Author: Matthew McDonald

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A different kind of castaway…

 

Chapter 41: Establishes the situation on the lifeboat with the hyena, zebra and Richard Parker.

• Martel injects some humour into the narrative with Pi reflecting “I never thought that finding myself confined in a small space with a spotted hyena would be good news, but there you go.” Why does he see the hyena’s presence as “good news”? What does this comment say about Pi’s character?

 

Chapter 42: Orange Juice, a female orangutan, is found drifting in the ocean. Pi pulls the net she is holding onto to the boat and she climbs on board.

• Why does Orange Juice bring both “joy and pain in equal measure”?

 

Chapter 43: Pi thinks about how hundreds of rescuers must be looking for them. The hyena paces the boat, jumps up onto the tarpaulin once, and begins running around the zebra, yipping.

• On what does Pi base his assumption that hundreds of rescuers are looking for them? What does the reality suggest about the insignificance of the ship in the Pacific and the insignificance of human beings in creation?
• What is emphasised by Pi’s description of the hyena?

 

Chapter 44: When the sun comes up, Pi still sits on the oar, afraid to enter the boat with the predators. He wonders what the dark will do to the animals before hearing the barking of the hyena and the grunting of the orangutan. Beneath the boat, water predators continue to make noise as well. Pi is surrounded.

 

Chapter 45: As the sun comes up, Pi searches in vain for a rescue ship. He sees that in the night the hyena has attacked the zebra. It is now eating the zebra alive, having ripped off its back leg. Pi becomes nauseas. When he moves, he witnesses Orange Juice looking sick as well, wondering why she is still safe, not yet killed by the hyena.

• Pi reflects that his “sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival”. How has Pi changed since the ship sank (in these early days of his journey on the Pacific)?
• Orange Juice provides Pi a moment of relief. What is the effect of this stark, and brief, shift in ton?

 

Chapter 46: Despite all the suffering that Pi will endure, this nigh, his second night shipwrecked, stands out as “one of exceptional suffering”.  Orange Juice looks to sea, searching for her sons (or so Pi envisions her). The hyena returns to eating the zebra alive, literally from the inside out. The description is exceptionally graphic. Orange Juice finally challenges the hyena as they roar at one another. The zebra is spurting blood, which attracts sharks, who rock the boat. Pi is left crying.

• What is it about the second night that leads Pi to remember it being a night of “exceptional suffering”?
• Why does Orange Juice react the way she does to the zebra’s demise? How do you interpret these actions?

 

Chapter 47: The zebra finally dies at noon the next day. The hyena then attacks Orange Juice. The two animals battle, but despite a furious attempt to defend herself Orange Juice is finally, and inevitable, killed by the hyena. The description is again graphic. Pi sees that Richard Parker is still there, waiting beneath the tarpaulin.

• What side of Orange Juice do we see in this Chapter and what does it suggest to us about animal instinct versus human instinct?
• What function does the grizzly details of the death of the zebra and Orange Juice serve in the story? Why has Martel chosen to go into this level of detail?

 

Chapter 48: This chapter contains the story of how Richard Parker came by his name. Read it to find out.

 

Chapter 49: Pi realizes that he’s been awake and hasn’t eaten or drank anything in three days. For some reason, the situation with Richard Parker, as hopeless as it seems, enlivens Pi who begins to look for a source of drinking water. He no longer fears the hyena because of the tiger’s presence and he now figures out the prior odd behaviour of the other animals was probably in response to the tiger. He is unsure why the tiger is acting strangely, assuming it’s sedatives or seasickness.

• Pi says that having “lost all hope” he “perked up and felt much better”. Explain this apparent contradiction.
• Pi rationalises that the hyena’s behaviour can be explained because “in the face of such a superior predator, all of us were prey”. What does this suggest about nature and our place within in?

 

Chapter 50: Here, Pi describes in minute detail every aspect of the lifeboat, from the size to the shape and room Richard Parker is taking up under the tarpaulin.

 

Chapter 51: Pi peels back the tarpaulin to search the supplies on the lifeboat. He finds food and water. He immediately discards his vegan diet.

 

Chapter 52: Pi lists the inventory of the lifeboat in precise detail.

 

Chapter 53: Richard Parker kills the hyena. He turns to attack Pi, but Pi throws a stray rat at Richard Parker who, satisfied with the offering, returns under the tarpaulin. Pi creates a makeshift raft from the lifejackets and leaves the boat.

• Compare the killing of the hyena by Richard Parker with the deaths of the Grant Zebra and Orange Juice. In what ways is this scene different? What effect does this have on how Richard Parker is introduced?

 

It is now just Pi and Richard Parker left on the lifeboat…

 

 

Bringing it together…

These next two questions may seem simple, but they’re not. You will need a good understanding of the previous chapters before you can tackle these two questions. Each question will, at the very least, take at least one full paragraph to begin to explore. Evidence, including quotes, will be essential.

• BIG QUESTION 1: What does each of the animals on the lifeboat come to represent?
• BIG QUESTION 2: What is established about the relationship between life and death in this section of the novel?

 

 

 

 

Part 1: Unity and Difference (Chapter 23)

A couple of years have passed since Pi’s last relation of events in his life and he’s been practicing his religions in triplicate for a couple of years, now 16. While at the beach, all three of the religious leaders Pi studies with appear and meet his family. He knows his choice of religious multiplicity will not be accepted and when the priest says Pi is a good Christian, the others react confusedly. They argue for a bit, declaring Pi as their own until they agree that it is okay for him to be so religious and a seeker of God. However, they end up deciding that he cannot be of all three religions and must choose one. His reply, “I just want to love God” quiets them all and they walk away. The family walks on with some ice cream and the matter is left alone.

• Why is there a need for ‘competition’ among religion?
• How do each of religious men see the others? Why is it that these men are focusing on the differences between their faiths while Pi is focused on the similarities?
• Pi says “Bapu Gandhi said ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God.” Why are the religious men so bothered by Pi’s practice of all three faiths simultaneously?

Part 2: Different Perspectives, Same Vision (Chapter 31)

As Pi awaits Mr. Kumar (the Sufi) in his father’s zoo, he worries because he cannot recognize him, rubbing his eyes as an excuse for not seeing him arrive. When he does arrive, they take a walk and discuss the different animals and how they interact, especially the Zebras. The other Mr. Kumar arrives and Pi lets them both feed the Zebras with a carrot. They all marvel at the beauty of the experience. The two Kumars, representing science and religion interact the same with nature in this scene.

• What is the significance of this chapter and what does it say about the views of science and religion?
• If science explains what we know and religion explains what we do not (yet) know, might they be part of the same continuum of knowledge and understanding?

 

Part 3: The Better Story (Chapter 22)

Pi thinks on how an atheist might experience death, upon that final revelation. He once again brings up his unhappiness with agnosticism and how an agnostic in death might cling to “dry, yeastless factuality” and miss the “better story” as mentioned by the author in Chapter 21. He does not appreciate their lack of imagination and faith.

• Chapter 22 holds a key statement in the novel – if we lack imagination (faith), we miss the better story. To what extent is this true?

 

Essay Practice

Your assessment task for Life of Pi will be a text response essay. Your should attempt to get as much practice as possible. Now that you have finished the first part of Life of Pi, you have enough information to complete a practice essay on the topic:

‘Those who lack faith miss the better story.’
Discuss in relation to part 1 of Life of Pi.

Consider the following:

• How can faith enrich an individual’s life, their relationships and their understanding of the universe? Consider what each of Pi’s three religions (Hinduism, Christianity and Islam) provide him with and what attracted him to each religion (Chapters 16-20)
• To what extent can faith (and fundamentalism) be limiting? Consider how Pi focuses on the similarities between faiths, while others focus on the differences (Chapter 23).
• How do different forms of belief and understanding, whether religious or scientific, enrich a person’s understanding of the world? Consider the examples of the two Kumars and their appreciation of the zebra (Chapter 22) and Pi’s views on atheism (Chapter 7).
• To what extent does religious belief offer a sense of ‘freedom’? Consider Pi’s analogy with animals kept in zoos (Chapter 4).
• How does a lack of belief or an unwillingness to commit to a way of understanding the world limit a person’s ability to appreciate wonder and beauty? Consider Pi’s views on agnosticism (Chapters 7 and 22).

Remember to PLAN your response, and fulfill the required STRUCTURE:

• An INTRODUCTION which provides the required CONTEXT for the topic contains a clear CONTENTION.
• A minimum of 3 BODY PARAGRAPHS, each of which:
• Includes an ARGUMENT that is identified in the TOPIC SENTENCE
• Contains at least TWO QUOTES, each of which are fluently EMBEDDED and are then EXPLAINED and linked back to your argument
• Concludes with a LINKING SENTENCE that links these ideas and evidence together with your paragraph’s ARGUMENT.
• A CONCLUSION that restates your ARGUMENT and brings together the ideas explored in your essay.

Practice Essay Due: Monday 11 August

 

 

 

 

“…Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see god in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims.” (p. 50)

 

Hinduism

Conduct some brief research into Hinduism:

• Where is it practiced?
• What are the core beliefs?
• What are the core practices?

Read chapter 16 of Life of Pi and consider:

• How does Pi come to be a Hindu?
• What is it about Hinduism that appeals to Pi?
• What is revealed about the nature of religion and its importance to Pi through this chapter?
• How does this chapter illustrate Pi’s desire to “just…love God” (p.69)?

Create a poster that explains the importance of Hindu beliefs to Pi and its role within the novel. Your poster should provide answers to the above questions, and should include:

• Several key quotes, at least four of which should have their significance explained.
• At least two images which are connected with the ideas discussed in the novel. Each image should have a caption that explains what it is and why it has been chosen and how it links to the novel.
  
• Any other insights into religion, spirituality, belief or Pi’s personality that emerge while your are undertaking this task.

 

Christianity

Conduct some brief research into Christianity:

• Where is it practiced?
• What are the core beliefs?
• What are the core practices?

Read chapter 17 of Life of Pi and consider:

• How does Pi come to be a Christian?
• What is it about Christianity that appeals to Pi?
• What is revealed about the nature of religion and its importance to Pi through this chapter?
• How does this chapter illustrate Pi’s desire to “just…love God” (p.69)?

Create a poster that explains the importance of Christian beliefs to Pi and its role within the novel. Your poster should provide answers to the above questions, and should include:

• Several key quotes, at least four of which should have their significance explained.
• At least two images which are connected with the ideas discussed in the novel. Each image should have a caption that explains what it is and why it has been chosen and how it links to the novel.
  
• Any other insights into religion, spirituality, belief or Pi’s personality that emerge while your are undertaking this task.

 

Islam

Conduct some brief research into Islam:

• Where is it practiced?
• What are the core beliefs?
• What are the core practices?

Read chapters 18, 19 and 20 of Life of Pi and consider:

• How does Pi come to be a Muslim?
• What is it about Islam that appeals to Pi?
• What is revealed about the nature of religion through these chapters?
• What is revealed about the nature of religion and its importance to Pi through this chapter?
• How does this chapter illustrate Pi’s desire to “just…love God” (p.69)?

 

Create a poster that explains the importance of Islamic beliefs to Pi and its role within the novel. Your poster should provide answers to the above questions, and should include:

• Several key quotes, at least four of which should have their significance explained.
• At least two images which are connected with the ideas discussed in the novel. Each image should have a caption that explains what it is and why it has been chosen.
  
• Any other insights into religion, spirituality, belief or Pi’s personality that emerge while your are undertaking this task.

 

 

 

 

Answer the following questions in full sentences in your exercise books. These answers will form your notes for the opening of the novel. Use quotes from the novel wherever appropriate in order to develop your answers further. 

You have one double period to complete these questions.

 

Chapter 1

The novel changes to Pi Patel’s voice now, told in the first person as a memoir. The narrator first introduces himself as a graduate in both Religious Studies and Zoology at the University of Toronto. He describes his thesis on the thyroid gland of a three-­‐toed sloth and goes on in detail about that sloth. He was given great credit for his knowledge in the zoology field but also held back because of his inability to divide religion and science. He describes the Goddess Lakshmi, a Hindu deity and how he misses India despite his love for Canada. He also describes how he misses Richard Parker. He goes on to mention his time in Mexico and a situation in an Indian restaurant in Canada.

1. Why does Pi say he chose the three-­‐toed-­‐sloth as his subject of study? How might the sloth “soothe [his] shattered self”? (p 3)
2. In what way does the three-­‐toed-­‐sloth remind Pi of God?
3. Pi suggests that “When you’ve suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.” (p 5) Explain what he means.
4. Pi explains that Oxford “is fifth on the list of cities I would like to visit before I pass on, after Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem and Paris.” (p 6). Explain Pi’s choice of cities.
5. Why do the waiter’s comments in the restaurant wound Pi?

 

Chapter 2

Returning to the Author’s narration, we learn that Pi Patel lives in Scarborough and is a small man of about forty. He speaks very fast and begins his story. This Chapter reminds the reader that Chapter one was the beginning of an interview, which will continue.

 

Chapter 3

Pi relates about Francis Adirubasamy, a friend of the Patel family. As a world champion swimmer, he always tried to teach the Patel family to swim, but only succeeded with Pi. We also learn that Francis was a great fan of the swimming pools of Paris, including one in particular, the Piscine Molitor, which his family subsequently named Pi after. It is only at this point that the reader is given Piscine Molitor Patel’s full name.

1. Why was swimming Mamaji’s “gift” to Pi?
2. What is it about Mamaji’s stories that captivate Pi’s father? Why might he have chosen to name his son after a swimming pool in Paris when Pondicherry has the expanse of the Indian Ocean at its feet?

 

Chapter 4

Pi describes the beautiful Pondicherry Zoo, run by his father, a former hotel operator. He compares the keeping of a zoo to the keeping of a hotel and how animals are similar to hotel occupants. While growing up in a zoo, Pi learns much of the world of nature. He loves the beauty and perfection of it all and sees the animals as happy for having their own territories. He claims that animals in the wild do not truly have freedom because they are dictated by their predators and the space restrictions.

1. Pi questions the notion that animals are unhappy in zoos because their freedom is curtailed. Explain the reasons he gives.
2. The Chapter ends with Pi comparing peoples’ problems with zoos with their problem with religion and suggests that “Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.” (p 19) What might he mean?

 

Chapter 5

Pi was unhappy as a child with his name (Piscine), as it was often mispronounced as “pissing” when it is meant to be pronounced as “pea-­‐seen” . For that reason as he grows up and enters the next level of school, he makes a show of jumping up during roll call and announcing to the class that his name is “Pi” even illustrating it with the mathematical symbol on the chalkboard.

1. Why is it, as Pi suggests, “a law of human nature that those who live by the sea are suspicious of swimmers”? (p 22)
2. Pi explains “in that elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I found refuge.” (p 24) How does this explain Pi’s character and nature?

 

Chapter 6

The author interjects again, describing Patel’s cooking ability as an adult and his back stock of food, enough to “last the siege of Leningrad.”

 

Chapter 7

Pi meets with Satish Kumar, a very particular teacher of his – a communist, atheist, biology teacher, and one of Pi’s favourites. Satish Kumar begins to relay his belief that all things can be described scientifically, describing his bout with polio and how medicine saved him as a child, not God. Pi comments on how atheists are more acceptable than agnostics, who are full of doubt.

1. Explain the reason Mr Kumar sees religion as darkness and Pi sees religion as light.
2. Pi sees atheists and agnostics very differently. Why is this?

 

Extension Question (answer in at least one full paragraph):

In light of the fact that this is a novel about imagination, why does Martel begin with the fictional author’s note, which gives the impression that Pi’s account is truth, not fiction?

 

Chapter 8

Visitors to the zoo are responsible for performing a great deal of horrible things with the animals, declaring humans as the worst of all animals. Pi’s father shows the boys a tiger that has not been fed for three days, a standard condition in the wild. Watching what occurs when a goat is introduced to the cage scares “the living vegetarian daylights” out of Pi. His father goes on to describe the strength of every animal in the zoo against human beings; that is of course except guinea pigs.

1. Why does Pi suggest that the most dangerous animal in a zoo is man and that even more dangerous is Animalus anthropomorphicus?
2. Why might Pi have “anthropomorphized the animals until they spoke fluent English”? (p 34)

 

Chapter 9

Starting here, Pi describes some of the science of zoology and zoo keeping. Here he goes on about flight distance and how far an animal will stay from an enemy. That distance can be diminished by offering ample food, water, and shelter.

1. What does Pi’s father’s “intuitive gift” say about the relationship between animals and humans?

 

Chapter 10

Pi describes animals that would not enjoy captivity, those that were captured and brought to the zoo or those few zoo bred creatures that temporarily feel the instinctual call to leave. He describes how animals are leaving something not seeking something when they escape.

 

Key Ideas

Building upon your answers to chapters 1 to 9, explain in detail how the following ideas are established and explored in this early part novel:

• STORYTELLING: what makes good storytelling/what makes stories come to life/why are stories important to people?
• RELIGION: what is the role of religion in peoples’ lives/what is the purpose of religion/how can religion give meaning to existence?
• NATURE: what is the relationship between people and nature/what is the relationship between animals and nature/what is the relationship between humans and animals?

Be aware that these three key ideas will form much of the main focus of the novel. Keep them in mind as you continue to work through the novel, and consider what Pi’s tale reveals about each key concept.

 

 

 

 

Below you will find copies of some of the resources that we will be using in class. You can always work ahead and use them to extend your understanding of the novel, or to revise and gain additional practice and support as needed.

 

Click here to download Life of Pi Chapter Questions: Life of Pi Chapter Questions

Click here to download Life of Pi Discussion Questions: Life of Pi Discussion Questions

Click here to download Life of Pi Essay Topics: Life of Pi Essay Topics

Click here to download Life of Pi Extended Response Topics: Life of Pi Extended Response Topics

Click here to download Life of Pi Quotations: Life of Pi Quotations

 

Click here to download the full Life of Pi Booklet: Life of Pi 2013 Handout

 

 

 

Persuasive Oral

Research, plan, write, practice, rewrite, rehearse, rehearse, rewrite and rehearse your oral presentation so that it is ready to be presented any time from the very first class of term three.

See the below blog entries for details and resources to assist you in this task, including instructions and the assessment criteria. You also need to take some time to watch and analyse the past student orals which have been uploaded to STL Link.

 

Life of Pi

What is Life of Pi? Here is what some people have to say about it:

• “A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement.” .”—  Publishers Weekly
• “Life of Pi could renew your faith in the ability of novelists to invest even the most outrageous scenario with plausible life.”— The New York Times Book Review
• “A story to make you believe in the soul-sustaining power of fiction.”— Los Angeles Times Book Review
• “A gripping adventure story . . . Laced with wit, spiced with terror, it’s a book by an extraordinary talent.”— St. Paul Pioneer-Press
• “A terrific book . . . Fresh, original, smart, devious, and crammed with absorbing lore.”— Margaret Atwood

You need to read Life of Pi over these holidays. We will be beginning our class study of Life of Pi in week 2.

 

As you read Life of Pi, you will need to do the following:

1. Find ONE passages to discuss from Section 1: “Toronto and Pondicherry”
2. Find TWO passages to discuss from Section 2: “The Pacific Ocean”
3. Find ONE passage to discuss from Section 3: “Benito Judárez Infirnary, Tomatlán, Mexico”

A passage is a 15-30 line section of the novel that you feel is particularly important to the story.

You need to annotate your passages and be ready to discuss your passages as we go sequentially through the novel. Be ready to explain why this passage is important, what it contributes to the story, anything notable about how it is written and what it reveals about the characters involved.

 

Need practice?

If there is a form of writing that you need practice in – text response, context or language analysis – then you should look back through the materials in this blog, select a prompt or article, and get some extra practice.

Remember that you will need to do all of these types of essays next year, and you will expect to know language analysis in detail. There will also be a three hour exam in term four which requires a text response, context response and language analysis essay. You have the time now to improve your skills, and the only way you can do so is to look back at your feedback and practice, practice, practice, so do it.

Make sure you pass on any practice responses for feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

Using Persuasive Techniques

You must use persuasive techniques in your oral presentation. A number of techniques should be used, and you are seeking to demonstrate your knowledge of each technique by using it correctly and as effectively as possible.

Download and complete the following table. For each of the ten technique you will need to explain what its effect on the audience is when used effectively. For five of the techniques you will need to offer an opinion as to where it would work best in a persuasive speech (i.e. where and how should you use this technique.

This activity is designed to make you engage with the purpose behind using each technique and to consider how you can use it in your own speech before you begin planning and writing your script.

You can download a copy of the ‘Persuasive Techniques: Usage in an Oral Presentation’ table here and complete it in Word:

• Persuasive Techniques Table (Oral Presentations)

 

 

Rebuttal Arguments

Generally speaking, a persuasive speech is made up of two types of arguments:

• Positive Arguments: presenting arguments that support your point of view.
• Rebuttal Arguments: responding to an opposing side’s argument, explaining why their approach is incorrect or should not be followed and why your side is better.

Most of your speech should be focussed on presenting positive material (i.e. the points/arguments that support your side of the issue). However, you should aim to include one rebuttal argument in your speech, as this shows that you have researched other points of view and have a detailed enough understanding of  the topic to successfully explain why they are incorrect.

In general terms, a rebuttal argument should be structured as follows:

1. Briefly state an opposing argument.
2. Explain in detail why this argument is incorrect/inaccurate/should be given little weight/etc.
3. Explain why your position is the correct one/provides a better alternative.

While it isn’t as formal as what you will be producing, the following video provides an good example of a ‘rebuttal’ from the TV show The West Wing. Watch it carefully and consider:

• What argument is the president responding to?
• How does he rebut this argument?
• Can you identify any persuasive techniques that are used to try and sway the audience?

 

 

 

Examples of Persuasive Speeches

Below are some examples of  people giving persuasive speeches. Some are included because they are famous, some are included because they particularly effective, some will be by adults and some will be by secondary school students. Keep in mind that these speeches are often on contentious topics – be asking yourself ‘how persuasive are these speakers?’, not ‘do they support my preexisting views on these topics?’.

For each speech you watch, make sure you consider:

• What is their contention?
• What arguments do they put forward?
• What persuasive techniques to they use?
• What other means do they use to engage and persuade their audience?
• What made their speech effective/ineffective?

 

Severn Cullis-Suzuki, ‘The Girl who Silenced the World’

 

Stephen Fry: ‘The Catholic Church is not a force for good’

 

Julia Gillard (2012): ‘Misogyny and Sexism Speech’

 

Nelson Mandela: ‘I Am the First Accused’ (speech at trial, 1964)

 

Charlie Chaplin, ‘I Don’t Want to be an Emperor’

 

Emma Watson, ‘Feminism’

 

‘Canadian Seal Hunts’

 

Lulutho Ngcongolo (WIDPSC 2014): ‘Gay Rights in Africa’

 

Kate Garrow (WIDPSC 2014): ‘The Bystander Effect’

 

 

 

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Persuasive Oral Presentation Overview

You can find a copy of the slides from today’s class below. These slides cover the structure of the oral presentation:

• persuasion,
• research,
• structure,
• delivery.

 

You can download a copy of the assessment criteria here: Year 11 Oral Presentation Assessment Sheet

Don’t forget to revise persuasive techniques – you must use them in your speech.

 

 

Examples of Persuasive Speeches

Learn from others! There are two things that you need to do to improve your public speaking: practice, and learn from good quality examples.

You can find various examples of persuasive speeches around the STL Link:

• VCE English Persuasive Oral Site (this includes examples of past persuasive orals)
• St Leonard’s Debating Site – AIDPSC Persuasive Speaking
• Norm Fary Public Speaking Competition Site

It is a good idea to watch several speeches – both famous speeches from history and examples of highly effective speeches by students and others. As you watch each speech, ensure that you make notes on what you feel makes each speech so effective.

When you watch each speech, consider:

• Choice of Topic
• Subject Matter/Content
• Use of research/specialist knowledge
• Persuasive Techniques
• Structure
• Delivery

 

 

Planning

You will need to use the following planning document to plan your response:

• VCE Persuasive Oral Presentation – Planning Sheet

You need to submit a copy of this document in PDF format to Showbie before the end of the final class of this term (Thursday 26 June).

 

 

Delivery and Structure

Below you can download a copy of the ‘Manner’ chapter from the St Leonard’s College Debating Handbook. It contains advice on how to improve your delivery and the elements of an effective presentation style:

• Manner (St Leonard’s Debating Handbook)

A good approach to structure can be found in a style of speaking known as ‘impromptu speaking’. This is a type of speaking where a person has a very limited amount of time to prepare their speech – usually only about 2 to 5 minutes. As a result, being familiar with clear and efficient structures and being able to employ them effectively is essential. Have a look at the structures outlined on this page – they are made for speeches of about 4 minutes, so they will fit this type of oral presentation well:

• AIDPSC Impromptu Speaking

In brief, these structures generally revolve around an explicit introduction-and-three-step-approach. This tends to works as follows:

1. Story/anecdote to engage audience and establish subject matter;
2. Explicit statement of topic;
3. Explicit statement of speech structure (i.e. identifying the 3 points);
4. First point in support of topic (e.g. impact at a local level);
5. Second point in support of topic (e.g. impact at a national level);
6. Third point in support of topic (e.g. impact at an international level) OR rebuttal argument;
7. Brief, forceful conclusion with a restatement of contention.

 

 

Due Dates

Planning Sheet: Due Thursday 26 June

Speech Due: Tuesday 15 July (Term 2 Week 1)

Come to class next week with a topic for your speech. If you cannot decide on one, come in with a list. Begin your research over the weekend.

It is your holiday homework to complete, refine and practice your speech. It must be ready for the first day back!

 

 

 

Revision

Make sure you revise all materials covered last term regarding language analysis, including the relevant sections of you Using Language to Persuade textbook.

• Introduction to Persuasive Techniques
• Language Analysis: Persuasive Techniques
• Identifying Persuasive Language: Wayne LaPierre’s NRA Speech
• Language Analysis – Shark culling editorials
• Persuasive Texts: Write your Own

 

 

 

Structure of a Language Analysis Essay

A language analysis essay is a type of analytical essay, which is a type of essay that, by now, you should be very, very familiar with. A language analysis essay follows many of the same rules that all essays follow:

• there is an introduction, body and conclusion;
• paragraphs must be used to separate out ideas;
• paragraphs should begin with topic sentences;
• it must be written formally;
• it should be written in the third person (the first person should never be used);
• evidence must be used to support your arguments.

All of the same basic conventions of essay writing still apply.

The main difference between a language analysis essay and, for example, a text response essay, is that you are not being asked to formulate your own arguments. Rather, you are being asked to identify and explain the arguments presented by another person.

As a result, in your introduction you do not establish your own contention; rather, you identify the contention of the author of the text you are analysing. Likewise, a body paragraph does not begin with your argument; rather, it begins by identifying an argument that the author of the text you are analysing has presented.

The structure for a text response essay, and the specific information that should be included in each section, is as follows:

 

Introduction

• What is the ISSUE being discussed?
• What is the CONTEXT of the article?
• Who is the writer and what is the title of the article?
• What is the form of the article?
• What is the name of the publication?
• What is the writer’s relationship to the issue (if you know)?
• Is there any vested interest in the issue (if you know)?
• What is the CONTENTION of the article?
• What is the TONE of the article?
• Who is the likely AUDIENCE of the article?

 

Body Paragraphs (repeat for as many arguments as you can identify)

• What is the FIRST ARGUMENT/IDEA presented in the article?
• What TECHNIQUES are used to express this argument? Give examples.
• What LANGUAGE is used to express this argument? Give examples.
• What is the possible/likely EFFECT on the audience of the article?

 

Final Body Paragraph

• What VISUAL ARGUMENTS are presented?
• What TECHNIQUES are used (i.e. ANALYSE the visual source)? Give examples.
• What is the possible/likely EFFECT on the audience of the article?

 

Conclusion

• Restate the writer’s contention eloquently.
• What has the writer tried to achieve?
• Who have they tried to convince (audience)?
• Are they LIKELY to have convinced them? How successful have they been?

 

You can access a copy of the slides used in class, which include how to plan and structure a language analysis essay, here:

 

 

You can also download a copy of the essay structure here:

• STRUCTURE OF A LANGUAGE ANALYSIS ESSAY

You should also look at the following advice on writing a language response essay carefully, and use it when practicing your own response:

• Tips for writing a written response to language analysis 

 

 

Persuasive Techniques Revision

You need to ensure that you can correctly identify and analyse all the persuasive techniques listed in your Using Language to Persuade textbook. There are numerous resources on this blog and on STL Link which will also assist you.

Remember that you must be using the checklist from last class to help ensure that you can correctly identify and analyse all relevant persuasive techniques. You can download a copy here:

• Language Revision Checklist

A good revision technique is to make FLASH CARDS of all the persuasive techniques. You will find Part 3 of Using Language to Persuade, particularly the table at the start of the chapter, is an extremely valuable resource for this.

Create flash cards for each of these terms/techniques. Have an example on one side, and the name of the technique, a definition and a statement of the general effect on the other. Creating multiple versions of each technique, each with a different example, will further enhance your ability to identify that technique in a wider range of situations.

 

 

Practice Writing a Language Analysis Essay

There is very little time before the upcoming assessment task. It is important that you are familiar and have practice in writing a language analysis essay, as this is something that you will be required to do in year 12.

You can use the documents below to practice and apply your language analysis skills and practice writing a language analysis essay.

You must be extremely careful in how you approach this task. Practice and planning are essential. Careless and lazy errors are a major problem for many students – if you do not train yourself to be focussed, careful, detailed and specific in your reading of an article and response to it, it can become very easy to fail a language analysis task.

 

Language Analysis Assessment Criteria:

• Language Analysis Assessment Criteria

 

Practice Language Analysis Assessment Task:

• Year 11 2014 LA Assessment A3 Task PRACTICE RESPONSE

 

An article for further practice:

• ‘Perhaps it’s time we gave our children some tough love’

 

Sample Responses: (Updated 16/6)

•  Year 11 2013 LA Assessment A3 Task PRACTICE RESPONSE
• SAMPLE LANGUAGE ANALYSIS RESPONSE 1 – 2013 LA AT
• SAMPLE LANGUAGE ANALYSIS RESPONSE 2 – 2013 LA AT

 

 

 

 

 

Notes from the Semester 1 Exam PowerPoint:

Below you can find the notes from the Year 11 VCE English Semester 1 Exam PowerPoint that we went through in class. This will make you familiar with the format of the exam and what you will be required to complete.

 

The Exam

The Exam will be on Friday 30th May 2014 beginning at 8:40am in KWC. The exam will be 2 hours long with 15 minutes reading time.

You are required to complete two writing tasks in the time allowed:

• A Language Analysis Response
• A Persuasive essay relating to ‘Future Worlds’

You should spend equal time on each task.

Each response will be given a letter grade and an overall letter grade for the exam will appear on your end of semester report.

 

Language Analysis

You will be provided written material and your task is to analyse the way language is used in the material to present a point of view. There will be questions for you to answer with extended sentence responses. You should use your Reading Time to read this material and begin with this task.

 

Persuasive Writing

You will be given 4 statements in relation to the theme ‘Future Worlds’ and asked to write a persuasive response to one or more of the statements.

Your persuasive essay should have:

• A clear contention.
• 3 paragraphs that discuss arguments that support your contention.
• 1 paragraph that presents a rebuttal argument.
• An effective conclusion.

 

Revision

Review all the Language Analysis material you have studied. Understand how you can explain the impact of language on readers. Review the material in the ‘Using Language to Persuade’ textbook, especially woods to describe tone.

Think about the theme of ‘Future Worlds’. Anticipate the arguments that can be presented both for and against ideas surrounding ‘Future Worlds’. Do some research on the theme so that you are well versed with the current debate.

 

Things to bring to the exam…

You MUST bring a dictionary.

You should bring an adequate supply of pens and highlighters.

You are NOT permitted notes or other material. Please leave phones in your locker.

 

 

Additional notes regarding context responses:

You should write a persuasive response for the context section of the exam, as this is the format which you are most familiar. However, it is worth being aware of what the other options are, as these will be open to you in year 12.

 

Persuasive Response

• This style of writing is designed to persuade, argue, rebut, encourage action or inspire.
• Typical forms include an argumentative essay, a letter to the editor, an opinion article or a persuasive speech.
• Persuasive devices can be used and the response should be aimed at an audience.
• There should be a clear argument, with positive points presented and a least one rebuttal argument included.

 

Expository Response

• This style of writing is designed to explain, explore, analyse or give information.
• Typical forms include an essay, feature article, non-fictional prose, a lecture transcript or a report.
• It ‘explores’ both sides of an issue, often presenting both arguments and counter-arguments, without necessarily taking one side over the other.

 

Imaginative Response

• This style of writing is designed to entertain, divert, describe, reflect, encourage reflection or explore.
• Typical forms include a narrative, poem, descriptive writing or a journal entry.
• This type of task requires a sophisticated response in relation to language, form a purpose.
• It is not simple a creative writing task and requires careful consideration of the response to the prompt and the link to the text. This is the most difficult option and should be avoided by all but the most talented creative writers.

 

Hybrid Response

• This style of writing combines two of the above forms of writing.
• Normally a hybrid response will be a mix of imaginative-persuasive or imaginative-expository (i.e. a create approach to a persuasive or expository-style response).
• For example, a hybrid creative-persuasive could be a speech by Professor Granger set a month after the end of the novel, where he is trying to convince survivors to embrace books and learning.

 

You must be able to explain your choices in relation to: form, audience, purpose, context and language.

Your text will be assessed on the extent to which it blends together the ideas of the text, the prompt and the sophistication of writing.

You are allowed to include multiple prompts in your answer. However, it is often a better idea to focus on one so that you can provide a more focussed and structured response.

 

Language Analysis

When revising for Language Analysis, make sure you go back through both the notes and work in your exercise books, the materials in the Using Language to Persuade textbook, and the materials uploaded to the blog, including the following:

• Language Analysis Introduction
• Introduction to Persuasive Techniques (including a slideshare which provides definitions and examples of each technique)
• Language Analysis: Shark Culling Editorial (including a slideshare presentation on how to approach language analysis questions)

 

 

 

Practice Responses:

 

Below you can find a practice paper for the upcoming English exam. It contains two sections: language analysis and a context response. Both sections are modelled after the semester 1, 2014 year 11 English exam:

• Semester 1, 2014 Practice Exam, Year 11 VCE English

Note that the media analysis portion of this paper is somewhat challenging. While it is not beyond the range of what you could conceivably be asked to answer, it is definitely towards the harder end of the spectrum.

You can also find some additional context prompts below:

• The future is ever-changing.
• We create our own futures.
• The future will be startlingly different, yet strangely similar.
• All the best visions of the future are based upon a sound understanding of the he past.
• The most frightening aspect of technological advancement is the loss of privacy and liberty for the average citizen in the future.
• People’s visions of the future alternate between two extremes: the pessimistic dystopian vision and the optimistic Utopian vision.

You can also have a look at and complete the following guided persuasive essay. It provides you with a structure and some ideas of what could be discussed in each paragraph. Looking at it may help you to expand your own ideas of what a context essay can include. However, please note that this is only one approach to a persuasive context response, and it is by no means the only way in which such a response can be approached.

You can access the guided persuasive essay in the links below:

• PDF: Future World Guided Persuasive Essay
• WORD: Future World Guided Persuasive Essay

 

UPDATED 27/5: Copies of the essay plans completed in class today can be found below:

• Future Worlds Essay Plan – Alex, Joel, Hamish
• Future Worlds Essay Plan – Edie, Issy, Amy
• Future Worlds Essay Plan – Kieren, Bronte
• Future Worlds Essay Plan – Tess, Selena, Chris, Kiara, Saskia