VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Literature => Topic started by: iamdan08 on January 12, 2010, 12:08:01 am
Title: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: iamdan08 on January 12, 2010, 12:08:01 am
Advice for Literature students
Hey everyone,
Having been in your position 2 years ago, anxiously awaiting the challenge of year 12 Lit, I thought I might give you some advice and a few tips in preparing for next year and what to expect.
Assessment tasks The most challenging part of Literature, I believe, is understanding the requirements for the assessment tasks you will complete. Only by understanding exactly what is required, will you be able to score highly.
There are 5 assessment tasks you will complete in class throughout the year, these being:
Adaptations and transformations
Views, values and contexts
Considering alternative viewpoints
Creative responses to texts
Close Analysis
As early as possible, know which assessment task will be assigned to each text, as this will enable you to start thinking about what will be required of you whilst you are studying it. You may find that your teacher will not follow the exact order of tasks listed on VCAA (this doesn't really matter). I also recommend you have a read through the study design as this gives you a brief overview of the course and assessment tasks so that you know what is expected of you throughout the year. Units 3 and 4 Lit are from page 20 onwards. Link: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/literature/literaturestd.pdf The study design gives you the essentials of what is required of you in the assessment tasks. If you do not understand everything that is expected of you, make sure you interrogate your teacher until you do. Alternatively, you can ask here :). Summer preparation I recommend that you read your texts more than once. The summer holidays (NOW!) is the best time to start. I suggest that whilst reading through the text for the first time, you write down anything that you find interesting or strikes you as important to the text as a whole. These initial ideas will be your own and will be unbiased by teachers, students and other resources. Examiners (including your teacher) will mark original ideas favourably (as long as they are plausible). Reading through a text a second, and even third time will help develop your understanding and familiarity with the text. You will be surprised at the things you pick up on that you may have initially missed in your first readings.
Exam I cannot stress enough the importance of preparing as early as possible for the exam. Do not make the mistake of leaving exam preparation too late, as the task in the exam is different to most of the tasks you will do throughout the year (except the last “close analysis” task). Practise writing on passages and ask/force your teacher to correct them, read high scoring responses, fine tune all your ideas and the interpretations you have developed throughout the year, and most importantly, learn from you mistakes. Only through practice will you improve.
Please note: Not all the texts you study throughout the year you can write on in the exam. Only “List B” texts are on the exam, so look at the texts you are studying and work out what your options are for the exam. The link is http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/correspondence/bulletins/2009/feb/2009FEBSUP3.pdf and go to page 9 (the lit section).
I also suggest you have a look at the assessment reports and understand common errors made by students, as well as reading “high scoring responses” to gain an idea as to what level you should be aiming to write at. Don’t feel intimidated by reading these or even by reading through the exam itself. You have a whole year to prepare, and you will be amazed by how much you will improve throughout the year as you work towards the exam.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best of luck to everyone. Work hard and you will be rewarded. :)
If you have anything else to add, please do and I will include it.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: littlebecc on January 12, 2010, 08:44:29 am
Thanks so much for the advice :)
I have yet to read my lit book (better get onto that) because i've been focusing on my english books haha.
:D
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: chrisjb on February 10, 2011, 04:53:33 pm
Hey all, I didn't want to make a new thread for just this one question and it relates to general advice for all literature students...
What do we do about introductions and conclusions? Do we leave them out all together or just throw in a one or two line intro and conclusion?
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: Eriny on February 10, 2011, 05:31:59 pm
It depends on what you like to do, really. From what I gather, most people don't write an intro or wrote an intro that was only a sentence of two. I tended to write a more substantial intro because it's just what I'm comfortable with and it helped me organise my thoughts and my essay well. It's up to you. Very few marks on the literature exam go on structure, so having a formal introduction doesn't really raise your mark a lot and if you have trouble writing a substantial amount in the time given, it may be better to keep it short.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: chrisjb on February 10, 2011, 05:42:14 pm
yeah.... My introductions aren't just there for the sake of it, I kinda use them as a plan that I use to work out for myself what the hell I'm taking about and that my essay has some sort of direction rather than just aimless ramblings. I spose I'll just cut it down to a sentence or two then if they don't realy count.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: Eriny on February 10, 2011, 07:04:31 pm
I think if you're particularly good at intros though, you can definitely use them to your advantage, and if it's good for you you should stick to it. If it only helps a little, or if just writing out a contention would do the same job, then shorter can be better.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: EvangelionZeta on February 10, 2011, 07:12:31 pm
Just offering the other perspective here by saying I NEVER wrote an intro or a conclusion in any form in a Lit essay. IMO just focus on language engagement whilst building towards an interpretation.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: VivaTequila on April 01, 2012, 11:05:51 pm
I so wish I had read this much earlier.
Edit: Also update the booklist link - it's for 2010 and we're in 2012.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: gfrances on April 19, 2012, 01:12:13 pm
Can anyone help with the Adaptations and Transformations task, specifically Atonement? Also in general for the A and T task, how can I start and set out my response as that is what I have the most trouble with.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: Lolly on May 03, 2012, 09:31:30 pm
Indeed, I'm finding the guidelines to A + T more than a little ambiguous. I understand the task, I read (and copied out) the criteria and suggestions, but as to how to go about structuring it, well I haven't found much guidance there! :D All of the essays I have read are very diverse!! So yes. Any help out there?
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: KristyDanielle on June 06, 2012, 11:51:37 pm
Hey everyone,
I've got a SAC in two days which I feel quite prepared for but need a little extra help. It's the 'considering alternative viewpoints' one (we are critisizing other reviews of the book) and the book being studied is Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
If anyone could give me some general advice on this topic it would be greatly appreciated. Especially on how to incorporate your own personal views in the essay and how to prove a critic is right or wrong.
Thank you in advance
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: rubycallaghan on October 12, 2012, 11:28:30 am
Oka , o i have a question about writing the close analysis for the exam... should i link the passages to the theme of the book/play or should i specificaly only mention what is in the passages???
I have been told 2 different things by 2 techers >:(
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: Lolly on October 12, 2012, 05:02:43 pm
Do both I think? You have to draw out the main ideas of the novel or play but this will happen naturally if you're analysing the passages. :)
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: Dabass on December 27, 2013, 04:25:24 pm
I just want to wish good luck to all undertaking Literature in 2014. After averaging about 70% on SACs I was not expecting much going into the exam. Didn't finish writing my second essay but still came out with an A plus. There is hope for all of you just never give up, it will get hard but the strain is definitely worth it !!. All the best
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: cute on January 06, 2014, 02:07:10 pm
I just want to wish good luck to all undertaking Literature in 2014. After averaging about 70% on SACs I was not expecting much going into the exam. Didn't finish writing my second essay but still came out with an A plus. There is hope for all of you just never give up, it will get hard but the strain is definitely worth it !!. All the best
This is currently giving me hope :) good luck to everyone else taking Lit in 2014 :D
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: kandinsky on September 08, 2014, 12:58:28 pm
The morning of the exam - eat a good breakfast, listen to some music, and...go nuts in the exam room.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: charmanderp on September 11, 2014, 05:38:38 pm
Using clear and uncomplicated language to express your ideas/arguments is far more important than trying to use unnecessarily complicated words to impress the examiner.
Watch this for clarity:
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: coconut stripes on October 12, 2015, 07:16:13 pm
Help?! I have no idea how to set up a passage analysis essay. I've gotten really good marks for lit all year but I just don't know how to go about doing this particular task. My teacher has given me feedback on a practice, and says that I seem to 'not be in control of my ideas', which I'm guessing means that I jump to and fro a lot. I know structure isn't a big part of lit, but if someone could give me any advice on how to set up my essay, it would be much, much appreciated.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: ruby174k on October 22, 2015, 10:07:17 pm
Help?! I have no idea how to set up a passage analysis essay. I've gotten really good marks for lit all year but I just don't know how to go about doing this particular task. My teacher has given me feedback on a practice, and says that I seem to 'not be in control of my ideas', which I'm guessing means that I jump to and fro a lot. I know structure isn't a big part of lit, but if someone could give me any advice on how to set up my essay, it would be much, much appreciated.
I feel you! My Lit teacher said that it's always good to dive right into a paragraph (no intro) and start off with a quote if you are unsure. Although VCAA examiner reports always suggest that doing smaller paragraphs is a good idea my school usually sticks to 3 (which seems to work because students last year got 40+ study scores just doing 3 paras). But in hindsight structure doesn't really matter if you have got the 'right' structure because it is the analysis of language and the depth of your ideas that count!
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: clarke54321 on July 10, 2016, 09:47:01 pm
Afternoon All, Just a general sideline tip, if you can get your hands (or your computer) on a copy of the old VATE Literature Perspectives you may find it extremely beneficial. I'm going to attach the 2014 copy that I have from my sister as it has some of the books featured in our exam texts for 2016, I hope they help you the way they have helped me. NOTE: I have had to make them into single book PDFs as the files are too large!, I will be attaching 1 to this and posting the others to follow Have a lovely day : )
Thanks very much for this! I will be studying 'A Doll's House' next year for Lit 3/4, so this will be very beneficial. :)
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: gfet on January 10, 2017, 07:21:29 pm
Hey all, I didn't want to make a new thread for just this one question and it relates to general advice for all literature students...
What do we do about introductions and conclusions? Do we leave them out all together or just throw in a one or two line intro and conclusion?
I absolutely agree that neither an introduction nor conclusion are necessary. It is ideal to jump straight into analysis and waste no time summarising what you are about to say or have said already. The examiners do not require any information about what you are going to discuss, if anything I would say they prefer not to have it! They want to know you are thinking as you go. However, it's sometimes a bit hard to get started, so a one or two line conclusion might be a good way to get your own thoughts flowing.
A conclusion isn't needed either, because you should be effectively wrapping up every one of your points at the end of the paragraph. The best way to end an essay is with a 'concluding air', a pithy sentence that sums up your final point and leaves a lasting impression in the examiner's mind. That being said, this can be difficult, and if you have the time for a fleshed-out conclusion, then go for it, just as long as it doesn't sound too generic or pre-planned.
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: Confusedprincess on March 13, 2017, 05:35:27 pm
Are Views, Values and Contexts still a part of the new study design as an assessment piece?
Title: Re: Advice for Literature Students
Post by: literally lauren on March 24, 2017, 11:37:25 am
Are Views, Values and Contexts still a part of the new study design as an assessment piece?
That SAC has kind of been combined with the 'Alternate Views' one to form the new 'Literary Perspectives' task, which is 50% of Unit 4 and 50% of the exam. It's also changed to involve particular emphasis on certain readings or schools of thought (e.g. feminist, Marxist, post-colonial, post-modern, etc.) and will require you to reference specific literary critics' interpretations :)