VIRGINIA LEE, SUE SHERMAN& ELIZABETH TULLOH

AcknowledgementsThe authors and Insight Publications would like to thank the following organisations and individuals for their kind permission to reproduce their work: Save our Jumper for the online article ‘It’s your jumper too’Suzan Johnston for their advertisementThe Manningham Leader and Nick Richardson for the article ‘No licence to kill for young’The Manningham Leader and Nick Richardson for the article ‘No licence to kill for young’The Manningham LeaderManningham Matters for the article ‘Cinema under the stars’The Age and Professor Tim Flannery for the opinion piece ‘Youth can be the vanguard for action on climate change’Herald Sun for the editorials ‘Food travels far too fast’ and ‘Taxes might curb obesity’Photographer Pip Starr, The Age and Ursula Rakova for the photograph of the Carteret Islanders Herald Sun, photographer Craig Borrow and newspix.com.au for the photograph of Jensen the wombatMark Knight and newspix.com.au for his cartoonAdditional images from i-stock.com

DisclaimerEvery effort has been made to trace the original source of all material used in this book. The publishers welcome any information regarding unacknowledged work.

© Insight Publications 2009

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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-publication data:

Lee, Virginia.Year 11 English skills : a student workbook / V. Lee, E. Tulloh, S. Sherman. 9781921088865 (pbk.) For secondary school age. English language–Study and teaching (Secondary)–Australia English language–Australia–Textbooks. English language–Problems, exercises, etc. Tulloh, Elizabeth. Sherman, Sue, 1946-

808.042

Printed in Australia by Shannon Books

Area of Study One Reading and Responding

Course overview 2

Chapter 1 Introduction 3Reading – understanding the text 3Responding – developing a point

of view 4Note-taking 4Text information sheet 5

Chapter 2 Understanding texts through

characters 6Main characters 7Minor characters 8How to write about characters 10Narrators 15Characters, plot and structure 17Characters and setting 22

Chapter 3 Themes and values 25What is a theme? 25What is a value? 29Quiz on your text 30

Chapter 4 Film 31Film language and film style 31How to write about film 36

Chapter 5 Other genres 40Drama 40Short stories 42Poetry 44

Chapter 6 Writing text responses 49A: Analyse the topic 50B: Brainstorm the ideas 51C: Co-ordinate the material 52D: Draft the response 56E: Edit your work 58Oral presentations 60Annotated sample responses 62

Area of Study Two Creating and Presenting

Course overview 68

Chapter 7 Developing a Context 69Exploring your Context 69Identifying Context ideas 75Building a list of resources 77

Chapter 8 Using your selected texts 79Drawing ideas from your

selected text 80Developing ideas from

your selected text 82

Chapter 9 Text types 85Persuasive writing 87Expository writing 88Imaginative writing 91Hybrid writing 93

Chapter 10 Building writing and editing

skills 95Writing tips and strategies 95Common errors and how to

avoid them 101Editing your work 103

Chapter 11 Writing Context responses 106Unpacking the prompt/stimulus 106Written explanations 109Incorporating ideas from your

selected text 112Expository and persuasive writing 114Imaginative writing 119Annotated sample responses 122

Contents

Reading and Responding

Area of Study Three Using Language to Persuade

Course overview 130

Chapter 12 Introduction to persuasive

language 131What is persuasive language? 131How does persuasive language

work? 132Audience and purpose 133Analysing persuasive language 135

Chapter 13 Newspapers and other media texts 137Tabloid and broadsheet

newspapers 137Headlines 138Front-page stories and

news reports 139Feature articles 140Editorials and letters to the editor 140Opinion pieces 142Visual material 143Other media texts 147

Chapter 14 Persuasive techniques 148Common persuasive techniques 148Tone 152Style 154Main contention 154Activities 155How persuasive techniques

work together 162

Chapter 15 Writing a language analysis 166Analysing a media text in 6 steps 166Editing your language analysis 172Annotated sample language

analysis 173

Chapter 16 Point of view on an issue 177What is an issue? 177Choosing an issue 179Choosing your form of response 181Oral presentations 183Editing your point of view piece 186Annotated sample point of view 186

Chapter 17 The examination 189Format and timing 189Area of Study 1: Reading

and Responding 190Area of Study 2: Creating

and Presenting 191Area of Study 3: Using Language

to Persuade 194Editing and revising your answers 195

About the authorsVirginia LeeVirginia Lee, BA (Hons), Dip. Ed., has been teaching senior English since 1974 and has co-authored a number of English and VCE textbooks. Her long association with Insight Publications includes writing the Insight text guides on Lantana and The Great Gatsby. She currently teaches at the VCE campus of Emmaus College, Burwood, Victoria.

Sue ShermanSue Sherman, BA, Dip. Ed., Post-Grad Dip., has taught VCE English, Literature and IB Language A1. She has been an external marker for English, Literature and the GAT and is currently a member of the Literature Examination Setting panel, Text Selection Committee and the VATE Curriculum Committee. Sue has contributed to study guides for Insight and Cambridge University Press, and has facilitated student revision days and teachers’ workshops for VATE. Sh e is

currently teaching VCE English at Methodist Ladies’ College.

Elizabeth TullohElizabeth Tulloh, BA (Hons) in Eng. Lit. and Fine Arts, Dip. Ed., B. Litt (Journalism), has been a Humanities and English teacher since 1979. She has also worked as a freelance journalist for several years in between teaching appointments. Elizabeth is currently Head of English at Donvale Christian College.

c h a p t e r 1

c h a p t e r 2

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Course overview

Introduction

Understanding texts through characters

Themes and values

Film

Other genres: drama, short stories, poetry

Writing text responses

area of study

Reading and Responding

one

IN THIS SECTION

2 year 11 englIsh skIlls © Insight Publications

What you need to knowStudying texts is a major part of your VCE English course. Area of Study 1: Reading and Responding focuses on analysing texts, in written and possibly also in oral form. This year you will read and study at least two texts in detail – one each semester.

Why study texts? The set texts chosen by your teachers explore a range of experiences and offer interesting insights into the human condition. Texts such as these help us to reflect on how individuals respond to challenge and adversity, and why they behave the way they do. The why is the most interesting question for you to explore as senior English students. You will also consider why and how writers and directors construct their texts in particular ways.

Course overview

UNIT 1• You will read and study at least one text selected by your school.

• On completion of the Unit, you must be able to identify and discuss key aspects of this text.

• Your response may be in oral or written form – this will be determined by your school.

UNIT 2

• Again, you will study at least one selected text and construct a response in either oral or written form.

• You will analyse how this text conveys ways of thinking about the characters, ideas and themes.

SELECTEd TExTS

• The selected texts for both Units will be chosen from a range of genres.

• Only one of these texts may be a film.

The study of texts in Area of Study 1 is worth approximately one-third of your final English grade each semester. As well as the School Assessed Coursework tasks (SACs), your school may also set an examination at the end of each semester. If so, it is very likely that a text response will be included.

The following texts are referred to in this section; if you are not studying these, don’t worry – they are used as examples only, and the explanations and activities are for everyone.

NOVELS

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

• The Divine Wind by Garry Disher

• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

SHORT STORIES• Minimum of Two by Tim Winton

• Scission by Tim Winton

PLAyS• Macbeth by William Shakespeare

• Othello by William Shakespeare

FILM • Blade Runner dir. by Ridley Scott

POETRy • War Poems by Wilfred Owen

© Insight Publications C H a p T E r 1 Introduction to texts 3

chapter

Introductionone

I n t h i s c h a p t e r

• reading and responding

• note-taking

• Text information sheet

Studying texts means, first, knowing them very well, and second, understanding and analysing them. The better you know your texts, the better you will write about them. The process of taking notes and creating summary pages improves your understanding and knowledge of a text, and makes it easy for you to find ideas and evidence for your essays. The activities in this and the following chapters show you how to construct tables, diagrams, flow charts and lists that are very useful for building your understanding of the text and clarifying your ideas.

Reading – understanding the textFirst, read your text through once to get an overall idea of the storyline and characters.

After you’ve done this, fill in the text information sheet on page 5 to create a brief summary of the main elements of your text.

Next, re-read your text at least once so that you get to know it well enough to analyse key aspects in depth.

4 year 11 englIsh skIlls © Insight Publications

Responding – developing a point of viewYour teacher will let you know whether your text response should be in the form of an essay or an oral presentation.

Whichever form you are using, your response will:

• present your point of view on a given topic and

• support this point of view with evidence from the text.

It is important to have the confidence to express what you think. Your views may not be the same as the next student’s or even your teacher’s. But you also need to ‘test’ your ideas. This means that you should be prepared to change your mind if you cannot support your viewpoint with good evidence from the text.

Note-takingAs well as having a page or two of basic information, you will need to have more detailed notes in your workbook and in the text.

Note-taking serves two purposes:

• You create a valuable record of the important points about the text.

• Writing down these points helps you remember them.

How to take notes

• Make your own notes as you read the text.

• Take down the details emphasised by your teacher.

• Write notes in the text itself. It is ultimately your most valuable resource.

In your text

• Highlight quotations and ideas that seem significant, even on a first reading. On subsequent readings, you can add to this material.

• Later, write these quotations in your workbook under appropriate character and/or theme headings. Include page references for ready access.

• Identify key passages and pages with sticky notes.

• Annotate your text. Jot down your own ideas and questions in the margins of each page. In short, your text should look very colourful!

© Insight Publications C H a p T E r 1 Introduction to texts 5

Text information sheetUse this sheet as a quick reference for key text information, including the correct spelling of names and places. You can set up these nine points in your folder or on the computer so that you can expand on your answers if needed.

1. Title and author/director of your text:

2. What is the text about in general terms?

3. What is the form or genre of your text? (Tick one)

  Novel   Short-story collection   Film   Play

  Biography   Autobiography   Memoir    Poetry

4. When and where is the text set? Why might this be important?

5. List 3–5 key events:

Comment on the structure (arrangement of events):

6. How are the characters presented? (Think about what they are like, and how this is conveyed to you, the

reader.)

7. What ideas or issues (themes) are explored?

8. What language features are used? Comment on the images and symbols employed:

9. What do you think the author or film-maker’s purpose might be?

6 year 11 englIsh skIlls © Insight Publications

chapter

Understanding texts through characters

TWO

I n t h i s c h a p t e r

• how to write about characters

• narrators

• Characters, plot and structure

• Characters and setting

Characters drive the narrative. Usually it is the characters’ experiences that initially engage our attention. Then, as we read, we build up a relationship with the characters that keeps us reading to find out what happens to them.

When we analyse a text, we go beyond ‘what happens to the characters’ to study how the writer explores key ideas and issues through the characters’ actions and reactions. We learn about a character in four essential ways:

• what the character says

• what the character does

• what other characters say about him or her

• what the narrator says about the character.

The following sections show you how to write about characters and how to use other elements, such as setting, structure and the narrative point of view, to understand and analyse characters in your text.