Post on 12-Mar-2020
SAJC English DepartmentEvery Saint an Independent Critical Thinker
Strategies for doing well inGENERAL PAPER
Purpose of General Paper
1. Aims to develop in students the ability to think critically.
2. To construct cogent arguments.
3. To communicate their ideas using clear, accurate and effective language.
Scheme of Assessment for Paper 1Paper Description Marks
allocationPaper 1 Essay
12 questions offered
Topic Areas: • Issues drawn
from across disciplines
• Issues of local interest and global concern
Answer any one out of total of 12 questions. 500-800 words
Duration: 1hr 30mins
Content:30Language: 20
Total marks: 50
2018 A Level GP Paper 1 questions: 1. How far is failure an essential part of success?2. To what extent is the pursuit of continuous economic growth a desirable goal?3. In an age of rapid technological advancement, is a single career for life realistic?4. ‘In the global age we inhabit, there is no justification for national boundaries.’
How far do you agree?5. To what extent is sporting achievement given adequate recognition in your society?6. Do handicrafts still have value when machine-produced goods are so readily available?7. ‘People today do not work as hard as they did in the past.’
How true is this of your society?8. Discuss the view that all countries have an equal responsibility to counter terrorism.9. Is pressure a motivating force or a cause for unhappiness?10. ‘Works of art which have been removed from their country of origin should be returned.’
Discuss.11. ‘Foreign aid does not solve long-term problems.’ To what extent is this a fair viewpoint?12. Consider the view that we do not take enough responsibility for our own well-being.
SAJC’S APPROACH TO PAPER 1• ISSUE-DRIVEN APPROACH: Key issues pertaining to certain topics and
to identify the contentious issue in the question
• BREADTH OF CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: Weekly newspaper articles
• READING MODELS: (1) What - EVENT (2) Why - SIGNIFICANCE(3) How - APPLICATION
• ANNOTATION TOOLS
• CULTURAL LITERACY
• PROCESS WRITING
Scheme of Assessment for Paper 2Paper Description Range of MarksPaper 2 Compre-hension
Text comprises 1 or 2 passages. Questions cover: 1. Understanding,
including literal comprehension and inference (17 marks)
2. Summary Qn(8 marks)
3. Application Qn (10 marks)
Answer all questions.
The length of text(s) will be about 1200 words in total.
Duration: 1hr 30mins
Content:35
Language: 15 (A separate but holistic score based on the entire script)
Total marks: 50
Past Years’ P2 TopicsHistory (2008)Work & Play (2009)Food (2010)Green Spaces (2011)Music (2012) Fame and Celebrities (2013) Revolution in communications, past and present (2014)Sports (2015) Tourism (2016) Sharing of Personal data (2017) Millennials’ voting behavior (2018)
2016 P2 Application Question Elizabeth Gorey sees undoubted benefits to tourism but also a growing number of drawbacks. How far would you agree with her observations, relating your arguments to your own experience and that of your society?
“Your society” National policies/ Government’s views & stance Community’s views (eg. Forum page, netizens sentiments) Individual’s views/ personal opinions.
How to do well for GP?
GP LESSONS & RESOURCES @ SAJC• Lecture/Tutorial system: Integration of Content and Skills (Immediate
Application) • Skills focus: Question Analysis, Error Analysis, How to write a captivating
Introduction, Paragraph development, Strategies for scoring in AQ• Reading Packages: Topics such as Family & Marriage, Social Inequalities,
Mass Media, Singapore’s Decision Making Processes. • Skills Packages: Paragraph Development, Question Analysis, Answering
Inferential Questions, Summary Skills, AQ Skills. • Activities to make thinking “visible” (mind maps, gallery walk, peer
evaluation, IT platforms…)• Discussion of issues using the weekly newspaper articles • Timed Assignments
Weekly newspaper articles One-article-per-day Principle
1) 2018 World Events in Pictures https://www.ft.com/content/ce6abdd6-fbd8-11e8-aebf-99e208d3e521
2) Ten Most Significant Events in 2018 https://www.cfr.org/blog/ten-most-significant-world-events-2018
3) Opinion piece on US’ withdrawal from Syria https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/pulling-syria-181220124910471.html
4) Opinion piece on Rights of Citizenship and Caravan Immigrants in the USAhttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/opinion/sunday/immigration-border-policy-citizenship.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fopinion&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront
5) Bilateral issues between Singapore and Malaysia https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2176304/malaysia-singapore-ties-hit-turbulence-over-air-traffic
are the facts?
are the implications? SR/LRwhat does it mean for your society?
how can apply the facts/ egsto essay questions or to AQ?
Weekly newspaper articles One-article-per-day Principle
GP PROGRAMMES @ SAJC• Consultations with GP tutors.• JC1 Mastery Classes for students who are weaker in their English. • JC2 weekly GP Clinic for students who need extra help in their
language and skills (5-6 students per group).• GP Current Affairs Quizzes.
Research on local examples for essays on ‘your society’ and for AQ:
[Singapore in Figures] https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/reference/sif2018.pdf
[Ministry of Social and Family Development] https://www.msf.gov.sg/policies/Pages/default.aspx
[Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth]http://www.mccy.gov.sg/
[Our Singapore Conversation] https://www.reach.gov.sg/read/our-sg-conversation
[Future Deck Cards] https://www.csf.gov.sg/files/media-centre/publications/future-deck-cards.pdf
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNINGPURPOSEDo I know the purpose of the author?
ISSUESWhat is the underlying issue(s) in this problem?
INFORMATIONDo I have sufficient, accurate and reliable data?
INFERENCE
Are my inferred conclusions valid?
CONCEPTS
What concepts can I apply?
ASSUMPTIONS What are my assumptions and are they valid?
IMPLICATIONS
What are the implicationsin the short and long run?
POINT OF VIEW
What are the various perspectives?
The Thinking Wheel
a) Cull and consolidate examples in GP Journals
b) Get into the habit of thinking critically (using Paul-Elder’s Elements of Thought)
c) Develop your personal voice
PRACTICE IS KEY!• Students are advised to do additional comprehensions and write
additional essays
• Comprehension papers and essay questions are found in GP Packages.
• Detailed answer schemes are given to the students after every exam.
• Good essays and AQs are made available to all students.
Literature
in English
Literature in English
The Syllabus
Reading Literature
Paper 1 (A) A single poem
(B) A novel
(C) A play
H1
Reading Literature
Paper 1 (A) Compare 2 poems
(B) A novel
(C) A play
H2
Reading Literature Paper 1 Section A (H1)
Either (a) Write a critical commentary of the following poem, considering in detail ways in which your response is shaped by the writer’s language, style and form.
Or (b) Write a critical commentary of the following poem, considering in detail ways in which your response is shaped by the writer’s language, style and form.
Unseen
Reading Literature Paper 1 Section A (H2)
Either (a) Write a critical comparison of the following poems, considering in detail ways in which language, style and form contribute to each poet’s portrayal of different generations’ perceptions of each other.
Or (b) Write a critical comparison of the following poems, considering in detail ways in which language, style and form contribute to each poet’s portrayal of the fragility of love.
Unseen
Reading Literature Paper 1 Section B (H1 & H2)
Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice
Either (a) ‘Money is the problem; marriage is the solution.’ How far do you agree with this comment on the novel?
Or (b) Write a critical commentary on the following passage, relating it to the presentation of Lady Catherine, here and elsewhere in the novel. [passage-based question]
2019 JC2 cohort
Reading Literature Paper 1 Section B (H1 & H2)
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Either (a) Discuss the presentation and significant of Gatsby’s solitary nature in the novel. [essay question]
Or (b) Write a critical commentary on the following passage, relating it to the effects of setting, here and elsewhere in the novel. [passage-based question]
2019 JC1 cohort
Reading Literature Paper 1 Section C (H1 & H2)
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Measure for Measure
Either (a) How important, in your view, is chastity to the concerns of the play?
Or (b) Write a critical commentary on the following passage, relating it to the Duke’s opinion of Angelo, here and elsewhere in the play.
2019 JC1 and 2019 JC 2 cohorts
The Mind and Self in Literature
Paper 3 (A) Unseen (any genre)
(B) Compare 2 texts
(C) 1 text
H2
The Mind and Self in Literature
Paper 3 Section A (H2)Either (a) The following passage is an extract from Our Mutual Friend, a novel by Charles Dickens published in 1864-5. Write a critical appreciation of the passage, commenting on ways in which the author uses form, structure and language to present Mr Podsnap’s sense of self.
Or (b) The poem which follows (published in 1945) was written by Ruth Pitter. Write a critical appreciation of the poem, considering ways in which the poet uses form, structure and language to present ‘One’s Self’.
Unseen
The Mind and Self in LiteraturePaper 3 Section B (H2)
Either (a) Compare the ways in which two texts you have studied show the effects of social pressure on the mind.
Or (b) With reference to two texts you have studied, consider how the authors use different narrative or dramatic points of view to present different aspects of the mind and self.
Comparison across texts
The Mind and Self in LiteraturePaper 3 Section C (H2)
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet
Either (a) Consider how the last Act of the play might change an audience’s view of Hamlet’s mental state.
Or (b) Discuss the ways in which the play dramatises the effects of death on characters’ minds.
2019 JC1 and JC 2 cohorts
The Mind and Self in LiteraturePaper 3 Section C (H2) J.M. COETZEE: Age of Iron
Either (a) ‘The novel explores the ways in which Coetzee presents a mind in the grip of a moral dilemma.’ Discuss your view of the novel in the light of this statement.
Or (b) Consider the effectiveness of the novel’s use of letters in presenting the characters’ mental states.
2019 JC1 and JC 2 cohorts
The Mind and Self in LiteraturePaper 3 Section C (H2)Edward Albee: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Either (a) Discus the ways in which Albee dramatizes a desperate state of mid in the play.Or (b) “George and Martha are shown to play roles to avoid confronting their real selves.” How far do you agree?
2019 JC2 cohort
The Mind and Self in Literature
Paper 3 Section C (H2)
Elizabeth Jennings: selected poems from The Collected Poems
Either (a) With close reference to at least two poems, consider how Jennings’ poetical exploration of the physical world conveys ideas about the mind.
Or (b) Explore the presentation of illness in relation to states of mind and awareness of self in at least two poems by Elizabeth Jennings.
2019 JC1 cohort
Paper 1: Reading Literature (H1/2) 3 hours; 3 essays
Section AUnseen poetry
Two questions, choose one.Analysis of one unseen poem (H1) ORComparison of two unseen poems (H2)
Section BPride & Prejudice
Two questions, choose one.Either an essay question or a passage-based question
Section CMeasure for Measure
Two questions, choose one.Either an essay question or a passage-based question.
Paper 3: The Mind and Self… (H2)3 hours, 3 essays
Section AUnseen
Two questions, choose one.Critical analysis of unseen poem, prose or drama
Section BComparison
Two questions, choose one.Comparison of any two texts studied
Section CSingle text
Two questions, choose one.Text used in this section cannot be used in Section B.
Literature in English
The Skills
O Level
A Level Response
Analysis
Comparison
The UnseenO-Levels A-LevelsRead this poem carefully, and then answer the questions that follow it. (i) What vivid impressions do
you form of the cityimagined in this poem?
(ii) How does the poet strikingly convey thoughts and feelings about living in a foreign country?
Write a critical commentary on the following poem, considering in detail ways in which your response is shaped by the writer’s language, style and form.
Write a critical comparison of the following poems, considering in detail ways in which language, style and formcontribute to each poet’s portrayal of separation.
The Passage-Based QuestionO-Levels A-LevelsRead this passage carefully, and then answer the questions that follow it.(i) How does Golding’s writing
make the boys’ attempt to light a fire so dramatic in this passage?
(ii) How does Golding make the boys’ fight for survival dramatic elsewhere in the novel? Refer to one other part of the novel in your answer.
Write a critical commentary on the following passage, relating it to the portrayal of Lady Bertram, here and elsewhere in the novel.
Write a critical commentary on the following passage, relating it to the presentation of power, here and elsewhere in the play.
The Essay QuestionO-Levels A-LevelsExplore the ways in which Golding presents different kindsof leadership in the novel.
How does Golding make the absence of grown-ups so important in the novel?
How does Golding make the twins (Sam and Eric) so memorable and significant in the novel?
How, and with what effects, does Shakespeare explore the relationship between an individual and society through his presentation of different attitudes to love in Othello?
‘Death arrives as a release.’ How far would you agree with this comment on the play?
The Essay Question (Comparison)O-Levels A-LevelsExplore the ways in which Golding presents different kinds of leadership in the novel.
How does Golding make the absence of grown-ups so important in the novel?
How does Golding make the twins (Sam and Eric) so memorable and significant in the novel?
In what ways, and with what effects, do writers use feelings of displacement as a means of evoking the relationship between an individual and society? You should compare two of your texts.
Explore how two of the writers you have studied presentpersonal fulfilment (or the lack of it) for an individual in society.
Literature in English
The Strategies
H1 and H2• Analysis of unseen poetry is a compulsory
section for both H1 and H2. (H1 – single poem; H2 – comparison across texts)
• Students are advised to read at least one poem a day, from different time periods, poets, and on different subject matter. They need to be able to identify and explain use of literary devices and techniques.
H1 and H2• Both H1 and H2 students should also have an
in-depth understanding of their texts and form informed, personal responses to these.
• They should be familiar with the different types of essay questions and the requirements.
• In addition, they should practise the skills taught in class e.g., poetry analysis, in and outside of class.
H2• Students are expected to compare poems
and texts adeptly. • They should be familiar with material
and with how to use material to answer questions that require comparison.
• They would also need to practise their comparison skills.
KL2
Slide 46
KL2 took out quote on turning blood into ink.. too dramaticKhoo Lilin, 30/1/2019