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March 29, 2024, 08:20:34 am

Author Topic: 50 in English, available for queries :)  (Read 339023 times)  Share 

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soNasty

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #495 on: September 14, 2014, 08:47:27 pm »
0
Lauren, how would I utilise the writer's choice of audience and integrate that choice in my language analysis, to develop a stronger analysis of the piece? My teacher urges me to consider the audience and how it affects the language choices / overall tone and structure of pieces, as failing to recognise this is stopping me from getting the high 9's-10s in my practise analyses.

yang_dong

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #496 on: September 14, 2014, 09:31:50 pm »
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thank you so much zezima!

your help is alot of help to me. I really appreciate it.

with your questions, how is the womb related to courage? I'm sorry i got te other questions but have no idea about that one?

and you know how you said malouf focuses on the common humanity? how does he do that through storytelling?

thank you so much!


M_BONG

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #497 on: September 14, 2014, 10:21:45 pm »
+4
thank you so much zezima!

your help is alot of help to me. I really appreciate it.

with your questions, how is the womb related to courage? I'm sorry i got te other questions but have no idea about that one?

and you know how you said malouf focuses on the common humanity? how does he do that through storytelling?

thank you so much!
That's ok!! I have a trial exam on this tomorrow, so it's really good practice, lol :P
ROLE OF WOMEN
Here are some page numbers for you to look at:

"Till he too, like Hector, is in there. Naked as he began. Being turned this way then that in the hands of women." pg 196 (1)

"But the women’s presence is stronger than his own. This is their world." pg 193 (2)

" The work they do here is women’s work – common enough, they do it daily, but not for the eyes of men. " pg 194 (3)

I don't think the womb is explicitly related to courage, but rather I think the role of women is more "under the surface" or implicit so it's more of how you interpret it.

But consider the following. The most crucial part of the novel - the ransoming of Hector's body - is carried out by women. (Quotation 1). And the cleaning and ceremonial aspects of it is also (quotation 2) - also, this is "their world" signifies their importance.

You can argue that Ransom has a strong maternal aspect to it - the very first paragraph of the novel.

"for nine changes of the moon, he had hung curled in a dream of pre-existence and was rocked and comforted"

So here is what I meant by the womb. That the life of a warrior starts off from the womb - the nurturing, comforting side of a warrior's courage.


COMMON HUMANITY
How does story-telling convey common humanity? I think that is the bulk of the novel. If you read the excerpt (like after the story finishes) Malouf notes: "Its primary interest is in storytelling itself - why stories are told and why we need to hear them, how stories get changed in the telling". He notes that the "story of how Patroclus came to be the friend and companion of Achilles occupies only half a dozen lines in the Illiad".

Does that answer your question?

Malouf is sort of 're-spinning' the Illiad - an archaic epic where humanity doesn't exist. Malouf uses storytelling to re-tell this great epic and chooses to focus on a world where our actions and humanity, rather than the whims of the gods and fate, define us. So he's sort of saying we control our own fate, through our actions and how stories (sort of like a legacy thing) are told about us.

Here, you can think of Priam (a king)'s interaction with Somax (a commoner). The griddlecakes, the fish in the stream, the story of Beauty killing Somax's son etc. etc. It is the opening up of himself that allows Priam to break free of his aloof nature and "royal sphere" and starts to connect with others. And really, the act of ransoming his son (as a man, not a king) from Achilles signify this "common humanity".

There's A LOT more to say about storytelling and humanity, though. What I have given you is my own interpretations, you should find your own!
« Last Edit: September 14, 2014, 10:25:03 pm by Zezima. »

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #498 on: September 14, 2014, 11:56:27 pm »
+12
Edward Elric & walkec:

Firstly, your own enjoyment will be way more influential in your study, and ultimately your mark, so trust your gut and pick the one you think you're strongest in.
Generally, texts in their 4th year tend to have more difficult prompts.
That's A Christmas Carol, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Ransom, and Twelve Angry Men this year. This doesn't mean the prompts will be unmanageable though, and since you'll be putting so much effort into studying your chosen text, you should be able to cover all bases, or at least give yourself the best chance of thinking on your feet in the exam room.
However, this isn't always the case. Last year there were texts in their 2nd/3rd year that had some really tricky prompts, as has happened before too. It all depends who's writing them, so whilst there is a general pattern when it comes to increasing difficulty, don't rely on that as the basis for your decision.
I know a lot of people panic about how many people around the state are writing on their text, but honestly that shouldn't be a deciding factor either. Mostly, those texts are popular for a good reason; they tend to be easier to discuss. In the end, someone has to score a 10 for all of the texts and each prompt. If you're adequately prepared, there's no reason why that can't be you :)
Personally, I would recommend A Christmas Carol just because there's heaps to discuss there. And I find Reluctant Fundamentalist waaaay more interesting than Stasiland, but maybe that's just me. Always play to your strengths.

w3dragon25:
Contextualising sentences can be useful, but I think this example:
"With the rise of Berlin Wall, the Stasi regime attained supremacy through communist ideals in East Germany. The consequential effects on its victims were so profound, they are still dealing with ramifications today..."
seems a little too broad. Unless you're actually addressing the historical background for a good reason, I'd try to keep closer to the text.
"In her non-fiction narrative Stasiland, Anna Funder endeavours to expose the profound tragedies behind the Wall..."
This is a much better example. I'm aware that different teachers/tutors might prefer more context, but to me the broader sentences stick out as a bit rote-learned and irrelevant, whereas this second example seems like it's actually starting to engage with the prompt.

In terms of whether it's 'possible' to skip the contextualising sentences, yes, definitely. For certain prompts (eg. ones that aren't actually asking you to discuss views and values or anything) it's probably better to just start answering the prompt from the outset.

Lauren, how would I utilise the writer's choice of audience and integrate that choice in my language analysis, to develop a stronger analysis of the piece? My teacher urges me to consider the audience and how it affects the language choices / overall tone and structure of pieces, as failing to recognise this is stopping me from getting the high 9's-10s in my practise analyses.
Let's say there was an article on the advantages of skipping school :p If you were writing this article, you might be appealing to schoolchildren through colloquial language, common ground and encouraging independence, but if you were appealing to adults, you'd talk about the logical benefits or their duty as parents. Sometimes certain techniques are only relevant to a specific audience, therefore covering everybody with the one blanket term (audience/readers/viewers) can be a bit limiting. Not all readers will react the same way; perhaps the author is establishing a dichotomy between those who agree students are entitled to skip school, and those who think it should be a crime. The author can simultaneously praise institutions that allow optional attendance, and degrade those who dissent. So in your analysis you might write: 'This technique of ___ is particularly influential for an audience of parents who are more likely to feel a sense of parental obligation to do what's best for their child and give them the respite they need. On the other hand, younger members of the audience are encouraged to feel...'
You don't have to do this for every piece of analysis, but try to split the audience ~once a paragraph.

Yacoubb

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #499 on: September 15, 2014, 12:23:05 am »
+3
Hi literally lauren :-)

I'm planning on completing section C on the exam first, as I'll be using the 15 minutes of reading time strictly for reading the section C piece. What do you recommend doing in that time? Also, in regards to language analysis, did you synthesise some sort of plan prior to writing?

Your help is much appreciated!

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #500 on: September 15, 2014, 10:56:10 pm »
+1
I'm planning on completing section C on the exam first, as I'll be using the 15 minutes of reading time strictly for reading the section C piece. What do you recommend doing in that time? Also, in regards to language analysis, did you synthesise some sort of plan prior to writing?

Since you can't annotate, or even mark the page, reading the text(s) at least twice is probably necessary. Skim-read once for comprehension, look for the important instances where the contention is made really obvious, and see if you can pick up any tonal shifts. Then the second time, read for persuasive devices. Look for the key appeals, try to bring the audience & context into it, and if you're doing the key player method, isolate the different key players you're going to address.
Beyond that, just try not to forget everything before writing time begins :)
There's not much you can plan for L.A. so developing your ability is the main thing you'll be working on. My only 'plan' was to integrate the visuals or other texts (though there weren't any on the'13 exam) early on in my piece so I didn't end up forgetting and tacking it on at the end.
There were a few techniques that I tried to memorise (bits and pieces from the Virtual Salt Handbook of Rhetorical Devices were interesting) but very few of them were applicable.
It's more about your general approach that you should be concerned with :)

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #501 on: September 15, 2014, 10:58:17 pm »
+3
Also, the SWOT-VAC/Term 3-4 Study Guide is now complete... sort of. I'll probably bulk up the Language Analysis section later when I'm not so drained.
But feel free to PM if you think there's anything major I've forgotten.
I'll post something here when I update the thing :)
Happy studying!
« Last Edit: September 16, 2014, 11:10:30 am by literally lauren »

walkec

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #502 on: September 17, 2014, 06:08:15 pm »
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Hi Lauren,

I just read the latest post by the VCE Study Guides website about how to choose your text for Section A of the exam. It suggested being more familiar with one text, but still having the other one at your disposal in case both topics completely throw you. What is your opinion on this suggestion?

I feel as though the likelihood of being thrown by both topics is unlikely, so I think I will still just prep for TRF but I'm still a bit uncertain!

HHD

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #503 on: September 18, 2014, 06:59:52 am »
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Hey, Lauren

For L.A.,i can understand the textbook version of the effects of persuasive techniques on the audience. When i doing an article for L.A., i can only remember the effects from textbook and then write them in my essay (don't think about the article at all).
What should i do?

hang__10

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #504 on: September 21, 2014, 05:28:20 pm »
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Hey Lauren,

Love your work!! Just in regards to the context examples - I'm doing encountering conflict and am looking at gun control and social media. For gun control i've got stuff to say in comparing USA vs. Aus - but struggling to think of higher ideas. For social media I'm thinking about linking in with trolls but also unsure how to link back to conflict. Any ideas or suggestion of other topics? I've also used Ian Thorpe's coming out of the closet story as a link to conflict in how Thorpe has suffered under the social standard of detesting homosexuals but eradicates this conflict by being true to himself (revealing himself) - thoughts?

Thanks!!

Jason12

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #505 on: September 21, 2014, 07:10:08 pm »
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our school did a practice English exam and sent it to a vcaa assessor for marking. For language analysis, I got feedback saying I needed more overall focus on the context. What are some ways I can achieve this?
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literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #506 on: September 22, 2014, 10:39:29 am »
+3
walkec:

I can understand wanting the security of having two texts up your sleeve, so by all means keep both in the air if you feel you can manage it, but ultimately you should be pretty secure in your primary text regardless of the prompts. Maybe have a think about what could potentially "throw you" and deal with those sort of questions now. eg. if you find structural questions difficult, or are stuped by the really broad V&V types. That way when VCAA try and throw you, you'll be able to bounce back and hit them with an amazing essay :)

HHD:

Try practicing a really small-scale analysis. Just take a paragraph or two from a news article or practice piece, and just write a short paragraph on that section, focusing in particular on the pattern of your analysis (Consult the first post in this thread for my recommended what-how-why thing.)And just consciously remind yourself not to define any of the techniques.
Specificity is key for L.A.
For example, if you wanted to discuss an author's use of rhetorical questioning, link it to the overall contention. Rather than simply stating 'the author uses a rhetorical question in order to make the readers question their views' actually provide the context; 'the author rhetorically questions whether anyone can "abide by this senseless waste of taxpayer dollars?" thereby prompting readers to concede their outrage at the squandering of their own money...'
Try to keep referencing the contention or sub-contention after most of your analyses, that should give you some direction.

hang__10:

Excellent segment on Aus/US gun control here. This particular discussion would suit a prompt about the repurcussions/lessons we learn from conflict, but I'm sure you could make it work for other types as well.
Re: social media, depending on what angle you were going for, you could look at the way trolls cause, or exacerbate conflicts (eg. the targeting of facebook RIP pages for recently deceased children that trolls post horrible messages all over.) Alternatively you could look at one of the many documentaries that attempt to get inside the mind of a troll, or just make some broader sociological comments about whether the internet creates or enables this behaviour - 'what came first: the troll or the opportunity?' Will people find an outlet no matter the medium, or is there something about the anonymity of the internet that lends itself to this kind of conflict?
With regards to Ian Thorpe, there's definitely a lot you can say about the portrayal of 'coming out' in the media. There are some people who would argue the making a big deal about celebrities' sexuality is actually somewhat harmful to individuals trying to come to terms with their own identities, but are convinced it's some sort of life-changing-newspaper-headline moment, and that a better reaction from the public would be 'oh. that's nice, I hop you find someone to be happy with,' not 'omg! I can't believe he's gay, what a surprise, he seemed so normal!'
^not my view, but you could argue it for essay purposes.
So I suppose this could link in with the idea of over-correcting conflicts, ie. sometimes the solutions we find can transform and perpetuate the conflict rather than lead to a proper resolution...?
Again, plenty of (opinionated) resources on this, so by all means find an interesting niche to discuss, just don't let the story get in the way of a good essay :)

Jason12:
Same advice as HHD, keep linking back to the contention a couple of times per para, and certainly at the end. The 'why' step of the what-how-why method (that is, why does the author want you to feel this way about the issue?) is quite critical here, and often neglected. You don't have to do this everytime; you can vary the pattern, especially if you were to combine techniques and lump them under the one umbrella like 'an appeal to fear' eg. what-why-what-how-what-why. So long as each of these elements are present and you're doing enough quoting and actual language analysis throughout, you should be fine.

Michael Scofield

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #507 on: September 22, 2014, 11:08:43 am »
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Hi Lauren,

For the language analysis component of the exam, is it always one article and a visual/s we need to analyse or do we sometimes need to do a comparative analysis with two different articles? Thanks!

hang__10

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #508 on: September 22, 2014, 11:27:11 am »
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Scofield:

Not always one article and a visual ... and it may appear in a different form than u think - e.g. 2011: blog + comments from general public

Michael Scofield

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #509 on: September 22, 2014, 11:53:37 am »
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Scofield:

Not always one article and a visual ... and it may appear in a different form than u think - e.g. 2011: blog + comments from general public

Oh okay, but it will never be two full blogs we need to analyse right?