2011 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Filipino Continuers
Contents
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 course in Filipino Continuers. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2011 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 relevant syllabus, the 2011 Higher School Certificate examination, the marking guidelines and other support documents developed by the Board of Studies to assist in the teaching and learning of Filipino.
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 far beyond the indicated space 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 that are not included in the glossary, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.
Oral examination
Conversation
The majority of candidates maintained a conversation, most going beyond a minimal response, using appropriate language structures across a range of topics. Candidates need to be prepared to manipulate language and respond to questions that are from all topics in the syllabus, within the bounds of their personal world. Candidates who had pre-learned rote responses found difficulty manipulating language to effectively answer some of the questions asked.
The best responses were fluent, presented and discussed opinions, and justified points of view. These responses also demonstrated a sophisticated command of the language, using appropriate verb structures, a range of vocabulary, appropriate intonation and effective manipulation of language.
In the weakest responses, candidates had difficulty understanding the questions, even when rephrased; other candidates understood the questions but did not express their responses fluently in Filipino. These candidates showed a tendency to answer using single words and set phrases, had poor pronunciation, and used English words and expressions. Weaker responses showed attempts to use a set response, even when it did not satisfactorily answer the question.
Discussion
Candidates presented a wide variety of appropriate topics. The better researched the topic, the better the candidates’ responses were, as the resources provided a platform for different points of view on which the candidates could draw. Candidates are reminded that they need to refer to at least three resources and the more closely the topic is related to the resources, the better their ability to discuss, provide opinions, and support these with close references to the resources used.
Candidates referenced a range of texts, such as the internet, magazines, interviews and surveys. Most had at least one literary resource, films being the most popular. In the best responses, the candidates made perceptive references to these texts and linked their research to their personal world by comparing views in the texts studied and then giving their own opinions, supported by facts and details, such as dates, places and statistics. These candidates had a sophisticated approach to the topic studied and to the way they presented and discussed views. Their responses showed an accuracy and fluency of expression and they presented ideas in different ways, using a variety of language structures and features, such as idiom.
Weaker responses were characterised by a lack of in-depth understanding of the topic and some seemed to be speaking from general knowledge rather than research, with limited ability to present and discuss issues, opinions and/or arguments. A discussion requires more than simply describing or presenting facts and figures. These candidates tended to be unable to express themselves in Filipino, were halting and hesitant, and made frequent grammatical errors. In these weaker responses, candidates did not demonstrate the ability to make detailed and perceptive references (marking guidelines) to the texts they were to have used in researching the in-depth study. Candidates need to be reminded that preparing a topic for the Discussion requires the in-depth study of at least three texts, one of which will be a literary text, such as a novel, play, film or poem (BOS update to Filipino syllabus). A literary text, such as a film, novel, short story, poem or song, enables candidates to bring different perspectives to the study and provides a better platform for a discussion than webpages, conversations with family members, travel brochures and the like.
Written examination
Section 1 – Listening and Responding
Part A
Question 2
Candidates needed to recognise the changes in attitude of the driver and to explain what these different attitudes were in order to score full marks.
Question 3
Candidates are reminded that numbers can occur in a variety of themes and topics and it is recommended that candidates revise them carefully.
Part B
Question 6
In the best responses, candidates justified their answers and showed a perceptive understanding of the text.
Question 7
The best responses demonstrated a perceptive understanding of the text.
Section 2 – Reading and Responding
Part A
Questions 8 and 9
In Question 9, some candidates were confused by the different reviews and tended to concentrate on one, the positive one, rather than the negative one. In addition, in 9 (c) weaker responses ignored the need to refer to language and content.
Part B
Question 10
Overall, candidates responded well to this text. The best responses used the correct text type and the appropriate conventions of a report, displaying extensive knowledge of vocabulary and sentence structure in well-organised paragraphs. These responses outlined the successes of the festival and also expressed the concerns identified in Balitang.Bayan.Blog.com.
Weaker responses tended to use an inappropriate text type, writing a letter or speech rather than a report. These responses were often characterised by poor expression and interference from English words and phrases.
Section 3 – Writing in Filipino
Question 11
The best responses used persuasive language in a well-structured text, with extensive and appropriate vocabulary. The weakest responses tended to focus on a particular aspect of the bid rather than referring to a number of benefits, such as facilities, landscape or transport.
Candidates are reminded of the need to be aware of the linguistic requirements and conventions of the various text types, such as formal letters (addresses, headings, greetings, closing expressions and formal language) or a speech (opening address, reference to audience and appropriately persuasive language).
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