English Language in Summer Holidays

[luffy]

Is it best to go through the whole English Language 3/4 Course throughout the Summer Holidays?

Also, what parts of Units 1/2 are essential to doing well in Eng Language 3/4?

I am contemplating whether to focus on it or my other subjects (i.e Chem/Physics). Please let me know.

[vexx]

English Language is a little different since you need to have focus on current news events in relation to your topics to do well on the end year for unit 3, and to separate to correct topics to match essays can be pretty confusing at first. Yes you can go through and learn all the concepts, which will probably be a waste of time since you cannot learn them with good recent examples and discuss them to ensure maximum understanding - something you cannot do alone.. They are all simple anyway so you can learn them on the spot when brought up in class, just need to ensure you KNOW them by studying afterwards/that week.

As for the subsystems for unit 3, definitely learn them over holidays. Use heinemenn and 'advanced english language' books to know your stuff, these will cover what is most needed for each subsystem, so you can go in already knowing the grammar points.

Don't bother with unit 4 now, IMO it's fairly simple, you can learn it over mid-year break. And then do heaps of practice until exams

[luffy]

English Language is a little different since you need to have focus on current news events in relation to your topics to do well on the end year for unit 3, and to separate to correct topics to match essays can be pretty confusing at first. Yes you can go through and learn all the concepts, which will probably be a waste of time since you cannot learn them with good recent examples and discuss them to ensure maximum understanding - something you cannot do alone.. They are all simple anyway so you can learn them on the spot when brought up in class, just need to ensure you KNOW them by studying afterwards/that week.

As for the subsystems for unit 3, definitely learn them over holidays. Use heinemenn and 'advanced english language' books to know your stuff, these will cover what is most needed for each subsystem, so you can go in already knowing the grammar points.

Don't bother with unit 4 now, IMO it's fairly simple, you can learn it over mid-year break. And then do heaps of practice until exams

Wow. That was a great response. Thanks a lot for that.

Also, what supplementary material do you reccommend will help with the subject? I have heard Derrick Ha's book is great, but what else is there?

Lastly, what textbooks are the best for the subject? (Even though the concepts are relatively simple). Our school uses a somewhat "unknown" textbook called "Living Lingo". If you have heard of it, is it a good textbook?

[vexx]

the two i mentioned for prior to starting the course for the subsystems should be fine as well as teacher/VN to help when you need it, especially if the books miss something.

Living Lingo is the best really- there isn't anything else to use for unit 3, that has pretty everything you need to know, except dont use their examples find your own for the essay at the end of year (unit 3 is pretty much only for your essay in the exam)

Unit 4 is very straightforward, if you are more sciencey (i see you are by your subjects) you will love it - i did at least (compared to unit 3). So your teacher teaching you should be fine, and living lingo is okay.
Macmillian (or however it is spelt) units 3 & 4 book is a good reference to use as well for unit 4 along with some Heinemenn usage.

Yesyesyes to Derrick Has - it pushed my essay grade from a C+/B to an A in a week over the holidays and eventually up to A+ as i found it very useful for me personally.. dont worry about it until you finish unit 3 though.

Nothing else is really needed except for newspapers & LOTS of examples about language for every topic you cover

[appianway]

There are some parts of English Language that are important to go over through the holidays. Although you analyse current events in the subject, you need a very solid grounding in metalanguage, so master this before school starts. You can also work on essay structure and fluency. In addition, Unit 4 is analysis, so you can start this before school. You can also start to look for examples in the media and compile a scrapbook.

[azngirl456]

do you need to know the phonetic alphabet by heart? it's mentioned in the study design and teachers just tell us to learn the consonants..

[luffy]

the two i mentioned for prior to starting the course for the subsystems should be fine as well as teacher/VN to help when you need it, especially if the books miss something.

Living Lingo is the best really- there isn't anything else to use for unit 3, that has pretty everything you need to know, except dont use their examples find your own for the essay at the end of year (unit 3 is pretty much only for your essay in the exam)

Unit 4 is very straightforward, if you are more sciencey (i see you are by your subjects) you will love it - i did at least (compared to unit 3). So your teacher teaching you should be fine, and living lingo is okay.
Macmillian (or however it is spelt) units 3 & 4 book is a good reference to use as well for unit 4 along with some Heinemenn usage.

Yesyesyes to Derrick Has - it pushed my essay grade from a C+/B to an A in a week over the holidays and eventually up to A+ as i found it very useful for me personally.. dont worry about it until you finish unit 3 though.

Nothing else is really needed except for newspapers & LOTS of examples about language for every topic you cover

Oh thanks a lot. Its very comforting to know the teachers at my school know which textbooks to use . However, I asked my teacher whether it is worth purchasing two different textbooks for English Language, and she advised against it. I have no idea why.

After seeing your essay improvement, I've decided to purchase that Derrick Ha book. It seems to be very popular amongst the Eng. Language community haha.

There are some parts of English Language that are important to go over through the holidays. Although you analyse current events in the subject, you need a very solid grounding in metalanguage, so master this before school starts. You can also work on essay structure and fluency. In addition, Unit 4 is analysis, so you can start this before school. You can also start to look for examples in the media and compile a scrapbook.

What metalanguage do I need to master? Do you mean having good knowledge of all the subsystems like phonology, syntax, semantics etc.?
Also, what should I look for in media articles? Anything in specific? Or should I simply take any article that has anything to do with analysing language?

do you need to know the phonetic alphabet by heart? it's mentioned in the study design and teachers just tell us to learn the consonants..

Learning the phonetics alphabet is not necessary. But it shows you have done in-depth research if you use it in your exam. Therefore, examiners will be more inclined to give you better marks and it shows you know what you're talking about.
Thats what people have told me. Besides, its not that difficult to memorise if you used it during Units 1/2 for a whole year.

[appianway]

do you need to know the phonetic alphabet by heart? it's mentioned in the study design and teachers just tell us to learn the consonants..

Learn the vowels, if anything! When you study Australian English, the major differences in accents occur in the vowels. Most of the consonants are written the same way as in the English alphabet, anyway.

Know all of the subsystems for language, and the terms used. I posted a metalanguage list up here some time back, so maybe use that for reference... I found that most of the words on that list sufficed for the beginning of the course. Look for media articles which either talk about language or in which language is used interestingly.

[azngirl456]

Thanks appianway that was very helpful

if anyone else is interested in appianway's metalanguage list:

http://vce.atarnotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,19523.0.html

[vexx]

Umm, you do NOT need to know the phonetic alphabet at all, they will never ask you for it.. Only use it if you want to see better by writing in examples for the essay at the END of year. Do NOT bother with it now, the most pointless study you could do haha  ><

With the metalanguage
Morphology, lexicology - parts of speech (verb, noun, etc..), suffixation types
phonology - how to define various terms, know broad, cultivated, general phonological differences
syntax - sentence structure, sentence type (these are different and must be known!) about subordinate/main clauses, what a clause/sentence/phrase is
Know these first, the others semantics/discourse are far more relevant to unit 4, though still important in unit 3 you dont need to know them right away

im sure im missing heaps, but there's a start - know the essentials/basics first!

[appianway]

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

[azngirl456]

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

Thanks for the advice I've started learning the vowels and the manners of articulations with the consonants. I agree, the englang cohort appears to be quite strong. My teacher read out an A+ essay and it had sentences like, 'the unvoiced dental fricative was replaced by the alveolar stop /t/' I didnt realize people were writing to that standard until the end of the year.

[vexx]

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

Thanks for the advice I've started learning the vowels and the manners of articulations with the consonants. I agree, the englang cohort appears to be quite strong. My teacher read out an A+ essay and it had sentences like, 'the unvoiced dental fricative was replaced by the alveolar stop /t/' I didnt realize people were writing to that standard until the end of the year.

Wow, your standards at Mac.rob would be so much higher than what i had.
Goodluck for this year, hopefully you can smash Englang being at a very good school for it!

[azngirl456]

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

Thanks for the advice I've started learning the vowels and the manners of articulations with the consonants. I agree, the englang cohort appears to be quite strong. My teacher read out an A+ essay and it had sentences like, 'the unvoiced dental fricative was replaced by the alveolar stop /t/' I didnt realize people were writing to that standard until the end of the year.

Wow, your standards at Mac.rob would be so much higher than what i had.
Goodluck for this year, hopefully you can smash Englang being at a very good school for it!

thankyou I'll definitely give englang all the best for the this year. If things dont go well, i can always fall back on english. But I feel I enjoy Englang more and English is sort of just my little retreat for creative pieces in the creating and presenting section.

[meepcat]

Oh, azngirl456, this is quite late, but I thinkkkkk you go to my alma mater. You WIlLL need to know the phonetic alphabet for SAC1 (for both the ethnolect and the analysis of Australian English). The English Language cohort is VERY strong, and most girls will use the phonetic alphabet, so memorise it to add detail to your work.

Thanks for the advice I've started learning the vowels and the manners of articulations with the consonants. I agree, the englang cohort appears to be quite strong. My teacher read out an A+ essay and it had sentences like, 'the unvoiced dental fricative was replaced by the alveolar stop /t/' I didnt realize people were writing to that standard until the end of the year.

Just a quick aside - it's not 'unvoiced', it's 'voiceless' - some will accept 'unvoiced', but 'voiceless' is the preferred naming convention. When you're talking about consonants, the order is: voicing, place, then manner of articulation.  For example, "voiced alveolar stop" or "voiceless labio-dental fricative". For vowels, you talk about height, backness and rounding, in that order - so a close front unrounded vowel is /i/ and a near-close near-front unrounded vowel is the i with no dot.

Hope that helps.