English 2008

[Mao]

Context: Encountering Conflicts (Secret River)

Books:
1984
Secret River

Play:
The Crucible

Film:
Look Both Ways

i'm gonna get pwnd...

question if u dont mind me asking, wot happened 2 BA22? i thought he was gonna be mod?

[Nick]

Hey looks like we have a really keen mod here! ^^

I'm doing ESL next year and have no idea how the year 12 ESL exam works and how similar it is to mainstream. I spoke to my teacher today though and she said we're sort of following what mainstream is doing in our school. Anyone doing ESL next year too?

The exam is highly similar to mainstream english exam.

VCAA have provided sample exams for both types of english on their website.
Similarly to the English exam, ESL students must:
Write a text response from the texts in List 1
Write an essay in regards to the context your school studied, with direct reference to your context text.
Write an issues media analysis

The questions for both exams are almost identical when you compare to the two sample  exams.

The only difference is the marking scheme.

ENGLISH MARKING SCHEME
Text response- 20 marks
Context essay- 20 marks
Analysis of language use- 20 marks

ENGLISH ESL MARKING SCHEME
Text response- 40 marks
Context essay- 30 marks
Analysis of language use- 30 marks

[Nick]

question if u dont mind me asking, wot happened 2 BA22? i thought he was gonna be mod?

I'm not sure actually. All decisions are made by Dan (enwiabe). There is going to be more than one English moderator given the compulsory nature of the subject.

[monicak]

I am studying:
Maestro (Peter Goldsworthy)
1984
Sometimes Gladness
Witness (film)

I am aiming for 45+, but would be quite happy with anything above 42..

[Kopite]

in regards to writing well structured essays (nick could probably add this in his english help article thing) i found it really helpful to write out the objectives of each paragraph that you intend to write in one sentence. this way, when you are proof reading, you can read those 3-5 statements that you have written beforehand, and see whether you have gone off on a tangent with relative ease. it also helps with keeping all relevant ideas in the one paragraph.

just my 2 cents

[Nick]

Y

in regards to writing well structured essays (nick could probably add this in his english help article thing) i found it really helpful to write out the objectives of each paragraph that you intend to write in one sentence. this way, when you are proof reading, you can read those 3-5 statements that you have written beforehand, and see whether you have gone off on a tangent with relative ease. it also helps with keeping all relevant ideas in the one paragraph.

just my 2 cents

Yeah for sure, good advice.
One of the most valuable concepts involved in writing essays is to keep your ideas within set boundaries. It's extremely easy to stray and become completely off topic,  as already stated by Kopite. That method is definately valid, although different types of planning suit various individuals.

[Kopite]

Y

in regards to writing well structured essays (nick could probably add this in his english help article thing) i found it really helpful to write out the objectives of each paragraph that you intend to write in one sentence. this way, when you are proof reading, you can read those 3-5 statements that you have written beforehand, and see whether you have gone off on a tangent with relative ease. it also helps with keeping all relevant ideas in the one paragraph.

just my 2 cents

Yeah for sure, good advice.
One of the most valuable concepts involved in writing essays is to keep your ideas within set boundaries. It's extremely easy to stray and become completely off topic,  as already stated by Kopite. That method is definately valid, although different types of planning suit various individuals.

yeah true, might not suit everybody.

should also point out that those 3-5 statements also helps to make sure that you actually answer the question hahaha

[lishan515]

Here's my prescribed texts for English:

Section A, Text Response:
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

Section B, Context: Exploring Issue of Identity and Belonging
Film: Witness - Peter Weir
Poetry: Sometimes Gladness - Bruce Dawe

We are doing exactly the same.

I also would love to do catcher in my own time but I am not sure how feasible that is. I will ask the head of english whether there is a possibility for a lunchtime group to look at it (not sure)- I would be able to write on it now probably as I have read it a fair number of times

I am hoping for english for a high score... (not going to place a value on it as I dont want to jinx it). At my school for yr 11 I was 1 of 2 that received the english prize... so as long as everything goes well I think english should be one of my better subjects... (I would be pleased if it were my best)

English vce is not very appealing, but while many moaned about unit 1/2 this year I found it certainly tolerable -Lit is my refuge. It probably helps with the issues doing debating and public speaking. Usually to prepare I read the texts in the holidays (summer),  then a week or so before we study, then during the study while making notes (usually in the book, but also try to comply a list of quotes/key passages which depending on texts - (if shakespeare etc on net) I delete the other sections... otherwise I highlight and then read that without the extraneous material.) By this stage I know the text really well and know evidence (direct and indirect) without needing to learn quotes- they just come. This is probably the same for lit. I don't really focus on the "themes", it just comes together with class discussion and my own interpretation. For a movie text I read the transcript, and watch once before I study. Poetry we haven't studying in english yet, but I read it myself anyway... probably will look for key stanzas and know them well...

I like the context section I think... Should be an interesting year with the  new study design

Also Nick- well done!

[costargh]

I am studying:
Maestro (Peter Goldsworthy)
1984
Sometimes Gladness
Witness (film)

I am aiming for 45+, but would be quite happy with anything above 42..

Studied that this year (07) in year 11. I personally didn't really like it. I found it a bit anti-climatic and I didn't find the characters very believable. It was just my opinion though... I am sure other people enjoyed it.

[Nick]

English vce is not very appealing, but while many moaned about unit 1/2 this year I found it certainly tolerable -Lit is my refuge. It probably helps with the issues doing debating and public speaking. Usually to prepare I read the texts in the holidays (summer),  then a week or so before we study, then during the study while making notes (usually in the book, but also try to comply a list of quotes/key passages which depending on texts - (if shakespeare etc on net) I delete the other sections... otherwise I highlight and then read that without the extraneous material.) By this stage I know the text really well and know evidence (direct and indirect) without needing to learn quotes- they just come. This is probably the same for lit. I don't really focus on the "themes", it just comes together with class discussion and my own interpretation. For a movie text I read the transcript, and watch once before I study. Poetry we haven't studying in english yet, but I read it myself anyway... probably will look for key stanzas and know them well...

Well it sounds as if you have good English study habits already and English related material comes fairly natural to you Sounds good. I think it's abit risky to not study the themes specifically. I had a separate exercise book for themes alone for each of my novels. Every time I read the novel I wrote notes under the specific headings and colour coded them. It certainly made studying for the end-of-year exam a breeze! Theme notes may seem unnecessary and annoying at first, but creating them gives you loads of confidence and enhances your knowledge tremendously.

[costargh]

I love themes; identifying them, exploring them; revisiting them. To me they are what makes a book interesting and that is why I have no trouble with Part 2 Text Responses (although now being replaced with a contexts essay)

[sheepz]

thanks Nick for telling me about the sample exam on the vcaa website! i went to have a look at it =)

lol i dont really like themes and can hardly identify them >.< i let the teacher do it and then come up with evidences off the top of my head haha

[Nick]

thanks Nick for telling me about the sample exam on the vcaa website! i went to have a look at it =)

lol i dont really like themes and can hardly identify them >.< i let the teacher do it and then come up with evidences off the top of my head haha

Yeah fair enough, it can be a difficult task if you're not a person who can naturally look at literature and analyse it analytically.

As well as what the teacher and other class mates tell you, try and come up with some of your own original themes. Examiners LOVE originality. They don't want to read 2000 essays that contain all the same information. Using original ideas can boost your score unbelievably.

[brendan]

analyse it analytically

LOL

[Nick]

In terms of the top five texts for 2008 that I will cover, I'll decide on the first two on January 1. I'll make a decision based on the students who have submitted preferences by that date.

I will make a decision on the remaining three texts later in January. This will enable other students' preferences (particularly those who are new to FSN and arrive later) to be considered.