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2009 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – German

Contents

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 courses in German. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2009 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 2009 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 German.

Teachers and students are advised that, in December 2008, the Board of Studies approved changes to the examination specifications and assessment requirements for a number of courses. These changes will be implemented for the 2010 HSC cohort. Information on a course-by-course basis is available on the Board’s website.

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 a guide 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 which are not included in the glossary, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.

Beginners Oral examination

General comments

Better performances in the oral examination communicated relevant information on a variety of topics, using a variety of sentence structures, tenses, adjectives with correct endings and subordinate clauses. Well-prepared candidates answered the questions spontaneously and justified their answers with several explanatory points.

Most candidates displayed a good level of pronunciation and intonation.

Candidates should understand that it is perfectly acceptable to correct oneself if a pronunciation or grammatical mistake is made.

Candidates are reminded that it is not acceptable to speak in English or give an English commentary such as ‘I’ve forgotten the word’. It is advisable to learn some phrases such as Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?or Wie bitte? or Es tut mir leid, ich verstehe das nicht or Ich weiß es nicht.

Candidates should be familiar with common topics such as school, hobbies, family and friends so that a spontaneous answer can be given. Accuracy should not be completely sacrificed for the sake of fluency. Long pauses and hesitations should be avoided.

Most candidates spoke confidently, using the first person with common regular verbs conjugated correctly. Candidates must also ensure that they can answer questions using the third person singular and plural when speaking about other people. Better responses also displayed an ability to use irregular verbs correctly, such as sie sieht gern fern, er liest nicht so oft.

Candidates should try to use a variety of sentence structures. Better speakers correctly used modal verbs, eg können, wollen, dürfen; subject/verb inversion after time phrases, eg Nach dem HSC fahre ich nach Deutschland; and subordinate clauses, eg weil, dass, obwohl. It is also important for candidates to practise using the perfect tense correctly when talking about events that happened in the past.

Wo, wie and warum were often misunderstood by candidates, resulting in irrelevant responses.

Beginners Written examination

Section I – Listening

Advice to candidates

Candidates should ensure that ALL relevant information is transferred from the Candidate’s Notes column to the lines provided for the response. Information in the Candidate’s Notes column is not considered part of the answer.

Specific comments

Question 1

This question was handled well by most candidates.

Question 2

Many candidates did not make reference to the fact that it was necessary to ring up the radio station in the next 5 minutes.

Question 4

A significant number of candidates did not recognise Fenster putzen.

Question 5

A number of candidates did not realise that Michel already had most of the money for his trip and was just hoping to receive the rest for his birthday from his grandparents. Some candidates did not mention that Michel had not asked his boss for time off yet but was sure that his boss would allow it because he got on well with him.

Question 6

Numbers and the time were not particularly well handled in this question.

Question 7

A significant number of candidates did not recognise das Parkhaus and that you were now able to leave your bicycle here for just one euro per day. In weaker responses, the word Fahrrad was not understood.

Question 8

A significant number of candidates did not understand the idea of the mother’s threat, ie Hanno can move out and get his own apartment if he doesn’t help out at home when needed.

Question 9

This question was handled well by most candidates and detailed answers were given. However, Grundschule was poorly translated by some.

Question 11

Many candidates gave detailed responses with relevant reference to the text. In better responses, candidates realised that there was a shift in tense in the text from the past to the present to the future. These candidates showed how Jutta’s experience changed her character, her outlook on life and her future plans. Words which were not well understood include Krankenhaus, bauen, fremd.

Section II – Reading

General comments

The best responses for these questions showed a global understanding of the entire text and translated necessary detail accurately. Candidates should express their ideas in their own words. It is important for candidates to use their dictionaries effectively. When looking for an English equivalent in the dictionary, candidates must ensure that they choose the most appropriate meaning.

Specific comments

Question 12

In weaker responses, candidates did not translate Schulfest (school fete or festival) well.

Question 13

Some candidates did not realise that Emma was invited into the studio and this was the reason why she got to meet her favourite actor. In weaker responses, candidates thought that she had a photo taken with Mikey rather than receiving an autographed photo of him. Words which were often mistranslated or not understood include die Sendung, geredet, glücklich.

Question 14

Part (a) was handled very well by most candidates. Some candidates misinterpreted vierte Generation as the fifth generation. The fact that Markus had many lovely childhood memories in the house was not understood by some.

In part (b), better responses showed the comparisons between Grandma’s home and the apartment in the city. They explained in detail what arguments Markus would use to convince his parents to live in the apartment.

In weaker responses, Konditorei was often mistranslated as ‘condition’ rather than ‘patisserie’.

Question 15

Many candidates responded well to part (a) of this question. Part (b) proved to be more challenging. Better responses explained what personal qualities Frau Adler needed and gave supporting evidence from the text. The fact that even though Frau Adler missed her family she never wanted to give up becoming an astronaut was not well recognised by many candidates.

Question 16

In the weaker responses to part (a), candidates did not realise that a pop festival, which was badly organised, had already taken place in Mr Sauer’s neighbourhood two years ago and this was the reason he was writing the letter.

In part (b), better responses connected Mr Sauer’s concerns with what Maria Fischer was going to do to solve the many problems that were caused by the last pop festival. Appropriate detailed references from the text were also included in these responses. It was necessary to read both letters carefully and refer to each of them to formulate a comprehensive answer.

The following words were not translated well by many candidates: Lärm, Wohngebiet, Freikarte.

Section III – Writing in German

Question 17

Better responses invited a friend appropriately, gave a range of suggestions of things that could be done on the weekend and asked the friend for confirmation.

Question 18

Better responses included the use of the perfect tense appropriately. Candidates clearly expressed what had happened to them to prevent them from going on the ski trip.

Question 19

In part (a), better responses used a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary, subordinate clauses and appropriate adjective endings. These responses flowed logically and also made comparisons and contrasts with the German and Australian school systems.

In the better responses to part (b), candidates used the present and future tenses with appropriate verb endings for the first, second and third person singular and plural. A good selection of modal verbs and adverbial time phrases were also included in these responses.

It should be emphasised that very brief responses, which do not meet the word limit, cannot demonstrate the range of vocabulary and sentence structures required.

Continuers Oral examination

General comments

Most candidates communicated authentically and fluently. They displayed familiarity with a wide range of topic areas and moved from one area to another with the ease of a natural conversational style. There were only a few candidates who tried to dominate the conversation with long, irrelevant answers. This practice is highly discouraged. The best performances communicated relevant opinions, ideas and information in greater depth, using appropriate and sophisticated vocabulary with a range of grammatical structures.

Better candidates interacted confidently, authentically and fluently with the examiner across the range of syllabus topics. These candidates were also able to develop new directions taken by the examiner in order to develop and expand upon the original response of the candidate.

Specific comments

Candidates are reminded that there are no ‘set’ questions for this examination and that the examinable topic areas as published in the Continuers Syllabus may be approached from a range of perspectives. Therefore it is unlikely that all questions will be phrased solely in the du form. This can be illustrated with the following example:

The question Hast du Geschwister? may have been developed further with a follow up question such as:

  • Kommst du mit deinen Geschwistern gut aus?
  • Kommen deine Geschwister miteinander gut aus?
  • Kommt ihr mit euren Eltern gut aus?

The above questions require responses in a different form.

Candidates are advised that the course of the conversation will develop primarily on the candidate’s own responses. As a result, no two conversations will be identical. It is consequently impossible for

candidates to have a prepared response to every conceivable question. The best preparation candidates can have for this examination consists of:

  • familiarity with the range of vocabulary they are likely to need across the syllabus topics, especially essential areas of their personal world, eg school, future plans, free-time activities/holidays, parents’ professions
  • familiarity with essential grammatical structures. This could be demonstrated but not limited to correct verb forms, perfect tense, word order. Particular attention should be paid to the verbs werden and bekommen, the correct use of sich interessieren für and the fact that no indefinite article is used with professions or the playing of musical instruments
  • familiarity with the contextual nature of language. This can be illustrated by the expression nach der Schule, which may mean ‘in the afternoon after school’ or ‘on completion of your schooling’ dependant upon the context.

Candidates should consider the use of:

  • gehen versus fahren
  • ändern versus enden
  • lernen versus studieren
  • auf die Uni gehen and an der Uni studieren
  • würde verse wurde
  • könnte versus konnte
  • wo versus wohin
  • bei versus mit
  • seit versus für
  • wenn, wann andalso (especially when using the past tense)
  • Ort versus Platz
  • am Sonntag versus sonntags.

Candidates are also encouraged to:

  • elaborate beyond a simple, single-sentence response, without going to the other extreme of presenting a rote-learnt monologue
  • bear in mind that German intonation typically requires you to drop your voice at the end of the sentence
  • address the question asked and not just answer in the general topic area. For example, Musst du ein Zimmer teilen?/Ja ich sollte mein Zimmer putzen, aber im Moment ist es eine Katastrophe
  • pay attention to the logic of their sentences. For example, Obwohl ich viele Biohausaufgaben mache, will ich Krankenschwester werden
  • incorporate prepared material into their responses in a measured and appropriate fashion and ask for a question to be repeated or rephrased if it has not been understood.

In the better responses, candidates demonstrated not only control of grammatical structures but also authenticity and sophistication in their responses. These candidates generally displayed a wide range of vocabulary and offered in-depth responses that still maintained relevance to the question asked. While there is no prescription for achieving control, authenticity and sophistication, some of the following may apply:

  • authentic and idiomatic use of a range of vocabulary
  • consistently accurate use of tenses
  • consistently accurate verb forms and word order
  • comfortable and natural use of subordination
  • correct use of modals
  • use of the conditional
  • authentic phraseology
  • good pronunciation and intonation.

In the best responses, candidates did not rely on prepared material but demonstrated flexibility in the use of their language.

Continuers Written examination

Section I – Listening and Responding

General comments

Candidates are reminded to answer the question, addressing the issue properly rather than just translating sections of text. The question must be read carefully and the answer supported with evidence from the text. Candidates need to be careful if writing in point form. Candidates should refrain from using German quotes. These must be translated or, better still, paraphrased in English.

Specific comments

Question 1

To achieve full marks, candidates needed to include all the relevant details in their answer.

Question 3

Candidates must read the question carefully. Some thought the postcard was just about Steffi’s future plans.

Question 4

Candidates needed to express the idea that dancing as an activity has been becoming more and more popular – immer mehr. Candidates are reminded of the importance of having a good understanding of numbers.

Question 5

In better responses, candidates identified a change in reaction and understood that the topic of the speech was environmental protection when on holidays.

Question 6

The following words were not well understood: Fußboden, Handwäsche, Waschsalon.

Question 7

The following words were either confused or misunderstood: merkwürdig is not modern, müde is not moody, Glatzkopf is not glatte. In addition, 30 was often misunderstood and colours were confused. Arzt was not always understood. The following words proved challenging: Rasieren lassen, Termine, Blutprobe, abschreckte.

Question 8

Misunderstood words included:
Südamerika (not Südafrika)
Dschungel
Spannung
Aufregung
Die Welt hungert

Candidates must remember to support their opinions with facts from the text. They must give reasons for their opinions. Language techniques need not be given unless asked for.

To achieve marks in the higher range, candidates needed to give a perceptive answer to the question asked and not just translate or retell the story.

Section II – Reading and Responding

Part A – Questions 9 and 10

General comments

Candidates are advised to read the questions before reading the passage.

A question worth four or five marks will most likely require some analysis, interpretation or evaluation and not simply a translation of lines of text. Candidates are therefore reminded that they must answer all questions fully, provide evidence from the text to support an argument and take into account the mark value allocated to each question. This should provide a guide to the depth of response required.

Time should not be wasted quoting in German. The questions are to be answered in English. If candidates include quotations in their responses, they need to ensure that they show an understanding of the meaning, by paraphrasing or translating the German. Candidates are advised not to repeat the question in the answer – this simply wastes time.

If candidates are unsure of a key word in a text, they are advised to use a dictionary. Candidates are also reminded to take care when looking up a compound noun. Nouns must be broken up correctly to derive the correct translation. When a word has more than one English meaning, they should choose the one that makes sense in context, not simply the one which appears first in the dictionary.

Specific comments

Question 9

  1. In the better responses, candidates commented on the strained attempts at the Swiss accent and that this annoyed or irritated her (not simply that the accent was strange).
  2. In the better responses, candidates acknowledged that Daniel’s heritage/homeland was Switzerland (not Sweden) and this meant that he was able to enjoy the film. Candidates were also required to provide some details about what particularly reminded him of his childhood.
  3. For a comprehensive response, candidates needed to draw conclusions from the entire passage and extrapolate the information about the aspects of the film upon which both Daniel and Margot agreed. Many candidates did not provide sufficient detail in their responses.

Question 10

  1. Candidates needed to explain the dilemma faced by Robert Bauer.
  2. Candidates needed to state that Robert’s colleague goes away on a holiday with him and his cousin as this would give him the opportunity to find a new direction in life. Candidates also had to acknowledge that the colleague insisted that Robert go along despite Robert’s reluctance.
  3. It was essential in this question that candidates demonstrated an understanding that it was Sara who commented on the empty village, and that this comment was based on her sense of the ghostly silence. Robert was amazed to hear later that Sara was indeed correct about this sense, as the local villagers had left the village to celebrate the summer solstice in the country (the locals had not just all gone away for the summer holidays).
  4. The use of the past tense in the text was crucial for this response. Candidates needed to state the nature of Sara’s childhood illness in their response, ie that she was vision impaired as a child. The response also needed to state that her senses were heightened while she had the impaired vision and that they remained heightened even after successful operations which had improved her sight.
  5. In the better responses, candidates explained the impact Sara’s friendship had on Robert. They provided evidence from the text which explained the changes Robert’s life had undergone. In the weaker responses, candidates did not include sufficient evidence.

Words that caused some difficulty were Heimatland, Holzskiausrüstung (which needed to be broken up into its components in order to determine its meaning), Trachtenkostüme, so einer Art Film ( is not an art-house film), der totale Ausstieg, zwar and bewusster (comparative form of bewusst).

Part B – Question 11

General comments

In the best responses, candidates addressed the main points raised in the text creatively and developed the necessary depth. The more convincing responses were comprehensive and well structured. They reflected a balance between sophistication, a grasp of the nuances of the stimulus material and the clear conveyance of their message.

Candidates are reminded to read the English instructions given at the beginning of the task carefully to ensure that they have a clear understanding of what is required.

It is recommended that candidates:

  • read both the instructions and the text several times and then take the time to plan their response in its entirety before committing themselves to a particular direction
  • write responses that are relevant to the issues at hand, are plausible and address audience, purpose and context
  • not copy sentences from the text
  • not try to be too humorous or ironic, as it rarely has the desired effect
  • be sure not to use inappropriate language such as swear words
  • use the dictionary with care and cross-reference vocabulary in both sections to ensure that the appropriate meaning of the word is selected
  • practise the text types outlined in the syllabus as much as possible and look at similar tasks in past HSC examinations in other languages
  • leave enough time to complete the task and to check it carefully for the basics such as subject/verb agreement, spelling, past participles and word order.

Specific comments

Most candidates demonstrated their understanding of the text by responding with the relevant information from the text in the correct format, but some did not respond to all of the matters raised. Others focused on their experiences on camping trips or evolved other holiday plans without relating them to the issues in the text. Some misunderstood that they were supposed to find the cruise too expensive and that they should be upset by their friend’s criticism. Some candidates did not address the final point about feeling under pressure to make such a big decision within four days.

Candidates are advised strongly not to incorporate irrelevant, rote-learnt material into their responses as this attracts no marks.

An email to a friend should look like an email, including the purpose of the response (An: … Von: … Betreff: … Datum: …) and should be informal in style. It should use the du form and its related pronouns and possessive adjectives. There should be a clear conclusion.

Candidates need to pay careful attention to different registers required in Reading and Responding tasks, especially the appropriate German forms for ‘you’. A number of candidates had difficulties with the use of du, ihr and Sie and their related forms. Similarly, candidates need to be careful to use the correct forms of verbs with subjects in the present tense as well as past participles with the correct auxiliary verbs in the perfect tense.

Better responses demonstrated consistently correct use of pronouns with cases. Candidates need to be careful to copy the gender of the words used in the set text correctly. Spelling, punctuation and the use of paragraphs are important in creating a positive overall impression.

Common vocabulary and grammatical errors:

  • Some candidates confused konnten ‘was able to with könnten ‘would be able to’. Similar problems exist with wurden ‘became’ and würden ‘would’.
  • Candidates need to remember that Ich will means ‘I want’ and not ‘I will’. Candidates need to practise forming the future tense with the appropriate forms of warden.
  • Candidates had difficulty describing injuries.
  • Candidates need to be mindful of the differences between Spaß haben (Wir haben Spaß – We have fun) and Spaß machen (Das macht Spaß – That is fun) and that Es ist Spaß is incorrect German.
  • To say that something sounds good, candidates are advised to use the expression Das hört sich gut an or Das klingt gut. Similarly, to say that you will have a good time, you need to use an expression like Wir werden uns gut amüsieren. You cannot say Wir haben eine gute Zeit in German.
  • Hilfsbereit means helpful in relation to a person. An object or thing cannot be hilfsbereit. They need to be hilfreich or nützlich.
  • Candidates need to avoid translating English idioms and sayings directly into German. In most cases, direct translation will not work.

Section III – Writing in German: Questions 12 and 13

Question 12

General comments

In the better responses, candidates manipulated language in an authentic and creative way, giving a relevant and original response to the question chosen. They wrote effectively and appropriately in relation to the audience, purpose and context of the task.

Length was generally well observed by candidates, although some candidates barely met the word limit, indicating perhaps lack of planning and poor time management in the examination.

Specific comments

  1. In the most effective responses, candidates not only expressed gratitude for spending the weekend with the family friend but also indicated in some way that they were writing to a friend of the family. They used the perfect and imperfect tenses and varied the word order by, for example, manipulating subordinate clauses, and avoided simply describing the weekend itself.

    Common grammatical errors included wrong genders, no capitalisation of nouns, word order in subordinate clauses, verb agreements, past participles and verb auxiliaries, and accusative and dative after prepositions.
  2. The most effective responses thanked the friend for the present and acknowledged in some way that the present had come from Germany. These responses were creative and demonstrated a good command of the perfect tense and subordinate clauses where appropriate. Most candidates addressed the question well with relevant information.

    Common grammatical errors also included careless errors with subject–verb agreements, word order in subordinate clauses, the correct use of the accusative and dative with prepositions, and auxiliaries and past participles with the perfect tense. The dative case used with danken (to thank) was also not well handled by many candidates.

Advice to candidates

Candidates should take time to identify the key issues and ensure they have correctly understood the intent of the question so that they can plan their answer accordingly. This will ensure their response is relevant. Candidates who have a good vocabulary and who have practised grammatical structures on a regular basis should be able to use language effectively to create an interesting and appropriate response.

Candidates are encouraged to attempt more complex language structures in their answers (eg um … zu, dass / wenn / weil / obwohl clauses, a range of tenses) and to avoid providing a safe but ultimately simplistic response. The use of a dictionary will only assist if this skill has been practised throughout the course. Using unfamiliar vocabulary may detract from the overall quality of the response.

Candidates are reminded that rote-learnt material rarely fits neatly into a response. Lengthy, irrelevant introductions and conclusions which have been rote-learnt make no contribution to the piece of writing. Candidates are also reminded to take note of the required word count for their response. A well-thought-out answer which meets the word count is preferable to a lengthier, drawn-out response.

Question 13

General comments

Better responses demonstrated a variety of grammatical structures and a wide range of appropriate vocabulary, with a high level of accuracy in spelling. In these responses, candidates also manipulated language authentically and creatively relevant to the task. It should be noted that this is achievable within the word limit. Lengthy responses often lack structure and can result in irrelevance as can the use of rote-learnt material. Candidates should also endeavour to sequence and structure ideas and information coherently and effectively.

Candidates who use a dictionary should be familiar with its use and distinguish between nouns, verbs and adjectives. Selections should be cross-referenced in both sections of the dictionary to ensure that the meaning of the selected word is appropriate to the context.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to re-read what they have written for accuracy and coherence.

Specific comments

  1. The better responses focused on both elements of the question, ie they reflected on the job interview and on how successful they thought it was. Many candidates demonstrated extensive knowledge of the perfect tense while a number of candidates demonstrated lack of control of common past participles (gesprochen, gegangen, geschrieben). Some candidates wrote descriptively about the job interview without reflecting on their success.
  2. Better responses used the correct form of address when writing to their grandparents and wrote persuasively and creatively relevant to the task. Many candidates demonstrated extensive knowledge of the use of the conditional.

Common errors included:

  • inconsistency in the use of second person plural (ihr, euch, euer)
  • verpassen (statt vermissen)
  • wissen (statt kennen).

Extension Oral examination

General comments

In general, the responses to the questions were of a high standard. Candidates used a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures to express their points of view.

Candidates are reminded of the need to read the questions carefully to ensure that their response is relevant to the question, with special care given to key words. They are advised against reproducing rote-learnt material which may be relevant to the general topic of the question but which does not directly address the particular question asked. Candidates are also advised against repeating the phraseology of the question several times in their response, especially as errors in pronunciation tend to distract them unnecessarily from their flow of argument.

Candidates should practise speaking on various topics pertinent to the prescribed issues for the advised length to become accustomed to the time allocated to the question. Monologues that are too long or too short can lead to either a superficial treatment of the topic or to repetition of ideas and inclusion of irrelevant material. Candidates should consider the option of presenting both sides of the argument before presenting their own point of view, to ensure that they address the topic in depth. Candidates are also strongly encouraged to read widely in order to develop their own opinions on topics related to the prescribed issues. This should enable them to answer

the question from a broader perspective allowing for a more sophisticated response through, for example, the use of ‘man’, as well as a variety of relevant examples, rather than basing their answer entirely on their personal experiences, which results in a depth of argument limited to their personal world, rather than the individual and contemporary society which underpins the Extension course.

The use of the allocated preparation time to write a structured plan cannot be emphasised enough. Making good use of this time would also help to prevent unnecessary repetition of concepts within candidates’ responses. While a variety of responses are accepted they must be relevant to the question asked. Candidates are strongly advised to read the questions in German and English carefully to ensure that they understand the intent of the question. Candidates are advised to write key words/notes in the boxes provided to help them organise their ideas and arguments and are reminded to stay within the borders of these boxes.

Specific comments

Question 1

Many candidates acknowledged the difficulty of going from primary to high school. In the weaker responses, candidates did not consider whether or not this was der schwerste Schritt or went beyond the framework of the question to talk about various hard steps in life, making their responses partially irrelevant. In the better monologues, candidates made it clear which was the most difficult step in school life.

Question 2

In poorer responses, candidates did not address the issue of die Berufswahl, instead interpreting this as life choices. Candidates also did not consistently address the idea of die größte Rolle, opting instead to discuss eine große Rolle. The better responses included well-supported arguments with well-structured and relevant examples pertaining to a variety of aspects involved in the choice of profession.

Question 3

In the weaker monologues, candidates did not address the issue of how society benefits from those who do not conform, focusing rather on people who do not conform. These candidates often did not use konform sein accurately. However, better responses addressed all aspects of the question, particularly the idea of how society benefits from those who do not conform.

Extension Written examination

Section I – Response to prescribed text

Question 1

General comments

Most candidates demonstrated a sound understanding of the text and were familiar with the given extract and the events which unfolded thereafter. Many were able to make thoughtful comments about the three main characters and a number also demonstrated an understanding of the text from a deeper, more analytical perspective, drawing their own conclusions about the author’s intentions.

In the better responses, candidates directly addressed the questions asked, supporting their responses with relevant reference to the text, while also demonstrating a perceptive and thoughtful understanding of the themes, characters and events, etc.

Candidates are reminded that it is unnecessary to supply lengthy quotes from the text, unless this is clearly required by the question. Although providing multiple quotes (and translating them into English) will fill the available lines, it is often indicative of a weaker response which struggles to remain focused and adequately address the question.

It is also unnecessary to repeat the question in the response.

Candidates are advised to avoid answering in sweeping generalisations, without supporting their opinions with evidence from the text. Questions in this section will often require a perceptive response which demonstrates an analysis of the story, characters and events, etc. While answers should reflect a sound understanding of the text, it is important that candidates focus on the relevant points and avoid a lengthy recount of the story line. Where an opinion is required, it is unlikely that a simple re-telling of the story will be adequate to reflect a deeper understanding.

Candidates are strongly advised to avoid including information which is irrelevant to the question. Examples in this examination were lengthy background information on Demjansk or Lenz’s own wartime experiences, or analysis of language features which typify Risiko für Weihnachtsmänner as a short story.

While it is important to understand the link between the text and one or more of the prescribed issues, this information should not be rote-learnt and forced into responses in an irrelevant way.

An accurate knowledge of the characters, their names and their relationship to each other is very important. Unfortunately, a number of candidates thought that Mulka was either the secretary or the narrator, that Köhnke and Herr Oberst were two different people, or that Köhnke was the narrator. A detailed knowledge of the story content is also important to avoid inconsistencies when responding.

Risiko für Weihnachtsmänner is a complex story which allows for a number of interpretations and viewpoints.

Specific comments

  1. Most candidates showed a good understanding of why the narrator promised Mulka he would behave like a Weihnachtsmann, including referring to the fact that Mulka was his boss and his employment depended on him. Many referred to the narrator’s straitened circumstances as a war veteran, whose desperate need for money made him afraid of putting a foot wrong. Some commented on the automatic reaction of an ex-soldier to obey a command, especially when given by an authoritarian character such as Mulka. Others referred to the cheerless, dingy surroundings, the tawdry scene, the lack of emotion, the narrator’s need to promise to do as asked, so that he could get on with it and earn some money, etc.
  2. This question was in two parts, so it was important to comment on both the portrayal of Mulka and its significance to the story.

    In the better responses, candidates tied their own observations to the significance of the portrayal of Mulka for the rest of the story, drawing a number of interesting and valid conclusions.
  3. Most candidates had a good understanding of the event in Demjansk, which had so traumatised Köhnke and accounted for his present mental state and confused emotions. A number of candidates showed a clear understanding of Köhnke’s emotions.
  4. While many candidates agreed that the narrator’s story could be seen as a testament to the survival of the human spirit, others agreed only in part, and others disagreed completely. All viewpoints were acceptable as long as they were valid and were underpinned with evidence from the text. Weaker responses were marked by extensive re-telling of the story, without comment or conclusions, or sweeping generalisations which simply re-stated in a number of different ways that the narrator was courageous and his story was a testament to the survival of the human spirit. A number of candidates provided a prepared response on the overall meaning of the story, which did not directly address the question, while a small number of candidates mistook the human spirit as referring to the ‘Christmas spirit’ and argued about the need to keep this alive. The best responses demonstrated a considered and perceptive understanding of this story at a personal level.

Part B – Question 2

General comments

The best responses demonstrated a perceptive and sensitive understanding of the story Die Geschichte vom bösen Hänsel, der bösen Gretel und der Hexe, and of the requirements of the task.

Candidates should ensure that they are thoroughly familiar with the details of the entire story and that they have a good understanding of the characters and the motives for their behaviour. Before starting their response, candidates are advised to take time to plan its content and structure. This will ensure that they provide adequate reference to the story and demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the text.

The best responses to this task demonstrated:

  • flair and originality
  • a perceptive and sensitive understanding
  • an ability to organise information and ideas to meet the requirements of the task
  • an ability to manipulate language authentically and creatively.

Specific comments

Evidence of knowledge of the story beyond the extract had to be shown and applied to answer the question at hand. That is, candidates were required to demonstrate thorough knowledge of the story, through examples from the entire story and analysis of these examples: the feelings of the witch when she had completed her house, her reaction to the children’s vandalism, the pity she takes on them and her frustration at their lack of appreciation and continued bad behaviour.

Some problematic language points:

  • subject-verb agreement
  • correct choice of prepositions and case
  • tenses, verb forms and word order
  • anglicisms and inefficient use of the dictionary
  • use of the incorrect part of speech, eg Zerstörung instead of zerstört.

Section II – Writing in German

Questions 3 and 4

General comments

Most candidates presented well-developed arguments, using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures to support their point of view. Candidates are advised to read the question carefully to ensure they give a relevant response, as the best responses directly answered the question and developed a coherent, well-structured argument which was supported by a range of examples. These candidates wrote within the parameter of a magazine article. Responses which changed the question in order to accommodate rote-learnt material that was not related to the question could not be awarded marks in the range. Candidates are discouraged from producing a list of thoughts that are not linked to the question.

In preparing for this part of the examination, candidates should:

  • carefully consider which question to answer, choosing the one for which they can provide a range of ideas and well-supported arguments
  • plan their response, writing a quick plan
  • provide a relevant introduction and a convincing conclusion in keeping with the text type
  • give a response that has breadth and depth
  • write accurately, aiming to use a variety of structures, tenses and vocabulary
  • engage the interest of the reader of a magazine article (eg by using a rhetorical question or imperative form)
  • use the dictionary appropriately and cross-reference where necessary.

Candidates should also allow time to review their responses, especially regarding:

  • verb–subject agreement
  • correct tense
  • word order
  • spelling
  • punctuation, particularly commas
  • modal verb forms
  • correct use of man, particularly in cases other than the nominative.

Specific comments

Question 3

Most candidates agreed with the topic statement, but sometimes had difficulty tying their responses directly to the question. Candidates should not feel compelled to agree with the topic statement. They are being assessed on their ability to present and support a point of view.

A recycling of ideas and vocabulary can be prevented by planning the outline of the response before commencing writing. In the better responses, candidates presented a coherent response within the word limit.

Weaker responses reflected problems with genders, subject–verb agreement, modal verb conjugation and relative clauses. The better responses tended to sound more authentic, as they included correct idiomatic expressions and rhetorical questions, whereas weaker responses contained a number of lexical errors and anglicisms. Some candidates misinterpreted the question as being a task to write about the need for tolerance and acceptance for the underprivileged rather than critically analysing how well society is looking after the disadvantaged. Some candidates reduced the question to the topic of inequality, ie rights of women, the remuneration of artists, or limited their answers to issues young people face in today’s society.

Question 4

Candidates are reminded to carefully consider which question to answer, choosing the one for which they can provide a range of ideas and well-supported arguments, as a number of candidates were challenged by this question. A better response critically analysed life in the 21st century and then compared today’s society with life in the past, thus looking at both the first and the second part of the question. The better responses also showed evidence of careful planning, well-thought-out arguments and the accurate use of a wide variety of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and structures. Candidates are also reminded to write within the required text type. Some responses did not address the genre of the magazine article well and as a consequence did not capture the interest of the magazine reader.

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