What kind of Text should I choose?
You can choose any sort of text as a related text except the type of text you are using as your set text - ie don't choose a play if you are studying The Tempest or a film if you are studying Life of Pi or non-fiction if you are studying Go back to where you came from or The Motorcycle Diaries.
This page is designed to give you some guidelines about what to look for in each type of text. Scroll down to find out about using:
Artwork
Advertisements (coming)
Biographies (coming)
Documentaries (coming)
- Choose a text you love. You may not like your teacher's choice of set text, but this is your chance to make the topic relevant to you.
- Choose different types of texts: Eg: if you’re studying a film, choose a documentary, novel/short story, poem, website, song or play; not another film.the point of related texts is to show the marker you've read and viewed widely.
- You should also pick related texts that both reinforce and contradict the ideas in your prescribed text. This shows the marker you have read and viewed widely, not picked the first things you found.
- Choose texts about different aspects of discovery. This shows the marks that you’ve investigated different concepts of belonging (eg: when it’s better not to belong!) as well as the prescribed text.
- If you’re advanced student, try using a non-fiction text to develop and structure your argument about the other texts. This helps you interweave your material
This page is designed to give you some guidelines about what to look for in each type of text. Scroll down to find out about using:
Artwork
Advertisements (coming)
Biographies (coming)
Documentaries (coming)
Journal Articles
Journal
articles are a good choice for non-fiction readers to follow up a
personal interest or for advanced students to explore an interest in
literary theories (eg postmodernism, feminism etc). They can be useful
in defining belonging from a more practical perspective than more
literary texts.
When analysing articles, be very aware of the context and intended audience of the magazines they come from. "Dolly" or "MAD Magazine" are unlikely to have useful related texts full of language techniques, but if you're interested in Music try "Rolling Stone" ; for Science try "Cosmos" or "Science Illustrated"; for History try "History Today" etc... Don't forget that illustrations and layout contribute as much meaning as the text itself, so look for an article with good visual as well as textual techniques.
When analysing articles, be very aware of the context and intended audience of the magazines they come from. "Dolly" or "MAD Magazine" are unlikely to have useful related texts full of language techniques, but if you're interested in Music try "Rolling Stone" ; for Science try "Cosmos" or "Science Illustrated"; for History try "History Today" etc... Don't forget that illustrations and layout contribute as much meaning as the text itself, so look for an article with good visual as well as textual techniques.
Films
If you choose a film, make sure you can summarise the plot in one sentence. If you can’t do this, pick a shorter text (eg one episode of a TV programme), otherwise you’ll end up telling the story instead of analysing the language features – that doesn’t get you many marks!
The films with annotations are in the school library. Additional films are listed below.
The films with annotations are in the school library. Additional films are listed below.
Novels
Almost every young adult novel deals with discovery in some way - growing up is always a process of discovery. Young adult novels can be a good choice because you are using literature for which you are the target audience.
Classics and adult fiction usually have more complex plots and characters, which gives you more to discuss in an essay. They also often have a more sophisticated writing style, so English teachers (and markers!) like them better than young adult novels - especially for advanced students. Don't forget that classics have been around a long time, so your markers have studied and/or taught them before and will know them even better than you!
However, many young adult novels are equally complex and well-written, which is why they've won awards in adult as well as children's literature competitions. It's how well you analyse and write about your related text that counts, not how well-known it is.
If you choose a novel, make sure you can summarise the plot in 1-2 sentencse. If you can’t do this, pick a shorter text, otherwise you’ll end up telling the story instead of analysing the language features – that doesn’t get you many marks!
Classics and adult fiction usually have more complex plots and characters, which gives you more to discuss in an essay. They also often have a more sophisticated writing style, so English teachers (and markers!) like them better than young adult novels - especially for advanced students. Don't forget that classics have been around a long time, so your markers have studied and/or taught them before and will know them even better than you!
However, many young adult novels are equally complex and well-written, which is why they've won awards in adult as well as children's literature competitions. It's how well you analyse and write about your related text that counts, not how well-known it is.
If you choose a novel, make sure you can summarise the plot in 1-2 sentencse. If you can’t do this, pick a shorter text, otherwise you’ll end up telling the story instead of analysing the language features – that doesn’t get you many marks!
Plays
If you don't like reading very much, try using a play as a related text - It's all dialogue without much of the description that takes so long to read . Plays are quick to read and make you look like a serious student but you're less likely to pick the same text as the rest of NSW than if you picked a poem or a classic novel.
When you read a play try to picture it like a film in your mind. Think about the stage directions and the way the dialogue (vocabulary, types of sentences, the way they interrupt each other etc.) makes each character different.
When you read a play try to picture it like a film in your mind. Think about the stage directions and the way the dialogue (vocabulary, types of sentences, the way they interrupt each other etc.) makes each character different.
Picture Books
Picture books are written for a wide range of ages, from pre-school to adults, but this doesn't make them an easy option. Choosing a book for a young audience (eg Jennie Baker's wordless stories) can be useful if it is well-designed. Choosing a picture book for an older audience (eg Sean Tan's The Arrival) usually gives you a more complex argument.
When analysing picture books remember that the words, illustrations, and layout are equally important. You will need to use literary language to identify language techniques and film vocabulary to describe the visual elements of the text. Hints for describing visual texts can be found at
Visual Grammar [http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/webquest.asp?id=650&page=4923]. Don't describe every page, just choose two or three page-spreads that further your thesis and relate to your set text.
When analysing picture books remember that the words, illustrations, and layout are equally important. You will need to use literary language to identify language techniques and film vocabulary to describe the visual elements of the text. Hints for describing visual texts can be found at
Visual Grammar [http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/webquest.asp?id=650&page=4923]. Don't describe every page, just choose two or three page-spreads that further your thesis and relate to your set text.
poems
Poems are useful because they pack a lot of impact into a few lines. Pick a poem with lots of different techniques to show your marker how smart you are, but don’t forget to say what each technique tells the reader about belonging.
Random poems off the internet are not usually good related texts but they may be useful starting points to practice analysing the way the author presents the process of discovery. If you can, try to use a "classic" poet, who the markers will recognise as "serious literature". this will make it more likely that you can find out about the context in which the poem was written and what journeys of discover were made by the composer.
If you pick a long poem or verse novel, don’t try to analyse the whole thing. Pick three or four of the most important stanzas (if possible, one that say different things about discovery) and analyse these in detail. If you choose a short poem, make sure you have at least five different techniques and two different points to write about.
Some excellent places to look for poems are:
The Poetry Foundation [http://www.poetryfoundation.org/browse/]
Random poems off the internet are not usually good related texts but they may be useful starting points to practice analysing the way the author presents the process of discovery. If you can, try to use a "classic" poet, who the markers will recognise as "serious literature". this will make it more likely that you can find out about the context in which the poem was written and what journeys of discover were made by the composer.
If you pick a long poem or verse novel, don’t try to analyse the whole thing. Pick three or four of the most important stanzas (if possible, one that say different things about discovery) and analyse these in detail. If you choose a short poem, make sure you have at least five different techniques and two different points to write about.
Some excellent places to look for poems are:
The Poetry Foundation [http://www.poetryfoundation.org/browse/]
Short Stories
If a long novel is too much for you, try a short story - you'll get all the literary techniques to discuss but only a fraction of the reading time, so you can really get into how the message is communicated.
The annotated short stories can be found in the Area of Study extracts box. Below that is a list of short story anthologies in the school library.If you don't like the stories on this site - try the anthologies - you're sure to find somethign to your taste.
songs
Just because a song has a word like “discovery” or “explore” in it, doesn’t mean it’s actually about discovery. You are better off thinking about the ideas behind songs you like than doing a word search for poems or songs. Looking at the video clips can also help you choose a song – look for important camera angles or the use of symbols.
Warning: If you chose a song, make sure it is something more than just a love song. Love songs are about relationships, not discovery, so they won’t add anything more to your argument - even if you’re saying that the song describes someone discovering something about rel;atiobnships, you need to take it further. Your related text has to add to your argument, not just mirror it.
For an outstanding example of the critical analysis of music look at the article Ervine, Janathon. (2008). Citizenship and Belonging in Suburban France: The music of Zebda” in ACME and international e journal for critical studies 7 (2) at http://www.acme-journal.org/vol7/JEr.pdf. It’s not an easy article, but if you skip straight to p.205, you can see an fantastic analysis of a song. Bear in mind this is about the prvisous area of study, but have a look at the way it's done because this is what you need to do for discovery.
Warning: If you chose a song, make sure it is something more than just a love song. Love songs are about relationships, not discovery, so they won’t add anything more to your argument - even if you’re saying that the song describes someone discovering something about rel;atiobnships, you need to take it further. Your related text has to add to your argument, not just mirror it.
For an outstanding example of the critical analysis of music look at the article Ervine, Janathon. (2008). Citizenship and Belonging in Suburban France: The music of Zebda” in ACME and international e journal for critical studies 7 (2) at http://www.acme-journal.org/vol7/JEr.pdf. It’s not an easy article, but if you skip straight to p.205, you can see an fantastic analysis of a song. Bear in mind this is about the prvisous area of study, but have a look at the way it's done because this is what you need to do for discovery.
Speeches
Speeches make useful related texts because their audience and purpose are very clearly defined. Many famous speeches do not fit the area of study, but if you are interested in this text-type, you could trawl through the internet for sites listing speeches.
Studying speeches is also a good way to learn about persuasive language. The techniques used to persuade a crowd of listening people can also be used to persuade your marker that your perspective on beloning is valid!
Studying speeches is also a good way to learn about persuasive language. The techniques used to persuade a crowd of listening people can also be used to persuade your marker that your perspective on beloning is valid!
Websites
Websites can be used in an interesting way for this Area of Study because they create a virtual community - people who are displaced or alientated in reality can find a sense of belonging with like-minded people online.
Websites are virtual communities/families – no matter how isolated you are, there’s always a place to discover someone who shares your interests.
Websites are virtual communities/families – no matter how isolated you are, there’s always a place to discover someone who shares your interests.