You will study THREE modules in addition to the Area of Study. Each module is worth 20% of your weightings.

In Advanced English the modules for study are:

• A comparative study of text and context

• Critical study of text

• Representation and text

Within each module there are number of electives from which you and your teacher can choose, however you MUST study ONE elective for each module and the texts nominated for the elective in the Prescribed Texts book for that year.

Module A overview

A comparative study of text and context

Note: You will study ONE elective only.

You will study TWO texts from the Prescribed Texts document listed for study against the Elective you are studying.

In this Module you examine two texts that have a strong connection: they may have similar themes; one may be a representation of an earlier text; one may take an aspect of a text and develop it further. You will then be in a position to examine the value of the texts.

• Context refers to the composer's background: historical, social, cultural, workplace etc

          A composer's context will influence the texts that they compose: their themes, their perspective; the setting and characters they create.

          The text set for you to study will also have a context: the set of circumstances that lie behind its composition.

          Context will also play a role in how a composer chooses to present their ideas.

• Comparison is the process of putting two or more things - in this case two texts and their contexts - against each other and looking for what is similar and what is different.

          Comparison also involves evaluation of what is being said and how it is done and the value of the text to the context of its composition.

In approaching this module you need to study:

firstly -

• each composer's context - those personal, historical, social, cultural and workplace circumstances that surround the composer

• the context for each text - the specific historical, social and cultural factors at the time of composing that influenced the composer to create the text that has been set for study

• how context is reflected in the texts set for study

• how the composer has created their text - form eg, novel, drama, film; distinctive structural and language features; characterisation.

then look across the information you have gathered and consider -

• how the contexts of the composers differ

• how these differences are reflected in their texts

• how these differences are reflected in how they have created their texts

Finally, having examined the two texts, their contexts and compared them, you can determine the value of the texts in their own context and for a modern audience. You will be able to decide why we still read, view or listen to these texts.

Writing responses for Module A in the HSC examination

Module B overview

Critical study of text

Note: You will study ONE type of text only.

You will study ONE text from the Prescribed Texts document listed for study against the Elective you are studying.

This Module involves a close study of one text and the study of how it has been read and received in different contexts and by different audiences since its composition. Students will consider the different ways of reading a text and compare these to their own readings. They will study the reception of the text in different contexts by different audiences. This will lead to students to an informed decision of the text's value in its own context and to its own to current audiences and in new and different contexts.

A close study of the text is a necessary first step to a critical study. The close study of a text involves the examination of:

• the structures of texts
• the language features of text
• representation and the text.

A critical study of text involves an understanding and evaluation of the different ways in which this text can be read. Readings of a text are interpretations of the meaning a text may have. These readings are a product of the context, audience and purpose of the reader (an individual or a group) and are often the result of a particular way of looking at the world. In the case of performance texts, these readings are evident in the production of the text.

Writing responses for Module B in the HSC examination

Module C overview

Representation and text

Note: You will study ONE elective only.

You will study ONE text from the Prescribed Texts document listed for study against the Elective you are studying.

You will also be required to collect related material of your own choosing.

In this module students examine how composers represent events or personalities or situations. They will develop an understanding of the interconnection between representation and meaning.

Representation refers to the way in which a composer chooses to portray their subject matter (events or personalities or situations) in order to convey their meaning in relation to that subject. This involves a composer making choices about the structure of their text and language forms and features of that text in order to convey the desired meaning.

Students develop the skills to evaluate the way in which meaning is influenced by:

• the medium of production

• textual form

• perspective, and

• language choices.

Writing responses for Module C  in the HSC examination