Hey, I've got a couple questions since trials are coming up very soon.
I know its bad that I still have no clue but I'm finding it really hard to differentiate between ext 1 and advanced in terms of what kind of language we should be using... should there be a massive jump to sophisticated language in ext 1? I'm confused with that since many ext exemplars keep it relatively simple.
secondly, what are some cliches that should definitely be avoided (aside from the classic hunger games/divergent/coming of age YA novel...), should immigrant stories be avoided too?
Thanks!
Hey, rirerire!
Welcome to the forums
I hope this isn't too delayed of a response because both of these are great questions! Here are my thoughts
- I responded to a post earlier this week with a similar enquiry about what separates a Band 5 essay from a Band 6 one but this also applies to the way you use language more generally in both in Advanced and Extension 1 English. High performing essays are able to demonstrate
a rich vocabulary and strong control over language. I say rich and not sophisticated because students often think they have to use big, flowery language to succeed in English but it is really important to make sure you have clarity in your writing. If the marker is spending too much of their time comprehending your essay and not actually engaging with its ideas, it's a problem
Students should avoid verbosity, crowded language and using words that they are not comfortably contextualising in their responses. Instead, students should aim to have a variety of words and relevant synonyms to employ in the response so they can express themselves eloquently and aren't repeating themselves. In short, high performing students are able to write with style, conviction and flair, while still making sense and showing that they understand the words they are using
I wouldn't say that the exemplars use simple language, but they use language in a way that it is intentional to the judgement/arguments/creative direction they are working towards. When it comes to writing in Extension 1 English, you want to have an engaging voice and to showcase to the marker your ability to harness language to respond appropriately to the questions. Whether that means having metalanguage relevant to your elective's critical lens such as psychoanalytical criticism in Literary Mindscapes, to plain English to help you get your point across easier is up to your own judgement as a student
- This is always a difficult question to answer because I find that cliches are often easier to identify within a piece itself, rather than to just recall off the top of my head. My Advanced teacher was a creative writing marker for the HSC for 6 years and some of her really big no no's in creative writing are car crashes, waking up from the whole story which becomes a dream and the death of the protagonist. I think an immigrant story is more than fine to work with so long as you don't make it a cliche. Research deeply into what you are writing, have conversations with people who might have lived through those experiences themselves and try to present alternative perspectives that may have been overlooked. You could choose to explore an unlikely point of view, use unique cultural motifs and symbols, or set it in a vastly different context from your own (maybe in the late 1970's when immigration after the Vietnam War was huge, for example).
This article is a great read if you find yourself having some trouble!
Hope this helps and let me know if you have anything else you wanted me to address!
Angelina