How to approach the exam: the Oral Examination

Examination specifications

The new Japanese Beginners syllabus was examined for the first time in 2008.

The oral examination takes approximately five minutes and is worth 20 marks.

The oral examination assesses your knowledge and skills in interacting in Japanese. It relates toObjective 1 – Interacting, and the following outcomes, where you:

1.1 establish and maintain communication in Japanese

1.2 manipulate linguistic structures to express ideas effectively in Japanese

1.3 sequence ideas and information.

The oral examination is held on a date in Term 3, earlier than the HSC written examinations. The Board of Studies publishes a Languages Oral Examinations Timetable each year at (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/events/  ). You should be familiar with the practical advice supplied with the timetable. You will be advised of the examination date, time and venue at least three weeks prior to the examination. Make sure that your school and the Board of Studies have your correct contact details.

The examination will consist of a general conversation between you and an examiner. In the conversation, you and the examiner will discuss your personal world, as it relates to the prescribed topics in the syllabus.

You are not permitted to use dictionaries or refer to written notes during the oral examination.Other useful and related documents provided by the Board of Studies are included at the end of this section.

Preparing for the examination

You should aim to establish effective communication and to maintain the flow of the conversation to create the best overall impression. You should demonstrate how well you can:

exchange relevant information (i.e. give relevant answers to the questions asked) exchange opinions and make comments (e.g. say why you like something, why you

don’t want to do something, etc.) use appropriate intonation and pronunciation demonstrate a variety of vocabulary and Japanese structures.

This is an examination for which you can be well prepared. You may be asked about aspects of everyday life (see the topics listed below), from the perspective of your personal world. This is your opportunity to talk about yourself, your friends, your family, etc. You are advised to:

familiarise yourself with the topics prescribed in the syllabus. These are:o Family life, home and neighbourhoodo People, places and communitieso Education and worko Friends, recreation and pastimeso Holidays, travel and tourismo Future plans and aspirations

learn as much useful vocabulary and expressions as you can. This will enable you to speak across the range of topics. 

practise your pronunciation. There are a number of resources available to help you do this, e.g. the audio material which comes with textbook courses, commercially available material which focuses specifically on pronunciation, etc. Some of these are available electronically. Listen carefully and try to model your pronunciation on what you hear. 

practise responding to a wide range of sample questions.

practise speaking with classmates, with other Japanese teachers, etc.

record your answers and, if possible, ask your teacher for feedback. This will give you practice in recording your responses and will also help you to assess areas on which you may need to focus, e.g. pronunciation, intonation, variety of vocabulary, sentence structure, etc.

practise speaking in full sentences and extending your responses where possible. This will enable you to show a greater facility with Japanese than if you consistently answer with simple phrases or single words. Practise making a number of relevant comments in your response. E.g. 

Examiner:

あなたのご家ぞくは、何人ですか。

Student: ４人です。父と母とあねが一人います。Examiner:

おねえさんは、どんな人ですか。

Student: あねは、２３さいで、大学生です。大学で、けいざいを   べんきょうしています。やさしくて、おもしろい人です。

Examiner:

そうですか。あなたは、今、どこに住んでいますか。

Student: シドニーのマンリーに住んでいます。海がちかくて、きれいな町です。しゅうまつによく海に行ってサーフィンをしたり、水えいをしたりします。

practise giving a range of information in your answers. You may be asked a range of questions from the perspective of your own personal world and you should not limit yourself to extremely brief answers. Conversing well, across a range of topics, will create a good impression. It is up to you to maximise this opportunity during the five minutes of the examination. You should remain consistent throughout the conversation, e.g. it is inadvisable to say you have three brothers at the beginning of the examination and then claim to be an only child at the end.

practise speaking in the past tense, as you may be asked about things that have happened in the past. In Japanese you must be particularly careful of the past tense of adjectives.

practise speaking using です/ます verb forms as you will be speaking to an examiner so should not use plain forms

practise using aizuchi such as そうですね to make your conversation sound more natural.

During the examination

You should:

remain calm and speak confidently and clearly. 

avoid the temptation to rush into a response. If you need a moment to think about your answer, then take this – just as you might in a normal conversation. On the other hand, long pauses would not be natural, and should be avoided, especially as this examination only lasts for five minutes. Aizuchi such as あのう… or そうですね are good ‘fillers’. 

listen carefully to the question. If you have not understood, or are uncertain, then ask the examiner in Japanese for clarification, or to repeat it, e.g. すみません、わかりませんor すみません、もういちどおねがいします. 

be aware that the questions asked may follow on from the answers you have already given. However, a number of different topics may be covered in the exam. So there may be a switch to other topics during the course of the conversation. You should be prepared for this to happen.

be prepared to expand your answers. This does not mean giving a prepared monologue and attempting to dominate the conversation. However, you should attempt to expand your responses by making a number of relevant comments to demonstrate the range of vocabulary and Japanese structures you have at your disposal. You may find that aiming for roughly three comments in an extended response will assist you in this.

try to treat every question as a springboard to show what you know. Avoid the temptation to restrict your response to はい or いいえ, or to simply repeat the question. Consider the following examples. Which response do you think would make the better impression? 

Example 1 Examiner:

スポーツがすきですか。

  Student: はい。（すきです）Example 2 Examiner

:スポーツがすきですか。

 

Student: はい、テニスが大すきです。まいしゅう、土よう日のあさ、三時間ぐらい友だちとテニスをしす。

be aware that this is not a normal ‘conversation’, but rather a one-way conversation, with a series of questions provided for you to demonstrate your knowledge. It is therefore not appropriate for you to ask the examiner questions, e.g. whether he/she has seen a film, where he/she goes on holidays, etc.

remember that there is a wide range of possible questions that you could be asked. It is impossible to accurately predict the questions in this type of examination. However,

if you have practised, you can be confident you will be able to handle any line of questioning that develops.

answer as best you can, but do not worry if there is a question you cannot answer. A range of questions may be asked across a range of topics.

be aware that you should not ask the examiner for assistance, other than to repeat or clarify the question. 

be prepared to answer a question(s) in the past tense.

avoid using English words if you don't know the correct word or expression in Japanese. You should have a range of appropriate vocabulary at your disposal and should keep to what you know to be correct. The examination is not a good time for experimentation.

always remember that the examiner’s role is to facilitate the examination. The aim is to provide you with a positive experience, by giving you the opportunity to show your range of ability in spoken Japanese.

Related Board of Studies Websites

At the Board of Studies website (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/    ), you can access the following:

- Japanese Beginners syllabus- HSC (Year 12) Examination Timetable - 2008 HSC Specimen Examination Package - Past examination papers - Notes from the Examination Centre- Equipment Checklist for Higher School Certificate Examinations and School Certificate Tests- Rules and Procedures for Higher School Certificate Candidates.

Board of Studies Standards Packages

http://arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/hsc/std-packs/#j

**** To listen to sample answers for each band of the speaking exam

http://arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/standards-packs/SP09_15820/

How to approach the Written Examination

Section I: Listening

1. Examination specifications

The new Japanese Beginners syllabus was examined for the first time in 2008.

The Written Examination is held in the HSC Examination period each year in Term 4. The Board of Studies publishes an Examination Timetable in Term 2 each year listing details of written examination dates and times. The website is included at the end of this advice.

The first section of the Written Examination is Section I: Listening. It is designed to assess your knowledge and skills in responding to spoken texts. It relates to Objective 2 – Understanding Texts, and the following outcomes, where you:

2.1 understand and interpret information in texts using a range of strategies

2.2 convey the gist of and identify specific information in texts

2.3 summarise the main points of a text

2.4 draw conclusions from or justify an opinion about a text

2.5 identify the purpose, context and audience of a text

Section I: Listening will be approximately 40 minutes long and is worth 30 marks.

You will hear 9-12 texts in Japanese. These texts will be related to the topic areas prescribed in the syllabus (see below) and will be of varying length.

There will be a range of question types, such as open-ended and multiple-choice questions, or completion of a table, list or form. Questions will be in English and you will be required to answer in English. The mark allocation for each question will be included on the examination paper.

There will be 10 minutes reading time before the Written Examination. Reading time is for reading, and NO writing or highlighting may be undertaken during reading time. The presiding officer will advise you when you may take up your pens.

You may use monolingual and/or bilingual print dictionaries during the Written Examination, includingSection I: Listening. You may consult your dictionaries during reading time and during the examination.

You will hear each text twice, with a pause between the two readings. You may make notes at any time and will be given sufficient time at the end of the second reading to complete your response. This time may vary, depending on the length of the response required. When Section I: Listeninghas concluded, you may review and amend your answers in your own time, moving on to the rest of the Written Examination (Section II: Reading and Section III: Writing in Japanese) when you are ready to do so.

You may return to Section I: Listening to review and amend your answers at any time during the Written Examination. Section I: Listening is handed in at the end of the Written Examination, with the rest of the paper.

2. Preparing for the Listening Section

The six prescribed topics are studied from two perspectives. These are:

the Personal World the Japanese-speaking Communities.

The six prescribed topics are:

Family life, home and neighbourhood People, places and communities Education and work Friends, recreation and pastimes Holidays, travel and tourism Future plans and aspirations.

In order to be well-prepared for Section I: Listening, you should familiarise yourself with a wide range of vocabulary relevant to the syllabus topics. A sound vocabulary base is the key to success, enabling you to establish a context, gain a good global understanding of each text, infer information and identify the main points and specific information.

A good knowledge of vocabulary will also allow you to make linguistic connections.

E.g., if you know the word 物 (もの) meaning thing, it is possible to deduce the meaning of the word 食べ物, (たべもの), food, のみ物 meaning drink and  よみ物,something to read etc. If you know that 高校 (こうこう) is senior high school, you can deduce the meaning of words such as 高校生 (こうこうせい), senior high school student, and 高校生かつ, school life at senior high school etc. If you know that りょうり is cuisine, you can deduce the meanings of words such as 日本りょうり、タイりょうり、インドりょうり etc.

There is no substitute for developing a sound vocabulary base and learning to recognise as many key words as possible. The dictionary is a very useful tool if there is a key word you do not know. In this instance, you should jot down the key word in Japanese for checking later. However, you should not be tempted to rely on the dictionary for too many common words. You will not have time during the reading of the text to look up a significant number of words.

In preparing for Section I: Listening, you should listen to as much Japanese as possible and practise answering questions which are appropriate to the Japanese Beginners course. Some of the resources available include:

past HSC Japanese Beginners examination papers and CDs/cassettes (However, note that there has been a change in the syllabus, and past HSC papers before 2008 are quite different to the 2009 HSC examination format. Past papers can be accessed athttp://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/  . You should try to complete all the past Beginners HSC exam papers since 2000 [or 2 Unit Z prior to 2000]. Your school may be able to provide you with past papers’ Listening Sections on cassette or CD.)

cassettes, CDs and CD-ROMs accompanying course books materials produced by the Centre for Learning Innovation (ask your teacher for help in

accessing these) Motto hanashitai! Moshi Moshi kiite, and Nihongo no benkyo commercial listening packs including the Board of Studies Japanese 2 Unit Z materials,

available from the Board selected language-learning cassettes, CDs and videos available to schools through the

NSW DET Languages Consultant, Japanese and The Japan Foundation in Sydney

Other sources of a more general nature can provide further opportunities for you to hear spoken Japanese. These include SBS radio and television in many areas of NSW.

However, subtitled programs such as films and documentaries may be of greater benefit to you as a student of Japanese Beginners than, for example, news programs.

Another valuable resource is the Notes from the Marking Centre. These are available for all HSC examination papers published since 1995 and provide advice for students and teachers

given by Supervisors of Marking and HSC markers. For links to the Notes, past examination papers, HSC syllabuses and specimen papers, visit the website of the Board of Studies listed at the end of this advice.

3. During the examination

If you are well prepared, you can approach this section with confidence, knowing you are capable of coping with this exam, including dealing with the unexpected.

At the commencement of Section I: Listening, a text may be read to familiarise you with the speakers’ voices.

The questions will be read before the first reading of the text. During this reading you should focus on the key word(s) in the question(s), e.g., are you being asked when an event happened orwhere? You may find it helpful to underline or highlight these key word(s) to avoid misreading the question.

You should be familiar with your own style of answering. Some students prefer to concentrate during the first reading, without writing anything down. Others prefer to jot down relevant points in the Candidate's Notes column as soon as the first reading begins. You should know which strategy is best for you and keep to your own approach.

During the first reading, listen for key words that will help you identify the gist of the text and begin to formulate your response. Do not panic if you do not understand everything. Remember that unfamiliar vocabulary may be provided in English in the question, or may not even be required in your answer. You can often gain a good understanding of the text, without knowing every word.

During the second reading, listen for any details you may have missed and complete your answer. If you have concentrated on the spoken text, you should be able to replay in your mind some of the key words.

Remember that answers in note form are acceptable, as long as the meaning is completely clear and unambiguous.

If you have not understood a key word, write it down in the Candidate's Notes column in Japanese. Looking at the word may help you to recognise it, even if your spelling is incorrect.

Some answers will require more information than others and the number of marks allocated to each question is a guide to the depth of the answer required. It is common practice for questions to be placed on the examination paper in order of increasing mark value and difficulty, with those questions worth fewer marks at the beginning of the examination, and those worth more marks towards the end.

The number of lines printed on the paper is often a guide to indicate the length and depth of the response required. It should be noted, however, that these lines are a guide only, and you should write beyond the lines if the space provided is insufficient for your needs.

You are advised to use your time wisely. If you have time between questions, you should quickly review a previous answer, or answers. Check to see if your response has been clearly expressed, or if your English expression is ambiguous. Remember the only way you can be assessed is by the answer you have written.

Ensure that you have transferred all relevant information written down in the Candidate's Notes to the answer’s space on the printed lines. If you do not have enough time to do this, circle the information you wish to include and draw an arrow to link it to the printed lines.

If you decide to change an answer, especially a number or spelling response, do not over-write the original answer. Delete the original and write the correct information above or beside it so that your response is legible.

Pay careful attention to providing all relevant detail and information. This may be required for a complete response, e.g. a question worth three marks may not always be fully answered by three points of information, as marks are awarded for the quality of a response. You need to provide a fully supported response to ensure the quality is worthy of full marks.

Do not panic if you miss hearing the information required for an answer or part of an answer. If you really have no idea, you should make an intelligent guess based on the understanding you have derived from the text as a whole. There is a chance you may be right. If you leave your answer blank, you will certainly receive no marks.

You should maintain your concentration and treat each question as a new beginning. If you have found one particular question difficult, it is likely that other students may have found it challenging too. Put it behind you and focus on the next question as soon as it is announced.

Never give alternatives in your answer. It is your responsibility to decide on which of two or more alternatives is the correct answer, e.g. “Akiko goes to school by bike/train” (from the text　秋子さんはじてん車で学校に行きます。).

If you are asked to give a time, e.g. しんかんせんは二十時に出ます。(the bullet train is leaving at 20:00), you may leave it in 24 hour time. If you do decide to convert it, clarify your answer by adding a.m. or p.m. (and also check that your mathematical calculation is correct).

In some questions you may be asked to form a conclusion or give an opinion, supporting your answer with evidence from the text. Always remember to base your answer firmly in the facts you have heard. You should link your response back to specific information, so that you can support your answer and relate your response, or any conclusions you have drawn, to the text itself.

4. Related Board of Studies Websites

At the Board of Studies website (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/      ), you can access the following:

- Japanese Beginners syllabus- HSC (Year 12) Examination Timetable - 2008 HSC Specimen Examination Package - Past examination papers - Notes from the Examination Centre- Equipment Checklist for Higher School Certificate Examinations and School Certificate Tests- Rules and Procedures for Higher School Certificate Candidates.

Section III: Writing in Japanese

1. Examination specifications

The new Japanese Beginners syllabus was examined for the first time in 2008.

The Written Examination is held in the HSC Examination block each year in Term 4. The Board of Studies publishes an Examination Timetable in Term 2 each year listing details of written examination dates and times. The website is included at the end of this advice.

The third section of the Written Examination is Section III: Writing in Japanese. It is designed to assess your ability to produce written text in Japanese for a specific audience, purpose and context. It relates to Objective 1: Interacting and Objective 3: Producing Texts, and the following outcomes, where you:

1.1 establish and maintain communication in Japanese

1.2 manipulate linguistic structures to express ideas effectively in Japanese

1.3 sequence ideas and information

3.1 produce texts appropriate to audience, purpose and context

3.2 structure and sequence ideas and information

3.3 apply knowledge of diverse linguistic structures to convey information and express original ideas in Japanese

Section III: Writing in Japanese is in two parts and is worth a total of 20 marks. You are advised to allow about 50 minutes for this section.

You will be required to produce texts for Part A and Part B which have been taken from the texts prescribed in the syllabus. These are:

article (e.g. for a school magazine) diary/journal entry email informal letter message note postcard script of a talk (to an audience)

The questions for both Part A and Part B will be related to the six topics prescribed in the syllabus.

There will be 10 minutes reading time before the Written Examination. Reading time is for reading, and NO writing or highlighting may be undertaken during reading time. The presiding officer will advise you when you may take up your pens.

You may use monolingual and/or bilingual print dictionaries during the Written Examination, includingSection III: Writing in Japanese. You may consult your dictionaries during reading time and during the examination.

Part A (10 marks)

Part A will consist of two writing tasks. You will need to write a total of approximately 250 ji, e.g.

Task 1: a response of approximately 100 ji (4 marks)

Task 2: a response of approximately 150 ji (6 marks).

Questions will be written in English, but may also involve stimulus material written in Japanese (e.g. a postcard with a Japanese greeting).

Part B (10 marks)

Part B will consist of one extended writing task of approximately 250 ji.

You will have a choice of two questions. These two questions will:

be phrased in both Japanese AND in English require one extended response in Japanese be drawn from different topics require you to write the same type of text (e.g. a letter).

2. Preparing for the Writing Section

The six prescribed topics are studied from two perspectives. These are:

the personal world the Japanese-speaking communities.

The six prescribed topics are:

Family life, home and neighbourhood People, places and communities Education and work Friends, recreation and pastimes Holidays, travel and tourism Future plans and aspirations.

The following advice may assist you in preparing for this section of the examination:

Practise allocating time to each of the tasks. This will ensure you allow yourself adequate time to respond appropriately within the given time frame. 

Practise planning and writing appropriate texts of, e.g. 100 ji, 150 ji and 250 ji, and familiarise yourself with the skills required to communicate effectively in each text. This will also assist you in recognising what a set number of ji looks like in your own handwriting and ongenkooyooshi (grid paper). The specimen examination paper shows 15 ji on each line. Practise the appropriate conventions for punctuation, writing katakana and small hiragana つ、や、ゆ、よ. It is important to practise writing by hand. 

Practise writing responses drawn from all the topic areas listed in the syllabus, so that you have a comprehensive bank of vocabulary at your disposal. Some texts lend themselves to shorter responses of 100 and 150 ji, e.g. a note, message, short email or postcard. Others lend themselves to longer, extended responses of 250 ji, e.g. an article, diary entry, email, informal letter, the script of a talk. You should, however, be practised in writing both short and long responses for all prescribed texts.

Correspond with a Japanese penfriend, either by mail or on the internet. This will assist you in developing your writing skills in an authentic context. However, it is very important that you practise writing in the modern standard version of Japanese. Even when writing shorter texts, it is important to note that it is best not to use abbreviated forms or non-standard versions of Japanese in the examination situation.

Pay attention to verbs. Verbs are the cornerstone of most sentences and it is important to take care with tenses and plain and polite forms. You will create a more positive impression in your written texts if your verbs are consistently correct. Remember that adjectives also have tenses and plain and polite forms in Japanese.

Learn from your mistakes. Always carefully review corrected work handed back by your teacher, noting mistakes and corrections and asking for clarification when necessary.

Avoid the temptation to learn prepared answers off by heart and expect them to fit any question. It is highly unlikely that a prepared answer will be relevant, and responses that are not written specifically for the examination question will be immediately obvious. Remember that relevance to all aspects of the question is vital in your response. 

Practise using a dictionary effectively. This requires a particular skill. You need to be familiar with the Japanese alphabet order so that you can look up words quickly. You also need to practise working out the plain (dictionary) form of verbs. In addition, cross-checking a word can be a good idea if you are uncertain whether you have chosen the correct alternative.

3. During the examination

You should:

clearly indicate on your answer paper which question you are attempting.

read the questions carefully – they will be given in both Japanese and English. If the question includes a stimulus in Japanese (e.g. a caption on a postcard), this will not be translated, and you should be certain you understand what it means, to ensure your response is relevant.

write at least the minimum number of ji advised in the  question. Remember you may write more than the advised number of words, although this will not be essential for gaining full marks if your response is of a high quality. An accurate, interesting, well-crafted response, written in the advised number of words, will make a more positive impression than one which is significantly longer, but is disjointed and full of mistakes. 

allocate an appropriate amount of time to each writing task to ensure you are not hurrying to complete the third task, which is an extended response and worth the most marks. The suggested time taken to complete this section is 50 minutes, so you might decide to spend about 10 minutes on the first task in Part A (worth 4 marks), 15 minutes on the second task in Part A (worth 6 marks), and about 25 minutes to complete the task in Part B (worth 10 marks). However, from practice you will know which allocation of time is best for you. 

take time to plan your answers, even if it means simply noting down a few key words or phrases before you begin writing. A plan is often a good idea for the extended response (Part B), as you will be judged on your ability to organise information and ideas coherently.

use a variety of structures, vocabulary and script where possible. 

decide whether a formal or informal form of address is appropriate and keep to this. This will depend on whom you are addressing. Beginners students will be most likely to use desu/masuforms. Once you have decided what to use, do not switch between these when addressing the same person/people.

avoid using your own name, suburb, school, etc., even though you may be writing from a personal viewpoint. This will ensure the anonymity of your response.

avoid repeating phrases and vocabulary across the texts you write. You only have a limited opportunity to show the examiners what you know, and a more positive

impression will be made if the vocabulary, expressions and structures you use are not repeated in each text.

aim to make your answers as interesting as you can, ensuring that the development of your ideas is logical. Try to avoid jumping from one idea to the next in a disjointed fashion.

write a relevant response and avoid the temptation to rely on slabs of pre-learned material. Your written text will not flow logically if you insert blocks of material learned by heart from somewhere else. Remember that your text must be relevant and must clearly address every aspect of the question.

avoid experimenting with the language you use. In an examination you should always write what you know to be correct. Do not invent your own phrases and expressions or take a guess at what you think may be correct, simply because you are determined to make a particular point. If you are uncertain, you should write something different instead. A good student can always find ways of adapting what they know to suit the question. 

avoid any temptation to lift passages from Section II: Reading of the examination, as this is plagiarism and will be easily identified.

keep in mind that, for your responses to Part A, you need to:o communicate ideas and information effectivelyo write a text that is appropriate to its audience, purpose and contexto apply knowledge of vocabulary, Japanese structures and features.

This means that you should write a text that:

o is appropriate to the audience (e.g. are you writing to a friend, or are you writing a note for your teacher? etc.)

o addresses the question and is relevanto demonstrates a range of vocabulary and Japanese   structures etc.

In Part B, where you will be required to write an extended response, you need to consider all the points given above, as well as how well you:

o organise information and ideas coherently

allow enough time to review your work. Be sure that verb and adjective endings, and particles are correct, and that Japanese word order and not English word order has been used.

4. Related Board of Studies websites

At the Board of Studies website (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/      ), you can access the following:

- Japanese Beginners syllabus- HSC (Year 12) Examination Timetable - 2008 HSC Specimen Examination Package - Past examination papers - Notes from the Examination Centre- Equipment Checklist for Higher School Certificate Examinations and School Certificate Tests

- Rules and Procedures for Higher School Certificate Candidates. 

Japanese Beginners – Performance band descriptionsThe typical examination performance in this band:Band 6

Communicates effectively across a range of topics in spoken Japanese

Writes cohesive, well-structured texts appropriate to a range of audiences, purposes

and contexts

Demonstrates an excellent control of vocabulary and language structures

Demonstrates an excellent understanding of a range of texts by identifying their

audience, purpose and context; by interpreting and summarising information; and

by drawing conclusions and justifying opinions about themBand 5

Communicates across a range of topics in spoken Japanese

Writes cohesive texts appropriate to audience, purpose and context

Demonstrates a good control of vocabulary and language structures

Demonstrates a good understanding of a range of texts by identifying their

audience, purpose and context; by interpreting and summarising information; and

by drawing some conclusions and justifying opinions about themBand 4

Communicates ideas and information in spoken Japanese

Writes texts with some regard to audience, purpose and context, linking ideas and

information

Demonstrates some control of vocabulary and language structures

Demonstrates a general understanding of and identifies some specific information in

a range of textsBand 3

Communicates some ideas and information in familiar contexts in spoken Japanese

Writes texts with some regard to purpose

Demonstrates a basic knowledge of Japanese vocabulary and applies Japanese

grammar and syntax inconsistently

Demonstrates a general understanding of straightforward texts and identifies some

specific information in more complex ones

Band 2

Understands some simple questions and responds in comprehensible spoken

Japanese

Writes some words, phrases and sentences in comprehensible Japanese

Identifies some information in texts