the current english course is a waste of time, true or false (1 Viewer)

[eddy11]

TRUE.

I have never been able understand how trying to pull meaning out of a text using metaphors, and symbolism etc is important or at least important enough to make it compulsory for it to be counted towards our UAI. I feel that i have wasted 5 years of english trying to search for meanings in a text that aren't actually there. Its frustrating because the answer that i eventually find is wrong. I have not learnt anything useful unless you count being able to being able to make up bull $%@# answers as to why and what shakespeare was trying to say centuries ago, as a life skill.

Maybe im wrong, but please enlighten me, i would love to hear others thought whether you agree or disagree.

 

[Ennaybur]

use the search

 

[cs01001]

You will feel better if you try to enjoy your text. I know... HSC English is gay

 

[veloc1ty]

I have never been able understand how trying to pull meaning out of a text using metaphors, and symbolism etc is important [...] I feel that i have wasted 5 years of english trying to search for meanings in a text that aren't actually there.

The skills learnt in trying to establish and find meaning (whether or not you think it's there) are valuable. The entire course is in terms of the skills used and learnt, not individual meanings and/or texts. (That's why every school, or even class, can use a different text for the same part of the syllabus).

 

[kewlu]

You can't change it, so put up with it.

 

[mjgeneral]

Now, thats the problem with people, we just "accept" it. I absolutely agree that English is quite useless. We will never apply words such as metaphor or juxtaposition, ever, in our entire lives. The subject is just a complete waste of time. Do you think its reasonable for a HSC student to perform poorly due to the fact that he could not understand Shakespearian language or poetry? I hardly think thats fair. And let's face it, the majority of students have no idea what they're on about and just pull crap out, yet they get their marks while the teachers say "you obviously studied very hard!". And not to mention the bias there is in the subject- the more favoured students achieve 80% of their mark due to their name. I'm quite certain that the name is worth at LEAST 50% of the marks. Its bullcrap when people say "oh you can use English in every subject!", its all lies. The world today revolves around technology, not around shakespeare. I don't think english can make a plane or cure cancer. Basic communication skills is enough, not the extra crap we learn at school that is apparently "useful" when in reality you'll never apply it

 

[black_kat_meow]

And not to mention the bias there is in the subject- the more favoured students achieve 80% of their mark due to their name. I'm quite certain that the name is worth at LEAST 50% of the marks.

What do you mean by this, their name? I don't understand?

 

[z600]

Now, thats the problem with people, we just "accept" it. I absolutely agree that English is quite useless. We will never apply words such as metaphor or juxtaposition, ever, in our entire lives. The subject is just a complete waste of time. Do you think its reasonable for a HSC student to perform poorly due to the fact that he could not understand Shakespearian language or poetry? I hardly think thats fair. And let's face it, the majority of students have no idea what they're on about and just pull crap out, yet they get their marks while the teachers say "you obviously studied very hard!". And not to mention the bias there is in the subject- the more favoured students achieve 80% of their mark due to their name. I'm quite certain that the name is worth at LEAST 50% of the marks. Its bullcrap when people say "oh you can use English in every subject!", its all lies. The world today revolves around technology, not around shakespeare. I don't think english can make a plane or cure cancer. Basic communication skills is enough, not the extra crap we learn at school that is apparently "useful" when in reality you'll never apply it

i agree with the fact that most of the stuff we study, we wont need. But i think it's just imporving our communication. We want to go forward right?

I know the HSC english is a load of crap and how sometimes you prepare so much and all you get is some average mark. Today my teacher was making all these out of this world connection in between texts.

 

[eflatmajor]

They want to weed out all the immigrants so they cant get good jobs.

But personally i think english would only come in handy if someone became a writer or delve in some form of magic involving the understaning of incantations and such.
Maybe thats where the cure for cancer lies.

 

[ekirii]

nicely argued. those words will probably never crop up again in our life but to say it is a complete waste of time is not quite true.

english is an appreciation of the language we speak and write - what we speak. sure, we might not sprout shakespearean sonnets to our friends (i did when i was watching the lunar eclipse tonight and they all looked at me weirdly), the 'delights' of verse may not be apparent in our everyday speech, but the english course is also a display of the versatility and the range of english. yeah sure, maybe still useless. i say we overanalyse. i seriously don't think the authors themselves put that much meaning into their writing (eg. in jane eyre, i'm not sure bronte wrote in the 'phallic' imagery intentionally) and film studies - i remember doing transformations and filmic techniques earlier this year and before, and if the directors put that much effort into every scene as we were trying to drain from it... i think they should all be knighted. note sarcasm.

as for the name i certainly agree there. i was talking to some friends in mid-stream classes and they say, no matter how hard they try and no matter how well they write, there is an immediate bias against them. at my school top and mid stream classes do different texts so as soon as the marker sees the text, the little mechanism in their head kicks in and says, 'this person will not get above 10 out of 20'. and as for those who have the 'name', i agree but i think that there's often merit in their achievements.

i think i've dissed the english course more than i've defended it. lol, i guess i'll have to say that i enjoy it so i don't think it's a waste of time. then again, that's me personally but i can see where you are coming from. i was going to write something more in its defense but my friend is about to attack me.

 

[cfair]

They should be teaching spelling and grammar if my peers are anything to go by.

 

[ekirii]

have to agree with you there.

the deterioration of our everyday english really begins to show when you do another language. because another language is 'formally' taught we pick up all the stuff on clauses, indirect etc... but in english... we can have pretty horrific structure and tenses.

and our slang can be pretty ... unintelligible. quite.

and spelling... spell check can't do everything!? damn.

 

[slzybanana]

The english in the Preliminary HSC course, in my opinion teaches a higher level of thinking, well at least for me that is (I'm an extension eng student so yeah..) Standard English, I've come to believe, is still teaching things such as correct grammar usage etc. However, Advanced English and Extension 1 English are a different story. In advanced, for example, the current Area of Study for my grade is poetry. Truth be told, I personally despise poetry and often find it ridiculous, but I do admit that being able to understand poetry requires a higher level of thinking. There has to be a lot of thought process to be able to contemplate the meanings behind the poems, for a poem can be interpreted differently by each person. It's the same with Extension 1, except on an even higher level. For the past 3 terms, we have been doing the concepts of Utopia and Dystopia and these areas have required much thought. Everyone has a different idea of Utopia and it is true that 'One man's Utopia is another man's Dystopia.' Since everyone has different concepts, it leaves a lot of room for thought and perspective. The english course I am undertaking at the moment, I believe, is giving us the skills to be able to contemplate at a higher level and to see things from more perspectives. For example, when we watch television, instead of being a drone to the media and advertising, we might actually stop and think for a moment what we're being told and act through our own thoughts. English is the opposite to maths. In maths, the structure is very rigid. The answer/answers in maths are always constant and unchanging. e.g. (x + 1) (x - 1), the x intercepts can't be anything besides + 1 and -1. In english, there is no definite answer for a question, hence it leaves room for the student to think about and interpret it in their own way, which requires a high level of thinking. Forget the simpleness of learning the language of english. The preliminary course is far past that. It is all about the individual's ability to interpret, think and argue their perspective.

 

[Jachie]

Eh, who gives a shit. we have to do what we have to do, so suck it up and take it like a man.
























(that is in the ass, without protection.)

 

[Enteebee]

Perhaps it is dialetheias.

 

[ekirii]

nice.

just on that maths comment (i intensely hate maths btw) my teacher said 'maths is an exact science' to which my friend replied, 'what happens with approximation then?'

but back to english, critical study is quite fascinating, especially intriguing if you do psychoanalytic and feminist responses. i think it helps us appreciate the text more.

either way, it's mandatory and we might as well deal with it.

 

[Raaaaaay]

nice.

just on that maths comment (i intensely hate maths btw) my teacher said 'maths is an exact science' to which my friend replied, 'what happens with approximation then?'

Approximation is based on a precision floating point its as close to an exact answer you can get compared to english where peoples answers can differentiate from metaphors from birds in a gutter to how a leaf represents the meaning of the universe.

 

[ekirii]

yeah, i know... she was just using the word against the teacher's comment of 'exact'.

either way, maths is very, very precise. and i, being the illogical person i am, find it so... restrictive.

if i could drop below 3u maths i would be ecstatic but i think my parents have their mind set on me doing 4u.

not going anywhere near there.

 

[slzybanana]

lol I do 3u maths just out of asian pride. Regardless of marks I plan to go through with it no matter what lol, but yeah..4u is a bit =S so i'm not gonna touch that..

 

[ekirii]

same with the asian pride (on my parents' side at least)

however, so many of my friends say that 4u is easier than 3u. don't know how true that is, and even if it is easier, i think just having to do more maths is going to be overload.