. Giving a lengthy introduction that has no connection to the question wastes precious time. While the appropriate use of phrases and linking words is essential, candidates should avoid an overabundance of set phrases used out of context, and reflections on whether the question is difficult, common or tricky serve no purpose and in fact detract from the argument.

Specific comments

Question 1

In better responses, candidates understood the notion of being devoted to a cause and described the positive or negative consequences of this, or both. Examples related to people such as Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela on the positive side and Hitler or members of terrorist organisations on the negative side. Better responses referred not only to consequences for humanity but also on a personal level.

Some responses did not identify the prescribed issue being addressed in the question and as a consequence attempted to rewrite the question, relying on rote-learned material on one or all of the prescribed issues. In poorer responses, candidates misinterpreted the idea of being devoted to a cause and merely tried to relate this idea to their personal world (eg being devoted to sport or to doing one’s homework).

Question 2

In better responses, candidates linked the question to the prescribed issues, using sophisticated structures and complex ideas to illustrate their argument. They included a balanced argument on the pros and cons of city living in regard to the environment and social aspects. Poorer responses were often based on a superficial comparison of city versus country life and communicated ideas in more simple language. In many cases this resulted in little more than the reciting of lists. Common words such as ville and habitat were often mispronounced. A few poor responses included discussion of the prescribed text, or confined their argument to their own or their family’s experience of living in either the city or the country.

Written examination

Section I – Response to Prescribed Text

Part A

General comments

In general, a sound understanding of the settings, events, characters, their portrayal and the issues was evident, with many candidates offering perceptive interpretations and analysis. A number of weak responses included general information without referring to specific examples from the given extract to support and justify their answers.

Candidates are advised to take the time to note down some main points to ensure that major concepts are covered in their answer. This will help structure a clear, logical response and avoid repetition of the same idea or restricting a response to a limited set of ideas. Candidates need to read the questions thoroughly to ensure they cover all aspects. Quotations need to be either paraphrased into English or translated.

Copying given quotations or large tracts from the extract to justify a point of view is not advised. Candidates are urged to write legibly.

Specific comments

Question 1

2. The best responses linked the use of the future tense to the theme of stubborn attachment to ideas and self-image. They also included an understanding of Jean’s unwavering certainty despite earlier setbacks and failures. It was also possible to make a comparison of the use of the future tense as opposed to the use of the conditional tense, as this implied that Jean had no concept that his plans would not eventuate. Generalisations such as simply saying that the future tense showed that Jean was determined, without explanation, were insufficient and needed expansion and/or qualification.

   Some responses displayed a misunderstanding of the future tense and thought that its use implied doubt. A translation of the lines given with an explanation that it simply meant that these plans were what Jean intended to do in the future did not demonstrate understanding of Jean’s use of the tense.

3. In order to properly answer this question, the actual treatment of the family by Jean had to be identified, ie when he says calme-toi and silence to his child and wife. This then needed to be analysed in terms of what the reader learns about Jean and not what this told us about Aimée and Manon or even Ugolin since this was not a requirement of the question. Similarly, mention of Jean’s mother and/or her property was not relevant, as this did not constitute Jean’s treatment of his family. It was also possible to view his treatment of his family in terms of his caring for his family, making all the decisions, shouldering all the responsibility and trying to reassure them. Well-justified and clearly articulated responses were accepted for this interpretation. Better answers were supported with evidence and examples from the given extract.

4. This question required candidates to view the relationship from both sides, rather than just either Jean’s or Ugolin’s perspective. A relationship is necessarily two-sided and the question referred to both characters, therefore responses that only looked at the relationship from one side were limited in their scope and analysis. Better responses made close reference to the given text to justify the observation about the relationship. In better responses, examples were used to describe the nature of Ugolin’s relationship to Jean. Close reading and analysis of the given text revealed many references to the nature of the relationship and candidates are advised to use their reading time to search the extract for supporting examples. Examples such as Ugolin referring to Jean as ‘Monsieur Jean’ provided immediate support for an understanding of the nature of their relationship.

   Responses that went beyond the given extract did not meet the requirements of the question. Candidates are also reminded that it is better to paraphrase rather than quote as it shows implicit understanding of the content. Candidates should ensure that the paraphrase is relevant to the question.

5. Better responses included two or even three references from the given quote with coherent analysis and justification of Jean’s relationship with the land. References to Jean’s relationship to the land throughout the novel were many and varied, but once again responses that stated an idea and were supported with examples from the text were the best. In this question it was possible to talk about Jean’s philosophies about living an authentic life, becoming a man of nature and living in harmony with it, but these ideas needed contextualisation and qualification. Generalities with no support could not be awarded marks.

Part B

Specific comments

Question 2

The text quoted as part of the question relates to an event which occurred on the family’s first outing into the village. Candidates were required to write two diary entries written by Jean Cadoret: one entry written on the eve of this excursion and one written upon the family’s return home.

Entry 1

In the best responses, candidates successfully accounted for the decision to go into the village at last and reflected on Jean’s happiness and his confidence. Caution based on his memory of his mother’s and Ugolin’s warnings about the inhabitants of Les Bastides was also mentioned but mixed with hope and/or defiance. The best responses included relevant details about the recent period leading up to this moment of decision, such as the relation of Jean’s trials and successes as well as an evocation of the family’s pleasant life in the country.

Entry 2

In the best responses, candidates highlighted Jean’s anger and paranoia as well as at times, feelings of arrogance confused with fear and alienation, while at the same time indicating an inability on Jean’s behalf to recognise the true nature of events. In these responses, candidates used language naturally and effectively to evoke two quite different states of mind as they moved from one entry to the next. The detail required to flesh out each entry was present and was woven in seamlessly. The raw anger in the quote was built upon in the second entry with use of devices such as emotive expressions, exclamations and short, sharp sentences to enable the reader to infer how Jean feels. This was much more effective than narration.

Less successful responses had a similarity of tone throughout with mere recitation of events (some irrelevant) in a neutral tone, peppered with the odd piece of vocabulary to describe a feeling. These responses did not demonstrate the language control that would allow the candidate to write a comprehensive or perceptive response. Anglicisms were sometimes jarring. There was frequent misuse of negatives and pronouns in the past tense, bosse and bossu were sometimes confused.

Section II – Writing in French

General comments

In the best responses, candidates presented and developed a sophisticated, clearly structured argument, supported by a range of relevant ideas treated in depth. They showed a good understanding of the context and purpose of the question and manipulated language effectively, with a consistently high level of grammatical accuracy and sophistication of vocabulary and structures.

In some instances, candidates relied heavily on rote-learned material, resulting in responses that were either slightly or completely off-topic. Some attempts at including highly sophisticated language lacked authenticity. A number of responses contained lexical and/or grammatical inaccuracies, which detracted from the overall quality of the response. Most common errors involved verb endings and conjugation, agreements and genders including words that appeared in the question, eg la instead of le before patriotisme. While most candidates adhered to the suggested word length, some responses were short or unfinished.

Question 3

In better responses, candidates defined the terms victimes and inégalités and took into account all aspects of the question, supporting their point of view with a range of pertinent and well-developed examples. These examples often reflected a great awareness by candidates of specific social issues in France and in Australia, as well as in a broader worldwide context. In some responses, candidates honed in on the term victimes, writing about the effects of being a victim of a crime or other violent incident rather than referring to victims of ‘inequality’. Some weak responses contained generalisations or sweeping statements not backed up by relevant examples.

Question 4

In some better responses, candidates began by defining patriotism before developing a mature and convincing argument to justify whether or not it is still a valid concept in the 21st century. In poorer responses, candidates reproduced rehearsed material about racism, globalisation and technology without making links to the question asked.

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