****2014 LC English Paper Two 2014 - Higher Level - Before and after discussion****

Popkornetto

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

Contrary to what someone else said, I don't much like the first question - you can already see the inevitable blunder: students are not going to demonstrate that the struggles "proved crucial". The second is a peach if you studied it!

The second is, indeed, a beautiful question if you've studied it. That's now 3 years in a row that at least one of the questions is on language techniques (if you consider imagery a technique - which I'd guess everyone doing the LC does). It can be difficult to learn about these techniques, but it's very worthwhile!

kevin12345

con8 wrote: »

CULTURAL CONTEXT
1."Various social groups, both large and small (such as family, friends, organisations or community) reflect the cutural context in the texts"

2."The cultural context within a text often dictates the crisis or difficulties faced by characters and their responses to these difficulties"

---

GENERAL VISION

1. "The extent to which a reader can relate an aspect of a text to his or her experience of life, helps to shape an understanding of the general vision and viewpoint of that text"

2. "Significant events in texts and the impact they have on the reader often help to clarify the general vision and viewpoint of those texts"

Wow so both modes had only one question? That hasn't happened in a while has it?

Mr Pseudonym

con8 wrote: »

CULTURAL CONTEXT
1."Various social groups, both large and small (such as family, friends, organisations or community) reflect the cutural context in the texts"

2."The cultural context within a text often dictates the crisis or difficulties faced by characters and their responses to these difficulties"

---

GENERAL VISION

1. "The extent to which a reader can relate an aspect of a text to his or her experience of life, helps to shape an understanding of the general vision and viewpoint of that text"

2. "Significant events in texts and the impact they have on the reader often help to clarify the general vision and viewpoint of those texts"

So, to clarify, was there no 30:40 split-question?

maryjack

What poets came up?

Mr Pseudonym

Deleted User wrote: »

But studying only one is madness. I did the LC and I had a favourite poet too but I didn't assume he'd come up just because it was predicted? I covered 2 poets very well, another 2 reasonably well, had a choice from 2 on the day. No one said you have to learn 5 equally well, that's obviously too much focus on only one section of the exam. I expect the examiners are sick of reading pre prepared essays which show no engagement with the question or subject.

You say that no one expects that they be learnt equally well, but that means that whether one of your best-prepared poets comes up is down to luck. What made you chose those two poets? You predicted that they were the most likely, right? So, even for those who are very studious, like yourself, the format still encourages students to make predictions.

Not engaging with the question because of pre-prepared answers is not discouraged by making students study multiple poets - in fact, I would argue it does the opposite.

con8

"Yeats uses evocative language to create poetry that includes both personal reflection and public commentary"

---

"The dramatic aspects of Dickinson's poetry can both disturb and delight reader"

---

"Larkin is a perceptive observer of the realities of the ordinary life in poems that are sometimes illuminated by images of lyrical beauty"

---

"Plath makes effective use of language to explore her personal experience of suffering and to provide occasional glimpses of the redemptive power of love"

Popkornetto

maryjack wrote: »

What poets came up?

Page 5:

skippy1977 wrote: »

Poets are Yeats, Dickenson, Larkin, Plath...kid just out in our school.

Nidgeweasel

maryjack wrote: »

What poets came up?

Heaney, four times.

GalwayCovers1

Banking on certain 'predicted' poets is never a good idea, but the majority of students are going to have one that they really hope comes up and have prepared for a lot better that the others on the course. Unfortunately, there is always going to be controversy surrounding this aspect of the English paper.

Our year almost got caught out bad.....

I Remember the time,
For my LC the predicted poet was Bishop,
However a day before there was a little hiccup,
They gave out the wrong paper,
We had to sit the exam a day later,
The year was 2009,

But she came up on the back up paper so t'was grand!

Morale of the story, don't bank on one poet!

Mr Pseudonym

con8 wrote: »

"Yeats uses evocative language to create poetry that includes both personal reflection and public commentary"

---

"The dramatic aspects of Dickinson's poetry can both disturb and delight reader"

---

"Larkin is a perceptive observer of the realities of the ordinary life in poems that are sometimes illuminated by images of lyrical beauty"

---

"Plath makes effective use of language to explore her personal experience of suffering and to provide occasional glimpses of the redemptive power of love"

Holy god, those are banal questions!

con8

kevin12345 wrote: »

Wow so both modes had only one question? That hasn't happened in a while has it?

Made a mistake. Take a look again for the edited version

Mr Pseudonym

con8 wrote: »

Made a mistake. Take a look again for the edited version

But, both GV questions were 70 marks, right?

con8

GalwayCovers1 wrote: »

Banking on certain 'predicted' poets is never a good idea, but the majority of students are going to have one that they really hope comes up and have prepared for a lot better that the others on the course. Unfortunately, there is always going to be controversy surrounding this aspect of the English paper.

Our year almost got caught out bad.....

I Remember the time,
For my LC the predicted poet was Bishop,
However a day before there was a little hiccup,
They gave out the wrong paper,
We had to sit the exam a day later,
The year was 2009,

But she came up on the back up paper so t'was grand!

Morale of the story, don't bank on one poet!

I happened to bank on only Dickinson, though I knew a little on Yeats and Plath. :P
This has been the most generous LC English, I could have gotten

Mr Pseudonym

con8 wrote: »

I happened to bank on only Dickinson, though I knew a little on Yeats and Plath. :P
This has been the most generous LC English, I could have gotten

Hang on...you were sitting it? How early did you leave?

con8

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

But, both GV questions were 70 marks, right?

GENERAL VISION
Q1(a) - 30 marks
Q1(b) - 40 marks

OR

Q2 - 70 marks

So yes!

Mr Pseudonym

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

You say that no one expects that they be learnt equally well, but that means that whether one of your best-prepared poets comes up is down to luck. What made you chose those two poets? You predicted that they were the most likely, right? So, even for those who are very studious, like yourself, the format still encourages students to make predictions.

Not engaging with the question because of pre-prepared answers is not discouraged by making students study multiple poets - in fact, I would argue it does the opposite.

I ignored all predictions actually, the poets I knew best were the ones whose poetry I enjoyed the most. I still made sure I was covered with other poets too. It's a 50 mark question, students way overestimate the amount they need to do for it in comparison to the single text and comparative: you don't need to know every poet off by heart like you do your Shakespeare just cover enough that you could answer on a different poet should your favourite not come up.

Why should the SEC feel obliged to put a poet on the paper because they're popular and everyone expects them to come up? Their job is to write an exam paper not ensure everyone gets their favourite question. It's perfectly fair to put Heaney in different parts in the exam, or not on the exam at all.

Mr Pseudonym

con8 wrote: »

GENERAL VISION
Q1(a) - 30 marks
Q1(b) - 40 marks

OR

Q2 - 70 marks

So yes!

Thanks for response, but don't understand: the first GV question you gave doesn't seem to have two parts.

Ofc, when I asked if both are 70 marks, I meant if both only had one part.

Maribs

Hi All, I don't understand any of it but do people think it was a fair paper that prepared students will be happy with ?? Thanks

con8

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

Hang on...you were sitting it? How early did you leave?

4.20

It was the most generous, but that doesn't mean I did extraordinarily well

Vito Corleone

What were the MacBeth questions?

Maribs

Maribs wrote: »

Hi All, I don't understand any of it but do people think it was a fair paper that prepared students will be happy with ?? Thanks

Yes.

Mr Pseudonym

con8 wrote: »

4.20

It was the most generous, but that doesn't mean I did extraordinarily well

I hope you did

Vito Corleone

I knew Yeats would come up.

Mr Pseudonym

Deleted User wrote: »

I ignored all predictions actually, the poets I knew best were the ones whose poetry I enjoyed the most. I still made sure I was covered with other poets too. It's a 50 mark question, students way overestimate the amount they need to do for it in comparison to the single text and comparative: you don't need to know every poet off by heart like you do your Shakespeare just cover enough that you could answer on a different poet should your favourite not come up.

Why should the SEC feel obliged to put a poet on the paper because they're popular and everyone expects them to come up? Their job is to write an exam paper not ensure everyone gets their favourite question. It's perfectly fair to put Heaney in different parts in the exam, or not on the exam at all.

If you'll excuse me, that's an entirely unsensible strategy. What if the two you studied best were very unlikely to come up? They may over-estimate it, but I think you understate the required familiarity with the poets.

I never suggested they are obliged (or that they should feel so). I said that the format of the paper should be such that it doesn't strongly encourage students to gamble.

Nidgeweasel

Vito Corleone wrote: »

I knew Yeats would come up.

You believed he would come up, you didn't know he would come up.

Unless you've seen the paper previously to today. Call the SEC!

con8

MACBETH

(i)"Macbeth's relationships with other characters can be seen primarily as power struggles which prove crucial to outcome of the play?"

Discuss the above statement in relation to at least two of Macbeth's relationships with other characters.

(ii) "Throughout the play, Macbeth, Shakespeare makes effective use of a variety of dramatic techniques that evoke a wide range of responses from the audience"

Discuss... at least two dramatic techniques by Shakespeare

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CULTURAL CONTEXT

1. "Various social groups, both large and small (such as family, friends, organisations or community) reflect the cultural context in the texts"


2."The cultural context within a text often dictates the crisis or difficulties faced by characters and their responses to these difficulties"

---

GENERAL VISION

1.(a) "The extent to which a reader can relate an aspect of a text to his or her experience of life, helps to shape an understanding of the general vision and viewpoint of that text"

(b) With reference to the text you refered to in 1 (a) above and at least one other text from your comparative course, compare how the two other aspects of the texts (excluding the aspect discussed in 1 (a)) influenced your understanding of the general vision and viewpoint of those texts.

2. "Significant events in texts and the impact they have on the reader often help to clarify the general vision and viewpoint of those texts"

---

POETS

"Yeats uses evocative language to create poetry that includes both personal reflection and public commentary"

---

"The dramatic aspects of Dickinson's poetry can both disturb and delight reader"

---

"Larkin is a perceptive observer of the realities of the ordinary life in poems that are sometimes illuminated by images of lyrical beauty"

---

"Plath makes effective use of language to explore her personal experience of suffering and to provide occasional glimpses of the redemptive power of love"

Mr Pseudonym

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

If you'll excuse me, that's an entirely unsensible strategy. What if the two you studied best were very unlikely to come up? They may over-estimate it, but I think you understate the required familiarity with the poets.

I never suggested they are obliged (or that they should feel so). I said that the format of the paper should be such that it doesn't strongly encourage students to gamble.

My English teacher taught us 5 poets, I trusted him to teach us ones he felt had a good chance but beyond that I didn't pay any attention to predictions. I knew 5 poets well enough to answer a question well should they come up, I had my favourites but everyone does. I don't think the paper encourages gambling at all; apart from poetry you know what you're going to be answering for the rest of the paper. It really isn't that much extra effort to learn more than 1 or 2 poets (I'd be surprise if an English teacher only covered 1 or 2 poets in class, so you should have notes etc), if you really want to do well you won't take that chance, simple as.

con8

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

Thanks for response, but don't understand: the first GV question you gave doesn't seem to have two parts.

Ofc, when I asked if both are 70 marks, I meant if both only had one part.

Typed it all wrong, accidentally placed General Vision part (b) into cultural question

Just check the previous page to see the right version hopefully!

sifnband

What a beautiful paper. Delighted!!!

Mr Pseudonym

Deleted User wrote: »

...simple as.

If that's how you see it...

con8 wrote: »

Typed it all wrong, accidentally placed General Vision part (b) into cultural question

Just check the previous page to see the right version hopefully!

Thanks for doing all that work.