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&region=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