the current english course is a waste of time, true or false (1 Viewer)

[Tulipa]

Of course- that's why maths is optional. No one made you or anyone else do it. If you need it, do it, if you dont, then dont!

Unlike English.

Did you not read the whole post?

You need English to communicate in everyday life and you need to be able to write an essay in university.

The whole reason it was made compulsory is for the latter point.

 

[iEdd]

Heh, and so the cycle of arguments begins again...

You have made your point, different subjects are good for different careers. If you are arguing to say that the current english course is NOT a waste of time for people heading down the writing path, then that makes sense too. So wouldn't you then agree that english (which is just literature studies) should NOT be compulsory, just as maths and science aren't?

We need english in everyday life, yes, but we do not all need literature studies for the same reasons we don't all need calculus.

Eddy11, you pretty much summed up my thoughts in your last post.

 

[Jachie]

No. There is a reason why English is compulsory and others aren't. If you honestly can’t appreciate how a subject like English forces you to justify your opinions and arguments and helps you develop the best, most succinct ways of expressing yourself, then it’s no wonder you hate the subject so much because you must be fucking stupid.

You may not like HOW the HSC English course does things (ie through analyzing texts) but the skills developed by it will be beneficial to you in later life, even if you can't realize this now. You're not going to be able to get through university unless you know how to write an essay, develop a thesis, back up your opinions, and efficiently get through readings. And THAT is why English is the only compulsory subject.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

That's still not quite right

Whether HSC English teaches you to "write essays" or not depends a lot on the teacher (we were never taught how to write essays as such, they just told us our attempts were really bad).

The overall purpose of HSC English is not to teach you to be a better writer, let alone a better communicator. It also isn't to broaden your vocabulary or inspire a love of literature, although it may do those things.

It especially isn't about communicating in every day life. In fact it's the complete opposite. See up until the end of year 10 English involves, as you may recall, every day stuff. Discerning the meaning of texts and to a limited extent, how that meaning is constructed. That's every day stuff.

The whole point of HSC English is to get you into Formal 1 (read Jean Piaget) thinking that you use all the time at uni. In other words, abstraction. It goes away from what you use in real life.

The fact that it's compulsory is just a reflection of the cynical nature of the Board of Studies. It keeps the fobs from dominating worse than they already do, to put it honestly.

EDIT: Actually this only applies to Advanced, if you don't like that shit just do Standard.

EDIT2: The moral of the story is, if you're going to do anything other than pure maths at uni, do your fucking English study.

 

[simonloo]

The fact that it's compulsory is just a reflection of the cynical nature of the Board of Studies. It keeps the fobs from dominating worse than they already do, to put it honestly.

I agree.

 

[iEdd]

...because you must be fucking stupid.

If english is so helpful why can't you comprehend? :wave:

 

[Charity F]

... We need english in everyday life, yes, but we do not all need literature studies for the same reasons we don't all need calculus....

True, i suppose.

However, as an English-speaking country, i understand why English might be compulsory and Maths is not. We should remember, that these are decisions that board memebers or ministers or whoever makes these decisions are making, by taking into account figures and information about what is happening around the entire state.

I think the main reason (that no one has addressed yet, i think) is that they force us to go through this system because there should be at least some sort of uniformity throughout the state. sort of. Otherwise there'll be complaints that an entire generation doesn't know about all this 'stuff'...

I think the best thing that i have gotten out of english is the study of all the various texts throughout the years... It makes me feel like i know something about at least a few widely appreciated texts... I mean, seriously, it's not like I'd willingly pick up Thomas More's "Utopia" or Franz Kafka's "The Trial" or Shakespeare's "Othello" if i didn't HAVE to.

in retrospect, i don't think i've made a point here... But one thing for which English can take all the credit is for widening my vocabulary, and my ability to write anything.

Say you had to do a eulogy, or you had to convince a whole lot of important people to invest in your company, etc etc. How would you do it? Would you be able to?

English does help us structure our arguments, and stimluate our minds into drawing our own conclusions and opinions, and express our ideas succinctly.

But then again maybe English isn't for everyone. i dunno, i don't really have any serious objections, because i'd still have chosen it even if it wasn't compulsory.

 

[iEdd]

Fair enough.

Say you had to do a eulogy, or you had to convince a whole lot of important people to invest in your company, etc etc. How would you do it? Would you be able to?

I think so. I've never had any trouble writing essays, papers, speeches, reports in any subject other than english.
Your points are valid, which is why english (both standard and advanced) need a new direction. Writing styles to present arguments and things like that without having to be about techniques within a theme within a text. I just think the course would benefit from a broader spectrum of writing and arguing, etc so that it would be a lot more helpful for ANY career. The main problem with it right now (at my school at least) is that rewriting the teacher's ideas (which have been discussed to death) is what gets you the marks.

 

[Jachie]

EDIT2: The moral of the story is, if you're going to do anything other than pure maths at uni, do your fucking English study.

That's pretty much what I've been saying

If english is so helpful why can't you comprehend? :wave:

Um yeah, I reiterate:

you must be fucking stupid.

why can't you comprehend? :wave:

EDIT: yeah this argument has really gone off-base eh MORAL OF THE STORY: STOP YR BITCHING AND DO YR HOMEWORK K

 

[cs01001]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/educators-round-on-english-syllabus/2007/08/31/1188067367877.html

Can't agree more on 'Graham Little, who wrote the 1972 NSW English syllabus for years 7 to 10, told the meeting the Department of Education's current English syllabus was "garbage"'.

 

[simonloo]

Finally a post that is on topic. Interesting article.

 

[iEdd]

ffs

I'll say.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...067367877.html

Can't agree more on 'Graham Little, who wrote the 1972 NSW English syllabus for years 7 to 10, told the meeting the Department of Education's current English syllabus was "garbage"'.

Nice find, neither can I.

 

[beentherdunthat]

AOS isn't as interesting as it could be. Huck finn is a good book though.

Creative writing questions SUCK.

Modules are fairly good. The ones im doing are pretty good anyway

 

[Forbidden.]

AOS isn't as interesting as it could be. Huck finn is a good book though.

Creative writing questions SUCK.

Modules are fairly good. The ones im doing are pretty good anyway

I'm with you on that.
Except my AOS text is the play 'Away' by Michael Gow.

 

[fishy89sg]

I'm with you on that.
Except my AOS text is the play 'Away' by Michael Gow.

LMAO sameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[benilic]

i dont think the HSC english itself is a waste of time but if any other schools have teachers like mine you start to entertain the thought that what you are doing has no future and that what you have attempted to learn is futile.

My school has a HOD that no other teacher likes. she also happens to set most of the assessment tasks, of which our first was worth the most at 25% when we hadnt even come to understand the course. Added to this, 3 classes have had several teachers this year, one is onto its 4th teacher so far! someone needs to shape up or ship out!

our HOD for drama just resigned after a petition from the year....could be a good option with english to give the next year a chance.

 

[PrettyVacant]

You can't change it, so put up with it.

qft

 

[Forbidden.]

LMAO sameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I watched actors play as the characters from 'Away' at Newtown Threatre.
An opportunity not to be missed.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/educators-round-on-english-syllabus/2007/08/31/1188067367877.html

Can't agree more on 'Graham Little, who wrote the 1972 NSW English syllabus for years 7 to 10, told the meeting the Department of Education's current English syllabus was "garbage"'.

...because it was filled with information about how to set a test that was compatible with computer marking.

Stop using sources dishonestly

 

[evilchello5]

its not that bad.. i have other subjects that are way worse... like in english this yr we did "all quiet on the western front" for aggression, "the crucible" for drama and watever and then just recently did "kath and Kim" for humour.... i was a bit bummed at first but it will get beta