ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: devilsadvocate on February 06, 2014, 09:07:37 pm

Title: How well do I need to perform to get +45 in EAL?
Post by: devilsadvocate on February 06, 2014, 09:07:37 pm

Hi ATARNotes! I'm doing EAL this year and basically want to gain an insight into what writing skills it takes to score well in the subject. Obviously I go to a school where hardly any students are as 'fob' as I am (lol) so it's difficult to get an idea of what the standard level of writing in EAL is. I don't consider myself a top Engilsh student, despite receiving A+s in Year 10 English (well that was Year 10... lol) and to be quite honest, I'm doubtful of my abilties in English. I also made the mistake of taking Eng Lang rather than mainstream English in Year 11, which probably killed most of, if not all, the skills vital for success in EAL, such as analysing texts or persuasive pieces.

Anyway, back to my question! What does it take to get a study score of 45+ in EAL? If any pieces of writing were provided to give an idea of the level of writing required in high-performing EAL students, that would be great. Some general tips regarding EAL would also be welcomed.

I'll attach a persuasive piece I wrote back in Year 10. It's a horrible essay imo, but I hope someone can read through it and perhaps tell me where I'd stand compared to the rest of the EAL population, if I were to complete both the SACs and the end-of-year exam in the same standard of writing as what's shown in the essay.

Thanks! :)

Title: Re: How well do I need to perform to get +45 in EAL?
Post by: BigAl on February 06, 2014, 10:05:02 pm

Your ideas are much more valuable than a complex piece. As long as you express your ideas clearly throughout your essay, you should be fine. Back in the day, I used to look at the essays at VCAA's website and that made me depressed so much. I thought my writing skills weren't as good as theirs. But it turned out 2 simple pieces were enough for me to get an A in the exam. (Section B and C). Do not compare yourself to someone else. This will often depress you rather than sparking a rivalry
I think you need to get at least two A+s and an A in order to get 45+.

I got 39 in 2012 (A+, A, A)

Edit: read newspapers if you want to improve your skills in section C. I found it extremely useful despite my family thinking I was wasting time and money. You don't necessarily need to analyse an article but newspapers may give you an idea about some techniques