Year 12: (Times: TBA)
Text-specific essay writing sessions for Section A (VCE English Exam) (either in an individual or a group class). Also see our A+ essay-writing workbooks for Oedipus the King (Sophocles); Rainbow’s End (Jane Harrison) and Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder). I also have an extensive selection of notes and essays on most texts on the Year 12 VCAA text list.
VCE Preparation Classes: (in-person and on zoom)
- Argument Analysis: opinion pieces; persuasive features; structure and sequence of arguments; language and positioning tactics; (See the English Works Analytical Vocab Builder; Section C; VCE English Exam: Suggested Responses from 2008 to 2025; Argument Analysis: Units 1 – 4 VCAA Study Design)
- Craft of Writing: personal texts (with a blend of both analytical and creative-style elements and language features); tone, register and voice, stylistic features such as sentence styles, patterns and extended metaphoric patterning devices; (See relevant workbooks and updated edited pieces)
- Text response: narrative devices and features of texts such as novels; plays; films and short stories (metalanguage) (See Workbook: How to Write an A+ essay on a range of text types)
- These classes are designed to encourage students to read formal texts; engage with insightful contemporary ideas; learn sophisticated phrases and improve written expression through immersion; they involve reading tasks and extension of ideas; students will improve their written expression and formal vocabulary usage through a variety of extension activities
- In-person: Sunday 10 – 11 am; Monday 7 – 8 pm;
- See Zoom Term 1 (4 classes special ) Times: Thursday: February 19; 26 and March 5; 19
Year 7-9 and Scholarship classes
- Workbooks: Better Essays: Persuasive Techniques; Spelling; Vocab Builder; Short Story Anthologies (includes renowned short stories from the masters with an emphasis on narrative devices, comprehension and quality of ideas and writing)
- advanced comprehension and reasoning skills; efficient and smart essay-writing skills;
- workshopping of creative pieces to improve character insights, originality and depth of ideas
- persuasive reasoning and vocabulary extension
- Creative work and English extension: we will read texts/passages from a variety of texts such as Christmas Carol, The Hate Race, Animal Farm and 1984 (We will work through our essay-writing text specific workbooks)
- Time: Tuesday 7 – 8 pm
Lesson costs:
- $40 each per 6-8 students ; Costs vary, depending upon class sizes.
- Special price for 4 x Zoom lessons ($130)
Resources: lessons include free workbooks published by English Works with online support; hand-outs on articles and short stories. (Please bring plastic sleeve folders to class.)