how to write a speech vce

How to Nail the VCE English Oral SAC

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Friday 6th, April 2018

NOTE: This is just  one student’s  perspective, and should be taken as such.

The oral SAC can be easy marks, but this depends on you writing a good speech in the first place. Here are my two tips on how to do that.

Don’t overcomplicate things

A lot of people tend to overthink this task and assume that you have to write a speech using some persuasive essay-esque format, and with an arbitrary requirement of three supporting points wherein the last is a rebuttal.

Maybe that’s what you were taught in early years, but for VCE, that isn’t really the most correct (i.e. safest) or helpful way of doing things. At a bare bones level, the task is nothing more than a conversation with your audience. That’s it – this isn’t a performance where everything needs to be meticulously planned out and rehearsed; just a normal conversation with someone you know. And where you also want someone to adopt your stance on something.

Thinking that it’s anything more than this just makes the task more difficult than it actually is, and ultimately leads to a convoluted and disengaging speech.

The best way to approach this task is simply and ‘linearly’. Imagine that you’re taking your audience from point A to point B, where point A is their original stance and point B is when the audience completely agrees with you. Each of your supporting argument should segue from one another and help achieve your goal of reaching point B (otherwise, reconsider including it if it doesn’t fulfil these two things). I’ve found that this way of structuring is the clearest, most direct and easiest to follow. Being easy to follow in particular is especially important in a speech because, unlike with essays where your markers can go back and reread the stuff they’ve missed, you only have one chance to convey your point.

Subtlety is the best form of persuasion

Or rather, the most impressive form of persuasion.

You have to remember that your markers spend a good chunk of the year teaching people how to dissect arguments, so it would be safe to assume that they’re pretty good at it themselves. Obvious attempts at persuasion probably aren’t going to come off as very persuasive to them.

Inclusive language? You’re obviously trying to make the idea relevant to me when it isn’t or already is. Rhetorical question (avoid using them in the first place – they’re redundant from overuse and there are more effective ways to drive home a point)? It’s so clear that you’re trying to make me feel something that I already do or don’t. I know it might seem a bit excessive to consider these things, but VCE is as much knowing how to get into your marker’s head as it is knowing your stuff. And plus, in general, people are more likely to be persuaded if they don’t know someone is trying to impose their own viewpoint onto them.

The easiest way to be subtle is to not overdo it with the persuasive techniques. Treat them as support for your explanation, and don’t let them be the main thing substantiating your argument (evidence and explanation should be). They’ll naturally be inserted into your speech anyway, either by you doing it subconsciously as you write or through the way you explain your argument (e.g. connotations, appeals).

Good luck! 🙂

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The Ultimate Guide to the VCE English Framework of Ideas

Confused by the new ‘Creative Text’ component? Unsure what the ‘Framework of Ideas’ is?

Today we’ll provide as much detail as possible to make you more familiar with the new section and what it requires you to do!

In 2024 the Framework of Ideas and Crafting texts section was added to the VCE English Study Design , replacing the comparative essay and adding to the creative task component. The new section is quite intimidating due to its open-ended nature and how it leaves a majority of the work up to your creative direction.

Read on to find out more!

What is the Framework of Ideas? Will I be assessed on the Framework of Ideas? What does Framework of Ideas look like in the VCE English Exam?  What are the four options within the Framework of Ideas? Audience and Context Purpose Reflective Commentary How can I study and prepare for this section?

What is the Framework of Ideas?

The Framework of Ideas gives students four themes to explore in creative writing. In 1/2 English, your school and teachers are free to select the Framework of ideas and the texts they will use for Unit 1, Outcome 2. In 3/4 English VCAA provides these four themes to pick from:

Writing about country Writing about protest Writing about personal journeys Writing about play

The four themes will not change, meaning you can investigate one in depth throughout the year. Schools and teachers must select for their classrooms, one of the Framework of Ideas, they must also select  three  of the four texts  aligned with their selected Framework of Ideas provided by VCAA.

Please note that you cannot do the same Framework of Ideas and Mentor Texts in 1/2 and 3/4 English!

What are Mentor Texts and how do they relate to the Framework of Ideas?

Each framework aligns with four ‘ Mentor Texts ‘ provided by VCAA. The purpose of these texts are as follows:

Explore effective and cohesive writing Explore the purpose, context and audience of texts Explore the intention and integrity of texts Explore the frameworks Unpack text structures, language features and vocabulary

Additionally, in 1/2 English, your teachers will provide you with their own chosen ‘Mentor Texts’ that related to the frameworks they made. You will not use the same ‘Mentor Texts’ in 1/2 and 3/4 English, VCAA very clearly requests that there must be no overlap.

Will I be assessed on the Framework of Ideas?

In VCE English, the framework of ideas are part of the Creating texts Area of Study. You will apply your exploration of the chosen framework to develop a creative piece.

These pieces can be in a variety of forms, such as poems, articles and short stories. Therefore, you will be assessed on your skills in writing a creative piece.

In 1/2 English this is how you will be tested on your creating text skills:

– Extracted from the official VCAA Website in the ‘planning’ section

In 3/4 English you will be tested on your creating text skills through the following:

Furthermore, don’t forget that there will be a ‘Framework of Ideas’ (Crafting text) section in your final exam !!

Above is an extract from  VCAA’s Sample VCE English Examination for the new English Study Design. These instructions outline what you are expected to write about in the ‘Framework of Ideas’ section. The key points of assessment are as follows:

You must create meaningful connections with one of the themes, the title provided and one of the stimulus material. You must either explain, express, reflect or argue in your piece. You must display a high level of grammatical skill and expression .

Below is also the marking criteria for the Creative text section from  VCAA’s Sample VCE English Examination. These criteria should provide you with a better idea of what you need to achieve in the exam!

What does the Framework of Ideas look like in the VCE English Exam? 

Below is another extract from VCAA’s sample VCE English examination. This provides an example of what content you will need to use in order to write your creative piece.

Overall, there are three key parts in this extract:

• The framework
• The stimuli

You will be provided with the four different frameworks, all with different titles and stimuli in your exam.

What are the four options within the Framework of Ideas?

Confused by what the ideas actually mean? Let’s go through each one and unpack what they are about!

Writing about Country

Country relates to place and belonging. To be more specific, the framework explores physical land on different regional scales, emotional connections, memories and issues of these places . VCAA encourages students to investigate different cultural connections and people that are associated with this idea.

Key texts provided by VCAA :

‘Gooseberries’ – Anton Chekhov ‘The Hate Race’, Chapter 2 –  Maxine Beneba Clarke ‘The Conquest of Land and Deam’ – Yumna Kassab ‘Split’ from ‘Flock: First Nations Stories Then and Now’ – Cassie Lynch

Writing about Protest 

VCAA recommends to write about what protesting means, its value, potential outcomes and how it relates to conflict . You can explore established social activists such as Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks as well as group protests like BLM. You could also look at protests throughout history, investigating their success or failure .

Key texts provided by VCAA:

‘Friday Essay: On the Sydney Mardi Gras March of 1978’ – Mark Gillespie, from The Conversation ‘Freedom or Death’ – Emmeline Pankhurst, from The Guardian: ‘Great Speeches of the 20th Century’ ‘Monologue from City of Gold’ – Meyne Wyatt, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Q+A episode ‘Harrison Bergeron’ – Kurt Vonnegut, Welcome to the Monkey House

Writing about Personal Journeys 

You will create biographical style pieces and adventure through the journey of life . You have the freedom to tell a wide range of stories that have occurred throughout history or simply about yourself , you can even retell stories from different perspectives or viewpoints .

‘The Danger of a Single Story’ – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Red Plastic Chair is a Vietnamese Cultural Institution, and My Anchor’ – Amy Duong ‘bidngen’ – Maya Hodge Walter’s speech (end of Part 1) from The Inheritance – Matthew López

Writing about Play

You can explore the culture, history and tradition of performance . It can be play in any type of entertainment medium that is appropriate. VCE invites writers to explore how plays are used to make comments or propose ideas on real world events and issues .

Monologue from Cyrano – Virginia Gay ‘All That We Know of Dreaming’, Something Special, Something Rare: Outstanding Short Stories by Australian Women. – Penni Russon ‘About the Boys’ – Tim Winton ‘An Open Letter to Doubting Thomas’ – Chelsea Roffey

Audience and Context

In the VCE English Study Design, it outlines that “audience and context are key to creating effective and cohesive writing”.  Therefore, it is important for you to understand how to address audience and context when writing the creative piece. VCAA provides some points for you to consider when trying to implement these two components into your piece:

– Extracted from VCAA’s VCE English Study Design

Generally, achieving appropriate consideration for audience and context will come with practice and study, as it will require a deep understanding and knowledge of your chosen framework. Over time, as you continue to write on your framework, you’ll become more familiar with these two concepts and how they relate to your piece!

You will need to consider the reasons for creating the text. VCAA provides you with four purposes that you can use when writing your piece:

Express: exploring stories and narratives. Explain: exploring cause, effect and consequence. Reflect: exploring personal revelation. Argue: explore a point of view, taking a position and suggesting answers to issues.

Reflective Commentary

The reflective commentary applies specifically to coursework (your SACs). The purpose of the reflective commentary is to make students justify why they took their creative piece in the direction they did by explaining their writing process.

Specifically, the task may involve:

Why you interpreted the framework the way you did Why you utilised your mentor texts the way you did Why you used your chosen form

How can I study and prepare for the Framework of Ideas? 

Firstly, the ‘Mentor Texts’ are extremely important, I highly recommended for you to have deep knowledge and understanding of these texts and to really think about how they link to your chosen Framework of Ideas. I would personally create extensive notes and annotations on all my mentor texts and additional pieces.

Secondly, I would practice crafting texts under the proper SAC and exam conditions , with the same material, help, and timing . This will help you feel more familiar with the task and ultimately more prepared.

Finally, make sure to pick (if you do have the ability to choose) a framework that you are extremely passionate or knowledgeable about! You can always write more on something you are passionate about. There is no ‘easier’ or ‘harder’ framework.

It is important to note that you are not allowed to write a song, poetry or verse in the final exam!

That’s all!

Although this section may be intimidating due to how open-ended it is, VCAA has set out a very clear set of guidelines that outline what they want you to achieve in your piece. Make sure to keep the criteria in mind when preparing for this section!

For the most part, I’m sure if you practice enough and do plenty of exploration into your respective framework of ideas, you’ll be able to handle this section of VCE English with ease!

Have multiple SACs on at the moment? Read our guide on managing many SACs at once !

Are you looking for some extra help with working through the VCE English Study Design? 

We have an incredible team of VCE tutors and mentors!

We offer specialised English tutoring in Melbourne with expert tutors ! Get in contact today to secure your expert coach.

We can help you ace your VCE English SACs and ace your upcoming VCE assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or online!

Looking for a local tutor in  Footscray ? Or needing  support for the  VCE  in  Doncaster ? We offer one-on-one tutoring, in your home or online!

We’ve supported over  8,000 students over the last 11 years , and on average our students score mark improvements of over 20%!

To find out more and get started with an inspirational VCE tutor and mentor,   get in touch today  or give us a ring on  1300 267 888!

Max Huyton is the VIC Growth Marketer for Art of Smart and a Laws and Commerce student at Monash University. In his other life, Max spends his time reading and writing whenever he gets the chance and cooking extremely mediocre dishes for friends and family.

• Topics: ✏️ English , ✍️ Learn

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Insight: Engage

How to write a good oral presentation on a point of view.

Oral presentations require preparation and practice to master. This week, Insight writer and English teacher Anja Drummond outlines steps you can take to succeed in your oral presentation SAC.

Oral presentation. Two words that are capable of striking fear into the hearts of even the most confident student. But should they? Though not all of us can ever hope to reach the heady heights of oratory genius achieved by the likes of Barack Obama or Martin Luther King Jr, there are steps we can take to help us to present our point of view strongly.

Step 1: Research

Find out as much as you can about your chosen topic. The key skills for presenting argument in the VCE English Study Design clearly state that you need to ‘conduct research to support the development of arguments on particular issues and acknowledge sources accurately and appropriately where relevant’. You are expected to research your chosen topic so that you have a deep and nuanced understanding of the issues and arguments. Read from multiple sources that present various points of view, and take notes on the arguments used.

Step 2: Plan your overall approach

Great speeches very rarely just happen; they are carefully crafted pieces of writing. Use your knowledge of argument and persuasive language as a basis for the development of your oral presentation. Remember that you are required to provide a written statement of intention to accompany your presentation. This statement of intention must outline the decisions you have made in the planning process, and explain how these demonstrate understanding of argument and persuasive language.

So, before you start writing, take the time to think carefully about the following aspects of your presentation.

Your contention

• Where do you stand on the issue? Why? Express this in a clear and direct sentence. Avoid statements such as ‘Greyhound racing is bad’. This a vague and general opinion, not a contention. A contention on this issue would be something like ‘The cruel and abusive practice of greyhound racing should be banned immediately’.

Your context and audience

• Who are you addressing? By that, I don’t mean your teacher or your classmates. Rather, who is your imagined audience for the speech? This is important to keep in mind, as it will inform the language choices you make. Furthermore, consider in what context you would be addressing your audience. Is your speech designed to be delivered on the steps of parliament at a rally or to a group of students at a graduation dinner? Decide this before you start writing. And don’t be afraid to adopt a persona – this will allow you broader scope in selecting a particular context and audience.

Once you have decided on your contention and on your context and audience, it is time to consider some of the finer details of your presentation.

Your purpose

• What do you want your imagined audience to think, feel or do? Do you wish to inform or educate them? To create alarm? To effect change? Your purpose should be closely related to your contention.
• What feelings are you seeking to communicate and to evoke in the audience? What mood are you trying to generate? Will you be using humour to relax your audience? Will you be hostile? Sympathetic? Will your tone change at any point and, if so, why?

All of the above are important factors to consider, as they will affect your language choices and the persuasive language techniques you employ.

Step 3: Plan your arguments

Now you need to decide on your supporting arguments. For each argument, ask yourself:

• What persuasive language techniques will I use?
• What evidence will I present?

Try to vary your chosen techniques, and remember Aristotle’s principles of rhetoric – logos (appeal to logic and reason), ethos (character of the speaker) and pathos (emotional influence of the speaker). A strong argument will address all three elements in varying degrees.

Step 4: Write the introduction

Good speeches start strongly. You need to grab the audience’s attention and make your point of view clear from the outset. The way you begin should be consistent with your audience and purpose. Strategies that you might consider are listed below.

• Anecdote – this is a great way to highlight a personal connection to the issue or to strike a sympathetic tone.
• Statistics – if your purpose is to shock your audience or to promote change, this is a great way to ‘hit them hard’ right from the outset.
• Inclusive language – if you want to create a shared sense of purpose, make it clear to your audience that they are part of this issue, and that how they feel matters.

Once you have your audience’s attention, introduce yourself (or your persona), clarify the issue, state your contention and signpost your main arguments.

Step 5: Write the body

This is where all your planning from step 3 pays off!

For each body paragraph, ensure that you create strong topic sentences that clearly highlight your main arguments, and then develop each argument using your carefully selected language and evidence.

There are a few things that you should keep in mind as you write:

• Cohesion is king! Keep your line of argument consistent and use connectives throughout.
• Analyse the evidence! Don’t just present a raft of statistics or evidence and expect them to make the argument for you. Analyse their importance in relation to the debate.
• Include some rebuttal! An issue has two sides – you need to rebut some or all arguments from the opposing point of view.

Step 6: Write the conclusion

Aim to finish strongly. Reiterate your contention and then tell the audience what they should think, feel or do. (This should directly relate to the purpose you decided on in the planning stage).

To ensure that you finish on a powerful note, consider using an appeal, a rhetorical question, or a call to action.

Step 7: Proofread and practise

Read your speech to friends or family and get their feedback. Did the line of argument make sense to them? Did you persuade them? Did any parts of your speech lose their attention? Take note of these responses and edit your speech as required.

And finally …

Need extra help preparing for your oral presentation? Insight’s English Year 12 and English Year 11 by Robert Beardwood include chapters on presenting a point of view that outline how to research and prepare; how to plan and write; how to present; and how to write a statement of intention. Sample SAC responses, with sample statements of intention, are also included.   

English Year 12 and English Year 11 are produced by Insight Publications , an Australian educational publisher.

Photo credit: Terd Photo/shutterstock

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Year 12 English: tips for oral presentations

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We all know oral presentations are a big deal in year 12. Your mark makes up a significant proportion of your final study score in VCE English. Your Point of View speech is worth 40% of the grade awarded for Unit 4 alone.

Juliet Austin, lecturer at Deakin University’s Faculty of Arts and Education, and Jason Jewell, Year 12 English teacher at McKinnon Secondary College, share their top tips for nailing your oral presentation.

Research and plan

To set yourself up for success, start by conducting thorough research into what makes a great speech. This will help you ensure the script of your speech has plenty of interesting, powerful and persuasive language devices, Jewell says. ‘You should listen to speeches such as  TED Talks  and observe politicians in the media – all of which model effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills aimed at persuading a target audience.’

Austin suggests a great way to cut down on stress is to ensure you’re well prepared ahead of time and have a really clear understanding of the task.

‘You know your dates in advance, so check with your teacher and make sure that you’re really clear about what you have to do and what materials you can use,’ she advises.

When it comes to drafting your speech, it’s important to make sure your presentation has a structure, Austin says. ‘You really have to have your audience in the back of your mind. What’s interesting to them? What grabs their attention?’

Cue cards can be a great tool, but Austin says they can also be a major distraction. ‘Take some time to figure out if you really need every word written out or just dot points. You know how you work best,’ she says.

'‘You really have to have your audience in the back of your mind. What’s interesting to them? What grabs their attention?’' Juliet Austin, Deakin University

Practice makes perfect

Jewell suggests recording yourself delivering the full version of your presentation in order to identify any ways you could improve.

‘You need to practice your speech a great deal before the actual task in class, so that you do not rely on notes or cards too much and can speak directly to all members of the audience using your eyes, facial expressions and gestures, to show them how passionate you are about the contention you have chosen,’ he says.

Remember that it’s common to speed up when you’re nervous.

‘Ensure your stance is confident, including enough pauses between points, stressing words for effect, using visual materials and not speaking too quickly,’ he says.

Austin says you might also need to take into consideration the classroom you will be delivering your presentation in. ‘Have a think… do I need to project myself louder if I’m in a wider room?’

Back yourself up

We’ve all done it. The night before your presentation, you’ve dissected your work with your classmates, leaving you feeling insecure and unsure of your hard work.

‘Don’t stay up all night the night before. You need to be fresh. The worst thing you can do if you’re feeling anxious is stay up all night comparing presentations,’ Austin warns.

‘Try not to also hang around too much before your presentation with other nervous people. There’s no need. Afterwards, don’t feel like you have to engage in a deep post mortem discussion about how everyone went. Once it’s done, it’s done. No need to hash over it.’

And her number one tip? ‘Don’t forget to smile!’

Want more tips?

Here’s what high-achieving Year 12s have to say.

Lecturer, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University

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VCE English Units 3 & 4 Oral Presentation: Oral Presentation Tips

• Accessing Media articles
• Oral Presentation Tips
• Referencing
• Graphic organisers

Website Tips

• RMIT Read these helpful tips on delivering your oral presentation.
• Lisa's Study Guides Advice for A+ Oral Presentations
• Insight Read How to write a good oral presentation on a point of view
• Deakin University Year 12 English - tips for oral presentations

Great Speeches

• Julia Gillard
• GretaThunberg
• Emily Blunt
• First Indigenous Female Senator

Oral Presentation Tips on Video

• Raw 50 Oral Presentation tips
• Quoting and Referencing in your speech
• Atar Notes Oral Presentation
• Public Speaking Anxiety Tips
• Tips to overcome Public Speaking Anxiety

Marian College Resource Centre

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• Next: Referencing >>
• Last Updated: May 20, 2024 11:07 AM
• URL: https://mariansw.catholic.libguides.com/vceoralpresentation

VCE English Issues: Oral Presentation

• 2022 issues
• Persuasive Writing
• Oral Presentation
• Evaluate Sources
• Bibliography

What is an Oral Presentation?

Making a good oral presentation is an art that involves attention to the needs of your audience, careful planning, and attention to delivery. You can make an oral presentation for a number of reasons:

• to inform 
• to persuade
• to entertain

Terminology

Colloquialism

A colloquialism is a word, phrase, or other form used in informal language. Colloquialisms include words, phrases such as "raining cats and dogs" and "dead as a doornail"; and aphorisms such as "There's more than one way to skin a cat".

Voice Register

Fallseto - talking through nose and throat. Talking in a lower voice makes your presentation carry more weight.

The way that your voice feels. Rich smooth and warm.

Having a question sound like a statement or a statement sound like a question. Prosody is the patterns of stress, intonation and rhythm of oral language.

How fast or slow are you talking? Using silence to place emphases a point that you have just made. The audience will stop and think as well.

Same sentence can mean different things if you use a different pitch. 

Build your oral presentation skills

Tips and Hints

• LaTrobe University Guide
• Tips on How to Deliver a Speech for School or Work
• Top 10 Public Speaking Exercises Tips and hints to improve your public speaking skills
• 12 Ways to hook an audience in 30 seconds
• Ten Simple Rules for Making Good Oral Presentations
• A Quiet Person's Guide To Effective Public Speaking

Watch " How to give a great TEDx talk" for some great tips on how to structure your talk.

Although the video is specifically geared towards delivering a TED talk, there is plenty for VCE students to take away.

• Make sure you use a strong opening hook .
• Order your points so they follow naturally in the sequence of your talk.
• Craft a great closing story with a call to action.
• Add images to help tighten transitions and augment your stories.
• Rehearse and practice in front of real audiences for several weeks

Click here for: Strategies for an effective oral presentation

Please visit your Teacher Librarians for help preparing your 'oral'. Don't leave a practice session to the last minute.  Come early and we can endorse or improve.   Teacher Librarians can help with: 

• Researching your topic
• proof reading your written piece
• practising your presentation
• presentation design
• moral support
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• Last Updated: Jun 15, 2023 4:18 PM
• URL: https://materchristi.libguides.com/issues

VCE Study Tips

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Most people aren’t particularly confident in giving orals or public speaking in general. I began year 7 as a shy girl scoring a lousy 50% in her first English oral. It wasn’t until later on that I realised; even though I can write an  amazing  piece, it was my delivery and nerves that failed me. In year 9, I entered my first public speaking competition, and have been participating in such competitions ever since. I may not have won those, but it got me comfortable standing in front of people without shaking like someone with hypothermia. Now, I am achieving A+ on my oral assessments and am even on the SRC as Student Action Captain due to a great captaincy speech. Don't forget to also check out Our Ultimate Guide to Oral Presentations for everything you need to know for Oral Presentations.

A few tips on writing your speech:

• Have a CAPTIVATING introduction sentence; use a short, clear and powerful sentence.
• RELATE to your audience so that it keeps them interested so they actually WANT to listen.
•  If you are taking on a persona, firstly study and UNDERSTAND your character.
• Don’t forget your persuasive techniques. I usually use repetition in conjunction with the ‘rule of three’.
• Remember that you are writing a SPEECH, not an essay. Instill your oral with emotion, varied tone and and sentence lengths.

In fact, I've talked about a few of these in a 'Must Dos and Don'ts' video. If you haven't seen it yet, watch before you read on:

A few tips on your performance:

Memorise your speech.

Always remember that practice makes perfect. Practise as much as possible; in front of anyone and everyone including yourself (use a mirror). Keep practising until you can recite it.

As for cue cards,  use dot points . Don’t just copy and paste whole sentences onto cue cards or else you’ll rely on them too much. Not to mention that it’ll be hard finding out where you are in the middle of your speech. Use “ trigger words ” so that if you forget your next point, you have something there.

But most importantly, if you mess up,  keep going . Even if you screw up a word or suddenly forget your next point, just take a breath, correct yourself, and keep going.  Do not giggle . If your friends make you laugh, don’t look at them.

Control your voice

Do not be monotone . Give it some energy;  be pumped  but not “I-just-downed-5-cans-of-V” pumped. Give it as much energy as it is appropriate for your speech. As you transition through various intense emotions such as anger, happiness and shock, your performance should reflect it. This is achieved in both your tone and your body language (moving around).

Speak as if you believe in your contention – with  passion . Even if it’s just full of crap, if you sound confident, then your audience think, ‘wow, they sure know what they’re talking about’. Remember,  confidence is key .

Don’t rush  through your speech and speak at a million kilometres an hour – or even worse; skipping half of your speech because you just want to get the hell out of there. And also, speak so that the teacher can actually  hear  you. More likely than not, they’ll be sitting somewhere near the back of the room. After countless “too quiet” comments on my orals, I have finally mastered the art/power of projecting my voice. And it actually  does  make a huge difference.

Be aware of your actions

Don’t just stand like a statue in one spot.  Think about real life – do you know anyone that stands completely and utterly still when talking to you? Make sure you  look around  the room; you’re addressing everyone, not just one person. Don’t stare at your teacher;  it freaks them out . You don’t even have to look at a specific place. I usually just start off looking at the back wall… then as I go through the speech, I naturally turn from one back corner of the room to the other. Also, try not to look down. Don’t try to look at your cue cards while they’re right up next to your body. Move it out when you need to have a  GLANCE  at them then go back to the audience.

I’ve seen some people pace. This seems alright (though I’ve never done it myself); but always make sure that you  face the audience . If you’re doing a monologue (for text response), you can sit down… just don’t sit for your entire piece.

And some natural hand gestures don’t hurt either!

I’ve also heard of some people running around or on the spot about 15mins before a speech. This serves to help with your heart rate by using up all that ‘energy’. Personally, I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing (so that my heart isn’t jumping out of my chest). Take some long, deep breaths and tell yourself that you can do it!

My teacher also showed me this speech:  “The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes” . Even though she made a couple mistakes in her speech, she kept going and captivated the attention of the UN. Take a look and be inspired!! 

What's next? Make sure you've got a great oral presentation topic . We've done all the hard work for you and compiled 20 of the best topics for 2017 . Access it now!

Get our FREE VCE English Text Response mini-guide

Now quite sure how to nail your text response essays? Then download our free mini-guide, where we break down the art of writing the perfect text-response essay into three comprehensive steps. Click below to get your own copy today!

Access a FREE sample of our How To Write A Killer Oral Presentation study guide

Written by Lisa Tran, who achieved FULL marks in her Oral Presentation:

• How to choose, plan and write your oral presentation and written explanation
• A simple, persuasive speech structure that will blow your audience away
• All essays FULLY annotated so you know exactly what you need to do and what not to do

How can the context of a film be utilised to add complexity to an analysis?

Writing a film analysis can be daunting in comparison to analysing a written text. The task of dissecting a motion picture consisting of dialogue, camera shots and dialogic sound is challenging, but an understanding of a film’s social, cultural and political background can elevate your analysis from standard to spectacular. Thus, before analysing Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller ‘Rear Window’, it is important to consider its cultural, political and social context:

Cultural Context

• The Greenwich Village setting of ‘Rear Window’ is located in Lower West Manhattan, New York, and was known as America’s ‘bohemian capital’ during the 1950s, in which avant-garde artists freely explored unconventional lifestyles.
• Hitchcock’s decision to use Greenwich Village as the backdrop of the film links its image of human suffering to the failed vision of American progressivist culture.
• Despite acting as the main location of progressive culture, such as the beginning of the international gay rights movement, Greenwich Village was also the setting for the broken dreams of its eclectic residents.
• This cyclical nature of hope and defeat can be observed in the film, as the audience can perceive the frustrated songwriter destroying his latest work, and Miss Lonely hearts desperately seeking true love in the seedy bars and gloomy alleyways of the ‘bohemian heaven’.
• Additionally, it is this social radicalism of Jeff’s neighbours that provides the basis for his voyeuristic habits; by portraying their individual eccentricities though their respective apartment windows, Hitchcock offers to Jeff a range of human peculiarities, which he eagerly observes through his ‘portable keyhole’.

Political Context

• ‘Rear Window’ encapsulates the rampant Mccarthyism, and subsequent suspicion, at the time of its release in 1954.
• The fear of Communist influence in the USA led to heightened political repression from the government, and Americans could only prove their loyalty to the country only by offering others’ names to the government.
• As such, Jeff’s insubstantial speculation about Thorwald murdering his bedridden wife is disturbingly reflective of the social strife in 1950s America, as thousands accused their neighbours for treason or subversion without concrete evidence.
• Along with heightened political surveillance followed the allure of voyeurism; just as Jeff is contained to his wheelchair, and can merely gaze through his rear window into his wider world - the courtyard, so were Americans during the Cold War; expected to only ‘gaze’, and leave all the ‘involvement and engagement to the politicians’.

Social Context

• The suburban setting of‘Rear Window’ reinforces the sense of confinement and suspicion rampant during the 1950s.
• After WWII ended in 1952, millions of US soldiers returned to a multitude of suburban homes built using mass production techniques, all overwhelmingly close to another. The Greenwich Village of ‘Rear Window’ is an example of one of these suburbs.
• The crowded Greenwich Village apartment complex of the film acts as an effective narrative device, as Hitchcock employs the physical proximity of the apartments to reinforce the overwhelming sense of voyeurism and paranoia amongst neighbours.

How to Analyse a Scene

The Film’s Opening Sequence:

As the blinds roll up to reveal the apartment complex, a medium shot of the wide-open windows of each apartment immediately convey to the audience an environment of an uncomfortable openness. However, despite this, the separation of each apartment by brick walls as a separate entity on its own serves as a symbol of the widespread suspicion characteristic of the McCarthyian era. Within the frame of the main window, the windows of each apartment act as mini frames within the big frame, multiplying the sense of voyeurism present in the shot.

Although seemingly insignificant, the brown tabby cat that runs across the steps of Greenwich Village represents freedom and individual autonomy, later comparable to the character of Lisa in the film. The compounding sense of surveillance during the 1950s add more meaning to the freedom symbolised by the cat, which can then be contrasted to the suppressed independence of the protagonist, who is seen invalid in a wheelchair in the next shot:

By this extreme close-up shot of Jeff sleeping in his wheelchair during the opening sequence, Hitchcock immediately places the viewer in an uncomfortable position as the original and ultimate voyeur, surpassing the intimate boundaries of the protagonist. The camera’s focus on the beads of sweat on Jeff’s forehead signify the intense heat of summer in Greenwich Village, confirmed by the following close up shot of 94F on the thermometer:

The stifling temperature of the season foreshadows imminent tension about to unfold in the film, as does the following close-up shot:

The slow panning from Jeff’s head to his broken left leg in a cast, in tandem with the ominous, epitaph-like words, ‘Here lie the broken bones of L.B Jefferies’, increase the impending sense of tragedy.

Jeff’s profession as a photographer becomes gradually more evident, as the camera slowly pans from focusing on Jeff’s injury to around his room. This close shot of a destroyed, seemingly irreparable camera, literally reflects the cyclic nature of broken dreams characteristic of Greenwich Village, and also signifies that Jeff too has been hurt (literally) by radical pursuits in his progression. It is important to note that Jeff’s room is plain and lacks any decorative sophistication, establishing his character as a simple, ‘everyday’ American man.

The only things adorning Jeff’s small room are his many photographs, all taken by himself. Despite varying in size and setting, they all share a single point of similarity; they all focus on sights of destruction, such as the race car crash or the remains of a volcanic eruption. The framed nature of these photographs signify Jeff’s appreciation for tragic devastation, establishing further doom in the film by lending a darker note to his voyeuristic tendencies.

The last photograph the camera focuses on in the opening sequence is the picture taken by Jeff of an elegant woman, who bears a striking resemblance to Lisa.

This image of ‘Lisa’ in the negative literally symbolises Jeff’s negative perception of his girlfriend Lisa at the beginning of the film. In contrast, the following shot of ‘Lisa’ in the ‘positive’ foreshadows the development of the film, as he begins to perceive Lisa as a possible life partner:

Want to save this for later? Download a PDF version of this blog here .

Updated 19/01/2021

1. What Is Text Response? 2. What Are You Expected To Cover? (Text Response Criteria) 3. School Assessed Coursework (SAC), Exams and Allocated Marks 4. How To Prepare for Your Text Response SAC and Exam 5. How To Write a Text Response

1. What Is Text Response?

Like its name, Text Response is when you respond to a text. The most popular texts are novels and films; however, plays, poetry and short stories are also common. Your response will be in the form of an essay, in which you discuss themes, ideas and characters. Recall all the novels and films you've studied since Year 7 (there'll be quite a few!). You should be very familiar with the process of watching a film or reading a novel, participating in class discussions about themes and characters, and finally, submitting an essay based on the text.

As you graduate into higher year levels, you spend each year revising and improving on TEEL, learning to better incorporate quotes and formulating even longer essays than the year before (remember when you thought you couldn't possibly write an essay more than 500 words?).

The good news is, all of that learning is now funnelled into VCE’s Text Response, one of the three parts of the VCE English study design. Text Response, officially known as ‘Reading and Responding’ in the study design, is the first Area of study (AoS 1) - meaning that the majority of students will tackle the Text Response SAC in Term 1. Let's get into it!

2. What Are You Expected To Cover? ( Text Response Criteria)

What are teachers and examiners expecting to see in your essays? Below are the VCE criteria for Text Response essays.

Note: Some schools may express the following points differently, however, they should all boil down to the same points - what is necessary in a Text Response essay.

a) Critically analyse texts and the ways in which authors construct meaning;

Much of the ‘meaning’ in a novel/film comes instinctively to readers. Why is it that we can automatically distinguish between a protagonist from an antagonist? Why is it that we know whether or not the author supports or denounces an idea?

Here you need to start looking at how the author constructs their texts and why they have made that choice. For example, the author describes a protagonist using words with positive connotations (kind, brave, charming), whereas the antagonist is described with words using negative connotations (vain, egocentric, selfish).

For example, 'in Harry Potter , by describing the protagonist Harry as "brave", the author JK Rowling exhibits the idea of how possessing bravery when making tough choices or facing challenges is a strong and positive trait.'

b) Analyse the social, historical and/or cultural values embodied in texts;

Society, history and culture all shape and influence us in our beliefs and opinions. Authors use much of what they’ve obtained from the world around them and employ this knowledge to their writing. Understanding their values embodied in texts can help us as readers, identity and appreciate theme and character representations.

For example, 'through the guilty verdict of Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird , Harper Lee expresses the belief that the American legal system in the 1930s was not always fair or just.'

For more information on context and authorial intent in VCE English, read Tim's blog, Context and Authorial Intention in VCE English, or Olivia's on what authorial intent is and why it's important .

c) Discuss and compare possible interpretations of texts using evidence from the text;

Be open to the idea that many texts can be interpreted in many ways. Texts are rarely concrete and simple. Take The Bible , a book that is one of the most popular and famous books in history but is interpreted differently by every person. Acknowledging more than one perspective on a certain aspect of the text, or acknowledging that perhaps the writer is intentionally ambiguous, is a valuable skill that demonstrates you have developed a powerful insight into your text.

For example, 'in The Thing Around Your Neck , feminist readers condone Adichie's stories which all revolve around women either as protagonist or as narrators, giving voice to the disempowered gender in Nigerian society.'

‍ d) Use appropriate metalanguage to construct a supported analysis of a text;

While you should absolutely know how to embed quotes in your essay like a boss , you want to have other types of evidence in your Text Response essay. You must discuss how the author uses the form that he/she is writing in to develop their discussion. This encompasses a huge breadth of things from metaphors to structure to language.

For example, 'The personification of Achilles as "wolf, a violator of every law of men and gods", illustrates his descent from human to animal….' or 'Malouf’s constant use of the present voice and the chapter divisions allow the metaphor of time to demonstrate the futility and omnipresence of war…'.

To learn more about metalanguage, read our ' What Is Metalanguage? ' post.

e) Control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task

When examiners read essays, they are expected to get through about 12-15 essays in an hour! This results in approximately 5 minutes to read, get their head around, and grade your essay - not much time at all! It is so vital that you don’t give the examiner an opportunity to take away marks because they have to reread certain parts of your essay due to poor expression and grammar.

For further advice on the above criteria points, read Emily's (English study score 46): Year 12: How To Turn Your Text Response Essays From Average to A+ .

3. School Assessed Coursework (SAC), Exams and Allocated Marks

Reading and Creating is assessed in Unit 1 (Year 11) and Unit 3 (Year 12). The number of allocated marks are:

• Unit 1 - dependant on school
• Unit 3 English – 30 marks
• Unit 3 EAL – 40 marks

Exactly when Text Response is assessed within each unit is dependent on each school; some schools at the start of the Unit, others at the end. The time allocated to your SAC is also school-based. Often, schools use one or more periods combined, depending on how long each of your periods last. Teachers can ask you to write anywhere from 800 to 1000 words for your essay (keep in mind that it’s about quality, not quantity!)

In your exam, you get a whopping total of 3 hours to write 3 essays (Text Response, Comparative and Language Analysis). The general guide is 60 minutes on Text Response, however, it is up to you exactly how much time you decide to dedicate to this section of the exam. Your Text Response essay will be graded out of 10 by two different examiners. Your two unique marks from these examiners will be combined, with 20 as the highest possible mark.

4. How To Prepare for Your Text Response SAC and Exam

Preparation is a vital component in how you perform in your SACs and exam so it’s always a good idea to find out what is your best way to approach assessments. This is just to get you thinking on the different study methods you can try before a SAC. Here are my top strategies (ones I actually used in VCE) for Text Response preparation that can be done any time of year (including holidays - see How To Recharge Your Motivation Over the School Holidays for more tips):

a) Reread your book (or rewatch the film)

After all the learning and discussion you’ve had with your teacher and peers, you should have now developed a solid foundation of knowledge. Rereading a book enables you to refresh your memory on subplots, popular passages and most importantly, helps you fill in any missing gaps in knowledge. Take this as an opportunity to get familiar with the parts of the texts you're less confident with, or to examine a particular theme that you know you're weaker in (HINT: A good place to start is to make sure you know the difference between themes, motifs and symbols !)

b) Do a close analysis

This is like an advanced version of rereading a book. A 'close analysis' - a term stolen from VCE Literature (thanks Lit!) - is basically where you select a passage (a short chapter or a few pages), and analyse it in detail.

As you move through the passage, you can pick out interesting word choices made by the author and try to interpret why they have made this choice. Doing a close analysis will immensely strengthen your metalanguage analysis skills, and also give you the opportunity to stand out from other students because you can offer unique and original analysis and evidence in your essay. I know this can be a bit confusing, so this video below shows a full close analysis of a Macbeth passage in action:

c) Read and watch Lisa's Study Guides' resources

Doing this study all by yourself can be rather daunting, so we've got your back. We specialise in supporting VCE English by creating helpful videos, study guides and ebooks. Here are some just to get your started:

YouTube Videos

We create general Text Response advice videos like this:

We also create text-specific videos:

And if you just need general study advice, we've got you covered too:

Check out our entire YouTube channel (and don't forget to subscribe for regular new videos!).

Study Guides

Our awesome team of English high-achievers have written up study guides based on popular VCE texts. Here's a compilation of all the ones we've covered so far:

After Darkness by Christine Piper

Cosi by Louis Nowra

‍ ‍ Extinction by Hannie Rayson

‍ Flames by Robbie Arnott

False Claims of Colonial Thieves by Charmaine Papertalk Green and John Kinsella

‍ Go Went Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck

‍ Like a House on Fire by Kate Kennedy

‍ Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

‍ Old/New World Selected Poems by Peter Skrzynecki

‍ ‍ On The Waterfront by Elia Kazan

‍ Ransom by David Malouf

‍ Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock

‍ Runaway by Alice Munro

‍ Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder (Analysis of Film Techniques)

Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder (Incorporating Cinematic Features into your VCE Essay)

‍ The Crucible by Arthur Miller

‍ The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman ‍

The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie (Setting)

The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie (Breakdown of Themes & Quotes)

‍ ‍ The Golden Age by Joan London

‍ The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville

‍ The Secret River by Kate Grenville

The White Girl by Tony Birch

‍ To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

‍ William Wordsworth: Poems Selected by Seamus Heaney

‍ ‍ Women of Troy by Euripides (Don Taylor's version)

‍ Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Tip: You can download and save many of these study guides for your own study use! How good is that?

And if that isn't enough, I'd highly recommend my How To Write A Killer Text Response ebook.

Most people seem to the think the most difficult part of Text Response is the writing component - and they're not completely wrong. However, what I've found is that not even students place emphasis on the brainstorming, preparation and planning of Text Response.

Think about it - if you don't come to the table with the best ideas, then how can you expect your essay to achieve A+? Even if you write an exceptional essay, if it doesn't answer the prompt, your teacher won't be sticking a smiley face on your work. We need to avoid these common teacher criticisms, and I have no doubt you've experienced at least once the dreaded, 'you're not answering the prompt', 'you could've used a better example' or 'more in-depth analysis needed'.

Enter my golden strategy - the THINK and EXECUTE strategy . This is a strategy I developed over the past 10 years of tutoring, and I've seen my students improve their marks every time. The THINK and EXECUTE strategy breaks up your Text Response into two parts - first the THINK, then the EXECUTE. Only with the unique THINK approach, will you then be able to EXECUTE your essay to its optimum potential, leading yourself to achieve those higher marks.

To learn more about the THINK and EXECUTE strategy, download my ebook sample on the shop page or at the bottom of this blog, or check out the video below:

‍ d) Get your hands on essay topics

Often, teachers will provide you with a list of prompts to practice before your SAC. Some teachers can be kind enough to hint you in the direction of a particular prompt that may be on the SAC. If your teacher hasn’t distributed any, don’t be afraid to ask.

We have a number of free essay topics curated by our team at LSG, check some of them out. Also go scroll back up to our list of study guides above, as most of those also have essay prompts included:

‍ ‍ All the Light We Cannot See Essay Topics ‍ Like a House on Fire Essay Topics ‍ ‍ The Handmaid's Tale Essay Topics ‍ ‍

e) Brainstorm and write plans

Once you've done some preliminary revision, it's time to write plans! Plans will help ensure you stick to your essay topic and have a clear outline of what your essay will cover. This clarity is crucial to success in a Text Response essay.

Doing plans is also an extremely time-efficient way to approach SACs. Rather than slaving away hours upon hours over writing essays, writing plans can will save you the burnout and will get you feeling confident faster.

I've curated essay topic breakdown videos based on specific VCE texts. In these videos, I explore keywords, ideas and how I'd plan an essay with corresponding examples/evidence.

f) Write essays

Yes, sad, but it’s a fact. Writers only get better by actually writing . Even if you just tackle a couple of essays then at least you will have started to develop a thinking process that will help you to set out arguments logically, utilise important quotes and time yourself against the clock. It will help you write faster as well – something that is a major problem for many students. With that said, let's get into how to write a Text Response next.

Take a look at some of the essays our amazing LSG team have written:

After Darkness Essay Topic Breakdown

All the Light We Cannot See Essay Topic Breakdown

‍ Extinction A+ Essay Topic Breakdown

‍ Station Eleven Essay Topic Breakdown ‍ ‍

Women of Troy Essay Topic Breakdown ‍

If you need any more tips on how to learn your text in-depth, Susan's (English study score 50) Steps for Success in Text Study guide provides a clear pathway for how to approach your text and is a must read for VCE English students!

And, if you're studying a text you hate (ugh!) be sure to check out Lavinia's guide which teaches you how to do well even when you don't like your text !

5. How To Write a Text Response

Before you start writing, make sure you're familiar with The Five Types of Text Response Prompts . Understanding the different types will help you move beyond a 'basic' one-size-fits-all structure.

Introduction

In an introduction, you're expected to have the following:

• Context (or background)
• Author's name
• Title of text
• Main arguments

Here's an example from Vindhya (English study score 46), in her post Dissecting an A+ Essay Using 'The Golden Age' by Joan London :

Perhaps nothing exemplifies the power of love and recognition more than the bond between Albert Sutton and his older sister, Lizzie, in Joan London’s ‘The Golden Age’. Many of London’s characters exhibit suffering that requires compassion and support to heal and grow, to distinguish present from past. However, London explores the perspectives of such characters from different aspects of trauma, and emphasise that love and recognition do not always work to heal and mature. Frank Gold, the novel’s resident “sneaky” boy who adjusts to newfound life in the Golden Age Convalescent Home seeks love as an adult, rather than eliciting sympathy as a supposed victim. Here love and recognition are unsuccessful in amending Frank’s troubles when given from the perspective of an outsider, a judgemental onlooker. In a similar sense, Ida Gold seeks recognition not from Australia, who she views as a ‘backwater’, but validation in herself after having been ousted from her Hungarian identity. London, however, makes sure to emphasise the impact that Sullivan has on Frank Gold’s life. Sullivan, a boy only a few years older than Frank, seems content with his future, with his fate, despite his sacrifice of rugby and conventional life. There is a lacking sense of urgency for love and recognition in Sullivan’s life, rather, it appears that Sullivan accepts his fate, regardless of his father’s sympathy or support. Thus, London explores a myriad of ways in which love and recognition may or may not heal wounds inflicted upon individuals.

Try to keep your introduction to the point. There's no need to prolong an introduction just to make a set number of sentences. It's always better to be concise and succinct, and then move into your main body paragraphs where the juicy contents of your essay resides.

Body Paragraph

Most of you will be familiar with TEEL. TEEL can stand for:

• T opic sentence
• L inking sentence

If your teacher or school teaches you something slightly different - that's okay too. At the end of the day the foundations are the same.

Early in the novel, London makes reference to Norm White, the resident groundskeeper of The Golden Age Convalescent Home. Norm White hands Frank Gold a cigarette, 'as if to say a man has the right to smoke in peace'. Here, there is a complete disregard for rule and convention, an idea that London emphasises throughout the text. This feature provides a counter-cultural experience for Frank, pushing him to realise that he is a strong human being rather than a mere victim. This is a clear contrast to the “babyishness” of the home, and is used as evidence of true humanity in an era where society judged upon the unconventional. Frank yearns for a traditional Australian life after his trauma in Hungary; 'his own memory…lodged like an attic in the front part of his brain'. Hedwiga and Julia Marai’s caring of him pushed him towards fear and reluctance to trust, yet also pressured him to seek acceptance in a world that ostracises him for his Jewish heritage and polio diagnosis. This here is why Frank desires a mature, adult connection – love that regards him as an equal human being. Frank seeks Elsa’s love and company as she too loathes being reduced to a victim, an object of pity. Frank thereafter uses humour to joke of his wounds; 'we Jews have to be on the lookout'. Elsa sees 'a look in his eyes that she recognised', thus their bond enables both characters to heal. London alludes that Frank requires love and recognition not from the perspective of a sorrowful onlooker, rather he longs to be recognised as a mature adult.

Conclusions should be short and sweet.

Although trauma is often treated with love and compassion, London details different perspectives on this idea. Whilst Frank Gold requires a specific kind of recognition, Ida and Meyer seek validation in themselves and their relationship, whilst Sullivan is at ease with his fate and does not yearn sympathy from his father.

For further detail from Sarah (English study score 45), read her advice on 5 Tips for a Mic-Drop Worthy Essay Conclusion .

That's it for the Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response . Good luck!

*Originally posted in 2011, this blog post has been revised for the latest English study design.

Hey everyone! This is Part 2 in a series of videos I will release on VCE Study Guides. The content goes through the sample VCAA Chickens Range Free article which you can find  here . Feel free to analyse it yourself, then check out how I’ve analysed the article!

I’m super excited to share with you my  first  ever online tutorial course for VCE English/EAL students on  How to achieve A+ for Language Analysis !!!

I created this course for a few reasons:

Language Analysis is often the  key weakness  for VCE English/EAL students, after my workshops, students always wish we had spent  even   more  time on Language Analysis, many of you have come to me seeking private tuition however since I am fully booked out, I wanted to still offer you a chance to gain access to my ‘breakthrough’ method of tutoring Language Analysis,I am absolutely confident in my  unique  and  straightforward  way of teaching Language Analysis which has lead to my students securing exceptional A graded SAC and exam scores!

Are you a student who:

struggles to identify language techniques?

finds it difficult to identify which tones are adopted in articles?

has no idea explaining  HOW  the author persuades?

finds it difficult to structure your language analysis essay?

becomes even more unsure when comparing 2 or 3 articles?

feels like your teacher at school never explained language analysis properly?

prefers learning when it’s enjoyable and easy to understand?

wants to stand out from other students across the cohort?

wants to know the secrets of 45+ English high achievers?

wants to know what examiners are looking for?

sees room for improvement whether you’re an average student or a pro?

wants to get a head start and maximise your potential in VCE?

This is what you will accomplish by the end of the course:

Be able to successfully identify language techniques in articles and images

Be able to successfully identify tones adopted in articles and images

Be able to analyse a single article or image

Be able to analyse 2 or more articles and/or images

Be able to apply your new skills coherently and clearly in essay writing

You will be able to accurately describe HOW an author uses language to persuade

You will be able to plan and write a language analysis essay structure (single article/image)

You will be able to plan and write a language analysis essay structure (2 or more articles/images)

You will understand common pitfalls and how to avoid these in language analysis

Be confident when approaching your SACs and exam

Know exactly what examiners are looking for and how to ‘WOW’ them

Know how to distinguish yourself from other students

Have unlimited help in course forum from myself and other VCE students

You will become a better VCE English language analysis student!

To find out more, you can check out the full details of the course   here !

See you in the course!

The use of cartoons alongside articles has become more and more popular for School Accessed Courseworks (SACs) and end of year English exam. At first glance and even the second glance, cartoons may not always appear to contain great amounts of information for students to analyse. However, when students know what to look for, it can be a vital jump-start for an insightful cartoon analysis. After all, there is a reason why teachers and examiners choose to use cartoons. It is crucial that students develop a strong ability to analyse cartoons with or without written articles. For a detailed guide on Language Analysis including how to prepare for your SAC and exam, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Language Analysis .

While there are many resources helping students gain skills in analysing written articles, few are specifically focused on cartoons. Below are 10 things you should look for in cartoons. These are common techniques used by illustrators and are a fantastic starting point in cartoon analysis.

In coloured cartoons, there are myriad of things you can look for. Ask yourself these questions:

• What colours did the illustrator use?
• What colours are used most? Least?
• Is there a repetition of colours?
• Is there only one colour?

Colours can be separated into two groups –  warm colours  and  cool colours . Warm colours including red, orange and yellow may be used to evoke feelings of comfort and warmth. It can also be used to express anger and embarrassment. Meanwhile, cool colours including blue, green and purple may represent calm and tranquility. Otherwise it can mean sadness and misery.

Remember that a group of colours can represent an overall meaning:

• Red, blue and white – can represent Australian flag and symbolises patriotism.
• Red, orange, and dark brown – can represent earth and nature.

While analysing colourful cartoons, also consider that many cartoons are black and white. Although these cartoons lack colour, illustrators use other methods to create meaning.

• What shading is used? – heavy shading can mean power and solidity; light shading can indicate frailty and insignificance.
• What textures/patterns are used? – smooth or rough.
• What shapes are there?

Remember that no cartoons are simply just ‘black and white.’

For example:

Analysis:  The monochromatic national broadband laid across mountains and kilometers just to serve one shack may represent a sombre plan that is pointless for Australian citizens.

Size is an important element in cartoons and one that is often quite obvious. Investigate:

• Is anything disproportioned?
• Exaggerated? Under-exaggerated?
• What is large and what is small?

Analysis:  The oversized ‘WikiLake’ appears to be irrepressible and too overwhelming for any of the three politicians from preventing another information release.

Background:  Wikileaks exposes information about Hilary Clinton and Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard’s subsequent condemnation of the website.

3. Labelling

• What is labeled?
• What do the labels say?
• Do the labels tell us the situation? Person? Time change?

Background:  In the aftermath of the 2011 Queensland floods, many will be seeking insurance for home and business damages.

Analysis:  The label ‘Grin Insurance’ is satirical in that one would expect a customer to be ‘grinning’ to have their insurance. However, the insurance policy only ‘covers [them] against small ‘f’ flood’, not the ‘capital ‘F’ Flood’ they have just experienced, leaving them with no insurance and little to ‘grin’ about.

4. Speech bubbles

• Who is speaking?
• What are they saying?
• Is it a conversation?

Background:  Cows contribute to greenhouse gases via flatuence of methane gas.

Analysis:  The irony of a cow stating that he is a ‘climate change septic’ when his own release of methane gas is a significant cause in growing greenhouse gases.

A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else, usually an idea. They are commonly found throughout daily lives such as the cross for Christinity or the Red Cross for the organisation that helps victims of war or natural disasters. Sometimes symbols may be as obvious as those mentioned above, yet other times may be more subtle in their meaning.

• What symbols are incorporated?
• Why are particular symbols used?
• Is it a well-known symbol?
• Is the symbol’s meaning clear and identifiable? Or is it vague and can have multiple interpretations?

Background:  Ted Baillieu, opposition leader against John Brumby in 2010 Victorian state elections.

Analysis:  The representation of Baillieu as an iceberg indicates that he is a powerful force preventing the Labor Party from moving forwards and winning the 2010 state elections. The cartoon symbolises the famous movie, Titanic, and indicates that the Labor Party is bound to ‘sink’ against Baillieu and fail to ‘move forward’ to a victory.

The focus of a cartoon can indicate the main issue or situation.

• What is in focus?
• What is in the foreground and background?

Background:  Wikileaks obtaining information about politicians.

Analysis:  While a gigantic fly labeled ‘Wikileaks’ is the main focus of the cartoon, it is humorous in that it succeeds in surreptitiously listening in on Kevin Rudd and Hilary Clinton’s unsuspecting private conversation.

Angles often provide readers an indication of the status of particular people or things. If the angle is sloping down, then it creates an image of a smaller person or item. This indicates weakness, inferiority and powerlessness. An angle sloping up towards a person or item provides it with power, superiority and authority. A straight-on angle can represent equality.

• Is the angle sloping up?
• Is the angle sloping down?
• Is it straight on?
• From behind? Front on?
• On top or below?

Background:  Banks and Power Companies are two sectors important to Australian society.

Analysis:  The angle tilted up towards the Bank and Power Company demonstrates that they are domineering, powerful and authoritative.

The tone of a cartoon can indicate the illustrator’s attitude and stance towards the issue.

Common cartoon tones VCE Study Guide’s 195 Tones Vocabulary .

Background:  The North Koreans are well known for their possession of nuclear weapons.

Analysis:  Although North Korea has made significant technological advances with their nuclear weapons, it is ironic that their other tools of war remain underdeveloped, perhaps since the Middle Ages as the catapult implies.

9. Facial Expression

Facial expressions are key to the character’s thoughts, feelings and emotions.

• What facial expressions are used?
• Do they change (sequential cartoons)?
• How do expressions compare to another’s expression?
• Is it an expression we expect?

Background:  Prince William introducing Kate Middleton to his royal family.

Analysis:  While Prince William appears to be proud and excited to introduce Kate to his family, his fiancé’s expression demonstrates that perhaps she may be apprehensive about the event.

10. Context

The context of a cartoon is important. Most of the time, cartoons are attached to articles and usually draw upon a point contended by the writer of the article.

• Does the cartoon support or oppose the article? 
• Is it relevant or irrelevant? 
• Does it focus on the past, present or future? 
• Which aspect of the article does it relate to?
• Does it add further information?

However, there are times when you will have to analyse a cartoon alone, where it is not accompanying an article. In this case you will have to understand the background, the situation and the issue that is represented.

Updated 11/12/2020.

What is language analysis, what are you expected to cover (language analysis criteria).

• School Assessed Coursework (SAC), Exams, and Allocated Marks

How To Prepare for Your Language Analysis SAC and Exam

How to write a language analysis.

Language Analysis (also known as Analysing Argument, Argument Analysis, and an array of other names) is comparatively the most different of the three parts of the VCE English study design. The other two parts of English, Text Response and Comparative, focus on analysing texts (like novels and films) where students are then expected to produce an extended piece of writing reflecting on those texts' ideas, themes and messages.

Language Analysis, officially known as ‘Analysing Argument’ in the study design, is the 2nd Area of Study (AoS 2) - meaning that majority of students will tackle the Language Analysis SAC in Term 2. Unlike Text Response and Comparative, in Language Analysis you will be asked to read 'cold material' (meaning that you won't have seen the piece before, i.e. not had the chance to study it prior to your SAC and exam). This 'cold material' will be 1-3 articles and/or images (we'll just refer to all articles/images as 'texts' for simplicity) written for the media, whether it be an opinion piece for a newspaper, or an illustration for a political campaign.

You are expected to read the article, analyse the persuasive techniques used by the author, and express this in an essay. Let's get into it!

What are teachers and examiners expecting to see in your essays? Below are the VCE criteria for Language Analysis essays.

Note: Some schools may express the following points differently, however, they should all boil down to the same points - what is necessary in a Language Analysis essay.

1. Understanding of the argument(s) presented and point(s) of view expressed

The first most important step is to understand the contention and arguments presented in the text because you'll base your entire analysis on your assumption. This can be tricky if you're unfamiliar with the contentious topic, or if the writer expresses their ideas in complex ways. In the worst case scenario, you'll misinterpret what the author is arguing and this will subsequently mean that your analysis will be incorrect. Never fear! There are many tactics to try and ascertain the 'right' contention - we'll go into detail later.

2. Analysis of ways in which language and visual features are used to present an argument and to persuade

This is where 'language techniques' come into play. You're expected identify the language used by the writer of the text and how that's intended to persuade the audience to share their point of view. There are too many language techniques to count, but you're probably already familiar with inclusive language, rhetorical questions and statistics. For most students, this is the trickiest part of Language Analysis. To read more on how to overcome this part of the criteria, get educated with Why Your Language Analysis Doesn’t Score As Well As It Should . My golden SIMPLICITY and SPECIFICITY strategy (discussed further under 'ebook' later in this guide) shows you how to analyse any language technique with confidence and accuracy.

3. Control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task

When examiners read essays, they are expected to get through about 12-15 essays in an hour! This results in approximately 5 minutes to read, get their head around and grade your essay - not much time at all! It is so vital that you don’t give the examiner an opportunity to take away marks because they have to reread certain parts of your essay due to poor expression and grammar.

School Assessed Coursework (SAC), Exams and Allocated Marks

• Unit 3 English – 40 marks
• Unit 3 EAL – 30 marks (plus 10 marks for short-answer responses and note form summaries)

Exactly when Language Analysis is assessed within each unit is dependent on each school; some schools at the start of the Unit, others at the end. The time allocated to your SAC is also school-based. Often schools use one or more periods combined, depending on how long each of your periods last. Teachers can ask you to write anywhere from 800 to 1000 words for your essay (keep in mind that it’s about quality, not quantity!)

In your exam, you get a whopping total of 3 hours to write 3 essays (Text Response, Comparative, and Language Analysis). The general guide is 60 minutes on Language Analysis, however, it is up to you exactly how much time you decide to dedicate to this section of the exam. Your Language Analysis essay will be graded out of 10 by two different examiners. Your two unique marks from these examiners will be combined, with 20 as the highest possible mark.

Preparation is a vital component in how you perform in your SACs and exam so it’s always a good idea to find out what is your best way to approach assessments. This is just to get you thinking about the different study methods you can try before a SAC. Here are my top strategies (ones I actually used in VCE) for Language Analysis preparation that can be done any time of year (including holidays - see How To Recharge Your Motivation Over the School Holidays for more tips):

Get your hands on some sample texts

If your teacher hasn't given you any to practice with, try the VCAA English exam page . You've got exams dating back to 2001, so there are no shortages of practice papers!

Know your terminology (persuasive techniques and tones)

Make sure you brush up on the definitions of persuasive techniques. It’s not going to be a tick if you use metaphor instead of simile, or if you use alliteration instead of assonance. These mistakes do happen! Don’t fall into this trap.

Here are 10 easy Language Analysis techniques you should definitely know:

• Inclusive language
• Rhetorical questions
• Credentials and expert opinion
• Alliteration
• Exaggeration
• Generalisation

Also ensure you're familiar with tones. It may be easy to identify the writer is ‘angry’, but is there a better way of expressing that? Perhaps ‘irritated’ is a better term or ‘vexed’, ‘passionate’, ‘furious’, ‘disgruntled’, ‘outraged', ‘irate’ and the list goes on….Stuck? Have a look at our 195 tones for Language Analysis .

Images (including cartoons, illustrations, and graphs) are something you also need to get your head around. Understanding how an image persuades its audience can be challenging, so test yourself and see if you know to look for these 10 things in cartoons .

Read and watch Lisa's Study Guides' resources

We create general Language Analysis advice videos where I answer your questions in a QnA format:

We also create article-specific videos where I select a past VCAA exam and analyse it in real-time:

Our awesome team of English high-achievers have analysed popular Language Analysis articles (most based off past VCAA exams). Here's a compilation of all the ones we've covered so far:

Medi-Info Card - VCAA Exam 2001 (we're going wayyy back!)

Truancy - VCAA Exam 2002 (hey, weren't you born around this time?)

Keyed In Sample Analysis- VCAA Exam 2009

Taking Stock Sample Analysis – VCAA Exam 2010

Lawton, The Home Of The Giant Watermelon - VCAA Exam 2016

A Better, Faster Shopping Experience - VCAA Exam 2019

‍ Biodiversity Speech Analysis – VCAA Sample Exam 2020

Drones - VCAA Exam 2020

And if that isn't enough, I'd highly recommend my How To Write A Killer Language Analysis ebook.

In this ebook, I teach you my unique SIMPLICITY and SPECIFICITY strategy.

Many people overcomplicate Language Analysis, and as a result, they think it's much harder than it should be. I was one of those people.

To be fair, when I was in VCE, I was getting straight As in my Language Analysis (and that was awesome!). However, I wanted to achieve more. I wanted to break the A+ barrier that I just couldn't seem to breach. I tried using more advanced language techniques, tried to make my analyses more complex, but they all failed.

It was only when I figured out the SIMPLICITY and SPECIFICITY strategy that I finally saw my marks hit the A+ range - I was ecstatic! Find out more by accessing a sample of my ebook via the Shop page , or at the bottom of this blog.

‍ Practice Your Analysis

Analysing can get messy when you will have dozens of annotations sprawled across the text. Start testing out strategies that work for you. For example, try using idea-based-colouring. This means that if the article discusses injustice – for all techniques you identify dealing with injustice, highlight it yellow. For freedom, highlight them green. This will have you annotating and grouping ideas in one go, saving time and confusion.

Another approach is to use technique-based-colouring, where you highlight same or similar techniques in the one colour.

Above is an example of idea-based-colouring from my Lawton, The Home Of The Giant Watermelon - VCAA Exam 2016 video. If you haven't watched this video series, don't worry if it doesn't make sense to you for now. The point here is how the colours help me to quickly locate ideas when I'm writing my essay.

Write Plans

Once you've done some analysis and revision , it's time to write plans! Plans will help ensure you stick to your essay topic, and have a clear outline of what your essay will cover. This clarity is crucial to success in a Language Analysis essay.

Doing plans is also an extremely time-efficient way to approach SACs. Rather than slaving away hours upon hours over writing essays, writing plans can will save you the burnout, and get you feeling confident faster.

Write Essays

Yes, sad but it’s a fact. Writers only get better by actually writing . Even if you just tackle a couple of essays then at least you will have started to develop a thinking process that will help you to set out arguments logically, utilise important quotes and time yourself against the clock. It will help you write faster as well – something that is a major problem for many students. With that said, let's get into how to write a Language Analysis next.

Since we've established that Language Analysis is quite different from Text Response and Comparative, it's not surprising that the essay has its own set of best practices and rules.

Essay Structure

Depending on how many texts you're given in your SAC or exam (it can be up to 3 texts), you should have an idea of how you plan to execute your essay accordingly - whether that be through a block structure, bridge structure or integrated structure. To learn more about essay structures, check out Christine's (English study score 49) advice in How To Structure A Language Analysis For Two Or More Texts .

Kristin (English study score 50) writes about this 'CDFASTCAT' acronym in her post, How To Write An A+ Language Analysis Introduction .

Here's an example from Gabrielle (English study score 42), in her post Exploring an A+ Language Analysis Essay Comparing Two Articles :

In recent years, the issue regarding the treatment and management of asylum seekers has become a topic of interest for many Australian citizens, with the debate focusing centrally on the ethics of their indefinite detention, and the reliability of this initiative as a working solution. Many articles intending to weigh-in on the debate depict the Australian Government’s favoured solution in various tones, with two pieces, written by news source, The Guardian, by authors Ben Doherty and Helen Davidson, and activist Kon Karapanagiotidis, respectively, asserting that the initiative is the wrong approach to a growing problem. In their piece, 'Australia’s offshore detention regime is a brutal and obscene piece of self destruction', the former of the authors speaks with an accusatory tone to their audience of regular readers of the popular news publication site and debates the practicality of the 'arbitra[y]' detention of these asylum seekers, as well as calls into question the humanity of the act and assesses whether it is an effective use of Australia’s wealth, intending to persuade readers to be similarly critical of the initiative. Likewise, the author of the open letter, 'Stand in solidarity with people seeking asylum this holiday season', writes to supporters of his resource centre in a tone of conviction, asserting that asylum seekers deserve the safety of asylum within Australia, that detaining or barring them from entering the country is inhumane and the root of much suffering, and that overall, it is morally wrong, and thus should be ceased immediately. Both articles contend that Australia’s current solution to the growing issue is incorrect, with Doherty and Davidson specifically believing that there is a better solution that must be sought, and Karapanagiotidis believing that detention as a whole is inhumane and should not be further employed by the government.

Try to keep your introduction to the point. There's no need to prolong an introduction just to make a set number of sentences. It's always better to be concise and succinct, and move into your main body paragraphs where the juicy contents of your essay resides.

Most of you will be familiar with TEEL . TEEL can stand for:

• Topic sentence
• Linking sentence

In Language Analysis, it seems that schools teach their students different acronyms, whether it be TEE :

or WWHW as Joanna (English study score 47) explores in her post Analysing Argument - What, When, How, Why Method :

And if your teacher or school teaches you something slightly different to the aforementioned acronyms - that's okay too. At the end of the day, the foundations in what's expected are the same. Below is an integrated structure example:

While both articles make very different arguments on the same topic, in one particular case they give voice to the same issue, namely, the inhumanity of detaining refugees, in which both articles become advocates for the abolition of offshore detention. Authors for The Guardian write that it is 'needlessly cruel', 'harsh', and a 'brutal regime', using emotive language to give weight to their argument and invoke a sense of discomfort within their readers, particularly towards the government’s chosen solution. They call on the opinions of a number of other sources who have 'repeatedly criticised', the operation, such as the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among other similar experts on the matter. The authors depict Asylum Seekers as individuals who are 'arbitrarily punished offshore', and who 'have been accused of no crime', and are therefore, by the judgement of the authors, being treated immorally. In agreement, Karapanagiotidis writes of the abuse endured by asylum seekers in detention, including their separation from loved ones, their arbitrary incarceration, and stating that he, himself, 'cannot begin to imagine the personal toll detention has had on [them]', implying further damage has been done and inviting his audience to similarly place themselves into the figurative shoes of an asylum seeker. The author writes that the offshore detention of asylum seekers causes 'pain', and 'suffering', as well as the 'depriv[ation] of [their] hope', using emotive language to invoke sympathy and understanding within his readers. Karapanagiotidis hands the blame for such 'suffering inflicted', on the Australian government, a similar tactic which The Guardian employed throughout their piece. Overall, both articles use a range of language devices and expert sources to agree that the act of detention is inhumane, and the root of much suffering.

As you're writing essays, you'll probably find that you're using the word 'persuades' very often. To mix it up, have a ‘Persuade’ Synonym Word Bank with you whenever you're studying so that you can build up your vocabulary bank and avoid the dreaded, 'I just keep repeating the same word over and over again!'

The two articles, in their discussion of Australia’s offshore detention initiative, bring light to several key points. Authors for The Guardian use various appeals, emotive phrases and evidence of reported monetary statistics to sway the reader to share their opinion, as well as arguments regarding the lack of reliability the initiative provides in its ability to deter boats, the sheer cost of the program, and the morality of the issue. Similarly, Karapanagiotidis, the author of the open letter, uses a humanising image, appeals to the values of the readers, and employs phrases with pre-existing connotations known to the audience, to assert main contentions: that asylum seekers deserve asylum, that barring them from settling in the country is the root of much suffering, and that their indefinite detention is not only inhumane, but morally wrong.

If you’d like to see a list of sentence starters to help you broaden your vocabulary for your Analysing Argument essay, check out this blog .

That's it for the Ultimate Guide to Writing a Language Analysis. Good luck!

To elaborate further on the example using Macbeth and Animal Farm:

Avoid simply drawing connections between the texts which are immediately obvious. It is clear that both Napoleon and Macbeth are powerful leaders. The questions below start to delve into a more insightful comparison between the two men (comparative words are  bolded ):

Macbeth and Animal Farm: common theme = power

How do they achieve power?

In  Animal Farm , Napoleon is sly about his intentions and slowly secures his power with clever manipulation and propaganda.  However , Shakespeare’s Macbeth adopts very different methods as he uses violence and abuse to secure his power.

How do they maintain power?

Both  Napoleon and Macbeth are tyrants who go to great length to protect their power. They believe in killing or chasing away anyone who undermines their power.

What is the effect of power on the two characters?

While   Macbeth  concentrates on Macbeth’s growing guilty conscience and his gradual deterioration to insanity,  Animal Farm  offers no insight into Napoleon’s stream of consciousness.  Instead , George Orwell focuses on the pain and suffering of the animals under Napoleon’s reign. This highlights Shakespeare’s desire to focus on the inner conflict of a man,  whereas  Orwell depicted the repercussions of a totalitarian regime on those under its ruling.

For one of most popular posts on Comparative (also known as Reading and Comparing), check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Comparative.

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Crafting Texts: Ideas

This is the second post in a series which goes deeper into the new VCE English and EAL Crafting Texts outcome. Each post includes some discussion of the Area of Study along with practical lesson ideas. Even if you’re not a VCE English teacher, you’ll find this post useful if you use mentor or model texts when teaching fiction and nonfiction writing.

Crafting Texts is a great area of study in VCE English. In this outcome, students develop their writing skills by reading and critically engaging with mentor texts that demonstrate effective writing within specific contexts. These texts provide inspiration for their own creative processes and generate ideas for their writing.

Through experimentation with language features, vocabulary, and text structures, students deepen their understanding of how writing can move, provoke, and inspire specific audiences. For Year 12, the VCAA provides Frameworks of Ideas that schools can choose from for their students to study. In Year 11, it’s up to the school to decide on an idea.

In this blog post, I’ll discuss how to select and use engaging ideas to inspire student writing. I’ll explore strategies for incorporating mentor texts that align with the chosen idea, as well as offer tips for adapting ideas to meet the needs of diverse student populations.

Check out the previous post here:

Crafting Texts: Using Mentor Texts

Choosing an idea

By now you’ve probably chosen an idea for your Year 11 cohort, but you may still be having these discussions at 7-10 or for future years. There are very few limits to the idea you can choose in Year 11: basically, it just can’t be one of the Year 12 frameworks. That gives you a lot of scope but can also be quite daunting. Here are some tips for selecting an idea:

• Consider student interest: Choose an idea that is relevant and interesting to your students. This can be a great way to engage them in the writing process and encourage them to produce high-quality work.
• Think about level: Select an idea that is appropriate for your students’ skill level. If the idea is too difficult or esoteric, it may be overwhelming and discourage them from writing. If it’s too easy, it may not challenge them enough.
• Prioritise engagement: Look for ideas that are engaging and thought-provoking. This can help students develop their critical thinking skills and produce work that is meaningful and impactful.
• Assess the quality of available texts: Ensure that there are quality texts available that align with the chosen idea. This can provide students with models for effective writing and help them develop their skills.
• Consider the diversity of your cohort: Choose an idea that is inclusive and allows for diverse perspectives and experiences. This can help create a safe and welcoming classroom environment where all students feel valued and heard.
• Be open to collaboration: Involve your students in the process of selecting an idea. This can help them feel invested in the writing project and increase their motivation and engagement.

Free ebook: Crafting and Creating Texts

If you haven’t already joined the mailing list, then sign up for a PDF with over 30 lesson activities and 50 writing prompts to use in Crafting and Creating Texts.

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Finding mentor texts that align to the idea

One of the hardest parts of this area of study is finding quality mentor texts which align with the idea. The previous post had a few tips for how to analyse texts, and in a post last year I wrote about choosing mentor texts . There has also been a great collective effort going on in communities like the Facebook VCE English Teachers page, like this shared document curated by some of its members.

I tried a different approach to identifying mentor texts. Recently, I got access to Microsoft’s new Bing chat – the alternative to ChatGPT built into Microsoft’s Edge browser. It functions in much the same way as ChatGPT but it has a live connection to the internet, making it generally more reliable.

Using the ideas from the English teacher community’s shared document, I prompted Bing chat for five mentor text suggestions per idea. Here’s what it came up with:

You can see that Bing’s responses tend to favour longer forms such as novels and films. I’ve been recommending sticking to shorter forms such as essays and short stories because I think they provide a more appropriate model – maybe I wasn’t clear enough about that in my prompt! I also specified “suitable for teenagers” and a couple of inappropriate texts have snuck onto the list like American History X . I probably should have specified a classification or rating.

After noticing the lack of nonfiction texts, I prompted further and also got this list. Where possible I have found a direct link to the texts online. Note that in some cases, when I searched for the text, they didn’t exist! Interestingly these were the contentious ideas of ‘trapped’, ‘conflict’, and ‘hate’ and I wonder if Bing’s filters messed up the results… Note that I haven’t vetted these for quality – this is more of an example of what the technology can do (or can’t do) to help teachers find mentor texts.

Using the mentor texts and idea for inspiration

Ultimately, the purpose of both the idea and mentor texts in to inspire writing. The students’ writing should be influenced by the values and attitufes towards the idea you discuss in class, plus the techniques, language, and style of the mentor texts.

Using the chosen idea and mentor texts in combination can be a powerful way to inspire and guide student writing. Here are some strategies for using mentor texts to support students in their writing:

• Analysis: Encourage students to analyse mentor texts and identify the language features, text structures, and vocabulary that make them effective. This can help them develop their own writing skills and apply what they learn to their own writing. The previous post covered this in more detail.
• Modelling: Use mentor texts as models for students to emulate in their own writing. Encourage them to experiment with the language features and text structures they have identified, and to adapt them to their own purposes. Discuss how the mentor text reflects the idea – what values does it express towards the idea, or how does it position the reader?
• Inspiration: Use mentor texts as a source of inspiration for new writing. Encourage students to draw on the themes, ideas, and language of the mentor texts in their own writing, while still creating something new and original. They don’t need to exactly “mimic” techniques or approaches to ideas.

Here are five suggestions for things teachers can do in their planning to set students up to write:

• Choose mentor texts that align with the chosen idea and are appropriate for your students’ skill level.
• Provide opportunities for close reading and analysis of mentor texts in class, and encourage students to share their insights and interpretations.
• Use guided writing activities to help students develop their writing skills, such as writing prompts, peer editing, and revision workshops.
• Encourage students to experiment with different writing styles and genres, such as creative nonfiction, poetry, and memoir.
• Create a safe and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable sharing their writing and receiving feedback from their peers and teacher.

Practical Strategies for writing with an idea

Here are three activities which can be used before, during, and after reading the mentor texts. Breaking it up this way follows the writing cycle we’ve suggested in Practical Writing Strategies , which is coming soon from Amba Press.

Before Reading: Building Background Knowledge of the Idea

• Choose an idea and brainstorm what you already know about it.
• Research the history of the idea to build up your background knowledge.
• Analyse the contexts in which the idea is presented in society and culture.
• Discuss what you expect the mentor texts to explore and how they might present different perspectives on the idea.
• Write a brief reflection on what you have learned so far and how you might use this knowledge to read and engage with the mentor texts.

During Reading: How Authors Position Readers towards Ideas

• Choose a mentor text to read and annotate.
• As you read, take note of how the author positions the reader towards the idea.
• Analyse how the author uses language and writing techniques to convey their perspective and influence the reader’s understanding of the idea.
• Consider how the author uses structure, tone, and voice to position the reader towards the idea.
• Write a brief reflection on how the author positions the reader towards the idea and what you can learn from their approach.

After Reading: Making up Your Own Mind

• Choose two or more mentor texts to synthesise and compare.
• Consider the different perspectives on the idea presented in the texts.
• Reflect on how the mentor texts have influenced your own understanding of the idea and shaped your own views and values.
• Write a response that synthesizes the ideas presented in the mentor texts and communicates your own perspective on the idea.
• Share your response with others and engage in a discussion about the idea and the mentor texts.

Further resources

Here are a few other resources to help withX:

• Shared document of ideas and mentor texts from the VCE English Teachers Facebook group
• Here is the ‘Futures’ mentor text collection I put together last year
• The VCAA Advice for Teachers page (scroll to the bottom and look for the 2024 implementation dropdown) is a great resource for assessment and lesson ideas
• The VCAA On Demand videos cover all aspects of the Study Design
• Insight Publications Year 11 English has lots of examples and activities for this area of study

I hope you find this post helpful, whether you’re using the ideas for VCE English or any other writing unit with mentor texts.

If you have any questions, feedback, or there’s something you’d like to see in this series of posts, then please let me know via the form below:

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The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) English is a critical subject that significantly impacts your overall ATAR score and future academic opportunities. Excelling in VCE English requires not only a deep understanding of the subject matter but also strong analytical, writing, and critical thinking skills.

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WASHINGTON — Multiple members of the Kennedy family denounced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, calling the move a "betrayal."

"We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride," said a statement signed by five of the former independent presidential candidate's siblings.

"We believe in Harris and Walz," the statement continued. "Our brother Bobby's decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story."

The statement includes signatures from Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy III, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, reacted to the statement, sharing it on X and writing that it was "well said."

Separately, the former candidate's cousin Jack Schlossberg said that he has "never been less surprised in my life."

"Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it," he posted to X. "Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier."

Schlossberg is the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy.

Many members of the Kennedy family have been publicly critical of the independent's presidential bid, instead vocalizing their support for first President Joe Biden and now Harris.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he would withdraw from the presidential race and back Trump. However, he said that he would only remove his name from the ballot in "about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler." He encouraged voters in states where he remains on the ballot to still support him.

"These are the principled causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump," he said during his Friday remarks. "The causes were: Free speech, the war in Ukraine, and the war on our children."

Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement that the Harris campaign is for "any American out there who is tired of Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward."

"Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all," she said in a bid to attract Kennedy supporters.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Americans love free speech, survey finds − until they realize everyone else has it, too

Senior Advisor to the Chancellor, Head of Vanderbilt's Project on Unity and American Democracy, and Co-Director of Vanderbilt Poll, Vanderbilt University

Research Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech, Vanderbilt University

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Americans’ views on free speech change directions every so often. One of those times was during the protests at U.S. universities about the Israel-Hamas war. As scholars of free speech and public opinion , we set out to find out what happened and why.

The Supreme Court itself, as recently as 1989, has declared that the “bedrock principle” of the First Amendment is that “ the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.”

For years, conservative politicians and commentators have warned that college campuses are not strong enough protectors of free speech. But as demonstrations erupted, these same people complained that the protests were filled with antisemitic hate speech . Leading conservatives declared the demonstrations should be banned and halted, by force if necessary.

Liberals executed a similar reversal. Many of them have supported increased regulation of hate speech against minority groups. But during the campus protests, liberals cautioned that crackdowns by university administrators, state officials and the police violated protestors’ free speech rights.

As researchers at Vanderbilt University’s Project on Unity and American Democracy and The Future of Free Speech , respectively, we sought to determine where Americans stand. We drew inspiration from a poll done in November 1939 in which 3,500 Americans answered questions about free speech. In June 2024, we asked 1,000 Americans the identical questions.

When an abstract concept gets more concrete

We found that the vast majority of Americans – both then and now – agree that democracy requires freedom of speech. That’s in the abstract.

When the questions get more concrete, though, their support wanes.

Only about half of the respondents in both the 1939 and 2024 polls agreed that anybody in America should be allowed to speak on any subject at any time. The rest believed some speech – or certain subjects or speakers – should be prohibited.

This pattern is not unique to Americans. A 2021 survey in 33 countries by The Future of Free Speech , a nonpartisan think tank based at Vanderbilt, similarly found high levels of support for free speech in the abstract across all countries but lower support across the board for specific speech that was offensive to minority groups or religious beliefs.

We dug deeper in surveys in March and June 2024, asking which subjects or speakers should be banned. We thought the public’s appetite for free speech might have weakened amid the campus turmoil. We found the opposite.

When asked whether seven people with widely varied viewpoints should be allowed to speak, the share of people who said “Yes” rose for each one between March and June. Some of the differences were within the surveys’ margins of error, but it’s nevertheless noteworthy that all of them shifted in the same direction.

While showing a slightly increased appetite for free speech, these polls still fit with the overall contradiction: Large majorities of Americans passionately uphold free speech as a cornerstone of democracy. But fewer of them are supportive of free speech when faced with specific controversial speakers or topics.

The First Amendment is not an a la carte menu

Our surveys found that the public has a nuanced view of free speech. For instance, in our June 2024 survey we added some additional categories of potential speakers to the list we had asked about in March. More respondents were comfortable with a pro-Palestinian speaker than a leader of Hamas and with a scientist who believes that IQ varies by race rather than an outright white supremacist.

This pattern suggests that the public distinguishes between extreme and more moderate positions and is less tolerant of the rights of those with more extreme views.

This shift runs against the purpose of the First Amendment, which was intended to protect unpopular speech . The amendment very specifically was not intended to apply only to certain speakers or viewpoints.

Ours is not the only survey to find that many people don’t fully appreciate the logic and principles behind free speech.

In 2020, a Knight Foundation poll found that members of both political parties oppose speech that goes against their values or beliefs .

Later polls, including those conducted by other organizations, found more specifics: For instance, Democrats were more likely to support censorship of racist hate speech or vaccine misinformation.

And Republicans opposed drag shows and kneeling during the playing of the national anthem .

A February 2022 national poll commissioned by The New York Times and Siena College found that 30% of Americans believed that “ sometimes you have to shut down speech that is anti-democratic, bigoted, or simply untrue.”

A return to fundamentals

With the 2024 election looming and polarization increasing among Americans, some people may want only those who agree with them to be allowed to speak.

But a true commitment to the fundamental principles of free speech requires people to allow space for controversial and even offensive viewpoints to be aired.

History reveals that censorship of hateful ideas is often a cure that is worse than the disease , deepening social divides. James Madison, a key drafter of both the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment, wrote in 1800:

“ Some degree of abuse is inseparable from the proper use of every thing … it is better to leave a few of its noxious branches, to their luxuriant growth, than by pruning them away, to injure the vigor of those yielding the proper fruits.”

As the founders knew, a respect for diverse viewpoints and the ability to express those views – good, bad and harmful alike – in the public sphere are essential to a healthy democracy.

• Freedom of speech
• Antisemitism
• Hate speech
• First Amendment
• US Constitution
• US Founding Fathers
• Free expression
• The politics of freedom of speech
• freedom of speech on campus
• James Madison
• Vaccine misinformation
• Pro-Palestine protest
• Controversial ideas
• anti-Israeli sentiment
• Israel-Hamas war
• Campus debate
• Pro-Palestinian protest
• Pro-Palestinian protesters

Head of Evidence to Action

Supply Chain - Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure-Track)

Education Research Fellow

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‘IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?’: Trump attacks Harris in rambling posts during her DNC speech

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Former President Trump, in a string of posts on his Truth Social platform , insulted Vice President Kamala Harris — whom he called “Comrade Kamala” — as she spoke Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where she formally accepted her party’s nomination for president.

Trump billed the running commentary as a live analysis of what he called “her puff piece.”

Kamala Harris, making history, accepts Democratic nomination and lashes Trump

The presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is essentially a toss-up at this point, according to pollsters. But Harris stakes out her vision for unifying the country while confronting her opponent.

Aug. 22, 2024

“Too many ‘Thank yous,’ too rapidly said, what’s going on with her?” he asked as Harris began her remarks.

He asked where Hunter Biden was. He said Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former high school football coach, “was an ASSISTANT Coach, not a COACH.”

And, just after Harris praised her late mother for teaching her and her sister to “never do anything half-assed,” Trump posted: “Kamala’s biography won’t lower prices at the Grocery Store, or at the Pump!”

Harris denounced Trump’s behavior during the deadly insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral win.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man,” Harris said. “But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back into the White House are extremely serious. Consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office, but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election.”

Trump uses a stretch of border wall and a pile of steel beams in Arizona to contrast with Democrats

Former President Trump visits the shrub-dotted hills of Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico border to campaign on immigration, his signature issue.

Trump posted: “The Chaos and Calamity is allowing our Country to be infiltrated by Millions of Criminals!”

Fact-checkers say Trump often exaggerates immigration numbers. He also frequently highlights crimes committed by immigrants, but studies have shown that people in the country illegally are less likely to have been incarcerated than those born in the U.S.

Harris continued by saying Trump “sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers.”

“PEACEFULLY AND PATRIOTICALLY!” he wrote.

She continued: “When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames.”

He responded: “IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?”

A few minutes later, he suggested Harris “leave the Speech right now, go to Washington, D.C., close the Border, allow fracking in Pennsylvania and otherplaces, and start doing the things she’s complaining about aren’t done!”

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After Harris finished her nearly 40-minute address, Trump, who regularly praises North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, posted: “There will be no future under Comrade Kamala Harris, because she will take us into a Nuclear World War III! She will never be respected by the Tyrants of the World!”

Earlier in the day, Trump spoke at a news conference near the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County, Ariz., where he began his remarks by saying that Democrats illegally pushed President Biden out of the race in order to replace him with Harris — a false claim he has been repeating frequently this week.

“It’s a very sad time for this country in many ways. We had a candidate — I was no fan of Joe Biden — but the way he was taken out was a coup ,” he said.

He then praised the border wall behind him as the “Rolls-Royce of walls,” said undocumented migrants were taking the jobs of Black people and Latinos, and, as he is wont to do, lashed out at the media for its coverage of border policy.

At one point, he suggested that the reporters present walk to an opening in the border wall, “if you have the courage to do it.”

“We’re gonna end up without a country,” he said of the situation at the border. “You’re not gonna have any media. They don’t have media. They do their own media. They don’t need media.”

“They,” presumably, referred to undocumented immigrants coming across the southern border. While freedom of the press varies widely by country, immigrants do, typically, have access to news media in their home countries.

More to Read

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DNC ratings thump Trump as 29 million TV viewers watch Harris’ acceptance speech

Aug. 23, 2024

Editorial: The honeymoon is over. Harris must start making the case for her presidency

Hailey Branson-Potts is an enterprise reporter on the State Team who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2011. She reports on a wide range of issues and people, with a special focus on Northern California and the Central Coast. She grew up in the small town of Perry, Okla., and graduated from the University of Oklahoma.

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• DNC Says “Good Riddance” As RFK Jr. Suspends Campaign, Endorses Trump, Incurs Sibling Wrath And Prompts Wife Cheryl Hines To Write That “Vast Majority Of All Parties Are Truly Good People”

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UPDATE, with response statements: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dropped out of the presidential race, sort of, leaving his rocky Independent campaign behind and aligning the iconically Democrat name with the Republican party of Donald Trump .

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Watch on deadline.

You can watch the video of his announcement above.

At another speech in Arizona, Trump said of Kennedy’s endorsement, “That’s big. He’s a great guy, respected by everybody.”

RELATED: Kamala Harris Wraps Herself In History & The Flag For Often Blistering Takedown Of Donald Trump In DNC Acceptance Speech

Kennedy’s endorsement of the Republican candidate was not unexpected: Recent reports have him shopping around for a new side to play on, reaching out to both political parties and meeting with members of the Trump team. Kennedy’s campaign recently said he would make a statement on his “path forward” at today’s speech in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump is holding a rally in Glendale, Arizona, later today.

However unsurprising the endorsement is, from a historical perspective, rather remarkable, putting a man with the famously Blue family name into the Red. Today, Kennedy said the Democratic Party “had departed so dramatically from the core values that I grew up with.” He said the causes for his switch were “free speech, the war in Ukraine and the war on our children,” the latter stemming from his debunked anti-vaccine stances.

RELATED: “Pitch Perfect” Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech Praised By Michelle Obama, Rob Reiner, Magic Johnson & More

Kennedy’s campaign has been beset by more problems than family ties, hurt feelings and a dead bear cub : Just yesterday he officially withdrew from the ballot in Arizona, a not-unexpected outcome given recent news reports of dwindling campaign funds and a ruling by a judge in New York State that tossed out the signatures on his nominating petition because Kennedy had falsely claimed to be a New York resident. The court found that Kennedy actually lived in California with his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines , and that the New York address he suppled was not his full time residence.

Today Kennedy described the various state requirements for getting on the ballots as a nearly impenetrable tangle.

Kennedy earlier said he’d fight the ruling, but today’s announcement suggests that battle is all but over.

Hines, RFK’s outspoken anti-Trump wife, issued a statement today in which she acknowledged her husband’s decision to run for president, saying he did so “on the principle of unity” and added that “the vast majority of all parties are truly good people.” She did not specifically comment on her husband’s new endorsement.

RELATED: It’s Kamala’s DNC Now: Doris Kearns Goodwin On Convention’s Historical Context, LBJ ’68 & Joe Biden’s POTUS Ranking On ElectionLine Podcast

The son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, the former environmental activist and scion of the staunchly liberal family of Democrats, RFK Jr. has in recent years leaned into 9/11 conspiracy theories, discredited ideas about AIDS, and anti-vaccine misinformation. His Kennedy relatives have largely distanced themselves from him, at least politically, and endorsed Joe Biden prior to Kamala Harris entering the race.

And lately Kennedy has been attracting attention for non-political reasons, including his revelation that he once suffered from the presence of a brain-eating worm and, more recently, his admission that in 2014 he placed a roadkill bear cub in Central Park, a stunt he thought would be “amusing” but instead prompted days of headlines and widespread concern over the mysterious origins and grisly demise of the animal.

And this week, video resurfaced of Kennedy telling a reporter that aligning with Trump would be “devastating” to his marriage to the anti-Trump Hines. Six months ago, when asked by TMZ about the statement, Hines said, “I think Bobby knows me very well.”

In a statement today on her social media accounts, Hines wrote, “The decision has been made to suspend my husband’s, Robert Kennedy Jr. ’s presidency [sic] and I’d like to extend a sincere, deeply heartfelt thank you to every person who has worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They have accomplished feats that were said to be impossible. They have gathered over a million signatures, more than any candidate in history, and have achieved ballot access across the country despite the roadblocks and lawsuits that have been brought against them for the sole purpose of keeping Bobby off of the ballots so no one would even have the opportunity to vote for him.

The Kennedy family was not so understanding. A statement put out by RFK Jr.’s siblings Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy, the family called RFK Jr.’s decision to endorse Trump “a betrayal of the values our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”

See the full various statements below.

Never been less surprised in my life. Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it. Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier. — Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) August 23, 2024

The decision has been made to suspend my husband's, Robert Kennedy Jr.'s, presidency and I'd like to extend a sincere, deeply heartfelt thank you to every person who has worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They have accomplished feats that were said to be… — Cheryl Hines (@CherylHines) August 23, 2024

I am sharing a personal statement that my family and I have made in response to my brother’s announcement. pic.twitter.com/j7vTTabNYZ — Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) August 23, 2024

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