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5. 2012 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre — Korean Continuers

2012 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Korean Continuers

Contents

• Introduction
• Oral examination
  • Preparing for the Korean Continuers oral examinations
  • Conversation
• Written examination
  • Section l — Listening and Responding
  • Section ll — Reading and Responding
  • Section III — Writing in Korean

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 course in Korean Continuers. 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 Korean Continuers.

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

Oral examination

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.

Conversation

Most candidates spoke audibly and confidently. Generally, candidates performed well and gave appropriate responses to a wide range of questions, using a variety of vocabulary and language structures.

In better responses, candidates spoke with depth, providing detailed and relevant information in response to a range of questions. These candidates communicated effectively and fluently with a high level of grammatical accuracy. They presented their own opinions and ideas clearly with an excellent knowledge of vocabulary and language structure.

In weaker responses, candidates provided brief answers and did not communicate their ideas effectively or in depth. These candidates tended to use a limited range of vocabulary and expressions in simple sentence structures. They communicated with some degree of fluency and inaccuracies in grammar, particularly using numbers and classifications.

Written examination

Section l — Listening and Responding

General comments

Candidates are advised to make careful use of dictionaries. They need to contextualise the meaning from the choices given in the dictionary. When looking for an English equivalent, candidates must ensure that they choose the correct equivalent part of speech, as well as the appropriate meaning. Candidates are reminded to cross-reference words from the English–Korean dictionary with their complements in the Korean–English dictionary.

Candidates must ensure that all relevant information contained in the Notes column is transferred to the lined section of the examination paper if they want this information to be considered as part of their response.

In better responses, candidates inferred, evaluated and analysed information, emotions, points of view and attitudes from the texts.

Candidates are advised to read the questions and carefully focus on the key words in each question – for example, ‘purpose’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ – and address the answer from this perspective.

Specific comments

Question 4

In better responses, candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the radio advertisement by identifying all the missing information.

Question 5

In better responses, candidates provided all reasons given in the text for the girl’s excitement.

In weaker responses, candidates demonstrated some understanding of the reasons for the girl’s excitement.

Question 6

In better responses, candidates demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the reasons Mr Lee was invited on the program.

In weaker responses, candidates summarised the text and provided some relevant information.

Question 7

In better responses, candidates provided a good explanation of how Sumi tried to persuade Junsik and justified their response with references from the text.

In weaker responses, candidates provided some information from the text, merely translating some of the original text of Sumi and Junsik’s conversation.

Question 8

In better responses, candidates demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of how Sujin’s tone changed during the conversation.

In weaker responses, candidates responded with some information about Sujin’s feelings and attitudes, but did not justify their response with reference to the text.

Section ll — Reading and Responding

Part A

The mark value and the number of lines in the short-answer questions provide candidates with an indication of the length of the required response. Questions will sometimes require the direct translation of material; other questions will ask for information to be interpreted in some way. In every case, it is essential that candidates answer the question being asked and refrain from including large amounts of extraneous material.

Question 9

1. In better responses, candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the problems being faced by farm villages.
2. In better responses, candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the reasons for Smile Farm’s attraction.
   
   In weaker responses, candidates provided limited information and could not provide the reasons for Smile Farm’s attraction.

3. In better responses, candidates demonstrated understanding of the reasons for the types of pesticides used on Smile Farm.
   
   In weaker responses, candidates simply translated what they had read.

4. In better responses, candidates wrote well-structured sentences identifying the points indicated in the text. They provided sound reasons for the steady growth of organic farming in Korea.

Question 10

2. In better responses, candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the reasons Choijuno is worried.
3. In better responses, candidates provided a good justification of how the title of the article represents the content with specific references to the text.
   
   In weaker responses, candidates provided a summary of the text.

4. In better responses, candidates compared the different approaches that Choijuno and Kimminsu have to their studies and demonstrated a good understanding of the different approaches.
   
   In weaker responses, candidates summarised the article without linking their answer to the question.

Part B

Question 11

Most candidates demonstrated a clear understanding of the required text type as they responded effectively in an email format. They responded to the information and ideas of the text appropriately, providing opinions and ideas on the main issues raised in the text.

In better responses, candidates clearly articulated their own ideas and information to meet the requirements of the task. They demonstrated depth in the treatment of the task and their responses were well organised.

In weaker responses, candidates did not seem to understand the main task and tended to copy information from the text provided. They listed a lot of famous attractions in Australia, rather than addressing the whole text. Some candidates did not indicate that the reply email was from Junho.

Section III — Writing in Korean

Question 12

In better responses, candidates organised information and ideas, meeting the requirements of the task appropriate to the text type. All candidates demonstrated a clear understanding of the advertisement format.

Candidates are reminded to pay careful attention when using particles, numbers, amounts and expressions of time.

Some candidates misunderstood the word ‘rent’ and translated this as ‘boarding’.

Question 13

In most responses, candidates organised information and ideas, meeting the requirements of the task appropriate to the email text type. In better responses, candidates manipulated language authentically and wrote with creativity.

Candidates demonstrated a clear understanding of the email format, which included an appropriate greeting and conclusion.