HSC Chinese Extension case studies
HSC Chinese Extension · Put your knowledge to work in context.
HSC Chinese Extension is a Stage 6 course and external examination for senior secondary students in New South Wales who already have substantial background in Chinese and want to study literature and sophisticated texts in the language. It typically follows Chinese Continuers and is designed for learners who can already read, write, listen and speak with confidence; it is not a beginners' course. The HSC Chinese Extension case studies are 5 cases and about 3,072 words.
1The Unfinished Ending: Judging an Ambiguous Prescribed-Text Passage
In a practice response on the prescribed text, a student quotes a passage in which the narrator describes a farewell at a railway station. The narrator says the train 'left before I could say the words I had rehearsed', then in the final line writes 'perhaps she heard them anyway'.
678 words, about 3 min2Register Slip in a Letter to a Host Family
A student must write a 250-300 character letter in Chinese to a homestay family in Nanjing, thanking them for a two-week stay and explaining that she will visit again next summer. Her draft opens with a formal written greeting and closes with a highly literary four-character phrase expressing undying gratitude.
605 words, about 3 min3Scanning a Notice for What It Does Not Say
A student reads a short Chinese notice about a community evening class. The notice states the class runs on Tuesday and Thursday, that the fee is 200 yuan for eight sessions, and that participants should bring their own materials.
586 words, about 3 min4Numbers, Names and a Fast Speaker
Students listen twice to a recorded Chinese announcement about a school excursion. The speaker talks quickly, gives a departure time of 7:40, a meeting point described as 'the gate near the library, not the main gate', a cost of 85 yuan, and a deadline for permission slips of 'before Friday'.
605 words, about 3 min5Explaining a Compliment That Does Not Translate
An Australian student visiting a Chinese family compliments the host's cooking by saying the food is 'really delicious'. The host replies that the dishes are 'just simple home cooking, nothing special'.
598 words, about 3 min