<table cellspacing='0' cellpadding='0' border='0' ><tr><td valign='top' style='font: inherit;'>Thanks Marion and <FONT face=Calibri size=3>everyone else who replied to my last letter. Since returning and doing some tutoring, I’ve found out some interesting things about the way the new study design has been implemented in some schools.</FONT>
<P class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>(a)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Some schools had their students do an oral presentation expressing a point of view last year. That means that students can go right through year 12 without having to develop an argumentative/point of view essay. (Unless you claim that all essays develop an argument.)</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>(b)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Several schools have students analyse three unseen articles for Persuasion on an issue that they have never discussed or examined before – so as to mirror the exam.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This means that students no longer engage in any depth with an issue in the news;<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the analysis has been transformed into a formalistic language analysis rather than being part of an exploration of current issues, social trends and the media. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Students no longer have the opportunity to debate the issue itself or to follow a socially
important issue through.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>(c)</FONT><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face=Calibri size=3>In several schools, the Creating and Presenting work has been confined to one long essay on the context and text and many students are opting for the persuasive or expository option as that seems more likely to be the sensible choice on the exam. That means students can go through year 12 without doing any personal or imaginative writing.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Thus, in some schools, students can go through year 12 without writing any argumentative essay, or any personal or imaginative writing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What seems to be disappearing here is both creative writing and the exploration of an issue -<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>any arguing around an issue of social significance or concern so that there is no focus on students being socially aware and concerned. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Was this intended?</FONT></P>Lyle<BR><BR>--- On <B>Mon, 14/7/08, White, Marion G <I><white.marion.g@edumail.vic.gov.au></I></B> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From: White, Marion G <white.marion.g@edumail.vic.gov.au><BR>Subject: [English] VCE English/ESL<BR>To: english@edulists.com.au<BR>Received: Monday, 14 July, 2008, 6:09 PM<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Thanks Lyle, </SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Gail</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, Mary, Prue for yet another stimulating discussion about the VCE English/</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">ESL</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> study.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Implementation supports provided by VCAA include:</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 11.35pt"><FONT face=Symbol size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN dir=ltr><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">State-wide briefings on Units 3 and 4 in February/March 2008 and (in partnership with VATE) in July 2007; over 2,000 teachers attended the briefings. Briefings on Units 1 and 2 had been conducted in 2006.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 11.35pt"><FONT face=Symbol size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN dir=ltr><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Support Materials for Area of Study 2 were published in both English and </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">ESL</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> versions.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 11.35pt"><FONT face=Symbol size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN dir=ltr><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">English and </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">ESL</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> sample exams and Examination Criteria were published in April 2007 (teaching of Units 3 and 4 began in 2008). </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 11.35pt"><FONT face=Symbol size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN dir=ltr><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">English and </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">ESL</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> ‘Expected qualities for the mark range’ were published in March 2008; a draft of the Section B expected qualities was available at the February Briefings and also at the VATE Englishes day in February. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 11.35pt"><FONT face=Symbol size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN dir=ltr><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The VCAA will soon publish some sample pieces of writing; these were written by teachers of Unit 3 towards the end of Term 2 – they illustrate some of the many possible approaches to the writing in Area of Study 2.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 11.35pt"><FONT face=Symbol size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol">·<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1><SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><SPAN dir=ltr><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Ongoing telephone support is available at 9651 4580. </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#400080 size=2><SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #400080; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Marion G White</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><I><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">Curriculum Manager, English</SPAN></FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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