2012 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Heritage Japanese
Contents
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 course in Heritage Japanese. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2012 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 2012 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 Heritage Japanese.
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 , 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, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.
Oral examination – Interview
Preparing for the Heritage Japanese oral examination
The oral examination in Heritage Japanese consists of a 10-minute interview between the candidate and the examiner.
In the interview, the candidate is expected to explore with the examiner the subject of hisher Personal Investigation which includes reflections on findings and references to texts and resources used. Candidates are assessed on their ability to:
- reflect on ideas and experiences
- refer to texts studied
- present a point of view
- communicate using appropriate intonation, pronunciation, grammar, language structures and vocabulary.
To assist the examiner in directing the interview, candidates are required to provide a brief summary of their Personal Investigation. Students enrolled in Heritage Japanese are expected to complete the HSC Heritage Languages Interview Sheet which can be downloaded from Students Online, and bring it with them to the oral examination.
General omments
Candidates were well prepared for this examination. They appeared to understand the issues they had chosen for their Personal Investigation. had explored a range of texts including oral, print, visual and multimedia texts. Most candidates spoke audibly and confidently. Many candidates had chosen sources from more than one Context.
In better responses, candidates demonstrated in-depth treatment of the chosen topic through the development of information, ideas and experiences. Candidates referred to the texts studied in detail and consistently justified their point of view. They made perceptive references to the texts used, providing information about their reliability and usefulness. Candidates actively participated in the interview and engaged effectively with the examiner, discussing and substantiating a point of view effectively and consistently, supporting their opinions with reasons and/or examples. They communicated with a high level of fluency and correct pronunciation displaying a high level of grammatical accuracy and using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.
In weaker responses, candidates presented minimal information without an in-depth understanding of the chosen topic or treated the chosen topic at a superficial level. They presented prepared responses without tailoring them to the questions being asked, and a few candidates did not fully understand the questions. Some candidates simply provided a list or showed little evidence of references to texts studied. In some responses, candidates answered questions with a low level of grammatical accuracy and used unsophisticated vocabulary.
Written examination
Section 1 Responding to texts
General comments
Candidates are advised to read the questions carefully in both Japanese and English, in order to clearly understand the requirements of the task. They are reminded that they need to demonstrate their understanding of the texts in their responses.
Question 1
Most candidates demonstrated a clear understanding of the required text type.
In better responses, candidates identified the items needed and addressed these in their announcement. The script of their announcement was written in appropriate language register, and they communicated their message effectively through linguistic variety and accuracy of expression.
In weaker responses, candidates included unnecessary items and did not explain why these items were .
Question 2
In better responses, candidates discussed the specific topic given in the request from the editor of the newspaper. They argued coherently using the points expressed in the opinion piece in the newspaper, and finished with a strong conclusion.
In weaker responses, candidates wrote about English or English education in general without sufficient reference to the text. Some candidates did not write appropriately for the audience.
Question 3
Most candidates demonstrated good understanding of the theme of the poem.
In better responses, candidates explained the reasons elaborately and coherently, and justified them with many references to the poem. They also referred to the last three lines of the text, which are not a part of the poem.
In weaker responses, candidates wrote about Hiroshima generally and did not refer to the poem.
Question 4
In better responses, candidates summarised Erika’s attitudes expressed in Text 4 and Text 5, and explained how and why attitudes had changed.
In weaker responses, candidates simply criticised behaviours expressed in Text 4 and did not refer to Text 5.
Question 5
Most candidates demonstrated a clear understanding of the required text type and the audience.
In better responses, candidates clearly explained their decision with specific references to both Text 6 and Text 7, demonstrating their comprehensive understanding of the texts.
In weaker responses, candidates presented their decision however, it was not supported sufficiently by references to the texts.
Section 2 Creating texts in Japanese
General comments
Candidates are advised to take time to plan and organise their opinions and ideas before writing. It is also advisable that candidates use the prescribed kanji and grammar in the syllabus accurately.
Question 6
In better responses, candidates presented unique and authentic ideas convincingly, and demonstrated a deep understanding of Japanese heritage and its advantages.
In weaker responses, candidates simply stated their abilities.
Question 7
In better responses, candidates demonstrated depth and breadth in their treatment of the task presented their points of view persuasively, using a variety of information and creative ideas.
In weaker responses, candidates wrote about technology generally or listed the latest applications for smartphones and tablets, and did not explain them in relation to contributing to meaningful relationships.
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