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March 28, 2024, 08:57:05 pm

Author Topic: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.  (Read 38339 times)  Share 

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werdna

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Less than 2 months to go until the English exam. The purpose of this thread is to act as a Q&A. I will be answering your questions, along with VivaTequila, who has offered to help and bring his expertise!

I will be answering questions about:
- Identity & Belonging
- Interpreter of Maladies
- The Old Man Who Read Love Stories
- Language Analysis

VivaTequila will be answering questions about:
- ALL Contexts
- On The Waterfront
- Year of Wonders
- Language Analysis

Please ask questions regarding the above only. Don't post any essays in this thread - post your essays in the essay submission forum.

Thanks and good luck with your study!
« Last Edit: September 02, 2013, 01:42:17 pm by werdna »

VivaTequila

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I will indefinitely help out here as well.

If you need help doing Language Analysis (especially if you still haven't gotten the main idea of what the heck you're supposed to be writing about, or even if you just want expert tips on polishing off a good LA essay, hit me up)

If you need help brainstorming C&P ideas, then come to me and I will help you with ideas

Just be clear about what you want and how you think I can help, and the less you ask me to do the more likely I'll be able to give you a good answer easily.

Also happy to give guidance with Year of Wonders (metastructure of text, setting/context/history of novel and why it's important, and understanding characters / plot events and why they're important etc) and On the Waterfront.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2013, 04:54:02 am by VivaTequila »

Jeggz

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2013, 01:28:08 pm »
0
Yaay I need help with On the Waterfront :)
Just a quick question though, I really hate YOW so I'm planning on just preparing for OTW. Do you think this is a good idea, or is it necessary to go into the exam being prepared for either text? I really can't emphasise how much I just want to focus on OTW and neglect YOW though :\
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werdna

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2013, 01:46:07 pm »
+2
Yaay I need help with On the Waterfront :)
Just a quick question though, I really hate YOW so I'm planning on just preparing for OTW. Do you think this is a good idea, or is it necessary to go into the exam being prepared for either text? I really can't emphasise how much I just want to focus on OTW and neglect YOW though :\

I personally think that if you know one text really well, you should technically be able to write a strong essay on any topic you're given. However there's obviously the chance that the topics they give you are just crap/random. Studying two texts really well might be time consuming, and you might feel uneasy about chucking away one text within the first 10 seconds of the exam. Maybe go for a compromise and study one text really well and have this as your first pick, but then know enough of the 2nd text to be able to write a decent essay on it (as a last resort).

I put all my time and energy into one text. In the exam, I read the topics for JUST this text, and didn't look at the topics for the other text until after the exam. Basically forced myself to write on that text, and luckily the topics were good.

VivaTequila

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2013, 02:16:01 pm »
+2
Spoiler
Yaay I need help with On the Waterfront :)
Just a quick question though, I really hate YOW so I'm planning on just preparing for OTW. Do you think this is a good idea, or is it necessary to go into the exam being prepared for either text? I really can't emphasise how much I just want to focus on OTW and neglect YOW though :\

Spoiler
I personally think that if you know one text really well, you should technically be able to write a strong essay on any topic you're given. However there's obviously the chance that the topics they give you are just crap/random. Studying two texts really well might be time consuming, and you might feel uneasy about chucking away one text within the first 10 seconds of the exam. Maybe go for a compromise and study one text really well and have this as your first pick, but then know enough of the 2nd text to be able to write a decent essay on it (as a last resort).

I put all my time and energy into one text. In the exam, I read the topics for JUST this text, and didn't look at the topics for the other text until after the exam. Basically forced myself to write on that text, and luckily the topics were good.

To give personal experience further to werdna's advice... I needed to make the exact same decision before my exam - do I learn OTW + YoW, or do I limit myself to one text?

I studied only for Year of Wonders in 2011, and all the people in my year who did so entirely regretted it. This is a good thread for you to read - it shows me posting just after the English exam what I wrote in my essay for the two rather difficult prompts given in the exam. Most of the people simply didn't know how to handle the second prompt, which really assessed a different set of criteria to the 2010 exam and basically most of what was discussed in class. It made me damn glad I studied the structure and spent my time on all the bonus stuff that my teachers told me to look at.

Basically, the ultimate aim of the game in English is to get the highest score possible. Any action you take or do not take will contribute to getting the best mark you can. If you think preparing both texts is a good idea so that you have a total of 4 options to pick from , then realise you could give yourself more options to write an essay you feel comfortable with and therein obtain yourself a better mark - then study both texts. If you think you can get a better mark by limiting yourself to a greater, more in-depth knowledge of one text albeit with only two prompts to choose from, then only study just one text and be able to write on any of the main ideas and themes in it. Ultimately, there is no answer, it depends on your like and dislikes for each book.

That said, I highly endorse studying Year of Wonders over On The Waterfront, because without a detailed disucssion of the cinematography and greater context of OTW you will not obtain great marks as the plot and characters are too simplistic and one dimensional for you to be able to discuss anything of great significance. The story is simple, basically. A 12 year old could write an essay on the same stuff as you do in year 12 for OTW. Year of Wonders is much more layered and complex, and takes a lot of time to study and learn all of the characters, places, themes, settings, and connect all the dots. That also means you have a smorgasbord of ideas to talk about and apply to any prompt, which makes writing essays easier in the long run to score highly with a little more revision effort.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2013, 02:25:28 pm by VivaTequila »

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2013, 04:47:55 pm »
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I'm a little bit stuck on how the music is used in on the waterfront in an essay

and what does the horn from the ship signal (not when it covers terrys and edies voice)

werdna

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2013, 06:58:11 pm »
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I'm a little bit stuck on how the music is used in on the waterfront in an essay

and what does the horn from the ship signal (not when it covers terrys and edies voice)

Just some quick general advice - you need to explain the significance of the music in relation to the contention.

Wait until Viva gets on here so he can give you a more detailed response, as I haven't studied this text.

kaiipoo_

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2013, 02:13:03 pm »
+3
yoyo i'm not a mod but i hope my opinion is welcome.

I think that the horn that is played repeatedly throughout the film is suggests that the waterfront is looming i.e it is always present in their day to day lives and holds a significant influence over both the longshoremen and the community.

I also think it suggests that the harsh reality of the waterfront is inescapable.
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Smiley_

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2013, 04:25:45 pm »
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yoyo i'm not a mod but i hope my opinion is welcome.

I think that the horn that is played repeatedly throughout the film is suggests that the waterfront is looming i.e it is always present in their day to day lives and holds a significant influence over both the longshoremen and the community.

I also think it suggests that the harsh reality of the waterfront is inescapable.
thanks

britv113

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2013, 08:01:12 pm »
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Hi guys,
I was just looking for an opinion regarding language analysis.
Some people have recommended to me that I choose a formulaic style of writing where I essentially just insert snippets of the text into it, while others have recommended the opposite and said to cover a diverse range of techniques so as to not limit yourself.

What is your opinion on this, and what is your reasoning behind it?

EspoirTron

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2013, 06:38:00 pm »
+3
Hi guys,
I was just looking for an opinion regarding language analysis.
Some people have recommended to me that I choose a formulaic style of writing where I essentially just insert snippets of the text into it, while others have recommended the opposite and said to cover a diverse range of techniques so as to not limit yourself.

What is your opinion on this, and what is your reasoning behind it?

Hey I am not a moderator but I thought I may input my opinion here.

I would recommend going with a holistic approach and breaking the piece down to its core arguments, when it comes down to it, in commercial examinations and VCAA papers the analysis pieces are specifically structured to allow students to write a well-constructed piece of writing. My tip is cover a diverse range of techniques, rarely resort to just labeling, and if you do explain what it means, for example do not just say "This is alliteration.". Furthermore, embed sources of the article seamlessly into your piece of writing and make sure if relates to the argument you are discussing, for example "The idea of '....' draws readers into a sense of .... due to '...' and blah".

Don't limit yourself is really a key here, if you identify something break it down and analyse it. It is also very important that you dont neglect the image and weave it into your discussion of the given article/speech/presentation.
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lala1911

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2013, 06:50:57 pm »
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On the topic of LA.. how many persuasive techniques should we analyse? I'm thinking about 15?

I just need a 5/10.

Limista

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2013, 10:01:33 pm »
+2
^ I don't think that's the best way to go about an LA. There may not even be 15 persuasive techniques used in the article in the 1st place; in fact, it's very unlikely that there is, unless you try and hunt them down with a magnifying glass (but then again, this depends on the length of the article and other factors).

Naturally, you won't be able to analyse all the persuasive techniques in the article if you are planning on analysing them in great depth. However, if you are aiming for the "this is a rhetorical question and it was used to..." followed shortly by "this is inclusive language and it was used to..." followed by "the writer uses emotion here to...", where you pretty much spit out persuasive technique after persuasive technique at the examiner, then yes, you'd probably get through all the persuasive techniques used in the article. But you'd definitely not have enough quality in your paragraphs, and your essay would probably not be a decent length. I'm not even sure that this approach is going to net you a 5/10.

So basically, I think if you analyse as many as you can in the given amount of time, writing about 3-5 sentences on each point you bring in, it'd be a better approach. Sorry for the perceptive response, but I honestly don't think there's a straightforward answer to your question.
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werdna

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2013, 11:02:00 pm »
+2
Hey all, I have created a website that is full of a bunch of resources and notes. If you are studying Interpreter of Maladies, The Old Man or Identity & Belonging, PM me and I will give you the password to access the pages. The URL is http://aacle3.wix.com/englishnotes

r2ndom

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Re: 2013 Exam Prep Questions Thread - Mod Assistance. Post questions in here.
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2013, 04:06:22 pm »
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I have been getting a B+ average this year in English, I am one of those kids that thinks I'll put in the effort come exam time  ::).

Can you lay out step by step how learn to write goodest with the time we have until exams pls