ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: Mr Keshy on January 11, 2013, 11:20:55 pm

Title: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 11, 2013, 11:20:55 pm
Hey guys, is it worth reading books for later in the year. And an extension to the question, multiple times as well?

Should I just read my Context which is the first novel/la that will be coming up this year?
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Lasercookie on January 11, 2013, 11:29:43 pm
I'd try and read all your English texts at least once before school starts - you don't have to bother with taking notes and what not the first time around, just read it to find out what happens in the text and what it's about. If you leave that initial reading to later in the year, you'll be rushing to familiarise yourself with the text and then having to dive into analysing it straight away.

Considering that school will start soon, I'd probably say to once you've read them once, move onto looking at that context one after that, rather than spending time rereading the others multiple times.
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: saba.ay on January 11, 2013, 11:35:25 pm
I would definitely recommend having read the book at least once before you actually get around to studying it in class. Often times, you're not 100% aware of everything that is going on the first time you read a book, or at least this is the case with me. If you read it at least once now, and then again when you come to studying it in class, you'll be able to build on your first reading and won't be concerned with trying to determine what's happening, but rather will be able to focus on details and get straight into analysing.

From what I've been told about English, as it's slightly different to Literature, the deeper your understanding of the text, the stronger your responses. You can only get a detailed understanding of the text through reading the texts continuously. Given this, I'd definitely recommend reading them. :)
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 11, 2013, 11:39:52 pm
Thanks for your replies guys :)

I'm actually doing English again so I've read the books. Should've mentioned that in the OP. My bad :D I will read them once again though. I don't mind reading now, it's less of a chore so I think it might be worth reading a few chapters before going to bed!
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: pi on January 11, 2013, 11:43:57 pm
I'd definitely read all my books again in September!

You'll be reading them in a completely new approach with themes, quotes, characters, etc in mind. It'll allow you to have a deeper understanding of your texts :)
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: brenden on January 12, 2013, 12:58:15 am
Yeah just to reinforce, read all of your books again (since last year), so you've read every single one of them once. And an absolute minimum of once again throughout the year. More for Twelve Angry Men, you get something different for every reading and it only takes a few hours! I think I read my novel once in the holidays and twice before the SAC.
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: abeybaby on January 12, 2013, 01:03:55 am
I don't know about multiple times, but I would definitely recommend having read the book at least once before you actually get around to studying it in class.

lol?
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 12, 2013, 10:26:13 am
lol?

Haha I think what she means is that some schools read the book during class when it's time to study that outcome. So you should read it once before then. I think :D
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: saba.ay on January 12, 2013, 10:48:18 am
lol?

woops? my bad. :P Just meant that books should be at least once before starting them in class. Don't know what was going on with that first part though. xD

Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 12, 2013, 01:51:19 pm
woops? my bad. :P Just meant that books should be at least once before starting them in class. Don't know what was going on with that first part though. xD

I'll cut you some slack, it was near mid night :P
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: EvangelionZeta on January 12, 2013, 05:42:45 pm
Read your texts as many times as possible - ideally, you want to be able to do the following by the end of the year:

1. Know at least ten major quotes so well that you can bust them out into random sentences at parties (possibly whilst slightly inebriated)

2. Be able to summarise in detail the main narrative of the text

3. Be able to pinpoint roughly what page/line number/minute of a text a particular scene is.  I kid you not.

(y)
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: platypus on January 16, 2013, 12:41:32 am
Since you said you've already read them last year and given the time you've left until school, I'd read them in the sense that I'm looking for quotes and key events in preparation for my upcoming SACS. For me that usually involves defacing my novels with a lot of tabbing, post-it notes and highlighting :)

I agree with what people said before me in that you should focus on your text analysis then your context as it will be fresher in your mind when schools starts. Also with context, unless you're doing something like a creative piece that 99% mirrors your text - like an extention of the story or something, I wouldn't spend so much time reading the novel but rather, studying the ideas and themes behind it.

3. Be able to pinpoint roughly what page/line number/minute of a text a particular scene is.  I kid you not.
yea that's a bit scary I don't think I did that for my exam lol. Or maybe because my memory's atrocious so nothing with numbers stays inside my head for long:)
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: dilks on January 16, 2013, 09:41:27 am
3. Be able to pinpoint roughly what page/line number/minute of a text a particular scene is.  I kid you not.
yea that's a bit scary I don't think I did that for my exam lol. Or maybe because my memory's atrocious so nothing with numbers stays inside my head for long:)

It's more for study/revision purposes. You don't want to have to pore through the whole text in order to find a particular quote, bearing in mind EZ is also a tutor so he has to be able to do this during a lesson.
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Planck's constant on January 16, 2013, 01:52:26 pm
Hey guys, is it worth reading books for later in the year. And an extension to the question, multiple times as well?

Should I just read my Context which is the first novel/la that will be coming up this year?



Kesh, my friend, you keep asking the same question every couple of weeks and you keep getting the same answer.

So this is what you should do.
1. Walk to your VERY NICE study area.
2. Open the drawer.
3. Get a book out.
4. READ the bloody thing :)
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 16, 2013, 03:36:18 pm


Kesh, my friend, you keep asking the same question every couple of weeks and you keep getting the same answer.

So this is what you should do.
1. Walk to your VERY NICE study area.
2. Open the drawer.
3. Get a book out.
4. READ the bloody thing :)

:O when did I ask this more than once?? I only remember asking once haha, my memory is probably failing..
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Butterscotch on January 16, 2013, 03:50:08 pm
Yup! Having a read through the book you'll do later in the year helps a lot (to me anyway). I've been doing this since year 7 and highlighted important quotes from the books, aswell as identifying the metalanguages. And believe me, this method has not disappointed me yet.

Oh, and just incase, you'd want any help with the Essays, there's a really good book published by Excel (Excel Essential Skills - English workbook year 10). It has Step-by-Step writing techniques; as well as a variety of text types. It might help :)

Good luck! :D

Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 16, 2013, 03:54:20 pm
Yup! Having a read through the book you'll do later in the year helps a lot (to me anyway). I've been doing this since year 7 and highlighted important quotes from the books, aswell as identifying the metalanguages. And believe me, this method has not disappointed me yet.

Oh, and just incase, you'd want any help with the Essays, there's a really good book published by Excel (Excel Essential Skills - English workbook year 10). It has Step-by-Step writing techniques; as well as a variety of text types. It might help :)

Good luck! :D

You're a keen reader :)

I've no trouble reading books now. But now that I think of it, I did make one thread asking how to pick up a book. :P

It takes me a while to read so I my main question really was, read unit 3 books again, in greater detail. Or, start reading unit 4 books as well.

Essays you ask? Well I have the AN English study guide for that :D
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: alondouek on January 16, 2013, 04:11:41 pm
I recommend you read/watch as many of your texts during the holiday period as possible - it helps you develop a greater insight into the texts over time.

However, if reading's not your thing, you could always only read the first one or two texts you'll be doing.
Title: Re: Is it worth reading books for later in the year?
Post by: Mr Keshy on January 16, 2013, 04:19:42 pm
I recommend you read/watch as many of your texts during the holiday period as possible - it helps you develop a greater insight into the texts over time.

However, if reading's not your thing, you could always only read the first one or two texts you'll be doing.

I used to just hate reading. I was never really enticed into a book, but I realised that I wasn't reading far enough and sure enough, it's worked out :)