Exam Format - 2 Unit (Continuers) / French Resources for Writing (Other courses) (1 Viewer)

kini mini

Active Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
1,272
Location
Sydney
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2002
The 2U written exam is three hours long, including 2h 50 mins working and 10 minutes reading. It begins with the listening component, which takes about half an hour. Then you have a reading comprehension section, a reading and responding section, and two compositions to do in whatever order you please.

Aural

The aural exam is in the format I'm sure we're all painfully familiar with. The passage plays once, there is a pause of a few seconds, and it is played again. I strongly advise you to read the question carefully beforehand and take down the content of the passage in the margin provided. A good way to practise listening is to do the exercises on the CSU site, and to listen to French radio programs. There are stations that allow you to download zip archives of 1 hour programs etc that are interesting and therefore easier to listen to. Personally, I'm a little tired of idiots asking for directions, railway announcements etc :p

Reading Comprehension

There are two passages in this section. Both were trivially easy to read in last year's paper, but interestingly the examiners sought to introduce a new difficulty in highly ambiguous questions. Read the exam for yourself on the BOS site and see. That said, my teacher marked the comp and when I spoke to him the other day he said they were very careful to give people marks if they could detect that the person had indicated even obliquely that they had grasped the point. This suggests to me that the "shotgun" method of answering is advisable, but you should ask your own teachers :).

Reading and responding

You can write about 300 words in this one in response to a text of some sort. It might be a letter written in answer to an original which you must write, a series of emails where you have to fill in the blanks....be prepared to write in a variety of styles. There is no time pressure in the exam so stay calm and plan everything. Use the dictionary if you are in doubt, everyone has one and the time to use it. Be careful to respond to all the points in the given text(s), I underlined them and checked them off :).

Compositions

There are two 150 word pieces you have to write, for each you have two choices of subject. Be creative! They aren't worth the same amont of marks, I don't know why unless it's to make it add up to 100. This is the easiest bit as you can take the line or two that you are offeref almost anywhere.

OK, that's all I can think of for the moment, if there are more questions about the exam post them here :)
 

eviltama

Mentally Deranged Maniac
Joined
Jul 25, 2002
Messages
856
Location
Yaoiville
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2002
Just some extra exam advice:

In the Aural always read through the question beforehand. It helps to think of things that might be related to the question, so that when(if) it's mentioned on the tape you automatically know what it is. Another reason to always read through the questions beforehand (during the "practise questions" ) is there may be a question where you have to reply in French. Always be careful of that trap.

NB : make notes of words you dont know but think may be vital to ur answer becuase after the tape has finished and you are allowed to move on to the next part you can use the dictionary to go back and check those words to make sure u got them right or to finish answering a question.

Comprehension
Read atleast once before even thinking of answering the questions. That means reading the passage and then the questions then going back and re-reading the passage to answer the questions. It also helps to highlight the answer to a question because the next answer comes after it. If there are any words you dont know, dont guess, use the dictionary it's there to help you!

Sections 2 and 3
In the writing sections, watch out for silly things u might normally overlook. (common questions and observations etc) Always refer back to the question or text. Its no use writing a great article or great letter that while is on topic has no reference at all to what is being asked. Ranting also is something you have to watch out for, dont just blab on for ages about something you cna talk about and then think 'well thats done'. Also rote learning an answer, or chunk or text isnt going to help you. The examiners will notice. In these parts of the test, the dictionary is your best friend!
Creativity is also good. If you cant think of something sensible to say then create... lie, manipulate the question... within reason of course. But if ur stuck for ideas, be creative. Creativity is rewarded! :D
 

kini mini

Active Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
1,272
Location
Sydney
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2002
Thanks eviltama, I think we've covered just about all there is now :)
 

sdpy

New Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2002
Messages
27
Location
East
French...

Hi kini mini,
Thanks for your post on the format of the exam *3hrs... aahhhhhhhhhh nooo!*
You mentioned French radio programs - this sounds great - but what station, what time, I don't know anything about them!
thanks!
 

kini mini

Active Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
1,272
Location
Sydney
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2002
Sorry for the long delay!

I haven't been checking this forum lately, I really should subscribe to this thread as well :)

Regarding the radio sites, www.lci.fr and www.rfi.fr are two good examples :). The news bulletins that are shown on SBS can also be seen at www.france2.fr.

The SBS website also has details about live broadcasts, but I think the best thing to do is to download the program so you can listen to difficult bits several times :).

Hope this helps!
 

sugaryblue

Living on deficit
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
1,274
Location
Around the globe
Gender
Female
HSC
2003
Re: Exam format - Continuers (2 Unit)

Originally posted by kini mini


Aural

The aural exam is in the format I'm sure we're all painfully familiar with. The passage plays once, there is a pause of a few seconds, and it is played again. I strongly advise you to read the question carefully beforehand and take down the content of the passage in the margin provided. A good way to practise listening is to do the exercises on the CSU site, and to listen to French radio programs. There are stations that allow you to download zip archives of 1 hour programs etc that are interesting and therefore easier to listen to. Personally, I'm a little tired of idiots asking for directions, railway announcements etc :p

Bonjour, can you please give me some websites that I can download (with archives of 1 hour programs)

merci :)
 

kini mini

Active Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
1,272
Location
Sydney
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2002
Re: Re: Exam format - Continuers (2 Unit)

Originally posted by sugaryblue


Bonjour, can you please give me some websites that I can download (with archives of 1 hour programs)

merci :)
Look up a couple of posts, someone has already asked that :)
 

sugaryblue

Living on deficit
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
1,274
Location
Around the globe
Gender
Female
HSC
2003
Re: Re: Re: Exam format - Continuers (2 Unit)

Originally posted by kini mini


Look up a couple of posts, someone has already asked that :)
I know, but I am not sure where to download the files :(
 

Klazy

New Member
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
2
Location
Sydney
Reading and Responding B

Reading and Responding part B - The silent KILLER!
People consider this just another part of reading and responding, but it is more. It is a french emapthy task. THATS RIGHT, EMPATHY. Pull out information and respond to it and the relay it. its nust.. not a great description though still a killer
 

jonojet

Significant Other
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
Messages
9
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
French Resources

Here are some practise questions for French Continuers
 
Last edited:

chepas

Active Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Messages
1,759
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Hé c'est chouette jonojet :D. Mais je ne peux pas le voir sur cet ordi parce qu'il est nul, donc je vais a` l'école demain pour en profiter.

In the meanwhile, here is the Section III Writing in French section from the 2003 NAFT Trial: Enjoyez!

________________________________________

Section III - Writing in French

Total marks (15)
Attempt Questions 12 and 13
Allow about 1 hour for this section


In your answer you will be assessed on how well you demonstrate:
- relevance of the treatment of ideas, information or opinions
- accuracy of vocab and sentence structures
- variety of vocab and s.s.
- capacity to structure and sequence responses (since when was 'structure' a verb for God's sake?)​
Qustion 12 (6 marks)

Answer ONE of the following questions. Write 100-150 words EN FRANÇAIS naturellement. Alors, tu penses qu'on veut voir comment tu peux écrire en anglais? On s'en fout, au 'Board!

a) Write an email to your French pen friend describing what your ideal job would be. Why is s/he a pen friend if we are sending emails to each other?

OR

b) You are in high school in a French-speaking country and you've been asked to talk to your class about what Australian teenagers do when they are not at school. Write the text of your speech.​

AND


Question 13
(9 marks)

Answer ONE only, etc. You know the drill.

a) Next year, you want to move out of home to share a flat with your best friend. Write the convo in which you try to persuade your parent/s that this is a good plan.

OR

b) You'd like to persuade your fellow students to participate in a 'TV-free' week. Write the group email that you plan to send them.​
________________________________________

I think it's clear which option of both these questions clearly stinks :D.
 
Last edited:

chepas

Active Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Messages
1,759
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
French SMSing - Les textos français

Eh bien ça fait 2 mois depuis qu'on affiche de message dans ce thread, mais j'ai trouvé quand même quelque chose d'intéressant.

Il s'agit des textos français. SMS and Chat language - in French :D. You know all the LOLs and ROFLs and BRBs and FFSs etc that exist when we talk on the net? Well, here is a nice grouping of the most common ones as they exist in French. Some of them are sooooo stupid though.

http://glclk.about.com/?zi=12/Xnj
 

chepas

Active Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Messages
1,759
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Salut a` tous.

I have added a Beginner's Trial paper from OHS, 2004 to my resource site.

More to come in the next week or so for Continuers, Extension etc.
Cheers,
chepas :D.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top