Here’s some language you’ll need to understand for your exam:
|
Exam Language |
What it means… |
| ‘social relationships’ | Relationships between different groups of people or different individuals |
| ‘visual language’ | Viewing conventions |
| ‘dominant ways of thinking’ | The way most people in society think about a topic/issue |
| ‘views on an issue’ | Opinions on an issue |
| ‘generic conventions’ | The usual conventions of a text. For the reading section that will mean either narrative conventions or persuasive language/expository conventions. For the viewing section this means documentary or film conventions. |
| ‘reader positioning’ or ‘positioned you’ | Refers to how the text encourages you to respond to the text in a particular way. |
| ‘In a form of your choice’ | Means you select a writing form that best suits the question. That form could be: letter to editor, personal letter, email, blog post, persuasive essay, speech. Make sure you’ve chosen the writing form that best suits the question and your purpose. |
| ‘bring about change/social action’ | How did the text prompt people in society to take some sort of action or change their behaviour? Specifically state which elements in the text prompt the change. Also specifically state the change/action e.g. to speak out against abuse, to stop buying animal products. |
| ‘Construct an argument’ | Develop an opinion. Choose whether you are FOR or AGAINST the topic. Provide evidence and reasoning that supports your opinion. |
| ‘Your context’ | Your values and attitudes and how that affected the way you responded to a text. |
| ‘the time and place of a text’ | Is the context of the text. E.g. the time period the text is set in. |
| ‘the background of a text’ | See above |
| Genre | The text type: documentary, film, short story…could even refer to sub genres e.g. horror, drama, tragedy… |
| ‘Language techniques’ | If it is a narrative text, refer to: imagery, description, language choice (colloquial/formal/particular words), dialogue, tone. If it is an expository text discuss: imagery, rhetorical questions, facts/stats, tone, emotive language, inclusive language etc. |
| ‘Perception’ | A way of looking at a topic/issue/text. E.g. you could have the perception that asylum seekers are genuine refugees or that they are threatening terrorists. |
Hi People,
A few reminders about the concept of context:
1. The time and place the novel is set in/was written in is the context of the novel and knowing this can help you understand the characters/events/ideas presented in the novel.
2. The reader’s context or your context is your values/attitudes and how these affected/influence the way you responded to the text
This is a PowerPoint about the context of the novel:
Here are the notes we made in class yesterday:
Hey All,
Here’s the link for the website:
http://www.stolengenerations.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=141&Itemid=124
Hey,
You need to write a second paragraph continuing on from the essay we created in class on Friday. Here are the resources:
Hey,
There are 2 homework tasks for the weekend. The students need to write two short responses for each question:
1. Explain how this Image 1 promotes particular attitudes
2. Discuss how Image 2 endorses a particular lifestyle
Image 1
Image 2
Hi People,
Here are the lists. Some of you indicated that you were struggling with the concept of values. A good way to think about values is to ask yourself: what things do people and communities think is important or desirable? For example, teenage girls may say popularity or beauty is something they value. However, different communities and individuals will have different values. For example, an artistic community will value creativity, whereas an engineering community may value logic. A community’s values may change over time. For example in the 50’s in Australia many women valued security, marriage and their homes. Whereas in 2013 in Australia, many women value career, education and success.
Here’s the lists:
Hey you lot,
Some tips for Tuesday’s assessment:
- To prepare, attempt some practise questions from past WACE exams (uploaded to this post). Give yourself an hour to complete each question. Remember, if you don’t practise the writing process, you will not improve.
- Select the easiest and most straightforward question, Also select a question that best suits the text you’re discussing.\
- After you’ve selected your question, ‘unpack’ the question by deciding what sort of response the question is asking for. Ask yourself, what are the key words and what do they mean? Should I be writing a persuasive essay? What text will I use? Am I arguing FOR or AGAINST a contention, if so, which will I argue? (Don’t try to argue both sides!)
- Write a statement of intent outllining: Audience, Context (where your essay would appear) and Purpose.
- Remember to plan your response. You get marks for this!
- You’ve got a whole hour, so it is expected that you write a detailed introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion.
- You actually get marked on whether your introduction ‘engages the audience’. So begin your introduction in a interesting way e.g. rhetorical question.
- Use persuasive language devices: rhetorical question, emotive language, generalisations, hyperbole, superlatives, repetition, triples etc. If you’re going to chuck in imagery (simile, metaphor etc) be careful and don’t use too many.
- Maintain a formal tone
- Use examples and quotes from the text
- When discussing Painted Babies, make sure you use the correct terminology for documentary techniques.
Resources for English 