SMH article on how shit is HSC English (3 Viewers)

[spazamataz]

No one in my school learned their responses? Are we the only school in the state that doesn't do this or what?

 

[tonyharrison]

this was briefly mentioned by a panelist on a Q&A episode sometime ago too, i don't remember who; but he mentioned that he was disappointed that the basics of english were eschewed in favour of post-modern concepts. his friend could write a thousand word essay on second-wave feminism, but not even know how to spell 'feminism' - and still get a better mark than him.

i think what he said summed it up completely. as a compulsory course english (in its standard and advanced forms) is rather flimsy in its content.

Was that the one with the guy who was like "i could tell you how Othello is a patriarchal society, but i can't even spell patriarchal!"

(hoped i spelt it correctly haha )

 

[LordPc]

That's the one thing I hate about all HSC subjects - you aren't taught to appreciate that subject, you're taught to answer questions in an exam. It pisses me off badly.

it takes a special teacher for you to appreciate the subject. ive been taught by some of them in my junior years, but there just arent enough of them across the state. especially when you consider that some teachers are teaching subjects they have no expertise in (see that other thread)

but i think your major issue is with the hsc itself. a lot of people dont really care for it as a learning opportunity, but rather see it as a stepping stone into university. and its these people that just want the marks so they can get an ATAR and go to uni to study something they enjoy.

solving this problem would require an overhaul of the entire university entry system which just doesnt seem at all likely

 

[johony]

Was that the one with the guy who was like "i could tell you how Othello is a patriarchal society, but i can't even spell patriarchal!"

(hoped i spelt it correctly haha )

yes! exactly what i meant. and i remembered he was also the head of the young liberals' nsw division or something.

 

[absorber]

Creative shouldn't be part of the syllabus imo. It never used to be, and it's impossible to judge something so subjective.

 

[jet]

it takes a special teacher for you to appreciate the subject. ive been taught by some of them in my junior years, but there just arent enough of them across the state. especially when you consider that some teachers are teaching subjects they have no expertise in (see that other thread)

but i think your major issue is with the hsc itself. a lot of people dont really care for it as a learning opportunity, but rather see it as a stepping stone into university. and its these people that just want the marks so they can get an ATAR and go to uni to study something they enjoy.

solving this problem would require an overhaul of the entire university entry system which just doesnt seem at all likely

I think you're right; It would be impossible to develop both an appreciation of a subject and do well in an exam within the current framework.

Though at the same time, I don't see any other possible university entry system. It would require an entirely different paradigm to the one we have. But maybe I just can't see it, I don't know.

Though I have been blessed with those teachers which allow you to at least achieve some interest in the subject. For example, I know a lot of people see studies of religion as pointless, but going to a school which is literally a stone's throw away from one of the very few mosques in Australia, it actually helped many of the people in our school overcome the prejudices they originally held. I see that as one of the advantages of doing the subject. But these advantages are far and few between.

 

[johony]

Creative shouldn't be part of the syllabus imo. It never used to be, and it's impossible to judge something so subjective.

creative is the only part of english i really enjoy and am pretty good at. i know heaps of people suck at it, but imo it's really just about applying concepts you've studied. or bullshitting to get a reasonable mark.

 

[youngminii]

HSC English is gay

Let me deconstruct that for you
HSC English is gay
HSC is gay
English is gay
Gay is HSC English

 

[absorber]

Lol mini, you like your presence to be known on all these threads, and yet you insist your hate of English is so deep. Why not start speaking in a different language?

 

[Timothy.Siu]

Lol mini, you like your presence to be known on all these threads, and yet you insist your hate of English is so deep. Why not start speaking in a different language?

he never said the language was gay, just that HSC english was.

 

[flaminwaffle]

Lol mini, you like your presence to be known on all these threads, and yet you insist your hate of English is so deep. Why not start speaking in a different language?

If everyone who hated HSC english started speaking in a different language i guarantee you the whole of NSW would start speaking in a different language.

 

[absorber]

if everyone who hated hsc english started speaking in a different language i guarantee you the whole of nsw would start speaking in a different language.

-1

 

[youngminii]

Hsc 영어는 동성하다

 

[youngminii]

Nah I love English
Can't speak Korean for nuts
But yeah, I hate HSC English

 

[absorber]

Hsc 영어는 동성하다

That's the spirit.

 

[flaminwaffle]

-1

haha, you know im right. I can probably count the number of people who enjoy doing hsc english in our school using my fingers.

 

[absorber]

haha, you know im right. I can probably count the number of people who enjoy doing hsc english in our school using my fingers.

Lol, you people need to understand sometimes you need to look into something properly to find what there is to enjoy; there's always something, for you pessimists. Hence, Justin, why I beat all of you.

 

[youngminii]

I find absorber's defence of HSC English admirable
I'll never understand though lololol

 

[flaminwaffle]

Lol, you people need to understand sometimes you need to look into something properly to find what there is to enjoy; there's always something, for you pessimists. Hence, Justin, why I beat all of you.

No Jim, if there was something to be found in english that is enjoyable, more than a tiny minority of the people who do english would have found it already and mr coombes wouldnt have bothered apologising to us about having to do hsc english.

And it also doesnt explain why so many optomistic people hate english. And Jim, you are one of the most pessimistic people i know.

 

[hosay]

English is the joke of the hsc! it shouldn't be compulsory and if anyone disagrees they should go and sodomize themselves with a wooden bat.