Exams again

[Mich the Tester]

Where are the pics of the A level girls?

[Pogle]

I can still quote large chunks of Julius Caesar.

Yep i can quote large chunks of Antony and Cleopatra, The Winters Tale, Keats and Goldsmith, and my A level english lit gave me a lifelong love of Jane Austin, and Arther Miller.
Its amazing what sticks in your head!

[Mich the Tester]

'Ere, isn't this play stuff all in Eng. Lit. rather than Eng. Lang?

Fecking hated Eng. Lit. with a vengeance.

Me too, even though I read a lot; I can't stand the way every word had to be analysed and interpreted and re-interpreted and how every week another chapter would be analysed in an essay. Just read the bloody book and be done with it; that's what the author intended IMO, except he probably hoped you'd buy another one.

[Old Hack]

why?

I still grade things against Shylock's speech, Shakespeare was a lefty for his time.

Grumio is still one of my favourite characters. Reprised in most modern (19-20th century) comedies.

And

Romeo & Juliet is still a powerful plot device.

I did however have a gifted and dedicated English literature teacher.

Talking about the Canterbury tales have you seen the series of reworked in modern times ones, they were rather good.

It's d000hg, and he doesn't do fiction....



We did Richard III and I even performed in the play on Old Sarum one year.

Read lots of 18 and 19th century guff. We interestingly had to do creative writing as well, which was very enjoyable, for Eng Lit. I liked the analytical side of reviewing the books, and plays as well, for it taught you to look for words, ideas, where you wouldn't normally think there were some.

[Mich the Tester]

I liked the analytical side of reviewing the books, and plays as well, for it taught you to look for words, ideas, where you wouldn't normally think there were some.

Alright then, I hated it but I suppose it's been of some value.

[MyUserName]

I did my GCSEs (General Certificate Sent to Everyone) 20 years ago. For English we did several books including the whole of the Merchant of Venice. I have not really noticed but I can quote chunks of still too. We did a lot of poetry too. We did not really do English Language as such.

Maths topped out at quadratic equations, the COS rule and advanced simultaneous equations. By the time the exam came it was a doddle. I used to do maths passed papers as a revision break from other subjects.

Cannot really remember the other subjects' contents.

However, only 1 girl got straight As (we were before A*s) and she went on to get straights As at A level (I think she might have been the only one again but there might have been one other guy too) and then went to Oxford to do Chemistry. Hence I am pretty confident that this was if not before then just at the start of the standards slip.

[MyUserName]

I liked the analytical side of reviewing the books, and plays as well, for it taught you to look for words, ideas, where you wouldn't normally think there were some.

Yep, it is a lot about developing analysis skills.

[Pogle]

I am a bit conerned as Pogle jr will be one of the guinea pigs for this new qualification, and taking a new set of exams with no past papers and not knowing what to expect is a bit daunting.

[Zippy]

I liked the analytical side of reviewing the books, and plays as well, for it taught you to look for words, ideas, where you wouldn't normally think there were some.

WOHS. It drew you into looking at the politics and social customs of the day.

Bill Bryson's book on Shakespeare is an interesting read, btw.

[VectraMan]

Yep i can quote large chunks of Antony and Cleopatra, The Winters Tale, Keats and Goldsmith, and my A level english lit gave me a lifelong love of Jane Austin, and Arthur Miller.

Ah yes, The Crucible. One of the few things I really did enjoy in English Lit class. Thanks Goody Pogle.