ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: Biceps on August 14, 2012, 11:02:20 pm
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
-
Write, get it marked, repeat.
-
See these posts, and then post back with questions :)
English FAQs: READ THIS FIRST BEFORE ASKING ANY QUESTIONS
EvangelionZeta's Guide to Preparing for the English Exam
Nick's essential English writing tips for 2008-2011
Re: Getting a 50 in English
Re: Calling All High Scoring English Students!
-
Try to develop unique interpretations of the text for text response through just analysing everything that COULD have a deeper meaning (ie a LOT) and thinking about it whenever I can.
For language analysis, really you can only practise once you've got the technique down. So I guess make sure you're analysing at a deeper level than just acknowledging the use of typical 'persuasive techniques', try to incorporate a complex analysis of concordant devices and their intended effect on an audience. My biggest problem in LA is time, as my analyses tend to be far too long to fit into a 55 minute time frame.
Developing your ideas and, I guess, philosophising about your context will really help you write your context piece. Try to keep an either mental or physical note of real world instances of your theme, ie if doing 'encountering conflict', make a "conflict bank" of different ways people encounter, deal with, deflect, create, live after, suffer from conflict etc etc. Generating a profound knowledge of your context, and then seeing this reflected in your texts, will help you develop flexible yet detailed ideas with which to base your essays on.
Other than this - write, write, write! Reading A+ essays, study guides etc will help a little, but the number one way to strengthen ideas and your skill as a writer, is to put it into essays. Get your essays marked, mark them yourself, and just keep it up. You'll appreciate it at the end of the year! (And think, the better you get, the more efficient you get, so if you have to spend an hour and a half writing an essay tonight, you're giving yourself about half an hour's free time in the future when you've got to an hour-per-essay stage!)
-
Try to develop unique interpretations of the text for text response through just analysing everything that COULD have a deeper meaning (ie a LOT) and thinking about it whenever I can.
For language analysis, really you can only practise once you've got the technique down. So I guess make sure you're analysing at a deeper level than just acknowledging the use of typical 'persuasive techniques', try to incorporate a complex analysis of concordant devices and their intended effect on an audience. My biggest problem in LA is time, as my analyses tend to be far too long to fit into a 55 minute time frame.
Developing your ideas and, I guess, philosophising about your context will really help you write your context piece. Try to keep an either mental or physical note of real world instances of your theme, ie if doing 'encountering conflict', make a "conflict bank" of different ways people encounter, deal with, deflect, create, live after, suffer from conflict etc etc. Generating a profound knowledge of your context, and then seeing this reflected in your texts, will help you develop flexible yet detailed ideas with which to base your essays on.
Other than this - write, write, write! Reading A+ essays, study guides etc will help a little, but the number one way to strengthen ideas and your skill as a writer, is to put it into essays. Get your essays marked, mark them yourself, and just keep it up. You'll appreciate it at the end of the year! (And think, the better you get, the more efficient you get, so if you have to spend an hour and a half writing an essay tonight, you're giving yourself about half an hour's free time in the future when you've got to an hour-per-essay stage!)
Thanks for the insight. How do you find so much to write about in language analysis?? i get bored after like 5th paragraph and i begin waffling to fill the word limit. :S
-
How do you find so much to write about in language analysis?? i get bored after like 5th paragraph and i begin waffling to fill the word limit. :S
Haha, trust me, I find language analysis as dry as old weet bix. I just have the issue that I want to write an analysis of EVERY bit that I annotate in the articles... if I did that I'd still be doing the SAC now!
-
Detailed plans on as many different topics for context. There is no point churning out mediocre essays.
-
Detailed plans on as many different topics for context. There is no point churning out mediocre essays.
i agree with that, i noticed that the more i write about identity and belonging the more monotonous it feels. i'll start writing paragraphs at a time for different ideas without a prompt. Good plan?
-
How do you find so much to write about in language analysis?? i get bored after like 5th paragraph and i begin waffling to fill the word limit. :S
Haha, trust me, I find language analysis as dry as old weet bix. I just have the issue that I want to write an analysis of EVERY bit that I annotate in the articles... if I did that I'd still be doing the SAC now!
Is there success in doing that? if there isn't then i'll try that. :)
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
Memorise high scoring essays and regurgitate it on the exam :)
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
Memorise high scoring essays and regurgitate it on the exam :)
Why didn't i think of that?!?!?
Any idea were i can get some from?
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
Memorise high scoring essays and regurgitate it on the exam :)
Why didn't i think of that?!?!?
Any idea were i can get some from?
I'm almost certain that TT was trolling there, or at least I really hope he was :P
Plagiarising the essays of other people isn't only unethical and lazy but it undermines the effort you've put in for the last 6 years of high school. Even if they're your own, in most cases they won't fit the prompt or essay question, and several very good English students that I know who have admitted to trying to regurgitate pieces in the exam have turned out to have poorer grades than they were capable of.
-
I think you missed the whole point of TrueTear's comment. Do not memorise other's pieces at all, instead take in their ideas and expression and use that in your own writing, but in your own way.
-
I think you missed the whole point of TrueTear's comment. Do not memorise other's pieces at all, instead take in their ideas and expression and use that in your own writing, but in your own way.
I don't think that's what he was trying to say, but DarkHorse is right. If you're struggling with English, a great way to learn is from reading the work of other students. Often what your teachers say can be confusing whereas your fellow students will have written in a more concise, simple manner (in some cases). It's also a great way to widen your interpretation of a text, so that you don't get too narrow-minded and mono-faceted.
-
lol yeah I didn't mean for you to interpret it literally, I meant you should memorise the essays which you have written and scored very good on, memorise the phrases, ideas, concepts you use from those essays and then try to match them to the prompt, the more you memorise, the more you have to match it with the essay topics.
This is exactly what I did ;) Not sure if it will work for you, but give it a shot lol
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
Memorise high scoring essays and regurgitate it on the exam :)
Why didn't i think of that?!?!?
Any idea were i can get some from?
I'm almost certain that TT was trolling there, or at least I really hope he was :P
He actually wan't trolling.
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
Memorise high scoring essays and regurgitate it on the exam :)
Why didn't i think of that?!?!?
Any idea were i can get some from?
I'm almost certain that TT was trolling there, or at least I really hope he was :P
He actually wan't trolling.
Yeah I realised. My apologies to TT, took his post completely out of context after reading the one immediately following.
Regardless, the point stands. Don't ever memorise anyone else's essays :P
I still don't think memorising even your own essays is a good idea. What I personally did for Lit last year was write heaps of essays on different passages. Eventually you'll find yourself repeating the same ideas over and over and each time will articulate them more eloquently and thoroughly and eventually it'll become almost second nature to write certain paragraphs when you realise that a certain point (theme, character, event, etc) is relevant to the prompt (or passage in the case of Literature). If memorising essays is your go I won't try to stop you because I can't comment on what works for other people but 9 times out of 10 it isn't going to get you into the top marks band or have you exceeding your own abilities.
-
What TT suggested is a feasible way of getting high marks in English.
Memorising essays as a whole, as many of you pointed out, is not so smart.
However, memorising ideas for arguments pertaining to certain body paragraphs and memorising epic phrases etc is a great idea.
My first SAC for Unit 3 English was an oral so obviously this doesn't apply to that (20/100marks). Second SAC was a Context piece that was written at home, doesn't apply to this either (30/100marks). Third SAC was a text response essay so it DID apply to this. I didn't think of any fresh ideas or points during the SAC. Had 1 hour, regurgitated everything I could that was relevant, finished in about 50 minutes and spent the rest of the time proof-reading etc (30/100marks). Last SAC was language analysis so you can't directly memorise techniques etc but you can memorise different epic generic phrases that you can adapt to any topic (20/100marks).
-
Hi guys, i would like to know how people study for English because it is my weakest point in my VCE studies. if i don't improve it could bring down my ATAR quite a lot considering i need a 40 for the ATAR i want. There are 3 months left before exams so something with quick results would be helpful :).
Memorise high scoring essays and regurgitate it on the exam :)
Why didn't i think of that?!?!?
Any idea were i can get some from?
I'm almost certain that TT was trolling there, or at least I really hope he was :P
Plagiarising the essays of other people isn't only unethical and lazy but it undermines the effort you've put in for the last 6 years of high school. Even if they're your own, in most cases they won't fit the prompt or essay question, and several very good English students that I know who have admitted to trying to regurgitate pieces in the exam have turned out to have poorer grades than they were capable of.
I'm not going to plagiarize lol. but i would like to see what kind of essays get the top end scores and try to write the same way.
-
Do you guys have any tips to not retelling the storyline in text response essays? I always end up doing this - are there any type of sentences you can use to make it stop sounding more like you're discussing rather than giving too many examples.
-
oglow100, this thread has some very high scoring examples English Work Examples Directory I've also updated the contents first post so navigation should be easier :)
-
oglow100, this thread has some very high scoring examples English Work Examples Directory I've also updated the contents first post so navigation should be easier :)
Thank you. exactly what i was after :D
-
oglow100, this thread has some very high scoring examples English Work Examples Directory I've also updated the contents first post so navigation should be easier :)
OT but we really need more Language Analysis examples on there haha. I'll put mine up once my teacher gives it back to me.
-
Do you guys have any tips to not retelling the storyline in text response essays? I always end up doing this - are there any type of sentences you can use to make it stop sounding more like you're discussing rather than giving too many examples.
Could you give us an example of what you're doing now? Don't feel too bad because it's not an uncommon problem. Maybe try to place yourself in the position of the examiner. Before you write something in ask yourself 'if I was marking this and had read/seen the text, would reading this line be essential to understanding the students analysis?'
Also try to focus more on what the author's intention was in writing about the event that you're now retelling. The language features, character development, etc, rather than what actually happened. I think you really just need to expand your depth of analysis and sacrifice slightly setting a context for it by recounting what you're actually going to analyse.
-
I draft until my teacher and I know that I have reached a full understanding of the text and am able to write a concise and sophisticated piece. After that I study the drafts that I have written well, memorize quotes and remembered complex sentences and ideas that I have created. It is good to look at other peoples work, but remember the best work should always come from your hand. Plagiarizing or recycling other essays won't make you're unique, which is what you should aim to present to the examiner.