Studying English (1 Viewer)

Morgues

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How exactly do people study for English and what do they study?
For Blade Runner/Brave New World for example, do you study the storyline? The main themes? Main quotes? The main way the 2 are similar/different?
Same with King Lear
How far do you go? How much do you need to know before you are comfortable going into the exam
 

Ozz^E

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I dont think im in any position to answer that, but i CAN tell u what i do:

For english, which would have to be my 'worst' subject, i try to get around rather then to get through though this still requires hard work. E.g. for Module 2: In The Wild, we have two texts: Worsworths poetry and David Malouf's An Imaginary Life. Firstly, i work out that the examiners can ask us to wirte an essay or a creative response. Other text types are simple modifications of these two, be it a speech or interview etc. Now the title of the module tells a lot: Comparative study of texts. Hence whateva the question, it MUST ask us to compare the two texts. Also coz there are other options, like blade runner etc in the module, the question can't be too specific at all. Further, linguistic tech will just about certainly be examined.

In light of the above, all that needs to be done is for students to be familar with the text types, in depth knowledge in still important including themes, plot and lang techz, but its really helpful to have at least one essay with a qestion that U have to make (which isnt to hard, use the syllabus), written, marked by your teahcer, corrcted through the yr and then learnt by heart or at leats known very well. This will help no matter wat the quetsion, but if u adopt this method u have to be careful not to allow the examiners to see a pre-prepared work. This is were ur english skill needs to show (to get high marks), u have to write competently, modifying ur essay where required in a way which is common to the rest of the work.

Confidence is verrry verrry important. Remember that the examiners arent there to try and take marks away but rather to try and give as much as they impartially can. Ur job is to meet the requirements and theyll give u the marks. Being well-prepared is the key, i dont think there is any better way then knowing ur stuff anf knowing how to present in by anwaer the question at hand with the syllabus requiremnts in mind.


:D
 

ben

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I hate studying for english, it seems useless for me.

I always get in the exam, get confused by the question, write a bunch of crap - then get out of the exam realising that I didn't write any of the stuff I actually studied and learned!

It happens every english exam!

So if anyone has a good strategy - i would be appreciated! Esp for King Lear and Bladerunner/brave new world like you said, Morgeus!
 

Morgues

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The thing I hate about English is its uncertainty, reading over past essays I have done it seems the ones that I have done well, that is answer the question and build up a developed responce supported by the texts I have received poor marks in yet the ones where I seem to be rambling without a clue I have received A grade marks.......sigh

We hardly ever get comments on assesment tasks, just a mark so it is often very difficult to understand what exactly your supposed to do

I don't get any consistency in English..........all through the year marks have been flying between 9/15 - 14/15
 

ben

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I have no consistency either. And the english teachers are pretty sly markers (especially when it comes to speeches).

My marks have ranged from 8/15 -> 13/15

I average about 10-11/15, which I'm not that happy about
 

Nelly

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What I do when studying for English is just get questions, and repeat the essay over and over and over again, using the same parts of the movie/book/play/whatever, just changing some introductory/concluding part according to the question, and always relating to the question at the end of each paragraph. I did that for JC, and I got 16/20 (which is very good for me, since it is my worst subject).

Might not work for everybody, but it does for me

I'm gonna do it this weekend for BNW/BR, because I have a Essay 2nd day back.
 

Morgues

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So basically memorise an essay and then just adjust according to the question?
Wouldn't it take a long time to fully memorise everything?
 

Minai

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Originally posted by Morgues
So basically memorise an essay and then just adjust according to the question?
Wouldn't it take a long time to fully memorise everything?
not exactly, if u devote time to it
I memorised a John Donne (critical study) essay in 2 nights, by simply reading the stuff, reading my notes and teacher comments and writing a draft first of all. After im happy with that, i write and write and write
on the last nite before the assessment, i wrote it out 4 or 5 times in a row, with a 10 min break in between each, until i memorised it (the essay was allowed 45 mins writing time)
 

Nelly

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EXACTLY.

For my JC essay, I spent the weekend, doing the same essay 7 times, with a normal break in-between. You don't memorise it word for word, but you get the basic jist of everything you write. The good points you make in the essay especially stay in your mind.

It's a good way to do essay's it if you're not the best at English.
 

lexie

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perfecting essays for each module and memorising is a fantastic method - u can't fail
i was told by several teachers that the top students in english have achieved great results that way - with doing the essays over and over again until the analogy of the texts is up to scratch.
ive handed in the same essay that ive been perfecting several times. if my teacher has to read it again, she'll throw it at my head. :D
 

ben

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urgh!

What happens if we can't write a perfect essay to begin with! We'll just memorise a bad essay!


My change essay (for assessment task) took me days and days of perfecting - and i got 8/15. I don't think i'll want to memorise that!
 

lexie

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its either that, or u have no fundament at all when it comes to writing the thing come hsc.
ill take the neurotic over-prepared option ;)
 

Morgues

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And you people who memorise have never been caught out by a left wing question?
 

Morgues

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Ben I have never really memorised an essay however if your bad at writing essays then this memorisation process is probably the best way to improve.......you can make an essay based on teacher notes/other essays etc
 

ben

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Originally posted by Morgues
And you people who memorise have never been caught out by a left wing question?
Surely, they have. But it probably isn't that hard to change it a bit! The new HSC was suppose to eliminate people just been able to memorise things!
 

ben

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Originally posted by Morgues
Ben I have never really memorised an essay however if your bad at writing essays then this memorisation process is probably the best way to improve.......you can make an essay based on teacher notes/other essays etc
probably!

i've always found the hardest part of english exams is thinking of an arguement and then having to write it in 40 minutes!
 

lexie

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of course there'll be left wing questions
memorise away...but still do practice of other questions
i believe if u prepare at least one essay for each area of study in english, you can manipulate it accordingly because there's a set formula to each paragraph
they want you to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the text...no matter what question is thrown at you. sure, you may not understand completely what the question entails...but if u memorise an essay, you will have:
- elaboration of an issue explored in the text
- textual evidence
- HOW i.e. language techniques
- effect on audience

do the hokey pokey with that for any essay, and youll win a decent share of marks... its a prototype.

dont ask about the hokey pokey bit.
 

Morgues

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one last thing.........
what question do you make this initial essay answer to
Just the basic standard one?
 

Big Willy

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Memorising

Hey, i dont know about you guys, but i've got it easy i reckon.
AOS: Looking for alibrandi
Telling the truth: Frontline
Transofmations: Hamelt and Roscanracts and Guldernster
Critical: John Donne.

Also, i did this thing call ALW (2001) in paramatta which helps develop ur memory, study skills and people skills.
Anyone else who has done this, give us an email.
For me, i need like 10mins to rememvber a paragraph if i concentrate. My friends have seen my technique in action.
At one stage, i remebered PI, 3.14......
 

Lazarus

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i've always found the hardest part of english exams is thinking of an arguement and then having to write it in 40 minutes!
By the time you get to the exam, you should know the texts so well and be brimming with so much information that it simply spills out onto the paper - it should take only a few minutes (at most!!) to decide on how you are going to attack the question and to collate your information into a coherent response.

Practice, practice, practice. =)
 

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