SAETA Refresher Course 2017 External Assessment English Literary Studies

External Assessment: Comparative Text Study Comparison of two texts: one shared, one independently chosen Critical essay of a maximum of 1500 words Worth 15% Flexibility in task design Many and various ways to pair texts Similarities and differences Collected by courier 27 September (week 10, term 3); teacher marks submitted online on this day

Focus Area: Comparison Argument must be driven by comparison Relying on connectives only, won’t cut the mustard! Explore both similarities and differences Build the comparative element into the question

Ideas for teaching comparison

Ideas for teaching comparison Apples and oranges similarly grow on trees and both are circular in shape. While both also have a skin, apples have a thin, edible outer layer whereas the skin of an orange is leathery and not particularly edible. The fruits are varied in colour and taste: apples are green or red and oranges are – as the name suggests – orange; apples are sweet, oranges are contrastingly, more tart and acidic. People generally prefer oranges uncooked in dishes such as a fruit salad, but apples can be baked into such culinary delights as the apple pie.

Ideas for teaching comparison

Ideas for teaching comparison

Focus Area: The Question Explore less successful questions Discuss what they lack Example: What sort of societies are presented in V for Vendetta and 1984? Example: Compare the ways in which James McTeigue in V for Vendetta and George Orwell in 1984 use the particular features of their text types to position the reader to be critical of the societies in which the texts are set.

Focus Area: The Argument Coherent line of reasoning Planning Clear and precise focus Introduction, defence, conclusion Fluently embedded textual justification

Focus Area: Managing the Task Which shared texts? Flexible Single poet Suggest possible parents but BROADEN, don’t LIMIT Ways suitable pairings can be formed: Theme/idea Author, historical period, text type, cultural perspective, genre/form ‘Trope’/symbol Stylistic feature Critical perspective

External Assessment: Critical Reading Worth 15% One or more short texts Design of the task will vary Equitable Do not teach to the test TEACH THE SKILLS

External Assessment: Critical Reading Teach the skills… Don’t teach to the test!

Ideas for teaching the Critical Reading What skills are examined? The ability to identify the purpose, audience and form of text/s; The ability to understand ideas within texts; The ability to understand the choices the author has made to communicate those ideas (their use of stylistic features) The ability to recognise text types and their particular features; The ability to use the text/s to justify opinions; The ability to address the question/s asked; The ability to communicate in fluent, precise writing

Ideas for teaching the Critical Reading IDEA #1: Use the assessment reports as critical readings! Read any contextual information given Read the questions carefully Answer the questions in order Avoid recount (actually answering the question aids in this!) When asked to compare…COMPARE! Consider any length allocation provided by the setters and see it as a proportion in the way time is allocated Monitor your time When analysing stylistic features remember to label, find an example…and explore the effect (usually to emphasise an idea, positioning the audience)

Ideas for teaching the Critical Reading IDEA #1: Use the assessment reports as critical readings! Use the dictionary where necessary Use evidence from the texts…but ensure that you have answered in your own words Avoid repetition Avoid writing about implied audiences (to whom the material will be more “relatable”) Use appropriate metalanguage Don’t be didactic…remember the audience to whom you are writing

Ideas for teaching the Critical Reading Provide texts from previous exams with questions removed Explore ideas and stylistic features IDEA #3: Write questions IDEA #4: Compare with the original questions

Ideas for teaching the Critical Reading Brainstorming the features of text types IDEA #6: Gathering text types IDEA #7: Glossary of metalanguage

Ideas for teaching the Critical Reading Students create pairings of texts IDEA #9: 90 minute critical reading tasks (+ 10 mins reading time) IDEA #10: What about using previous critical readings as they are?

External Assessment: Critical Reading Teach the skills… An exciting change!