Should English be compulsory?? (1 Viewer)

[lilazna55a5in]

English should only be compulsory until year 10. I don't see how analyzing texts and doing speeches is going to help me in the future. Tell me when I will be doing these things in the future? English is a complete waste of time, all it does is prevent you from achieving your best possible ATAR. All those people that are saying English should be compulsory need a slap across the face. Ok English may be relevant but only to a certain extent. Writing and spelling is the only things we need to learn in english. Analyzing texts and writing essays about them is just asking too much from students.

 

[George121]

English should only be compulsory until year 10. I don't see how analyzing texts and doing speeches is going to help me in the future. Tell me when I will be doing these things in the future? English is a complete waste of time, all it does is prevent you from achieving your best possible ATAR. All those people that are saying English should be compulsory need a slap across the face. Ok English may be relevant but only to a certain extent. Writing and spelling is the only things we need to learn in english. Analyzing texts and writing essays about them is just asking too much from students.

+1

i went to a hsc talk about Peter Skrzynecki's, he spoke about his poems, and he even said they were just poems and doesn't understand why we over analyse them. Shows how useful english is huh; the author even detests what we do.

 

[Absolutezero]

English should only be compulsory until year 10. I don't see how analyzing texts and doing speeches is going to help me in the future. Tell me when I will be doing these things in the future? English is a complete waste of time, all it does is prevent you from achieving your best possible ATAR. All those people that are saying English should be compulsory need a slap across the face. Ok English may be relevant but only to a certain extent. Writing and spelling is the only things we need to learn in english. Analyzing texts and writing essays about them is just asking too much from students.

If you think being able to understand texts is asking too much from students, then I weep for our future.

 

[George121]

If you think being able to understand texts is asking too much from students, then I weep for our future.

How will analysing a text be useful in future, if we don't even want to pursue a career in english?

Writing 3 essays in 2 hours isn't helpful either...

 

[Absolutezero]

How will analysing a text be useful in future, if we don't even want to pursue a career in english?

Writing 3 essays in 2 hours isn't helpful either...

It's about having an opinion on something, and being able to convey it logically and with evidence. That's all it boils down to; and that's an incredibly necessary skill to have in the real world.

There are problems with how it's executed, but the central premise is undeniably important.

 

[mirakon]

Year 11 and 12 English is useful precisely BECAUSE it goes beyond just basic writing and spelling skills. Its one of the few subjects that allows you to appreciate things to any depth. It is also responsible for introducing you to great texts that truly give you new perspectives on the world around you.

Reading harry potter etc. is all well and good, but sometimes you need to read something a bit more profound and english gives you that opportunity.

 

[George121]

It's about having an opinion on something, and being able to convey it logically and with evidence. That's all it boils down to; and that's an incredibly necessary skill to have in the real world.

There are problems with how it's executed, but the central premise is undeniably important.

Yes, but if your job is more about talking than writing, and doesn't use english, then it is irrelevant

I don't think when something is voicing their opinion, they have to say "and through the use of imagery, it shows blah blah.."
People would think you're retarded.

I'm not saying we shouldn't do it at all, but it shouldn't automatically count. That choice, like every other subject, should be up to us.

 

[Absolutezero]

Yes, but if your job is more about talking than writing, and doesn't use english, then it is irrelevant

I don't think when something is voicing their opinion, they have to say "and through the use of imagery, it shows blah blah.."
People would think you're retarded.

I'm not saying we shouldn't do it at all, but it shouldn't automatically count. That choice, like every other subject, should be up to us.

English has mandatory speeches and presentations as a part of its construction. And being able to structure your opinion logically, providing proof, and making your point persuasively are critical skills in the real world.

English uses literary techniques because it uses texts to explore the content. It's the only way to make it interesting. You need to be able to understand the skills it's teaching by employing those techniques. People focus on the wrong thing when they study the subject, and that's why they can't see it's worth.

 

[George121]

English has mandatory speeches and presentations as a part of its construction. And being able to structure your opinion logically, providing proof, and making your point persuasively are critical skills in the real world.

English uses literary techniques because it uses texts to explore the content. It's the only way to make it interesting. You need to be able to understand the skills it's teaching by employing those techniques. People focus on the wrong thing when they study the subject, and that's why they can't see it's worth.

It is helpful, but as the students, we should be able to choose if we want it to count. What if we score 95 in all subjects, and a 70 in english? It's going to bring us down. We can still learn the importance of techniques and so on, but it shouldn't automatically count. It just isn't fair. Especially if you have no interest in the subject. I personally don't mind English; i enjoy it, but i don't like it automatically counting

 

[Shadowdude]

You should also examine why English is compulsory. It forms the basis of scaling.

 

[Aeonstorm]

You should also examine why English is compulsory. It forms the basis of scaling.

Okm I don't know exactly how scaling works, but surely subjects are not simply scaled to English alone? I was under the impression that subjects were also scaled against each other to some extent.

And either way, having english as the only constant in the scaling process clearly introduces a bias towards the humanities. On average, a good English student will obviously excel at humanities such as history whilst doing poorly at sciences and mathematics. It is a simple fact that the majority of people lean either towards the sciences or the humanities, and therefore the use of English as the basis of scaling will scale up every humanities subject and scale down every maths/science subject. How is that fair?

 

[Aeonstorm]

English has mandatory speeches and presentations as a part of its construction. And being able to structure your opinion logically, providing proof, and making your point persuasively are critical skills in the real world.

English uses literary techniques because it uses texts to explore the content. It's the only way to make it interesting. You need to be able to understand the skills it's teaching by employing those techniques. People focus on the wrong thing when they study the subject, and that's why they can't see it's worth.

Actually, English essays do not have to be logical at all. You just list a technique and say it emphasises something and you get the marks. History and economics is where you actually argue something logically and convincingly.

It is true that you have to use literary techniques to some extent in the analysis of texts. However, the emphasis on them in the HSC is absolutely ridiculous. Go read any essay on the texts you do in English - I guarantee you none of them (at least the sophisticated essays) will talk about metaphors or similes or alliteration. They may use more sophisticated techniques such as biblical allusion, symbolism etc, but more often than not they talk about the message of the text. They are conceptual. If you write conceptual essays in English, you get shut down. You have to just cram techniques and quotes in like there's no tomorrow - my drafting process for essays is basically to write the conceptual essay which I find interesting, and then cut out 80% of it and stick lots of quotes and techniques in, leaving only the barebones of the argument left.

Now, I agree that English should be compulsory, but there needs to be a serious overhaul of the syllabus to allow more realistic essay writing that will be useful later in life.

 

[te_zohan]

To a degree, however I think that they need to get a completely new syllabus that you would actually use in life such as letters, resume, reports etc. etc. none of this analysis of texts and breaking down movies/books/poems for pointless things you'll never use in life.

 

[jackerino]

Completely against english in yr 12, it is potentially ruining the future's of very bright children, who just lack a proficiency in english, and because of this their ATAR is pulled down and they cant get into University courses. The smart thing to do would be to accelerate the HSC course in english by 2 years, so in yr 10 you compllete HSC level English. Not the HSC itself, just ordinary yr 10 exams, but with the level of difficulty like HSC. Then if a student fails those exams they must repeat the course in year 11, and if they fail there they must repeat it into year 12, and if they fail those they can get an atar WITHOUT english counted, but they must repeat the english course at University or a government establishment until they satisfactorily complete it.

English is an idiotic idea for graduating students, it severely impairs results of most students, so should be taken back to year 10 where students dont have their future literally depending on english

 

[Shadowdude]

To a degree, however I think that they need to get a completely new syllabus that you would actually use in life such as letters, resume, reports etc. etc. none of this analysis of texts and breaking down movies/books/poems for pointless things you'll never use in life.

you're missing the point of what it's trying to achieve then

 

[JINOUGA]

Actually, English essays do not have to be logical at all. You just list a technique and say it emphasises something and you get the marks. History and economics is where you actually argue something logically and convincingly.

It is true that you have to use literary techniques to some extent in the analysis of texts. However, the emphasis on them in the HSC is absolutely ridiculous. Go read any essay on the texts you do in English - I guarantee you none of them (at least the sophisticated essays) will talk about metaphors or similes or alliteration. They may use more sophisticated techniques such as biblical allusion, symbolism etc, but more often than not they talk about the message of the text. They are conceptual. If you write conceptual essays in English, you get shut down. You have to just cram techniques and quotes in like there's no tomorrow - my drafting process for essays is basically to write the conceptual essay which I find interesting, and then cut out 80% of it and stick lots of quotes and techniques in, leaving only the barebones of the argument left.

Now, I agree that English should be compulsory, but there needs to be a serious overhaul of the syllabus to allow more realistic essay writing that will be useful later in life.

Not necessarily. Its not really feasible to separate notions of technique and concept, the two are very interrelated. Its difficult to have a good conceptual essay without sufficient technical analysis

 

[Rohanco]

I totally agree! We definitely should be forced into doing two whole years worth of English class just so we can be taught the differences between your and you're. Great advise, typical logic of an English lover!

 

[soloooooo]

I totally agree! We definitely should be forced into doing two whole years worth of English class just so we can be taught the differences between your and you're. Great advise, typical logic of an English lover!

I can smell the sarcasm. Hopefully "advise" was part of that also.

Knowing the difference between your and you're is important. Mess them up on your resume and you won't get the job.

 

[softchillisauce]

I don't mind if it's compulsory, as long as the UAI/ATAR does't have to include two units of English. (ie. Literally your best 10 units)

 

[Capt Rifle]

No. The easiest question of all.