GCSE English Exam Board: AQA Qualifications: GCSE English Language (code 8700) GCSE English Literature (code 8702) Revision Tips and Useful Information Director of English Mrs S King sking@guilsborough.northants.sch.uk
Top Tips Have the right equipment Set texts, blue/ black pen(s), revision guides, highlighters (4 colours supermarket for 1), purple pen Review your leaning from the day s lesson Re-write your notes Make improvements based on feedback (verbal and written) Review previous feedback BEFORE starting a new piece of work Practise the suggested methods for writing paragraphs Know the terminology!
The examinations All students will sit Literature and Language examinations. (Green = mocks just done) Language (all unseen extracts) Paper 1 Section A Reading fiction and nonfiction Section B Writing Descriptive writing Paper 2 (Mock to be done in March) Section A Reading (including 19 th Century non fiction texts) Section B Writing in a non-fiction style Literature (all closed book) Paper 1 Section A - Shakespeare (extract prompt) Section B - 19 th Century text (extract prompt) Paper 2 Section A modern text (NO extract) Section B poetry: preseen, comparative and unseen elements
Set Texts it is beneficial if students can have their own copies Text Component ISBN A Christmas Carol (Dickens) Literature Paper 1 Section B Students will only study ONE of these set texts ISBN-10: 1503212831 ISBN-13: 978-1503212831 or ISBN-10: 1853262684 ISBN-13: 978-1853262685 Jane Eyre (Bronte) ISBN: 0141441143 Jekyll and Hyde (Stevenson) ISBN-10: 1494767910 Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare) Literature Paper 1 Section A Students will only study ONE of these set texts ISBN-10: 1408236877 ISBN-13: 978-1408236871 Macbeth (Shakespeare) ISBN-10: 0198324006 ISBN-13: 978-0198324003 An Inspector Calls (Priestley) Literature Paper 2 Section A Students will only study ONE of these set texts ISBN-10: 014118535X ISBN-13: 978-0141185354 The Lord of the Flies (Golding) ISBN-10: 0571295711 ISBN-13: 978-0571295715 Animal Farm (Orwell) ISBN-10: 0141182709 ISBN-13: 978-0141182704
Revision Guides These two publishers tend to be the most popular and widely used by students and teachers. You can get revision guides for all GCSE set texts. York Notes CGP You will need to ensure you purchase recent editions for grades 1-9.
Independent Learning Review of class notes are they adequate; do they need to consolidate further? How could they improve / add to their written responses? Students have a PLC (personalised learning checklist) for each component which breaks the skills down and allows them to personally track how they are progressing Continual learning of quotations for the set texts Continual revision and application of terminology Reading quality non-fiction texts
Review your PLCs 3 key skills = IDENTIFY EXPLAIN EVALUATE On coloured paper on inside of book; Allows students to track own progress; Ensures students think of the range of skills required; They can set their own objectives
Revision Tips The next 13 slides outline some key revision strategies and also list useful websites. They also contain some deliberate literacy errors and corrections to help you learn as you read
Revision Tip #1 Know your own literacy strengths and EBIs Using a personalised learning checklist (PLC), identify what you need to work on. You should always know what your literacy target is focus on one at a time and get it sorted. Once you know it (or them), you can work on it in ALL OF YOUR LESSONS! You could even ask your teachers to double check something for you when they mark your book.
Revision Tip #2 Spot the informality. Reading lots. And lots. And then some more. Re-read your Literature texts. As you read, compile quotation banks on: Characters Setting Themes Relationships Dramatic events / the text s structure Contractions should not be used in formal writing. Ensure you have a clear understanding of the order of the main events you ll need to place an extract in context of the wider text, so you need to know where it s from. Know your writer each writer has a style and uses features that you should always be on the look out for.
Revision Tip #3 Spot the informality. Read QUALITY Sunday supplements. The Language exams asks you to read 4 x unseen texts and comment on: Attitudes of writers How language creates meaning How texts are structured Numbers zero-ten should be written as words; 11+ as numbers. Read as much as you can: annotate the articles; consider WHY a writer has chosen a certain image, pun, metaphor, structure etc.; is it a sad, optimistic etc. tone? Get your parents to read the same text have a discussion about what message the writer is aiming to convey and how they have achieved it.
Revision Tip #4 Annotate [copies of] your set texts. Poetry: Power and Conflict collection - you want at least three annotated copies of each poem you have studied form, structure, language, themes and how they compare with each other For studying unseen poetry, use poemhunter.com to print out a range of poems and practise the POETIC analysis technique. Prose & drama: Photocopy extracts, pick a sensible question (How does [the writer] present, find the evidence you would use, annotate and briefly explain effects (with terminology).
Revision Tip #5 Spot the lack of punctuation. Know the mark schemes. These can also be found on the AQA website but your English teacher should have given these to you. Before you hand a practice essay in have a go at marking it yourself. Highlight where you have really set about improving your previous EBI. You could even mark each other s. We need a comma here why?
Revision Tip #6 Spot the dreaded comma splice. Teach each other (or a parent/sibling). Buddy up with a friend and set about teaching each other something, it could be quotations on a character or theme or perhaps how you have analysed and explained effects of a non-fiction text. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED! WHY NOT?!
Revision Tip #7 Spot the spelling error. Learn Terminology (and how it is spelt) Use the glossary of terms that you will be able to find on the VLE Create flashcards to learn key terminology (check spelling and give examples). Divide by text type (e.g. what is specific to a play, prose or poem and what is generic to all). Name the word classes - verbs, adjective, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions, definite articles etc. when reading a text (of any sort!). Learn the different structural devices writers use. Learn the difference between simile, metaphore and personification. metaphor
Revision Tip #8 Who can offer suggestions? Improve your vocabulary. Impress the examiner, and be clear, by using: A range of analytical words, rather than shows ; More precise analysis, rather than positive and negative ; Specifics rather than vague pronouns i.e. it ; A range of adjectives to explain the tone of a piece rather than sad and happy.
Revision Tip #9 Know the most basic method for responding to a text. For all reading papers, if all else fails, discuss the first line, last line and a range from the middle.
evision Tip #10 Learn some mnemonics to remember features for writing in different forms Ask your teacher for a good mnemonic to help you remember suitable techniques. Some good ones are: Argue Persuade Describe D Direct address G Guilt S Sensory attack A - anecdotes R repetition L lists of 3 F facts & opinions I imagery A anaphora O other side P - paragraphs P powerful description R rhetorical qs P punctuation S - similes R Repetition E emotive language M - metaphors E emotive language R rhetorical qs A alliteration S - stats 3 list of 3 R repetition T - triplets P personal pronouns S syntax choice
evision Tip #11 Complete revision resources set by teachers
Revision Tip #12 BRILLIANT videos for language essay questions We have uploaded some VERY (VERY VERY) helpful videos to the sharepoint drive (too big for the VLE), which offer advice and hints on answering the extended answer questions on the two language papers. Your English teachers will be using these in lessons but you need to watch again in your own time. PLEASE. Follow this link https://gsat.sharepoint.com/portals/hub/_layouts/15/pointpublishing.aspx?app=video&p=c &chid=7c9d9415-9c1a-48d1-94ba-d265c7ca18c8&s=0&t=av You will need to save the link to your favourites AND to access them you will need your school email and password. Make sure to take note of which paper and question the video is referring to - watch them again and again until you can recite them off by heart!
Revision Tip #13 Useful academic websites BBC bitesize -detailed and comprehensive revision resources and activities for students Poemhunter.com Youtube teacher webinars / vids Websites that have ac in the address Sparknotes.com AQA Literature link - specification and markschemes AQA Language link - specification and markshemes