English Advanced Question Thread

[ProfLayton2000]

(So turns out i asked this in the standard forum instead of the advanced forum whoops)
So the prompt (I guess you could call it?) was "“Representations of people and landscapes inevitably involve the representation of important values.”, prescribed text Art of Travel, 5 min speech.

Any advice on how to format a speech to this question?

[asd987]

Hi, just wondering if they've ever asked for 2 related texts for mod c?

[sudodds]

Hi, just wondering if they've ever asked for 2 related texts for mod c?

As far as I'm aware they're never asked for two exactly, however they've asked for "at least one" which allows you to discuss two if you wish. Personally I'm a fan of always having a back up just in case (not only if they ask for two but also just in case the question is a bit left field). Not one that is studied as in depth as your primary related, but one that you know generally and would be able to use if push came to shove. A good idea is to pick a text or topic that you are already familiar with so that you don't need to study it too much - for example my back up related text was the 'Evil Empire Speech' by Ronald Reagan, which we studied in Modern History for Cold War

That being said if you want to focus your attention towards just one related you'll probably be A-okay haha

[Wales]

Hi, just wondering if they've ever asked for 2 related texts for mod c?

I'm personally doing one and my teacher only recommends one but as mentioned above I don't think anything stops you. Would be a trek learning two in depth though

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi, just wondering if they've ever asked for 2 related texts for mod c?

The other thing you can do, which I did, is just have a plan to use your Discovery ORT if you do get asked for two! Chances are slim, but if it happens that is an easy way to get out of the jam

[beau77bro]

The other thing you can do, which I did, is just have a plan to use your Discovery ORT if you do get asked for two! Chances are slim, but if it happens that is an easy way to get out of the jam

hmmm what if your related for discovery doesnt work for it? personally im doing the turning by tim winton - and picking a short story or two for discovery related (although i actually think there is some good politics in it) and brave new world i'm doing the bulter and reading up on V for Vendetta just coz it's easyish and i can use as a discovery related also - is that too much?

[jamonwindeyer]

hmmm what if your related for discovery doesnt work for it? personally im doing the turning by tim winton - and picking a short story or two for discovery related (although i actually think there is some good politics in it) and brave new world i'm doing the bulter and reading up on V for Vendetta just coz it's easyish and i can use as a discovery related also - is that too much?

Definitely don't prepare more than one ORT for Discovery, I wouldn't at least - Because on the .001% chance they ask for 2 ORT's in Paper 1 you've got three to five texts sitting at the front of the paper that you've analysed for Section I, you can use those

Ultimately, do what you are comfortable with! But it's about risk vs reward, like, you could study a dozen ORT's just in case. But what are the chances of that? It's about drawing the line where it is right for you

[Wales]

Is there a How to write a Mod C essay guide?

I can only find the ModB one I'm a bit unsure as to how to structure my essay.

I've gone with

Intro
Prescribed
Related
Prescribed
Related
Conclusion

But I'm also contemplating doing 2 comparatives instead. My teacher also recommends I draw connections.

What is the main focus of a mod c essay? Intertextual connections between the texts?

Cheers, Wales

[jamonwindeyer]

Is there a How to write a Mod C essay guide?

Right here my friend - I think it will answer most of your questions!

[elysepopplewell]

Is there a How to write a Mod C essay guide?

I can only find the ModB one I'm a bit unsure as to how to structure my essay.

I've gone with

Intro
Prescribed
Related
Prescribed
Related
Conclusion

But I'm also contemplating doing 2 comparatives instead. My teacher also recommends I draw connections.

What is the main focus of a mod c essay? Intertextual connections between the texts?

Cheers, Wales

What do you mean by doing 2 comparatives?
And the main aim of a Module C essay is to show how the relationship between people and politics, or people and landscapes, is represented by decisions made by the composer. Representation is at the forefront of your analysis in this module! My Module C essay is sitting in the notes section if you want to have a look, as well as essays by other students too!

[Wales]

What do you mean by doing 2 comparatives?
And the main aim of a Module C essay is to show how the relationship between people and politics, or people and landscapes, is represented by decisions made by the composer. Representation is at the forefront of your analysis in this module! My Module C essay is sitting in the notes section if you want to have a look, as well as essays by other students too!

2 paragraphs comparing the texts. Was a bit unclear sorry aha.

I will take a read of your essay as well as others. I've been reading the Mod C guide too! It's awesome.

Any chance you can explain the "represented by decisions made by the composer" part? What will I need to include there. How the composer represents X and why it matters? I'm a bit unsure.

Thanks

Wales~

[_____]

My teacher's gone off on a bit of a tangent this week and it's left me confused as to how I should be structuring essays.

They've shown us this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liyFKUFCQno and advised us to structure essays with the following paragraph structure:

1: introduction/thesis/introduce texts
2: minor point in support of the thesis
3: possible point(s) against the thesis
4. explanation of why your thesis is correct
5: very short conclusion

Mentioning points that could oppose your thesis is contrary to everything I have ever learnt about HSC English. Every tutorial or sample essay I've seen has every single paragraph or point in support of the thesis. Obviously this is different for university essays but my understanding is the HSC is very formulaic. Is this some sort of advanced technique they're letting us in on? Has anyone ever had success with it on occasion or should I ignore it? I'm afraid an external market will see the consideration of opposing points and freak out particularly if I screw up paragraph 4 or it isn't clear what I'm doing.

[caitlinlddouglas]

Hi i'm currently writing an essay for the speeches topic of mod B on how memorable ideas have been portrayed through the use of rhetorical techniques and was wondering what the technique in : “It is the story teller… our phoenix, that represents us at our best, and at our most creative.” is? It's at the end of Doris Lessing's speech 'On not winning the Nobel Prize' is? . The full sentence is "It is the story teller, the dream maker, the myth maker, that is our phoeniz, that represents us at our best, and at our most creative". Thanks!

[elysepopplewell]

2 paragraphs comparing the texts. Was a bit unclear sorry aha.

I will take a read of your essay as well as others. I've been reading the Mod C guide too! It's awesome.

Any chance you can explain the "represented by decisions made by the composer" part? What will I need to include there. How the composer represents X and why it matters? I'm a bit unsure.

Thanks

Wales~

Oh right right! Sorry I understand now. Drawing connections will definitely show a level of confidence in your work that you mightn't have with isolated paragraphs - but it's not a guarantee. I'd work out exactly what you want to say, and draw connections on paper. Then see how you can connect them in paragraphs, integration will only work if it's logical, instead of forced!

I can flesh that out. So as a composer, you have a purpose: you want to portray something. Looking specifically at the texts selected for Module C, the composers aim to create a literary representation of the relationship between people and politics, or people and landscapes. What is required of you in this module is not so different from other modules, in that you always analyse the decisions made by the composer. Every literary decision a composer makes (using a metaphor, writing in low modality, etc) is done deliberately to represent a certain tone, plot, relationship, so on... So although we do this in every module, we focus on the relationship between people and politics or people and landscapes specifically, but we also bring the notion of "representation" to the forefront. So it's more about, "Smith represents the intense yearning Ally has for her house in Ireland through the descriptive language..." Please let me know if this doesn't make sense and I'll happily rephrase The essence is - we do this in every module, but this time "representation" and the way words, and decisions regarding words, represents something, comes to the forefront!

[Wales]

Oh right right! Sorry I understand now. Drawing connections will definitely show a level of confidence in your work that you mightn't have with isolated paragraphs - but it's not a guarantee. I'd work out exactly what you want to say, and draw connections on paper. Then see how you can connect them in paragraphs, integration will only work if it's logical, instead of forced!

I can flesh that out. So as a composer, you have a purpose: you want to portray something. Looking specifically at the texts selected for Module C, the composers aim to create a literary representation of the relationship between people and politics, or people and landscapes. What is required of you in this module is not so different from other modules, in that you always analyse the decisions made by the composer. Every literary decision a composer makes (using a metaphor, writing in low modality, etc) is done deliberately to represent a certain tone, plot, relationship, so on... So although we do this in every module, we focus on the relationship between people and politics or people and landscapes specifically, but we also bring the notion of "representation" to the forefront. So it's more about, "Smith represents the intense yearning Ally has for her house in Ireland through the descriptive language..." Please let me know if this doesn't make sense and I'll happily rephrase The essence is - we do this in every module, but this time "representation" and the way words, and decisions regarding words, represents something, comes to the forefront!

I see You've phrased it well. What would be some key concepts to discuss? I've primarily focused on how Huxley represents the powerlessness of the people.

Huxley appeals to the audience by challenging the ethos of the 1930’s through the complete inversion of values evident in the hypnopaedia and conditioning process with the end objective of a conformist state. Huxley’s italicised text “But these suggestions are our suggestions” is a deceptive representation of the World State’s ethos due to the assertive nature of the leaders and forcing their ideologies upon individuals. The intellectual conformity characterised through the high modal phrase “I’m really awfully glad I’m not a beta because...” resulting in a diminishment of the intrinsic autonomous nature of children in order to create an atmosphere that exemplifies the World State’s idealistic visions of autocratic rule and to create a capitalist consumerist world space where a loss of individuality is imminent.

I've written something like that. Would I be on the right track?   (I've posted it in the essay marking forum too!)

Cheers, Wales

Side note: Tragic how I won't be at the Legal lecture ): Props to you for accepting that whilst still on exchange in Amsterdam. I look forward to the SoR one though!