Translating Exam Skills into HKDSE Success: Setting the Tone

1. TRANSLATING EXAM SKILLS INTO HKDSE SUCCESS: SETTING THE TONE 15 October 2015 Theodore Tam

2. PAPER 1 READING

3. 1 hour and 30 minutes for the whole paper (20% of subject mark) • Total marks • Do not read the texts once before answering – instead, read them as you go through the questions • Briefly look at the texts’ titles when “checking the papers” • How much time should you spend on each part? MANAGING YOUR TIME WELL

4. There is an apparent diversification of text types • All reading passages in AS-Level Use of English papers were expository feature articles PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES

5. How about the reading passages in all HKDSE papers so far? PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES

6. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Feature article

7. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Interview article

8. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Film review

9. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Short story

10. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Opinion piece Letter to the editor

11. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Playscript

12. PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES Poem

13. What implications does the diversification of text types have for you? • You should not be surprised to see new text types in future HKDSE papers • The diversification of text types gives rise to a greater variety of question formats (e.g. questions related to the use of literary devices like irony, metaphor, simile and theme) • You might want to increase your exposure to opinion pieces written in English (in British/American newspapers or the SCMP) to understand in what ways columnists express their opinions PAYING DUE ATTENTION TO TEXT TYPES

14. Main idea question – Cloze summary: rewriting main ideas • Look at the wordings of the question • Look at the words around the gaps, then go to the text and look for those words or their synonyms • General skills • Direct copying • Grammatical alteration (e.g. parts of speech, tenses, etc.) • Alternative phrasing (e.g. Everyone in the country agrees  The __________ population agrees) • Hyponyms (e.g. France, Germany, the United Kingdom  __________ countries) FAMILIARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS entire / whole European

15. FAMILIARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS

16. Vocabulary questions – Finding a given word’s synonym or antonym in a paragraph • Use the method of elimination by considering: • Morphological clues, i.e. by looking at a word, can you deduce such information as number, tense and part of speech? • Syntactic clues, i.e. what words surround the word? Is there an article indicating definiteness? Is there any auxiliary verb which tells you more about the word? FAMILIARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS

17. Find a word from lines 16-19 that means ‘mocking’. • Lines 16-19: But, of course! One day, Jim sees a bully taunting a group of students, and decides to squirt ketchup all over his face. Jim then goes on a hilarioustirade making fun of the bully’s actions and mannerisms. The bully gives Jim a black eye, but it’s all worth it, because his classmates finally see what a funny and selfless guy he is. Kids from the school start calling on Jim for help with all of their personal woes. FAMILIARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS

18. PAPER 2 WRITING

19. 2 hours (25% of the subject mark) • You have to write 200 words for Part A and 400 words for Part B – is that a strict word limit? • How much time should you spend on each part? MANAGING YOUR TIME WELL

20. CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE TOPIC (PART B) • You do not have to choose the topics of your school electives • I recommend writing something expository, such as problem-solution essays, one-sided/two-sided argumentative essays, letters to the editor, etc., instead of something imaginary, such as short stories, diary entries, etc. • Ideally, you should choose a question • requiring you to write something expository; • of a genre whose format and style you are familiar with; • you feel interested about; and • whose required content is something you know how to write about.

21. CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE TOPIC (PART B)

22. Complex sentence structures (e.g. inversion) and more difficult vocabulary words are good if used sparingly and naturally (readability is important) • Each paragraph should sound like a paragraph, not a number of sentences; therefore, you have to use cohesive devices frequently to make your text structurally sound • My Part A Writing in HKDSE 2014 (21/21 from both markers) What Lucky Village is famous for For a very long time, Lucky Village has been renowned for its fragrant, top-notch rice. Although fewer villagers farm nowadays, rice remains a famous product of the village and is much sought-after across the city. Apart from this, the village is also known for its genuine preserved traditions, such as ‘Pun Choi’ that visitors can enjoy and the ancestral worshipping practices that visitors can learn about. Last but not least, the old library of Lucky Village, which is open to visitors, highlights invaluable century-old textbooks and articles written by prominent ancestors, allowing visitors to have a sneak peek on education and culture decades ago. As a result of all these, Lucky Village has always been popular among tourists since it became open to them. WRITING NATURALLY AND COHESIVELY

23. PAPER 3 LISTENING AND INTEGRATED SKILLS

24. PART A: FAMILARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS Stances, Direct, shorter note-taking

25. PART A: FAMILARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS Labelling floor plans or diagrams

26. PART A: FAMILARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS Speaker’s attitude Ranking items

27. PART A: FAMILARISING YOURSELF WITH KEY QUESTION FORMATS Longer note-taking, Note-taking with paraphrasing

28. 2 hours (for both Parts A and B) (30% of subject mark) • How much time should you spend on each part? PART B: MANAGING YOUR TIME WELL

29. PART B: MANIPULATING DATA FILE LANGUAGE SKILFULLY • You will get a high mark in Language only if you are able to skilfully manipulate Data File language • Methods I use to rephrase the sources • Use synonyms • Switch between active and passive voice • Employ a different sentence structure • Example: Snake Sanctuary – This charity looks after unwanted snakes that have been discarded by pet owners. The charity also raises awareness about these misunderstood reptiles. • Synonyms: This charitable organisationcares for… • Sentence structure: … unwanted snakes whose owners have abandoned them. • Sentence structure and voice: The charity also aims at raising awareness about these reptiles, as people often misunderstand them.

30. PART B: KNOWING THE TEXT TYPE • Consider the required formality and special features of the text type • Web page: Informal language; concise and interesting wordings • Formal letter: Formal language; format and structure; clear and polite wordings • Informal letter: Informal language; display emotions and intimacy (if needed) • Article: Formality depends on where the article will appear; clear explanation and structure • Speech: Formality depends on the occasion; engage the audience • You will get a satisfactory mark in Appropriacy if you show that you are aware of the text type

31. PART B: KNOWING THE TEXT TYPE

32. PAPER 4 WRITING

33. GENERAL SKILLS • A six-/eight-minute Group Discussion and a one-minute Individual Response (10% of subject mark) • Try speaking at least once on each of the three points • Markers’ comments when I took HKDSE 2014 (28/28 and 27/28 from two markers) • Pronunciation and delivery: “Intonation”, “Loud, clear, accurate”, “Very little hesitation” • Communication strategies: “Ask C” (help struggling candidates), “Respond to others naturally”, “Remain eye contact + gesture, smile” • Vocabulary and language patterns: “Able to rephrase” • Ideas and organisation: “Expand his ideas in a great deal”

34. Q & A SESSION

35. THANK YOU! Hope to see you all again at the next two workshops in November 2015 and February 2016!