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2012 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Indonesian

Contents

• Introduction 1
• Preparing for the Beginners/Continuers oral examinations 2
• Indonesian Beginners 2
  • Oral examination 2
  • Written examination 3
  • Section I — Listening 3
  • Section II — Reading 4
  • Section III — Writing in Indonesian 5
• Indonesian Continuers 6
  • Oral examination 6
  • Written examination 7
  • Section I — Listening and Responding 7
  • Section II — Reading and Responding 7
  • Section III — Writing in Indonesian 9
• Indonesian Extension 10
  • Oral examination 10
  • Written examination 11
  • Section I — Response to Prescribed Text 11
  • Section II — Writing in Indonesian 12

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 courses in Indonesian. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2012 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 2012 Higher School Certificate examinations, the marking guidelines and other support documents developed by the Board of Studies to assist in the teaching and learning of Indonesian.

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 mark 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 that are not included in the glossary may be used, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.

Preparing for the Beginners/Continuers oral examinations

Detailed advice for teachers and students about the nature and conduct of the HSC oral examinations is provided on the Board’s website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/languages.html.

However, teachers and students are reminded that:

• Questions will relate to the candidate’s personal world as it relates to the prescribed topics in the syllabus.
• Neither the number of questions nor the number of topics covered by the examination is predetermined. The examiner may ask questions that relate to a previous response made by the candidate or may introduce a new topic.
• Candidates should answer each question ONLY with information related specifically to the question asked.
• Candidates who attempt to dominate the conversation with long, rote-learned monologues will be interrupted by the examiner at an appropriate moment.
• Candidates will be asked questions that relate to past, present and future experience.
• If candidates do not understand a question, they may ask for the question to be repeated, clarified or rephrased in the language being examined. Candidates should NOT ask the examiner to translate words or questions.
• Candidates should NOT identify themselves, their teachers or their schools to the examiner.

Indonesian Beginners

Oral examination

Most candidates expressed relevant information and opinions in response to the examiner’s questions. However, in the best responses, candidates conversed naturally with the examiner and provided some kind of personal commentary to support their responses.

Candidates demonstrated some knowledge of vocabulary and language structures. In better responses, candidates included a wide range of vocabulary, sophisticated structures and authentic phrases, such as passive construction and linking words. These candidates used less predictable language and less formulaic sentences. Also in better responses, candidates elaborated without being prompted by the examiner, giving some depth to the discussion beyond a superficial level. They also included the use of the correct register and were fluent and natural with the examiner.

Candidates should pay attention to word order and pronoun usage, particularly when restating the question.

Candidates should be careful not to use too many cognates or to revert to English while responding to the examiner’s questions. They should have a range of strategies within the target language in order to seek assistance, such as asking for the question to be repeated, or to indicate that they do not understand the question.

Candidates are encouraged to practise and use correct pronunciation and intonation. Words that were commonly mispronounced included anak-anak, belakang, perpustakaan and teman.

Written examination

Section I — Listening

General comments

Making notes, even for the multiple-choice questions, will assist candidates in selecting the correct response. Re-checking questions and re-reading responses will help ensure that the questions have been answered. Proofreading responses will ensure that answers are succinct and make sense.

Specific comments

Question 1

Despite the relatively simple nature of most of the vocabulary in this question, many candidates did not include the detail required to gain full marks. Tugas appeared unfamiliar. Also, many responses did not correctly provide the time by which the history task was due.

Question 4

Although most candidates identified that Sri was upset because Budi went to the movies without her, many did not add the detail that she was annoyed because he did not invite her or that she said he had promised to go with her.

Question 5

In better responses, candidates identified most of the mother’s concerns.

In weaker responses, candidates wrote from the perspective of the son, thus not directly answering the question. The cognate insinyur appeared unfamiliar.

Question 6

Most candidates responded well to this question, though some could not identify the fact that a well-known Indonesian chef would be working at the new restaurant. Many responses did not correctly identify the 25% discount.

Question 8

Most candidates correctly contrasted Ketut’s reluctance to watch the surfing competition with her keenness to eat at the restaurant. Often, bersilancar and membosankan were not identified.

Question 9

Most candidates identified that Peter enjoyed his trip to the Botanical Gardens in Bogor. In better responses, candidates demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of his interest in both gardening and photography, as well as the fact that he received some photography advice from a photographer from a gardening magazine. Nasehat appeared unfamiliar.

Question 10

Most students displayed substantial understanding of Dion’s positive feelings about his new house and provided detailed reasons for why he really liked it. In better responses, candidates also correctly identified the one negative aspect of the new house – namely, it was so big that it required more time to clean.

Question 11

Candidates were required to compare how Feni and Lukman each viewed their work situation.

In better responses, candidates identified the reasons behind Feni’s frustration at work and then contrasted these with the calm advice given by Lukman.

In weaker responses, candidates merely referred to the situation without identifying what it was.

Section II — Reading

General comments

In this section, ALL responses MUST be in English.

Candidates are advised to read the question carefully and take time to prepare their responses, taking into account the key words in the question, eg ‘reflect’ or ‘justify’. Candidates should provide as much relevant information as possible to show thorough understanding of the texts.

Candidates are advised to be cautious about using the first word they discover when looking in the dictionary and to ensure that they cross-check in order to be certain that they are using the correct translation.

Candidates are reminded to:

• directly answer the questions asked
• read the whole of the stimulus text, as the information required to answer the questions may be found in different parts of the stimulus passage – it is good practice to read the questions before reading the text, including the heading, as important information about the text can be acquired
• make sure that their responses reflect the marks allocated
• read the questions carefully in order to avoid overlapping answers
• read through their responses to ensure that they make sense and are not contradictory.

Specific comments

Question 12

Most candidates demonstrated an understanding of the diary entry and also used the punctuation clues to allow them to provide some reflection on how Kadek would have felt the next day. Many errors were made with times, eg satu setengah jam.

Question 13

1. Many candidates achieved full marks by indicating that Siti worked in an aged care hospital.
2. In better responses, candidates linked the receipt of the nurse’s uniform for her fifth birthday with her desire to become a nurse.

Some candidates did not recognise sejak.

3. In better responses, candidates succinctly identified her two decisions following the work experience and the reasons for them.

Question 14

3. Many candidates identified at least two reasons why tourists would feel confident booking a tour with this company. However, the high level of safety was often omitted.
4. In better responses, candidates clearly identified the categories of people likely to enjoy the tour – namely, those wishing to escape the traffic congestion and pollution in the city, those wishing to interact with natural environments, and those wishing to look after their health by cycling while enjoying extraordinary views.

Question 15

2. Candidates needed to indicate to what extent Erna’s career choice was influenced by her parents. Candidates who merely translated the text did not provide sufficient detail because they did not directly answer the question. In some weaker responses, candidates identified generalised information without giving a judgement of the extent of the parent’s influence.
3. Candidates were required to write their response as a summary in bullet or point form. Many candidates identified a few of Erna’s likely plans for the future, but not all of them.

Section III — Writing in Indonesian

General comments

In order to maximise the marks gained in writing skills, candidates are advised to allocate both planning and editing time to their time allocation for this section of the examination. Time spent planning guarantees that the purpose, audience and context are considered, and also provides opportunity for candidates to design responses that are higher in creativity. Editing work after writing assists candidates in eliminating unnecessary errors.

Question 16

Generally, candidates provided a variety of reasons for changing their travel plans. In better responses, they also provided reasons for the change. Candidates are reminded to be aware of the audience. In this case, it was not appropriate to assume a personal relationship with the travel agent.

Candidates needed to read carefully the instructions in English, but then use their knowledge of Indonesian to express themselves. It is not necessary to translate the question word for word. Many candidates had difficulty attempting to express the concept of change in Indonesian. They could have avoided it by stating what they now wanted to do instead of what was planned.

Question 17

Generally, candidates demonstrated awareness of purpose, context and audience and provided creative responses. Better responses included a variety of vocabulary and language structures while avoiding repetition. Candidates are also reminded to avoid literal translation from English into Indonesian and to use the dictionary with care. Candidates should avoid predictable descriptions and instead include a variety of language structures, including qualifiers, in order to personalise their texts. In addition, it is suggested that a range of sentence types be used rather than starting every sentence with a pronoun.

Question 18

In better responses, candidates used a wide range of vocabulary and structures to express original ideas that were relevant to the question. These responses also demonstrated evidence of planning through the clear organisation of ideas and they adhered to the conventions of required text type – in this case, a letter.

In better responses to option (b), candidates consistently used appropriate language to address the grandparents. Note that kamu is not an appropriate term of address for grandparents.

Common errors included:

• direct translation from English to Indonesian, as English idioms do not translate well into Indonesian, eg ‘I can’t wait’, ‘to have fun’ and ‘I’m excited’
• incorrect expression of loan words from English, eg 22 September instead of tanggal 22 September
• incorrect use of ke in verb forms rather than as a preposition, which is only followed by a place
• incorrect usage of itu.

Indonesian Continuers

Oral examination

General comments

In better responses, candidates engaged with the examiner and answered the questions directly with relevant information, rather than giving prepared answers.

Also in better responses, candidates responded in some depth to the topic being explored. Candidates maintained good intonation and pronunciation, as well as replicating an authentic Indonesian accent. They also demonstrated knowledge of a range of sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structures and maintained a high level of grammatical accuracy throughout the conversation. Better responses also demonstrated skills in manipulating the language of the question.

Candidates are advised to listen carefully to determine the perspective of the question and whether it refers to themselves (Anda) or someone else (dia, kakak Anda).

The following areas of difficulty were noted:

• not replacing Anda from the question
• misuse of kita (we; myself and others, as well as the examiner) instead of kami (we; myself and others, but not the examiner)
• misuse of supaya (so that/in order to) instead of sehingga (so that/as a result) and vice versa
• misuse of sambil/sementara/sedangkan
• misuse of siapa or bahwa instead of yang
• misuse of itu to translate ‘it’
• misuse of kapan (the question word) instead of waktu/ketika/kalau to express ‘when’
• misuse of senang to express ‘like’
• misuse of menikmati (to enjoy) instead of menyenangkan (enjoyable)
• misuse of lucu (funny) for ‘fun’
• misuse of menarik (interesting) instead of tertarik akan/pada … (interested in …)
• misuse of adalah/ialah before a verb or an adjective
• misuse of bekerja (to work) instead of mengerjakan/melakukan (to do)
• unnecessary duplication after plural expressions such as banyak, eg banyak teman-teman instead of banyak teman
• incorrect pronunciation and intonation of the words dengan, karena, pantai, kadang-kadang and sekolah
• not using Indonesian terms for countries and school subjects
• incorrect word order, eg saya baik teman instead of teman baik saya
• inaccuracies in using the object-focus construction, especially in the first and second person, eg buku yang paling saya sukai.

Written examination

Section I — Listening and Responding

General comments

In better responses, candidates identified relevant, specific, detailed information from the texts. They also drew conclusions, provided sound justification supported by relevant facts, and analysed language use.

Specific comments

Question 1

In weaker responses, candidates simply referred to a party rather than a school party/formal.

Question 2

Most candidates identified the correct destination and type of ticket. In weaker responses, candidates did not correctly identify the number of tickets required.

Question 4

Candidates are reminded that in this style of question, it is important to have a strong global understanding of the entire item and not to be misled by the identification of single items of vocabulary, for example menjemput.

Question 5

In better responses, candidates identified that the park had not yet received a permit to operate. Some candidates incorrectly concluded that the amusement park had not yet opened.

Question 6

While most candidates identified that PAS was an acronym for the three words Pasti, Aman and Segera, many could not provide appropriate translations for each one. In better responses, candidates made links between these three words and the services provided by the volunteers.

Question 7

Most candidates identified that the tone changed from angry to encouraging and also identified the reasons for this. In better responses, candidates also explained how the change in tone was reflected through the use of language by referring to the impact created by the use of ibu-ibu dan bapak-bapak versus the use of kita.

Question 8

Most candidates identified some relevant detail. In better responses, candidates referred to the man’s use of empathy, flattery and bribery in an attempt to persuade his wife to allow Rini to go home for Lebaran.

Section II — Reading and Responding

Part A

General comments

Candidates are encouraged to read the questions prior to reading the texts as an aid to identifying the meaning of unfamiliar words and to formulate their understanding of the texts. This will also help them to determine the information required for each discrete response.

Information required to answer a question may be found in different parts of the text, so candidates are advised to read the whole text, including the heading, to gain a global understanding of it. Candidates should provide specific, relevant textual references to support their responses.

Candidates are encouraged to work on their ability to successfully write summaries. Teachers are encouraged to work on developing each student’s skill in this area.

Time should not be wasted quoting in Indonesian and English. If candidates include quotations in their responses, they must be in English to demonstrate an understanding of the meaning.

Candidates should provide the meaning of phrases and sentences in context, rather than in word-for-word translations.

Question 9

1. In better responses, candidates identified that Benny had written to Dr Hati seeking advice about his relationship with N and whether she actually loved him or was simply using him for his car.
2. Most candidates had little difficulty identifying how Benny’s friends viewed his relationship with N. However, many candidates did find it harder to summarise the doctor’s viewpoint. In better responses, candidates identified Dr Hati’s reference to the saying Cinta itu buta as a means of showing how Benny is blind to the reality of the situation. These candidates also referred to the doctor’s assessment of Benny’s mental state, expressed in the text as mengalami konflik batin, antara cinta dan harga diri.
3. Most candidates identified the test suggested by Dr Hati and the fact that N was not likely to pass this test. In better responses, candidates referred to the incident when Benny was late to an important university lecture and N’s disregard for whether Benny is busy or not as evidence to suggest her likely failure.

Question 10

1. Most candidates identified that this blog was written in response to the repeated attempts by many bosses to ban midday naps in the workplace. In better responses, candidates identified that Siestasari strongly opposed this ban and that she viewed the bosses’ reasons for wanting to ban naps as inaccurate and in opposition to the customs of their ancestors. Problem vocabulary included punah and nenek moyang. In weaker responses, nenek moyang was confused with the term for grandmother, leading some candidates to believe that Siestasari’s blog included an anecdote about her grandmother.
2. Most candidates identified that both Siestasari and Mia supported the idea of midday naps. Both saw these naps as being beneficial to one’s health and wellbeing. In better responses, candidates acknowledged the similarities between Mia’s mother’s and the bosses’ views on midday naps, as well as Mia’s positive response to this blog. The phrase Sekarang saya bebas dari rasa bersalah was not widely understood.
3. In better responses, candidates identified the 4Ks as being the four major areas to benefit from day-napping: kesehatan (health), keselamatan (safety), kecerdasan (intelligence) and kecantikan (beauty). They gave examples from the text to support the view that this title was a most suitable one, eg kecerdasan (improved memory and ability to think more creatively) and kecantikan (better skin and more radiant eyes).

In weaker responses, keselamatan and kecerdasan were not correctly translated. The expression tekanan darah tinggi was misunderstood by many candidates, who related tinggi with growing taller.

4. The most obvious difference noted by candidates was the difference in the style of language used in the two text types. Candidates contrasted the informal style of the blog with the formal style of the article. They noted the use of colloquial language in the blog, and gave appropriate examples. In better responses, candidates linked these observations to the intended audience for each text – namely, young people for the blog and older, more educated people for the article.

Other points of discussion included:

• the emotive style of the blog, with its references to adat and nenek moyang, as opposed to the factual style of the article, which uses phrases such as banyak penelitian membuktikan …
• the interactive style of the blog, with links to other sites and the opportunity to respond, as opposed to the article, which does not invite a response from its target audience
• the more personal nature of the blog, which uses first-person pronouns such as aku and kita, in contrast to the article, which uses the impersonal orang and dia.

Part B

Question 11

In better responses, candidates displayed features of a diary entry, including emotions and personal reflections of aspects of the New Year’s Eve event attended. These candidates detailed their experiences and feelings about the event’s activities, and included clear reasons for their choice of event. They reflected successfully on whether their choice was a good one. They also displayed consistent register and excellent control of language. A variety of conjunctions was used to link ideas and make the text coherent.

The following areas of difficulty were noted:

• word-for-word translations from English resulting in incorrect Indonesian, eg pergi ke makan siang
• confusion expressing the idea of ‘having fun’, eg mengalami asoi or mempunyai asoi instead of bersenang-senang
• problems expressing ‘for many hours’, which should be berjam-jam
• affixation, eg mengalami rather than pengalaman and makan instead of makanan
• incorrect word order, eg lain kali instead of kali lain, cantik cewek instead of cewek cantik, and positif aspek instead of aspek positif
• confusion concerning the use of ramai and sibuk
• problems expressing time words and phrases, eg lalu malam instead of malam lalu, dulu tahun instead of tahun yang lalu, and hari besok instead of hari berikutnya
• use of sambil when waktu was more appropriate
• confusion concerning the use of gratis, bebas and merdeka
• use of ke before verbs, eg ke mencari instead of untuk mencari
• problems with expressing ‘Dear Diary’

Section III — Writing in Indonesian

General comments

Candidates should be discouraged from using the dictionary for words and ideas they have not expressed before, as frequently the wrong word choice is made. They should also note that bentuk is a term used in some dictionaries to indicate to candidates that they need to look up the present-tense form of a verb. If candidates look up the word ‘was’, for example, they will be directed to look up the word ‘is’ instead.

Question 12

In better responses, candidates made clear arrangements to support their invitation, adding reasons to come along. They did not obscure their responses with extensive factual details about cultural events.

Candidates are reminded to carefully read the question and to address it in terms of context, purpose and audience.

The following areas of difficulty were noted:

• attempted literal translations from English, eg Itu kemauan adalah bagus sekali
• use of the me- form of the verb, rather than the base word, when giving a command or instruction, eg Menelpon saya! instead of Telpon saya!
• confusion expressing ‘student exchange’, pertukaran siswa
• affixation errors, eg mengalami/pengalaman and makan/makanan
• overuse or incorrect use of object–focus construction

Question 13

In better responses to option (a), candidates highlighted reasons for and outcomes of their gap year rather than simply describing a holiday or other activities.

In better responses to option (b), candidates evaluated the benefits and disadvantages of having a part-time job while in Year 12. Many offered advice to other students based on their experiences.

In better responses, candidates chose the best possible question to ask in order to elicit the response that would best address the requirements of the writing task.

The following areas of difficulty were noted:

• overuse of itu to mean ‘it is’
• use of ke before verbs, eg ke menjadi instead of untuk menjadi
• problems with word order, eg negatif aspek instead of aspek negatif
• incorrect use of punya/mempunyai, eg Terima kasih untuk mempunyai saya
• use of sambil instead of ketika or waktu, eg Sambil saya di kelas 12
• misuse of perjalanan as a verb instead of mengadakan perjalanan or bepergian
• poor knowledge of affixation and resulting wrong word choice, eg bekerja/pekerjaan/pekerja, pilihan/memilih, mengalami/pengalaman, seimbang/keseimbangan and butuh/kebutuhan
• use of dulu when pertama-tama is more appropriate
• misspelling of terima kasih and paruh waktu

Indonesian Extension

Oral examination

In better responses, candidates developed a logical and thoughtful response that directly addressed the demands of the question. Such responses included an introduction, several relevant examples to support the argument being presented, and an appropriate conclusion. Candidates resisted the temptation to recite previously learned content and manipulated familiar content to address the question.

Better responses were fluent and contained accurate pronunciation and intonation, as well as a high level of grammatical accuracy and a wide range of vocabulary and language structures.

Candidates are reminded that, while they may make notes, reading directly from these notes is not permitted. They should aim to produce a consistently paced delivery of response, which their notes should support. Candidates who wrote full sentences in their notes and read from them did not maintain a consistent style of delivery.

Candidates need to take care when providing statistics. They need to ensure that the data is accurate and is expressed in accurate Indonesian. If candidates are uncertain of exact figures, they are advised to provide approximations or more general statements.

Candidates are reminded to make good use of the three-minute time allocation. They should not include their student or centre number and they should not repeat the question.

Written examination

Section I — Response to Prescribed Text

Part A

Question 1

In better responses, candidates responded perceptively to the text and related the film to the prescribed issues using relevant examples from the text. In these responses, candidates addressed the demands of the question specifically, without including a lot of irrelevant material.

1. Candidates correctly identified that Pak Sutan was happy after discovering that his father was alive, having survived the tsunami.
2. In better responses, candidates discussed the concept of Rena’s forgiveness of Yudha as a means to ‘peace’, as well as the symbolism of the origami crane.
3. In better responses, candidates explained the meaning of the word rela and explained its use and impact on Rena’s decision to forgive Yudha, while supporting their response with examples from both Scene A and Scene B.
4. In better responses, candidates explained the purpose and effect of shots without dialogue while supporting their ideas with examples from both Scene A and Scene B, as well as an example from the movie as a whole. They explained that shots without dialogue use other film techniques, such as music, sound effects, visuals or symbolism, to emphasise a character’s emotions or further investigate a theme or issue.
5. In better responses, candidates explained the depiction of faith within the film and supported it with examples from both Scene A and Scene B, as well as an example from the movie as a whole. The main example used in Scene A was that of Pak Sutan giving praise and thanks for having found out that his father is still alive after the tsunami. The main example from Scene B was that of Rena demonstrating faith through her forgiveness of Yudha, which was linked to the fact that the movie was set during Ramadan, the fasting month.

Part B

Question 2

Candidates who wrote better responses showed flair and originality. They empathised with Yudha and demonstrated an understanding of his character. They also linked their responses to the extract. These candidates typically avoided giving a recount of Yudha’s day; rather, they discussed his feelings of remorse and regret at leaving Rena at the Rumah Matahari. They also explored Yudha’s feelings of shortcomings in regard to being a parent to Rena, as well as his concern over being accepted by Rena. In better responses, candidates demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the text and used emotive language that better demonstrated Yudha’s longing for a relationship with his daughter without simply listing a range of activities he and Rena could do together.

The use of object–focus construction, particularly in the first person, was noted as an area of difficulty.

Section II — Writing in Indonesian

General comments

In better responses, candidates demonstrated an understanding of the requirements of the article text type and demonstrated this by providing a heading and attempting to engage the audience through literary techniques such as rhetorical questions.

In weaker responses, candidates tended to use structures that were more like essays or monologues.

Specific comments

Question 3

In better responses, candidates concentrated on the word persahabatan and built an argument about how technology has changed the idea of ‘friend’ and ‘friendship’, as well as how friends interact.

In weaker responses, candidates tended to identify and discuss technological changes and their impact on society and our everyday lives in general, as opposed to the impact on friendships.

Question 4

In better responses, candidates gave examples of ideas that are thought to be new and exciting but are actually borrowed from the past and perhaps modified for today’s modern society. In weaker responses, candidates discussed the idea of doing things the way they used to be done in the past, rather than the way we are doing them today, resulting in a weaker argument that did not address the task.

The following were noted as areas of difficulty:

• use of object–focus construction, particularly in the first or second person
• use of prefix/suffix, resulting in the noun form being used instead of the verb form or vice-versa, eg menggungakan and penggunaan. Candidates should be reminded about the correct use of dictionaries to distinguish between nouns and verbs.