| Take your classes seriously!
Be positive, be constructive and participate!
The way your Speaking and Listening is marked means that
every day is a potential exam day.
|
 |
| Plan your work and stick to your plan!
This is the only real guarantee of
exam success. Set aside 20 minutes every few days
to practise reading, writing and, importantly, thinking! If you are good at thinking and can put
your thoughts into words, then you are good at English!
Persuade your examiner that you can think! |
|
| Do some extra research in your spare time!
Examiners look for evidence of
this and it doesn't necessarily mean a
lot of work on your part. For example, if you come across
a newspaper or magazine article
related to the topics you are studying, cut it out, discuss it with your
teacher, and use it in your written coursework. |
|
| Discuss with your teacher the kind of texts you
would like to write for your coursework!
GCSE English and GCSE English Literature are flexible
enough to reflect your interests.
Since you have a choice,
why not use it to your advantage?
|
|
| Write notes in the margins of your set texts
or anthology!
All GCSE English/English Literature exams
(except SEG English Literature) allow you to
look at an annotated* copy of your set texts
as you write your answers. |
|
| Use a decent dictionary and use it a lot.
If you use a baby dictionary then you'll learn a
baby vocabulary*
so get yourself a dictionary that's out of its pram. A half-decent dictionary of,
say, 200,000 references will tell you much more than the spelling of
words, so find out how to use one
and use it a lot. |
|
| Learn some jargon!
If you correctly use words like
"vocabulary"*,
"characterisation"*,
"reference"*,
"dialect"*,
"speculation"*,
"genre"*,
"alliteration"*,
"metaphor"* and so on, you will be
rewarded. |
|
| Use the theme!
GCSE English Literature coursework and exams are often based on a theme.
Mention this theme in your written work
and use it to create ideas to work
from. For example, you could use the theme to make
comparisons between the different set
texts you have studied; and you could use the theme if you're asked
to write a story of your own.
|
|
| Imagine your reader!
It really makes a difference if
you imagine someone when you write.
Just write your piece for your imaginary reader! Remember - exam questions often
tell you who you're meant to be
writing to, so imagine
that person and write to
them! |
|
| Who, what, where, when, how, why, examples,
quotes!
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW, WHY, EXAMPLES,
QUOTES* is a great formula for
making sure you cover all the important points.
Try it. |
|
| Move from the general to the specific
When writing, try to introduce each of your ideas in general before moving on to details. |
|
| Beginning, middle, end!
All your written work should have
a clear beginning, middle and end.
Always introduce what your piece is
about and wrap it up at the finish. Or
you could try a variation on this old chestnut:
1) Tell them what you're going to tell them.
2)
Tell them.
3) Tell them what you've just told them. |
|
| 50 words for each of your ideas
You really shouldn't have any trouble at all writing
50 words for each of your ideas. So, all you need is five or six
and suddenly you've written an essay. |
|
| Paragraphs PLEEEASE!
Why do you guys always write
one-paragraph essays!? It's horrible
stuff to read. How about giving us a break for a
change!? (That's what paragraphs are for!)
Change the paragraph when
something changes in your writing (for
example, a change of idea, a change
of tone, a change of
character and so on). |
|
| Assume reader knows nothing!
There is a minimum amount of information
that your readers must have before they can fully
understand the things that you write.
Assume reader knows nothing and start with all the basic, simple, obvious* information that you've come to take for granted.
For example, if you're writing about a poem, you should state that you're writing about a poem.
For example, if you're writing a letter of complaint, you should state that you're writing a letter of complaint, etc.
|
|
| Whack it down quick!
In English, you need ideas more
than anything else. But the thing about ideas is that they come at any time
and they go as soon as they come!
Whenever you have a good idea, whack it down quick!
Write down any good ideas you have
and put them somewhere safe. Then
you can use them
as they come or save them up for later!
|
|
| Just start.
Do you sit there dreading all the work you've got to do? Do you sit there
dreading but somehow never start?
Well, just gather together the things you need,
just get yourself seated at a table
somewhere quiet; no dreading, no whingeing, no delaying - just start.
|
|
| Repeat and repeat and repeat and...
You only ever learn by repeating. Repeat and repeat and you'll learn it soon enough!
But repeat it wrong and you'll learn it wrong, so only repeat when you know it's right.
|
|
| Turn that damned thing OFF!
Noise, disturbance, music and TVs kill your
powers of concentration. Do your homework somewhere quiet.
|
English Howlers