HELP! Need help improving English.What should I do?

[Mellyboo]

Hey guys,

I have always considered English to be my favourite subject, I had thoroughly enjoyed it. Mathematics had never been a subject I liked/ was good at until two years ago. English had always been my strong point, and I read religiously day in and day out. I dreamt about becoming an author, write children's stories all day and nap, haha. I wrote many, many creative pieces over the years, but never once did I write a structured essay in all of high school until now, I don't know how this has happened. As VCE exams approaches (one year is just around the corner), I am becoming increasingly anxious, demotivated and even depressed at the prospect of sitting this exam. At this point, tutoring is out of the question for me. What suggestions do you have for me? I love to read, but I haven't had the time at all for the past two years because of various reasons, and as a result I feel my previously superior english skills have significantly decreased and my self confidence in this subject is lacking. I would appreciate it so much if you could give me some steps as to what I should do to improve my fluency and vocabulary. My assessments this year and end of year exam average is 86%. I received my GAT results this morning. I could not believe my eyes when I saw those figures... I was left absolutely flabbergasted and has me wondering, where the HELL did I go wrong.
Thanks and look forward to any replies!

[pi]

I got 28 or something for Written on the GAT, and got an English study score in the mid-40s back in the day. The GAT is not indicative of English performance.

[Mellyboo]

I got 28 or something for Written on the GAT, and got an English study score in the mid-40s back in the day. The GAT is not indicative of English performance.

I hope you are right.

[Sunshine98]

I hope you are right.

He is right.

[M_BONG]

Hey guys,

I have always considered English to be my favourite subject, I had thoroughly enjoyed it. Mathematics had never been a subject I liked/ was good at until two years ago. English had always been my strong point, and I read religiously day in and day out. I dreamt about becoming an author, write children's stories all day and nap, haha. I wrote many, many creative pieces over the years, but never once did I write a structured essay in all of high school until now, I don't know how this has happened. As VCE exams approaches (one year is just around the corner), I am becoming increasingly anxious, demotivated and even depressed at the prospect of sitting this exam. At this point, tutoring is out of the question for me. What suggestions do you have for me? I love to read, but I haven't had the time at all for the past two years because of various reasons, and as a result I feel my previously superior english skills have significantly decreased and my self confidence in this subject is lacking. I would appreciate it so much if you could give me some steps as to what I should do to improve my fluency and vocabulary. My assessments this year and end of year exam average is 86%. I received my GAT results this morning. I could not believe my eyes when I saw those figures... I was left absolutely flabbergasted and has me wondering, where the HELL did I go wrong.
Thanks and look forward to any replies!

General English tips
1. Practice essays go so far - especially with a good teacher giving good feedback. Don't try memorising quotes word for word. Put them in practice essays and you learn naturally. Otherwise, PM me your practice essays (I am no expert, of course) throughout the year or submit them here- everyone is so helpful here!
2. Take part in class discussions and this means reading your texts ahead. Class discussions are good, if your classroom teacher operates that way. Try challenging or accepting other people's viewpoints, interpretations of the texts etc. That way, you not only have interest and purpose in reading the texts, you will feel more obliged to prove people wrong and perhaps put more work in.
3. (Some pretentious people will disagree): read up on study guides after you have read your texts. They actually give a solid background to understanding the texts but should never be used as a guide for your analyses.
4. Read up on the background and context of your texts. As in, why did the author/director/poet write it? This helps so much because you will start to develop interest in what you are reading. Oh, and it helps with context heaps as well!
5. Try to like the subject! This will go so far and will actually greatly enhance your SS. How do you like a subject? It's difficult and more psychological, but try to remove pre-dispositions about the subject and try to accept it beyond the minor things like your teacher being a tool or the texts being too difficult!


Holiday checklist
1. Read your section A texts ahead during the holidays. More than once - if you can. For instance, I read Ransom three times but didn't bother with Henry because it was too difficult. Use Sparknotes, study guides, whatever you need to assist you understand the text.
2. Definitely start writing your Oral now - again, glad to help for free - because classes generally deliver them first week back. This is your first SAC, worth 20 marks, and generally what I find is when I do well in the first SAC, I get the momentum to do well in the remaining SACs, so definitely use your spare time now to do it.
3. Start revising the Language Analysis techniques- the skills you learn from Year 11 carry over and it's a task you can do independently of a teacher.
4. Have fun! I personally didn't think English would turn out to be my favourite subject. I was averaging B+s in English in Year 11 (I remember getting a C+ for a Language Analysis). Nor was I expecting a high score at the start of the year. But as I said above, stressing or having pre-dispositions will unnecessarily jeopardise your mark.
5. Don't start writing essays (especially text response or context) now - you will be wasting time. Just try and do steps 1-4 first!

**Also, don't get carried away with GAT marks. I got a 39 in Year 11 and a 50 in Year 12 - things fluctuate and you never have had the experience of writing the pieces in a way the GAT wanted you to (the Chess article was weird). There's actually no difference plus writing styles are so different from the English course! Plus, you're competing with Year 12s who have 1 year experience and have had 1 year of extra English lessons.

[brenden]

The GATs a piece of shit (by the way, so's your subject title, not all that funny lol).

As for your predicament, don't stress. I was in much the same situation as you - avid creative writer, avid reader until VCE came along, always had good English skills etc. I also scored shitty, in the 20s, in the GAT in Year 11, and scored mid 40s in the GAT in Year 12. Wtf??  -- Other people on this website can attest to other absolutely absurd inconsistencies in that particular "test".

I also wagged a lot of Year 11 so I was SO BAD at "writing for VCE" despite having a good vocabulary and sense of grammar etc. Example: "I'm shit at writing"

Anyway, I worked hard in Year 12 at learning what the system expected from us - learning how to game the criteria, etc etc. It's much easier than you'd expect, especially if you're good at writing. I mean, if you can write, then you can quote. If you can write, you can analyse. If you can write, you can explore. Really, you just have to dedicate a bit of time into applying your writing skills into a very particular and slightly nonsensical arena (VCE English). I ended up scoring mid-40s in English (shitty public school, no tutor, no one scored 40+ year before me, bla bla bla) and going on to be a successful tutor, so there's definitely hope for you. And when I say there's hope, I mean, there's no issue and you're in a really good position right now. lol.

Edit: Just saw you're in EAL. Dude, your language skills are really great. Thought you were aiming for 45 in normal English (well, you could be, anyway).

[Mellyboo]

The GATs a piece of shit (by the way, so's your subject title, not all that funny lol).

As for your predicament, don't stress. I was in much the same situation as you - avid creative writer, avid reader until VCE came along, always had good English skills etc. I also scored shitty, in the 20s, in the GAT in Year 11, and scored mid 40s in the GAT in Year 12. Wtf??  -- Other people on this website can attest to other absolutely absurd inconsistencies in that particular "test".

I also wagged a lot of Year 11 so I was SO BAD at "writing for VCE" despite having a good vocabulary and sense of grammar etc. Example: "I'm shit at writing"

Anyway, I worked hard in Year 12 at learning what the system expected from us - learning how to game the criteria, etc etc. It's much easier than you'd expect, especially if you're good at writing. I mean, if you can write, then you can quote. If you can write, you can analyse. If you can write, you can explore. Really, you just have to dedicate a bit of time into applying your writing skills into a very particular and slightly nonsensical arena (VCE English). I ended up scoring mid-40s in English (shitty public school, no tutor, no one scored 40+ year before me, bla bla bla) and going on to be a successful tutor, so there's definitely hope for you. And when I say there's hope, I mean, there's no issue and you're in a really good position right now. lol.

Edit: Just saw you're in EAL. Dude, your language skills are really great. Thought you were aiming for 45 in normal English (well, you could be, anyway).

Haha ! I thought someone would comment on my title, I thought it would attract some viewers, yeah, I'll change it ;p Somehow, I find it really difficult to believe that VCAA would base english scores off the GAT if the GAT was not some sort of indication of ability. I've seen so many GAT posts today.  Their English and GAT scores, for the most part, coincided. What you and Pi said has given me some relief, however.

Thanks everyone!

[brenden]

Haha ! I thought someone would comment on my title, I thought it would attract some viewers, yeah, I'll change it ;p Somehow, I find it really difficult to believe that VCAA would base english scores off the GAT if the GAT was not some sort of indication of ability. I've seen so many GAT posts today.  Their English and GAT scores, for the most part, coincided. What you and Pi said has given me some relief, however.

Thanks everyone!

they don't base your English score off the GAT . And the GAT isn't an indication of ability (evidently). If it were, there would be relatively consistent scores across years, and people with great English skills who try in the GAT would almost always score highly, which doesn't happen.

You're welcome

[Mellyboo]

they don't base your English score off the GAT . And the GAT isn't an indication of ability (evidently). If it were, there would be relatively consistent scores across years, and people with great English skills who try in the GAT would almost always score highly, which doesn't happen.

You're welcome

What I meant was, when they derive your GAT score in the case of an accident, etc.

[Rod]

I hope you are right.

Oh my god I was feeling exactly the same way as you last year! I got my GAT back last year after doing one year 12 subject, and got 26 on the written communications. I came on AtarNotes straight away, upset, because I really liked english and really wanted to do well in year 12. I was assured my some users on this forum that the GAT will not indicate my study score in english.

... And they were right, I ended up with a 40, which is 14 higher than what I got a year ago in the GAT.

Best of luck!!