Cambridge English Students and Applicants

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Reply 120

Lidka

Semicolon

Word.

Helloooooooo. :biggrin:

Reply 121

Semicolon

Lidka

Helloooooooo. :biggrin:

I know, I know, I'm a lurker. I've been meaning to start actually posting to this forum, if only because I saw you discussing the language option. CLEARLY LANGUAGE FOR LITERATURE IS WHERE IT'S AT. Seriously. It's not because it's probably a less hardcore extra work load that I'm not willing to put up a fight for it. For starters, the workload is less hardcore than the one you get if you're a nutter and choose a modern language, or worse, a dead one. Just one class a week is kind of cool and leaves more time for checking the workbook out yourself (or facebook).

Then, the class itself is awesome. Both professors that I know for sure give it are amazing - super smart and funny. You get to read texts really in depth, which, well, is pretty much why you're there, isn't it. I'm talking reading through a text and calling out the verbs in depth, okay. It's the greatest. And also, and this is my favourite part, it is really useful for your other work, both your period and your practical criticism. And as a cherry on top you get to use words like "exophoric reference" and actually know what they mean.

When I first thought about this class I considered it kind of... well it must be said... the loser option for lazy people (like yours truly), but now it might actually be my favourite class. SO THERE YOU GO. Thought I'd throw that out there. Geeks represent.

Reply 122

epitome

In fairness, Semi, English is not your first (nor your second) language! So, you don't get to be called lazy for taking Lang for Lit (Paper 8), no matter how much you may sleep... :p:

Reply 123

Charlottie

I hadn't studied Language before coming here (except for GCSE, but how to write a pamphlet isn't really English Language, is it?) and the course really opened my eyes to what I'd been missing. I just love English Language, so much so that I've opted for the Linguistics paper this year.

Reply 124

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Charlottie

I just love English Language, so much so that I've opted for the Linguistics paper this year.

Awesome!

Linguistics looks like quite a lot of fun.
D'you not think, though, that much of what goes on in Paper 8 should be pretty compulsory anyway? It kind of annoys me that we don't automatically study it.

Reply 125

Lidka

epitome

Awesome!

Linguistics looks like quite a lot of fun.
D'you not think, though, that much of what goes on in Paper 8 should be pretty compulsory anyway? It kind of annoys me that we don't automatically study it.

I can make you more worksheets if you want... :wink:

Reply 126

epitome

Go for it. ( :biggrin:

)

Reply 127

Charlottie

epitome

Awesome!

Linguistics looks like quite a lot of fun.
D'you not think, though, that much of what goes on in Paper 8 should be pretty compulsory anyway? It kind of annoys me that we don't automatically study it.

I think that part of the problem is that we (of at least, me) didn't study it enough earlier in our education. I don't know what literacy hour is like at schools now, things may indeed be much better, but no-one ever taught me the difference between the simple past, the perfect and the pluperfect until I did Paper 8 - I knew things from Spanish and French, but in English no-one ever bothered to teach us basic grammar.

There are things like the inner workings of metaphors and cohesion and coherence that I think would work well for Prac Crit in general, but other things, like the history of the dictionary which - whilst interesting - probably wouldn't fit very well elsewhere.

Reply 128

LE1

Charlottie

Amen to that! I think some of the reason that we don't automatically study various bits of grammar is definitely that we're supposed (by the significantly older people who organize this course) to have already learned about tenses and so on in secondary, if not primary, education, which, of course, no longer happens for most of the people I know who have experienced state education. Mostly because the trend in education has moved from stuffing brains full of facts by rote to more creative modes of learning and skills to be able to find information as opposed to memorizing it. The price we pay for the internet, perhaps ... Most of my grammatical knowledge comes from learning modern languages too, Charlottie, and quite often this was never explicitly related to English grammar because, again, we were supposed to be taught that elsewhere.

On the issue of why we don't automatically study Paper 8 bits: we sort of do, don't we? Certainly for 1st year prac crit I sat there with David Crystal's Rediscover Grammar because I didn't know the terms that I needed to be able to just throw in and not spend ages in my essays describing 'That thing I don't know the word for but grammatically it appears to do this in that line ...'. Obviously other things like the history of the dictionary are less easy to squeeze in outside of Paper 8, though there is a lecture course this term on 'The OED in Performance' or something ... :smile:

Reply 129

epitome

Rhod...

And I think the AEA looks fun too! I notice in your sig that you've done it. What was it like?

*has moved this from another thread*

Yes, it is lots of fun. I don't know how much you know about it, so excuse me for stating the obvious here. It's a single 3 hour exam, for which no extra work is required (except sitting the exam, obviously!). You get a big booklet full of lots of reading materials; and then lots of questions, from which you pick two. (Actually, I think one might be compulsory, and then you just pick one other...But anyway, you do two!). The paper is designed for both Literature AND Language students to take, so there is a good deal of (a) diversity in the questions, and (b) potential directions an acceptable response might go in.

You really just need to go into the exam armed with two things: (1) A knowledge and engagement with a variety of texts (though nothing specific), and (2) A willingness and enthusiasm to tackle and engage with some new and often tricky/unfamiliar stuff. Beyond that, you can do what you like. Quite a lot of people seem to go a bit theory-mad with the paper, and try to get their heads around Marxism/Feminism/Formalism/Structuralism/Modernism/Post-structuralism/Postmodernism/Deonstruction...but this is entirely unnecessary and, as far as I'm concerned, makes less enjoyable something which should be a fun break from the rubbish Assessment Objectives in the rest of the A Levels. (Of course, if you're interested in literary theory, keep reading it; but don't sacrifice your, say, love of crime novels, or Booker Prize winners, or random enjoyable reading, just to take up lit theory out of a sense of obligation. No no no!).

It can seem a bit daunting (not least the way some of the questions are worded), but if you're willing to have a go then you're more than half way there.

For last year's paper, check this out: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/AEA/English/documents.html#Past_papers_2007_-_June_series

(You want the Question Paper 9910; and Question Paper 9910 Reading Book -- in the "Past Papers 2007" bit).

If this looks unfamiliar and a bit scary, please don't be phased: if you think about some of the questions carefully you'll find a way into them, even if you can't figure it out instantly. :smile:

Reply 130

Lidka

epitome

If this looks unfamiliar and a bit scary, please don't be phased

Wouldn't that be a little difficult? :p:

The AEA is a lot of fun, and not as scary as it might first appear. I'd highly recommend it to any English applicant. I found it a surprisingly enjoyable way of ending the A2 exam period.

Reply 131

epitome

Lidka

Wouldn't that be a little difficult?

Oooooops -- thanks Lidka! FAZED (or fased? :p:

)

found it a surprisingly enjoyable way of ending the A2 exam period.

Ditto. Though the History one was my best 'exam experience' just because it was surreal! :biggrin:

Reply 132

FadeToBlackout

So, who here has got up before midday in the past week? :p:

Reply 133

Lidka

epitome

Oooooops -- thanks Lidka! FAZED (or fased? :p:

)

Ditto. Though the History one was my best 'exam experience' just because it was surreal! :biggrin:

You don't have to thank me for being an annoying pedant. :p:

I've noticed many users on TSR using 'phase' in the wrong context, and I figured this was the safest place to protest!

Also, you wouldn't happen to be free 7:30 on Wednesday evening, would you?

Reply 134

Lidka

FadeToBlackout

So, who here has got up before midday in the past week? :p:

I got up at 7:20 yesterday. :eek:

Don't think I've quite recovered...

The FML is actually really nice to work in when it's i) early morning, or ii) Friday night. I was in there an hour ago and there was that particular kind of silence that meant I was the only one sad enough to be still working at this time...

Reply 135

epitome

FtB

So, who here has got up before midday in the past week?

*growls* Me. I have 9am lectures AND supervisions this term, so **** off! (Though I'm getting up later than my normal 6.30 as am also going to bed later...)

Lidka

Also, you wouldn't happen to be free 7:30 on Wednesday evening, would you?

No. Alashiya already asked me -- I similarly have a meeting (albeit a different one); and if I weren't at that, I'd be working. (Speaking of which, I am *so* confused by what I'm doing, it's actually giving me a headache).

Reply 136

Lidka

epitome

Boo, you smell. :p:

Let me know when you're free before I graduate!

Reply 137

epitome

Lidka

The FML is actually really nice to work in when it's i) early morning, or ii) Friday night. I was in there an hour ago and there was that particular kind of silence that meant I was the only one sad enough to be still working at this time...

Call me weird if you like, but my *favourite* times to be in the library are Friday & Saturday evenings, and early mornings any day. (I have my social life at other times. :wink:

) Lovely, lovely silence. Except the strange "Ping" sound our lights make every now and again. I think aliens are trying to speak to us through them...

Reply 138

epitome

Lidka

Let me know when you're free before I graduate!

You'll be the first to know. Can't get my head around this term at all -- for goodness' sake my timetable's virtually full well up to 7th week! NO idea what's going on. But I do know one thing, to be sure: I'll be glad to see the back of this dissertation!