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English Writing 5C
Subject Code: ENW5C
2005 External Examination Report
TASMANIAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY
General Comments
The folios from this second year of the English Writing 5 syllabus showed that teachers and
candidates have really utilised the best examples from the work requirements when preparing
the external assessment task. Compared to the 2004 folios the current Reflective Statement was
a more polished, targeted piece of writing, the Writing Project presented stronger examples of
sustained writing while contrasting pairs of themed writing or focus on an issue displayed depth
and development of ideas.
Clearly there are many exciting, stimulating and challenging activities taking place in and out of
the Writing classroom. Visiting writers, excursions to places of historic, local or sensory
interest, writing competitions, public performances and displays of work, and responses to art
works have all inspired enthusiastic writing. Studying other writers’ themes, language, style and
structure has broadened candidates’ appreciation of these elements of writing and this has been
reflected in the overall quality of writing. In addition, a pleasing number of candidates were
prepared to tackle mature and challenging themes that extended beyond personal experience.
Teachers need to ensure that candidates closely adhere to the Folio Guidelines, particularly with
regard to the length requirements and presentation of elements including the Contents Page,
identification of the Writing Project and manuscript conventions. Folios that do not comply are
penalised by a whole rating on Criterion 2. At the beginning of the year candidates can set up
and save a basic manuscript template in Word that will enable them to present all assignments in
the expected format. This may encourage the close attention to presentation detail that this
syllabus requires.
The Reflective Statement
This is the only compulsory form of writing in the folio. It is the candidate’s opportunity to
communicate directly with the reader, to highlight techniques, outline purposes and themes and
to explain reasons for making certain choices in the writing. It is counterproductive to write
more than a sentence about plot or characters- this just annoys the reader and wastes time.
As one quarter of the folio this piece needs to be a substantial, engaging exploration of the
individual’s writing process. In too many folios the reflective writing was rushed and poorly
crafted. In extreme cases markers doubted whether the same candidate had produced the
sometimes engaging pieces that followed a weak statement. As the introduction to the folio a
poorly crafted reflection creates a bad impression of what is to follow. The reflection has a
specific audience yet too many candidates seemed unaware of the likely effect of an
inappropriate choice of tone, language and content. In particular, a stilted, highly formal style or
a pompous, over confident tone usually produces resistant responses in the reader.
Although called a reflective statement, a variety of styles and writing forms can be used,
provided that the piece fulfils the intended purposes: to reflect on learning during the year, to
provide contextual information about the contents and to demonstrate understanding of the
effects of the writer’s choice of writing features, structures and styles. Pieces that did not
conform to the prescribed word limits (some were far too short) or were set out as context
statements were penalised on Criterion 2. Perhaps some teachers and candidates are confusing
the folio guidelines of this subject with those of the other level 5 English syllabuses?
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Subject Code: ENW5C
Candidates are more likely to produce a successful reflective statement if they write reflectively
about their learning and their writing choices during the year in their journals and the Record of
Progress. They also need to be exposed to reflection from a variety of published writers to see
the breadth of approaches and styles that can be used. The most effective reflections discussed
the links between a strong reading program and the writing in the folio, citing influences and
models that were influential in the production of the year’s work. Clearly these candidates felt
part of a community of writers.
Selection of Folio Pieces
This syllabus is concerned with providing authentic tasks, wherever possible, so candidates can
write for real purposes and audiences including competitions, peers and the public. Planning a
folio is one such authentic task involving as it does the preparation and selection of pieces to
achieve a specific purpose for a specific audience. Timelines are extremely important and team
work when checking folios is essential. Candidates need to be very familiar with the externally
assessed criteria and the Folio Guidelines to maximise their chance of success.
The increased word allocation this year enabled candidates to submit longer pieces, if they
wished, and many took advantage of the increased scope. While candidates have the capacity to
write long works for internal assessment, they must be aware that the folio is intended to show a
body of work, and that word limits must be adhered to, as in the business world of journalism
and short story publishing. On the other end of the scale, some folios were too thin and
insubstantial to adequately address the criteria.
Including the reflective statement, every folio features at least two writing forms and styles.
Most folios contained a variety of forms, although there were some extremely strong poetry
folios. Narrative continued to dominate, with short story and autobiography the most popular
forms. First person narrative was heavily favoured and for weaker candidates this meant
monotony of tone, voice and style. They need to be encouraged to include at least one
contrasting piece.
In general, the Writing Project was a well-prepared single piece or a collection of strong smaller
pieces. A highlight was the number of candidates who included contrasting or complementary
takes on a theme or issue that were entertaining and showed considerable depth of thought.
Clearly teachers are using the Ideas and Issues module very successfully in class.
Criterion 1
Candidates were often able to use writing features but not successfully identify them in the
reflective statement. Strong discussion of these features is required for a top rating. The
reflection from better writers showed they had really engaged with other writers’ styles and
writing features in the Writers module. Through dependent authorship they have experienced
the ways published writers use tone, language, sentence structures and point of view to create
individual and engaging works of a high standard. This opportunity to practise another’s voice
and style on the way to developing one’s own seems to be producing strong writers.
The best folios displayed variation of tone and narrative point of view and convincing
characterisation, often through the use of effective dialogue. In weaker folios this attempt at
variation resulted in disjointed narratives that oscillated between points of view from several
characters in an unsettling way. It was not clear from the reflection what these candidates were
hoping to achieve from using this technique.
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Subject Code: ENW5C
Effective characterisation remains a rare feat with too many prose pieces containing one
dimensional talking heads and scripts where all the characters speak with the same voice. Some
more direct teaching on this topic may be beneficial.
The subtle use of imagery in poems was sadly lacking in weak examples but it was encouraging
to see many strong examples as well. Some single poems were outstanding and merited their
presentation as single/feature pieces.
Criterion 2
In this level 5 English subject a high standard of grammar and use of the writing conventions is
expected, especially since all candidates have the opportunity to revise, proofread and spellcheck their work. Too many folios were marred by poor proof reading limited vocabulary and
incorrect grammar. It’s hard to persuade some candidates that more time needs to be spent on
this stage of the writing process! Some flawless folios had been rigorously prepared and were a
joy to read
The most common errors included the perennials:
•
Underused/ incorrectly used possessive apostrophe;
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Lack of spell checking and homonym checking;
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Run- on sentences and overused commas;
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Incorrect indication of paragraphs and
•
Direct dialogue poorly punctuated and/ or not indented.
Candidates must pay close attention to the publishing conventions outlined in the Folio
Guidelines and remember to include a plain, prose copy of any articles. Unembellished
presentation is best so that the writing stands on its own merits but when art works had inspired
a piece it was useful to see them pictured, as many candidates did.
As always readers were delighted and enthralled by some highly sophisticated and effective
language use. These candidates had sought the best words to convey their meaning and were not
satisfied by the pedestrian or banal. Weaker candidates tended to over-use common words and
phrases, often repeating the same words through several successive sentences or beginning
every sentence with ‘I’ or ‘he’.
Criterion 3
The folios displayed a truly pleasing range of subjects, ideas and themes. Most were at least
partially successful in presenting an idea in an engaging way. While it is perhaps true that there
are ‘no new ideas under the sun’, many top performing candidates still managed to provide a
fresh approach to perennial themes, revealing creative flair and an interest in transforming
experience in new, unexpected and interesting ways.
Weaker folios came unstuck especially on the second part of this criterion: developing ideas. It
was hard to see the point behind many unfocussed, clichéd accounts of contemporary young
adult life: a drunken party, relationship break-up or general anger at the world. Of course these
themes will feature heavily in folios from this age group, but candidates must re-work and edit
pieces so something engaging is offered to readers other than the self and a few close friends.
The better writers treated these same subjects in a beguiling way through the use of humour,
unusual structures and time sequences, quirky characters that were portrayed convincingly and
fresh angles.
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English Writing
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Subject Code: ENW5C
Personal essays discussing an issue were generally successful, with journalistic columns
offering exploration of a theme and the efficient use of a writing form. Some travel writing was
very boring if it did not rise above merely describing the chief sites visited by the writer. This
year there were fewer academic essays that appeared to have been taken from other subjects so it
was pleasing to see teachers following the guideline that only coursework from this syllabus
should be included in the folio. Of course, candidates are free to submit pieces from other
subjects that have been re-worked so they have wider audience appeal and show more writing
techniques.
Criterion 5
Most folios showed candidates had thought deeply about how best to shape the ideas they were
exploring. The best folios as a whole were structured in a thoughtful way with the reflective
statement commenting on the reasons for the selection and ordering of pieces for effect. There
was attention to detail, with many unusual and striking titles on the Contents Page arousing
curiosity and anticipation. Striking opening sentences quickly engaged the reader, and then
tightly constructed paragraphs led to thoughtful endings, sometimes open-ended or confronting
or with a twist. In these folios dialogue was neither padding nor an easy way to supply
information to the reader but rather an integral part of the characterisation.
Many weaker candidates offered dialogue that read like the written word and, conversely, diary
entries that were overly conversational in sentence structure. Overall, difficulty in maintaining
tense consistently through a piece was quite widespread. Sometimes these problems can occur
at the editing stage- paragraphs that are added or revised may be written in another tense. Quite
often tense confusion seems to occur in sections where dialogue alternates with description. A
second problem is narrative slipping from one point of view to another- third person suddenly
turns into first person, perhaps when the writer gets excited by the events and slips into the
central role? These are major errors for level 5 candidates to make and more time may need to
be spent looking at consistency in storytelling through the year.
In the better folios sentences flowed like honey. In the weaker ones sentences were like the drive
into central Hobart- they just went on and on with hardly a rest in sight! In some instances
candidates believed that applying more and more semi-colons or dashes would enable them to
successfully present whole narratives in a couple of convoluted sentences. These most basic of
errors in syntax and paragraphing were penalised on this criterion.
Overall, poetry was more effectively structured than in previous years. While free verse
continues to dominate, there were some wonderful exceptions. In the more successful
monologues and scripts there was some progression and a movement toward a conclusion, if
not a resolution. Weaker examples contained aimless ramblings from a not very interesting
character. Feature articles and personal columns were generally well done, with structures
typical of these writing forms.
In the hands of the more competent writers, variation of the conventional linear structures
produced interesting effects. Time shifts, flashbacks, multiple points of view, parallel narratives
and non-sequential plot lines can be effective tools. When these tools become the main focus or
point of interest in a piece then the writing can lack depth. Some playing around with structure
did not seem to have a purpose other than to look clever or to break up the narrative.
2005 External Examination Report
English Writing
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Subject Code: ENW5C
Criterion 7
Since all folios contained reflective writing and at least one other form, candidates showed the
variety of form outlined in the criterion. While most folios contained several forms of writing
there were some exceptional ones that concentrated on one form such as poetry or narrative.
Monologues were problematic in some folios when they had no obvious audience or context.
Candidates must use diction and verbal structures that help to develop character. Film scripts
need to be well composed and imagined to be successful. There were many excellent short
stories. Some were impressionistic, capturing a moment in time or creating a memorable
character, while others offered effective description, a well paced plot or a twist in the tail. Less
successful stories struggled with too many characters or fell beneath the weight of a hefty plot
more suited to a novella.
The important thing is to select the best examples of course work from the year. Whatever
forms are selected, they need to be good examples.
This year most candidates successfully identified the forms of writing in their folios. In the
better folios candidates discussed their choice of form and, if applicable, the ways they had
tested the boundaries of a genre or features of a form. These folios showed the tight, effective
application of forms and/ or experimentation with form so that the reader’s expectations were
challenged in satisfying ways.
Too often there was no sense of purpose or audience resulting in unstructured, uninteresting
writing. Autobiographical writing remains a popular form and the best examples had an obvious
purpose and an audience other than the writer. The first jottings about a significant memory or
event and the simple recording of a sequence of events are useful beginning points for an
engaging piece of writing but they are not sufficient in themselves. Candidates must ask the
question- why would this piece interest another reader? Does it capture a significant moment?
Show a moment of epiphany in a life? Reflect on meaningful events that helped to shape the
writer? Offer a fresh or clearly imagined re-creation of young adult experience? The best
autobiographical writing offered these things to the reader and also the gift of sharing
experience and outcomes.
It is appropriate for this syllabus that a peer audience is the most common readership but many
candidates also wrote for a wider, more general adult audience. Some candidates also chose to
write for a narrower specialist audience such as the devotees of fantasy or horror. This is, of
course, entirely acceptable but candidates need to ensure that their writing is of a high enough
standard for them to gain good ratings on the other criteria. They need to carefully explain in the
Reflective Statement how such writing fulfils the genre but also offers something new or fresh.
Conclusion
It is clear from reading the reflective statements that many candidates have benefited from
studying English Studies or Communications in Year 11 before attempting this syllabus. These
candidates confidently write about their own techniques, styles and forms, easily relating them to
context and purpose and making comparisons with those of other well-known writers. Other
candidates who come straight from high school or an English SS level 4 background will
benefit from some explicit teaching of the basics of good writing, including the revision of
punctuation.
Of course, being able to apply the principles of good writing that have been studied in any
English classroom is really the test of understanding, and most of the folios demonstrate this
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Subject Code: ENW5C
understanding. They testify to much excellent teaching and a determination to allow candidates
the maximum possible choice in the content of their course. These features have enabled our
candidates to truly express their creativity.
All correspondence should be addressed to:
Tasmanian Qualifications Authority
PO Box 147, Sandy Bay 7006
Ph: (03) 6233 6364 Fax: (03) 6224 0175
Email: [email protected]
Internet: http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au
2005 External Examination Report