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Compare and Contrast Language

Compare and Contrast Language
CompareContrast
Additionally
Despite that
As well asAlthough
At the same timeMeanwhile
ComparablyNevertheless
Compared toOn the other hand
CorrespondinglyOn the contrary
FurthermoreYet
In additionHowever
In parallelNonetheless
Just asIn contrast
LikewiseUnlike
MoreoverEven so
Same asConversely
SimilarlyEven though
Both authors take the same approachWhile this is the case, in...
This is mirrored in...This is contrasted in...
...is equally significant in both texts....is contrasted in both texts.
This can also be seen in...This is not the case in....
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How to Help Your Primary School Student Write a Narrative

How to Help Your Primary School Student Write a Narrative

Most of the parents who reach out to me are often exasperated by the daunting task of helping their child through the English homework as they progress from primary school to high school. 

Writing narratives can often be one of the pain points that leads to parental-child conflict and arguments over the dinner table. 

Narratives are an important part of the English syllabus right from the early foundational years all the way through to the year 12 exams. 

Why Are Stories Important?

Stories are important for our children to be able to tell because as they become adults, they will need to communicate complex ideas often in simple ways and for different audiences. 

The process of having to plan, drafting and editing a narrative will help your child to become a lifelong storyteller and achieve communication success. 

So how do you help your child write a narrative? 

Step One – Decide on a Setting

Setting can often be difficult as it is difficult for students to come up with concepts that they cannot see. One way to help your child find a setting for their story is to do some Google searching of different types of settings. You can google cities, jungles, different landmarks and different types of places they could use to establish their story. But the most important thing is that you provide your child with a visual to help them understand where their story takes place 

Step Two – Decide on a Character 

There is always the protagonist in every story that your child will write and it is important that you help your child to craft that protagonist. Try and get them to extend beyond writing themselves as the protagonist. Perhaps ask them to think about if their grandpa and grandma could be the protagonist or if one of their friends could be the protagonist. This will help to avoid cliches and will allow the student to show that they can put themselves in unfamiliar situations and write about them. 

Step Three – Setting One Hour, One Day, One Setting

As you approach the story writing phase, you need to clarify with your child that the story should take place over one day, one hour or one setting. Oftentimes, students will create elaborate texts that take place over days, months or even years. This leads to poorly written stories that jump from place to place. Now when you change your focus to one hour, one day or one setting will help them to think about the parts of the date for the parts of the settings that are actually important to describe.

Step Four – Plot Structure

Have your child map out the four main steps of the plot seen below. Start with the resolution and then go back to the start so that your child understands where they need to take the story. 

Step Five – Narrative Devices

Narrative devices are the elements that make a story great. These include things like imagery, narrative point of view, figurative language description, emotion, dialogue and a whole suite of others that can be found elsewhere on the website. Making a list and having an understanding of how to use these can make a story more robust and more descriptive for the teacher. 

Step Six – Writing the Story 

For your narrative, I would recommend starting with a sizzling start. A sizzling start is a description of either action taking place dialogue or a key feature in the scene. For example, you could start with a 4 to 5 sentence description of how the character is tying up his shoelaces. What this does is it creates intrigue and it creates mystery as to what is going to happen next in the story. The biggest mistake the students make if they don’t think about the description in their writing so including a description from the very first sentence can make a big impact. Try and ask the students what the character was wearing or what they were doing or so on.  

Teaching your child to write a narrative can be a big job. Be sure to be gentle with yourself as you were doing the best job possible. For more tips and tricks make sure you sign up to our newsletter.

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How To Do The Composing Section of The English Exam: Persuasive

How To Do The Composing Section of The English Exam: Persuasive

When it comes to the last section of your ATAR English exam, there can be some confusion as to what you are actually required to do. This section of the exam is testing your ability to receive a prompt and respond to that prompt in a creative way. 

There are many options of creative texts that you can craft in this section but essentially they are broken down into three subsections. These are interpretive, imaginative and persuasive. Most teachers now will teach you how to write a narrative response in response to these exam questions, however, you must be aware that you have more options than just to write a narrative. 

One strong way to answer this series of questions is through persuasive. Persuasive essay writing involves taking an opinion on the topic and writing a series of body paragraphs in response to the prompt. Persuasive writing will begin for you in year 3 or year 5 when you were required to do your NAPLAN test. Many of these ideas that you would’ve learnt at a young age should come back and be a part of your learning again as you reach ATAR. 

The best thing to do is actually pre-prepare some topics or problems that you are ready to write at a moment’s notice. Here at our top tips for success in writing a persuasive essay for your ATAR exams. 

1. Ensure That You Have a Variety of Ideas to Discuss. 

When it comes to the composing section of your exam, many students believe that there is no way they can study. This is unequivocally wrong. Being aware of three or four major topics in society and different ideas around those topics will help you actually have something to say. My past students have written about topics from diabetes to euthanasia to racism to bullying to anything else you could possibly write an essay about. The key is to have three or four different ideas that you could go to. The way to decide on these ideas is to brainstorm some of the key issues and topics that interest you and maybe have a look at your other subjects for ideas. Are you a history buff? Perhaps have a look at the efficacy of communism compared to capitalism and you could write or craft an interpretive response to the idea of communism. If you are interested in the sciences perhaps you could write about vaccinations or infectious disease control. There are many different topics that you could write about but the most important thing is to write about something that interests you, otherwise, you’ll find it difficult to maintain steam as the year progresses. 

2. Pre-Plan Your Answers and Try and Apply Them to Past Questions. 

There are often themes that emerge when you look at different exams over the past 5 to 10 years in English. Things like technology, issues that affect teenagers and issues that affect our society are often cited in the composing section of the exam. Choose three topics that you are interested in and research all of the negatives of these issues, the consequences of these issues and the solutions to these issues and try to apply them to the prompts from past English exams. 

3. Focus on Your Integration of Persuasive Devices. 

Persuasive devices are those handy little things that help us to understand that the text that you have written is persuasive. These include things such as inclusive language, rhetorical questions, facts and statistics, anecdotal evidence, personal voice, figurative language, emotive language and other elements that you are probably a custom to interpreting in your comprehending section. Please make an effort to remember these and then incorporate them into your text. Markers love to see when students have actually thought through the persuasive elements and try to make an effort to use them cohesively within the peace. A personal favourite of mine is inclusive language when you were talking about issues that affect the whole of society. Ensure that you include at least three of them in each body paragraph. 

For more information on how to write and then suasive text for your ATAR English exam, contact Perth English Tutor today.

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Writing a University Personal Statement

Writing a University Personal Statement

What is a personal statement? It is a statement that accompanies your college or university application and gives you a chance to explain and tell why you would like to and want to study in that university under that particular course. You can write about your skills, your experience showing the passion for the relative field you chose. Here are some tips that you should consider when writing a perfect university personal statement for you.

Find Perfect Words

Writing a good university personal statement will portray you in the best light. Finding the right words will sound more professional and sophisticated than just some regular words. For example, using the words “presumed” than “thought” and “accomplish” than “do” will sound more graceful and elegant. But you have to write these words very carefully because if you write over-the-top, then your university personal statement might look overdone.

Tone and style

Keep your tone professional and sophisticated. Using street language and slang are not appropriate for your university personal statement. Try to avoid the usage of passive voice and keep it active voice.

Develop a Good Opening Line.

Starting a statement with a strong sentence will have a good impact on the reader. Avoid beginning the statement with clichés. The most obvious words used for opening are usually considered boring and copied. Still, if you write something creative, it will make your statement stand out and positively impact the university.

Highlight Your Strengths

Use the opportunity of writing this university personal statement and promote your strengths. A personal statement is your first virtual image in university. Everything you write will matter. Describe what your strong qualities and your passions are. Telling your strengths will assure the university that the candidate is fit for us and make us proud.

Be Honest

Do not write fake stuff in your university personal statement. Do not write what you cannot do. If you are not capable of speaking Spanish, then do not write that in your statement. If you overcommit yourself in the statement in dire need of selection and ultimately get into that university, it will destroy your reputation.

Make a Good First Impression

Writing a professional university personal statement is a one-time opportunity. Starting with something unusual, hilarious, serious, or interesting will become the first impression of yours. Thus, it can make or ruin your chance to get admission in your desired institution.

Proofread at the End

One of the biggest mistakes is writing your university personal statement and not proofreading it. After completing your statement, proofread it yourself. Please keep all the points in your mind while reading it and carefully check grammar mistakes, spelling errors, formation, and tone and style mistakes are possible because, after all, we are all humans.

Conclusion

In the end, add some creative information like “where do you see yourself in the next five years?” and “what are your goals in your career?” Adding these questions and answering them creatively and wisely helps the reader understand the better perspective of your personality.

 

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Writing a University Personal Statement

How to Write a University Report?

A few academic assignments require reports rather than essays. The difference between them is that the essay delivers arguments and reasoning whilst a report focuses on facts. The report is a concise and factual document for specific audiences.

This excerpt will teach you an excellent way to write the academic report in five-minute. Stay with us!

Know the Brief:

The report requirements vary from tutor to tutor and subject to subject. Hence the student must know the specific guidelines before starts writing.

Keep in mind the report’s brief, including for whom the report is prepared and what you will analyse?

Stick to the Format:

The report is a structured document, so it needs to be followed by a specific pattern that includes;

Title page: A to-the-point stating of the topic of the report.

Abstract: An Executive Summary summarizes methods, findings, context, and conclusion of the report. Abstract provides a pre-read idea.

Table of contents: a compass of your report to let the reader pick the most relevant section. The content section must be correctly represented.

Introduction: It includes background perspective, aims, objectives, literature, and, in some cases, the ToRs (Terms of References).

Methodology: If the report is based on research activity, the methodology must be elaborated at length, i.e., interviews, literature review, or focus groups.

Findings or results: This section depicts the trends and results with figures, graphs, or tables. Reasons for products should be withheld for the next section.

Discussion – Evaluate your report by restating the central facts, verify the accuracy, and fit the whole extraction into your context.

Recommendations or conclusion – Summarize the outcomes and make some concrete suggestions here.

References – list references of the sources you incorporated in the report. A student must apply standard citation styles like APA, MLA, Harvard, or some other according to their instructor’s requirements.

Appendices – list backup information, statistics and data. However, the information must be relevant to the context and content.

Things that Make A Good University Report:

Consider writing style: The report aims to convey the findings in a precise manner, even to the least knowledgeable. Therefore, the three approaches must be availed.

Plain English: Use crisp and precise English with shorter words and sentences.

Avoid jargon: Restrict jargon in the first place. In the case of compulsion, explain every technical word in a separate bracket or the way more convenient.

Consider the audience: If the report is drafted for a particular segment or person, never forget to address them.

Editing the Draft:

Report writing is a tough task, and the grammatical or typographical errors betray the non-serious attitude of the researcher-cum-writer. To avoid embarrassment and ensure the clarity of the report, the draft must be reviewed repeatedly until it morphs into an immaculate version.

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How to Write a University Essay?

How to Write a University Essay?

Since the inception of formal education, essay writing has been considered a gold standard to evaluate the learning outcome. Interestingly, this single text speaks volumes of the student’s ability to articulate the scattered thoughts. Here, we would share the nitty-gritty of essay writing applicable to every competitive examination or assessment.

First of all, let’s discuss the structure, and then we will proceed towards the tips to craft an immaculate essay.

A good writer is always a proficient reader.

The first step is to read and research the similar writings of peers and academicians. Besides, reading spree, “study group” is also a pleasant avenue to share ideas. Nonetheless, excessive reading helps you assimilate vocabulary, sentence structuring, and styling to emulate in your version.

Brush up your concepts

Another important aspect is that your prerequisites must be fulfilled, such as grammatical concepts, format, sufficient vocabulary, and most importantly, the know-how of good essay writing.

Relevancy Through Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences

A good rule of thumb illustrates that your whole essay should revolve around the given topic. The cliche approach makes your essay liable to get zero. Each paragraph should depict a different stance. Simultaneously, the focus must be pivoted by the inclusion of the thesis statement and topic sentence.

 Adopt Proper Referencing and Citation

A university essay is purely an academic subject, so the references and citation must be jotted down in a proper format, i.e., APA or MLA style.

Use of Transition Words

Transition words give a flow to your writing. The reader feels is taken on a journey through your main points, and your essay strikes the chord correctly.

 End With a Definite Standpoint

The academic essay is not a mystery novel, so the essay must be concluded in a concise approach rather than in a guessing notion. Creativity is applauded, but the figments of imagination are highly discouraged in academic essay writing.

Conclusion

If a pupil sticks to the abovementioned tips, the educator cannot deny top marks. Best of luck!

 

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Gifted and Talented Program

Gifted and Talented Program

What is the Gifted and Talented Program?

The Gifted and Talented program is the Australian Department of Education initiative to provide stimulating and challenging academic learning to exceptional children who outperform their peers of the same age.

The curriculum is specifically designed to provide these children with the environment they require for the best development of their academic capabilities. The courses include language programs, arts programs, and academic programs that help the children engage in intellectual, critical, and advanced thinking skills.

The programs are offered at several public schools, and online programs are available for country students.

Who is Considered Gifted and Talented?

This program caters to the students who regularly outperform their cohort. These children have exceptional learning abilities and can master new skills at a fast rate. Also, they are very creative and have a well-developed understanding and connection-making skills.

They are curious little souls with great empathy and social skills. They follow instructions and complete tasks considered complicated for their age. These children often have advanced language skills. All these qualities distinguish gifted and talented children from their peers.

Which Schools Offer This Program?

The gifted and talented program is offered at about 24 elite public schools, regional schools, and an arts college. New schools to offer the program are selected on a different basis. These programs are also offered online to accommodate as many students as possible. Perth Modern School offers a gifted and talented program based on the Academic Selective Entrance Test (ASET).

In addition to the school, John Curtin College of Art provides the gifted students selectively curated arts and media courses. Students from Western Australia can take the program at Bunbury Senior High School or Albany Senior High School, City Beach Residential College, and Albany Residential College.

How Can You Get Into The Program?

To get into the program, the candidates need to satisfy specific geographical criteria. The applicant must be an Australian or a New Zealand citizen. They must also exhibit the qualities listed above that make them different from their peers.

The entrance exam for the program is called ASET, and it consists of 4 parts. It includes reading comprehension, communicating ideas in writing, quantitative reasoning, and abstract reasoning. The test aims to evaluate all reading, writing, cognition, and reasoning skills of the students and is used to test potential rather than acquired information.

Sample Test For ASET

The entrance exam for the gifted and talented program doesn’t test the textbook knowledge of the applicants. It is focused on evaluating the critical skills and hidden potentials of the applicant. The Department of Education does not recommend any preparation methods or material for the test. However, a sample test of ASET can be downloaded from the website to get an idea about the format and style of the ASET.

Conclusion

Gifted and talented is a wonderful program and it offers a lot of opportunities for children around the globe. Make sure you check out this opportunity so you can do better things with your life.

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WHAT IS THE STAT TEST?

What is the stat test?

The STAT test is also known as the Special Tertiary Admissions Test, which allows universities to assess whether you are capable of attending and succeeding at university.

The test is suitable for people such as the following: 

  1. Mature-age applicants who don’t have a recent or standard Year 12 qualification
  2. Applicants who completed their previous studies outside Australia
  3. Applicants who did not gain a satisfactory ATAR (for certain courses and universities)

The STAT test is your typical aptitude test that evaluates verbal and quantitative reasoning. Specific curriculum knowledge is not required to be able to pass. In other words, you cannot study “content” for the test, just concepts. 

There are two different STAT tests that you will be required to complete:

  1. STAT Multiple Choice test
  2. STAT Written English test

DO ALL UNIVERSITIES ACCEPT STAT RESULTS?

Requirements vary from state to state within Australia. Individual institutions set their own admission requirements. You will need to refer to the university of choice. 

AM I ELIGIBLE TO SIT THE STAT TEST?

Candidates should check with the institution to which they are applying to assess whether you are eligible as a stat student. As a general rule, an applicant must be 18 years or over by a certain date in the year of admissions to use STAT results in their application but there may be extenuating circumstances.

WHICH TEST(S) DO I SIT?

Refer to the current university course guide to see what the admission requirements are for that particular university. They are the only people that can advise if they will accept STAT results and which test(s) are required (eg Multiple Choice only or Multiple Choice and Written English).

HOW MANY TIMES CAN I SIT STAT?

Candidates may only sit the STAT test once per test cycle. This runs from 15 April to 14 April of the following year. 

WHAT IS THE WRITTEN PART OF THE EXAM?

The STAT Written English requires written responses to two themes. Four comments (prompts) will be given for the students to respond to. 

The test will offer the following directions to candidates:

DIRECTIONS

  • There are two parts to this test, and four comments are offered for each part. You are required to produce two pieces of writing − one in response to a comment from Part A, and one in response to a comment from Part B.
  • Part A is a more formal public affairs issue that invites argument. Part B is a less formal topic that invites more personal reflection.
  • One hour is allocated for this test, with an additional five minutes reading time.
  • Your responses to the essay comments are written directly on the test paper. You should write your essays neatly and legibly in pen.
  • Circle the comment you are responding to. Do not try to address all of the other comments
  • Give each piece of writing a title that will help orient a reader to the approach you are taking.

The following themes and comments indicate the kind of stimulus material that will be offered in this test

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

PART A

  1. Technology has a destablising effect on humans and should be used with caution.
  2. Technology presents humanity with the greatest opportunity ever known to man. 
  3. Too much of technological advancement is focused on greed rather than on good. 
  4. If we can provide all of humanity with the tools and technology, we will be able to solve the world’s biggest problems. 

PART B

  1. Family is the most important part of our lives because it gives us our grounding and stability in life.
  2. Individuals should be able to decide whether they spend time with their family or take their personal space. 
  3. It is important to make our own space in the world rather than fall into the same patterns as our family. 
  4. Having boundaries in our life is the most important thing we can do for our mental health. 
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Genre Conventions For Atar Students

Genre Conventions For Atar Students

What are genre conventions?

All of the books and films you study have different elements, themes and some unique features. Each genre has a set of elements that will distinguish them from other genres. See our guide below:

GenresElements
Adventure:A heroic protagonistA journey or questUnusual locationsSense of danger An injustice
Bildungsroman:A struggle for identityA societal conflictA loss of innocenceA journeyMaturity
Comedy:SubstanceExpression and communicationThe originality of humourTiming and rhythmIntelligent writingSetting
Crime:ConflictTime(Unfolding the text within a tight time frame)Foreshadowing, atmosphere
and mood		High stakesContract with the reader.Strong charactersOther limitsRed herrings
Dystopian:

Government controlEnvironmental
destruction		Technological controlSurvivalLoss of individualism.The totalitarian stateThe use of propaganda
Fantasy:A magic systemA well-developed settingA cast of complex charactersA central conflictA power structure/system
of government
Fiction:PlotSettingCharacterConflict
Horror:FearSurpriseSuspenseMysterySpoilersCreepy, crawly things.Scary places
Magical Realism:Fantastical elementsReal-world settingAuthorial reticencePlenitudeHybridityMetafictionHeightened awareness
of mystery		Political critique
Realist Literature:Realistic characters and settingPlausible plotReal dialects of the areaCharacter development important.Importance in depicting
social class		Comprehensive detail
about everyday occurrences
Science Fiction:Time travelTeleportationMind control, telepathy,
and telekinesis		Extraterrestrial lifeformsSpace travelInterplanetaryParallel universes
Thriller:RansomsCaptivitiesHeistsRevengeKidnappings
Western:CowboysSheriffsNative AmericansReferences to the
American Civil War		Bad guys like criminals,
outlaws, or bandits		Descriptions of wilderness
and vast landscapes		Shootouts
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What is an alternative reading?

What is an alternative reading?

In your study, you may have come across different reading practices or the phrase “alternative reading”.

This is a topic that is rarely covered in detail in class, but can be the difference between an average essay and an amazing essay.

SCSA WA defines reading and readings as the below:

Reading

The process of making meaning of text. This process draws on a repertoire of social, cultural and cognitive resources. Reading occurs in different ways, for different purposes, in a variety of public and domestic settings. Reading is therefore a cultural, economic, ideological, political and psychological act. The term applies to the act of reading print texts or the act of viewing a film or static image.

Readings

Readings are particular interpretations of a text. The classification of readings into alternative, resistant or dominant is quite arbitrary, depending on the ideology held by the reader. Alternative readings: readings that focus on the gaps and silences in texts to create meanings that vary from those meanings that seem to be foregrounded by the text. Dominant reading: is the reading that seems to be, for the majority of people in society, the natural or normal way to interpret a text. In a society where there are strongly competing discourses (i.e. most societies), the definition of what is a dominant reading depends on the ideology of the person making the decision. Resistant reading: a way of reading or making meaning from a text which challenges or questions the assumptions underlying the text. Resistant readings employ a discourse different from the discourse that produces the dominant reading

Source: SCSA WA

In simple terms, a reading is the way or the lens through which we interpret a certain text, be that novel, film, short story and everything in between.

Every text that you read can have multiple interpretations, depending on the reading you take. Many exams have used the term “readings” or “reading” in the responding section. Therefore, it’s wise for you to know how to conduct readings and write essays on readings.HD wallpaper: harry potter, warts, castle, magic, british, wand ...

Let’s take Harry Potter, for example.

A dominant reading of Harry Potter allows readers to understand that Harry is the traditional fantasy hero that saves the day. However, a resistant reading could be that minor characters are more fundamental to the plot line that J K Rowling intended, namely Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. A gendered reading of Harry Potter could reveal that women should be values for their intelligence rather than for their beauty, as an indictment of society’s values. This has been demonstrated through the characters of Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood and Cho Cheng. All three female characters are appreciated for their book and street smarts, as well as their abilities to do spells. This is a very simplistic demonstration of alternative readings designed to show you the basics.

Depending on the text you have studied, type into Google <text name> + alternative reading and see what comes up! This will help you plan an essay on a dominant, resistant or alternative reading of your text for the purpose of an essay.

For more information on how to do “readings”, book your first session with Perth English Tutor.