EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ENG LANG 3/4

[tedescostudent]

Hey guys, I've been going around atar notes for advice and its been all helpful so far, so I wanted to see if I'm missing anything out for eng lang. Firstly, I'm curious about study design, types of essays, most difficult part, depth of content or actually, pretty much anything that could benefit me! I wouldn't mind reading heaps so go crazy if you want, in fact that'll probably be amazing. My last problem with this subject is essay writing, I'm lost and have no idea where I'm at. I joined eng lang 1/2 in 2nd semester this year, and my essay marks have been improving, I just feel my teacher isn't very good. So, I was wondering if anyone had a criteria, and also tips for improving. My problem is expressing myself properly. I often stumble during sacs and repeat myself or/and ramble on. So some tips from some englishy people would be great!

[dmitridr]

Hi there!

Thanks for the post and well done on completing 1/2 English Language!

Firstly, you can follow all my articles here on English Language (VCEStudyGuides.com), on which I post every two weeks: http://www.vcestudyguides.com/category/vce-english-language

I also actively post on this forum, so feel free to check out all my posts on this forum over the last two years: dmitridr

Also, check out my video here with my good friend Lisa Tran (an English tutor): https://youtu.be/FEqh_LdiVWw

To answer your question, it is really all about exposure. Expose yourself to A+ essays and read through them. See how the writer writes and take note of interesting expressions he/she uses in the essay. You'll also notice that A+ essays aren't always the longest either - they are concise, to the point and don't ramble on. To succeed in Engl Lang, you also need to be including a range of linguist quotes and modern examples into your essays. This will give depth of knowledge and also show linguistic awareness!

I hope that helps

Dmitri.

[kiddoes]

My problem is expressing myself properly. I often stumble during sacs and repeat myself or/and ramble on. So some tips from some englishy people would be great!

I had your exact same problem during this year, especially in my essays!
My advice to you would be to plan out your essays in advance for SACs, and make sure your plan includes a topic sentence specific to the paragraph you are writing, the evidence/quotes you use and how these link back to the original essay question. This helps you to keep your paragraphs on track as you know the meat of the paragraph - the topic, and your contention.
If you have time before a SAC, maybe write out your essay on the computer directly from your plan and see where you tend to ramble. Prior to a SAC, you have time to edit yourself, so do! Re-write where you ramble and that edit may stick in your head when it's actually writing time.

Also, commas and voice. If your sentence has to be long and rambly, put in some commas to make it easier to parse. Also, trying to write in active voice ("Australian English is an important facet of national identity" --> subject verbs object) over passive ("Use of Australian English provides an important marker of national identity" --> object is verbed by subject) helps to make your writing more concise.
And I rambled here. Apologies! Hope this helps