Briefing Session for HKDSE
Category C Subjects
HKEAA
Cameron Smart 13 September 2018
Rundown
• The exam: structure & constructs
• 2018 Results
• 2017 & 2018 candidates’ performances
• 2019 exam
• Change to exam structure for Hindi & Urdu
• Teacher support provision
• Q & A
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Exam Structure
Component Weighting Time
1. Speaking 30% 20 mins.
2. Reading & Writing 50% 1 hr. 45 mins.
3. Essay 20% 1 hr. 30 mins.
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Structure of Paper 1
Section Mark Allocation Time
1. Presentation 20 3 mins 30 seconds
2. Topic conversation 40 7 -8 minutes
3. General conversation 40 8-9 minutes
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Paper 1: Timing logistics
– Examiners will use a visible timer
– It will be set at 20 minutes
– A 1-minute sign will be held up after 2 mins.
30 secs. of presentation
– Section 1 will finish approx. 16 mins. 30 left
– Section 2 will start at approx. 16 mins left
– Section 3 will start at approx. 9 mins left
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Paper 1: Speaking
• Test constructs
– What is being tested?
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Section 1: Presentation (20 marks)
• Three domains:
– Content and presentation (10 maximum)
– Pronunciation and intonation (5 maximum)
– Language (5 maximum)
Section 1: Presentation (20 marks)
• Content and presentation (10 maximum)
– Coverage of topic
– Organization and coherence
– Opinions and facts
– Delivery
– Interest
– N.B. If no specific reference to society or cultural heritage of country where language spoken- half marks for this domain, i.e. max. is 5.
Section 1: Presentation (20 marks)
• Pronunciation & intonation (5 maximum)
– Accurate pronunciation and intonation
– Mother tongue influence / comprehensibility
– N.B. Not necessarily native speaker for full
marks. May have some hesitation and errors
for full marks.
Section 1: Presentation (20 marks)
• Language (5 maximum)
– Feel for language
– Fluency
– Accuracy
– Use of relevant idiomatic language
– Range of structures
– Range of vocab
– Clarity of meaning
Section 2: Topic conversation (40 marks)
• 5 domains
– Comprehension & responsiveness (10 max)
– Accuracy (10 max)
– Feel for language (10 max)
– Range of vocab & structures
(Providing info & opinion) (5 max)
– Range of vocab & structures
(Seeking info & opinion) (5 max)
Section 2: Topic conversation (40 marks)
• Comprehension & responsiveness (10 max)
– Problems in understanding examiner
– Naturalness in responses
– Spontaneity and initiative
– Ability to defend point of view
Section 2: Topic conversation (40 marks)
• Accuracy (10 max)
– Frequency of errors
– Understanding of grammatical usage
Section 2: Topic conversation (40 marks)
• Feel for language (10 max)
– Naturalness
– Fluency of expression
– Appropriate idiom
– Influence of or translation from mother tongue
Section 2: Topic conversation (40 marks)
• Range of vocab & structures
(Providing info & opinion) (5 max)
– Variety
– Confidence in use vs. limiting expression
Section 2: Topic conversation (40 marks)
• Range of vocab & structures (Seeking info & opinion)
– Ability and number of questions asked
– Spontaneity
– Initiative
– Accuracy and variety of question forms
– Comprehensibility
Section 3: General Conversation (40 marks)
• 5 domains
– Comprehension & responsiveness (10 max)
– Accuracy (10 max)
– Feel for language (10 max)
– Range of vocab & structures
(Providing info & opinion) (5 max)
– Range of vocab & structures
(Seeking info & opinion) (5 max)
Section 3: General Conversation (40 marks)
• Same as Section 2
Section 3: General Conversation (40 marks)
• 5 domains
– Comprehension & responsiveness (10 max)
– Accuracy (10 max)
– Feel for language (10 max)
– Range of vocab & structures
(Providing info & opinion) (5 max)
– Range of vocab & structures
(Seeking info & opinion) (5 max)
Structure of Paper 2
Passage Question Question type example Mark allocation
Passage 1 1 Vocabulary: seeking synonym in text
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2 Grammatical manipulation 5
3 Comprehension questions 20 (15+5)
Passage 2 4 Comprehension questions 20 (15+5)
Passage 1 & 2
5 (a) Summary of details from both texts
(b) Personal response
20 (10 +5+5)
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Paper 2: Reading & Writing
• Question 1 : Seeking a phrase: Do not to omit words or to include
extra words.
• Question 2: Rewriting phrases: Answers should fit back into the
original text, retaining the same meaning.
• Questions 3 and 4: Comprehension of texts. Answer in their own
words.
• Direct copying of four or more words from the text will usually invalidate
an answer.
• Question 5(a): Summary: Introduction, conclusions and vague
generalizations not required. Specific, relevant details attract marks.
• Question 5(b): Personal response: Give a point of view and, if
possible, offer ideas which have not appeared in the texts.
• Total of 140 words / 280 Japanese characters for both parts in Question
5.
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Structure of Paper 3
Word guide Mark Allocation
250–400 words (600–800 characters in Japanese).
40 marks total: 24 marks: Quality of Language 16 marks: Content
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HKEAA website
• http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/en/HKDSE/assessment/subject_information/category_c_subjects/
Results 2018 examination (in number of candidates)
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A B C D E U Total
French 7 5 7 12 10 20 61
German 2 1 1 0 0 0 4
Hindi 4 2 2 2 1 0 11
Japanese 181 64 35 7 8 10 305
Spanish 3 2 4 5 1 1 16
Urdu 15 7 4 0 1 0 27
Results 2018 examination (in percentages)
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A B C D E U Total
French 11.5 8.2 11.4 19.7 16.4 32.8 100
German 50.0 25.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100
Hindi 36.4 18.1 18.2 18.2 9.1 0.0 100
Japanese 59.3 21.0 11.5 2.3 2.6 3.3 100
Spanish 18.8 12.5 25.0 31.2 6.3 6.3 100
Urdu 55.6 25.9 14.8 0.0 3.7 0.0 100
Results 2018 examination
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0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
French German Hindi Japanese Spanish Urdu
A
B
C
D
E
U
2018 Candidates’ Performance
Component Weighting Time
1. Speaking 30% 20 mins.
2. Reading & Writing 50% 1 hr. 45 mins.
3. Essay 20% 1 hr. 30 mins.
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Performance: French • Specific Sections Section 1: Presentation • It is important to express not only facts, but also ideas and opinions in the presentation. • Most candidates were able to speak for the required 3 to 3½ minutes; others needed
encouragement to do so; a few were unable to achieve this. A few presentations were too short.
• A wide variety of appropriate topics was offered, such as: La cuisine française, La santé, La vie en France, Le Petit Prince, Les effets du divorce en France, Les banlieues et l’immigration, Les bandes dessinées, L’économie française et chinoise.
Section 2: Topic Conversation • Candidates are reminded that they should ask more than one question of the Examiner to be
eligible for maximum marks. • Questions were often poorly formulated and hard to understand. Section 3: General Conversation • Most candidates asked questions, although not all focused their question or questions on the
subject under discussion. • In order to improve further, candidates need to widen their vocabulary, develop a firmer
grasp of basic constructions, express more ideas and opinions.
Performance: German
• Specific Sections
Section 1: Presentation
• The presentation topic should clearly refer to the culture or society of a German-speaking country.
• It is important to express not only facts, but also ideas and opinions, and to structure the presentation to fit into a maximum of 3½ minutes.
Section 2: Topic Conversation
• Candidates were enthusiastic about their topics.
• Candidates should be prepared to ask the Examiner questions to seek information and opinions. In some cases candidates needed to be prompted.
• The best candidates maintained a high level of accuracy and had a good range of structures at their disposal.
Section 3: General Conversation
• In future, candidates should concentrate on the accuracy of the questions they put to the Examiner and have some additional general questions ready that they could use in any circumstances.
Performance: Hindi
Section 1: Presentation
• • It is important to structure the presentation to fit into the allocated 3½ minutes and to include relevant facts, ideas and opinions.
• The best presentations were well researched and structured.
Section 2: Topic Conversation
• This provides candidates with the opportunity to extend their ideas and discuss issues around the presentation topic with the Examiner.
• The best candidates made use of the opportunity to expand on the ideas they had already presented.
• • The topic conversation should be interactive and provide the opportunity to extend ideas and opinions rather than simply repeat elements of the presentation.
Section 3: General Conversation
• Candidates are reminded that they must ask the Examiner questions in this section of the test in order to score marks for ‘seeking information and opinions’.
Performance: Japanese
Key messages
• • Candidates should: – remember that an examination is a formal situation, and take care to
speak to the examiner in appropriate formal language. Language they have picked up from manga or anime is likely to be too informal.
– • Candidates should take care to address the examiner as 先生 rather than あなた.
– • Candidates are encouraged to work more on their pronunciation and intonation.
Performance: Japanese
• Specific Sections
Section 1: Presentation
• The best presentations were those which were based on an aspect of personal interest to the candidate, which the candidate had then gone on to research.
• Very occasionally some presentations seemed to only have very tenuous links to Japan or Japanese culture.
• Candidates should not over stretch themselves to the extent that they cannot confidently use what they have prepared
Section 2: Topic Conversation
• Candidates are encouraged to take the initiative to develop their answers, and also to ask questions.
Section 3: General Conversation
• The stronger candidates were also able to be reflective, debate using reasons and opinions, and engage in discussion about social problems in Hong Kong.
Performance: Spanish
• Comments on specific sections
Section 1: Presentation
• Candidates should remember that they are outlining situations or topics to an uninformed but interested listener.
• Clear references must be made to Hispanic culture or society in the presentation and topic
• conversation. Wherever possible, the choice of the subject for the presentation should reflect a candidate’s own interest.
• • Candidates should remember that the time limit for the presentation is 3½ minutes.
• Candidates should try to include a personal viewpoint.
Section 2: Topic Conversation
• They should be prepared to offer their own opinions and justification for these throughout the test.
• Weaker candidates found difficulty when dealing with unexpected questions and clearly struggled with going beyond their prepared material. Candidates should adopt strategies to deal with unexpected, unprepared questions
• Section 3: General Conversation
• In both conversation sections candidates should be ready to ask at least two questions.
Performance: Urdu
• Specific Sections
Section 1: Presentation
• Clear reference should be made to Urdu culture or society.
• The most popular topic was ‘importance of sport’.
Section 2: Topic Conversation
• In order to have access to the full range of available marks, candidates need to ask further questions, for example, ‘what are your thoughts on this issue?’, ‘how did you overcome difficulties?’, etc.
• Pronunciation was generally acceptable, with some instances of first-language interference, for example, use of Panjabi or English words. In order to improve, candidates should focus on the use of Urdu idioms.
• Section 3: General Conversation
• Most candidates managed to ask one question. Candidates are advised to practise formulating different types of question.
Exam Components
Component Weighting Time
1. Speaking 30% 20 mins.
2. Reading & Writing 50% 1 hr. 45 mins.
3. Essay 20% 1 hr. 30 mins.
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Paper 3: Essay – Key Points
• Select the title with which they feel most comfortable.
• Write a response that is clearly relevant, well illustrated, coherently structured and well informed.
• Use target language which is accurate and of a suitably advanced nature, as well as demonstrate a good use of idiom and appropriate topic-related vocabulary.
• Use sentence patterns which show some evidence of complexity in a style which is easy to follow.
• Leave some time at the end of the examination to check for avoidable language errors.
• Stay within the prescribed word limits (250-400 words / 600 – 800 Japanese characters).
• Do not to use transliterations of English words instead of the appropriate vocabulary items in Hindi / Urdu.
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2019 Examination
No of candidates French 42 German 3 Hindi 10 Japanese 321 Spanish 17 Urdu 28
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2012-19 Candidate Numbers
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2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
French 88 89 65 59 64 61 65 42
German 3 1 4 12 8 9 5 3
Hindi 10 8 6 12 0 8 11 10
Japanese 135 114 140 199 203 213 327 321
Spanish 9 20 14 7 11 14 18 17
Urdu 5 13 16 15 30 19 28 28
TOTAL 250 245 245 304 316 324 454 421
2012-19 Candidate Numbers
40
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
French
German
Hindi
Japanese
Spanish
Urdu
2012-19 Candidate Numbers
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
French German Hindi Japanese Spanish Urdu
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2019 Exam (Nov. 2018 series)
• Dates:
– Paper 1 (Nov. series)
• 1 October – 21 October 2018
– Paper 2 and 3
• 2 October – 30 October 2018
• http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/HKDSE/Exam_Timetable/Cat_C_Nov_2019_Timetable_E.pdf
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Change in Exam Structure in Hindi & Urdu from 2020
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Cambridge International AS level
Language Syllabus Code
Exam paper structure
Subject with speaking test
French 8682 Component 1: Speaking (29%) Component 2: Reading & Writing (50%) Component 3: Essay (21%)
German 8683
Japanese 8281
Portuguese 8684
Spanish 8685
Subject without speaking test
Afrikaans 1 8679 Component 2: Reading & Writing(70%) Component 3: Essay (30%) Arabic 8680
Chinese 8681
Hindi 8687
Tamil 8689
Urdu 8686
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[1] Optional speaking test available but is reported separately and does not contribute to overall final grade.
Cambridge International AS level
Language Syllabus Code
Exam paper structure
Subject with speaking test
French 8682 Component 1: Speaking (29%) Component 2: Reading & Writing (50%) Component 3: Essay (21%)
German 8683
Japanese 8281
Portuguese 8684
Spanish 8685
Subject without speaking test
Afrikaans 1 8679 Component 2: Reading & Writing(70%) Component 3: Essay (30%) Arabic 8680
Chinese 8681
Hindi 8687
Tamil 8689
Urdu 8686
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[1] Optional speaking test available but is reported separately and does not contribute to overall final grade.
Change in Exam Structure in Hindi & Urdu
• To adopt international version of Hindi and Urdu
• In order to align them with international practices
• Effect from 2020 examination
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Teaching support provision
Other Languages Resource Corner (OLRC):
https://334.edb.hkedcity.net/new/en/index.php
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Teaching support
• Education Bureau
• Curriculum Development:
– Ms Lam Wai Kuen
– Tel: 28926403
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Examination support
Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority
• Exam logistics:
• Christine Lee: [email protected]
• Speaking exam administration:
• Cameron Smart: [email protected]
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Questions?
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