2009 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Spanish
Contents
- Introduction
- Beginners
- Continuers
- Extension
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 course in Spanish. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2009 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 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 Spanish.
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
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
The best responses were successful in providing relevant and expansive answers to questions across a range of topics in the available five minutes. They displayed an excellent control of language structures and vocabulary, including connectives, needed to convey information and opinions about situations and events in the past and future, as well as in the present.
Candidates are reminded that the examination consists of a conversation about their personal world as it relates to the prescribed topics. When preparing for the examination, they should ensure they are familiar with the vocabulary associated with these topics. They should be able to confidently discuss and describe normal aspects of their personal world, such as their family and home life, their friends and pastimes, their school and their studies, their experience of travel and their plans and hopes for the future.
It is also important for candidates to learn to use the time available to the best advantage by responding fully to questions, with supporting detail and opinion.
Written examination
Section I – Listening
Question 1
- In the weaker responses, candidates did not grasp the concept of being early to find parking.
Question 2
The best responses made reference to change of venue and the bad weather.
Question 3
The best responses included the fact that because he was leaving his job and because he had been a good colleague Sara wanted to thank Pepe.
Question 5
In the weaker responses, candidates identified ‘chocolate’ rather than ‘chocolate cake’.
Question 6
The weakest responses did not include the task ‘to call to cancel the dentist appointment’.
Question 8
The weaker responses did not include all the relevant details, for example ‘that the scheme was compulsory’ or the reference to ‘shared communal living’.
Question 9
In the weaker responses, candidates did not describe Luisa as a person, ie she was hard to please, and did not support what they said by referring directly to the text.
Question 10
In the better responses, candidates used evidence from the text to identify the change in Mr Lopez’s tone from helpful to frustrated.
Section II – Reading
General comments
The availability of dictionaries in the written examination highlights the importance of candidates’ developing good dictionary skills. In particular, in this section of the examination it is important to read the whole text and the accompanying questions to develop a general understanding of the text before checking the meaning of specific words in a dictionary. By doing this, candidates will avoid wasting time looking up words that are not critical to the understanding of the text. Where candidates decide they do need to check a word, their overall knowledge of the text will help them choose the most appropriate meaning.
Question 11
Most candidates identified that the purpose of the notice was to inform people about the lost dog and to provide the contact details of the owner. Some of the weaker responses tended to provide a lengthy description of the puppy but did not include the contact details.
Question 12
- The fact that Teresa usually communicated with Virginia by email was correctly identified by most candidates as the reason for her surprise.
- The best responses included all three sources of Teresa’s happiness: the flooding meant she was having a great time staying with her cousin, she was getting an extra week of school holidays and she would be getting a better computer to replace her damaged one.
Question 13
- Most responses referred to Joaquín having won ‘Singer of the Year’. The better responses also included his availability as one of the reasons for the interview.
- Many candidates correctly referred to Joaquín’s statement that winning the award with his first CD, and against established singers, filled him with pride. Some weaker responses were too general, ie he was proud that he had achieved so much.
- This question required candidates to interpret information in the text in order to identify how Joaquín contradicted himself a number of times. Most responses referred to the issue of being famous or not and many included his wanting to keep his life private as well as his claim to being a shy and sentimental person. Only the best responses demonstrated clearly how he contradicted himself on these points in the interview.
Question 14
- The best responses clearly explained how both elements of the title, namely being lost and being found in the jungle, applied to both the students and to the indigenous tribe. Many weaker responses tended to refer only to the students or merely recounted the story without linking it to the title.
- In the best responses, candidates identified what made the discovery of the ‘lost’ tribe amazing: until the tribesmen chose to help the students, no one knew they existed because they had managed to stay hidden, despite the area having been extensively explored over many years by miners and scientists; moreover the tribe had survived in an inhospitable, fire-prone area. Weaker responses omitted one or more of these elements.
Question 15
- In the best responses, candidates were able to interpret and infer meaning from both Eduardo’s and Marta’s account of their friendship to develop a well-rounded description of Eduardo which was well supported with evidence from the text. Among the many interesting points made in these responses were: Eduardo was obtuse or naïve because he did not realise that Marta had been trying to avoid him; he was shy because he had never told Marta how he felt about her; he was patient because he was willing to wait for Marta to finish her studies; he was optimistic because he expected to spend his life with Marta; he was artistic because he helped Marta with her art and design homework; and he was not academically inclined because he chose to become a carpenter rather than go to university. In the weaker responses, candidates referred to the fact that Eduardo was a twenty-year-old carpenter and then recounted incidents from his life without attempting to show how they revealed aspects of his character.
- In the best responses, candidates provided an explanation of what Eduardo meant by the statement and then evaluated it by referring to Marta’s perspective on their relationship. They presented a coherent argument for saying that his statement was unrealistic and that Eduardo was destined to be disappointed. Evidence cited for this included the fact that Marta only referred to him as a neighbour, rather than as a friend, that she spoke of their lives going in different directions and made it clear that he was merely part of her past. Some weaker responses explained what Eduardo meant, but made no reference to Marta’s point of view.
Section III – Writing in Spanish
General comments
In the best responses, candidates paid careful attention to the precise requirements of the different questions in terms of content, audience, text type and word length. They expressed themselves using a variety of vocabulary and a range of language structures appropriate to the task. They showed clear evidence of thoughtful planning to ensure that their responses were well organised and coherent.
Some of the weaker responses were marred by poor dictionary skills. Candidates are reminded that using dictionaries is no substitute for knowledge of language structures. Expressions such as yo testamento volver él (‘I will return it’) reveal lack of both language and dictionary skills.
Question 16
In the best responses, candidates wrote a clearly comprehensible note of approximately fifty words which addressed the three required elements: identifying a plausible item to borrow, giving a reason for doing so and providing a time frame for its return. Weaker responses tended to omit either the reason for borrowing or the return time, or else were so brief and lacking in detail that they fell well short of the indicated number of words. A very common error, in many otherwise excellent responses, was the use of the intransitive volver in place of the transitive devolver.
Question 17
Candidates are reminded that where stimulus material is provided they should take careful note of it to ensure that their responses fully address the requirements of the question. In this case the two short emails provided not only the context and some useful vocabulary, but also indicated what ‘Alex’ should write: an apology and explanation of why s/he would not be able to accept the invitation to Diego’s birthday party. Better responses fulfilled these requirements using appropriate register, a variety of relevant vocabulary and a range of language structures, including the future tense in many cases.
Question 18
General comments
It is suggested that candidates underline or highlight key words in the question they choose to ensure that they address all the requirements fully and that they do not go off topic as they write. It is also particularly important in this longer style of question to plan the response so that it is well organised, coherent and observes the conventions of the text type. In the case of a speech, of course, there is an expectation that the opening and closing comments should address the audience directly. Part of organising a response well includes keeping to the indicated number of words.
Candidates are also reminded to read the Spanish as well as the English version of the question because it will provide them with an excellent source of vocabulary entirely appropriate to the topic. It was very disappointing to come across examples such as principal for ‘principal’ when the word director appeared in the questions. Even more unfortunate was the use of divisas for ‘exchange’ when the relevant word, intercambio, was used twice in question (b).
- Better responses covered a range of ‘significant moments’ over the years, including excursions and various humorous incidents, and showed good control of the past tense. Responses that merely described life in Year 12 and restricted themselves to the present tense did not score well.
- Many good responses discussed the benefits of going on an exchange and then explained why Australia would be a good destination. The very best responses were persuasive and interesting. They were couched in well-structured and varied Spanish with few significant errors.
Continuers
Speaking skills
General comments
Overall, most candidates were able to hold a ten-minute conversation about the topic ‘the individual and his/her personal world’. Most candidates demonstrated sound knowledge and the general performance was of a high standard. However, for a minority of candidates it would have been beneficial to expand on questions asked by the examiner. This means that candidates should make an effort to respond using phrases which express their opinions, eg creo que, pienso que, en mi opinión, me gustaría.
Most candidates were able to express themselves appropriately for the length of the examination. However, the use of false friends and anglicisms should be avoided. For example ‘marcas’ when referring to notas, facilidades when referring to servicios and instalaciones, hospitalidad when referring to hostelería and hotelería, bookeamos instead of reservamos. The use of verbs such as ha ido instead of he ido, vive when referring to vivi.
Literal translations from English into Spanish and false friends should also be avoided, eg moverse instead of mudarse; voy a hacer la universidad instead of voy a estudiar en la universidad.
In the better responses, candidates had a good command of Spanish and used a range of vocabulary when referring to, for example, institutions such as TAFE instituto/colegio técnico; HSC bachillerato and when referring to subjects of study, for example ‘Business Studies’, Estudios Empresariales or Administración de Empresas.
In the better responses, candidates used the correct terminology for the different sports and leisure activities, for example basketball baloncesto and cycling ciclismo.
There were some inaccuracies in gender and number agreements and adjective and noun agreements. Also the difference between por and para, mi coach instead of mi entrenador, la piano, for el piano un banda, instead of una banda, la tema and gentes instead of gente. There were a few problems with the use of the subjunctive, eg cuando termino el colegio instead of cuando termine el colegio. Also the incorrect of use of ser and estar was evident in the weaker responses.
Candidates are reminded of the importance of not identifying themselves by name, their school or suburb.
Written examination
Section I – Listening and responding
Specific comments
Question 3
In the weaker responses, candidates did not mention that males as well as females want to keep their skin healthy and attractive.
Question 5
In the weaker responses, candidates did not mention one or more of the reasons why the mother refused Carlos’ request: he already has too many shirts, he already receives a monthly allowance, he has already borrowed some money and has not returned it yet, and his mother believes he needs to learn the value of money.
Question 6
D was the correct response.
Question 7
In the best responses, candidates explained, with examples from the text, the reasons why the audience’s opinion of Pepe Roman changed throughout the interview.
Question 8
In the better responses, candidates mentioned that Juan Garcia, in spite of his injuries and misfortunes, was able to overcome life’s difficulties and become successful in his chosen career. He was also able to connect with a lot of people, support them and encourage them to have an optimistic outlook and have hope in the future.
Section II – Reading and responding
Question 9
Specific comments
- Most candidates identified that Fernando needed to pay the debt incurred by the recent commitment to a new mobile phone plan along with a sum owed to his brother. In the better responses, candidates identified that jobs were hard to find.
- In the best responses, candidates explained the significance of the quote by comparing and contrasting what Fernando expected to do in this job and what Fernando really does in this job: not work weekends/works Saturdays, uses his math skills/heavy work, have time to study/so tired he goes home to sleep, be paid overtime/work extra hours without getting paid. Candidates needed to explain the differences rather than analyse the text. Candidates are reminded that they must read the requirements of the question carefully.
Question 10
General comments
Candidates are reminded to read each question carefully and plan the answer for a more comprehensive and accurate response. They are also reminded that ‘message texting’ is not an acceptable form of communication in an examination paper. Candidates can give a global response but they also need to support their statements with specific examples from the text.
- Candidates are reminded of the importance of explaining in English any evidence from the text used to support a point made. For example, candidates mentioned that Jorge was a liar because he said to Elenita el amor de su vida. This is not sufficient detail. Instead candidates should have written that Jorge was a liar as Jorge said to Elenita that she was the love of his life el amor de su vida, but obviously did not mean it as he then dropped her and went out with somebody else.
- In this question, candidates were required to analyse the language used in the text to convey the writer’s emotional state. Many candidates correctly identified the emotional states, ie anger, frustration, despair, sadness, but did not link these emotions to the language used in the text. The weaker candidates quoted the text without explanation.
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The best responses included a clear statement in relation to the change of Elenita’s attitude to life. In this question, candidates were required to compare and contrast the first and last blog entries. It was necessary to identify the shift in Elenita’s emotional state from despair, depression and negativity to happiness, euphoria, and increased self-esteem. In the best responses, candidates linked the shift in emotions with the events in her life and positive/negative language used by Elenita.
In the weaker responses, candidates did not understand the task requirements and declined aspects of the middle entry only.
Question 11
General comments
Candidates are reminded of the importance of reading the stimulus text carefully in order to address all the elements in the response. It is also important to apply the conventions of the required text type.
Candidates are also reminded of the importance of adhering to the word limit.
Specific comments
Question 12
- In the best responses, candidates addressed their postcard to the team/children and adhered to the conventions of the text type and the required word length.
- Candidates are reminded of the importance of adhering to the word limit and applying the conventions of the text type correctly. In the better responses, candidates demonstrated a sound understanding of Hispanic culture by mentioning popular groups/artists/singers. In the better scripts there was evidence of planning.
Section III – Writing in Spanish
Question 13
General comments
Candidates are reminded of the importance of adhering to the word limit. Overlong responses often lack coherence. In the very best responses, candidates structured their articles appropriately and included a title.
- It was noted that many candidates demonstrated a good understanding of Hispanic culture. Many candidates used the word hispanico-a which does not exist. The adjective is hispano/a.
- Candidates wrote on a wide range of topics including drugs, alcohol, tobacco, technology, obesity, unemployment, bullying, dealing with exam stress, beauty and self-image, suicide and peer pressure.
Extension
Speaking skills
General comments
In the better responses, candidates developed a coherent argument and elaborated on it, using a range of vocabulary and language structures with a high level of accuracy, using correct intonation and pronunciation. In the better responses, candidates went beyond a simplistic response to include a certain degree of reflection when expressing their point of view. They showed their level of ability through appropriate references to the prescribed issues set for study, appropriate vocabulary, language structures and pertinent examples.
In the weaker responses (particularly to Question 1), candidates focused on one aspect of the question and gave a general response on the need for the latest in technology, rather than explaining how by having this technology they felt a sense of belonging to a group.
Candidates are reminded of the importance of preparing good, well-structured notes during their ten-minute preparation time. Many candidates did not structure their monologues effectively, and repeated themselves. The use of appropriate linking words and phrases should also be considered as an important preparation for this task. They are also reminded to answer the questions from a broader perspective allowing for a more sophisticated response rather than basing their answer on their personal experiences. Candidates are also strongly encouraged to read widely in order to develop their own opinions on topics related to the prescribed issues.
Question 1
In the weaker responses, candidates did not address the specific issue nor did they develop a coherent argument. In the better responses, candidates linked the idea of having the latest in technology with the feeling of belonging to a group, using a range of relevant examples. Often the argument was confined to the latest technology and its importance, unrelated to the sense of belonging. The use of prepared material was evident in a number of these responses.
Question 2
In the better responses, candidates argued how a person’s birthplace, be it the city or country, determines what opportunities life offers a person. In some excellent responses, candidates argued successfully that a person’s birthplace was not the only determinant.
Question 3
In the best responses, candidates referred to both aspects of the question – the competitive nature of society and the issue of solidarity. The weaker responses did not address both aspects of the question.
Section I – Response to prescribed text
General comments
Although most candidates showed extensive familiarity with the film, some did not translate this knowledge into responses appropriate to the level required of an Extension level candidate. In the weaker responses, candidates had difficulty relating the text to the given question. Their responses lacked analytical depth and often simply retold elements of the plot.
In the weaker responses, candidates either did not demonstrate an understanding of the divisions in society or they provided an inadequate analysis of the film techniques. They recounted the scene, made general claims without supporting evidence and did not link their arguments to the question.
Question 1
- In the best responses, candidates drew parallels between don Quijote San Martin, Alberto and Ernesto and the means of transport used to embark on their lifetime adventure.
- In the better responses, candidates identified the change in Ernesto’s father’s attitude as well as recognising the mother’s support of his trip from the beginning to the end of the extract.
- In the best responses, candidates analysed film techniques in relation to the issue of personal choice and growth. In the best responses, candidates provided examples of the identified issue, demonstrating how the director used film techniques to explore the issue of personal choice and growth. In the weaker responses candidates provided examples of techniques but did not explain the effect. A few candidates analysed language techniques rather than film techniques.
Part B
Question 2
The purpose of this task is to provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the prescribed text. In this instance, it involved an understanding of the character of Ernesto, especially in terms of his relationship with his mother. Most candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the prescribed text. In the best responses, candidates assumed Ernesto’s character and wrote perceptively on the task from this perspective. In the weakest responses, candidates demonstrated little flair in the approach taken.
Section II – Writing in Spanish
General comments
In this section most candidates presented and developed a coherent argument and in the better responses provided sufficient and appropriate examples to support their argument in Spanish. For most candidates, control of vocabulary and language structure affected the quality of the response (eg English interference, use of grammatical structures, gender agreements and spelling mistakes).
Candidates are reminded to:
- plan the response
- keep to the word limits
- address all the elements of the question
- fully develop their ideas
- re-read their responses to check for errors or omissions
- refer back to the question while answering it, to ensure that the response remains relevant.
Question 3
Most candidates responded well to the question and offered and supported a point of view. Better responses dealt with the topic using sophisticated argument and language. Many responses expressed the view that in today’s society young people are better prepared to face changes in their life. Only a few candidates answered this question from a different point of view, but they supported their arguments with breadth and depth in the treatment of relevant information.
The best responses demonstrated the ability of the candidate to structure and support a point of view with an introduction, body and conclusion and also go beyond personal experience and demonstrate a broader understanding of the question as it related to the prescribed issues.
Question 4
The best responses demonstrated the ability of the candidate to structure and support a point of view with an introduction, body and conclusion and also to go beyond personal experience and demonstrate a broader understanding of the question as it related to the prescribed issue. In the weaker responses, candidates often commenced well with a positive opening statement or idea but then did not develop or explain the point of view adequately or substantiate an argument with relevant examples. The weaker responses did not demonstrate sufficient breadth and depth in the treatment of the ideas.
2010048
NSW Government