Standing out in English.

[Jeggz]

So I have my first English Written SAC on Wednesday. It's a text response on the film "On the Waterfront".
One thing that that my teacher said, which really struck a chord in me was "Your intention is for your piece to stand out from the rest of the crowd." Hence my question is, how do you ensure that you do stand out amidst the rest of your cohort? If this question has already been answered I'd really appreciate links to those threads  Thanks!

[Furbob]

coming up with an original idea or concept about the book that no one else has thought of

easier said than done sometimes - just requires a lot of thought about the book really

[alondouek]

In my honest opinion, the best way for you to make your work stand out (apart from innate skill and a honed ability to write) is to write with passion, and to really care about what you're putting on paper.

Many people, myself included, go through VCE treating English as a chore - try to avoid this in the lead-up to your SACs and exam. I was lucky enough to find inspiration to write passionately (though it might have just been adrenaline, haha) when it mattered - but the best bet is to practice, practice and practice more until writing eloquently and fluidly is almost second nature.

By the time the exam comes around, you should be able to hit your paper running; but as always, the key is to care about what you're writing. Don't be mechanical and pump out a stock-standard response. Examiners aren't only looking for good pieces, they're looking for art.

[brenden]

One or both of:
a) beautiful writing
b) a great idea(s), as aforementioned.

[Jeggz]

Thanks for that 
Just in regards to great ideas, how exactly would you master this? I tend to fall back on study-guides as I'm not a very original thinker. Would you recommend this ?

[alondouek]

Thanks for that 
Just in regards to great ideas, how exactly would you master this? I tend to fall back on study-guides as I'm not a very original thinker. Would you recommend this ?

Actually devote 'thinking time' to the text you're studying. Often, people just regurgitate themes from the text, with a little bit of alteration here and there. Try to think about the issues raised by the text from a number of different angles. For me, a question I always kept in my head when studying English texts was "what's the point?".

Critical thinking and a critical approach to the text is what guides you to appreciating the prompt you get; this way, you can properly engage with it.

[Jeggz]

Actually devote 'thinking time' to the text you're studying. Often, people just regurgitate themes from the text, with a little bit of alteration here and there. Try to think about the issues raised by the text from a number of different angles. For me, a question I always kept in my head when studying English texts was "what's the point?".

Critical thinking and a critical approach to the text is what guides you to appreciating the prompt you get; this way, you can properly engage with it.

Wow, I've actually never thought about it that way!
I shall definitely take that on board, thanks

[jazza97]

-
-Film techniques....What is the director doing to get HIS point across.?

-Social/Cultural/Historical backdrop of the film.  Why did the director decide to produce this film?

-Motifs of certain images/symbols within the film or characters.

If you can interweave this analysis with the main themes/ideas/characters it will stand out from the standard 'NEAP/Sparknotes' essay.

[Jeggz]

-
-Film techniques....What is the director doing to get HIS point across.?

-Social/Cultural/Historical backdrop of the film.  Why did the director decide to produce this film?

-Motifs of certain images/symbols within the film or characters.

If you can interweave this analysis with the main themes/ideas/characters it will stand out from the standard 'NEAP/Sparknotes' essay.

Is it a part of the criteria to include the historical background of the film too?

[FlorianK]

For the ideas my tutor got me tertiary education notes with ideas and wordings not many other students in the state had. I copied ideas and even some phrasings, then developed my own linguistic style and waved the copied stuff into it whilst caring alot about the flow of my writing. It entailed a 20/20 piece in exam

[jazza97]

Is it a part of the criteria to include the historical background of the film too?

the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the author/director and presented in the selected text; or
• the way the author/director uses structures, features and conventions to construct meaning; or
• the ways in which authors/directors express or imply a point of view and values; or
• the ways in which readers’ interpretations of text differ and why.


if you want 45+ i would definitely harp on about it through your essay.  Not many students will.

[Jayward]

i heard of a person (maybe someone on AN a couple of years back) who ONLY used commercial material on the exam and pulled a 40 on the dot. i suppose if you want a 45+, originality is a must, but otherwise... i guess study guides are there to be used.