Get reading for the 2014 VCE Unti 3&4 English Exam by setting effective study goals.

1. How To Revise and
Study For Your Unit
3&4 English Exam

2. 56

3. How?

4. Three sections
• Language Analysis
• Context Response
• Text Response

5. Reading Time
15
min
utes
1-2 minutes - choose text response question,
consider context prompt
2-3 minutes - read through persuasive
language analysis material
8-10 minutes - mentally identify persuasive
techniques and plan analysis

6. Language Analysis
• Apart from writing out a whole language
analysis, what can you do to study?
• Practise annotating persuasive text with
specific words
• Practise writing a variety of analytical
sentences
• Practise writing about a visual

7. THE ratbag gang of unionists, unwashed hippies,
NIMBY greenies, bellicose socialists, confused
pensioners and progress-hating layabouts
protesting against the East West Link are a
godsend for the Napthine government. It could
not hope for better PR for the $8 billion project.
By clashing with police, harassing workers, making
unashamedly radical pronouncements to the media
and generally behaving like a maddened mob of
morons, the protesters have succeeded in
undermining their own cause and increasing public
support for the new road that is already popular with
many voters.

8. Techniques
• Attack
• Emotive language
• Simile/Comparison/Description

9. #1: Annotating
• Panahi uses an attack when she says the
protestors are “ratbags”.
• Panahi attacks the protestors as “ratbags”
and “progress haters”.

10. Praises, Celebrates,
Gushes, Champions,
Supports, Effuses,
Commends, Approves,
Accepts, Applauds,
Understands,
Advocates, Identifies
with, Esteems,
Credits ,Endorses
Labels, Dismisses,
Attacks, Insults, Slurs,
Denigrates,
Undermines, Criticize,
Critiques, Lambasts,
Denies, Demeans,
Blames, Accuses,
Judges, Rejects
Connects...with,
likens...to,
compares...to,
associates...with/to,
connotes...as being
like, relates...to,
attaches...to
Queries, Reflects,
Raises, Wonders,
Reasons, Philosophises,
Ponders, Supposes,
Speculates
Urges, Posits,
Contends, Argues,
Disputes, Challenges,
Opposes, Debates,
Contests, Demands
Forcefully, logically, caustically,
sarcastically, emphatically, darkly,
quickly, humourously, emotionally,
angrily, passionately, laughingly,
reassuringly, authoratively,
jokingly, seriously, matter-of-factly,
accusingly, effusively,
speculatively, challengingly,
insultingly, disgustedly,
righteously, absolutely, clearly,
rhetorically, carefully

11. #2: Writing a variety of
sentences
• Panahi attacks the protestors as “ratbags” and
“progress haters”. This...
• Panahi attacks the protestors as “ratbags” and
“progress haters,” positioning the reader to...
• By attacking the protestors as “ratbags” and
“progress haters”, Panahi...

12. #3: Analyse visuals
• The following picture accompanied an
opinion piece where the author argued that
Google is taking away our privacy

14. #3: Analyse visuals
• Our focus is captured by the visual when / at...
• The portrayal of...as...focuses our attention
because...
• ...is represented as...
• Re-inforces the point that...
• Supports the contention / argument that...
• The image visually captures the author’s argument
that...

15. Skill improvement
• In 1978 British postmen were taught to type. Some
postmen were taught:
• One x 1 hour session each day (60 days)
• Two x 1 hour session each day (30 days)
• One x 2 hour session each day (30 days)
• Two x 2 hour session each day (15 days)
• After sixty hours of training - who had the highest
level of skill?

16. Skill improvement
• In 1978 British postmen were taught to type. Some
postmen were taught:
• One x 1 hour session each day (60 days) (55 hrs)
• Two x 1 hour session each day (30 days)
• One x 2 hour session each day (30 days)
• Two x 2 hour session each day (15 days) (80 hrs)
• After sixty hours of training - who had the highest
level of skill?

18. Context
• Decide what format you will write in:
• Expository essay
• Persuasive essay
• Creative response

19. Expository Essay

20. Expository Essay
• Apart from writing a whole expository
essay, what can you do to study?
• Practise planning
• Practise writing introductions

21. The ability to compromise is
important when responding to
conflict
What characters and
situations from the text
show this to be true?
What examples from events
and people in life show this
to be true?
What characters and
situations from the text
show this not to be true?
What examples from events
and people in life show this
not to be true?

22. #2 Writing
Introductions
• To compromise in the face of conflict
means to...
• The importance of compromising is that...

23. Persuasive
• Practise turning prompts in propositions

24. The ability to compromise is
important when responding to
conflict
*We should (not/never/sometimes/always)... so..
*We should (not never/sometimes/always)...because
*We should (not never/sometimes/always)...when...
*We must (not never/sometimes/always) believe /
accept/value that/the idea of...because

25. The ability to compromise is
important when responding to
conflict
• We should sometimes compromise in the
face of conflict, but never compromise on
what are important principles.

26. Creative writing
Bad reasons for
choosing the creative
option:
*I think it’s easy
*I don’t want to study
*I’ve got a great idea
for one story
Good reasons for choosing
the creative option
*I’m confident about
creative writing
*I’m prepared to practice
creative writing
*I’ve got a good idea for a
character and setting that’s
relevant to the context

27. Characters and
situations
Character types:
*A family member who is both loyal and wants to
do their own thing (The Rugmaker)
*A younger person who is part of a group and
share some values but has different values to the
group (Paradise Road)
*A person who is an advocate of change (The Life
of Galileo)

28. Character + Scenarios
• ‘The ability to compromise is important when
responding to conflict.’
• A group of people is detained at an overseas
airport by security. One member of the group
needs to decide how to best handle the situation.

31. Effective Study
• Don’t measure study by time passed but by
goals achieved

32. Have a plan
• Have a specific goals for English
• Plan how you’re going to achieve these
goals
• Study regularly for short periods of time

33. Text Response
Knowing Remembering Writing
• The story: Re-read
the text
• Major characters
• Minor characters
• Examples of
symbols, images or
techniques
• How to spell
characters’ names
• 15 key quotes
from the text
• Understanding an
essay question
• Planning a
response
• Writing
introductions
• Analysing
evidence

34. Despite his family’s fears, Priam brings his
son home.’
Why is he successful?
• What does Priam’s family fear?
• How does Priam overcome these fears?
How does he bring his son home?
• What does it mean for Priam to be
successful?

35. Despite the violence in Ransom, the
reader is left with a sense of optimism.’
• Underline key words
• Turn these words in What, How and Why
questions

36. Checklisting
• Apart from Priam, Somax and Achilles, who
are characters in Ransom?

37. Checklist
• Hector
• Hercules (the slaughtering of Priam’s home)
• Patroclus (the violence that caused him to
be exiled)
• Somax’s sons (one dead in the war, another
in an accident)

38. Text Response Study
Skills
• Re-read a few pages each night
• Practise breaking essay topics into further
questions
• Practise planning a response
• Practise writing introductions
• Memorise quotes/examples/characters
• Practise writing body paragraphs

39. Set Specific Study Goals
• The first goal I want to achieve with
Language Analysis is...
• The first goal I want to achieve with the
context is...
• The first goal I want to achieve with the
text response is...

40. 6 reasons you should
listen
This student was asked
to explain what a
mutation was in a
Biology exam

41. 6 reasons you should
listen
This student was asked
an algebra question on a
Maths exam

42. 6 reasons you should
listen
This student was asked
to represent expenses
on a Accounting exam

43. 6 reasons you should
listen
This student was asked
to expand an equation
on a Maths exam

44. 6 reasons you should
listen
This student was asked
about Arctic wildlife on
an Environment exam

45. 6 reasons you should
listen
This student was asked
an algebra question on a
Maths exam

46. Don’t end up here

47. Thankyou