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Hebrew (Modern)

A-Level Modern Hebrew in England is an AQA qualification, specification 7672, version 1.0 dated 9 October 2017, for teaching from September 2018 and first examined in 2020, Ofqual qualification accreditation number 603/2430/2, entry code 7672, graded on the six-point scale A* to E. The qualification announces its most important structural fact in its own title: it is called A-level Modern Hebrew (Listening, Reading, Writing), and there is no speaking assessment anywhere in it - no oral, no stimulus card, no presentation, no spoken defence of the research project. AQA publishes an A-level only; there is no AS companion. There are three written papers. Paper 1, Reading and writing, runs for 2 hours 30 minutes, carries 85 raw marks and is worth 42.5 per cent: reading and responding to four stimulus texts for 35 marks, a translation from Modern Hebrew into English of a passage of at least 100 words for 10 marks, and a 40-mark essay of approximately 300 words on the individual research project, written in Hebrew in answer to an unseen question about an unseen Hebrew source. Paper 2, Writing, runs for 2 hours, carries 80 marks and is worth 20 per cent: two essays in Hebrew of approximately 300 words each on the two works studied, either one text and one film or two texts, with a choice of two questions on each work. Paper 3, Listening, reading and writing, runs for 2 hours 30 minutes, carries 75 marks and is worth 37.5 per cent: listening and responding for 35 marks from studio recordings over which each student has individual control, a translation from English into Hebrew of a passage of at least 100 words for 10 marks with a supporting Hebrew text supplied, and a 30-mark multi-skill task of about 200 words drawing on a heard source and a written source together. Raw marks are scaled - Paper 1 doubled to 170, Paper 2 unchanged at 80, Paper 3 doubled to 150 - for a total scaled mark of 400. The subject content is four themes in two pairs, each theme with two sub-themes and each sub-theme with exactly three bullet aspects, and the specification says twice that all of them are studied in relation to Israel. Aspects of Modern Hebrew-speaking society: past and current trends covers The Israeli family and The evolution of the digital world in Israel; Aspects of Modern Hebrew-speaking society: past and current issues covers Marginalisation in Israeli society and Migration in Israel; Artistic culture in the Modern Hebrew-speaking world past and present covers Israeli festivals and traditions and Israeli art and architecture; and Aspects of political life in the Modern Hebrew-speaking world past and present covers Democracy in Israel and Israeli politics and young people. Alongside the themes sit a prescribed grammar list of twenty-three headed sections, the prescribed works - three texts and two films - and an individual research project chosen from four published topics, all of whose bullet points the student must cover. Assessment objectives are weighted 20 per cent AO1, 30 per cent AO2, 30 per cent AO3 and 20 per cent AO4; across AO1 and AO2 together no more than 10 per cent of the qualification's marks may be earned by responses in English, including the translation into English. The qualification is linear, all exams are taken in a single series at the end of the course, all materials are available in English only, and no dictionary is permitted in any paper.

0/65 Texts13 Chapters~380 min total

Continue reading — Chapter I Table of contents

AQA 7672 - 3.3.1 The scripts and phoneticsAQA 7672 - 3.3.2 MorphologyAQA 7672 - 3.3.21 PhoneticalAQA 7672 - 3.3.3 The nounAQA 7672 - 3.3.5 AdjectivesAQA 7672 - 3.3.8 Particles+66 moreFoundationStandardAdvanced

Table of contents · 13 ChaptersT·13

Ch. Iדקדוק ותרגום: the grammar list and the two translations (AQA 7672, section 3.3)5 texts · 0 read

Ch. IIהבנת הנקרא: Paper 1, four stimulus texts and the rules that decide whether a right answer scores5 texts · 0 read

Ch. IIIהבנת הנשמע: Paper 3, individual control of the recording, and a language you cannot see5 texts · 0 read

Ch. IVהמשפחה והעולם הדיגיטלי: theme 3.1.1, past and current trends5 texts · 0 read

Ch. Vשוליים והגירה: theme 3.1.2, past and current issues5 texts · 0 read

Ch. VIחגים ומסורות: sub-theme 3.2.1.1, Israeli festivals and traditions5 texts · 0 read

Ch. VIIאמנות ואדריכלות: sub-theme 3.2.1.2, Israeli art and architecture5 texts · 0 read

Ch. VIIIהדמוקרטיה בישראל: sub-theme 3.2.2.1, Democracy in Israel5 texts · 0 read

Ch. IXפוליטיקה ובני נוער: sub-theme 3.2.2.2, Israeli politics and young people5 texts · 0 read

Ch. Xדיבור ודיון: spoken Hebrew in a qualification that does not examine speaking5 texts · 0 read

Ch. XIהיצירה הספרותית: section 3.4, and the Paper 2 essay5 texts · 0 read

Ch. XIIהסרט: section 3.4, the film half, and the essay it is examined by5 texts · 0 read

Ch. XIIIהמחקר האישי: section 3.5, and the 40-mark essay inside Paper 15 texts · 0 read

Instrument · 01Recommended study order

Instrument · 02Exam structure

Paper 1 - Reading and writing (7672/1): Written exam of 2 hours 30 minutes, 85 raw marks scaled by two to 170, 42.5 per cent of the A-level and therefore the largest single component. Three compulsory parts. Reading and responding, 35 marks: four stimulus texts adapted as necessary from a range of authentic sources including online sources, which may be contemporary or historical and may be non-fiction, literary fiction or material based on literature. The content of the stimulus texts is drawn from the specification's themes and sub-themes, except for literary texts, whose content the specification expressly allows to fall outside them. Questions target main points, gist and detail, require inference, and include abstract material such as opinions, views, emotional reactions and personal experiences; all questions are set in Modern Hebrew and are answered either non-verbally or in Modern Hebrew. One of them is a summary question, for which the student must write in full sentences and use their own words as far as possible, and for which the content mark (AO2) and the language mark (AO3, out of 5) are awarded independently. Translation into English, 10 marks: an unseen passage of a minimum of 100 words whose content is based on the themes and sub-themes. Individual research project, 40 marks: the student reads an unseen Hebrew source on one of the four published research topics and answers an unseen question on it in Hebrew, in approximately 300 words, using information from the source linked to the knowledge gained from their own individual research, to produce an evaluative response. Those 40 marks divide AO2 10, AO3 10 and AO4 20, which makes the research essay the single largest task in the qualification. Everything the student writes is marked and there is no word limit, but a student who writes about the recommended length has access to the full range of marks. No dictionary, no notes and no research materials in the exam room. The research project is examined here, on Paper 1, in writing - there is no oral defence of it and no speaking assessment anywhere in this qualification.
Paper 2 - Writing (7672/2): Written exam of 2 hours, 80 marks with no scaling, 20 per cent of the A-level. The student writes one essay in Hebrew on each of the two works studied - either one book and one film, or two books, taken from the lists printed in section 3.4 of the specification - with a choice of two questions on each work. Answering on two films is not an available route, because the specification permits only one text and one film or two texts. Approximately 300 words per essay is advised; everything written is marked, there is no word limit, and a student who writes about the recommended length has access to the full range of marks. Every question requires a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered in the work and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation as appropriate to the work studied - the specification's own two examples are the effect of narrative voice in a prose text and camera work in a film. No access to the books or the films during the exam, and no dictionary. Paper 2 is the only paper carrying no AO1 and no AO2 at all: its 20 per cent of the qualification splits evenly, 10 per cent AO3 for quality of language and 10 per cent AO4 for the critical and analytical response, and each essay is marked out of 40 as 20 plus 20.
Paper 3 - Listening, reading and writing (7672/3): Written exam of 2 hours 30 minutes, 75 raw marks scaled by two to 150, 37.5 per cent of the A-level. Three parts. Listening and responding, 35 marks: spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different registers and types, with content based on the specification's themes and sub-themes, at least one passage involving more than one speaker. Passages are studio recorded, the recordings are provided to schools and colleges, and each student has individual control of the recording - which turns the section from a test of instant comprehension into a test of method. Questions target main points, gist and detail, require inference and include abstract material; they are set in Hebrew and answered non-verbally or in Hebrew, and in the questions that are not the summary the student should give only the information the question asks for. One question is a summary in Hebrew, written in full sentences and in the student's own words as far as possible, with the content mark (AO1) and the language mark (AO3, out of 5) awarded independently. Translation into Hebrew, 10 marks: an unseen passage of a minimum of 100 words from English into Hebrew, with content based on the themes and sub-themes - and for this task specifically, 7672 states that students are provided with a supporting text in Modern Hebrew giving them some of the vocabulary and structures they will need. Multi-skill task, 30 marks: a listening passage and a written source are set on one of the themes, and the student listens, reads and then answers an unseen Hebrew essay question in approximately 200 words, referring to information in both sources; the response requires analysis, evaluation, personal reaction and the drawing of a conclusion.
Themes, grammar, works, the research topic and the rules that catch people out: Four themes, each with two sub-themes, each sub-theme with exactly three bullet aspects - twenty-four bullets in all, counted - to be studied in relation to Israel using a range of sources including material from online media. Aspects of Modern Hebrew-speaking society: past and current trends contains The Israeli family (the traditional family unit; the role of the religious establishment in the family; the diversity of the modern family) and The evolution of the digital world in Israel (the internet in daily life; social media, benefits and dangers; the digitalisation of Israeli society). Aspects of Modern Hebrew-speaking society: past and current issues contains Marginalisation in Israeli society (social and economic marginalisation; crime and punishment in Israel; the issue of geographic inequality) and Migration in Israel (Israel and the Jewish Diaspora; immigration into Israel, impact on society; emigration from Israel, impact on society). Artistic culture in the Modern Hebrew-speaking world past and present contains Israeli festivals and traditions (cultural traditions in Jewish and non-Jewish communities; the Kibbutz; regional and local heritage) and Israeli art and architecture (archaeological sites; sites of commemoration and preservation in Israel; Israeli art and artists). Aspects of political life in the Modern Hebrew-speaking world past and present contains Democracy in Israel (creation of the Israeli state; Israeli Presidents and Prime Ministers past and present; the current political scene in Israel) and Israeli politics and young people (the role of schools in political education; youth movements; young people and political engagement). Section 3.3 sets out the grammar in twenty-three headed lists, from the script and phonetics through the noun, the construct state, the seven verb forms, the pronominal suffixes and the prepositions to word order and the fixed morphological patterns, with indicative examples the specification itself calls indicative and not exclusive - and it prints every one of those examples in roman transliteration rather than in Hebrew script. Section 3.4 prints the works: three texts, Amos Oz's Don't call it night, Savyon Liebrecht's Horses on the Highway and a selection of at least ten poems from Yehuda Amichai's Selected Poems, and two films, Eli Cohen's The Summer of Aviya of 1988 and Oded Davidoff's Someone to Run With of 2006. Prescribed lists are set by the board and can be revised between issues of a specification, so every candidate must confirm the list current for their own exam series. Section 3.5 publishes four research topics - Equality in Israeli society, War and conflict in Israel, Israeli music, and Peace movements in Israel - of which the student chooses one and must cover all three of its bullet points. The research must be the student's own even if a classmate chose the same topic, and the sources may be visual, audio or written but must include online sources. Assessment objectives: AO1, understand and respond in writing to spoken language, 20 per cent; AO2, understand and respond in writing to written language, 30 per cent; AO3, manipulate the language accurately in written form using a range of lexis and structure, 30 per cent; AO4, show knowledge and understanding of, and respond critically and analytically to, aspects of the culture and society of countries and communities where the language is spoken, 20 per cent. Across AO1 and AO2 together, no more than 10 per cent of the qualification's marks may be used for responses in English, including translation into English - which is exactly why the Hebrew-into-English translation is only 10 of Paper 1's 85 marks.
How these notes are written: script, vocalisation, and material that is genuinely contested: THE SCRIPT. These notes print Modern Hebrew in the square script, stored in Unicode Normalisation Form C, with no presentation forms, no bidirectional control characters and no zero-width joiners. That is worth stating because the specification itself does not print a single Hebrew character: section 3.3, the whole grammar list, is given in a bespoke roman transliteration. These notes therefore do both - the script, because that is what you will read in Papers 1 and 3 and write in all three, and a consistent transliteration beside it, because a word you cannot say is a word you cannot hold. VOCALISATION. Modern Hebrew is written unpointed, and AQA's own 3.3.1 asks for the vowels but expressly not the vocalisation. These notes are therefore unpointed throughout, exactly like an exam text and an exam answer, and vowel information is carried by the transliteration. There is one declared exception: inside the grammar topic, and only where the mark itself is the thing being taught, the shin and sin dots and the dagesh on the begadkefat letters are printed, because you cannot describe those letters without them. Nowhere else in these notes is a single point set. One further mark is used, and declared: the maqaf, the Hebrew hyphen, appears where a bound affix or a prefixed particle is cited on its own, which is the ordinary convention of a Hebrew grammar and the only place it occurs here. FIGURES. Every diagram in this subject is labelled in English or in transliteration and contains no Hebrew script at all. That is a deliberate rendering decision, explained where it first matters: the figure engine has no right-to-left handling, so a mixed Hebrew-and-Latin label would come out in the wrong order and punctuation after a Hebrew clause would land on the wrong side. The Hebrew for everything in every figure is in the prose beside it. CONTESTED MATERIAL. Some of what this specification asks you to study - the creation of the state, the current political scene, non-Jewish minorities, war and conflict, the peace movements - sits inside a live and bitterly disputed conflict about which people hold deeply felt and opposing views and in which people are being harmed as you read. These notes do not try to settle any of it, and you should be suspicious of any revision guide that does. What they do instead is what an examiner actually rewards: dated institutional facts are stated flatly; every interpretation and every characterisation is attributed to whoever makes it rather than asserted; live arguments are named as arguments with the competing positions given at their strongest, including the arguments inside Israeli society, which is itself divided on most of this; the several names that the same event or place carries in different accounts are taught as usage rather than ranked for correctness; no casualty, displacement, population or demographic figure appears anywhere, because the honest thing is to name the body that publishes the number and let you fetch, date and attribute it yourself; and no quotation or testimony is invented, ever. Where a passage could not be written to those standards, less is written and the reason is given on the page.

Instrument · 03Official sources