Essay Writing Help.

I've come across a few essay writing related links which will assist and further your understanding of essay writing and analytical pieces. Please have a read of these in your spare time as they will greatly help you if you have difficulties in grasping the written technique.

- http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.html#1

- http://www2.actden.com/WRIT_DEN/tips/essay/

- http://www.bestessaytips.com/

- http://www.studentnow.com/features/essayswritingtips.html

Hope it makes sense, if not, email me and I can further explain.

Holiday activities.

With the festive season ALMOST over, it only makes sense that now is the time you should be writing and reading a lot especially before Term one begins. It is a good time to tackle the tasks which you need to complete along with any revision which will assist you in 2010. Please remember that my email inbox is always open for work and marking so you should really get sending if you want feedback before lessons resume. I expect at least two written pieces of work by everyone especially if you would like to start 2010 on a good note, if not, well I hope you have a good and very guilty holiday break. Which I know you will have anyways.

Essay Writing: STAR method.

Here is an abbreviated way to revise and remember the basic form of an essay. It is called the 'STAR' method.

S- Statement

T- Textual evidence

A- Analysis

R- Related

Hope this helps!

HSC Study tips for the Summer Holidays.

The Summer Holidays are the longest and perhaps the best time of the year to get productive although it might not feel like it. I mean, how often will you get a good two months or so school free? Other than having a good break and relaxing, this is my best time to get some work done ready for the beginning of 2010. Here are my HSC friendly study tips!

1. Write GOOD essays based on Belonging.
2. Develop your thesis statements.
3. Read the next HSC texts that you will study. Make notes as you go along.
4. Start writing/altering/shortening your study notes. This is good revision.
5. Write a few GOOD creative writing pieces which explore the area of study (AOS) best.

Let me know if you need more holiday study tips! Get working!

Year Nine English Classes for 2010!

If you are a current year eight student, you might be interested in joining our newest English Class program ready in early 2010. Following the astounding success of the year nine 2009 classes, we've decided to extend this warm welcome to the year nine students of 2010 with the introduction of Saturday morning English classes. In these English classes, you will learn in a focused yet fun environment, perfect for discussions and development of new ideas in a more social surrounding. We will explore different genres, texts, writing styles, literature pieces and many more. If you are interested for more information, please feel free to contact me or email me. I will be releasing more information regarding these lessons soon, so please keep your eyes peeled for more updates.

HSC 2009 Paper One: Are you prepared?

Thanks to one of my newly finished year 12 student, I have managed to get a copy of the exam questions which appeared in the 2009 Higher School Certificate in Paper One. The questions are as followed:

1. "Drawing on the ideas in ONE of these quotations, write an imaginative piece that celebrates the ways relationships contribute to a sense of belonging." Stimuli were "Human beings, like plants, grow in the soil of acceptance, not in the atmosphere of rejection" or "When someone prizes us just as we are; he or she confirms our existence."

2. "Understanding nourishes belonging... a lack of understanding prevents it. Demonstrate how your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing represent this interpretation of belonging."

Would you be ready to answer these?

Good Luck Year 12!

I just want to wish all of the year 12 students good luck for the upcoming exam period! Hope for the best, revise your essays, refine your thesis statements, re-annotate your quotes and with that little bit of extra luck, you should all be fine. Avoid burning out by the middle of examination period and keep organised and confident. You will be so grateful for the moment it is all over. If you have any last minute pieces you wish for me to mark, email me and I will get it to you as soon as possible. Moderation, persistence and confidence is key. Good luck!

Literary critical perspectives.

This is a summarised list of some literary critical perspectives which you may encounter in senior English (especially 3U). I would keep these terms in mind if you are going to enter Year 10, 11 or 12. They might come in handy for future reference.

- Post colonial criticism
- Feminist criticism

- Marxist criticism

- Psychoanalytic criticism

- New historicism and cultural materialism

- Deconstruction

- Queer Theory

Related text of the Day.

'Convex and Concave' by M.C. Escher

High School Certificate Trials.

Good luck with your English Higher School Certificate Trials! I am positive that you will all do perfectly. Feel free to email me any essays and creative writing pieces which you have written so that I can provide feedback and critical comments to assist your preparation with the 2009 High School Certificate Exams. My new email is analyse_english@gmail.com Remember to balance study with relaxation and spend your time wisely for a second wasted is a second you will never get back! I look forward to seeing you all soon.