Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit State Examinations Commission

Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit
State Examinations Commission
LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION 2009
JAPANESE
ORDINARY LEVEL CHIEF EXAMINER’S REPORT
HIGHER LEVEL CHIEF EXAMINER’S REPORT
CONTENTS
Page
1.
2.
3.
4.
General Introduction
3
1.1
The syllabus
3
1.2
Candidature
3
Oral examination
4
2.1
Introduction
4
2.2
Performance of Candidates
4
2.3
Analysis of Candidate Performance
5
2.4
Conclusions
8
2.5
Recommendations for Teachers and Students
8
Ordinary Level
11
3.1
Introduction
11
3.2
Performance of Candidates
11
3.3
Analysis of Candidate Performance
11
3.4
Conclusions
15
3.5
Recommendations for Teachers and Students
16
Higher Level
17
4.1
Introduction
17
4.2
Performance of Candidates
17
4.3
Analysis of Candidate Performance
17
4.4
Conclusions
30
4.5
Recommendations for Teachers and Students
31
4.6
Exemplars of standard
33
2
1.
General Introduction
1.1
The syllabus
Leaving Certificate Japanese was examined for the first time in 1998. The revised
Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus was examined for the first time in 2004. From
1998 until 2004, the vast majority of candidates were native speakers. With the
promotion of Japanese as a school subject, however, the number of Irish candidates
taking Leaving Certificate Japanese rose considerably. The current Japanese syllabus
and examinations aim to teach and examine Japanese as a foreign language.
At present Japanese is taken for the Leaving Certificate as a two-year ab initio course in
Senior Cycle. Both the Higher and Ordinary Level Japanese examinations have four
main elements: Oral Production, Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension
and Written Production.
The Oral Examination consists of a 15 minute interview which is divided into three
sections as follows: General Conversation, Discussion of a Topic and Presentation of a
Picture. In 2009, the Oral Examinations were conducted between March 23rd and April
3rd.
The Reading Comprehension and Written Production sections are examined in a two
and a half hour examination in June and followed, after a short break, by the Listening
Comprehension test.
This report should be read in conjunction with the examination paper(s) and the
published marking scheme(s). These are available on the State Examination
Commission website www.examinations.ie
1.2
Candidature
Table 1 shows the number of candidates sitting Leaving Certificate Japanese in the
period 2007-2009.
Year
2007
2008
2009
Table 1:
Percentage
Higher
of total
Ordinary Percentage
Level
%
LC
Leaving
Level
of total
candidates
candidates
Certificate candidates Japanese
cohort
cohort
57, 395
95
0.2%
5
5.3%
90
94.7%
56, 023
127
0.2%
28
22.0%
99
78.0%
55, 557
249
0.4%
41
16.5%
208
83.5%
Participation in Leaving Certificate Japanese (Higher and Ordinary Levels) 2007-2009.
Candidates
taking
Japanese
3
2.
Oral Examination
2.1
Introduction
The Leaving Certificate Japanese Oral Examination in its current format has been in
place since 2004. The examination is common to both Higher and Ordinary Level
candidates, and carries 25% of the overall total for both Higher and Ordinary Level
candidates. There are three sections in the Japanese oral examination, as follows:
Section 1: General Conversation (35 marks)
Candidates are asked questions from a range of syllabus topics, including, for example,
family, hobbies, school, home place, and plans for the future.
Section 2: Topic (30 marks)
Candidates choose, at random, one of three topic cards which are placed face
downwards on a desk in front of them. There are three topics written in Japanese and in
English on each topic card. After the presentation by the candidate on one of the topics
from the chosen card, the examiner asks the candidate questions related to the topic.
Section 3: Picture (35 marks)
Candidates choose one picture from a selection of four which are placed face
downwards in front of them. Each picture depicts a scene or event in Japan. Candidates
talk about the picture and are expected to compare and contrast the cultural aspects of
the picture with Ireland.
2.2
Performance of candidates
Examiners estimated that approximately 45 candidates who presented for the
examination in 2009 (18% of the total Japanese cohort) were native or near-native
Japanese speakers, and these candidates performed excellently at the oral examination.
Examiners were also impressed by the thorough preparation and excellent performances
of many enthusiastic non-native candidates who had taken on Japanese as an additional
curricular subject.
Overall, examiners reported a broad range of performance. Well-prepared candidates
conversed clearly and confidently during the General Conversation Section of the
examination. They displayed a willingness to give the examiner detailed responses to
questions about their lives, families, hobbies and general interests. These candidates
had also prepared very good presentations on a variety of topics and pictures. They
demonstrated a broad range of vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical structures, as
well as fluency and accuracy. These candidates also demonstrated good cultural
knowledge of Japan in the final section of the oral examination. They showed
knowledge of a range of culture-specific vocabulary, such as, for example, Japanese
food items and place names. Candidates who performed well were able, when
4
necessary, to ask the examiner politely to repeat the question, and / or to ask for the
meaning of a word if they were unable to understand the question.
It was noted that some very well prepared candidates would have benefited more from a
more natural communication with the examiner rather than what appeared to be, in
some instances, the delivery of memorized lengthy responses.
Examiners reported that candidates who were awarded lower marks showed difficulty
understanding some basic questions. Where these candidates understood the question,
they tended to give very short answers. Some candidates also had difficulty asking the
examiner to repeat the question or to speak more slowly.
2.3
Analysis of candidate performance
Section 1: General conversation
In the General Conversation Section, candidates spoke about some topics better than
others.
なんさい
たんじょうび
 Candidates managed the introductory questions 何歳ですか and お誕生日はいつで
すか quite well. Candidates who scored highly were able to give extra information
さい
じゅうはっさい
in their responses, e.g. この間、十八歳になりました。Or もうすぐ、十八歳に
なります. Less successful responses tended to be hesitant using numbers, and often
さい
used じゅうはち歳 instead of the correct じゅうはっさい. Some candidates
たんじょう
wrongly used the honorific お in front of 誕生日 when they were referring to
themselves.
かぞく
しゅみ
 All candidates managed the basic questions relating to 家族 and 趣味. Examiners
noted that some candidates tended to deliver rather lengthy and sometimes irrelevant
answers to this topic; this impacted adversely on the conversational aspects of the
examination.
す
 The topic of 住んでいるところ was often chosen by examiners at the start of the
examination to help candidates relax and make them feel comfortable. However,
ちか
す
ちか
questions like この近くに住んでいますか。・おうちは近いですか。・どんな
ところですか。proved difficult for all except the most competent candidates.
 In order to avoid repetition and overlap in sections two and three of the examination,
がっこう
the topic of 学校 was not a popular choice for examiners in section one. The topic of
にほんご
べんきょう
日本語の勉強 was a more popular choice, and while many candidates managed to
say what they found easy and what they found difficult, only very competent
candidates were able to deliver more complex sentences with conjunctions such as
5
かんじ
か
よ
むずか
漢字を書くことはちょっとむずかしいです。でも、読むことは難しくない
おも
と思います。Many candidates had difficulty with the interrogative どれぐらい in
relation to the number of Kanji they had mastered.
しょうらい
けいかく
 将来の計画 was a popular choice among examiners. However, the question リー
しけん
あと
なに
がっこう
そつぎょう
ビング・サート試験の後、何がしたいですか。／学校を卒業してから、何
をするつもりですか。was misinterpreted by some candidates, who talked about
their plans for the summer holidays, instead of their future career goals.
Section 2: Topic
The second section of the Oral Examination was the topic presented on a card. After
candidates chose the topic, they were given 60 seconds to prepare for this section. Most
candidates came prepared with a blank piece of paper and a pen to jot down key words
in preparation for the presentation. This section divides into three tasks as follows:
 Presentation of the topic
10 marks
 Clarification/ Explanation in response to examiners’ questions 10 marks
 Expression of opinion
10 marks
The following topics were examined in the 2009 oral examination:
にほんご
べんきょう
わたし
しゅうまつ
わたし
す
えいが
Topic card 1: 日本語の勉強、私の週末、私の好きな映画
わたし
しょうらい
わたし
とも
なつやす
わたし
す
ほん
Topic card 2: 私の将来、夏休み、私の好きな本
わたし
がっこう
Topic card 3: 私の友だち、イースター・ホリデー、私の学校
 Topic cards were placed face down in front of candidates. Examiners noted that
にほんご
べんきょう
candidates who chose topic card 1 overwhelmingly chose 日本語の勉強 . No nonわたし
す
えいが
native candidate chose 私の好きな映画. On topic card 2, most candidates chose
なつやす
わたし
がっこう
夏休み, while on topic card 3, most candidates chose 私の学校.
わたし
す
No non-native
ほん
candidates chose 私の好きな本 on topic card 2.
 Examiners reported some excellent performances here and commented that many
high scoring candidates were well prepared. These candidates introduced the topic ~
はな
はなし
おも
について話します・話したいと思います and presented on the topic for
approximately 1½ - 2 minutes. These candidates spoke clearly, demonstrating a firm
grasp of a wide range of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy and diversity of
grammatical structures. They used the Japanese expressions それから、あとは、
で、そうですね、ええと、あのう while they were thinking of what to say next.
These candidates had anticipated follow-up questions, and were at ease expressing
their opinions on the topic using the structure と思います.
6
 Examiners noted that some candidates delivered rote-learned presentations. Such
presentations sometimes tended to be beyond the productive language ability of the
candidates involved. These candidates tended to deliver the presentation in a
strained and rather unnatural way. Rote learning of long complicated passages should
be actively discouraged. In other cases where candidates performed less successfully,
presentations were too short, or presentations were punctuated with long pauses.
Less successful candidates tended to have difficulty in the explanation / clarification
section with basic interrogatives, including いつ、どう、だれと、どうして、ど
うやって、どれぐらい. These candidates tended to remain silent if they did not
understand rather than taking the more proactive approach of asking the examiner in
Japanese to repeat the question or to speak more slowly. There were some reports of
candidates who asked the examiner for a different topic card, indicating that they had
done little preparation of a wide range of topics. A very small number of candidates
gave no presentation at all.
 Common errors included the incorrect adjective and verb endings with と思います;
incorrect use of particles and omission of a counter or incorrect positioning of the
counter and the adverb たくさん.
Section 3: Picture
This section lasts for approximately 5 minutes. Candidates choose one of four pictures
which are placed face down on a desk in front of them. Each picture depicts some
aspect of Japanese life and the candidates are expected to make comparisons with
Ireland.
The pictures used in the 2009 oral examination were as follows:
Picture 1: A photo of high school students eating their obento lunches in the classroom
Picture 2: A photo of high school students cleaning the classroom
Picture 3: A photo of a busy street scene in Tokyo
Picture 4: A photo of a mother having a traditional style Japanese dinner with her
daughters.
The allocation of marks for this section is as follows:
 Presentation
9 marks
 Clarification/ Explanation 9 marks
 Opinions
9 marks
 Comparison
8 marks
Following the choice of photo, candidates are given 30 seconds preparation time. Most
candidates used this time to jot down key words in English or Japanese words in romaji.
Examiners commented that many candidates had prepared well for this section. High
scoring candidates were able to describe what they saw on the photo and compare some
aspect with that in Ireland, using でも、しかし, が, ~のほうが~より. These
すこ
candidates also used the adverbs 少し、もっと and ずっと in the comparative
7
sentences. Well-prepared candidates were well equipped with the culture-specific
vocabulary, from food and housing-related vocabulary to place names. Candidates who
were able to ask the examiner in Japanese for certain difficult culture-specific
vocabulary items to describe the picture also scored well in this section.
Examiners reported that Picture 4, the busy street scene of Tokyo, presented difficulty
for some candidates.
2.4
Conclusions

Many candidates who sat the Japanese examination in 2009 were either native or
near-native speakers, or very dedicated enthusiastic learners who had taken on
Japanese as an additional curricular subject. In general, the latter group was well
prepared and performed extremely well

Some candidates had difficulty understanding basic questions. In addition, there
was a tendency to give very short responses. Many of these candidates also had
difficulty asking the examiner to repeat the question or to speak more slowly and
some attempted to deliver pre-learned responses to limited effect.
2.5
Recommendations to Teachers and Students
Recommendations to Teachers
It is recommended that teachers
 use as much Japanese as possible in the classroom. Equip students with the
necessary phrases to express lack of comprehension or the need for repetition of a
question
 include an oral component in the Christmas and summer 5th year tests in order to
highlight the importance of oral work and to show realistic results early on in the
language learning process
 try to organise mock oral examinations with a teacher from another school
 dissuade students from delivering memorised lengthy and complex accounts of
pictures and topics. While students should be encouraged to give long rather than
monosyllabic answers, they should engage with the examiner
 remind students of the importance of some cultural knowledge of Japan. Where food
culture is concerned, introduce students to a variety of Japanese cuisine of which
sushi is only a very small part
8
 encourage students to practise effective note-taking in 60 seconds on a range of
topics and in 30 seconds for a variety of pictures
 encourage students to prepare a wide variety of presentations to cover many
eventualities and syllabus topics. Students should be equipped with a wide range of
topic-specific vocabulary as well as a range of structures that can be used with any
topic
 encourage students to be able to talk about a book they have read or a film they have
seen
 vary the wording of questions so that the student is not put off by an unexpected
す
ちか
formulation of a question, e.g. どこに住んでいますか。or おうちは近いですか.
 equip students with some expressions to use when they have come to the end of their
いじょう
お
presentations, e.g. 以上です , それぐらいです or 終わりです
 encourage the use of Japanese ‘aizuchi’ from the very beginning, including そうで
すね、ええと、あのう
 remind students that the conjunctions が、でも、しかし、are very useful and can
すこ
be easily used when practising comparisons. The uses of adverbs 少し、もっと、
ずっと are also simple effective ways for making natural comparisons. Many
students have difficulty with the structure ~のほうが~より
 practise the structure Adjective + と思います. Good use of this structure can assist
candidates when expressing an opinion
 emphasise the importance of using katakana words with Japanese pronunciation,
particularly vocabulary related to hobbies and sport.
Examiners noted that they were well received in schools and expressed their
appreciation for the general effort made to facilitate the smooth running of the Japanese
oral examinations.
It would assist the conduct of the examinations if the following were noted:
 Check the date and time of the examination so as to be prepared for the arrival of the
examiner
 The examination room should be ready prior to the arrival of the examiner, as he/she
will have a planned schedule for the examinations
 The room in which the examination is conducted should be in a quiet part of the
school, if possible, so as to minimize noise interference. If at all possible, the
intercom in the examination area should be turned off.
9
Recommendations to Students
It is recommended that students:
 practise speaking Japanese as much as possible with classmates before the
examination
 practise speaking Japanese right from the beginning of Japanese learning and
remember that speaking the language is as important as all the other skills
 greet the examiner with おはようございます if it is before 11a.m. or こんにちは
if it is after 11a.m. Bow correctly when greeting the examiner. One could also say
しつれいします as one enters the examination centre. When asked by the examiner
to sit down, one could say はい or どうも
 remember not to use さん when referring to oneself
 ask for clarification if unsure of the meaning of a question. This is expected by
examiners, and may help one to gain marks as opposed to lose them
 give as much relevant information as possible to support the response
 avoid delivering a long soliloquy of memorised prose. The oral examination is a test
of one’s ability to communicate, not a test of how well one has learned off a passage.
The examiner will interject if it is felt that too much rote-learned material is being
recited. Marks can be lost if one continues to recite something that may have no
relevance to the question which was asked
 note that a useful strategy for the picture section is to describe what one sees, これは
…..です。~がいます／あります。Then relate the topic to oneself. 私は…
 try to describe something ideally with the て form of adjectives, e.g.
かんじ
むずか
漢字は難し
たいへん
くて、ちょっと大変です。・すしはおいしくて、大好きです。
 use Japanese ‘aizuchi’ strategically. When thinking of something to say, one can say
そうですね、ええと、それから
 ask the examiner or use the katakana pronunciation if a vocabulary item is unknown
 listen to some Japanese on the web and watch some Japanese films
 go over the basic question words 何、どこ、いつ、だれ、どう、どうして and
remember if a question word is not used, it is a yes/no question
 greet the examiner appropriately at the end of the examination. One could say どう
もありがとうございます or さようなら. One could also say しつれいしまし
た as one is about to leave the room.
10
3.
Ordinary Level
3.1
Introduction
The revised syllabus for the Leaving Certificate Japanese Ordinary Level examination
has been examined since 2004. The Ordinary Level examination has four main
elements as follows:




Oral production
Listening comprehension
Reading comprehension
Written production
100 marks
100 marks
120 marks
80 marks
=
=
=
=
25%
25%
30 %
20%
The Ordinary Level written paper carries 200 marks and tests reading comprehension,
the ability to read kanji, and written expression. Candidates must attempt all four
questions on the paper. Questions 1 to 3 test reading comprehension and Question 4
tests written expression. In the written expression question, candidates choose one of
two guided writing topics on which to write.
The Ordinary Level Listening Comprehension examination carries 100 marks and has
four parts, all of which must to be attempted. Candidates are required to answer all
questions in English.
3.2
Performance of candidates
The following table shows the percentage of candidates achieving each grade in the
Ordinary Level Japanese examination in the period 2007-2009:
Year
2007
2008
2009
Table 2:
3.3
Total
A
B
C
ABC
D
E
F
NG
5
0.0
40.0
0.0
40.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
0.0
28
0.0
17.8
39.3
57.1
21.3
21.4
0.0
0.0
41
0.0
12.2
22.0
34.2
41.4
22.0
2.4
0.0
Grade outcomes in Leaving Certificate Japanese (Ordinary Level) 2007-2009.
EFNG
20.0
21.4
24.4
Analysis of Candidate Performance
Oral Production: 100 marks (25%)
An account of the functioning of the oral component appears at the beginning of this
report in Section 2.
Listening Comprehension: 100 marks (25%)
The Listening Comprehension examination consists of four parts. Parts A and B were
multiple-choice questions in the 2009 examination; part C was a true or false type
11
question, while part D was an information filling, gap-type question. All parts had to be
attempted and answered in English.
Examiners commented that candidates performed better in Parts C and D than in Parts A
and B.
Part A (18 marks)
Part A consisted of six short conversations. Candidates were required to select the most
likely situation where each conversation was taking place. Question 1(c) at the station
ticket office, Question 2 (c) in a shop where they sell mobile phones and Question 5 (a)
in a taxi were answered incorrectly by many candidates.
Part B (24 marks)
Part B consisted of a conversation where two acquaintances were arranging a time and
place to meet. 2 marks were awarded for each of the 12 multiple-choice questions.
Questions (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) required candidates to identify the correct place name of
the train line. These questions were generally not well answered. Candidates were
むっ
め
required to understand the counter 六つ目 in (v) and this was not understood by many.
Question (vi), where candidates were required to choose the correct answer from north,
south, east and west, also presented a challenge for many candidates. The correct
answer was west. Questions (vii) and (xi) were well answered, demonstrating a good
comprehension of time and numbers. In Questions (viii) and (ix), candidates appeared
to get confused between みぎ and ひだり, and tended to choose either (a) right or (b)
left in their answers. Question (xii) was well answered, showing a good understanding
of たべましょう.
Part C (24 marks)
According to examiners, Part C was answered quite well. Candidates were required to
write True or False in answer to 12 statements. Questions with numbers (dates, prices,
ages, and times) tended to be answered correctly. These were Questions 2, 4, 7, 8, 11
and 12. Question 10 was also answered correctly by almost all candidates. In Question
5, candidates needed to understand the cultural terms たたみ and ふとん in order to
deduce that the statement Michelle asks for a Western style room was false. This was
challenging for most candidates. Question 6 was equally challenging where candidates
needed to understand the word うみ and / or 山.
Part D (28 marks)
Examiners reported that candidates performed better on this part than on any other part
of the aural examination. Most candidates understood the country names of Germany,
Uganda and Ireland in Question 1a, b and c, thereby gaining 9 marks. While the name
ルーシー proved difficult for many to understand in Question 1d, most candidates
managed to comprehend the correct age of 15 for which they were awarded 2 marks.
Question 2 consisted of a table containing incomplete information about the names and
ages of some family members. Candidates performed very well on this section, and
demonstrated a good understanding of katakana words and also of ages. Question 3 was
also well answered.
12
Reading Comprehension: 120 marks
The reading comprehension section comprised the first three questions on the written
paper.
Question 1 (30 marks)
Question 1 tested candidates’ ability to read katakana. Examiners noted that this
question was the most successful reading comprehension question for candidates.
Candidates, who had a good grasp of katakana alone, performed very well on this
question.
1. (i) (ii) (iii). Most candidates were able to match the cities Amsterdam, Copenhagen
and Munich with アムステルダム, コペンハーゲン, and ミュンヘン and had no
difficulty with the flight times to these destinations, thus enabling them to achieve 6
marks in question 1.
2. This question was also a matching exercise where candidates were expected to match
London with ロンドン, Frankfurt with フランクフルト, and Paris with パリ and to
answer how many flights there were to these destinations in a specified time. Many
candidates were awarded the full 6 marks for this question.
3. Some candidates mixed up the gate number and the terminal number in this question.
Most candidates performed well, using a similar decoding/ matching strategy to
Questions 1 and 2.
4. Most candidates correctly answered (i) as terminal 1
5. This question proved to be the most challenging for candidates. There were no
ぜんにっくう
こくさいこうくう
English equivalents of the Japanese words エールフランス, 全日空, タイ国際航空
こうくう
and ユナイテッド航空 given. Candidates were expected to decode two of the
aforementioned airlines. Candidates were not expected to be able to understand the
kanji, just the katakana, Air France, Thai, United. Many candidates left (i) and (ii)
blank and some candidates wrote the flight number instead of the airline.
6. Many candidates did not attempt this question. The question presented two levels of
difficulty, the first matching Copenhagen with コペンハーゲン, and the second
decoding the word エアバス 343 as Airbus 343.
Question 2 (36 marks)
This question was a Japanese notice board with 4 messages, and candidates were
required to answer some questions in Japanese and some in English. Examiners
reported that candidates had most difficulty answering the questions in Japanese.
1. Question 1 was well answered.
2. (i) Candidates were given the option to give the title of the film in English or in
Japanese, and many transcribed the Hiragana correctly as sen to chihiru no kamikakushi.
13
Some incorrect transcriptions of ち as sa were noted by examiners and candidates who
incorrectly transcribed some Hiragana lost a mark.
(ii) Many candidates lost a mark for writing yen instead of euro.
(iii) and (iv) were unanswered by many candidates.
3. Some candidates continued to write the answers of parts (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) in
Japanese instead of in English and therefore lost 4 or 5 marks. In (iv), many candidates
wrote japaneseteacher@nihongo.ie instead of the name Yamaguchi Tomoko, thereby
losing one mark. Parts (v) and (vi) were well answered.
4. Parts (i), (ii) and (iii) were well answered. Many candidates left a blank for part (iv)
where will the party take place? Some wrote the Japanese word きょうしつ A for
which they were awarded 1 mark. Candidates who wrote room A were awarded the full
2 marks.
5. Questions (i) and (ii) were in Japanese and many candidates left this part unanswered.
Question 3 (54 marks)
There were 4 sections in Question 3, as follows:




Section A: Reading comprehension
Section B: Kanji
Section C: Grammar
Section D: Culture.
Section A
This reading comprehension section was generally well answered. However, examiners
reported that a few candidates misread or failed to read the question and only answered
the True or False component. These candidates lost a substantial 20 marks in Section A.
Examiners noted that the most challenging questions were Questions 9 and 10,
indicating that candidates had difficulty with たくさん.
Section B
Examiners noted very mixed answering in this section. Some candidates failed to
recognise the most important of the Leaving Certificate kanji, 日本. Many also
confused 元気 with 天気.
Section C
The grammar section, inserting the correct particle, proved to be challenging for many
candidates.
Section D
Most candidates were awarded the full 7 marks in the cultural awareness section.
14
Written Production: (80 marks)
Examiners noted that this section of the written paper was the most challenging for all
candidates. Most candidates attempted the writing section. Examiners had some
difficulty reading the writing of many candidates, because of characters written
incorrectly or because some characters were written in katakana instead of in hiragana.
There was also evidence of some words written in romaji. No candidate wrote the full
essay in romaji. Examiners commented that some of the essays were too short and
candidates gained lower marks as a result. They also noted that candidates did not
appear familiar with the rules of writing on genkou youshi.
イ was a more popular option than ア. Candidates who isolated the question words ど
こ, いつ, だれ and 何 , and replaced these question words with an answer dropping か
gained some content marks but many essays were under 100 characters, which meant
that expression was marked out of 26 instead of 40. Candidates who isolated the
question words, and gave one or two extra items of information managed to perform
well.
3.4
Conclusions
 In general, candidates performed well in the reading comprehension and aural
sections of the Ordinary Level examination
 Much vocabulary at Ordinary Level is in katakana. A weakness in reading katakana
prevented some candidates from gaining higher marks in the reading comprehension
questions
 Candidates experienced the greatest difficulty in the writing section of the
examination.
15
3.5
Recommendations to Teachers and Students
It is recommended that teachers
 encourage students to listen to previous aural examinations and to familiarise
themselves with the types of questions asked
 provide opportunities for students to become proficient readers and decoders of
katakana using menus, fashion magazines, web pages etc.
 ensure students are able to recognise the kanji which are common to all Ordinary
Level examinations. These are 日本, 日本語, 私, 好き, 元気, kanji for numbers,
days of the week and time expressions.
 practise the following question words: 何,どこ, だれ, いつ and どう. One way to
maximise marks is to replace the question word with an appropriate answer and drop
か
 practise the basics of Japanese grammar with students, such as particles and word
order
 encourage students to attempt all questions. If the question requires an answer in
English and the student is only able to answer correctly in Japanese, s/he may get
half marks
 encourage students to write neatly, to space the characters appropriately and to avoid
the use of personal styles
 provide opportunities for students to practise writing on squared paper or genkou
youshi from the beginning of Japanese language learning.
16
4.
Higher Level
4.1
Introduction
The Leaving Certificate Higher Level revised syllabus was examined for the first time
in 2004. The Higher Level examination has four main elements as follows:




4.2
Oral production
Listening comprehension
Reading comprehension
Written production
100 marks
80 marks
120 marks
100 marks
=
=
=
=
25%
20 %
30 %
25%
Performance of candidates
The percentage of candidates achieving each grade in the Leaving Certificate Higher
Level Japanese examination from 2007 to 2009 is indicated on the following table:
Year
Total
A
B
C
ABC
D
E
F
NG
EFNG
2007
90
47.8
15.6
21.2
84.6
11.0
3.3
0.0
1.1
4.4
2008
99
36.4
28.3
26.3
91.0
4.0
5.1
0.0
0.0
5.1
2009
208
37.0
24.6
24.1
85.7
11.0
2.4
1.0
0.0
3.4
Table 3: Grade outcomes in Leaving Certificate Japanese (Higher Level) 2007-2009. (Grade data
represent percentages.)
4.3
Analysis of candidate performance
Oral Production: 100 marks (25%)
A comprehensive report on the oral component appears at the beginning of this report.
Listening Comprehension: 80 marks (20%)
The Listening Comprehension examination consisted of four parts. All parts had to be
attempted and answered in English. Half marks were awarded where candidates
answered correctly in Japanese.
Examiners noted that most candidates generally performed well in the aural section.
Some candidates were challenged by some of the counters, higher numbers and culturespecific vocabulary, including place names.
Part A (19 marks)
Part A consisted of 6 short conversations. The first task was to match the conversation
heard with the correct situation. Most candidates scored the full 6 marks for this task.
However, within each question (i) – (vi), some difficulties arose, as follows:
17
(i) a. The amount 9500 yen was written incorrectly by many candidates.
b. The colour black was understood by the majority of candidates.
(ii) a. Almost all candidates gave the correct answer here.
b. Very few candidates managed to get full marks. Some answered page 180 rather
than to page 182.
(iii) a. Many candidates had difficulty understanding the amount 5400 yen.
b. The time was managed well by candidates.
(iv) Both (a) and (b) were very well answered.
(v) Both (a) and (b) were very well answered.
(vi) Both (a) and (b) were well answered by the majority of candidates.
Part B (21 marks)
Part B consisted of a conversation between two acquaintances who were arranging a
place and time to meet. Examiners remarked that some questions in Part B were
answered correctly only by candidates whose overall performance merited high grades.
The transcription of place names in (i) and (ii) appeared to be particularly challenging
for some candidates. Some candidates wrote an answer to a question which appeared in
a previous year’s comprehension examination, ABC, instead of Ebisu.
(iii) Only a small minority answered this correctly. Some candidates had some difficulty
with the counting system ひとつ目, ふたつ目….六つ目.
(iv) Some candidates had difficulty with the answer West. With the exception of very
high scoring candidates, many candidates wrote east or south or north.
Questions (v) to (x) were very well answered.
Part C (21 marks)
This part was a telephone conversation dealing with the reservation of a room at a
Japanese inn. Examiners reported that it was the most challenging section of the
examination for candidates.
(i) Dates, days of the week and time in (a), (b) and (f) were well answered with many
candidates achieving the full 6 marks. Questions (c) and (d) were also well answered.
(e) There were mixed answers to this question, with many candidates writing 2 rooms
instead of 1. Some candidates left a blank for the type of room required.
(ii) Questions (a) and (b) presented the greatest challenge for candidates. Some
candidates wrote the Japanese はちまんえん instead of 80,000 and were awarded half
18
marks. Others wrote 800 yen or 8000 yen which merited no mark. Question (d) was
well answered, and (e) was correctly answered by all.
Part D (19 marks)
In Part D, candidates were required to insert missing names and ages on a family tree.
Candidates consistently scored the highest marks in their answering of this question.
(a) Practically all candidates were awarded the full 12 marks.
(b) On average, candidates scored 5 out of a total of 7 marks in this question. The
marking scheme allowed for different spellings of the names.
Reading Comprehension: 120 marks (30%)
Question 1 (48 marks)
Examiners noted that candidates scored consistently higher in Question 1 than in the
other two questions, indicating that most candidates were proficient in katakana.
Section 1
A: The majority of candidates scored the full 6 marks for this question.
B: While many candidates scored the full 8 marks, the most frequent errors noted were
in (i), (ii) and (vi).
C: Some candidates answered hotel for which they were awarded no marks. Details
including castle hotel, manor house hotel, golf hotel and elegant hotel were required.
Section 2
A: The katakana specific questions in this section were answered better than those
which required the decoding of kanji.
(i) Most candidates decoded backpackers though a few incorrectly answered bag
packers.
(ii) Parts (a) – (f) were generally very well answered.
(iii) Questions (a) and (b) were very well answered by most candidates.
(iv) Many candidates got one day of the week incorrect.
(v) and (vii) were katakana decoding questions with which candidates had little
difficulty.
(viii) Most candidates gave the correct answer English.
19
B: The kanji section was attempted by all candidates and was answered very well
overall. The most frequently occurring error was in Question 3 where many candidates
circled ろくにちかん instead of むいかかん. Questions 6 and 7 also proved to be
challenging for some candidates.
C: The culture section was well answered by most candidates, although some did not
achieve the maximum mark of 6 primarily because they only mentioned one reason.
Most candidates chose to write about (i), and many mentioned the Japanese work ethic
and difficulty taking time off work as well as shorter school holidays in their answers.
Question 2 (26 marks)
Candidates who had some cultural knowledge of the works of Miyazaki Hayao may
have performed better than those who were not familiar with the film titles. In general,
candidates managed the Questions (i) – (x) very well. Each of the 10 questions was
allocated two marks. No candidate answered in English. Examiners reported that
candidates who highlighted the question words, and replaced these words with the
correct answer performed very well.
(i) This required candidates to replace the question word 何 with 十, and most achieved
this without difficulty.
(ii) This was well answered.
(iii) Candidates who got full marks in this question understood 日本語でしたから、よ
くわかりませんでした. Many candidates who did not give the real reason were
awarded half marks for giving some detail.
(iv) This question required little or no manipulation of the text and was well answered.
(v) It appeared that the word すごい in this question posed a comprehension challenge
for many candidates.
(vi) Although this was a yes/no type question, examiners reported that it seemed
challenging for many candidates. Most candidates are familiar with the structure たこ
とがあります as have done sth. However, they are less likely to come across the たこ
とがありました meaning had done sth.
(vii) This was well answered.
(viii) Examiners reported that this proved to be the most challenging of the 10 questions.
Even candidates who had no difficulty with the question word いくつ wrote the
incorrect answer 二つ. The correct answer was 三つ.
(ix) This was well answered.
20
(x) A variety of responses was in evidence here, in spite of the sentence 私はアニメが
あまり好きじゃありません in the text. Many candidates chose マーク or ジョン for
which they got no mark.
B: This Kanji section (i) – (v) was answered very well. The kanji with the most
recurring errors was (iv) 読む.
Question 3 (46 marks)
Question 3 consisted of three sections, as follows:



Section A required candidates to answer comprehension questions in English.
Section B consisted of four sentences to translate into English; the first time
such a question has appeared on the Japanese examination.
Section C consisted of two grammar sections, the first of which tested particles
and the second, verb endings. While candidates managed most sections well, all
but some excellent candidates had difficulty with the last question of the
grammar section on verb endings.
Section A
(i) Candidates were required to give three reasons why Keiko does not have a part-time
job during term time. While most candidates gave two reasons, many had difficulty
finding a third reason and so lost a mark. The two most popular reasons given were she
has a lot of homework and she is very busy. Some candidates wrote she has ぶかつ for
which they were awarded half marks. Very few candidates, except those who achieved
very well overall in the examination, wrote she has extra curricular activities. Some
candidates wrote that she has extracurricular activities so she is very busy as the second
reason and she gets pocket money from her parents as the third reason.
(ii) The most common response was she saw posters advertising jobs in McDonalds and
Seven-Eleven. Some candidates wrote she went walking around her neighbourhood
looking for a job.
(iii) Candidates were required to give six details, and 1 mark was awarded for each
detail. There were nine details in the text, and many students found at least five. The
most popular details given were convenience store, 5 days a week, 5 hours a day,
McDonalds and from 9 to 5. Many candidates had difficulty with the decoding of Seven
Eleven.
(iv) Examiners commented that many candidates had difficulty with part (a). The
answer McDonalds was not explicitly given in the text; it had to be deduced from the
information given in the final paragraph of the text. Where candidates were unable to
answer (a), they were also unable to answer (b) correctly and, therefore, scored no
marks in Question (iv).
21
Section B:
Examiners noted that candidates made a good attempt at translating the sentences (i) –
(iv) into English, demonstrating good understanding of the kanji without furigana, good
vocabulary and a good understanding of the sentence structure. Some words and
すく
phrases proved difficult for many candidates. These included ちょっと少ないです in
よてい
はじ
(ii), 予定です in (iii) and 初めて in (iv).
Section C
1. In this grammar section, candidates were required to write ten particles in the spaces
provided. While many candidates incorrectly wrote は in the first space, the correct
answer was の. In (ii), some candidates wrote に, losing one mark. Particles (iii) and
(iv) were answered correctly by many. In (v) some candidates wrote は, losing one
mark. Particle (vi) was well answered by the majority of candidates. In (vii) some
candidates wrote で instead of を. Particles (viii), (ix) and (x) were correctly answered
by the majority of candidates.
2. Examiners noted that this section posed the most difficulty for candidates. Only a
very small number of candidates managed to insert the correct form of the verb in all
five questions.
(i) The most frequent error was しって.
(ii) Many candidates thought the て form was required and incorrectly wrote はたらき
て, a word which does not exist in Japanese or はたらいて. It would appear that many
candidates were not aware that the structure ~ことができます is preceded by the た
Dictionary form.
(iii) Many candidates managed the correct answer して, though some repeated the error
in (i) and wrote しって.
(iv) Even though the correct answer to this verb form appeared on the next page of the
paper, the majority of candidates wrote the incorrect answer here. Recurring errors
were して, する and しって.
(v) It appeared that only native or near-native candidates answered this correctly,
although the correct answer also appeared on the next page of the paper:しないほうが
いいです. Examiners expressed the view that many candidates did not read the full
sentence, and did not realise they were required to write the negative ない form of する
which is しない.
22
Question 4. Written production (40 marks).
This written production question was based on the topic of the third reading
comprehension question - part-time jobs. Examiners reported that very few non-native
candidates attained marks over 35. Average marks attained were in the 22 - 26 range.
Candidates who performed well in reading comprehension appeared to be challenged by
the written production component of the examination.
Content marks were generally higher than expression marks. Candidates were required
to address four of the six questions asked. Some responded to all six questions.
Candidates who were able to locate the question word and mirror the question structure
in their answer managed to attain full or almost full content marks. Examiners reported,
however, that some answers fell far short of the 200 character requirement. It was also
noted that while most candidates used the genko youshi proficiently, answers to their
selected questions were frequently not clearly marked.
Many candidates introduced the topic about which they were going to write. 私はアル
バイトについて書きたいです。or アルバイトについて書きたいと思います。
Where these introductions were correct, candidates were awarded a discretionary mark.
1. Many candidates who mirrored the question structure with an appropriate answer
scored the full 4 content marks here. アルバイトをしたことがあります。ファスト
フードレストランのアルバイトでした。Also, some candidates answered that they
had worked in マクドナルド or コンビ二, using the preceding text very wisely. This
enabled them to give the name of a place without having to work out how to write it in
katakana and risk making an error. Candidates who gave additional relevant
information were awarded a discretionary mark. Some examples were:
とてもたのしかったです。
とてもいそがしかったです。
ちょっとたいへんでした。
きょ年のなつ休みに、アルバイトをしました。
七月にアルバイトをしました。
はじめてアルバイトをしました。
Some candidates wrote アルバイトをしたことがありません。and moved on to the
next question. This answer did not warrant full content marks as it did not address the
second part of the question. Here, although candidates could not answer どんなアルバ
イトでしたか if they had never done a part-time job, some additional information was
required, such as, for example ７月と８月に、アルバイトをしたいと思います。
2. This was the least favourite option chosen by candidates. However, candidates who
chose this option, and who retained the structure of the question in their answer attained
both good content and expression marks. Some candidates used the language of the
preceding text very well.学校があるとき、アルバイトをしないほうがいいです。
しゅくだいとがたくさんありますから. (4 marks). Examiners reported that some
candidates did not understand the question, and scored no content marks because of
23
mirroring the text, e.g. 学校があるとき、アルバイトをしたほうがいいと思います。
それとも、しないほうがいいと思います。(0 marks).
3. This was a popular option, though few candidates kept the structure よていです in
their answers. Many candidates wrote 今年のなつ休みにアルバイトをします。For
どんなアルバイトをしますか, many candidates gave place name followed by で、
アルバイトをします。 Only candidates who offered an additional comment or
information were awarded extra discretionary marks. Some of these candidates adapted
or used the following from the preceding text:
たのしみです。
アルバイトははじめてですから、ちょっとしんぱいです。
がんばりたいと思います。
4. There were two parts to Question 4, and many candidates only answered the first part,
losing 2 content marks in the process. The first part was well answered, but few
candidates gave extra information, thus missing out on discretionary marks. 一日に五
時間はたらきます. (2 marks). The few candidates who gave extra information
mentioned the days of the week they would be working. 一週間に五日間のアルバイ
トです。土よう日と日よう日は休みです。( 2 marks, discretionary 1)
In the second part of this question, it appeared that some candidates were unable to
understand the question word いくら. The vocabulary もらうことができますか also
seemed challenging for candidates. Candidates who scored well on this question
adapted the sentence 一時間八百五十円もらうことができます from the text with
their own answers. Some answers given were:
一時間七ユーロもらうことができます。ちょっとすくないです。(2 marks,
discretionary 1)
八百円をもらいました。とてもよかったです。(1 mark, discretionary 1)
5. This question was a popular choice among candidates. Candidates who did not stray
from the structure of the question scored full content marks.
アルバイトをすることが好きです。(2 marks). なぜならば、アルバイトはたのし
いです。(2 marks). そして、たくさんともだちがいます。(1 mark)
私のアルバイトが大好きですからおもしろくて、たのしいです。本店に高さん
とともだちがいます。(3 marks)
6. This question was not a popular option. Some candidates combined Question 4 and
Question 6.
一時間７ユーロをもらうことができます。ちょっとすくないです。(Q4) お金で、
くるまをかいたいです。(Q6: 2 marks).でも、くるまはとても高いです。(Q6: 2
marks).
Candidates who manipulated the language of Text 3 scored high content marks:
そのお金で、八月にともだちとりょこうに行くよていです。(2 marks).
二週間、フランスに行きます。(2 marks). とてもたのしみです。(discretionary 1)
24
Expression marks were awarded out of a total of 20. Results were varied, as can be
seen from the exemplars of standard in the final chapter of this report. Marks awarded
for expression were generally lower than marks awarded for content.
In general, candidates who retained the structure of the question in the answer, and who
gave additional relevant information accurately were awarded both high content marks
and high expression marks. Many candidates in the lower mark range (fewer than 20
marks) confused hiragana and katakana and wrote some characters in their own
individual style, making comprehension difficult for the examiner. The language and
expressions which were used well are common to both the written production questions
4 and 5. Examples of these, as well as a list of frequently occurring errors, are
presented after the analysis of the candidates’ performance in Question 5.
Question 5. Written production (60 marks).
Question 5 was attempted by all candidates and examiners noted that results were varied.
Average marks were in the 31 to 35 range. Very few non-native candidates attained
over 50 marks. The majority of candidates wrote over the minimum requirement of 320
characters. It would have been difficult to complete all aspects of the question in fewer
than 320 characters. The question consisted of two parts:
In (i), candidates were required to write about any five of the six points outlined. Most
candidates opted for points (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f). In (ii), candidates were required to
write about any two of four points outlined. Examiners reported that some candidates
did not read the question carefully and only answered (i). In so doing, 10 marks were
lost. Examiners commented that only a small number of candidates structured their
written work clearly. Most wrote their introduction as one long essay without
paragraphs and without specifying which option they were attempting.
(i) Candidates were required to write a self-introduction covering five points.
Candidates who gave an introductory greeting were awarded a discretionary mark.
Many candidates omitted an introductory sentence.
a. Many candidates were awarded full content marks here. Those who only received
たん
one content mark had difficulty understanding the vocabulary 誕生日 and omitted
writing their birthday. Candidates who were awarded discretionary marks gave
additional information, e.g.
この間、十八さいになりました。
私のたん生日もうすぐです。
私は１９９１年うまれで、今１８さいです。
b. Most candidates had no difficulty expressing their nationality, but in order to gain full
content marks, another detail was required. Responses included the following:
アイルランド人です。(2 marks)
アイルランド人で、コークにすんでいます。(3 marks)
私はアイルラド人ですが、母はドイツ人です。(3 marks)
25
Very few candidates were awarded discretionary marks for their answers. One example
which merited a discretionary mark was:
私はアイルランドからきます。うまれたところはダブリンです。(3 marks) ダブ
リンはアイルランドのいちバんおおきいなまちです。じんこうがおおいですで
いっぱい車があります。(discretionary 1)
c. Examiners noted that many candidates were well prepared for introducing their
families and most were awarded the full 3 content marks. However, it was noted that
candidates did not use the basic kanji for 人 , 父 , 母 and some wrote the numbers in
hiragana rather that the more reader-friendly kanji or romaji and, as a result, lost marks
for expression. The following answers merited full content marks:
よんにんかぞくがいます。ちちとははとおとうととわたしです。おとうとわ８
さいです。おとうとはとてもかわいです。(3 marks). なかがいいです。
(discretionary1)
While the above example was awarded full content marks, marks for expression were
lost because no kanji was used, the particle は was written as わ and the word かわいい
was incorrectly written as かわい. The following is a better response in terms of
expression but was awarded the same content marks as the previous answer.
七人かぞくです。父と母とあにが２人といもうとととうとがいます。(3 marks)
私の父はこむいんです。母はしゅふです。いもうとさんはとてもかわいいくて
やさしいです。私のあには大学のせいとです。(discretionary 1)
d. The topic しゅみ presented no problems for candidates in terms of content, but many
candidates did not attain a high overall mark due to low marks for expression. The
following is one such example:
私(kanji written incorrectly by candidate) のしゅみはスポつです。私のいロいロス
ポつか好です。一ばん好きはテニス。クラブでともだちとテニスをれんさゅで
す。(3 marks)
The following answer was more satisfactory in terms of expression. The sentence,
while avoiding any difficult grammatical patterns, is accurate apart from the missing な
after 一ばん, a very frequent error noted by examiners:
私の一ばんしゅみはおんがくです。毎日、おんがくをききます。ロックとポッ
プスが好きです。(3 marks)
The following answer is a very good example in terms of both expression and content:
私のしゅみは本をよむことです。毎日、本をよみます。フィクションが一ばん
すきで、セセリア・アハンは一ばん好きなさっかです。(3 marks) セセリア・ア
ハンの本はおもしろくて、とてもいいです。私はピアノをひくことができます。
でも、あまりじょうずじゃありません。(discretionary 1). This candidate achieved
an overall expression mark of 28.
e. Many candidates did not choose this option. Examiners noted that some answers
were quite entertaining, including, for example:
26
私はとてもきれいです。(1 mark)
私はかわいいです。(1 mark)
Examiners reported that only a small number of candidates managed to describe their
physical appearance, and there were many linguistic inaccuracies in the attempts made.
私あちょっときれいと思います。私の日はフレとかみはプランド。(2 marks)
私はちいさい。メがねをします。(2 marks)
The following is an example of a very good description:
私はせ高いです。かみはくるくてながいです。(3 marks) めが大きくてブルーで
す。めがねをかきます。(discretionary 1)
(f) This proved a more popular option than (e), showing that candidates were more
familiar with adjectives required to describe a person’s personality than with the
vocabulary to describe a person’s physical appearance.
The following was a popular description used by candidates:
私はおしゃべりです。(2 marks)
Some better examples included:
私はせかくはたのしくておもしろいです。ときどきすこしまじめです。
(3 marks)
私はとても元気な人です。でも、勉強もしますから、すこしまじめですよ。
(3 marks, discretionary 1)
(ii) As mentioned previously, some candidates did not attempt this section and 10 marks
were lost as a result. Those who completed this section tended to score well on content
marks, but in general, lost out on expression marks. Examiners noted that the most
popular topics chosen here were (a) and (d). The fact that these topics are also popular
in the oral examination may account for this.
a. This part was well answered in terms of content, but there were many linguistic and
writing errors. The following candidates’ answers are examples of candidates who
scored in the 32 - 36 mark range:
まそ JC、フランスこかひたです。フランスこはてともむずかしです。TY のと
きすこし木日をしました。木日ごはむそかしくなです。かたかなとひらかなは
かんたんです。でもかんじはたいへんです。日木のぶんはとでもかんたんで
す。そして、木日の生(incorrectly written)はおもしろくでいいです。(4 marks)
The above example is interesting. It is clear for the most part what point the candidate
wanted to make, but the number and frequency of linguistic errors meant that it was not
possible for the examiner to comprehend some content detail. Many words in the above
example have no meaning, e.g. まそ, ひた, てとも etc, but the examiner could
extrapolate what the candidate wanted to say in most instances, まず、へた、とても
etc. It would appear that the candidate was trying to reproduce a memorised answer,
one which was too advanced for the level of the candidate and therefore prone to errors
when it came to writing the answer.
27
Examiners reported that candidates who wrote simple accurate answers, using one or
two advanced structures, performed very well both in terms of content and expression as
the following candidate’s answer demonstrates:
私は 5 年せいのときから日本語をべんきょうします。フランス語も勉強します
が、フランス語より日本語のほうが好きです。1 週間に２かい、学校の後、日
本語をならいます。先生はとてもおもしろくて、いいです。私のクラスに、１
２人がいます。日本語の勉強が大好きです。日本ぶんかが大好きですから。か
んじも好きですが、すこしむずかしいです。(5 marks, 1 discretionary)
b. Few candidates chose to write about this topic, and those who did, wrote very
satisfactory answers. The following is an example of an excellent answer received:
きょ年、かぞくとアメリカに行きました。とてもたのしかったです。毎日、お
よぎました。ヘルシーです。アメリカのレストランに行きました。食べ物はお
いしくて、安かったです。(discretionary 1) いつも、町で、買い物に行きました。
たくさんようふくと飲み物をかいました。アメリカが大好きです。(5 marks)
The following is an example of a less satisfactory answer:
まいすぺいんンでいきます。すぺいんはとてもあついです。にほんのてんきは
げんきですか。(3 marks)
c. This option was mainly chosen by candidates who had a good cultural knowledge of
Japan. These candidates tended to get high marks overall.
The following is an example of an impressive answer received from one candidate:
日本で日本語をべんきょうしたいです。それから、日本人とともだちになりた
いです。日本のおいしい食べ物、すしやてんぷらやラーメンなど食べたいです。
(discretionary 1) そしてさけをのみたいです。私はすもうが好きですから、すも
うを見たいです。(5 marks)
The following example is the response of a candidate who scored marks in the average
range:
日本で日本語がべんきょうしたいです。とうきょうに行きたいです。(2 marks)
d. This was a popular option for candidates, and many gained high content marks by
writing about their favourite foods. The following is an example of an excellent answer,
both in terms of content and accuracy in the delivery of that content:
私の好きな食べ物はイタリアの食べ物です。ピザとパスタが大好きです。よく
イタリアのレストランに行きます。イタリアのワインも飲みます。おいしくて、
やすいです。(discretionary 1) きらいな食べ物はアイルランドの食べ物です。毎
日ポテトですから、つまらないです。すしを食べたいです。(5 marks)
The following is an example of a less satisfactory answer:
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私は日本の食べ物だきらいです(す written like よ) 。アイルランドの食べ物が大
好きです。いいそうです。(1 mark)
Common errors
Examiners noted a number of common errors in the written production of Questions 4
and 5. These included, for example, the following:

Omission of particles, e.g. きょ年なつ休みフランスにいきました、日本語
大好きです。

Incorrect particle use, e.g. テスコにアルバイトをします。

Incorrect writing of Katakana words. While some fluctuation in the writing of
katakana words is allowed, incorrect writing of common words such as place
names アイルランド、フランス, hobbies and sports スポーツ、テニス、サ
ッカーetc. was very common.

Incorrect use of the て forms of adjectives in particular. e.g. きれいくて、いい
です and むずかしいくて、たいへんです。

Under use of kanji or incorrect writing of kanji especially for numbers, counters,
time expressions or family members. Many students wrote 私 and 日本
incorrectly.

A tendency to mix up hiragana and katakana, e.g スポつ, ぱぶ for パブ.

Incorrect use of tense, きょ年フランスにいきます。

Many candidates dropped the き

Many candidates omitted the final い in the following い adjectives, おきい、
たのしい、やさしい.

Some candidates were confused between きれい and きらい. There is a big
difference between 私はきれいです。 and 私はきらいです!

Incorrect word order. 私はたべますすしとさかな.

A lack of punctuation, particularly commas, making the sentence difficult to
read for the examiner, e.g. わたしのあにはあたまがよくてだいがくですう
がくをべんきょうします。

The word 一ばん was often used incorrectly, e.g. 一ばんともだち、いちばん
かんたんかもく.
in 好きです。
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4.4
Conclusions

Candidates generally performed well on the listening comprehension section

On the reading comprehension paper, examiners reported very good
answering of the katakana based first question. This authentic text was very
well handled by many candidates

The grammar section, particularly the verb form question, proved
challenging for some candidates

The written production section was challenging for many candidates. While
many managed to attain high content marks, a high level of linguistic
inaccuracies prevented candidates from achieving high overall marks in this
section of the examination.
30
4.5
Recommendations to Teachers and Students
Recommendations to Teachers
It is recommended that teachers:

provide opportunities for students to work through the listening
comprehension questions of all past papers in order to familiarise themselves
with different question types and layouts

encourage students to practise note-taking during listening exercises.
Questions to listening pieces are not always presented in chronological order,
and effective note taking of key Japanese words would help students

practise listening exercises with students which incorporate dates, prices and
numbers, particularly high numbers and prices. It would be helpful for students
to have an idea of the value of the yen, as this would avoid such mistakes as
‘800yen’ for a two-night stay in a Japanese inn

ensure that students are familiar with the number and type of grammar
questions that can be asked. This is limited to the following few distinct
categories: particles, plain (informal) versus polite (formal) form of verbs, plain
(informal) versus polite (formal) form of adjectives, and the correct verb and
adjective endings used before grammatical structures specified in the syllabus

encourage students to pay as much attention to expression as to content. In
order to achieve high marks for expression, answers should be linguistically
accurate.
Recommendations to Students
It is recommended that students:

read the instructions very carefully which are given on the reading
comprehension paper and in the writing section. Students should not assume
that the type of questions asked will be identical from one year’s examination to
the next.

highlight all the Japanese question words in the reading comprehension
exercises, practise the techniques of replacing the question word with the correct
answer and omitting the final particle か. A good understanding of the question
words is a prerequisite for good performance in the reading comprehension
section

reread all written work using a checklist, incorporating some of the main errors
highlighted in this report
31

write more kanji. If the kanji in the question has no furigana, it means it is
on the syllabus and kanji rather than hiragana can be used in writing

structure answers in a reader-friendly way, using paragraphs or numbering
where necessary.
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4.6
Exemplars of standard in written production.
The following is a selection of exemplar written production material from the scripts of
candidates who sat the Higher Level examination in Japanese in 2009.
Students would benefit from working through these examples in conjunction with the
marking scheme, examining where and why content and expression marks were or were
not awarded.
In these exemplars, it is not possible to show how well and how clearly some candidates
write the individual hiragana, katakana and kanji characters or indeed how poorly they
are written by others.
Exemplar 1 - Question 4.
ぱぷこわたしのあるばいとがあります。(Q1 , 2 marks)
ぱぶはとでもにんきです。ぱぷのなまえはでるがにいん。(discretionary 1)
ぱぶにわしはとてもいそがしい。にく、さかな、やさいですがありす。
びいる、じゅうす、みずがあります。
ぱぷにおおきくてれびがありす。(discretionary 1) まいさ。
かのしあいがあります。ぱぶにわたし
はしあいをみます。わたしはまいしゅうまつでいきます。(Q4, 1 mark)
ときどきすいがつのばんわでいきます。
ぱぶにたくさんともだちがいます。(discretionary 1)
This response does not address the questions adequately and shows serious difficulties
in expression. As a result, the content marks and the expression marks awarded would
have been low.
Marks awarded: Content 7; Expression 8.
Exemplar 2 - Question 4.
アルバイトがあります。本店アルバイトします。(Q1, 3 marks)
学校があるときアルバイトをしたほうがいいですと思いますから、
お金おあるできます。(Q2, 3 marks) 私のアルバイトが大好ですからおもしろく
て楽しです。(Q5, 2 marks)
本店に高さんともだちがいます。しんせつでやしべりな人です。
(discretionary1)
一ばんともだち本店にアルバイトもあります。お金でダブリンに
行きます。(Q6, 4 marks) ともだちとときどきえいがかんにいきます。
それとあそぶたり、レスタロンに食べたり、ブラブラしたりします。
(discretionary 1)
This is an example from the average mark range,
Marks awarded: Content 14; Expression 10.
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Exemplar 3 - Question 4.
アルバイト
私のアルバイトがありました。レストランでしごとをしました。
私はウィトレスでした。(Q1, 4 marks) レストランのなまえは
「やまもり」です。やまもりは日本のレストランです。ですから
が好きです。(discretionary 1)
今年のなあつ休みにトップショップでしごとをします。トップショップ
はふくやです。(Q3, 4 marks) トップショップはとても人気です。(discretionary1)
アルバイトをすることが好きです。なぜならばアルバイトはとてもたのしい
です。(Q5, 4 marks) そして、たくさんともだちがいます。(discretionary 1)
アルバイトのお金はとてもいいです。ときどきお金で新しいふくを買います。
それからルプレゼントを買います。(Q6, 4 marks)
This is an example of a very high scoring answer
Marks awarded: Content 19; Expression 19.
Exemplar 4 - Question 5.
私のなまえはｘｘｘです、１８さいです。たじょうびは２月 20 日です。
(a. 3 marks)アイルランドジんです。北アイルランドにすんでいます。北アイル
ランドはとてもきわいで北アイルランドはのじん(character illegible) はおもしろ
くていいです。(b. 3 marks) 母とちち(character incorrectly written) とあねちおと
うとと私です。
(c. 3 marks)母のなまえはｘｘｘで、せんせいです。ちちのなまえはｘｘｘです。
あねのなまえはｘｘて２０さいです。大校二年生です。おとうとのなまえはｘ
ｘｘで高校二年生です。(discretionary 1) わたしのいロいロスポーツか好です。
一ばん好きはテニス。クラブでともだちとテニスをれんさゅです。とてもおも
しろいです。(d. 3 marks)ちょうとむずがしです。わたしはちょうきれいと思い
ます。私の日はフレとかみはブランド。(e. 2 marks)
まそ、J.C、フランスこかひたです。フランスこはてともむず(character
incorrectly written) かしです。TY のときすこし木日ごをしました。木日ごはむ
そかしくなでです。かたかなとひらかなはかんたんです。でもかんじはたいへ
んです。日木ごのぶんかはとでもかんたんです。そして木日ごの？(character
illegible)はおもしろくていいです。(a. 4 marks)
Marks awarded: Content 19; Expression 16.
Total marks 35.
In Exemplar 4 above, the candidate omitted one question in Part (ii), losing a possible 5
content marks. The candidate performed well on content in the remaining sections, but
was awarded just 1 discretionary mark. The candidate did not achieve higher content
34
marks due to the mixing up of hiragana and katakana characters, and the incorrect
writing of other characters including は, んち, and the incorrect ‘spelling’ of words.
Exemplar 5 - Question 5;
私は十八だいです。私のたんじょうびは五月十九日です。(a. 3 marks)
アイルランド人です。でも私の母は日本人です。そして父はアイルランド人
です。(b. 3 marks)
七かぞくです。父と母とあにが二人といもうととおとうとがいます。(c. 3
marks) 私の父はこむいんです。母はしゅふです。いもうとさんはとてもかわい
いくてやさしいです。私のあには大学のせいとです。すがくを勉強します。か
ぞくが大好きです。(discretionary 1)
私のしゅみはスポーツとおんがくをききます。ぜんぶのスポーツが好きです。
(3 marks)でも、サッカーが大好きです。サッカーはとｔもたのしくてヘルシー
ですから好きです。クラシクが好きですがロックも好きです。ロックのおんが
くはとても元気です。(discretionary 1)
私はすってきややさしいやおしゃべりです。そして私はちょっとまじめです。
(f. 3 marks)
二年間、日本語を勉強します。日本語はとてもきれいです。でも、日本語は
むずかしいです。日本語のひらがなが大好きです。なぜならば、ひらがなはか
んたんです。かんじはとてもむずかしいと思います。(ii.a 5 marks)
わ食が大好きです。九さいのとき日本に行きました。日本で、毎日ごはんを
食べました。そしてやきとりやみそしるやおすしやそばを食べました。
(discretionary 1) ぜんぶのわ食が好きです。なぜならば日本の食べ物はとてもお
いしいです。アイルランドの食べ物はきらいです。おいしくないです。
(discretionary 1)毎日ポテトを食べます。ポテトはつまらないです。(ii. d 5 marks)
Marks awarded: Content 29; Expression 26.
Total marks 55.
In Exemplar 5 above, the structure and layout of the essay is clear with distinct
paragraphs for each section. While it is impossible to show here, the candidate used
genko yoshi perfectly. The candidate also wrote the scripts correctly throughout, used a
good level of Kanji, and made only infrequent minor errors. The candidate showed a
range of structures, wrote correctly in the past tense, and had no difficulty conjugating
adjectives.
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