Language analysis teacher listing the techniques

[tange]

One of my students (for tutoring) is currently doing Language to Persuade for Unit 3. She has written a language analysis essay for her teacher and scored a 5/20 because her teacher thinks that she has not mentioned any persuasive techniques such as appeals or evidence. However, when I read through my student's essay, I realised that she focused on how certain words and phrases affect the reader and how certain quotes position readers to agree in specific ways. She has covered connotations, etc but the teacher said that her essay is unsatisfactory.

I just read an essay that my student's teacher wrote as a sample. The teacher simply analysed the writer's use of language/ persuasive techniques and did not mention the reader or audience at all in the essay.

Aren't students suppose to discuss how language is used to position the reader? 
Is there something wrong with the teacher or is this how teachers teach language analysis these days???

[literally lauren]

Oh how I feel your pain bro
Yes, in all likelihood that teacher has no idea what she's doing.
Mentioning techniques is a critical part of analyses and you can't score too highly without it, but it's a part; the impact upon readers and the author's use of language, positioning of the issue is technically more important, and it's where most of the marks are.

This teacher might genuinely believe listing devices is the easiest way to get marks, or, more likely, she might have felt the majority of the class was struggling with this component of the task, so wrote a piece that demonstrated how to describe EVERYTHING in the article in different ways  I don't know, I haven't read either piece, I'm just trying to make sense of this...

On the other hand, you don't get 5/20 for neglecting one (relatively minor) part of the task. Were there any other comments on your student's essay? Maybe her expression lacked clarity and so everything that she did right came across as convoluted, or didn't come across at all?

Either way, ultimately this teacher will be marking her SACs all year, so it might be best to tailor your tutoring accordingly. Teach exam tactics (ie. the right way) on the side, but for SACs focus on adapting the teacher's advice into something more manageable.

My sympathies to you and your student, this is a shitty situation to be in for any subject, let alone one so subjective 

[Edward Elric]

Hey Tange

That is very strange indeed. At our school our teachers teach their students not to simply label techniques but rather focus on specific words or phrases the the author uses to position the audience. In the language analysis criteria it talks about how language is used to persuade the reader not the techniques involved.

Well if the teacher did not mention the audience and the impact it had on them, i think  that he is not familiar with the VCE English curriculum and should be evaluated by other teachers to confirm if he truly can teach the subject.

5/20 marks should not have been given to your student, as it sounds like she has done the right thing in mentioning specifics words or phrases affecting the reader. Maybe you can ask her to get her essay cross marked by another English teacher at her school and see what they think, to confirm whether or not her marks were mainly lost due to this or perhaps another reason like format, structuring etc...

[literally lauren]

^Cross marking is an excellent idea, that should determine whether it's an issue with the teacher or the student.
Just tell her to be discrete, some teachers get snarky about students wanting a second opinion, and she probably won't want to annoy someone who'll be assessing her for 50% of the course

[tange]

The other comment was that the student did not use metalanguage. The student's expression was also slightly problematic as she did not properly edit her work, which resulted in incomplete sentences in some parts of the essay. She checked with other teachers and they said her work is definitely satisfactory.