SAMPLE PAGES HSC ENGLISH ADVANCED: SPEECHES. Emily Bosco Anthony Bosco

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2 HSC ENGLISH ADVANCED: SPEECHES Emily Bosco Anthony Bosco

3 CONTENTS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SPEECH SUMMARIES 1 GET REVISING 4 Revising for your exams 4 About the papers 4 Paper 1: Area of Study 4 Paper 2: Modules 5 Practise, practise, practise 5 Revision advice 6 What are the features of strong essays? 7 Frequently asked questions 8 Top 10 tips for exam success 10 A note of advice 11 Now you re prepared 12 MARK IT! 13 Planning a response 14 MODEL ESSAY 1 15 Deconstruct the question 15 A compelling speaker uses the past to inspire future change. Assess this statement in light of your own interpretation of the speeches set for study. In your response, make detailed reference to at least TWO of the prescribed speeches. Mark it! 16 Marker s comments 23 MODEL ESSAY 2 25 Deconstruct the question 25 In your view, how does the speaker s handling of sensitive social issues contribute to the lasting value of their speech? In your response, make detailed reference to Paul Keating s Redfern Speech and ONE other speech set for study. Mark it! 26 Marker s comments 32 v vi iii

4 PREFACE The speeches that have been set for study come from a variety of different social and historical contexts. Even though they are all unique, they have been chosen because they each use the conventions of rhetoric to present an artfully constructed vision for the future. As a consequence, these speeches have long endured in the public consciousness as examples of rhetoric worthy of critical consideration given their ability to challenge and inspire audiences across time. You will find that each of the prescribed speeches reveals something of our humanity and acts as a reminder to us that the values we hold, the attitudes we exhibit and the choices we make will ultimately define us, both individually and collectively. As a result of this, each speaker reveals to us our potential and encourages us toward self-improvement by showing us the best way to harness that potential. This book has been written to help you better understand and prepare for the demands of Module B: Critical study of text. Within these pages, you will find lots of great advice about this module and how to best prepare and revise. You will also find three annotated model essays, which offer a discussion of each of the prescribed speeches. By reading each essay and progressing through the activities, you will experience what it is like to be the marker, which will help you to arrive at a much better understanding of what your teachers are looking for when they mark your essays. This will assist you enormously in improving your own essay-writing skills! We wish you the very best of luck in your HSC English examinations! Emily Bosco and Anthony Bosco v

5 Speech summaries SPEECH SUMMARIES ANWAR SADAT S SPEECH TO THE ISRAELI KNESSET Anwar Sadat was the President of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination in In early November 1977, following the end of the Yom Kippur War, Sadat offered to travel to Israel in an effort to cement the Sinai Disengagement Agreements of 1974 and 1975 into a lasting peace with the Israeli government. Motivated by a desire to restore diplomatic relations with Israel and thus gain the political and economic support of America, Sadat s speech presents a vision of the Middle East as a unified and peaceful region, free from military conflict. PAUL KEATING S REDFERN SPEECH Paul Keating was Australian Prime Minister from 1991 to Throughout his prime ministership, Keating showed himself to be an advocate for Aboriginal land rights and the recognition of historical injustices towards Aboriginal people in an effort to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. His Redfern Speech was given in the wake of the historic Mabo decision (1992) and the publication of the final report from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1991). The speech gives official government recognition to the injustices exposed by these proceedings, and works towards mending the rift in the relationship between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The speech encourages all Australians to embrace the reconciliation process in order to achieve a unified Australian national identity. NOEL PEARSON S AN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY FOR US ALL Noel Pearson is an Aboriginal Australian lawyer. During the 1990s, he became involved in advocacy for Aboriginal rights, particularly in the area of land rights. His 1996 speech An Australian History for Us All is set against the backdrop of a very divided Australian society, struggling to come to terms with

6 HSC English Advanced: Speeches GET REVISING REVISING FOR YOUR EXAMS Your HSC in English will introduce you to a wealth of excellent, exciting literature, and will open your eyes to new ways of viewing the world around you. However, preparing for any exam can be stressful, whether you like the subject or find it difficult, especially with so many demands on your time. You need to be sure that you re using your time wisely and being as effective as you can in your revision. Preparation is key, and there are a few things you can do to make sure you feel confident when it s time for the exam, and to help you to achieve your full potential. One of the first things you should do is to familiarise yourself with the structure of the HSC English examination papers. Knowing what to expect in the exam is the best way to know how to prepare. ABOUT THE PAPERS As an Advanced English student, you will complete two exam papers that are organised as follows: PAPER 1: AREA OF STUDY This paper is common to both English (Standard) and English (Advanced). Everyone sits the same exam. You will be given 2 hours writing time, plus 10 minutes reading time. This paper is designed to assess your understanding of the Area of Study: Discovery, and how you respond to questions about it. There are three sections: Section I short answers (15 marks). This is the section where you will read a collection of unseen texts and answer a series of short-answer questions. Section II creative writing (15 marks). This is the section where you will compose a piece of creative writing on the topic of discovery in response to a specific stimulus. Practise writing essays under timed conditions to get your planning and drafting down to a fine art. You ll find some practice questions later in this book

7 Get revising Section III extended response (or integrated analytical response) (15 marks). This is the section where you will write about the prescribed text you have studied at school, as well as about other related texts of your own choosing. Total marks: 45 PAPER 2: MODULES Your questions for this paper are specific to the Advanced English course. This paper allows 2 hours writing time, but just 5 minutes reading time. Again, there are three sections: Section I Module A Comparative Study of Texts and Context (20 marks) Section II Module B Critical Study of Text (20 marks) Section III Module C Representation and Text (20 marks). Total marks: 60 When you look at all the sections across the two HSC papers, you will see that there are three distinct types of response that you will be asked to produce, each assessing a different set of skills and abilities: Comprehension and analysis skills how well you read and interpret texts (Paper 1 Section I) Creative writing your ability to express your conceptual understanding of the Area of Study: Discovery in an imaginative way (Paper 1 Section II) Extended response assessing your skills in analysis and evaluation (Paper 1 Section III, and Paper 2 Sections I, II and III). Knowing what types of question you re going to be given and how you re expected to respond means there should be no surprises! PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 are equally weighted as 50% of your HSC examination mark, even though Paper 1 is a total mark out of 45 and Paper 2 is a total mark out of 60. Make sure you give both papers equal attention! The best way to be prepared for all the question types is to practise, practise, practise! Regular practice of your skills in responding to questions under exam-style conditions is the best possible preparation for the HSC examinations. If you commit to a regular routine of practice each week, you will give yourself the very best chance of walking into your English exams feeling confident and thoroughly prepared to achieve your full potential

8 HSC English Advanced: Speeches Here are four things you can start doing immediately to get yourself into a routine of regular revision and practice: 1. Know your rubrics and the exam expectations for the Area of Study: Discovery and each of the three modules. 2. Collect a set of practice questions for each section of the exam papers. 3. Organise a study timetable that allocates a specific time or times each week between now and your exams to complete exam practice under timed conditions. 4. Find a suitable space to do your exam practice. This may be a quiet room at home, at school, at a local library, or anywhere where you can be confident that you are not likely to be disturbed for the duration of the allocated writing time. Give the practice question your full concentration as you would do in the exam. And turn off that phone to reduce the risk of distraction! Once you have completed these four steps, you are ready to start practising. Why not do it right now? There s no time like the present! Did we mention how important it is to PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE? REVISION ADVICE Module B requires you to engage in a critical study of a text. As you are studying a collection of speeches, this means that you need to develop a deep analytical and critical knowledge of each speech. To do this effectively, you need to come to an informed personal understanding of: the ideas communicated by each speaker, their vision and deeply held values how each speaker has communicated their ideas powerfully and effectively through the employment of rhetorical devices the influence of context on the speaker s choice of language, rhetorical tropes and figures, their perspective and values. Make sure your study timetable is realistic. It is important to factor in rest and leisure time that way your study time will be more productive

9 Get revising You may find it beneficial, when revising each speech in detail, to organise your notes according to the following: Speaker Who delivered the speech? Occasion Purpose Audience Ideas Vision and values Significance What aspects of their personal context influenced the ideas communicated through the speech? On what occasion was the speech delivered? What were the speaker s reasons for delivering the speech? Who was the immediate audience for the speech? Did the speech have a secondary audience? What are the main ideas communicated through the speech? What was the speaker s vision? What were their hopes for the future? What do you think they believed in? In what ways has the speech proved significant (either at the time or since)? Has it contributed to historical change? WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF STRONG ESSAYS? Essays that score well in this module have the following characteristics: a series of coherently structured body paragraphs with well-supported discussion of the chosen speeches, demonstrating an informed personal understanding of ideas a sustained essay thesis treatment of the speeches as rhetorical texts: this means that you need to analyse the rhetorical features and consider the impact of the speaker s use of rhetoric on the audience confident and articulate use of language. an introduction that directly addresses the question and establishes a clear thesis (line of argument)

10 HSC English Advanced: Speeches FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT IS AN INFORMED PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPEECHES? An informed personal understanding of the speeches means that you have detailed knowledge of the ideas communicated in each speech, the context of each speech and how each speaker has used aspects of rhetoric to effectively communicate their ideas and beliefs. In light of this detailed knowledge, you are able to evaluate the historical and cultural significance of each speech, demonstrating understanding of its enduring value. WHAT IS TEXTUAL INTEGRITY? The Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards defines textual integrity as the unity of a text; its coherent use of form and language to produce an integrated whole in terms of meaning and value (Stage 6 English Syllabus, p. 100). This means that a text is said to have textual integrity if its parts (content, language and structure) work together to communicate a logical and rational message that is consistent with the composer s purpose and has enduring significance for responders across time. Is the speech logical in its argument? What gives the speech complexity? What makes the speech distinctive? Textual features: Integrated structure? Unifying concept? Is the message of the speech enduring? Are the values espoused by the speaker enduring? If yes, the speech itself is enduring and significant!

11 HSC English Advanced: Speeches The goal of the Make Your Mark series is to help you develop the kinds of strategies and skills that will give you confidence when you sit the exam. There are no short cuts to good writing in an English exam. You need to practise the key steps: identifying the key terms in the essay question deconstructing the essay question, so that you know exactly what is required understanding the criteria by which your writing will be assessed mind-mapping the key ideas you will include in your essay establishing what your position is in relation to the given essay question producing a plan to guide your writing writing an essay of at least words in forty minutes proofreading your exam essays. The Notes from the Marking Centre are a good source of information to help understand what you need to do to succeed. It is a good idea to incorporate an examination of these marker s notes into your English study. You can find these under HSC Exams on the BOSTES website at NOW YOU RE PREPARED So far we have covered strategies to help you prepare most effectively for your exam. You now: have some practical ways to prepare your revision journey effectively understand what the examiner is looking for when they read your work. know how many questions there will be on your exam papers and what skills they re assessing You also have some top tips to build into your revision planning. Being strategic about your preparation and not leaving anything to chance will give you the best opportunity of feeling confident and can show the examiner what you re really capable of. So now all that s left to do is to put it all into practice!

12 MARK IT! In this section you ll find model essays answering Paper 2 Section II exam-style questions on the critical study of the prescribed non-fiction Speeches. For each essay, you will: 1. See how to deconstruct the question, and read the tips on getting started with a response. 2. Read the model essay and answer questions based around the marking criteria. Essentially you are being the examiner! Mark the essay by writing in the spaces provided or by highlighting/ underlining the essay as required. 3. Read the examiner s comments and compare them with your own marking. When you ve finished you could try your hand at your own response to the questions, or there are more questions for you to try at the end of the book. The MARK IT! exercise will help you get to grips with what your examiners are looking for, see what makes a strong essay response and, most importantly, understand how to really make your mark when it comes to your exam.

13 HSC English Advanced: Speeches PLANNING A RESPONSE Before you start writing, it is important to spend a few minutes planning out your essay response. This is because the purpose of your essay is to answer the question you have been given, so it makes sense to consider the question carefully so that you can work out how to best answer it. 1. The first step is to develop an insightful thesis which directly addresses the question you have been given. Your thesis is your overall big answer to the question. It is a statement of your position or line of argument and must reveal your conceptual understanding of rhetoric and your personal response to the prescribed speeches. 2. Once you have decided on a thesis, you need to perform a quick mental check to test it to make sure you can sustain it throughout your essay. To do this, think about how your thesis applies to the speeches you have chosen to discuss in your essay and the evidence you can use from each speech to support your thesis. 3. After you have done this, you should think about how you can meaningfully integrate each speaker s purpose, values and context into your essay so as to strengthen your response to the given question and ensure that you demonstrate depth of textual knowledge

14 Model essay 1 MODEL ESSAY 1 DECONSTRUCT THE QUESTION This statement offers a perspective on the function of rhetoric and speech-making, suggesting that effective speakers use the strategy of calling upon the past in order to influence the way their audience thinks about the future. A compelling speaker uses the past to inspire future change. Assess this statement in light of your own interpretation of the speeches set for study. In your response, make detailed reference to at least TWO of the prescribed speeches. eches. Assess: this type of question is asking you to evaluate this statement to determine the extent to which it accords with your own interpretation This means your understanding of the art and function of rhetoric, the role of the speaker, their of at least two of the prescribed speeches. purpose and values

15 HSC English Advanced: Speeches GETTING STARTED Once you have deconstructed the question and understand what it is asking of you, you can begin to plan a response. Make sure you read through the section Planning a response on page 14. For this question, you need to ask yourself: Why is a speaker s use of history or the past an effective rhetorical technique? Which prescribed speeches best demonstrate the use of past events to encourage the audience to embrace change? In what ways is a speaker s desire to encourage change related to the communication of their deeply held values? Let s see how the model essay tackles the question. As you read, make notes or highlight/underline elements of the essay that demonstrate strong writing technique or salient points. The questions alongside the essay should get you thinking about how the essay addresses the question and follows the rubric. MARK IT! A compelling speaker uses the past to inspire future change. Assess this statement in light of your own interpretation of the speeches set for study. In your response, make detailed reference to at least TWO of the prescribed speeches. A captivating speaker skilfully calls upon the collective historical memory and shared cultural experiences of the audience. By deliberately selecting and fashioning historical events into a narrative, a speaker can successfully create a striking contrast between the past and their own vision of the future, thus inspiring the audience to embrace changes intended to fit in with the speaker s world view. This is evident in Anwar Sadat s 1977 speech to the Israeli Knesset, which evokes the horrors of the Arab Israeli conflict to encourage the audience to envisage a future in which the Middle East is united, peaceful and prosperous. Likewise, in his This student has successfully established a thesis that directly addresses the essay question. How have they achieved this?