English Language no 1/2

[Emie]

Hi, I am a Year 11 just seeking some advice on whether or not to do English Language. I have not done the 1/2 and would have to do it via distance Ed, so I have a few queries:

- Can you do well at English Language with no 1/2?
- Would it be difficult doing it as a Distance Ed?
- I have been averaging B/B+ in normal English, is it unrealistic to think I'll do better at English language?

Thanks for your help!

[Starlight]

Hi, I am a Year 11 just seeking some advice on whether or not to do English Language. I have not done the 1/2 and would have to do it via distance Ed, so I have a few queries:

- Can you do well at English Language with no 1/2?
- Would it be difficult doing it as a Distance Ed?
- I have been averaging B/B+ in normal English, is it unrealistic to think I'll do better at English language?

Thanks for your help!

a) Sure. Someone I know didn't do 1/2 and managed to get 43 or something (one of the highest in the class)

b) That's up to you. Do you feel as though you need contact with a teacher to do well? Would you make sure to keep on top of work and not neglect the subject? Only you can answer these questions.

c) English language is quite different. It relates solely to language analysis including verbal and non-verbal features. It's very much an application type subject where you link for example known australian people's speech with something like standard australian english. Just remember though that there is still an essay to write.

[Azerel]

You may want to look at this post - A Guide to English Language for New/Prospective Students
From consulting with year 12s, they found that English Language 3/4 didn't refer so much as to the units 1 and 2, however you may want to look at the Subsystems, Paralinguistic and Prosodic features - they're referred to quite a bit in Language 3/4 apparently.
English Language is definitely a subject that you would enjoy if you have an interest in linguistics, and from what I've heard, you shouldn't have much trouble taking up the subject 

[greenbeans]

a) Yes. Absolutely. Our school didn't/doesn't offer 1/2 and everyone managed just fine. A few top 40s.

b) Can't comment, sorry. I *can* say that you will need to be diligent in essay writing. That is, being proactive and constantly finding someone to mark your essays.

c) It might suit you better. But the students that can write well (that often have excelled in mainstream English in the first place) often turn out to be more capable at the essay writing component of the course. Not to fear - this is easy to improve on if you persist! If you remain positive and don't neglect your work then you will be fine.

[Azerel]

Oh and yes, keep in mind that there is more essay writing - however,  they are not your typical essay. Having more of an emphasis on Meta-language in English Language essay writing 

[WonderBunny]

I did English Language by distance without doing 1/2 and got 46. It is possible to do well. However, you need to be really well organised and strict with yourself to keep up with the work. A lot of people got behind with the worksets. My advice would be to make sure you stay current because the SAC topics are covered in the worksets. If you haven't done the work on an area by the time of the SAC, it would hard to do well. Also, the end of semester rush to complete work was pretty brutal for some people. Imagine doing 5/6 weeks of work in a few days.

I wouldn't worry about not doing 1/2, as long as you're comfortable with linguistic jargon and brush up on the terms at the start of the year, it should be fine.

Anyway, I really recommend studying English Language, it's a great subject.