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6 Step Guide to Writing a Killer Essay
Written by studytimenz
At high school, particularly here in new zealand, ideas are always assessed in the form of essays..
With so many rules surrounding âproperâ essay form, itâs easy for ideas to get lost to the format, or for you to lose sight of what theyâre arguing for in the first place.
Sadly, this means that students often canât get their thoughts across effectively, and are marked down for things that have no bearing on their ideas or intelligence.
However frustrating they might be, research has shown that learning how to compile an argument in written form is a skill that does great things for your grades, employability and general life-confidence.
As a soon-to-be graduate of high school â whatever you choose to do â the importance of strong communication skills cannot be understated.
If you choose to head straight into the workforce, youâll be expected to demonstrate this skill in your cover letters and CVâs during job applications, and at University, essays are pretty much the stock standard assignment in most courses (otherwise there are always reports, reviews and reflections).
Writing skills will even get you further in your travels: Visas can involve lengthy letters and application processes, and administrators are always impressed by a well-written application.
Considering all the evidence, itâs a smart move to get a good feel for essay writing now â the seeds you plant now will help you out big-time in the long run.
How can I write a good essay then?
Contrary to popular opinion, anyone can write a good essay. Itâs a skill, not a trait, and like any other skill, it only improves with practice. The tricky thing is getting your head around all the niggly bits, like structure, and themes, and ideas, and topic sentences, and punctuation, and clarity, blah blah blah, etc. Thatâs what weâre here for.
This guide will help you to break through the sludge of essay writing and help you to get to the heart of their purpose: communicating an idea. Weâll decipher the intimidating jargon and wordy standards for you, and give you solid, smooth steps to follow so you can smash an essay for every topic, any time. The guide will cover:
Deciding on an âideaâ
Planning your argument
Essay structure
Introduction
Body paragraphs
Proofreading
THE BIG âIDEAâ AND WHY IT MATTERS
The term âideaâ in the context of essay-writing causes a lot of confusion â and rightly so â itâs unfairly vague!
Simply put, an idea is the argument youâre making in your essay. While definitions may vary across standards and subjects (âhypothesisâ; âargumentâ; âthesis statementâ; âthemeâ etc.) your idea is your overarching claim that the rest of your essay will prove or justify .
An idea could be anything from â Romeo and Julietâs relationship demonstrates the difficulty of defying familial expectations â to â The use of guerilla warfare helped the Viet Cong to defeat America in the in the Vietnam war .â
Ideas can be universal, personal, fundamental, controversial or challenging. They donât necessarily have to be âgoodâ or âmoral.â Writing an essay isnât about agreeing with the message of the text, or the topic youâve been asked to engage with. Teachers are more concerned with your ability to look at a topic or text critically, interpret it, and relate that interpretation to the outside world in one way or another.
The idea is the spine of your essay. The rest of it will work towards demonstrating how and why youâre arguing for this claim. So before you start writing an essay, itâs smart to get a firm grip on your idea first.
Brainstorming is a good start. On a piece of paper, jot down all the observations youâve made about your essay topic. Youâll usually have a question or a demand in the guidelines to narrow things down. If you canât think of any ideas, do some extra revision!
Once youâve done this, try to think of one connection to bind your ideas about the text/topic/event together. Then make it into a statement â e.g: â In Bend it Like Beckham , Jesminderâs character explores the tension between cultural expectations and social belonging .â Make sure youâve got a good amount of supporting points to bolster whatever your claim says.
Pro tips: Donât overcomplicate it! Fancy wording doesnât matter. Itâs more about the insight of your claim, and showing that you can develop a perceptive opinion on something.
Donât fall into the trap of the one-word-idea. âLoveâ is not an idea. Instead, your idea should take the form of a firm statement about love.
If your essay is given to you in the form of a question, think of the idea as an answer to that question.
Example question: â Should the Hunger Games be considered a feminist text ?â
Idea/claim/argument/thesis: â Despite The Hunger Games having a female protagonist, the character of Katniss reinforces masculine notions of strength, therefore it should not be considered a feminist text.
Your idea should show some critical thinking. For example: â The Hunger Games should not be considered a feminist text â is not a strong enough observation â you need some substance behind it.
If youâre too vague or short with your idea, your supporting evidence will lose structure, and could go on forever. Think about your idea as if you were explaining the main point of your essay to another person.
If you read your idea aloud â ask yourself: Does it make sense? Does it answer the question or fulfill the demand? Does it summarise most of your essayâs argument?
If the answer is no to any of these three questions, refine and try again.
2. GET PLANNING
Essays almost always follow the same linear structure:
- Introduction.
- Body Paragraphs
- Conclusion.
Weâll break down the anatomy behind each element later on â but for now â itâs useful to know how they work together to make an essay. The introduction is the clincher: its job is to contextualise your argument, interest the reader, briefly explain your argument and of course, introduce the idea . The body paragraphs are the supporting points to hold up your main idea, with evidence from the text . The conclusion brings together everything youâve argued in a neat summary , reinforcing the idea one more time.
Whether youâre writing under time pressure or doing a take-home assignment, itâs important to know (at least in part) where your argument is going to go. Planning is a sure way to do this â and it doesnât have to be boring. While âfluking itâ might work for some people, having no plan makes it easy to get lost in your own train of thought and go off on long tangents. There are loads of different ways to plan, and you should give yourself enough flexibility so that you have the freedom to incorporate new points or ideas as youâre writing.
A great, easy and flexible way to plan is the Box Plan. This plan can be adapted for a range of subjects; itâs a neat and easy visualisation of your essayâs skeleton and key points; and also serves as a great resource for revision â because who wants to spend hours rewriting the same essay over and over?
See the table below for an easy template of the Box Plan. Feel free to print it out, and if youâre feeling extra-motivated for revision, spend some time making it colour co-ordinated or adding some visual doodles to help memorise the content and make things fun.
DIY BOX PLAN
Introduction :
Clearly state your main IDEA .
What are the THREE MAIN POINTS that you will use to support this idea?
Body Paragraph One :
Clearly state the main POINT you will discuss in this paragraph.
Record all of the EVIDENCE you will use to prove this point.
Connect this evidence back to the MAIN IDEA or the OUTSIDE world.
Body Paragraph Two :
Body Paragraph Three :
Conclusion :
Clearly state the main ARGUMENT you have made or IDEA you have explored.
Review how all of your points have supported this IDEA .
3. ANATOMY OF AN INTRO
Thereâs lots of advice out there that tells you an introduction is the least important part of an essay, something you can rush over to get to the âgood stuffâ. Theyâre wrong.
Writing a killer introduction is the magic ticket to an excellent essay. A great intro lays out your ideas concisely and persuasively, and can provide focus and momentum for the rest of the essay. Plus having something concrete to come back to can be really helpful when youâre feeling stuck or lost â and remind you of your overarching argument or idea. Our best advice for nailing the intro is to start broad and then narrow down.
Hereâs a quick formula to follow for writing an introduction thatâll blow your teacher out of the water.
Pro tip: Get a hook, start broad and narrow down. Finish on by going SUPER broad (society/the world/the universe) to be extra fancy.
- Hook (rhetoric question/quotation/exclamation to engage the reader)
- Context (the boring but important contextual bits like the author/director/poet/setting/title/characters/etc.)
- Idea (see our first chapter for a definition)
- Brief explanation of how youâll prove this idea (whatever points/evidence youâre putting in your body paragraphs)
- For extra points, round up your intro by making a connection to the outside world (some profound and relevant moral lesson about society usually works)
Hereâs an example of a great introduction for a basic English text analysis essay. Each colour in the paragraph corresponds with the formula above (Hook = purple; Context = red; and so on).
Why do bad things happen to good people? The majority of society believes that there are no logical answers to this question. Terrible things can happen to the best of us, for no particular reason. However, in William Shakespeareâs âKing Learâ, the main character, King Lear, who claims to be âa man more sinned against than sinningâ, is fully responsible for his own downfall. In fact, the sins committed against King Lear are a result of his personal faults of rashness, blindness, and foolishness. Though a good king, Learâs actions cause his family and kingdom to fall apart. Furthermore, he is personally punished for disrupting the natural order, with his poor decision-making. King Learâs downfall demonstrates how good people can still make terrible decisions â inviting the reader to consider the complex nature of humans, and emphasising the importance of taking responsibility for your own actions.
4. BREAKING DOWN THE BODY PARAGRAPH
The body paragraph makes up the âfleshâ of the essay âskeletonâ you have at the moment. Three body paragraphs is enough for a strong essay, however you can add as many more as you need to strengthen or fully unpack your overall argument (provided youâre not ranting). Itâs important that each body paragraph is sharp and clean, and backed up by some relevant evidence. The point of a paragraph is to indicate a break â so make sure that each paragraph has only ONE predominant focus. If you find yourself going off topic from your original focus, consider making a new self-contained paragraph to explore that idea in full depth.
WHATâS THE POINT?
Your main point should be introduced at the beginning of your body paragraph, and take form in what the experts call a âtopic sentenceâ. This is similar to your big idea, but itâs a bit more specific. Similarly, it should make some sort of definitive claim about the text or topic, and help to support your main idea. If your main idea is the spine of your essay, your topic sentence is the spine of your body paragraph.
Letâs have a look at F. Scott Fitzgeraldâs novel The Great Gatsby for some ideas:
Main Essay Idea:
â Through the use of motifs and symbolism, The Great Gatsby explores the disintegration of the American dream in 1920âs America. â
Point of Body Paragraph 1:
âGeography is used as a motif to illustrate the different classes of the decaying nation, and their clashing social values.â
Point of Body Paragraph 2:
âThe distant Green Light is used to symbolise the ideal of the American Dream â relentlessly pursued but never realised up close.â
Focus of Body Paragraph 3:
âThe Valley of the Ashes symbolises the moral and social decay of the nation, figured literally by its desolation and pollution, but also by the poor citizens who live there.â
SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE
Itâs all very well and good to be able to make big claims â but you have to be able to back them up, otherwise for all we know, youâre just peddling conspiracies.
The evidence is all the stuff you need to show your reader that your argument has some validity to it. The evidence can be a quote, technique, event, plot point, character, excerpt, symbol, motif, etc. â so long as itâs relevant to the point youâre making and taken directly from whatever your essay is about.
Remember that it has to be factually correct too, donât ever think you can get away with making up a quote! Your marker knows more than you think, and chances are theyâll sense something fishy and look it up.
ROUND IT UP
To finish your body paragraph in style, throw in one or two sentences that link back to the main idea of your essay. Better yet, reflect on something bigger to show your ability engage critically with the world around you. This final element is your chance to give an opinion on something, it can be as abstract or far-fetched as you like, provided your body paragraph is strong enough to support the claim.
Connecting your essay to wider forces in the world shows that youâre thinking about what youâre writing, rather than simply regurgitating content youâve learned in class.
Markers love this part â especially in NCEA â and it often makes the difference between a Merit and an Excellence essay.
Hereâs a quick table showing the anatomy of a body paragraph:
Focus of Body Paragraph One:
âGeography is used as a motif to illustrate the different classes of the decaying nation, and their clashing social valuesâ
â I lived at West Egg, the â well, the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them[âŠ]Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water, and the history of the summer really begins on the evening I drove over there to have dinner with the Tom Buchanans .â (1.14)
Explanation :
This quote from Nick demonstrates how he envisions class distinctions geographically â drawing a literal and figurative contrast between the two sides of the lake and economic status.
Reflection :
The geographic illustration of class in The Great Gatsby mirrors the growing disparity between rich and poor that was taking place in America in the 1920âs.
5. CONCLUSIONS â MAKING A LASTING IMPRESSION
By the time youâve made it here, youâre probably sick to death of your topic.
At this point, itâs tempting to just spurt out whatever your mind can muster, and hope that the rest of your essay holds you afloat when it comes to marking.
Avoid thinking like this! Your conclusion is the your final chance to leave an impression on your reader.
If anything, itâs a golden opportunity to boost the quality of your essay by tying it all together with a sparkly bow.
This doesnât mean the conclusion has to be a difficult or particularly long process. All the work is pretty much done for you, now itâs a matter of selecting the most important points to drive home.
At bare minimum, your conclusion must accomplish three things:
- Restate the main idea of your essay.
- Summarize the three points in your body paragraphs.
- Leave the reader with an interesting final thought or impression.
Excellent conclusions will convey a sense of closure while also providing scope for other trains of thought â like an appetizer of a main dish at a different restaurant.
This is a tricky balance to strike, but it makes a world of difference.
6. PROOFREADING â YOUR FINAL SAFETY NET
At this point, after so much energy has been spent dutifully perfecting your work, itâs probably likely that the sentences in your essay are looking less and less like words and more like meaningless drivel on a page.
You might be itching to hand it in so that you can treat yourself to a well-deserved Big Mac Combo and never ever look at The Great Gatsby again in your life.
This is why proofreading is so crucial. When youâve spent a while writing something, itâs really difficult to pick up on the mistakes you may have made during the process.
You may feel attached to certain parts that took you ages to spit out, when really, theyâre unnecessary waffling.
Your mind may have convinced itself that some sentences are elegant masterpieces, but when you get your marks back, you realise they made no sense at all.
We all know too well the shameful feeling of getting an essay back and realising all the obvious errors you failed to pick up on in your frenzied state.
BUT, a great essay riddled with linguistic and grammatical errors will instantly make your ideas seem less valid than they are.
Thatâs why itâs really important to allow yourself time for proofreading, and even better, for reading it over with fresh eyes.
If youâre writing from home â take a break! Go for a walk, get some food, try a guided meditation, watch an episode of GoT, whatever â but come back to the essay later.
Itâs amazing what a short break can do for your detection of mistakes. Even if youâre really strapped for time and youâre pulling an all nighter, go to sleep now and wake-up a bit earlier to proofread.
If youâre writing under pressure in an exam environment, make sure to plan for 5-10 minutes of proofreading. When youâve finished the writing, go to another question or take a very short breather to clear your mind.
One great way to ensure your essay is pristine for hand-in is to run through this mental checklist for each individual sentence of your essay:
- Read the sentence aloud (or at least in your head). Does it make full sense when you hear it?
- Can it stand in isolation and still hold up as a sentence?
- Does it support the point that youâre making, or is it waffling to fill up space?
- Could it be articulated in a clearer way?
- Do the commas, full-stops and speech-marks âflowâ properly when read aloud?
- Does it repeat a point that youâve already made?
- Does it go on for too long? Could it be split into two separate sentences?
- Does it begin with a capital letter? Does it end with correct punctuation?
Next time youâre assigned an essay for an internal or exam, donât put it off until the night before and put yourself through a half-hearted, exhausting, unproductive all nighter.
Bookmark this page, breathe, and walk through the guide step-by-step. You might even enjoy the process.
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How to Write a Killer SAT Essay: An Award-Winning Author's Practical Writing Tips on SAT Essay Prep Paperback â October 15, 2011
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- Print length 174 pages
- Language English
- Publication date October 15, 2011
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- ISBN-10 0578076659
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From the author, from the back cover.
- With Tom's guidelines, pet paragraphs, and transition sentences, writing the SAT essay was a breeze. Before even receiving the topic, I already had general supporting evidence sure to fit any prompt and transition and topic sentences for every paragraph. By making the essay into a universal outline where you can mix and match supporting points, Tom has created an ingenious method for writing an excellent essay in a short period of time, without the stress of trying to figure out structural details! KW, high school student, california
- I'm a grade 11 student from India and have my SAT next month. While searching for tips on acing the SAT essay, I happened to stumble upon a 2 chapter sample of your book, How to Write a Killer SAT Essay in 25 Minutes or Less. Barely 2 pages through the first chapter, I found myself thinking, "Haha. This guy is a genius." By the time I reached the end, I was sold. BK, high school student, India
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How To Write A Killer Text Response
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List of texts referenced* in the ebook:
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The Ultimate Guide to VCE Oral Presentations
September 9, 2020
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1. What is an Oral Presentation? 2. What are you expected to cover? (Oral Presentation Criteria) 3. Choosing your Topic 4. Choosing your Contention 5. Writing your Speech 6. Presenting your Speech 7. Writing the Written Explanation 8. Resources to help you prepare for your Oral Presentation
What is an Oral Presentation?
For many VCE English students, the oral presentation is the scariest part of the course; itâs often also the first.
Doing a speech can indeed be dauntingâ youâre marked in real time, you canât go back and edit mistakes, and the writing part itself is only half the battle. Nonetheless, the Oral SAC can also be one of the more dynamic and engaging tasks you complete in VCE English, and thereâs plenty of ways to make it more interesting and also more manageable for yourself.
Keep reading for a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to succeed in your Oral Presentation. Weâve got you covered- from choosing your topic and contention, to writing and presenting your Speech.
Weâll also be suggesting useful resources, Study Guides and YouTube videos that will provide more detailed information and give you more confidence. Letâs get into it!
What are you expected to cover in an Oral Presentation? (Oral Presentation Rubric)
1. Your Oral Presentation SAC has two components. The first is the Oral Presentation itself (âa point of view presented in oral formâ), and the second is a Written Explanation, also known as a Statement of Intention.
2. Your selected topic needs to be an issue that has appeared in the media since 1 September of the previous year
3. Your aim for this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue youâve selected.
Hereâs the raw version of VCAAâs expectations from you, taken from the VCAA website :
How to choose your Oral Presentation topic
1. select a topic that has appeared in the media since 1 september of the previous year.
This can be time consuming and tricky, especially if you want to choose something a bit more original or fresh.
Firstly, you need an event. An event in the VCE English context is anything that happens which also generates opinionated media coverageâso, itâs not just an event but it has to be an event that people have published opinions about, and they have to have been published since September 1.
You might wonder why we donât go to the issue straight away. Hereâs a hypothetical to illustrate: if you asked me to name an issue, the best I could probably come up with off the top of my head is climate change. However, if you asked me to name an event, Iâd pretty easily recall the Australian bushfiresâsomething much more concrete which a) has generated specific and passionate opinions in the media; and b) can easily be linked to a wider issue such as climate change.
The ABC news archive is also really helpful for finding events since you can pick dates or periods of time and see a good mix of news events from then. Otherwise, Wikipedia has helpful pages of events that happened in specific years in specific countries, so â2023 in Australiaâ might well be a starting point.Â
When you have your event, you can then look for an issue. This will be a specific debate that comes out of the event, and can usually be framed as a âwhether-or-notâ question. The bushfires, for example, might generate debate around whether or not the Australian government is doing enough to combat climate change, whether or not Scott Morrison has fulfilled his duties as Prime Minister.
Most importantly, choose an issue from an event thatâs interesting and important to you. After all, youâre going to be spending the time researching, writing and presenting!
2. Filter out the boring events/issues
Understand who your audience is.
Once you know who your audience is, ask yourself: Does this event and issue relate to my audience?
This question matters because âyour aim of this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue youâve selected.â This means that what you say to your audience and how they respond to your speech matters.
Even if your assessor isnât counting exactly how many people are still listening to your speech at the end, everyone knows a powerful speech when theyâre in the presence of one - it hooks the audience from start to end - and an assessor, consciously or subconsciously, cannot deny that the collective attentiveness of the room has an influence on their marking of your Oral Presentation.
Thatâs why you should choose a topic that your audience can relate to. Also, avoid topics that have too many unfamiliar words, because as soon as thereâs something they donât understand, it becomes much harder for them to follow your speech.
Now you may be asking yourself; what is the best topic for oral presentation?
Here are some example topics from previous years to give you inspiration:
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2014
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2015
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2016
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2017
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2018
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2019
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2020
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2021
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2022
VCE English Oral Presentation Topics 2023
For more detailed information on choosing a topic, read my blog Choosing a WOW topic for your VCE Oral Presentation â
How to choose your oral presentation contention
Once you've chosen an interesting topic and have researched all of its different viewpoints, it's time to formulate your contention.
Often, creating a killer contention is about avoiding some common traps that will make your overall presentation boring, bland and just like the rest of your cohorts'.
So, there are three things I like to AVOID:
1. Broad, Overarching statements
2. A Contention That Is Just Plain Obvious
3. Avoid A Contention That Is Generally Accepted As True In Todayâs Age
For more information on writing a contention, read my blog Creating a Killer Contention for your Oral Presentation â
How to write your speechÂ
1. Have a CAPTIVATING introduction sentence; use a short, clear and powerful sentence.
2. RELATE to your audience so that it keeps them interested so they actually WANT to listen.
3. If you are taking on a persona, firstly study and UNDERSTAND your character.
4. Donât forget your persuasive techniques. I usually use repetition in conjunction with the ârule of threeâ.
5. Remember that you are writing a SPEECH, not an essay. Instil your oral with emotion, varied tone and sentence lengths.
In fact, I've talked about a few of these in a 'Must Dos and Don'ts' video. If you haven't seen it yet, watch below before you read on.
4 tips on presenting your Speech
1. Body Language
Confidence is key. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and, more importantly donât move your legs. Especially if youâre nervous, swaying or shuffling will be noticeable and make you appear more nervousâwhen you practise, pay attention to the lower half of your body and train it to stay still if possible.
That being said, do use your arms for gestures. Those are more natural and will help engage the audience, though donât overdo it eitherâusually, holding cue cards in one hand frees up the other but also stops you from going overboard.
2. Eye contact
Cue cards brings up another important consideration- eye contact. Hold cue cards in one hand as high as you can without it feeling uncomfortable. This means you donât have to take your eyes away from the audience for too long or too noticeably to check your notes.
Eye contact increases your engagement with the audience. It also gives the impression of confidence and that youâve been practicing and know your speech inside and out!
3. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
In a best case scenario, you wonât need to rely on your cue cards as you will have your speech basically memorised! Read your speech aloud and pretend that youâre actually delivering your speech. This means:
- Looking up ahead
- Holding the cue cards in the right spot; and
- Not just reading the words, but speaking as if to an audience
 Itâs extremely helpful to also practice your speech to an actual audience! Practice in front of your family and friends. An alternative is to put a sticker next to your camera and record yourself. The sticker will help indicate where you should create eye contact. Look back at the video and give yourself some feedback, you might be surprised at your presentation!
4. Tone variation
Tone variation involves emphasising certain words, using pauses or slowing down for effect, or modifying volume. Incorporating some of these elements- even writing them into your notes by bolding/italicising/underlining will help you break out of monotony and make the speech more engaging.
Be sure to emphasise emotive language and any evidence you might use to illustrate your arguments. Most importantly, donât speak too quickly!
5 things to keep in mind while writing the written explanation
For oral presentation based written explanations, the VCAA study design requests students write...
"A written statement of intention to accompany the studentâs own oral presentation, articulating the intention of decisions made in the planning process, and how these demonstrate understanding of argument and persuasive language."
Using the topic, 'Why we need to stop crying 'cultural appropriation' when cultural exchange is far more important, âletâs see how this can be done with FLAPC with some examples below:
2. Language
3. Audience
For more information on writing a Written Explanation and a sample FLAPC compiled and rearranged for flow and fluency, read my blog How to Write a Stellar Written Explanation (Statement of Intention) .
Resources to help you prepare for your Oral Presentation
Doing this study all by yourself can be rather daunting, so we've got your back. We specialise in supporting VCE English by creating helpful videos, study guides and eBooks. Here are some just to get your started:
â A Three Part Guide to Nailing Your Oral Presentation
Advice for A+ Oral Presentations
How I Got A+ in My Oral Presentation | Live QnA With Lisa Tran
How To 'Overcome' Your Fear of Public Speaking
Oral Presentations | How To Do Speeches
5 Common Oral Presentation Mistakes
Our How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation Study Guide has all the information you need to succeed in your Oral Presentations. Sample A+ essays and written explanations are also included!
Get our FREE VCEÂ English Text Response mini-guide
Now quite sure how to nail your text response essays? Then download our free mini-guide, where we break down the art of writing the perfect text-response essay into three comprehensive steps. Click below to get your own copy today!
Access a FREE sample of our How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation study guide
Written by Lisa Tran, who achieved FULL marks in her Oral Presentation:
- How to choose, plan and write your oral presentation and written explanation
- A simple, persuasive speech structure that will blow your audience away
- All essays FULLY annotated so you know exactly what you need to do and what not to do
The oral presentation SAC is worth 40% of your unit 4 English mark and is comprised of two sections: your statement of intention, and your oral presentation. It can be difficult to understand what is expected of you, as this SAC definitely varies from your typical English essay! So, if you need help understanding whatâs expected of you, check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations . If youâd like an even more in-depth guide on how to approach this assessment, definitely check out the How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation study guide!
Here, Iâm going to dissect five of the most common mistakes students make during their oral presentation, and gloss over ways in which you can improve your marks for this critical SAC.
1. Writing an Unentertaining Speech
Whilst your other English SACs may require you to write in a formal and sophisticated manner, the oral presentation SAC is the one shining exception! Many students fall into the trap of writing a frankly boring and uninspiring speech that does no justice to their academic ability. Here are some mistakes to watch out for:
Choosing the Wrong Topic
Your school may or may not already give you a list of topics to choose from. However, in the event that you must research your own topic, it is essential that you choose an issue relevant to your current audience. You must adopt a clear contention in your speech.Â
Do not, for example, write a five-minute speech on why one sports team is better than the other, or why murder should be illegal. Choose an issue that you can take a passionate stance on and engage the audience with. Avoid a contention that is obvious and aim to actually persuade your class. Make sure you choose a 'WOW' topic for your VCE Oral Presentation .
â Writing With the Wrong Sense of Tone
This is one of the biggest mistakes students make when writing their oral presentation. I cannot stress this enough â your speech is not a formally written text response! You are presenting your stance on an issue, which means that you are allowed to be passionate and creative. You can educate your audience on the facts without boring them to sleep. Letâs analyse two sample excerpts on the same issue to see why:
Issue: Should the Newstart allowance be increased?
Sample 1: 722,000 Australians are on Newstart. Single people receive approximately $40 a day. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently increased this payment by $2.20 to adjust to price inflation. However, I am arguing that this price should be increased more.
Sample 2: As Australians, we pride ourselves on community values, and supporting one another. Yet, the way in which we treat 722,000 of our most vulnerable people doesnât reflect this. The Australian government recently increased the Newstart payment by $2.20 weekly. But this means that Newstart recipients still live on just over $40 a day. Ask yourself, is that really enough to survive?
Samples 1 and 2 have the same information. Yet, Sample 2 engages with the audience in a much more effective manner. Try to avoid an overly formal tone and speak with passion and interest.
2. Presenting Without Confidence
Presenting in front of your class can be a very daunting experience. However, in order to distinguish yourself from your classmates, you must speak clearly and with confidence. Try to avoid making the following mistakes:
Reading Instead of Talking
Think back to primary school. Remember when your teacher would read you a storybook, and they would put on voices to make the story more engaging and interesting? The same sort of idea applies to your oral presentation. Simply reading a well-written speech will not get you marks. Rather, you should talk to your audience. Make eye contact, maintain good posture, and project your voice. Confidence is key!
Stalling for Time
Iâm sure weâve all been in a situation where we havenât prepared ourselves for a test as well as we should have. The oral presentation SAC is not an assessment that you can simply wing on the day. Oftentimes, poor scores stem from a lack of preparation which can be reflected in the way students present themselves â and stalling for time is a big giveaway. Save yourself the mental stress and prepare for your SAC by writing out your speech beforehand (or even preparing a few dot points/cue cards). I personally find it helpful to practise in front of a mirror or even in front of pets/stuffed toys.
3. Not Distinguishing Yourself From Your Class
If youâre gunning for a good mark, you want to stand out from your class. This can be especially difficult if you are presenting the same topic as one of your peers. Avoid:
Starting in an Uninspiring Way
This is another big mistake students make when presenting. Letâs just estimate that there are approximately 20-25 people in your English class. Now, imagine if every person who presented before you began their speech with:
âGood morning, today Iâll be talking about why Newstart should be increasedâ.
It gets repetitive. You can distinguish yourself by beginning in a myriad of other ways. Hereâs an example of how I started my own oral presentation for my SAC:
Topic: Should we ban sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate?
Imagine you are a foreigner, excited to visit Australia. In your head, youâre picturing our beautiful flora and fauna, our stunning beaches, and the Great Coral Reef. You finally arrive after a long flight, eager to explore the country. Youâre expecting the Great Coral Reef to be boasting colour, to look like all the pictures spotted online. Instead, you find what looks like a wasteland â a reef that has essentially been bleached to death. As Australians, we have to wonder what went wrong. If we really loved and cared for our environment, how could we not be protecting the reef, preventing any further damage? Recently, Hawaii banned sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, reasoning that these chemicals were causing harm to coral. Yet, in Australia, banning sunscreens with these chemicals are seen as drastic and useless measures, which simply isnât true when you look at the facts.Â
This is an example of an âimagined scenarioâ starter. How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation outlines other ways to start your speech with examples! If youâre having trouble figuring out how to start with a BANG, definitely make use of this resource.
No Enthusiasm
I say this to my students regardless of the English SAC that theyâre writing â you want your writing/speech to reflect that you are indeed learning and enjoying your education. Your teacher will be able to tell if you choose a topic that you have no interest in, or if you are simply regurgitating information. Use this SAC to learn about an issue and take interest in your learning. Believe me, your grades will thank you for it.
4. Incorrectly Using Visuals
Whether you are allowed to present with visuals or not is up to your English teacher. However, it is essential that you do not incorrectly use these visuals, as it can cost you marks. Avoid:
Overusing PowerPoint Slides
Iâm a bit old-fashioned myself and honestly prefer presenting a speech with no images. Thatâs not to say that some images canât be a great addition to your piece. However, PowerPoint can quickly steer you away from presenting your topic in an engaging manner.Â
This is an oral presentation with a stance on an issue, not an assessment where you are marked for presenting information to an audience. Therefore, reading off of PowerPoint slides is a big NO.Â
Using Cluttered Infographics
The point of focus of your oral presentation should be on YOU â your words, your stance on the issue. This ties into the PowerPoint criticism I made above, but using a cluttered infographic takes away from your well-written speech. Below is an example of an overly cluttered infographic:
If your speech was on renewable energy, your audience would be detracted from your stance, and too focussed on reading the information from the visual. If you have any key information that needs to be explained, it is better to embed this into your speech than rely on an infographic. â
5. Disregarding the Statement of Intention
If youâve finished writing your speech, you may have let out a big sigh of relief. But donât get too comfortable yet â you still have to write your statement of intention ( SOI ). This piece of writing is supposed to accompany your speech, and itâs worth 25% of your SAC mark. Do not waste all your hard efforts by not taking the SOI seriously.Â
I like to think of an SOI as a language analysis of your own speech. Essentially, you should be explaining your choice of language, tone, and rhetoric, and justifying why that would make a profound impact on the audience. Make sure you understand what an SOI is.
I like thinking of this as a three-step approach:
- Quote my own speechÂ
- Explain why and how my language would impact the audience
- Link back to my overall contention of the issue
â How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation outlines exactly what is expected of you in this section of your SAC. If youâd like to see an annotated A+ statement of intention, be sure to check it out!
I hope that going through these mistakes will help you when writing your own oral presentation! Itâs always best to ask your teacher or English tutor for advice if youâre unsure of where to start. Happy writing!
This blog covers choosing the perfect topic for your next Oral Presentation. To get a better overview of what's expected of you in Oral Presentations, writing up your speech, and speech delivery, check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations.
The following is the LSG criteria that will ensure you find an interesting topic!
Step 1: Select a topic that has appeared in the media since 1 September of the previous year
Getting started on this first part can be tricky, especially if you want to choose something a bit more original or fresh.
In any case, the first thing you need is an event . An event in the VCE English context is anything that happens which also generates opinionated media coverage âso, itâs not just an event but it has to be an event that people have published opinions about, and they have to have been published since September 1.
So where do you find an event? If you canât think of a particularly interesting one right away, you could always try Wikipedia. Seriously, Wikipedia very helpfully has pages of things that happened in specific years in specific countries, so â2019 in Australiaâ might well be a starting point. The ABC news archive is also really helpful since you can pick dates or periods of time and see a good mix of news events from then.
I wouldnât underestimate your own memory here either. Maybe you attended the School Strike for Climate and/or you feel vaguely disappointed in the government. Maybe there was something else happening in the news you remember (even though it is often about the environment these days). It doesnât have to be from the news thoughâmaybe there was a movie or TV show you watched recently that you have thoughts about. You could really do a speech on any of these, as long as you suspect there might be recent, opinionated media coverage .
Only once you have an event should you look for an issue . This will be a specific debate that comes out of the event, and can usually be framed as a âwhether-or-notâ question. The bushfires, for example, might generate debate around whether or not the Australian government is doing enough to combat climate change, whether or not Scott Morrison has fulfilled his duties as Prime Minister, whether or not itâs appropriate to discuss policy already when people are still grieving. All of these issues are going to be more current and more focused than just âclimate changeâ, so pick one that resonates for your speech. In the next couple of sections, Iâll offer you a list of 2019-20 issue-debate breakdowns (i.e. topic ideas!).
Most importantly, choose an event/issue that is interesting for you . Youâre the one whoâs going to deal most intimately with this event/issue - youâll have to research multiple sources, come up with a contention and arguments, write the essay, present the essay - so make it easier for yourself because youâre going to be spending a lot of time completing all these steps. Besides, an inherently interesting topic means that youâll showcase your opinions in an authentic way, which is incredibly important when it comes to presentation time.
Step 2: Filter out the boring events/issues
âYour aim of this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue youâve selected.â Â -The VCAA English Study Design
Next, youâll need use this test to see whether or not your topic will stand up to the test of being âinterestingâ enough for your audience. My first question to you is: who is your audience?
Is it your classroom and teacher? Is it a handful of teachers? If you donât know, stop right now and find out. Only continue to the next question once youâre 100% certain of your audience.
This question matters because âyour aim of this entire Oral Presentation SAC is to persuade your audience to agree with your contention (whatever that may be) based off the issue youâve selected.â This means that what you say to your audience and how they respond to your speech matters . Even if your assessor isnât counting exactly how many people are still listening to your speech at the end, everyone knows a powerful speech when theyâre in the presence of one - it hooks the audience from start to end - and an assessor, consciously or subconsciously, cannot deny that the collective attentiveness of the room has an influence on their marking of your Oral Presentation.
Thatâs why you should choose a topic that your audience can relate to. This is just my personal opinion, but I donât find a speech on the Adani Coalmine (broad issue = climate change) as interesting and engaging as School Strike For The Climate (broad issue = climate change). Thatâs not to say that Iâm for or against the Adani Coal Mine, but I know that if Iâm speaking to a crowd of 17-18 years olds, the School Strike For The Climate would be a better choice because itâs going to hit a lot closer to home (1) (perhaps some of those in your audience - including yourself - have attended one of those strikes).
To extrapolate this idea further, I try to avoid topics that have too many unfamiliar words for my audience. For example, I recall one year when one of my students decided to take a stance on pain medications and that they should be restricted to only over-the-counter in pharmacies. Have I lost you already with the âover-the-counterâ? Yeah, I have no doubt that some of you are unfamiliar with that word (donât stress, I didnât know it either when I was in school). On top of this phrase, she used words like âSchedule Aâ, âPharmaceuticals Benefits Schemeâ, âMedicare rebateâ, âopioids', âsubsidisedâ, and other words that arenât part of the usual vocabulary of her audience. Iâd take heed because in order to captivate the audienceâs attention, they need to understand what youâre talking about. As soon as thereâs something they donât understand, it becomes much harder for them to follow your speech, and before you know it, Sarah, the class sleeper is taking her afternoon snooze and the others are struggling to keep their eyes open! Having said all that, if you have an equivalent jargon-heavy topic like pain medications that really does interest you, then go for it. Just bear in mind that youâll need to explain any new vocabulary during your speech to keep your audienceâs attention.
Keen to learn more? My How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation eBook continues on this same path, covering the next steps in your Oral Presentation journey!
- Access a step-by-step guide on how to write your Oral Presentation with simple, easy-to-follow advice
- Read and analyse sample A+ Oral Presentations with EVERY speech annotated and broken down on HOW and WHY students achieved A+ so you reach your goal
- Learn how to stand out from other students with advice on your speech delivery
Sounds like something that'd help you? I think so too! Access the full eBook by clicking here !
Don't forget to also check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for everything you need to know for Oral Presentations.
There are a plethora of controversial issues in the current Australian media that may be perfect for your 2017 oral presentation! Below are just a few ideas to get you started on your way towards acing that SAC. Remember, pick a topic that youâre passionate and enthusiastic about. Donât forget that there is no ârightâ opinion, however, make sure you offer a distinctive argument, even if it means adopting an alternative point of view. Good luck!
- Should the Australian Government ban the wearing of the burka in public?
- Should the homeless be banned from Melbourneâs CBD? (Robert Doyle proposal)
- Should the Australia Government continue to fund the Safe Schools Coalition?
- Should gay marriage be legalised in Australia?
- Should the date of Australia Day be replaced/changed?
- Treatment of asylum seekers in detention centres (especially women and children)
- Is enough action being taken to diminish the sugar industry propaganda to minimise obesity?
- Should on â site pill testing be mandatory at all public events?
- Cultural insensitivity in Australia
- Is the development of technology and social media encouraging narcissism in young adults?
- Victoriaâs legal system
- Stem cell research
- Is the development of technology and social media encouraging the sexualisation of boys and girls?
- Drug testing and drug control in Australia (Bourke Street attack)
- Fake news being published by researchers to the media
- Should Victoriaâs juvenile justice system be improved by the Government?
- Do students learn as effectively with ebooks compared with traditional, hardcopy books?
- Should security footage of detention centres be released?
- Is Australia becoming an alcohol and sugar driven society?
- Has the notion of privacy been compromised in the 21st century? (internet, technology, terrorism)
Before you start writing your oral presentation, you can't miss our A+ tips that have helped hundreds of students get perfect marks in their SAC. Stand out from others with confidence now .
Introduction
Choosing an Oral Presentation topic can be tough. Finding an idea thatâs unique, relevant and interesting all at once can sometimes feel impossible; but donât worry, this is where we come in! Below is a list of 12 potential Oral Presentation topics for you to draw inspiration from, selected in reference to the VCE assessment criteria .
Remember, this blog is not a resource to give you a finished speech idea , these are just jumping-off points. Plagiarism is very harshly punished in VCE and many other students will currently be reading this very same post, meaning it's up to YOU to figure out how youâll form a unique angle if you pick one of these topics. To help you do this, each section provides an overview of the cultural events that make this topic relevant. Additionally, possible contentions are included, ensuring you can see how arguments about these topics can be effectively made.Â
1. Kanyeâs blow-up - The necessity of the media to stop platforming celebrities spreading harmful ideas
American rapper Kanye West has always been a controversial figure, but since his endorsement of Trump in 2016 heâs seemingly been on a particularly bad downward spiral. His descent into increasingly more extremist right-wing politics has led to the question of whether the news media, detached and neutral as they might claim to be, should even be reporting on him.Â
As of writing (late 2022), Kanyeâs recent appearances on far-right talk shows to voice support for Hitler and question the existence of the Holocaust (which has no doubt been topped by something equally controversial by the time this gets published) pushes this question right to its limit.Â
Events like this are undoubtedly big stories that many people would like to know about, but does reporting on them do more harm than good? Do we realistically all have the self-control to ignore these figures when so much of modern news already revolves around controversy and gossip? Possible Contentions:
- Major media companies should reach an agreement to actively avoid covering celebrity behaviour that spreads dangerous ideas.Â
- News media should make an extra effort to disprove the dangerous ideologies of those they cover, rather than presenting them in a âneutral wayâ.
2. Amber Heard - How online discourse can villainise marginalised groups and encourage âdogpilingâ
A similar celebrity controversy that dominated 2022 headlines was the two-way public defamation lawsuit between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, which involved accusations of abuse on both sides. One of the most notable parts of this case was the online depiction of Heard, on social media platforms such as Facebook and Youtube.Â
Heard emerged as the internetâs new favourite punching bag, with an endless stream of videos and memes where her â allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment â. Crucially, these were made to criticise her in a way that most clearly mirrored historical sexist stereotypes about emotionally manipulative women. You probably came across examples of these yourself, as platforms like Youtube have a history of directing users to this kind of content.Â
As such, key issues were identified in terms of how social media warps online discussions of allegations of abuse. Additionally, like the last topic, the very fact that this legal dispute was publicly broadcast raises questions as to whether the mediaâs focus on this event may have worsened the issue.Â
Possible Contentions:
- Personal legal proceedings between celebrities are not something that should be broadcast to the public.
- The online discussion regarding this trial demonstrates the need for increased regulation of hateful and abusive content on social media platforms.
3. Should Australia be made a republic in the wake of the Queenâs death?
The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September of 2022, among many other things, drew Australia back into a debate it's been having for decades; should we become a republic? This would be a shift from our current state of (effectively) being overseen by the United Kingdom as a âconstitutional parliamentary monarchyâ, with the âhead of stateâ now being an Australian citizen rather than the UK monarch.Â
Although the replacement of the Queen with the new head of state (King Charles III) shouldnât really shift peopleâs perspective on this issue, it most likely will. Queen Elizabeth has been the welcoming and approachable symbol of the monarchy for many Australians. Her death could be the catalyst for a shift in public opinion, severing the connection that many citizens still had to the UK monarchy.Â
This issue can be approached from many different angles, inducing discussion on HOW the process of Australia becoming a republic should occur (especially how the new head of state should be chosen), as well as stepping back and assessing the positives and negatives of making this shift.
- Australiaâs transition to a republic is a necessary step in helping honour the countryâs Indigenous population and rejecting its colonial past
- Australiaâs transition to a republic, although often framed as an act of national unity, will actually worsen the cultural divides within our country.Â
- Although Australia should transition to a republic, the current rise of nationalist politics makes a public election of the new head of state extremely risky.
4. Are NFTs a positive advancement in contemporary technology?Â
Whether or not you understand what it actually means, the phrase âNFTsâ has probably been inescapable on your social media feeds over the last year. Without getting too detailed, these âNon-Fungible Tokensâ are essentially investments into non-replicable representations of artwork , which will (supposedly) increase in value over time.Â
Despite seemingly being an exciting new technology that could have given control back to artists through copyright ownership, NFTs have instead been heavily criticised for commercialising artwork by reducing it to a literal piece of digital currency. Further issues have arisen in terms of how this technology can easily be used to scam people through misrepresenting the value of individual NFTs, or NFT owners simply taking the money and running.
What do you think? All new technology seems shaky and uncertain at the start, and maybe we should recognise that the current negative impacts of NFTs must simply be overcome with time. How do we weigh the benefit this technology has for individual artists against its potential drawbacks?
- For their many flaws, NFTs give the power back to creators and, therefore, need to be improved rather than roundly rejected.Â
- Despite preaching democratisation, NFTs and Bitcoin are both a part of a technological trend that will further increase wealth inequality.
5. How much can Western citizens really do to fight injustice via social media activism?
The effect of the COVID pandemic on developing countries, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and human rights abuses by the nation of Qatar - this year has seen an innumerable number of news stories that would make any reasonable person jump to their phones to see what they could do to help, like signing an online petition or sharing a public post to spread awareness.
However, as you probably know, these forms of social media 'slacktivismâ have historically drawn criticism for their ineffectiveness and self-serving nature. Increasingly though, this debate has become more complicated, moving away from the simplified dismissal of any social media activism that emerged around the turn of the century . Others have rightly pointed out that many influential contemporary social movements, that have had real-world impacts, did emerge from social media, such as the BLM and #MeToo movements.Â
As such, thereâs a lot of room for different arguments here regarding whether a critical perspective of âsocial media slacktivismâ has become outdated in a world that is increasingly unavoidably based on the internet.
Possible Contentions:Â
- Social media activism is unavoidably the way that young people are going to engage with political issues, and a rejection of it is naive and impractical.Â
- Political activism should distance itself from the online world if it wants to make real-world change that doesnât fit neatly under existing power structures.
6. Is the overload of various media streaming service subscriptions sustainable?
âStreaming fatigueâ has emerged as a 2023 talking point that may have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. Remember when we just had Netflix offering us a new way of consuming film and TV that was both more convenient and cost-effective than âpay TVâ packages (which were often heavily inflated in price and packed with unwanted channels )?
However, as we move into 2023, many have argued that the current subscription landscape now mirrors the previous pay-TV model. Consumers once again find themselves having to pay for an increasingly large amount of services if they want to conveniently access their film and TV shows. Predictably, this has seen a re-emergence of video piracy .Â
Does this mean that it's fundamentally impossible for us to access our media as conveniently as weâd like to, and the years of Netflix being the only streaming service that had all we wanted were never sustainable? Or maybe corporations are unfairly squeezing every dollar they can out of us, and piracy is a fair and just consumer response? Â
- Through offering convenience that is unparalleled by any other previous technology, streaming services are still worth the cost.Â
- Consumers should actively engage in digital piracy until media corporations create a more affordable streaming environment.
7. Is a post-COVID work-at-home model healthy for the next generation of workers?
Although 2020 and 2021 may be remembered as the âyears of COVIDâ, 2022 onwards is perhaps when we will see which long-term impacts of the pandemic continue to stick around. Aside from the permanent placement of public hand sanitiser stations, working from home has emerged as one of the most prominent main-stays from our lockdown years.Â
Is this something that we should embrace? A lot was said during the lockdown about the mental health effects of being deprived of human connection; is this something we should just forget about when it comes to work? As with many of these issues, the question arises as to whether this shift is an inevitable effect of technological advancement, which we can either accept or fruitlessly battle until it becomes the new normal.Â
However, the fact that this âwork from homeâ dynamic only emerged due to a pandemic complicates this idea, making it possible that we may have accidentally all become accustomed to a new economic model of work that we would be better off without.Â
Possible Contentions: Â
- We must actively push back against the âwork from homeâ model; if we donât, we will suffer both mentally and financially into the future. Â
- Working from home is a win-win; it's more convenient and cost-effective for both employer and employee.
8. How can gentrified and aestheticised versions of social movements be avoided?
I wonder whether you saw the Indigenous name for Victoriaâs capital city (Naarm) appear more frequently on your social media feeds this year, with people adding it to their Instagram bios or referring to it on TikTok? What started as a conscious choice to respectfully refer to the city by its original Indigenous name quickly became criticised as a trendy aesthetic for outwardly progressive white Victorians, with terms like ânaarm-coreâ becoming short-hand for a specific kind of trendy fashion that was â devoid of any ties to First Nations people â.Â
âNaarm-coreâ, therefore, stands as another example of a movement that may have started with admirable aims, but was drowned out by those who just wanted the social benefits of participating in progressive politics. Think of the recent similar debates about ârainbow capitalismâ, with similar criticisms being made of brands that co-opt progressive concepts like LGBQTI+ identity purely for social (and financial) capital. The question naturally emerges as to how we can avoid this for future political movements.Â
Or maybe you disagree with all these critiques? Political discussion moves so fast these days that it can feel like people are in such a rush to criticise things that they miss actual progress being made. After all, the use of the term âNaarmâ to refer to Melbourne was undeniably popularised on the back of this trend.Â
â Possible Contentions:Â
- The criticism of political movements that deal with race being tokenised by white people can only be solved by allowing people of colour at the centre of these movements.
- People are too cynical about social movements and trends; virality and popularity, despite âinauthentic intentionsâ, often do more good than harm.Â
9. How can the highly polarised discussion concerning COVID vaccines become more productive?
Another thing you may have witnessed from living in a post-COVID world is an increase in how divided simple issues seem to make us. Ever tried to convince a relative or friend that, no, in fact, vaccines are not designed to implant us with microchips - seems impossible right?Â
For many people, the pandemic was a tipping point into full-blown conspiracy communities, meaning people are increasingly able to exist within their own social-media realities that donât need to be bound to scientific truth or objective fact. This all creates a division between those with different beliefs that is somehow wider than before, where we canât even agree on simple statements of truth.Â
The debate around what to do about this deals with questions of human psychology, social media (again), but also freedom of speech. Should spreading (potentially dangerous) false information that conflicts with scientific consensus be allowed on social media? Most importantly, how do we encourage actual communication between different sides?
Possible contentions:
- Talking in person is the only way for people with vastly different beliefs to find common ground.
- Those spreading dishonest and dangerous conspiracy theories about public health cannot be reasoned with, and need to be actively shut down wherever they appear.
10. With the infamous Oscar slap, what âconsequencesâ should comedians and satirists face for what they say?
Hereâs a news story that youâre probably tired of hearing about! Actor Will Smithâs act of violence against Oscar host and comedian Chris Rock for a joke about his wifeâs alopecia (hair loss) caused many different conversations to happen at once; about toxic masculinity, celebrity culture, violence as a spectacle. These are all totally valid angles for your Oral Presentation, but letâs focus on maybe the most common debate; did Chris Rock deserve this? Â
Functioning as a comedian hosting an awards night, Rockâs job was to poke fun at everyone participating, and these sorts of roles have often involved controversial comments and jokes . Does this mean they have immunity from any consequences for their words though? What should these consequences look like? And, if we excuse smaller acts of violence, what does that normalise?Â
The 2015 terrorist shooting of the staff of satirical French magazine âCharlie Hebdoâ for their depiction of the Islamic prophet may seem a world away from Will Smithâs slap, but some may argue that this is the logical end-point for a world that believes physical violence is the way to deal with jokes people donât like.Â
- The idea of comedians actually being threatened by violence is overblown; the slap was an isolated incident.
- Protecting the safety of those who make controversial jokes is paramount to maintaining freedom of speech.
11. With Optus and Telstraâs recent data breaches, is placing all our valuable personal information in virtual spaces sustainably safe?Â
This year saw a record-level data breach from one of Australiaâs leading telecommunications companies, Optus. The personal details of almost 10 million customers were given to the hackers.Â
Then, two weeks later, a similar data breach happened at Telstra. Yes, this time, no customer information was leaked, but information on the companyâs employees was again released.Â
All of this may disturb the image we all have in our heads of online databases as relatively unbreachable, locked away behind thousands of firewalls somewhere in the cloud. In fact, much of modern society operates on this assumption. Maybe youâve added your credit card details to your Chrome tab because it makes online purchases easier? This convenience comes with the implicit assumption that online personal info is pretty much always safe when protected by a big tech company, but these events arguably prove otherwise. Â
Cyberattacks are â increasing as a threat â, yet danger for the sake of convenience is something that all of us deal with. Maybe you think there are degrees to this; should we draw a line at information that can cause us legitimate harm if given to a malicious party? Â
- Our society is already too technologically dependent to try and âgo offlineâ for the sake of data safety.
- Valuables of any kind are always going to run the risk of being stolen, and digital piracy is no different.
12. What is the role of Western countries in resisting the unlawful Russian invasion of Ukraine?
As already mentioned, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was one of the biggest news stories of 2022. Putinâs unlawful decision to attack the countryâs capital in February of 2022 has left more than 10,000 people dead and millions displaced from their homes. Virtually all world leaders condemned this act immediately. Yet, almost a year later, the war continues, and documented war crimes occur on Ukrainian soil.
Thinking larger than just social media, the question of what can actually be done to help by the countries who condemn this war has naturally emerged. Many nations have supported Ukraine financially, including the US giving nearly $20 billion . Some may argue that this is not nearly far enough, and that all world powers have a responsibility to wage direct war against Russia in support of Ukraine. Naturally though, many are strongly against Western intervention in this form, believing that countries like the US should not see themselves as all-knowing powers that can intervene in other nations based on their ideological beliefs.Â
â Possible Contentions:
- Any attempt to guilt individual citizens about their need to âdo something about Ukraineâ is completely unfair; the responsibility for any meaningful action is entirely on the government.
- The West, particularly the US, has a long history of militarily invading smaller nations for their own purposes; their condemnation of the Russians is hypocritical.
If you havenât already done so, check out our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for some general tips and tricks to get you started!
Written by Milo Burgner
Can you believe itâs already 2021? To kick off the year in VCE English, youâll probably be working on your Oral Presentation sometime soon. The past year has flown by, but so much has happened in that year - there are plenty of juicy and controversial topics to get stuck into for your SAC.
Each heading below represents a broad topic and each subheading under it takes you into more specific debates. A more precise topic can make your speech more engaging and current, so feel free to pick a broad issue that resonates with you but donât forget to zoom in on more specific questions too.
If you havenât already, check out our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for some general tips and tricks to get you started!
1. Working From Home
ICYMI, thereâs been this global pandemic going around for about a year now. Itâll probably come up in a few speeches this year, but letâs work through some more specific ways of using it in yours.
First up is working from home. In 2020, a lot of people spent a lot of time working from home - but this hasnât been possible for everyone, meaning that it could be worsening certain forms of inequality. âEssential workersâ like supermarket clerks and delivery drivers have not been able to work from home, which might put them at a disadvantage when it comes to the flexibility or even the conditions of their work. Conversely, a â tax on remote workers â has been proposed which would see people pay a 5% tax if they chose to work from home instead.
Is working from home all that itâs chalked up to be? Is it a positive sign of flexibility, or a widening gap between the manual working class and white-collar professionals? What can we learn about working from home now that we can apply to the future? Is it the environmentally responsible thing to do?
The hidden impact of the coronavirus pandemic is rising urban inequality â 26/11/2020 â Rebound in carbon emissions expected in 2021 after fall caused by Covid â 11/12/2020
- All workplaces, especially those with essential manual or physical labour, should provide paid health and safety training to staff who are for example more at risk of disease
- A working from home tax is a bad idea - it encourages people to commute and pollute. We should look to ways of promoting flexibility and sustainability instead
- Casual workers in manual professions should be given paid sick leave and other entitlements to make their jobs as flexible as remote office workers
2. Education
You mightâve spent 2020 learning from home too. Everything happened pretty quickly right at the start of the year, but as the months wore on it became clearer that some students were adjusting better than others. In particular, â digital exclusion â became a big problem for many students around the country. Inequality is once again a big theme: access to the internet and other technology is vastly uneven, and students who were already dealing with things like mental ill-health were set further back by remote learning. Even though the Victorian government applied special considerations to all Year 12 students in 2020, this is far from a long-term fix.
What can be done about the education system to make it fairer, or even just to make it work better for you? Is it an issue with technology, or are there underlying problems around, say, mental health and wellbeing? Maybe itâs time to axe the ATAR system - would a new scoring system solve these problems?
Coronavirus kept Victorian students out of class. This is what we know about long-term effects of school closures â 21/09/2020 â Government must address barriers to education in rural and remote areas, inquiry finds â 12/11/2020 â The ATAR Benefits No-One: Reflections of a âHigh-Achieverâ â 02/11/2020 (yes this is a shameless plug for my own piece)
Possible Contentions :Â
- The government should supply public schools with tech for every student, including iPads and broadband devices
- The government should implement a needs-based approach to technology in schools
- Schools need engagement staff as well as teaching staff: COVID-19 has shown just how easy it is for students to disconnect
- Replace the ATAR with something that measures skills and interests, rather than just results
The Climate Crisis
1. the paris agreement.
The Paris Agreement is an international agreement that was signed a little over five years ago. It binds every country to a commitment of carbon neutrality by 2050 - this means that everyone will be taking as much CO2 out of the atmosphere as we emit. Part of the Agreement is that countries have to commit to new, increasingly ambitious plans every five years, and this deadline has just passed.
How did we do, you might ask. While the mid-century goal still stands, the five-year increment isnât looking fantastic - most countries , including Australia , havenât strengthened their climate targets. The Prime Minister was even snubbed out of a speaking slot at a UN climate summit, some suggest because of his inaction on climate. None of this has really snatched headlines though.
Is this something that youâve been following? If not, is it a problem that this news isnât really getting out there? What can Australia do better with regard to the climate crisis?
The Paris agreement five years on: is it strong enough to avert climate catastrophe? â 08/12/2020 â The Paris Agreement 5 years on: big coal exporters like Australia face a reckoning â 14/12/2020 â Australia records fourth hottest year as it risks being isolated globally on climate change â 05/01/2021
- Australia needs to be proactive on the Paris Agreement, rather than doing the bare minimum
- Australia needs to transition away from coal
- Our countryâs lack of climate action is a great source of shame, particularly for young Australians who want a better future
- The Australian media should take the climate crisis more seriously
2. Environmental Racism
One aspect of the climate crisis weâre starting to talk about more now is environmental racism. The term started in the US , where it was used to describe the disproportionate impacts of environmental problems like pollution on working class people of colour. That doesnât mean it doesnât apply in Australia though - earlier in 2020 , a sacred Aboriginal site was blasted by Rio Tinto in order to expand a mine. Now, taxpayer money is being set aside for fracking in the Northern Territory. This will have an adverse impact on not only the climate, but also the local water quality on which First Nations communities depend.
What can be done about environmental racism? Is it about making changes in government, or about activism from outside the halls of power? If environmental racism is the problem, is there a solution that can tackle both problems at once? Is it even accurate to refer to them as two separate problems?
The young Indigenous woman fighting fracking in remote NT â 11/11/2020 â $50 Million Hand-Out to Northern Territory Frackers â 17/12/2020 â Fighting not just to survive, but to flourish â 21/12/2020 â Making sense of Australiaâs climate exceptionalism â 01/01/2021
- Indigenous land rights is not just a social movement: it could help us avoid environmental disaster as well
- Politicians are too reliant on fossil fuel companies: we need more grassroots activism around climate justice
- Fracking is dangerous, its impacts disproportionately affect BIPOC communities and as such it should be banned
3. A Carbon Price?
This topic was kind of on our 2020 topic list , but the debate around climate action has changed a little bit since. A carbon price would make the atmosphere a commodity basically - corporations would have to pay in order to pollute.
But maybe thatâs still giving them too much power? If you can just pay your way out of environmental responsibility, whoâs to stop you from polluting? Maybe there isnât a capitalistic or free-market solution to carbon emissions - maybe we need to rethink our entire relationship with land and country. What can and should Australia learn from its First People in this regard?
Australiaâs plants and animals have long been used without Indigenous consent. Now Queensland has taken a stand â 16/09/2020 â âAs an Australian it will affect you. Itâs your land as wellâ: Indigenous tourismâs new online travel agency â 03/12/2020 â What is cultural burning? â 31/12/2020 â The barriers to a carbon fee and dividend policy â 07/01/2021
- A carbon price is still necessary, but itâs a stepping stone in a larger conversation
- Putting a price on excessive pollution isnât the same as creating laws to prevent it: as such, it is no longer enough
1. First Nations Justice
You might recall the huge impact that George Floydâs death had on conversations about race around the world. Though this erupted in a wave of furore last June, the conversation has been shifting ever since. In Australia, weâve been grappling in particular with First Nations justice. While the Prime Minister âs made attempts to unify the country through certain words and gestures, First Nations leaders such as Lidia Thorpe , the first Indigenous senator from Victoria, have been calling for something more substantive. In the meantime, police brutality against First Nations people continues.
Where to from here? What does the future of First Nations justice look like in Australia, and what is the role of leaders like Ms Thorpe? Where do non-Aboriginal folks fit into this? What could we do better?
Lidia Thorpe: Victoria's first Aboriginal senator urges end to deaths in custody and mass incarceration â 09/09/2020 â âWe have the fight in usâ: Lidia Thorpeâs incredible journey to historic place in the Victorian Senate â 23/09/2020 â 'Unfinished business': Senator Lidia Thorpe on fighting for Treaty for Indigenous Australians â 10/12/2020 â Can we breathe? â 31/12/2020
- Reconciliation is an outdated term; it implies two parties are coming together as equals, when history would tell us otherwise
- Lidia Thorpeâs election is the first step in a longer journey towards representation, truth-telling and self-determination
- Even after the #BlackLivesMatter movement in 2020, we still a long way to go with anti-racism
- Australia is far from a multicultural utopia: we need to learn to treat politicians like Lidia Thorpe with more respect
2. Refugees
In 2019, the âmedevacâ bill allowed refugees to be brought to mainland Australia for medical care. That bill has since been repealed, but it did allow some refugees to leave their detention centres and receive medical treatment. 60 of them have now been detained in various Melbourne hotels for over a year now. In December, they were moved to a former COVID-19 quarantine hotel, where they will continue to be isolated and detained.
What injustices (plural) are going on here? Did medevac force us to confront our out-of-sight-out-of-mind asylum seeker policy? And if this isnât the impetus we need to shut offshore detention once and for all, what exactly will it take?
The Mantra 60 should be freed from torture. Hereâs why the Coalition wonât do it â 15/12/2020 â Former mayor among protesters arrested as police escort refugees and asylum seekers to new Melbourne hotel â 17/12/2020 â Refugees and asylum seekers moved from Mantra hotel in Melbourne â 17/12/2020 â âWe are human, we are not animalsâ: Mantra refugees transferred to another hotel â 17/12/2020
- Bring back medevac: it was a bare minimum policy to begin with, and itâs unconscionable that it would be repealed, thereby denying sick people healthcare
- Australiaâs refugee policy is as lazy as it is harmful: something needs to change
- The hotel industry is profiting off detention and we should consider boycotting chains like Mantra
3. COVID-Related Racism
This couldâve gone in the first section, but it poses important questions about ongoing and future race relations in Australia. During 2020, Asian Australians and particularly those with Chinese heritage experienced a sharp increase in racially-provoked harassment. Towards the end of the year, Chinese Australians were asked in a Senate committee hearing to condemn the Chinese Communist Party, which many have described as race-baiting. Many Australians with Chinese heritage have no relation to the Chinese government, so itâs jarring that theyâd be called upon to give an opinion like this.
How does race still impact civic life in Australia? If youâre Australian, should you be expected to have opinions about or deny loyalties to foreign governments? Does it matter what race you are, and if so, how is that problematic?
Chinese Australians say questions from Senator Eric Abetz about their loyalties are not asked of other communities â 15/10/2020 â Eric Abetz refuses to apologise for demanding Chinese-Australians denounce Communist party â 16/10/2020 â More than eight in 10 Asian Australians report discrimination during coronavirus pandemic â 02/11/2020 â Too many men in pin-striped suits â 10/12/2020 (this is an interesting one that also touches on gender and class in civic life)
- Politicians are increasingly out of touch with Australiaâs diverse communities because they are just so overwhelmingly undiverse
- Again, Australia is not a multicultural utopia. When times get tough, the racism really jumps out
- Australians are yet to confront the reality that there are Chinese Australians (which sounds like a joke, but based on these articles isnât really a joke) - their behaviour continues to âotherâ people who actually really are Australian, telling them they somehow donât belong
- More people of colour should run for public office; this starts with civic empowerment in schools
1. Representation
As it turns out, journalism isnât a very diverse profession. When issues about disability come up, for example, theyâre often covered by abled journalists in a âpity partyâ or âinspiration pornâ manner. When issues about race come up, itâs also often white people who cover them, usually with racist undertones as well. We started seeing a bit of this in 2020: the stories that kept coming up about people breaking COVID restrictions were often targeting minorities - their names and faces would be splashed across newspaper front pages, while their white counterparts were afforded privacy and forgiven for making a mistake.
How fair is the media landscape towards people from minority backgrounds? What different forms might racism and ableism take in the media, and how can we overcome them? Is it as simple as allowing disabled people to tell their own stories, for example?
Muslims, Chinese Australians and Indigenous people most targeted in racist media coverage â 11/11/2020 â âDouble standardâ: Experts weigh in on publicly shaming only certain COVID rule-breakers â 22/12/2020
- The media landscape isnât fair towards minorities: stereotypes can be subtle but persistent
- Journalism schools should create more scholarships for diverse applicants
- Australian media should adopt a code of ethics around representation of minorities
This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but young people are also one of the groups that are likely to be underrepresented in the media. A report from the Foundation for Young Australians found that there were not only less stories about young people in the media in 2020, but barely half of them actually quoted a young person.
Again, we return to questions around representation - does the media have an ethical obligation to let young people tell their own stories? How much do you, as a young person, trust the media to accurately depict you? What can be done about this?
Young People Have Been Pretty Much Ignored By The Media During COVID â 28/10/2020 â Research Report: mainstream media either ignores young Australians or castigates them â 21/12/2020
- Young people can no longer trust the media, and this is detrimental to civic society
- There needs to be a national youth broadcaster, kind of like the ABC, run by young people for young people
Remember Kevin Rudd? The former Prime Minister has been making waves recently for starting a parliamentary petition for a royal commission into media diversity. The petition was signed by a record 501,876 people, and it looks like the commission - a bit like a government inquiry - will go ahead. The âmedia diversityâ in question isnât about race or disability though - itâs more about media ownership. In Australia, Rupert Murdoch owns almost two-thirds of metropolitan media circulation. Heâs also a climate sceptic , which means a large chunk of his media output is also climate-sceptic.
What is the role of media in democracy, and can it still fulfill that role if one person gets to own so much of it? What are some ways Murdoch has used his influence, and what have been the consequences for the Australian people? What should the royal commission look to now achieve?
Petition calling for media royal commission and setting Australian record tabled in Parliament â 09/11/2020 â Rudd and Turnbull will be called to give evidence at Senate inquiry into media diversity â 11/11/2020 Â
- Because the media holds government to account in the eyes of the people, one person owning this much of the media gives them too much power
- Australiaâs climate inaction is a direct result of Murdochâs media empire, and we need to break it apart to get honest debate and coverage
Pop Culture
In December 2020, the Australian singer Sia was caught in a bit of Twitter beef. She defended casting Maddie Ziegler, an abled actress, in a disabled role for her upcoming film. Disability justice activists argued that autistic people should be able to portray themselves, and that roles for autistic people should be written by them as well. Sia later admitted this was âableismâ, but didnât back down on her decision.
What is the appropriate way for celebrities and creatives to approach representation? Without debating anyoneâs actual identity, how can the film industry do better here?
Sia opens up about lashing out on Twitter to defend her new film â 19/12/2020Â
- Abled people shouldnât write roles for disabled people, nor should they play these roles; if a disabled person canât play the role, then it isnât appropriate in the first place
- Cancel culture isnât a thing, given how comfortable Sia feels admitting to ableism and then committing to her decision anyway
- We shouldnât cancel people, but we still need new ways to really hold them to account: otherwise, they can still get away with discrimination
The Grammy Awards have been oft-criticised for racial biases, including once again in this year âs coming ceremony. Black artists like Beyonce are often relegated to subcategories like R&B and rap - of her 24 Grammy Awards, only one was awarded in a major category (Best Music Video in 2017 for âFormationâ). Meanwhile, she was arguably snubbed for Album of the Year wins in both 2017 (Adele won) and 2015 (Beck won). Now though, the Grammys are hoping to #ChangeMusic and acknowledge the contributions of Black artists to the industry.Â
What should this look like? Are award wins all it will take? Is a change for the future enough to fix wrongs of the past? Maybe awards arenât even that important - is cultural impact what really matters?
#ChangeMusic Roadmap aims to redress racism in music industry â 17/12/2020Â
- The cultural impact of Bla(c)k artists canât be measured through awards
- Awards are a necessary first step to acknowledging Bla(c)k talent in the music industry
- Radios stations should make more of an effort to diversify their sets, particularly when local BIPOC talent in Australia is at an all-time high (think Thelma Plum, Sampa the Great etc.)
Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for more advice on how to write your speech, presentation tips and more. Or, if you really want to dive in further to make sure you absolutely nail your Oral, then you'll definitely want to check out our How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation ebook - it explores essay structure, the written explanation and even has sample A+ essays so that you can learn from past students who have succeeded in VCE!!
- What is a Written Explanation?
- Creative Response-Based Written Explanations
- Oral Presentation-Based Written Explanations
1. What is a Written Explanation?
Written Explanation (also known as Statement of Intention, SOE, and various other names throughout different schools) is a short introductory piece to your essay. The Written Explanation is intended to explore the reasons behind why you made particular writing decisions. This is done via FLAPC:
F orm, L anguage, A udience, P urpose, C ontext
2. Creative Response-Based Written Explanations
The following is taken from the VCAA study design for Creative Response-Based Written Explanations:
'a written explanation of creative decisions and how these demonstrate understanding of the text.'
Most assessors are quite lenient with how you want to approach the Written Explanation â there is no rigid structure that you need to abide by. As we will discuss below, this allows you to consider which aspects of form, language, audience, purpose and context you wish to include. Each of the points should establish why you have written your piece. They are considered as part of your SAC and thus, are marked accordingly. They are not  examinable during the English exam.Â
There are traditionally three forms of writing accepted in assessments: expository, creative or persuasive essay.Â
âI chose to write in an expository style, employing conventions of format and style of a traditional essay. This allows me to express my ideas in a logical order while adopting a sophisticated tone.â
When writing, you choose particular words and phrases to illustrate your ideas. Think about what type of language have you used and why. Perhaps your piece is formal or informal, sophisticated or simple, or from a first or third person perspective. All these factors are important in shaping your Context piece. Also consider language techniques you may have incorporated such as repetition, rhetorical questions, metaphors, symbolism and more.
âI have chosen to write from a first person perspective to shed light on the inner workings of Gardiner from The Lieutenant .'
You must select a targeted audience for your essay. Your choice can be adults to young children, or even to your future self. Make sure your target audience is suitable for your essay â select a group that would realistically be interested in your work.
âMy piece is to be published in an anthology for those who have had difficulty assimilating into a new group or culture. As they have familiarity with the concepts I discuss, I intend for readers to depart with a greater understanding and appreciation of the ideas in my written piece.â
The purpose section is where you discuss the message you would like to send to your audience. Here you discuss your contention or arguments; whether you completely agree, disagree or a bit of both in regards to your prompt.
âThe purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that there can be different outcomes from encountering conflict: firstly, that conflicts can change many people through growth in understanding or a sense of self-development and secondly, that there are times when people remain unaffected by conflict and thus, unchanged.â
Since your essay is based on your studied text, you should provide a brief discussion of the basic ideas behind the Context . You can do this prior to your Purpose  section since it is a good lead-in.
âIn this essay, I explored the idea that âConflict inevitably changes peopleâ; a concept heavily explored in The Lieutenant . Every person encounters conflict. It drives individuals to challenge themselves, and deal with new experiences.'
Different schools will set different word limits for Written Explanations. These can range from 300Â â 350 words based on the VCAA study design. With such a small word limit, be succinct and choose wisely what you will discuss in order to score the maximum marks allocated to Written Explanations.
3. Oral Presentation-Based Written Explanations
The VCAA study design requests students write:
'a written statement of intention to accompany the studentâs own oral presentation, articulating the intention of decisions made in the planning process, and how these demonstrate understanding of argument and persuasive language.'
Using the topic, 'Why we need to stop crying "cultural appropriation" when cultural exchange  is far more important ', let's see how this can be done with FLAPC with some examples below (if you need help selecting a topic, check out our 2020 Oral Presentation topics to get those brain juices flowing ):
âI chose to adopt the conventions of a persuasive speech, where I use a structure of presenting my main ideas by rebutting arguments made by the opposition. Throughout my speech, I embed persuasive tactics in an effort to firstly, encourage engagement from the audience and secondly, sway them to readily accept my point of view.
âSince I am an Asian-Australian, I have purposefully forgone the opportunity to adopt a persona and instead, have chosen to write from a first person perspective as I can uniquely shed light on my own experiences towards cultural exchange and how that has directly impacted me. My speech heavily focuses on delivering tangible examples, such as anecdotes and social media usage, as I aim to heighten the topicâs relevancy and relatability for my audience. Moreover, as my focus is to reinforce positive attitudes towards cultural exchange, I have adopted a light-hearted approach with humour through the first portion of my speech, then moving into an urgent tone towards the end to highlight the importance of this issue.'
'I have opted to target young Australian adults since we are the generation of the future, and have a major role to play in positively shaping the Australian societyâs views and attitudes towards cultural exchange.
'I aim to convince my audience that it is too easy to cry 'cultural appropriation' by being overly sensitive, and instead, we need to consider the benefits of cultural exchange. Cultural exchange itself, has shaped the world as we know it today â it has an important role in globalisation, understanding foreign cultures and the development of Australian society.'
'Australia is known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. However, recent media has drawn attention to cries of 'cultural appropriation' towards Indigenous Australians and other cultures, claiming that we fail to appreciate and respect cultural values when we take others' culture for our own (whether it be fashion, music, food or otherwise).'
â Sample FLAPC compiled and rearranged for flow and fluency:
Australia is known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. However, recent media has drawn attention to cries of 'cultural appropriation' towards Indigenous Australians and other cultures, claiming that we fail to appreciate and respect cultural values when we take others' culture for our own (whether it be fashion, music, food or otherwise). I aim to convince my audience that it is too easy to cry 'cultural appropriation' by being overly sensitive, and instead, we need to consider the benefits of cultural exchange. Cultural exchange itself, has shaped the world as we know it today â it has an important role in globalisation, understanding foreign cultures and the development of Australian society. I chose to adopt the conventions of a persuasive speech, where I use a structure of presenting my main ideas by rebutting arguments made by the opposition. Throughout my speech, I embed persuasive tactics in an effort to firstly, encourage engagement from the audience and secondly, sway them to readily accept my point of view. Since I am an Asian-Australian, I have purposefully forgone the opportunity to adopt a persona and instead, have chosen to write from a first person perspective as I can uniquely shed light on my own experiences towards cultural exchange and how that has directly impacted me. This also has an additional persuasive effect as I invite my audience to relate to my opinions through their own similar experiences as young Australian adults. I have opted to target this audience since we are the generation of the future, and have a major role to play in positively shaping the Australian societyâs views and attitudes towards cultural exchange. My speech heavily focuses on delivering tangible examples, such as anecdotes and social media usage, as I aim to heighten the topicâs relevance and relatability for my audience. Moreover, as my focus is to reinforce positive attitudes towards cultural exchange, I have adopted a light-hearted approach with humour through the first portion of my speech, then moving into an urgent tone towards the end to highlight the importance of this issue.
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Need more help with your Creative Response? Check out How To Achieve A+ in Creative Writing (Reading and Creating)!
See how Lisa achieved full marks in her SAC in her Advice for A+ Oral Presentations guide.
For a detailed guide on Language Analysis, what you're expected to cover, how to prepare for your SAC and Exam and more, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Language Analysis .
â [Modified Video Transcription]
Today we're going to go through the 2019 past VCAA English Exam ( grab a copy of the exam here so you can analyse with me). As you probably know, if you've watched my videos before, you always want to make sure you read the background information when it comes to Analysing Argument.Â
I'm going to use Analysing Argument and Language Analysis interchangeably by the way, but I'm talking about the same thing okay?Â
Background Information
The background information is pretty important because it gives you context for what is happening in this article. Without reading the background information, you might just head in there and possibly even come up with an entirely different context altogether, which might screw over your actual analysis and the author's intention. So, never skip the background information. Make sure that you read it and also pick out the gems that you find in it.Â
What I've always found is background information is great for picking keywords - words I might want to use throughout my own Language Analysis. It also has really good details about the article. In this case, you can see that there's a member of the public who has responded, which tells us a little bit about the author; it's a 'response' as well, so there's going to be two articles; it's an advertorial - an advertorial is a paid advertisement that looks like an article (I'll use the word advertorial as I'm describing the article in my introduction), and, I also know where it's been published. This is already really good information for you to start using in your introduction.Â
Finding Your Own Interpretation
Let's move into the analysis itself. By the way, this is my first time doing this analysis, so we're doing it together. What you'll find is that I come up with particular interpretations that you might not have come up with. I might miss something, you might miss something, and what you'll find is my interpretation is not the only interpretation out there. If you come up with something else, it's totally fine for you to go ahead and analyse it, as long as you can back it up. This is what English is all about, so don't stress if I haven't matched up with you in exactly what I'm saying. You can also use my interpretation as a double interpretation. So, what you could do is go into your essay, write your interpretation and if mine compounds on top of yours pretty well, if it's a great addition to what you're saying, add it in and bam! You're showing your examiner that, you're somebody who can look at one particular technique from several different perspectives and that's kind of cool.
Moving on to the Analysis
So, 'A Better, Faster Shopping Experience'. From what I can already see here is there's this sense of convenience already being brought up. Now, at this point in time, I don't know what the point of that convenience is, but I know for me as a shopper, if I can get something for a better experience and I can get it done faster, then hells yeah, I am all for that. Think about yourself in the reader's shoes, after all, you really are the reader reading this article. Think about how it's starting to impact you.Â
I've done a video about the TEE rule previously that goes through T echnique, E xample and the intended E ffect on the audience. Make sure you're familiar with that because I will use a lot of that in today's analysis.
'An open letter to our valued customers. As you know, Hailey's Local Store is not your average grocery store.' Â
Interesting. The 'As you know' is pretty familiar. It's this familiarity that this person is sharing with us (the author's name is Hailey, so I'll just say Hailey). She says 'As you know, Hailey's Local Store is not your average grocery store' and repeating that familiar 'As you know' reminds the audience - us - of our long-term relationship with the store. So, in a sense, she's drawing upon our good will and our trust in the local shop, which creates this differentiation between herself (as somebody who's more proactive and customer-centric) and your bigger grocery stores.Â
'We're a little bit different - we always put our customers first.'Â
At this point, we start to feel valued. We know that we are her priority. Her priority isn't about profits, which a lot of stores are about, it's about the people, and as a result, we're more inclined to look at her in a favourable way.
'We offer lots of healthy meals, many specials, locally source food and, as you know, we abolished plastic carry bags four years ago - long before the big stores.' Â
This whole sentence is pretty good because it shows us that she is somebody who is forward-thinking and she has actually carried through with her claim that she puts her customer first. We know that because she follows it up with:
'Why did we do those things? Because you told us that was what you wanted and needed.'Â
She's got historical proof of putting customers first, which again, serves to build this rapport and relationship between Hailey and us as her customers.
If I look at the first paragraph as a whole, I see that she's building this up, she's setting this up in a particular way and whatever direction she's going to head in next, we're more inclined to follow her, to believe in her and to support her because she's shown us that she has supported us first. She's helped us out, so why can't we help her out? Again, I haven't read the rest of this article yet so these are just the thoughts that are going through my mind as I'm reading this first paragraph - just to give you a little bit of insight into my brain.
In this first paragraph, I can see that she's using a pretty welcoming and warm tone. If you have a look at the photograph that's been placed at the top of this article - and remember that with particular images they're strategically placed, so if it's placed at the start of the article versus at the end, think about how that impacts your perception of the photograph - for me, the first thing I see when I look at this article is the photo and I see a smiling happy owner. As you can see, the first paragraph serves to back up this photograph as well, with what she's talking about in terms of prioritising customers and valuing customers. You can also see products behind her, which look fresh and full and her shelves are full, so in that sense, it furthers this impression of the local and grounded nature of the store. It feels homey and this invites that comfort and trust from us.
Then, as we move into our second paragraph, I'm seeing a lot of exclamation marks, which gives me the sense of this upbeat, exciting environment, or even tone you could say. I think she's doing this because she wants us to jump on board with cashless payments as well, and to not see them as something that's a burden for us. She ties the advantages of cashless payments directly to the customerâs experience of the store by frequently repeating personal terms, such as 'you' and 'your' throughout these first couple of paragraphs. By the way, I'm not going to write down all the language analysis, because I think there's just not enough space, but me chatting about it with you is good enough. Let's move onto the next paragraph.
'you won't need to go rummaging through your bags for coins. You won't ever have to worry that you don't have the cash to cover your essential food supplies - your card will ensure that you do'. Â
Not only is she highlighting the advantage. Here, she's arguing for the advantages of cashless payments by showing you the inconveniences of having cash in phrases like 'you won't need to' and 'you won't ever have to'. I also like the phrase 'rummaging through your bags for coins'. It gives this sense of how cumbersome the nature of physical money is in comparison to cashless payments.
In the next paragraph, she highlights cashless payments with the words 'Simple!' which reiterates her point (from the previous paragraph) about how cumbersome coins can be. She finishes off this paragraph with a 'Welcome to the twenty-first century.', so there's this sense of being forward in her decisions and that we should be as well - because nobody wants to be left behind in history. A lot of us like to think of ourselves as people who are open-minded, open to change and will take up things that are better for us, things that are more convenient for us.
So, she's saying that this is it for twenty-first century, join us over here rather than way back when, when we had to use coins. She also highlights 'mobile phone[s]', 'smart watch', 'smart ring' - many things that a lot of people have and this just compounds that idea of, 'yeah, this is a no brainer' essentially. Why shouldn't you move to cashless payments if you're already immersed in this tech world of having mobile phones, smart watches, smart rings, etc.?
She moves into talking about the wider economic context of Australia in this next paragraph. That sense of time I was talking about, comparing the now - the twenty-first century - with a decade ago, you can see that link right here. It's very obvious now. She creates a strong impression of societal inevitability of this technological change, especially because she cites statistics - '70 per cent of household spending was in cash; now it's half of that.' I can see in the next paragraph that she uses expert opinion as well - the 'Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia'. This all connects to this main phrase that we are in a âturning pointâ now, that cash will be rapidly phased out until we become a cashless society and we should join her; we should make moves on this otherwise we're going to get left behind.Â
I like that she's bringing in Australia because it also brings in this additional sense of pride on our behalf. We're Australians, we're proud that we've been one of the biggest users of electronic payments in the world, we're the ones who are making waves, we're the ones who are putting our feet forward first. So, you could talk about appeal to patriotism here as well. It's interesting because here she says that she's a leader, orÂ
'We've always tried to be a leader in our community and respond to our customer's needs.'
What do you think when you think of a leader? Typically for me, I admire leaders. They're somebody I look up to and I want to follow in their footsteps essentially. So by positioning herself as a leader, I think that's pretty interesting because she's telling us, âHey, I've done all this thinking, I have initiative, I am forward-thinking, so come with me, join with me on this cashless payments movement.â
'you'll breeze through a check-out' Â
I like the word 'breeze through', or just 'breeze' because it connects again, back to this idea of convenience with a faster shopping experience, and it is juxtaposed against that cumbersomeness of 'rummaging through...bags for coins'. Something to think about is: as you analyse an article, you don't just have to analyse it chronologically or talk about it chronologically in your essay either. If you see things that connect later on, connect them in your essay and put them together, because what you're showing your examiner is that you can see not just the minor details - i.e. language techniques in each sentence - but you can actually zoom out and see the overall picture, how the arguments are coming together and how she's structuring her piece so that we walk away with a certain perspective. Think about that in a two-step method. There's the zoom in where we're looking at sentence by sentence and what techniques are there, which is basically what we've been doing, but at the same time, you can zoom out and have a look at how the different techniques all come together and work as a whole. If this is something that you're not too comfortable with just yet, just stick with the chronological order and working through the sort of minor details. And then on your next read, you can read through with the focus of, 'okay, what if I was to look at this from a more holistic perspective?'Â
We talk about this 'zoom in' and 'zoom out' technique in How To Write A Killer Text Response .
Ahh! I didn't even look ahead enough, there are more words and more phrases that connect to the idea of convenience and ease. Itâs 'faster', âwill save you time', 'safer' as well?! There's a new appeal. It's not necessarily new, it's just a different angle you could come from. If you wanted to talk about the sense of security, that appeal to safety, then you could do that as well.Â
'it means not having to spend hours sorting, storing and securing cash'
So, more cumbersome notions. And then in comparison,
'more time', 'We understand the concerns a minority of our customers may have.'Â
I love when they do this, acknowledging the opposition essentially is what she's doing. She's saying, âyup, like, I can hear you, not all customers want this. Some of you don't.â And my assumption is that she's going to back it up with her own rebuttal. This not only pulls along the people who are already supportive of her, but she's also trying to pull along those who are a little bit more sceptical of this idea of cashless payments. So let's see, she says,Â
'What if you prefer cash, don't feel comfortable using credit or debit cards, or don't have a mobile phone or smart watch? We don't want to leave anyone out. For the next three months we will offer cashless payments, but still accept cash to people to give people time to adjust.'Â
It's interesting because she is again, building up this position of hers, where she is friendly, she is helpful, she is thoughtful and she cares about her community. Something you could also say, and this is if you're looking at things more pessimistically, is that she's doing this more so for herself. By saying that these people have three months, there's this unspoken pressure that's happening as well. She's putting pressure on the minority and emphasising the supposed inevitability of a cash-free shopping experience. Even by just saying 'minority' that's in a way applying pressure as well, because it's saying that you are part of this smaller group, the smaller group of people who won't come with us or have not yet come with us, so join us. There's a very clear expectation that these customers need to adapt and catch up.Â
Want to see these ideas and annotations turned into a full A+ essay?
If you want more, I have also got a fully written up 2019 essay based on the articles that we're analysing today in my How To Write A Killer Language Analysis study guide. In that study guide, not only do I have the essay for 2019, I also have a fully written up essay for the 2017 & 2020 VCAA English Exams , and we're always working on adding ones from future years as well. Plus, there's heaps of sample A-plus essays in there already and heaps of information that I think will be super helpful for you before you move into your SAC. So please, go ahead and check that out! It's loaded with value and I know it'll be worth your money.
Whether you consider yourself a Frankenstein expert, or someone who is a bit taken back by the density of the novel and Shelleyâs writing, do not fret! Below I will outline 3 tips which, will hopefully give you a clearer perspective on how to approach writing on Frankenstein! Letâs get started!
1. ALWAYS TRY TO TALK ABOUT SHELLEYâS CONCERNS
Since the book was set during the Age of Enlightenment and the Romantic era, Shelley essentially used Frankenstein as a vessel to criticise and warn readers against many of the values upheld during her era. Itâs therefore crucial that you address this!
The late 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century were exciting times for science and exploration. Shelleyâs two main protagonists, Walton and Frankenstein, both passionately sough to discover what had previously been hidden. Walton wanted to be the first to find a passage through the Arctic Circle; Frankenstein wanted to be the first to create manmade life, to uncover the mysteries of Nature. Â Both men claimed to be desirous of benefitting humankind but both wanted glory more. This obsession to win accolades for their discoveries will destroy Victor, and turn Walton for a while into a hard taskmaster over his crew.
Juxtaposed against these two characters is Henry Clerval. Clerval, too, has an inquiring mind but he also cares about humanity, family and friends. He represents the balanced human being who is sociable, compassionate, intelligent and loyal to his friends. Victorâs ability to reanimate the dead, to bring to life his gigantic Creature using the newly discovered electricity, makes him a genius but also a monster. In his inexperience he botches the work producing a hideous and terrifying creature with, ironically, initially all the virtues of the ideal man of he world. Repulsed by his amateurish handiwork, Victor abandons his creation, setting in place the vengeance that will unfold later.
Try to ground any response to Shelleyâs text in the enormous enthusiasm for new discoveries and new geographic phenomena that attracted lavish praise for those who went where others feared to tread. It was this praise that drove Walton and Frankenstein to exceed reasonable expectations becoming reckless and careless of the consequences of their actions.
2. ALWAYS TRY TO DRAWS LINKS AND CONTRAST DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AND THEMES!
Walton, Frankenstein and the Creature are interconnected in so many ways â whether it be their isolation, ambition, desire for companionship, desire for vengeance or the Romantic values they share. Iâve also noted that it is also really easy to connect themes in Frankenstein as the tragic story-arc of the novel is built upon many different causes. What I mean by this is that there is a clearly define relationship between isolation, ambition and vengeance (and ultimately tragedy) in the sense that isolation is what led to the brewing of unchecked ambition which essentially causes the resultant tragedy.
Take Frankenstein for example: having left his loving family and friends, who provided him with love and companionship for Ingolstadt, there was no one to hold him back from his natural tendencies towards unchecked ambitions, leading him to creating the monster who out of spite towards society kills all of Frankensteinâs loved ones, leading them towards the desire for mutual destruction. Being able to see these links and draw them together will not only add depth to your writing but it also arms you with the ability to be able to deal with a wider array of prompts.
3. ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK FOR MORE NUANCED EXAMPLES AND DISCUSSIONS!
While Walton, Frankenstein and the Creature can be discussed incredibly thoroughly (and by all means go ahead and do it), but it is also very important to consider the novel as a whole and talk about, if not more thoroughly, on the minor characters. While characters such as the De Laceys, villagers and the rustic in the forest can be used to highlight the injustices brought upon the creature and peopleâs natural instincts of self preservation and prejudice, innocent characters such as Elizabeth and Justine can be used to emphasise the injustice of society and the consequences of unchecked ambition and isolation.
Henry Clerval (like previously mentioned) can be contrasted against Walton and his best friend Frankenstein to show that as long as we have a balanced lifestyle and companionship, ambition will not lead us to ruin. Characters such as the Turkish merchant can also have parallels drawn with Frankenstein in telling how our selfish desire and actions, born out of inconsideration for their consequences, can backfire with great intensity. Lastly the character of Safie (someone I used a lot in my discussions) can be compared and contrasted with the Creature to show the different treatment they receive despite both being âoutsidersâ to the De Laceys due to their starkly different appearances.
Mentioning these characters and utilising these contrasts can be monumental in showing your understanding of the novel and by extension, your English analytical ability.
[Video Transcription]
â Hey guys, I'm Lisa, welcome back to Lisa's Study Guides. Today, we're going to be talking about Frankenstein and breaking down an essay topic for it. So in the past, I've done plenty of videos looking at different types of essay topics and breaking them down by looking at keywords and then going into the body paragraphs and looking at those ideas. This time round, the takeaway message that I want you to leave with is understanding what types of evidence you should be using inside your body paragraphs. Specifically, I wanted to talk about literary devices or metalanguage. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein uses so many literary devices that it's impossible to ignore. If you are somebody who is studying this text or other texts that you use and are heavily embedded with literary techniques, then it's really important that you don't just use dialogue as part of your quotes, but actually reading between the lines. I'll teach you on how it's not just about finding dialogue, which you include as quotes inside your body paragraphs, but reading between the lines, so looking at literary devices like metaphors, symbols, imagery, so let's get started. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein constitutes escaping critique of the prioritization of scientific advancement over human welfare and relationship. Dr. Frankenstein is fascinated with science and discovery, he is consumed with the idea of a new and more noble race by stitching up dead body parts from a cemetery. He feverishly works away at his experiment until one day the creature is born. Frankenstein is horrified at the living thing he has made and completely rejects the creature, leaving it without a parental figure. The creature is left alone to look after himself. He educates himself and on repeated occasions tries to approach people in society, however, is rejected every time because of his monstrous appearance. As a result, the creature becomes enraged at humanity and Frankenstein's unfair treatment towards him and consequently exacts revenge on Frankenstein and his family. The essay topic we'll be looking at today is, Our sympathies in this novel ultimately lie with the creature. Discuss. So in previous videos, we've looked at keywords, how to identify them and how to define them. Since it's pretty straightforward for this essay topic, I thought I would skip that part and then go into the more nitty gritty with the body paragraphs. But, if you are unfamiliar with these steps, then I'll link them in the card above and also in the description below so you can have a look at how I went ahead and did the keyword section in my planning, now back to the prompt. Unequivocally within Frankenstein, Shelley portrays sympathy as spread throughout the text through depicting the creature as innately human through his desire for relationship and the challenges he faces at the hands of the prejudice enlightenment society he's born into, Shelley elicits sympathy for his situation. However, through the notable absence of the female gender throughout the text, Shelley portrays those silent within society as most deserving of sympathy. So, with this in mind, here are the potential paragraphs in response to this prompt. Paragraph one, Shelley's depiction of the creature as innately human motivates support for his challenges at the hands of a prejudice society. The action of the creature to open his dull yellow eye, symbolic of his nature as a human being alongside a green wrinkled on his cheeks, with one hand stretched out, indicates his simple desire for paternal connection. Through constructing the creature's actions as innately human Shelley acts proleptically of the inequitable experiences the creature will experience throughout the structural architecture of the text. And through doing so, depicts his character as worthy of support. Similarly, through the metaphor of fire, Shelley explores the duality of progress and innovation of which the creature desires. The fire, one that gives light as well as heat, yet also causes a cry of pain, indicates the hardships of the creature in his isolation, whereby, his forced to withdraw from his desire for education. Upon viewing himself in a pool, the creature becomes "fully convinced that I was in reality [a] monster" with the consequent sensations of despondency and mortification granting the reader the opportunity to sympathize with the creature in order to indicate the intensely negative social prejudices that are inflicted upon the creature. So you can see that we've looked at symbols of the creature's nature and the metaphor of fire to support our topic sentence. Using literary techniques is what's going to make the difference between you and another student who might be saying the same thing. Why? Because when you look at literary devices, it means that you're reading just beyond the lines, just beyond what's in front of you. You're now introducing your own interpretation, so you're looking at fire and thinking about what that means in connection to the text, and why Mary Shelley would use the term of a fire and revolve her discussion around that. So let's see how we keep doing this in the next body paragraph. Paragraph two, Shelley indicates the significance of relationships as a key element of human nature that the creature is denied, motivating affinity from readers. In replacement of human relationships, the creature rather seeks comfort within the natural world. The metaphorical huge cloak that the creature takes refuge within indicates this, illustrative of an ecosystem, the forest allows the creator to surround himself with life. The subsequent attempts to "imitate the pleasant songs of the birds" reveals the desperate urge of the creature for companionship as he is abandoned by the paternal relationship represented by Victor Frankenstein, which forms a core of human relationships. Again, here we've discussed the metaphorical huge cloak and its connection with the forest, I strongly encourage you to have the goal of discussing at least one literary device per body paragraph. And no, there is no such thing as talking about too many literary devices because it's really just about whether or not your argument is concise and whether or not you're backing that up with evidence. Paragraph three. However, it is Shelley's depiction of the submissive female sex within Frankenstein that becomes most deserving of sympathy. Each female character is characterized as passive, disposable, and they're serving a utilitarian function, namely as a channel of action for the male characters within the text. Notably, the complete lack of absence of Margaret Saville, functioning only as an audience for Walton's letters exemplifies this. Margaret's role within the text is simply to enable Walton to relay the story of Frankenstein and as such were the most necessary character of the texts whilst the most distant. This ironic dichotomy enables Shelley to exemplify the difficult role of the female within society, arising sympathy from the readership. Here, even the purposeful emission of a character is discussed as a language technique. So, this type of literary device definitely tops the cake because you're literally looking at what's not even there. That's definitely reading between the lines. Frankenstein is a very complex novel, and sometimes that's what makes it a difficult text to study. But, it lends itself to many unique interpretations and it's heavily dressed with heaps of literary devices or metalanguage, however you want to call it. So, that's what makes it an absolutely fantastic text for high school students to study. If you wanted to find out more on how to nail a Frankenstein essay, then I'll link you to my blog just down below, because there are definitely more tips there to help you excel in this particular text. Thank you so much for watching, and especially even if you're not studying this text, I hope you've been able to take something away from this video. And I'm confident that you have because talking about literary devices is definitely a topic that isn't necessarily the fore front of discussion in classrooms, and it's something that a lot of people struggle with. So, I hope you are able to walk away with a new goal in sight in order to improve your English essays. So, I will see you guys next time, thank you so much for joining me, see you guys soon. Bye!
Most people only think about EXECUTING their essay - the writing. Whether that be essay structure, memorising quotes or how to avoid repeating yourself in the dreaded conclusion. However, my strategy places emphasis on the THINK.Â
THINK is the brainstorm, exploration, and development of ideas. Get this right, and you'll come up with ideas and a response that pushes you ahead of your peers. The EXECUTION comes next, only strengthening your lead to the finish line.
So what does THINK actually involve? đ€
You need to consider aspects of an essay topic that most students gloss over, including:
đWhat's the essay topic type ?
Knowing the essay topic type will change your essay structure. While you might wish for a one-size-fits-all essay structure, this is a limited viewpoint that stops you from reaching your potential. Different essay types include:
- Theme-based prompts
- Character-based prompts
- Author's message-based prompts
- Metalanguage-based prompts
By understand what's required in each one of these essay topic types, you'll have a template you can follow to ensure that you answer the prompt (no more complaints from your teacher complaining that you're going off topic!).
đ What are the question tags ?
Never heard of this term previously? That's because majority of teachers don't teach you to change your Text Response according to the question tag. A ' do you agree?' essay topic expects a different response from a 'discuss' essay topic.
đ How do I ensure I respond to each keyword ?
This is important so you don't go off topic (we've all at least experienced this once in our high school writing careers đ„). Sometimes, one missed keyword is all it takes to derail your entire essay. No matter how well you've written your essay, an essay that doesn't answer the prompt won't fare well.
For example, have a think about which keywords can be found in this essay topic "Jeff's attempt to pursue justice are entirely without honour. To what extent is this true?".
For me, the keywords include:
- 'Attempt'
- 'Pursue justice'
- 'Entirely'
- 'Honour'
- 'To what extent is this true?'
Even though I've labelled almost every word in the essay topic, individually, each of these keywords will shape my response. Majority of students will pick up the necessity to discuss the keyword 'entirely' in their essays. They will potentially argue that Jeff's attempt isn't entirely without honour, and mention instances where honour was shown. However, a less obvious keyword that needs further exploration is 'justice'. Most students will take this word for granted, and won't really explore what the word 'justice' means in this sentence. A more advanced student will understand that 'justice' in this essay topic is viewed from Jeff's perspective, meaning that what Jeff deems to be 'justice', might not be the same 'justice' for a viewer. These are the nuances in an essay topic that I'd like you to be very confident in.
Knowing how to THINK will ensure that you EXECUTE your essay writing most effectively, optimising your potential to nail that A+. If I went from average to consistent A+s in Year 11 and Year 12, I have no doubt you can do it too. That's why I created the How To Write a Killer Text Response ebook.
I know that you are probably like I was, searching for a clear, simple way to get better at English without just relying on my teacher (despite the fact that I had a great teacher!). I've compiled my 10 years of tutoring English, refining this strategy year after year. With this knowledge, many of my students achieved a study score they thought was impossible (one student Ruby, wanted a study score of 30 to get into her university course, and ultimately achieved a 40 study score! WOW! đź).
If you're interested, How To Write a Killer Text Response ebook shows you the inner workings of my brain đ- what I think when I see an essay topic, how I tackle it, and how I turn these thoughts into a high-scoring essay. The ebook includes:
â - 50-pages teaching you how to respond to ANYÂ essay topic
- Examples from 15+ popular VCE English texts
- Know exactly what to THINK about so you can formulate the best possible essay response
- Plus a bonus 20-pages of high vs low scoring essays , fully annotated (what works and what doesn't) so you know exactly what you need to do and what not to do
Click here to access the FULL version now!
The scariest part of the EAL exam, while might not be the most daunting task, is probably getting your head wrapped around an unfamiliar language analysis task under time condition. Jargons and difficult terms might be used, and some articles tend to not be so straightforward making this task more challenging for EAL students. This blog post aims to alleviate this fear for all EAL students as much as possible and better your performance in the end-of-year exams. After reading this, I'd highly recommend our Ultimate Guide To Language Analysis as you study for your next SAC or exam.
Reading Comprehension
To understand and analyse an article well, you will need to know the writerâs contention well, identifying whether they are for or against an idea. Most language analysis articles are written on an issue, which is why it is important to spot what the issue is and the writerâs stance. Most of the time, the writerâs contention is found at the beginning of the article, in the title, though there are times it is found at the end of the article. Sometimes, skimming through an article might be sufficient for you to find its main point.
Spotting and understanding arguments, on the other hand, might be much more difficult as they can be found anywhere within the articles and the number of arguments contained varies from articles to articles.
The good news is, there is no right or wrong answer in English so there is no need to be too worried about whether what you are writing is âpreciseâ or not. In order to look for arguments and âchunk the reading passageâ in the most efficient way, you should be paying attention to the ways the writer tries to structure the article (e.g. paragraphs, headings and subheadings if there are any, etc). More than often arguments can be found at the beginning of paragraphs (writers might also use that good old T opic- E vidence- E xample- L inking structure in drafting their piece) and sometimes two consecutive paragraphs focus on one singular argument.
Also, arguments should be specific and support the writerâs contention. For instance, if the contention is âtechnology ameliorates Americansâ standards of livingâ, the arguments might be something along the lines of âit is beneficial as it improves efficiency in workplace environmentâ or âit allows people to communicate easilyâ. Trying to make an educated guess on what the arguments might look like will definitely help if you already know the contention of the article.
Language barriers might be an issue if the writer uses technical terms related to an unfamiliar area (e.g. an article about âpneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosisâ, a lung disease caused by a certain type of dust, might pop up â highly unlikely but thank me later if it does come up). This is why dictionaries are there to help us and they are a must-have coming into EAL exams and SACs. You are allowed to bring bilingual dictionaries as well, so make sure you have a good set of dictionaries that you can bring into SACs and exams. Regardless of how fluent you are, there is still a possibility that they use one if not more than one unfamiliar term in your language analysis articles.
However, it is not always difficult to guess the meaning of the word without using the dictionary (time restraints!!) by looking at the sentence as a whole. The location of the words within a sentence might allow you to make a reasonable guess of what type of words it is or what it might mean. If it is the subject or object of the sentence, it is either a pronoun, a noun or a name. If the word is after a subject, it is likely to be a verb which describes an action! To familiarise yourself with sentence structure further, read my guide on The Keys To English Fluency and Proficiency .
Answering Reading Comprehension Questions
Section C, Question 1 requires students to write short answers, in note form or sentences, which altogether will make up of 50% of the marks in Section C. I am not sure about you but for a lot of students, getting good marks for Question 1 is much easier than getting good marks for Question 2, which requires you to write a full language analysis essay. This is why it is important that you are able to maximise your marks in this question because they are purported to be easier marks to get! Some of the questions will ask the students for factual information but more difficult questions will require to think about that is contained in the text and make an interpretation based on your understanding.
1. Question words
To know what sort of answer you are expected to give before looking for details from the article, you need to be familiar with question words.
WHO - A particular person or group of people impacted by an incident or involved in a situation
WHAT - This really depends. It might require you to give out information about something or to identify reasons for the writerâs opinions (which is good it might make it easier for you to find the writerâs arguments)
WHEN - The timeframe within which an issue or event occurred (date, day, etc)
WHERE - The location of an event
WHY - The reasons for something
HOW - How a problem can be resolved
2. Direction words
Unfortunately, not all questions in this section have âquestion wordsâ and examiners usually give out questions that are broader using âdirection wordsâ or âtask wordsâ, making this section more challenging for students. EAL is not the only subject that requires students to know their direction words well so it is definitely worthwhile learning these words to improve your performance. These are the most common direction words used in Section C (see below!). â
Giving information about something or to identify the writerâs opinions
This requires you to give out information in your own words and elaborate
Students will be required to find what is asked from the article and write them down in the briefest form possible
Usually in note forms â to answer this you need to identify what is asked and briefly noting them down
Retelling something in a succinct and concise ways in your own words, it should only be enough to highlight key ideas
Finding evidence from the text to justify a statement or opinions
3. Marks allocation
Another super helpful tip is to pay extra attention to the marks allocation of the questions. It usually gives you a fairly accurate indication of how much you should write. The general rule of thumb would be that the number of marks tell students how many sentences or points they should be making.
Identify the reasons why the writer loves travelling (2 marks)
Students should be writing down 2 reasons why the writer loves travelling â
The editor strongly opposes the use of plastic bag. Support this statement (3 marks) â
In this case, it is probably best to find 3 pieces of evidence from the article that justify the statement stated to make sure you do not lose any marks by not writing enough.
4. Sample Questions And Response
My own response and annotation of Question 1 and Section C of the 2017 EAL exam is below. I really hope it would give you guys a better idea of what is expected from EAL students.
Time Management Tips
Look at the comprehension questions during reading time.
I usually used my reading time skimming through the article, looking at the questions and flip back and forth the booklet to look for answers for the questions at the back. The reason why this was the first thing I did was because they often contain clues of what the arguments might me. Questions such as âgive three reasons why the editor thought technology is beneficialâ will help you immediately identify some key ideas and arguments in the article.
Look for key features instead of analysing and finding techniques straight away
I also used the reading time to find the contention, determine what type of article it was and the source, etc. The following acronym might help you! I often tried identifying all of the features below as it also helped me plan my introduction within reading time.
C ontention
For a detailed guide on How to Write an A+ Language Analysis Introduction, check out our advice here .
Set out a detailed time management plan for your essay the night before the SAC or exams (or earlier if possible) â
Be strict with yourself, know your writing speed and know how long it takes you to write a paragraph.
Stick with one introductionâs structure/ format â
If you are used to writing an introduction that, for instance, starts off by introducing the issue, title of the piece, author, and then the contention, tone, audience then stick with it, or memorise it if you do not have the best writing speed or just do not work well under time pressure.
Whether or not (issue) is an issue that garners much attention in recent media. In response to this, (author) writes a (form) titled â(title)â to express his disapprobation/endorsement of (issue) to (audience). By adopting a (tone word 1) and (tone word 2), (author) asserts/ articulates/ contends that (contention) . With the use of an accompanying visual, the writer enhances the notion that (contention) .
Not be way too thorough with annotation â
When it comes to performing well under time condition, perfectionism might hinder you from best maximising your marks! Everyone learns differently and has different approaches to this task but it is probably better if we do not spend way too much time annotating the article. While it is important to scan through the article and identify important persuasive techniques, sometimes it is more than sufficient to just circle or highlight the technique instead of colour-coding it, writing down what its effects on the audience, labelling techniques. Donât get me wrong, these aforementioned steps are important, but there is no point writing that information down twice because you will be repeating those steps as you write your essay anyway! Iâd recommend trying out different annotation techniques and see what works for you, but for me minimalism served me well.
Create your own glossary of words â
Sometimes, it takes too much time just sitting down staring at the paper deciding what words you should be using. Weâve all been there, worrying if you have repeated âhighlightâ or âpositionâ way too many time. Memorising a mini glossary might solve this issue and save us writing time. I have included a sample glossary for you to fill in, hopefully it helps you as much as it did me! It might be a good starting point for you.
Convincing the audience to⊠persuade, position, propel, compel, galvanise, etc
Highlight the idea that⊠underscore, enhance, fortify, bolster, etc
Evoke (an emotional response)... elicit, garners, etc
The writer uses ⊠employs, utilises, etc
The writer criticises ⊠critiques, lambastes, chastises, condemns, denounces, etc
â At the end of the day, regardless of how many tips you have learned from this blog, it would not be enough to significantly improve your marks unless you practice frequently. Knowing how long it takes you to write the introduction, or each paragraph will better enable you to finish the essay within the time set and allow you to spend a bit of spare time proofreading your essay. If you are aiming for A+âs, writing every week is probably the best piece of advice I can give because without enough practice, your performance under pressure cannot match up to your usual performance.
Introduction and Key Themes of Reckoning and The Namesake
Families. Love them or hate them, everybody has a family in some shape or form.
Lahiriâs novel The Namesake and Szubanskiâs memoir Reckoning both explore just how complex family dynamics can be. In particular, both texts take an intergenerational approach, which means that they look at how children might struggle to understand their parentsâ psyches, and vice versa. They also look at how these struggles can play out into adulthood and throughout the course of oneâs life in complicated and poignant ways.
And of course, it gets trickier from there: Lahiri and Szubanski tell the stories of families, yes, but they also tell stories of migration, trauma, and heritage. In both texts, these ideas colour the experiences of the central families and are thus just as crucial for our analysis. Letâs go over the key characters of each text first, before having a closer look at how they compare on each of these themes. In particular, weâll be going through snapshots of scenes from both texts and comparing what they have to say about these themes.
Characters in Reckoning and The Namesake
The namesake.
Lahiriâs novel revolves around the fictional Ganguli family: Ashima and Ashoke have two children, Sonia and Gogol, the latter of whom is the protagonist. The novel spans over three decades, starting from Gogolâs birth shortly after Ashima and Ashokeâs move to America. By the time it finishes, both Gogol and his younger sister have grown up, and Ashoke has passed away. Thus, this story traces the development of this fictional family over time, illustrating how their relationships with one another change over time.
Szubanskiâs memoir, on the other hand, is largely about her own family, including her Scottish mother Margaret and her Polish father Zbigniew. In particular, Reckoning is a family history of her dadâs side, who were living in Poland when the Nazis invaded in 1939. There is some exposition of his family, including his parents Jadwiga and Mieczyslaw, his sister Danuta, and her family as well.
Zbigniew would eventually fight as an assassin the Polish resistance, and Reckoning reflects on how that impacted and shaped his relationship with Magda. The memoir is described to be âas much a biography of her father as it is about her.â
In the process, we learn about his migration, moving to Scotland after the war (where he met Margaret), then to England, then to Australia, with Magda their youngest child aged 5. The memoir covers her life from there onwards, including a journey back to Europe to reconnect with the rest of her family.
Themes in Reckoning and The Namesake
At LSG, we use the CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT strategy to help us easily find points of similarity and difference. This is particularly important when it comes to essay writing, because you want to know that you're coming up with unique comparative points (compared to the rest of the Victorian cohort!). I don't discuss this strategy in detail here, but if you're interested, check out my How To Write A Killer Comparative ebook. I use this strategy throughout my discussion of themes below and techniques in the next section.
Family in Reckoning and The Namesake
Evidently, this theme largely underpins the stories of both texts. In particular, The Namesake and Reckoning both show that relationships between family membersâwhether that be parents, children or siblingsâcan be really complicated.
Letâs start with The Namesake . Motifs of parenthood and marriage are evident front and centre right from the novelâs get go, as a pregnant Ashima reflects on her life as it stands in 1968. When Gogol is born, his parentsâ love for him is also evident: âAshoke has never seen a more perfect thing.â At the same time, while Ashima is starting to see âpieces of her family in [Gogolâs] face,â her own grandmother is passing awayâitâs thus important to remember that parenthood runs both ways (thisâll be important for both texts).
In any case, Ashima struggles with the first few years of parenthood - despite settling into a schedule, she finds herself âdespondentâ when Gogol begins nursery school. However, she grows accustomed to it in time, making âforays out of the apartmentâ and settling into some semblance of a routine to keep herself somewhat occupied.
Parenthood isnât really shown to get any easier thoughâat his 14th birthday, we see a somewhat awkward exchange between Ashoke and Gogol, now ânearly as tallâ as his father. What Ashoke thinks is a nice gift actually sets off a decades-long identity crisis for Gogol regarding his name: âfrom the little that he knows about Russian writers, it dismays him that his parents chose the weirdest namesake.â
This scene demonstrates how there can be miscommunications between parents and children that make it difficult for them to understand each other. Without explaining his name to his son, Gogol and Ashoke are unable to truly connect; Gogol is annoyed if anything, answering his father âa bit impatientlyâ. Parents and children may want to understand each other better, but this is evidently not always possible. The consequences of this can often span over years, with Gogol changing his name to Nikhil and training himself to âignore his parents, to tune out their concerns and pleasâ once he goes to college.
Still, familial love perseveres over time, though it sometimes shifts and changes along the way. With Gogol and Sonia both grown up, Ashima reflects on the separate lives they now lead, noting that she âmust be willing to acceptâ her âchildrenâs independenceâ, and her sonâs partner Maxine despite her misgivings. Culture also plays a role here, which we will explore more in the next section. However, what is evoked in this passage (near the start of chapter 7) is that parents have their childâs best interests in mind. Indeed, similar themes flow through both texts.
That said, familial love can be harder to see in Reckoning âin particular, Magdaâs father is characterised throughout the memoir as emotionally distant to the point of cruelty. When she first learns of the Holocaust, she finds Zbigniewâs âlack of feelingâŠmonstrous.â She doesnât understand how he can be so detached from the war having lived âright in the centre of it.â She also doesnât understand why he yearns more than anything to escape that period of his life.
The texts are similar in that both of them illustrate how parents and children often struggle with barriers in communication despite their love for each other. In particular, children may not always understand their parentsâ experiences from before they were born, or how those experiences affect them in the present.
Itâs not all bad thoughâlove perseveres, and sometimes parents can surprise you. When Magda finally comes out to her parents, their response is generally quite receptive, and her father is perhaps uncharacteristically touching in this scene: âWhatever his misgivings were he didnât dwell on them and he never let the come between us. As I was about to leave they both put their arms around me. âWe love you,â they said.â
Trauma in Reckoning and The Namesake
Additionally, both texts deal with parent-child relationships that are affected by experiences of trauma that parents attempt to suppress.
In The Namesake , itâs largely Ashokeâs brush with death that jars his world view, to the point where he names Gogol after the author whose book saved his life after his accident. However, because he doesnât process his trauma or tell Gogol the story, it leads to a gap in understanding that compromises some elements of their relationship.
These themes are more strongly present in Reckoning , where Zbigniewâs experiences in the war shape many of his opinions and attitudes, as well as his approach to parenting. Tennis, for example, becomes a vehicle for him to teach Magda about winning and losing, ânever once let[ting Magda] win.â They have a similarly clinical experience with hunting, where Zbigniew âlos[es] patienceâ with Magda for mourning the death of a rabbit.
Correctly, though retrospectively, Magda hypothesises that this came from a need to âprove himselfâ after the war ended, and to âdischarge the pent-up killer energy inside him.â Even though she would only understand this in time, it didnât change how her fatherâs trauma shaped her childhood in ways that she couldnât have understood at the time.
Reckoning also shows that trauma can be intergenerational, or as Magda puts it âpassed on genetically.â She discovers that her maternal grandfather Luke lived through the Irish famine, and watched ten of his siblings die of poverty, causing her to wonder about the âgift of [her] Irish inheritanceâ that was left on her psyche.
Whatâs worth remembering here is that it isnât just the fathers who bury traumatic events from their past (surprising, I know). When Magdaâs mother slaps her for the first time, it is because Magda repeats one of her own deepest regrets, soiling a dress made to visit their respective fathers in hospital: âI understand now, of course, that it was herself she was slapping.â
So, while it is true in both texts that traumatic memories impact how parents relate to their children, Reckoning is a deeper and broader exploration of intergenerational trauma. In particular, Magda not only looks at her relationship with her parents, but also her parentsâ relationship with theirs.
Migration & Heritage in Reckoning and The Namesake
This is the final piece of the puzzle in terms of major themes and how they fit together. With how characters relate to culture and heritage, we also see both texts evince some rich, intergenerational differences.
In The Namesake , thereâs a marked cultural schism between Gogol and his parents. Gogol is desperate to escape his ethnicity, and his status as a second-generation migrant means he is well-assimilated into American cultureâhe wears his shoes in the house, addresses his parents in English, and dresses like an American. He is also comfortable dating American people, feeling âeffortlessly incorporatedâ into Maxineâs family and daily life. On the other hand, Ashima is demonstrated to struggle more with the move, describing it as a âlifelong pregnancyâ, a burden that people treat with âpity and respect.â There are ties to other themes here as wellâfor example Ashimaâs homesickness is sharpened by the fact that she is separated from her family, in particular her parents. It also means that she becomes a part of the life from which Gogol is so desperate to escape.
In Reckoning however, this generational gap is reversed. It is Zbignew who yearns to escape his home culture, while Magda desperately wishes to understand her father: âwhile I was racing backwards towards my Polishness, my father was rushing in the other direction, assimilating at a rate of knots.â Though this is reversed, there are still ties into other themes: intergenerational misunderstandings for instance are perpetuated by their differing stances on migration. Trauma is also relevant, as Zbigniew is trying to escape it, while Magda is simply working towards understanding her father.
Put this way, we can understand how familial relationships can be complicated by migration, trauma, and the different attitudes it can engender.
Reckoning and The Namesake are two texts that explore many similar themesâfamily, migration, trauma, heritage, identityâover the span of decades. I would probably argue that family is the central theme that grounds many of the others; it shapes the identity of childrenâmigrant childrenâand brings out traumatic memories in spite of your best efforts to suppress them.
Hopefully, this gives you a good overview of the themes across these two texts, how they fit together, and how they are similar or different. Donât forget that themes can overlap and intersect, as is often the case here.
Reckoning and The Namesake Essay Prompt Breakdown
The topic draws on two quotes:
âBut in the meantime I had been given a great giftâmy parentsâ unconditional love.â ( Reckoning )
ââDonât worry,â his father says. âTo me and your mother you will never be anyone but Gogol.ââ ( The Namesake )
And the prompt itself is:
Compare what the two texts suggest about parent-child relationships.
Topics for comparative essays are usually pretty broad, but letâs pull out some key words and questions that the topic and the quotes seem to raise.
The one that stands out the most to me is this idea of âunconditional loveâ. For parents, this usually means theyâll love and support their child no matter what mistakes or choices they make . In the context of Reckoning , this was brought up in terms of Magdaâs sexuality , which is neither a mistake nor a choice, but consider how it permeates through the memoir, and how itâs always been there in some of her parentsâ thoughts, words and actions. And how might it compare with The Namesake ?
The other quote is a little more interesting, in particular the âto me and your motherâ bit, which I think complicates the idea of unconditional love . Is love still unconditional if parents define who you are and who you will ânever beâ? I think whatâs implied here is that you want to include some discussion of parental expectations, which is another can of worms. It might include things like how parents want you to behave, what career choices they might want you to make, whether or not they approve of your friends or romantic partners .
Now, letâs dive into a possible plan to tackle a topic like this...
Paragraph One
So firstly, let's establish that parent-child relationships are often laden with expectations .
It may not be the obvious example, but Ashimaâs family had undoubtedly expected her to marry Ashoke , a PhD student in Boston at the time, as conveyed through âher motherâs salesmanshipâ . We see this mirrored in the life of Moushumi as well, whose parents orchestrated a âseries of unsuccessful schemesâ to see her married in her adolescence. Gogol experiences expectations that arenât all so intentionalâwhile his parents donât mean him any harm by naming him Gogol, he feels trapped by the name, â always hated itâ in fact. Still, his parents are markedly â disappointedly â when he chooses Columbia over MIT, and are â distressed â by his low income while heâs at college.
Szubanskiâs parents have somewhat similar expectations in this regard: ât he ranks of the second generation are full of doctors and lawyers and professionals.â She felt that â all of the familyâs educational hopes rested on [her].â
These examples mightnât be the most obvious, but theyâre effective for making this point, and donât need too much explanation to tie it into the prompt .
Paragraph Two
Letâs keep this in mind for our second paragraph: trauma can be passed on intergenerationally through how parents treat their children, and this can bring its own set of expectations as well.
Gogol feels trapped by his name, but it is a result of his fatherâs traumatic experiences . What Ashoke might not realise is that this has caused Gogol even more distress of his own. This is probably stronger in Reckoning , where Peterâs emotional capacity is compromised as a result of war . When Magda looks through the book filled with pictures of decomposing bodies and feels uneasy, her fatherâs comment, â donât be silly, itâs just a picture,â m akes her feel ashamed of herself for her âstupidity and weaknessâ . So, parental expectations can be distorted by their traumatic experiences, which only serves to pass that trauma on.
Paragraph Three
To conclude, letâs flip this around to look at how children respond to their parents: in both texts, thereâs a sense that being able to confront these expectations and memories from the past helps children to synthesise their own identity and move forward in their own lives.
In The Namesake , Gogol only reads The Overcoat after his father dies, in fact saving it from a box that was about to be donated, â destined to disappear from his life altogether.â The novel ends here, which could represent that he is able to move into a new phase of his life only after having grappled with this one. Szubanskiâs pilgrimage back to Poland and Ireland come from similar desires to better understand her parents. She âwondered if Europe might provide the sense of home [she] cravedâ particularly given her fatherâs desire to never look back at his traumatic past there.
I think the bottom line is that parent-child relationships are already complex, and can be further complicated by a number of factors. Still, itâs up to children to grapple with the burden of expectations, and to forge our own path forward from there.
Anna Funderâs Stasiland and Kazuo Ishiguroâs Never Let Me Go bring together two complex, poignant worlds of âpersonal storiesâ and subjective narration of what once was, an individual's place in history and its aftermath, especially when the world attempts to move on.
Establishing a literary allusion to Lewis Carrollâs Aliceâs Adventures in Wonderland in the title, Funderâs narrator of Anna fills the role of Alice as she stumbles upon and explores the absurd and unjust world of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Driven by an almost naive curiosity, akin to Alice herself, Funder conducts extensive interviewing to uncover not only the stories and experiences of the victims of the regime, but also of the Stasi, the âinternal army by which the government kept controlâ. Through her literary journalism, Funder creates an intimate and sensory experience for the reader, extending beyond factual occurrences to capture the âhorror-romanceâ of East Germany, âa country which no longer existsâ but its inhabitants, victims and perpetrators continue to live on.
TIP - Research the history of the German Democratic Republic, the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall and the influence of the Soviet Union within East Germany, in contrast to West Germany. Understanding the backbone of âthis land gone wrongâ in which Funder delves into gives much greater context for the significance of her work and ideas in which you can explore in your writing.
Never let me go.
Ishiguro delves into human mortality through the platform of a science fiction world, where the focus is ultimately on the prospect of an existence where oneâs life is knowingly shortened, and what becomes important with such a backdrop. Readers are introduced to the concept of âclonesâ, existing as live incubators of organs that will be later harvested for others. Perceived by society as less than humans, Ishiguroâs narrative focuses on clones who spent time at Hailsham, a boarding school âexperimentâ in England which attempted to provide a more âhumaneâ education and upbringing for clones, and their sheltered perspectives on their existence, their mortality and purpose.
Authorsâ views and values
Why have Funder and Ishiguro written what they have written?
Funderâs dogged pursuit to uncover and reveal the âportraitsâ of individuals who lived through the GDR was prompted by West Germanyâs dismissal of, and use of stereotypes when these individuals were concerned, and the assumption that âno-one is interested in these peopleâ. She discovers that âthings have been put behind glassâ, in the forms of museums and metaphorical mausoleums, âbut they are not yet overâ. Stasiland therefore acts as a work that champions the importance of memory, of remembering and of history, as Sisyphean of a task as this inevitably is because it is âworking⊠against timeâ. In addition, Funderâs purposeful choice to include the perspectives of the Stasi themselves opens up another realm of understanding to the reader. It allows the audience to examine the Stasi's motives and justifications, their humanity or lack thereof, of the lessons learnt and unlearnt, as a means of framing the entire regime and of framing the spectrum of humanity.
Whilst Ishiguroâs universe differs greatly when placed alongside Stasiland , his characters also belong to a world that no longer exists, as their Hailsham upbringing evolves into a historical artefact, reflective of a world that âwanted [the clones] back in the shadowsâ and which remained oblivious to the reality of the clonesâ existence. Ishiguro gives voice to the clones; the âpoor creaturesâ who otherwise possessed no voice or recognised humanity in this world, and no purpose apart from their utility as organ donors. These individuals are shown to be no less human than you and I, and it is in their sheltered lives, headed towards âwherever it was [they were] supposed to beâ, which permits the reader to examine their own life purpose and meaning, and how a cloneâs existence is ultimately reduced in not only length, but also ability and capacity. Â
Both texts confront uncomfortable truths about humanity and reality, the treatment that certain individuals were unfortunately subjected to which resulted in their dehumanising, and which âbrokeâ them, sooner or later.
TIP - Reframe this question for any text you are studying - including text response! There is intent and purpose underlying each and every text that is definitely worthy of thorough unpacking and consideration; the thinking you will do will help to further your analysis and comparison considerably.
Themes and comparison.
What are the big ideas underpinning the texts? How are they explored? What sorts of comparisons can be drawn between the two texts?
At LSG, we use the CONVERGENT and DIVERGENT strategy to help us easily find points of similarity and difference. This is particularly important when it comes to essay writing, because you want to know that you're coming up with unique comparative points (compared to the rest of the Victorian cohort!). I don't discuss this strategy in detail here, but if you're interested, check out my How To Write A Killer Comparative . I use this strategy throughout my analysis of the following themes.
Dystopian reality
Stasiland : As prompted by the VCAA 2015 exam, the GDR is indeed âcruel and absurdâ, especially in the methods the nation constructed and enforced this society, as this ultimately broke the souls of innocent individuals, and left questions unanswered and scars unhealed for many. It showcases how what could potentially be described as 'idealistic' in terms of government control can become grotesque, how otherworldly and Orwellian this recent history seems, and how the perspectives of victim, perpetrator, outsider and more are not restricted to the land of the GDR, but to today as well. In addition, as Funder discovers, these perspectives are closely intertwined, in which certain individuals of the Stasi were victimised too, and could not remain in the "group in the know [as] one of the unmolested".
Never Let Me Go : The novelâs context of clones is removed from the reality that readers are familiar with, and as Ishiguro focuses on the clonesâ perspectives throughout, there always remains an element that feels 'off' and ânot quite rightâ about who they are and the purpose of their existence. Whilst the context of Never Let Me Go differs greatly from a regime with "the most perfected surveillance state of all time", it highlights an unsettling reality, in which scientific advancement has resulted in a society benefitting from the clones' existence and from organ harvesting, but who are also rejecting of the possibility of their humanity. The clones may never be able to perceive and fully understand this cruelty or absurdity themselves, but this does not mean they are not victims of this, for a fate that they could not choose.
Possible points for comparison : The victimisation of individuals in both texts, whether it was internalised or ushered into oblivion is central to the absurd worlds of Stasiland and Never Let Me Go . The clones are in a way, victims from birth, and unable to avoid their shortened existence and purpose, whereas those in the GDR who were subjected to surveillance, interrogation, torture, etc. became ensnared and damaged beyond repair; the aftermath of which they were unable to escape from. However, the closing of Hailsham and the falling of the Berlin Wall spell out different fates in the two texts - those in Stasiland may be "fettered" by their past that is "not ever, really, over", but are provided a future in which there is hope for rebirth in the "green", "lush" city of Berlin and beyond. On the contrary, the clones are only able to move toward their fate, towards "wherever it was [they are] supposed to be" and towards completion. Coupled with the naivety accompanying the clones' existence, their acceptance of what is ahead and the lack of awareness surrounding their victimisation, readers are prompted to consider the cruelty of such existence, and whether there is greater tragedy in having your "soul buckled out of shape, forever", or in never knowing who you really are.
The act of remembering
Stasiland : In discussing and unearthing a recent history of a "bygone world" that many individuals wish to "pretend it was never there", Funder's attempt to create and immortalise "portraits" of East Germans raises questions about how events and lives are remembered and forgotten. Especially when elements of this past in the GDR could not be "pinned down by facts, or documents", the detrimental impact of a lack of recognition and acknowledgement of one's past, especially one filled with trauma, is thereby highlighted by Funder. When the rest of the world deems the GDR and the Stasi to only belong "behind glass" in museums and yet it is "not yet over" for those who are still suffering and carrying scars, physical and psychological, the purpose of Stasiland rings clear and true. Whilst it is a Sisyphean attempt, "working against forgetting, and against time", through Stasiland , Funder ultimately gives a voice to the "personal stories" comprising history, before there are "none left".
Never Let Me Go : Through the lens of Kathy H's narration and the recollection of her memories surrounding her upbringing, readers uncover the pieces of her existence as moments of her past begin "tugging at [her] mind". Memory itself can be fickle, recording and preserving certain experiences but not others, and as time passes, "fading surprisingly quickly" before being lost in the ether of one's past. Ishiguro's continual mention of Kathy's memories of an event, of her years at Hailsham and beyond almost lulls the reader into overlooking this element of the narration - in which the reader's understanding is built upon an uncertain and incomplete foundation of facts; similar to how the clones' "sheltered" understanding of their world came to be. After Hailsham closes, its existence recedes into the memories of the clones, and although Kathy declares that the memories will be retained "safely in [her] head", upon her completion, this will also be lost, and Hailsham will be further diminished in history as a 'failed experiment' and one day forgotten.
Possible points for comparison : The valiant efforts to remember and preserve the once-was is woven into the fabric of both texts, despite the inevitability of forgetting as death and 'completion' claims those who lived through East Germany and Hailsham respectively. When the recent history of the GDR becomes a "lost world", and the importance of remembering what transpired is being superseded by the innovation and process of the present, it opens up room for the same mistakes of the past to be made again. Hailsham was an attempt to create a more idealised and humane upbringing for the clones, and to showcase their humanity in a society which rejected this, and the boarding school's closure reflects a failure in which any previous successes will never be acknowledged. Memory, and by extension, one's understanding of the past is what enables change in the future; in attitude, in approach, in the treatment of others, in decisions, in growth, as an individual and as a whole. With its gradual loss, it may also be ineluctable that history repeats itself in one way or another.
Subjective narration, stories and lives
Stasiland : Stasiland itself is comprised of the stories of human lives, and includes various individuals' tenacity, strength and courage to their vices, cruelty and cowardice. By seeking out not only those who were victims of the regime but also perpetrators, Funder examines the many complex facets of human nature and the irreversible impact of the GDR on East Germans and who they became or were broken into. However, the personal involvement of Anna as a narrator and most importantly, as an outsider to the GDR provides a subjective perspective of this history. Whilst this has received criticism, it is important to consider how the human experience itself is subjective, as is never being able to truly understand another individual's story as the exact experience is theirs alone to hold and perhaps be "fettered" to; both of which are evident in Stasiland .
Never Let Me Go : Ishiguro constructs a narrative in which Kathy H and the clones are assumed human individuals from the textâs introduction, and it is only as the clones uncover how they may be "troubling and strange" that the reader gains a sense of how they are perceived in society as sub-human. However, the pre-determined fate and mortality of these "poor creatures", especially as they are born and 'complete' seemingly without a scope of awareness beyond their exposure during their upbringing and their sole purpose as organ donors - renders their lives even more heart wrenching and tragic - and human. The simplicity with which Ishiguro details the musings and reflections of Kathy H, and in the concluding moment of her imagined fantasy of Tommy, as not "out of control" as she may felt, readers cannot ignore the stark juxtaposition with the circumstances of her existence, in which she ultimately has no control over her identity as a clone. To grasp autonomy, to defy and deviate from being "wherever it was [she] was supposed to be", even for a moment, Ishiguro portrays a courage which is undoubtedly human. Â
Possible points for comparison : When faced with the stories of lives not our own, but each individual possessing elements which resonate and resemble us, it is much more possible to understand their struggles, their intentions and their experiences. Consider the story behind each face, each character, each name, not only in these two texts but also other texts and even our lives, as we are fundamentally more similar than different when compared to each other, even in the face of separation and distinction.
Ultimately, Funder and Ishiguro's texts probe the existential question of what it means to be human and what defines one's identity, and how it is shaped by experience, fate, intentions and actions. Question the texts, question the characters, question yourselves, and you'll discover worlds and perspectives closer to home than the GDR or Hailsham may initially seem.
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*** OPEN FOR TIMESTAMPS + RESOURCES + INFO! *** A long awaited video! Here's how to write a Text Response essay, breaking down introduction, body paragraph...
The A+ study Guide You need to Write A Killer Comparative Essay. The only ebook that shows you exactly what you need to know to WOW your teacher for VCE Comparative. Hi! I'm Lisa Tran, Founder of Lisa's Study Guides and VCE English top 2% scorer with 10 years tutoring experience. Have you ever had your teacher give you any of these dreaded ...
If you want more, I have also got a fully written up 2019 essay based on the articles that we're analysing today in my How To Write A Killer Language Analysis study guide. In that study guide, not only do I have the essay for 2019, I also have a fully written up essay for the 2017 & 2020 VCAA English Exams , and we're always working on adding ...
Written Explanation (also known as Statement of Intention, SOE, and various other names throughout different schools) is a short introductory piece to your essay. The Written Explanation is intended to explore the reasons behind why you made particular writing decisions. This is done via FLAPC: F orm, L anguage, A udience, P urpose, C ontext. 2.
Writing is only ever the second component of the entire essay writing process, the first component is the reading/analysing. Today I'm going to take you thro...
Hi! I'm the founder of Lisa's Study Guides, a multi 6-figure private tutoring company which looks after 200+ students with 35 tutors on my team. I sold and exited LSG in Feb 2023 đ„ł. I've ...
Be able to apply your new skills coherently and clearly in essay writing. You will be able to accurately describe HOW an author uses language to persuade. You will be able to plan and write a language analysis essay structure (single article/image) You will be able to plan and write a language analysis essay structure (2 or more articles/images)
Yep. Forget trying to memorise super cool sounding language techniques, that's not what's going to help you write a killer essay. In fact, these complex language techniques will often only make it harder for you to analyse the article clearly, making your essay that much harder for your accesssor to read and understand.
The true purpose of an English essay, especially at VCE level, is to persuade. The point of persuasion is your opinion concerning the essay question. The essay engages with the text(s) and uses evidence (quotations and technical analysis) to support an argument. In the process, it demonstrates a student's understanding of, and personal
OPEN FOR MORE RESOURCES + TIMESTAMPS :) | The Ultimate Guide To VCE Language Analysis: http://bit.ly/2WCBbfSIf you found all this helpful, you might like my ...
4. BREAKING DOWN THE BODY PARAGRAPH. The body paragraph makes up the "flesh" of the essay "skeleton" you have at the moment. Three body paragraphs is enough for a strong essay, however you can add as many more as you need to strengthen or fully unpack your overall argument (provided you're not ranting).
Author â. When writing a Language Analysis essay (or any essay for that matter), always refer to the author by either their full name, their surname only, or a title and a surname - NEVER by their first name alone. For example: 'Lyle Shelton', 'Mr. Lyle Shelton', 'Mr. Shelton' and 'Shelton' are all okay to use in your essay.
2018 / Lisa's Study Guides Cover Illustration and layout design for the How to Write a Killer Essay E-book, written by Lisa Tran. "How to Write a Killer Essay" digital ebook
Let's face it, giving students who have grown up typing essays (and pretty much all school work) 25 minutes to hand-write a 5 paragraph essay is a bit despotic of the CB. Which brings me to the other best reason for students to use this book: Tom's methods help to reduce the intimidation that most students seem to experience about taking SAT's ...
// timestamps0:00 - Elements you are expected to include in your introduction1:57 - Optional element #1 (Thematic Sentence)2:42 - Optional element #2 (Histor...
Like its name, Text Response is when you respond to a text. The most popular texts are novels and films; however plays, poetry and short stories are also common. Your response will be in the form of an essay, in which you discuss themes, ideas and characters. Recall all the novels and films you've studied since Year 7 (there'll be quite a few!). You should be very familiar with the process of ...
Cover illustration and design for the ebook How to Write a Killer Language Analysis written by Lisa Tran. Lisa's Study Guides are designed to help students with VCE English coursework and examinations. (2019)
I will be explaining some basic dos and don'ts of writing an essay on The Golden Age, providing a model essay as an example. The following prompt will be referenced throughout the post; 'The Golden Age' shows that everyone needs love and recognition. Discuss. Planning: the silent killer of A+ essays
LSG's known for our easy-to-understand study guides that teach you what you need to know to ace your SACs and VCAA exam. All guides include bonus videos. Learn Lisa's unique THINK and EXECUTE strategy. Over 10 A+ sample VCE essays to advance your skills. EVERY essay annotated and broken down on HOW and WHY students achieved A+ so you reach your ...
Written by Lisa Tran, who achieved FULL marks in her Oral Presentation: How to choose, plan and write your oral presentation and written explanation; A simple, persuasive speech structure that will blow your audience away; All essays FULLY annotated so you know exactly what you need to do and what not to do
Whenever you get a new essay topic, you can use LSG's THINK and EXECUTE strategy, a technique to help you write better VCE essays. This essay topic breakdown will focus on the THINK part of the strategy. If you're unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response.
Concentrate on a specific section of a plot, or a small passage in the novel. Avoid talking about too much at once. If you are able to achieve this, it will prevent you from falling into the path of wanting to write about an overall event of the book, which is inevitably summarising the plot.If you believe that it is absolutely necessary to ...
How I Got A+ in My Oral Presentation | Live QnA With Lisa Tran. How To 'Overcome' Your Fear of Public Speaking. Oral Presentations | How To Do Speeches. 5 Common Oral Presentation Mistakes. Our How to Write a Killer Oral Presentation Study Guide has all the information you need to succeed in your Oral Presentations. Sample A+ essays and written ...