English GCSE= well unfair

[Quicksilver]

K, i just want to have a little rant here about the work included in my GSCE english curriculum. Basically, u need at least a C grade in english to get into a lot of jobs nowadays, apparently because u will be able to cope with the language and long words easier. Do these people who set these standards reaslise what we have to do in our english lessons? we read poems and analyse shakespears plays! how the hell is that going affect the way we speak? Im absolutly useless at writing essays, i never know what to say and usaully end up slagging off the poet and in return gettin a big fat F all over my work! Because of this inability to understand poems im going to do less than shit in the exam and in return i wont be able to get the jobs i want! This is out of order! does anyone else have the same view of this conspiracy?? I think its fubar!

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If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

[Wallabie_Gal]

I'm currentley studying for my GCSEs too but i am sorry to say that i dont agree with you. I think it is great that we study the things that show how beautiful our language can be when spoken properley and used well (like Shakespeare plays). I'm sorry that you don't share this oppinion with the rest of the student minority and me. It's a shame but each to their own.

I do though agree with you when it comes to the miminum of a "C" to get alot of good jobs; i think that this it an utterley rediculous policy but hey, wot can ya do?

How posh do i sound?! LOL

W_G
XXX

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Eagles may soar but weasles don't get sucked into jet engiens

[DemonK1d Skatewear.Inc]

I'm doing the Handmaids tale which is total shite and Anthony and Cleopatra. I can't stand either of them and I wish we could have done a Midsummer nights dream if we absolutely HAD to do a shakespeare play.

Goddamn I hate shakespeare at school. It's unfair how they thrust his strange vocabularly at us such as "Dost thou quiver in thy precence" and believe me, that's about as understandable as it gets.

I was contemplating giving english up and focusing on my other studies but i've decided to stick with it, at least for a little while longer.

[freya]

I did english last year and it's not so hard to get a C really. And you need Language rather than Literature I think, or at least one of them. So you could focus on Language really which I felt was a lot easier (though less interesting)

[ebenEzer bad]

Having done english and since moved on into the real world, i have to say it has been of no use at all. of course spelling, punctuation etc..... is vital to life and everybody needs a good base in that area, but shakespeare ???? that is a complete waste of time, it serves no purpose to how you go about your life, its written in some kind of odd drunken slurr and in no way enhances anybodies ability to do a job. Now agreed there is only so much spelling that can be done and they must fill in the time with something, but whether people should be made to take exams on irrelevance is debatable. It is important to be able to understand a point which is been made in a written piece however, and so analysing things such as poems is quite important. One thing you will learn when you get into the real world, is that the majority of what you learned at school is of no use, its not what you learn, but the grades you get that is paramount.

p.s the reason your a bit clueless is probably because you never read, i'm the same, reading is soooooooo boring, i never ever read a book, and so as a result my understanding of english has suffered ! managed to scrape a c somehow though

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If you don't plan something, it can't go wrong

[Kermit]

I know what you mean, Shakespeare is bollocks. Its boring and its pointless. The A'Level English Language is, stupidly enough, far more interesting and useful than the GCSE most people end up with.

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It matters not who won or lost, but how you place the blame.

[Turtle]

hmm...out of interest, how many books do u guys have to do at A-Level or GCSE english?

IB higher level english we have to study i think it's 16 books, of which 4 or more must be works in translation. we have to write two 1500 word essays, with the option of one being a creative piece. this, mind, is top level english, just below uni level.

but what's the workload u guys get? i mean, i agree, english lit is total shite. I got a D on my IGCSE Eng. lit, and a C on my Eng Lang, i dislike much of what we're doing atm, but hey, i needed another higher to take. =P

interesting article in today's sunday times showing how i'm getting a better education than u lot. love it, makes me feel superior. =P =D

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If there's anything more important than my ego around here, i want it caught and shot now

[freya]

Turtle, you ARE superior <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/wink.gif">

Do you actually do any Shakespeare for English Language? I just had to write arguments and speeches and stuff like that. Got myself an A in fact <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif">

I'm getting annoyed with everyone being mean about reading and Shakespeare!! It's good.

For English Lit A Level anyway, you do a min. of 8 texts but it does really depends on the examining board etc.

[ebenEzer bad]

Were not saying its good or bad, just whether it has ant relevance to learning the english language, which it doesn't. If people want to read and enjoy ss then good on em' but is it fair to thrust it upon people and make it compulsory ? perhaps they should change the exams to english lit and practical english with only the latter compulsory !

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If you don't plan something, it can't go wrong

[freya]

OK
You take 2 exams, english lit and english lang. You get 2 different grades. English language is the grade places want you to have, and as far as I know it's just for literature that you have to do shakespeare.
SO- maybe not relevant to language, but that's why it's not (usually) a part of english language. Newspaper articles, short stories, and extracts from novels are usually all you actually have to do.

"its written in some kind of odd drunken slurr "
"reading is soooooooo boring"
"Shakespeare is bollocks"

-- so I guess that's where I got the view that you were being a bit mean about shakespeare and reading, sorry must have misinterpreted.

Besides, it does have relevance. I'm sure that shakespeare plays would not be so renowned world over, if they were just irrelevant crap.

[ebenEzer bad]

come on then, spit it out, what is the relevance of shakespeare ?

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If you don't plan something, it can't go wrong

[Spinningignatius]

My Dear Sir,
The relevance of Shakespeare?! Forsooth, surely you can see that the Bard's works have given rise to a veritable smorgasbord of new expressions in the English language.
Seriously tho, Othello rules. Iago is pure evil, and worth checking out for a reference if ever you want to screw someone over bigtime (!). The stories are enhanced by his language, which if you take the time to understand them, can be really worthwhile and entertaining.

[KrazedKT]

Hi, I did English A level and I am now at uni studying for a joint degree including English. For A Level I had to do 1 Shakespeare, one contemporary play, 1 contemporary book and one poet (Seamus Heaney). I really enjoyed it, degree level is very different though. I can understand people not liking English but I think it is good that you need a C for most jobs. A C grade is not hard to get if you do the work and it proves that you have some degree of understanding and analytical skills. Spelling is really important, I for one get really annoyed when I see notices in shops with incorrect spelling. If you don't like English, it doesn't matter, you can give up at 15/16! In many countries you have to continue with all subjects until you are 18, so count yourself lucky! I hated maths and physics but considered them necessary evils.

[*~stellar~*]

saw this on my way back from the Student forum, tried to resist, but failed . . . <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif">

Shakespeare is a hard subject but I've never met anyone that has been so influenced that they speak in Elizabethan outside lessons! he wrote some of the most beautiful works ever to grace the world of literature and coined hundreds of phrases we use today. England is respected the world over for its literary heritage and Shakespeare forms such a great part of it; think of Shakespeare to English as what Beethoven is to classical music. all right, so you may prefer the 20th century American play you're doing (most boards do one), but everything has its place and Shakespeare's plays deserve a little bit of respect. for understanding, you need to look at every word and not skim-read, imagine it is another language. easier than it seems, and at leat you'll have tried.

Shakespeare does have one disadvantage though - often you have to read meanings into the most irrelevant quote (prime example from Hamlet: "buzz buzz! on my ass!") and that can be bloody annoying; the guy was trying to make money as well as "holding a mirror" up to his world!

poetry is a bummer atm, we have a nasty teacher for AS. but at GCSE it was fantastic. again, look at every word, think yourself into the mind of the poet and think about your personal reactions to the poem. talking about/slagging off the poet isn't exactly what's on the mark scheme <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif"> - much better to think "language, structure, themes, reader reaction" and write a paragraph on each. grades should automatically shoot up even if you have no idea what you're talking about, I know I didn't.

sorry for posting a long one <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/smile.gif">

and Turtle, my shelled friend, stop gloating about your IB and remember how to spell acquiesced! <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif">

[Turtle]

abseinth.

there, easy. dunno what u were on ab...D'oH!

bloody alcohol.

[Quicksilver]

Quite...

[*~stellar~*]

sorry, old joke <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/biggrin.gif">

[Turtle]

well, could u explain it to me as well pleeeease, since i erm...don't get iiiiiit.

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If there's anything more important than my ego around here, i want it caught and shot now

[*~stellar~*]

yes you do. and if you don't, it's funnier still <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif">

sorry for taking over the thread Quicksilver, all yours now!

[Girl-From-Mars]

'notes from a small island'? you're studying bill bryson for english gcse?! lucky you. i can barely remember my gcse (only 3 years ago as well, im losing my memory already), but i know we didnt get to study any GOOD books! 'lord of the flies' was quite good in terms of a book we did for english though, i quite enjoyed it.

[freya]

20th century stuff is part of the syllabus and there is usually the option of something newer (ie. bill bryson) Problem is that teachers think doing stuff like that isn't as good as OLD 20th century stuff, like (i think) Great Expectations still comes under the same category. anyway, count yourself lucky you dont have to do too much dickens etc. it must be good to do some modern stuff!

[freya]

Oh and another thing.. you really don't need to use words such as 'thee' or 'thou' other than to quote the work to show that you understand it. The easiest way to get a good grade for english is to make a point, quote, and then explain some more. Don't overquote though, you want to use about only 1 or 2 main points per paragraph so use only 2 or 3 quotes.

[Turtle]

Notes from a Small Island?!!?! AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING!

bleeding heck, soooo much better than IB english books. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/mad.gif"> This is our booklist, or what i can remember of it:

Song Of Solomon
Wuthering Heights
Dancing In Lughnasa
King Lear
Bond's Lear
Love In the Time of Cholera
House of the Spirits
Kafka's Metamorphosis
Wordsworth and Keats (Romantics)
House of Bernada Alba
Equus
Frayn's Copenhagen
The Physicists

and there are three more, which i can't remember. sounds thrilling, dont it? <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif">

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If there's anything more important than my ego around here, i want it caught and shot now

[snpott]

im also currently doin gcse english n plan 2 drop it asap. it is unfair bout shakespeare n poems as they r unbelievably shite, but Lord of the Flies is a decent book if ur allowed 2 do that as et book. In the end its not that hard, u just gotta try ur best. If u need ne help then u can always email me

[Voski]

I totally agree with you,i mean what is that wallabie_girl talkin about?
when are we ever going to use good old willy shakespeare? i think that we all know how to speak English so whats the point in loadin ourbrain with even more crap than we need to know?
I suggest the government and all the other sad students who like literature and think we need it,sort their lives out!

[freya]

Ooh how very open minded of you. Really, well done for respecting other people's opinions Voski!

Someone made the point that you can stop at 16; with a minimal understanding of literature and the origins of language- but you can stop at a relatively young age. So stop whining and give a little deserved respect to other members of thesite. ok?!

[Turtle]

actually voski, not only is that wonderfully narrowminded, it's also showing a high degree of good old pig ignorance.

if u can't, by the age of 16, realise just WHY people teach u english, then ur probably not really cut out for further education. they dont teach it cos they want u to "know" shakespear. it's all to do with key skills - the ability to analyse, to present, to interact with ur environment. that's why the teach you. ditto history, ditto sciences. it just so happens that in history and the sciences, u learn other stuff as well. in english, it is this ability, and the teaching of this ability, to analyse that becomes key.

being able to look at a book and say "well, who knows, the author said x,y, and z, but what motivated him to say it? what is the real meaning of it? what are the undertones, the implication? the ability to ask AND answer those questions is why you "do" english.

and if u can't realise that by the time u finish ur GCSEs, then either the British education system is wrong or your all just stupid.

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If there's anything more important than my ego around here, i want it caught and shot now