Extension English worth it? (1 Viewer)

[wendybird]

How can you interpret that EX1 is easier than Adv. Eng. from looking at a pile of books, most of which is for EX1?

You're right. EE1 and Eng Adv is quite different, and as someone who considered English my best subject, my view is that EE1 is DEFINITELY harder than Eng Adv.

Let me clarify why:

1. EE1 essays are written in a very different style to Eng Advanced ones. The emphasis is very much on paradigms and contexts. You HAVE TO get deep into the philosophy and ways of thinking that UNDERLY the texts, in addition to the actual analysis of the texts.

The only way I can analogize it is perhaps in terms of science. In Eng Adv, you analyse to one layer - just as a casual observer might look at a plant and observe its features, how it looks, feels, smells etc. But in EE1 you look at things to a deeper degree and engage with further layers in your analysis. So for example, a scientist might look at the same plant and be able to understand the underlying processes - respiration, photosynthesis, growth etc, and components.

And that is a direct requirement of markers and the rubric - this deeper level of engagement. To do well WILL require students to stretch themselves.

2. Sure, there are fewer texts, but the degree of analysis and research that goes into understanding each text is MUCH higher than for Eng Adv. I literally have a box of journal articles and photocopied literary analyses for EACH one of Coleridge's poems. Sure the poem is not long (4/5 pages), but the amount of time spent on each one was exorbitant.

Basically, in EE1, you get alot less bang for your buck. You have to do a heck of a lot more work for considerably less result/gain.

What I'm trying to say, is NOT that EE1 is horrifyingly difficult. But I'm saying, the course isn't really for ppl who think they can get away with little work. Frankly, I worked harder and spent more time on EE1 than on Eng Advanced. The course is for people who think they might really enjoy spending time analysing texts in depth and to really engage with a particular paradigm.

Sorry for diverging from the topic. Now to answer the OP's question? Is EE1 worth it? It depends.

- For good/top english students who will thrive on this kind of stuff, the intellectual stimulation is very rewarding. While I liked Eng Adv, I loved EE1 because I could bring in all my thinking about philosophy and history into the course. Its a course that rewards original thinking and the ability to show off flair.

- For students who don't reallly like english or struggle at english, no, I don't think that the extra work you will have to do in order to do well at EE1 is worth it. Most students (friends who in the end attained 99+ ATAR) who were ok but didn't thrive on English ended up dropping. They were getting low to mid 90s for Eng Adv but as low as 70s for EE1.

- But in Yr 11, you have nothing to lose. I'd suggest everyone to try it out in Yr 11 and drop or keep the course depending on how it goes.

ETA: Don't kid yourself, EE1 scales well, but its about as well as Eng Adv. There is no real substantial scaling benefit. Compare this with Maths Extension 1 - much higher scaling benefit in comparison.

 

[Absolutezero]

I was talking about Prelims EX1.

There much of a muchness really. Your study is still focused on one topic.

Now to answer the OP's question? Is EE1 worth it? It depends.

- For good/top english students who will thrive on this kind of stuff, the intellectual stimulation is very rewarding. While I liked Eng Adv, I loved EE1 because I could bring in all my thinking about philosophy and history into the course. Its a course that rewards original thinking and the ability to show off flair.

- For students who don't reallly like english or struggle at english, no, I don't think that the extra work you will have to do in order to do well at EE1 is worth it. Most students (friends who in the end attained 99+ ATAR) who were ok but didn't thrive on English ended up dropping. They were getting low to mid 90s for Eng Adv but as low as 70s for EE1.

- But in Yr 11, you have nothing to lose. I'd suggest everyone to try it out in Yr 11 and drop or keep the course depending on how it goes.

QFT.

 

[ilikebeeef]

There much of a muchness really. Your study is still focused on one topic.

The number of texts you have to get is not less than English Advanced at all, contrary to what you said earlier.

 

[Absolutezero]

I found you had more texts to study in Advanced, because there was usually one of more for each module + related. Or is AOS now the only module that needs related texts in HSC?

EDIT: Or are we still talking Prelim?

 

[ilikebeeef]

I found you had more texts to study in Advanced, because there was usually one of more for each module + related. Or is AOS now the only module that needs related texts in HSC?

EDIT: Or are we still talking Prelim?

Oh, still talking about Prelim.

 

[Absolutezero]

Then just take the risk. If you don't like it, drop. Simple as that.

 

[Rage_Quitter]

Wow, you guys seem so light hearted about the situation...

I mean, even though it is your experiences and opinions, you guys should know that it is hard to ask the Teacher to change the subjects right?
Like there is no point in asking my teacher to change cause he won't even bother with it anymore. Dam it, I hate my school..

 

[absorber]

Its almost the start of the prelim, and I've handed in my subject selections (I chose advanced english), but I was wondering if I should try to see the teachers and take extension english as well.

I got a band 6 (just.) in the school certificate for english, and I like english and I read a lot of books.

Did any other people have trouble in extension? Is it hard, and does it scale well against the other subjects? Worth it?

Thanks

Depends on if you like whatever you'll study. We did crime fiction, pretty boring in comparison to everything else

 

[Absolutezero]

We did Retreat From The Global (in '08). Not particularly challenging or overly interesting IMO. 'You need a mix of the local and the global' was essentially the answer to every question.

 

[bubbrubb]

Hey,

I did ext 1 in year 11 but then dropped it in yr 12 because i wanted 10 units. I regretted it greatly because i was pretty good at it but just wanted to do the least work possible.

why did i regret it? Because it's an escape from advanced english.

Advanced english is all about pedantic inclusions of techniques and quotes (often just for the sake of having a technique) to support an argument that you are never relli given enough time to actually go in depth about.. There's almost a formula to writing a solid adv english essay and to get full marks you just need flair.

however, ext 1 is different. (probably not the best source as i did not do yr 12 ext english but at least half of the grade did if not more at my school). This is because, for essays, focus more heavily on the context and the issues within the text and techniques are not as important unless they are major techniques. Essentially, you don't have to feel like a bullshitter by somehow connecting a single rhetoric to a big issue like you have to do in advanced (unless of course that was just me). There is much more emphasis on theories and philosophies etc and how these affect the texts and how we view the texts. Much more in depth and lets you write more personally.

I regret not doing it because not only is it fairly fun as I would only know from helping people who did ext english when they were stuck but because its actually really straightfoward.

Your whole year 12 consists of simply 2 tasks: a creative writing piece and an essay (each given one hour to write in the test). Throughout the year you will basically be given assessments that force you to start basic (and shorter) versions of these essays/creative writing pieces and then as the year progresses you expand on these until you have one complete creative writing and one complete essay that can both be written in 2 hours for the hsc.

That means all you do the whole year is write an essay and a creative story that you perfect over a year - compare that to adv english which is 5 essays and 1 creative writing... then again, english is always challenging :S...

But if you enjoy reading as much as you say you do and you achieved a band 6 in sc, by all means go ahead with ext 1 because its fun, scales very well and importantly, can save your ass by being part of the 2 units of english that are used when calculating your atar (say you did 11 units and you fucked up english adv in hsc because the question threw you, ext 1 english can replace one of the compulsory 2 units of english that are used to calculate your atar, essentially halving the damage that adv english can do!)

gl and i hope u choose ext 1! (at least for yr 11, if you don't like it, drop it)

 

[lpodnano]

Wow, you guys seem so light hearted about the situation...

I mean, even though it is your experiences and opinions, you guys should know that it is hard to ask the Teacher to change the subjects right?
Like there is no point in asking my teacher to change cause he won't even bother with it anymore. Dam it, I hate my school..

At my school we get a 2 week window period. If we don't like the subject we chose, we can easily change in the first two weeks.

 

[X2RADialbomber]

Extension English is the only class where you'll be able to express your own thoughts and opinions about the texts you're studying. Extension classes at my school were so carefree, we weren't force fed everything like in Advanced and the class really helped me improve my essay and creative writing.

So yes, Extension English is definitely worth it!

 

[ilikebeeef]

Wow, you guys seem so light hearted about the situation...

I mean, even though it is your experiences and opinions, you guys should know that it is hard to ask the Teacher to change the subjects right?
Like there is no point in asking my teacher to change cause he won't even bother with it anymore. Dam it, I hate my school..

At my school, you can't change subjects after the first few weeks or something, or if the lines won't work for you.

But I got excepted of this, and dropped Extension English and picked up Physics in the last term. I had to be very convincing though, had to talk to a few teachers about it.

Oh and I wouldn't be exactly light-hearted about this issue. But that's just me.