ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Literature => Topic started by: diam0nds on August 24, 2011, 11:16:01 pm

Title: Unit 3/4 lit?
Post by: diam0nds on August 24, 2011, 11:16:01 pm

Okay I know theres heaps of 'english or lit' posts but anyway... I'm in year 11 doing Unit 1/2 Lit and going really well with top marks  on all my essays but the thing is they are English style/structured essays, just with things like Shakespeare instead.  The language I use in my essays isn't really that complex or sophisticated either, so I guess I'm just not sure what I'm in for next year ???

So could anyone please tell me exactly what you have to do in Unit 3/4 Lit?  Like the essay wrting, types of things you study compared to English?


I kind of having a feeling I want to change to English but I have never done language analysis before so I'm scared I'll struggle, and I can't do speeches  :(

Title: Re: Unit 3/4 lit?
Post by: EvangelionZeta on August 24, 2011, 11:25:38 pm

Lit focuses more on interpreting texts - they're more interested in your ideas and the sophistication in your expressing them than anything else.  If you want some guidance, look at the guide I wrote, as well as the sample essays topic.

Title: Re: Unit 3/4 lit?
Post by: Readinya on August 25, 2011, 11:27:47 pm

Here's my two cents on the difference between English and Literature.

In English, you have three distinctly types of essays: Text analysis, expository and language analysis.

In Lit, these three types are kind of combined into one. You have three passages in the exam. First you analyse the language (Language Analysis), then you pull back and analyse the text as a whole, complete with themes/characters/etc (Text Analysis). THEN, you pull back even further and give a kind of expository overview of how the text relates to the real world (Expository).

I know it sounds complicated, but Literature essays give you soooo much more freedom to express your ideas, and particularly, your style of writing. I know a couple of friends who are struggling to get the confidence in their "voice" through in their English essays, and therefore struggling to get the best marks they could have achieved.

Having said that, though, I've had some sort of grudge against standard English because of past experience with narrow-minded teachers.

Title: Re: Unit 3/4 lit?
Post by: diam0nds on August 26, 2011, 06:27:29 pm

Thanks guys :)

I like the sound of the literature course better and I do enjoy it this year but I'm just worried the language I use isn't complex enough and I like structured essays :P

Title: Re: Unit 3/4 lit?
Post by: Water on August 26, 2011, 07:06:34 pm

Quote from: diam0nds on August 26, 2011, 06:27:29 pm

Thanks guys :)

I like the sound of the literature course better and I do enjoy it this year but I'm just worried the language I use isn't complex enough and I like structured essays :P

If it helps, me and my friend don't use complex language that much in our essays.

And he can produce an A+ essay in 50 mins without using any "pretentious" words whatsoever (when desperate measures arises, certainly hates being in them though).

Just shows the command in the language doesn't necessarily = the use of challenging vocab.


Good luck :)

Title: Re: Unit 3/4 lit?
Post by: diam0nds on August 28, 2011, 05:45:42 pm

Oh really that makes me feel better haha :)