My English courses are both mandatory and slightly impossible. I know a guy who got in the top 3 percentile in the SATs and he struggles!

And this is hopefully my last English course of my life, and they seem so determined to ruin it. :(

Huh, here they stick you with three madatory languages till 8th grade, Two till 10th and English till College 2nd year.

So now we're not talking about killing Jane but English? Ach, I cannae keep up.

Her vampire comrades got her, I think.

Gingerbreadman wrote: So now we're not talking about killing Jane but English? Ach, I cannae keep up.

It's a Conversation, and Off topic Conversation.

Hooray for Off Topic-ness

Ban compulsory English lessons? I'm definitely for that. It's blooming annoying and pointless; the only way to pass the stupid exams is by knowing the stuff almost off by heart, and by that time, you loathe it, not 'love it'. It's supposed to be about appreciating literature, all airy fairy stuff. Books were written to be read, and because the author wanted to write. There aren't hidden meanings; though there may be forshadowing. [/rant]

I heard that Philip Pullman once took an English GCSE exam. He got a C. :P

Random wrote: Ban compulsory English lessons?  I'm definitely for that.  It's blooming annoying and pointless; the only way to pass the stupid exams is by knowing the stuff almost off by heart, and by that time, you loathe it, not 'love it'.  It's supposed to be about appreciating literature, all airy fairy stuff.  Books were written to be read, and because the author wanted to write.  There aren't hidden meanings; though there may be forshadowing.  [/rant]

I heard that Philip Pullman once took an English GCSE exam.  He got a C.  :P

I agree completely for English Literature. Analysing every word in a book takes all the interest out of it. I read books because I enjoy them, not because I want to spend hours analysing it.
However, I do think English language classes should be compulsory - not the analysis bits that have sneaked into, say, the English GCSE, but creative writing, grammar, and so on, because frankly the standard of language is absolutely bollocks. I don't care if you want to use txt-speak (as long as you don't use it to me...), but there are times when you need to "speak England" (sorry, quote from my old English teacher...) properly. People who can't use commas and apostrophes in stuff like professional advertising make themselves and the company look really, really stupid.

Sure, grammar and punctuation are necessary for communication. It irks me no end when people make the simplest errors, especially when they are on the computer, which almost certainly has a spell-checker. And yes, being able to write an argument, or to be able to persuade someone is also useful, but those things can be taught through debating, and not everyone is suited to hand writing essays. Such lessons should be taught in the way that best suits the pupil, not forcing everyone to learn the same way, and be examined in that method.

Aye, which is why chatspeak makes me quiver with fear.

;)

I don't have analysis, just comprehension.

Which makes english eveyone's favorite subject.

Random wrote: Sure, grammar and punctuation are necessary for communication. It irks me no end when people make the simplest errors, especially when they are on the computer, which almost certainly has a spell-checker. And yes, being able to write an argument, or to be able to persuade someone is also useful, but those things can be taught through debating, and not everyone is suited to hand writing essays. Such lessons should be taught in the way that best suits the pupil, not forcing everyone to learn the same way, and be examined in that method.

Please, enlighten us as to your revolutionary method for teaching people to use apostrophes through debates...

The sad thing is that we sometimes do debates, but mostly it's seminars and monolugues.

And analysis isn't that bad, it's kinda sad when people read books and they don't get the full meaning. And it helps expand your mind, which is basically the entire point of education.

Anyway, I don't really have much reason to complain because I got all her tests/assignments from last year ;)

Also, English teachers are soo cool it's not even funny...

:o

Mildly funny?

Luciene wrote: And analysis isn't that bad, it's kinda sad when people read books and they don't get the full meaning. And it helps expand your mind, which is basically the entire point of education.

I've got no problem with a bit of analysis - I do it as I reread a particularly involved book - my problem is with the crazy level of analysing you have to do in a literature exam. You have to pull all sorts of weird and wonderful subtexts that clearly do not actually exist out of your arse, and it detracts from enjoying the book.

See? This is why I told you people to become shippers.

But did you listen? Nooo *grumbles*

=P

Join the Apostrophe Protection Society. Teach people the proper uses of apostrophes: not as plurals unless the last letter in a word is s. Post needs to learn that.:P

rubberchickenben wrote: Join the Apostrophe Protection Society. Teach people the proper uses of apostrophes: not as plurals unless the last letter in a word is s. Post needs to learn that.:P

...er, no. Apostrophes are only used in plurals if lack of it could potentially cause confusion, and even that is criticised by some sources. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe ... in_plurals

Yes. Chicken needs to get his Grammar right.

Your activity in this thread since I was last here worries me.