Strategies for doing well in

GENERAL 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 1

Paper Description Marks

allocation

Paper 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:30

Language: 20

Total marks: 50

1. ‘Any adaptation of a novel for film, television or the theatre is never as effective as the original.’ Discuss.

2. Assess the view that traditional buildings have no future in your society.

3. ‘Longer life expectancy creates more problems than benefits.’ Discuss.

4. Considering the money involved, should developing countries be allowed to host major sporting events?

5. ‘Human need, rather than profit, should always be the main concern of scientific research.’ Discuss.

6. ‘Countries experiencing conflict should be left to sort out their own problems.’ How far do you agree?

7. How far has modern technology made it unnecessary for individuals to possess mathematical skills?

8. ‘People who do the most worthwhile jobs rarely receive the best financial rewards.’ To what extent is this true of your society?

9. Evaluate the claim that equality of opportunity for females is a desirable, but unrealistic, goal.

10. Assess the view that most natural disasters are the result of human activity.

11. Is competition always desirable?

12. ‘Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone’s opinion is of equal value.’ What is your view?

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 2

Paper Description Range of Marks

Paper 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 TopicsChoices (2004)

Aggression (2005)

Freedom (2006)

Gender Revolution (2007)

History (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)

2014 P2 Application Question

Emily Speight generally welcomes the internet but highlights some concerns about its possible effects on individuals and society.

How far would you agree with her observations, both for and against the internet, relating your arguments to your own 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 Mass Media, Politics, Prejudice and Discrimination, Science and Technology, Religion vs. Secularism, Ethics

• Skills Packages: Paragraph Development, 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

• The GP Fact File

GP PROGRAMMES @ SAJC

• Consultations with GP tutors

• Weekly GP remedial for weaker students

• JC1 weekly 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

• Weekly Night Study Programme lectures (in addition to timetabled lectures) in the 2nd half of the year conducted by HOD/SH/ST in the department.

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNINGReading widely and purposefully

‘Light’ Reading ‘Heavy’ Reading

• Mobile applications such as BBC, CNN, CNA, The Flipboard (daily news bites)

• Ted Talks• BBC documentaries, CNA “On the

Red Dot”

• Straits Times (Opinion Page, Forumand Home page)

• Huffington Post, NY Times (Opinionator, Philosopher’s Stone),Project Syndicate, TIME (opinion pieces)

• GP Facebook: Andrew GP Erudite

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNINGResearch on local examples for essays on ‘your society’ and for AQ:

[Singapore Government Information]

http://www.gov.sg/government/web/content/govsg/classic/factually

[Ministry of Social and Family Development]

http://app.msf.gov.sg/

[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]

http://www.csf.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/future-deck-cards.pdf

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

PURPOSE

Do 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

b) Cull and consolidate examples in GP Journals

c) Get into the habit of thinking critically

(using Paul-Elder’s Elements of Thought)

d) Develop your personal voice

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

PURPOSE

Do 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

PRACTICE IS KEY!

• Students are advised to do additional comprehensions and write additional essays

• Comprehension papers and essay questions are found in GP Package.

• Detailed answer schemes are given to the students after every exam.

• Good essays and AQs are made available to all students.

The SAJC English Department. Up and on!