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March 28, 2024, 11:37:19 pm

Author Topic: 50 in English, available for queries :)  (Read 339004 times)  Share 

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literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #345 on: June 25, 2014, 02:11:26 pm »
+5
“Even a wool merchant has not only to buy cheap and sell dear but also ensure that the wool trade continues unimpeded"
I'm assuming this is from Life of Galileo? It sounds familiar... in that context I'd say you should try to link it to Galileo's overall intentions as portrayed by Brecht. From memory he was talking about the study of science at the time and justifying his decision to remain involved in an "academic" community that was largely inhibited by the whims of the Church. It's kind of like how doctors might read medical reviews or journals about a specialist area different to their own; yes, a brain surgeon is primarily concerned with his or her own field, but the progress being made in dermatology or dentistry might interest them too. So Galileo employs the metaphor of a wool merchant who makes a living through trade, but is also a part of a broader movement or discipline, just like how Galileo wants to remain a part of a larger scientific discourse.

Jason12:
I've touched on this before, but try to ask as many questions as possible. This goes for Text Responses too; pick apart all the different bits and implications of the prompt to ensure you're looking at more complex ideas than just whatever the prompt is guiding you towards. So for your example: a few to get you started... are there always costs? Do these only affect the individual? What does it mean to belong to a group? Can there be benefits as well as costs? Why are their costs? Is this a good thing, ie. should we endure the costs for the sake of belonging, or is it better to remain true to yourself? etc. etc.

scandin9

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #346 on: June 27, 2014, 07:34:58 pm »
+1
Hi Lauren,
If I complete 1/2 literature in Year 11 and then transfer to English 3/4 will the 'skills' acquired in lit assist with English 3/4?
Kind Regards,
Scandin


literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #347 on: June 29, 2014, 09:23:15 pm »
+7
Realistically, you could do 3/4 English without and 1/2 background. The "skills" are actually fairly easy to grasp, and the course can pretty much be taught in a couple of weeks, then it's just a matter of practice essays.
In terms of transferring skills... I found passage analyses gave me a minor advantage when it came to language analysis,  but that might just because I enjoyed both and found them quite easy. Literature is far more text-oriented than English so if you are transferring you'll have to familiarise yourself with how a Text Response differs, as well as the entire Context section which is basically the opposite of a P.A.
But Lit does emphasise the importance of writing ability, which is something that will definitely serve you well in English. I guess I'd say some of the skills do transfer, but you'll be on the back foot in terms of familiarity with the course, so Semester 1 of Year 12 might require a bit of catch-up work :)

vintagea

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #348 on: July 01, 2014, 05:48:31 pm »
0
thank you lauren

so just continuing... yes it is from life of galileo :)
larger scientific discourse? did he mean he wanted to be scientific and still be devoted to the church? is that what you meant?

and is there ever a time when religion and science complement each other?
cause there are many examples of how they don't like the big bang/ artisotle view of earth etc...

thank you

marsbareater12

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #349 on: July 01, 2014, 06:28:25 pm »
0
Hi Lauren - first off, congratulations on the 50, that's amazing!

I'm having trouble putting my sophisticated ideas into my essay. So like, I'll understand that - idk, the motif of the mirrors repeated in the passage is evidence of the demure state of the main character, reflecting the assigned roles at the time of writing - but when it comes to the essay I'm literally like "There was bomb. Bomb is bad. Everyone die. Boom"

What would be the best way to go about improving the incorporation of ideas/understanding into the essay? (This is for both context and text response, fyi, but I seem to struggle more with the latter)
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literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #350 on: July 01, 2014, 07:00:08 pm »
+6
marsbareaeater12:
Based on what you've said, Id say your problem lies in your understanding of what the task is asking you to do. My best and most simple advice for you:
- Never recount the story by telling us "there was a bomb."
- Always ask yourself WHY? (eg. Why is the bomb bad?)
- Look at the implications (kinda links to point 1, but something like 'everyone die' can be used to greater effect.)
I've written about this in an earlier post but having an awareness of the text as a construct seems to be a sticking point for VCAA.
"There was bomb. Bomb is bad. Everyone die. Boom"
Okay, but this is purely summary. You're writing as though the bomb is real; you have to show an awareness of the fact that everything in the text is a decision made by the author. For example:

The imagery of senseless destruction and carnage reaches its zenith in the explosion of the fireworks factory at the end of Act 3. The audience is never granted an insight into the characters' reactions to this unexpected tragedy as there are no survivors, perhaps indicative of Shakespeare's innate psychopathy and deep seated desire to wipe out the entire population of Stratford-upon-Avon. This scene was evocative not only for Elizabethan audiences who were no doubt bemused at the very idea of fireworks, but also for contemporary audiences who are encouraged to view the play as an irrefutable tragedy, succinctly encapsulated in the final, plangent stage direction: "Boom."

If you find yourself reverting back to simplistic summations of what the characters did or what happens in the plot, force yourself to look at things from the perspective of the author's intent or the readers'/audiences' perception. From the sounds of your first example, you know how to do this, and granted it may not come as naturally to you as the simpler option, but now that you're aware of what you're doing wrong, try to keep the structure of the text or the author's views and values in mind as you're writing.

The only other thing I'd say is depending on which text(s) you're studying, you might need to broaden your purview a bit. Again there are some earlier posts in this thread if you want to check them out, but when it comes to sophisticated ideas, you'll have to go beyond what you've covered in class discussions or basic study guides. If you're lucky there'll be some academic articles or theses written about your text or context, otherwise you may have to hunt around some more. Other people's essays are a good place to start, or you could always integrate some socio-historical context where relevant.

Without having read your work or knowing what you're studying I can't say much else, but if you're really stuck for context check out the ~*Context External Examples Guide*~ and see if there's anything there that piques your interest. It's usually much easier to come up with better ideas when you've got the interesting subject matter to deal with them :)
« Last Edit: September 04, 2014, 01:20:46 am by literally lauren »

M_BONG

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #351 on: July 01, 2014, 07:50:14 pm »
+1
Hey Lauren!

I don't know if this has been answered previously? If so, I am sorry for asking again

But for context, do you believe each of expository, creative and persuasive have equal opportunities of scoring a high mark (ie. 9/10?). For me I feel like expository is the safest option; but I was looking to write a persuasive piece for my next context. Problem is, I have actually not met anyone who has done a persuasive piece. Do you know what holds people back from doing persuasive pieces? Is it because they don't score well or is it because people are innately bad at forming arguments?

I am doing Whose Reality (Death of a Salesman) and I was looking to write a feature article (on the New York Times) on Independents Day (Fourth of July) arguing why the American Dream is a distant goal that is unattainable, drawing on Death of a Salesman. Do you think that could work?

EDIT: I realise Independence Day is supposed to be celebratory, patriotic etc. Would an article that effectively criticises the American Dream, published on Independence Day, be too unrealistic?
« Last Edit: July 01, 2014, 07:53:03 pm by Zezima. »

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #352 on: July 01, 2014, 08:49:34 pm »
+5
Zezima:
Objectively, each style has equal chance, but this can't be said for each student. And English is nothing if not subjective. Personally, I didn't have strong enough opinions to write a persuasive piece, and I always ended up sounding really uncertain about everything, so that didn't work for me at all. Conversely, my creative pieces were better but I found it hard to keep things relevant and ended up writing expositarily (?) because it was the safest option for me.

I'd say it's definitely worth trying out the different styles though, and it sounds like your feature article would involve some expository elements anyway. (Hybrids are probably the safest styles the more I think about it..) It's not a very popular option because it's difficult to write something engaging and emphatic about a prompt like: 'Reality affects people in different ways' but if you can bring a creative twist to this then I think you'll be fine.

I think Independence Day would actually be the best possible time to criticise the American Dream. Just like how in Australia articles about our bogan/racist culture always crop up around Australia Day, that's when patriotism is at the forefront of people's minds. I'd probably be putting a few disclaimer-type sentences in there about 'Of course, I'm not opposed to healthy ambition, but...' just so you don't sound too extreme.

Though I would argue that perhaps the point of the American Dream is that it's not attainable or tangible, but rather a goal that people are perpetually reaching for in order to better themselves, but I think your point about the potential dangers of this is definitely worth exploring.

Trialing a different writing style won't lock you into writing that way for the exam, so see how you go both in terms of how easy it is to write and the feedback you get. Hope it all works out for you :)

Jono_CP

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #353 on: July 02, 2014, 07:24:22 pm »
0
Hi everyone,

I was wondering whether anyone could assist me with reference to providing me guidance on structuring this essay based on a play script?

The sample essay is: "Plays can influence our view of life as they often challenge our values, encouraging us to respond to a particular issue. To what extent do you agree?"

Our teacher gave us this intro as a basis for following up I suppose... "Plays are designed to challenge our values and perceptions. "No Sugar" by Jack Davis presents indigenous issues in a potent manner by using incentive staging and characterisation."

Just a brief summary so you guys know what I am broadly responding towards: This play is predominately about the hardship indigenous Australians suffered between 1929 and 1934, a period for Indigenous Australians which was dominated by Protectionism/Control policy. It explores the themes of injustice, violence, racism, identity, dispossession, poverty, family and the impact of government controls on Australian Indigenous peoples.

Our teacher said a recommended but not a compulsory structure could be: characters (body paragraph 1), staging (body paragraph 2) and themes (body paragraph 3). However, I am not too sure about this...

How do I treat this? Can I formulate this as a text response essay?

Assistance would be much appreciated, thank you!

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #354 on: July 02, 2014, 08:25:16 pm »
+3
Our teacher said a recommended but not a compulsory structure could be...
This is teacher code for compulsory.
Maybe your teacher genuinely was just suggesting a possible format, but in my experiences when teachers "recommend" something, they're rarely pleased when you go in another direction
(^sweeping generalisation, but broad strokes paint the fence faster and all that)

If you were asking about essay structures for the exam I'd give you some more options, but seeing as this seems to be just an in-class assessment, whatever your teacher is telling you will probably be the best advice.

'No Sugar' is on the Text Response list, so yes you'll be treating it pretty much like a Text Response.

The three paragraph plan you've outlined should be sufficient, just be careful not to be too restrictive in your focus. Ensure the whole essay flows, and don't just have a demarcated: 'This is a paragraph about staging' type topic sentences.

If you're really struggling then maybe you could ask your teacher for some guidance/ a sample piece?
There probably aren't a lot of No Sugar references out there atm. Perils of first year texts.

vididid

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #355 on: July 02, 2014, 09:21:34 pm »
0
Hey Lauren,

I am doing Whose Reality? For context  based on Death of a Salesman, and was hoping to do a future scene of a play where Biff is on his little ranch but could I make it a soliloquy? Or have him express his emotions to his wife?

sorry I'm just a bit lost for ideas at this stage and wanted a fresh opinion :)

Thank-you  :)

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #356 on: July 03, 2014, 03:56:39 pm »
0
Hi, Lauren

Do you know what does the word "phosphoresces" means?
I tried to look it up but I couldn't find the meaning.
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literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #357 on: July 03, 2014, 04:04:47 pm »
+7
Did you mean "phosphorescence?"
(lol, I sound like google)

Phosphorescence refers to a glow you get from radiation.
Think Mr. Burns from that Simpsons episode about aliens:



I suppose "phosphoresces" might refer to the actual radiation or light particles being emitted, but I've never heard that word before and I don't have much of a physics brain so that's the best I can do I'm afraid.

Jono_CP

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #358 on: July 04, 2014, 01:05:23 am »
+1
Hi Lauren and anybody willing and able to assist,

I will post an essay here for the purpose of feedback and criticism, I understand that there is an 'English Work Submission' page. Alas, I have attempted this before, and hardly received any replies - hopefully I can be excused this one time??? :)

The stage drama ‘No Sugar’ set in Northam, Western Australia during the Great Depression in 1929-1934 by Jack Davis, presents indigenous issues in a potent manner by using inventive staging, themes and characterisation. Davis juxtaposes the verbal language used by Nyoongar-Aboriginal families, commonly referred to as Nyoongah in this theatrical production, and the European Australians colloquial language through conflictual values of power and cultural identity. ‘No Sugar’ challenges the readers’ values by providing a voice for the Aboriginal people, confronting European Australians with the past, restoring Aboriginal culture and exploring the importance of equality due to the impact of government controls on Australian Indigenous peoples. The issue of power is an indomitable issue which is used as a way to convey its message to the audience.

The Nyoongah language forms the themes of cultural identity and power to alienate the audience and other characters in the drama to empathise with the Aborigines. “He’s my gnoolya, sir” is an example of Nyoongah language in the play. Sam uses this dialogue in the courtroom scene to answer the Justice of the Peace’s question, however, the Justice of the Peace fails to comprehend Sam’s statement and so too the audience. This places the audience in a state of temporary confusion until being briefed that “gnoolya” means brother-in-law. The theme of power is manifested as both the reader and other characters do not understand what is taking place. This is a reversal of the events the Aborigines had to endure in the sense that when the Europeans colonised Australia, the Aborigines hardly voiced a word of English. Sam later opposes conforming to the Western style of life when he says “Koorawoorung! Noyoohngahs corroboreein’ to a wetjala’s brass band!” The collaboration of “white mans” English and the Aborigines Nyoongah in Sam’s sentence, highlights the theme of cultural identity as the Aborigines have not completely conformed to the western lifestyle, having also kept their cultural heritage. This creates a unique culture of its own towards the audience as the Aborigines have not abandoned their traditional language and culture but have merely incorporated it into the Western style of life.

Australian’s colloquial language is used to construct the stereotypes of white Australians and also to help shape the theme of power and influence the Aboriginals way of life. Frank’s “No, there’s about ten other blokes” is quote that reveals an informal, laid-back use of language. The fact that he chose to use the word “bloke” instead of man or male constructs a stereotypical character, as bloke is predominately implemented within Australian society and hence reveals a laid-back type of character. Sergeant Carrol also uses colloquial language when he wants to say something of the record and on an intimate level. As the Sergeant uses phrases such as “next time I’ll nail him” and “The last bloke I nabbed for supplying is doing three months hard labour in Fremantle.” He loses his status of power and brings himself to a common hierarchy instead of one of authority. The fact that he uses this language when he wants to speak on a casual basis implies towards the reader, that the use of colloquial language is used to construct a character of equal power and at an informal level, the traits of a stereotypical Australian.

Auber Octavius Neville is the only character in the play that uses conventional language consistently. His use of conventional language shapes his character and forms the theme of power. “My dear Minister, herewith the information requested” is an example of the formal language he uses and creates a sense of detachment towards the audience, thus discouraging the reader to respond directly to authority. Furthermore, Neville displays an arrogant trait when he says “the proposed budget cut of three thousand one hundred and thirty-four pounds could be met by discontinuing the supply of meat in native rations”, Davis reflects Neville to be an individual who doesn’t care about the people he is affecting but rather wishes to benefit himself and a minority group. The fact that he possess this type of power, reinforces the audiences’ dislike of him as he is supposed to be the Chief Protector of Aborigines, and yet his ‘noble’ actions further disadvantage them. Davis uses colloquial language to shape authority and identity, as well as constructing unsympathetic characters such as A.O. Neville.

Characters such as Topsy and Billy are representations of those Aborigines who do not fight for their rights. These individuals essentially bow down to white authority, Billy who does not speak Nyoongah but mild English, is content to work for the white authorities tracking down members of his own race who escape their clutches. Milly’s response to the Sergeant when he tells her that her conundrum is she has three grown men budging off her, who are too lazy to work, is by asking him “Where they gonna get work?” she asks the Sergeant “Do you want em to work for nothing?” and Gran backs her up by saying “Their not slaves you know Chargent!” The staging is also used as an added technique to provide the Aboriginal people with a voice, against the arrogance and superiority of those in authority, such as Sergeant. Davis utilises Topsy and Billy to confront the audience with characters who prefer to stay within their comfort zone, and not challenge white supremacy. Thus, the audience is disinclined to respond towards the passivity of conscience Billy and Topsy ultimately adopt.

Throughout the play, Aboriginals are marginalised as they are told where to go, what to do and how to go about life. The play was staged on a perambulate model, meaning that the action of the play shifts between many locations. There is the town of Northam with the Police Station and two Cells, the Main Street and the Government Well Aboriginal Reserve. Further away, there is the Moor River Native Settlement with the Superintendent’s office, the Millimurra family’s tent and the Aboriginal camp at Long Pool. There is also the Chief Protectors Office and the Western Australian Historical Society in Perth and an area by the railway line. This allows for Davis’ conception of marginalisation between the audience and the play. This can be perceived as an incumbent motivator for the marginalisation that the Europeans forced upon the Aboriginals. Marginalisation is a major issue that develops throughout ‘No Sugar’, and Davis successfully brings to life this concerning issue, that still applies today throughout modern society.

Davis uses conventional, colloquial and Nyoongah language to shape the themes of power and cultural identity as well as constructing characters both stereotypical and non-stereotypical. These evoke the audiences’ views of equality and challenge our attitudes when it comes to injustice, violence, racism, identity, dispossession, poverty and ultimately family. Moreover, the inventive use of staging assists the play’s emphasis on promoting the Aboriginals cause for justice and provides Australian Indigenous peoples with a collective voice against the government.

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #359 on: July 04, 2014, 02:03:44 pm »
+3
Thanks so much Lauren
The picture is impressive  :)
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