Creative writing, VCE EAL, VCE English

A few tips on preparing for that creative SAC

A few tips on preparing for that creative SAC, using The Thing Around Your Neck, All About Eve and Mabo as example texts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxYa8DyYor8

Comparative essay, Essay Writing, VCE EAL, VCE English

So you’re studying multi-modal texts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojFpRH1SakA

Essay Writing, VCE EAL, VCE English, VCE English Language

Word of the week: fanatic

From Oxford Dictionaries: A person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause: In everyday speech, 'fanatic' can be replaced with 'crazy about' or 'fan' or another term to describe a person who is outrageously passionate about something. While this is usually acceptable in casual conversation, it is important to note… Continue reading Word of the week: fanatic

Essay Writing, VCE EAL, VCE English

Word of the week: Ponder

From Oxford Dictionaries: Think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion A common mistake is to use it interchangeably with think. Think is a more general word, used across a wide variety of situations where someone has a thought, idea or opinion. Ponder is far more specific and only used where someone… Continue reading Word of the week: Ponder

VCE EAL, VCE English, VCE English Language

How to find a good tutor

Finding a good tutor can be a bit of gamble: a good ATAR doesn't automatically translate into a good tutor, going to a 'good' school also guarantees very little. So what can you do as a student/parent?  As someone who goes through the process all the time (I find and train tutors and send them… Continue reading How to find a good tutor

Essay Writing, VCE EAL, VCE English

How to revise for your English/EAL exam

The English/EAL exam is always a bit tricky to prepare for because, well, how to you study a skill?  My answer to that is this: you don't. You practise a skill. That is, you repeat an action until you can do it perfectly. And then you repeat that perfect action another million times.  This means… Continue reading How to revise for your English/EAL exam

Argument analysis, VCE EAL, VCE English

When authors use multiple persuasive techniques at once

Note: This post is one of a series of scheduled posts while I'm away for a few weeks. Some students get a little confused when authors use multiple persuasive techniques/devices at once. Where do you start? Which one do you talk about first? Below is an example:  'Whenever there’s something unhappy, or evil, or messy out… Continue reading When authors use multiple persuasive techniques at once

Essay Writing, VCE EAL, VCE English

Video: The ‘Bang for Buck’ writing principle

When writing under timed conditions, it's important to understand time as a limited resource. Are you using your x number of minutes to write stuff that going to get you the highest mark?    ~Shirlaine