About The ‘Reading to Write’ Module
The Year 11 ‘Reading to Write’ module aims to enhance students’ reading and writing skills. It’s part of the common curriculum, meaning it’s studied by both Standard and Advanced English. The module has a few main requirements, including:
- Textual Analysis: Students will closely examine a diverse range of texts, including prose fiction, films, and multimodal works that blend different media. The objective is to understand how these texts convey ideas, relationships, and narratives, allowing students to appreciate the factors of storytelling.
- Creative Writing: This involves crafting narratives that reflect the themes, styles, or techniques of the texts studied. Students are encouraged to experiment with various narrative forms, such as monologues, letters, or diary entries. It forms an outlet for creativity and personal expression!
- Diverse Writing Formats: Versatility in writing is important, so students will be tasked with producing different types of writing, including essays, speeches, and reflective pieces. This variety helps develop a comprehensive understanding of how to write effectively for different audiences and purposes.
- Technical Writing Skills: This is relevant to all the other factors, and includes grammar, structure, and style. This allows for clear and effective communication, particularly if you’re trying to convey a certain message through a creative piece.
- Assessment tasks: This has both analytical and creative components – it’s about understanding the texts, but also applying knowledge of writing.
What is a Discursive?
Discursive writing is one of the main text types studied in English, and it allows writers to explore various ideas and topics in a balanced way. At its core, discursive writing is about exploration. It involves discussing ideas or opinions without pushing a specific agenda. You’ll often find this style in feature articles, personal essays, and speeches. It can take on various tones, from humorous to serious, and can be formal or informal – it’s up to you!
Discursive texts have several key features, like:
- An Exploration of Ideas: Discursive texts look at a topic from different angles. This allows for a richer understanding of the subject and invites readers to consider various viewpoints.
- No Persuasion: Unlike argumentative writing, which aims to convince the reader of a particular stance, discursive writing presents information and perspectives without bias. It’s about opening up a discussion rather than closing it off.
- Personal Voice: Writers can incorporate their own experiences and insights, making the text relatable and engaging. This personal touch can include anecdotes, humour, and other literary devices that draw readers in.
- Flexible Structure: There are no strict rules governing the structure of a discursive text. Writers have the freedom to organise their ideas in a way that best suits their exploration of the topic, allowing for creativity in presentation.
Discursive writing stands out from other text types in several ways. Unlike argumentative writing, which seeks to persuade readers to adopt a specific viewpoint through strong evidence, discursive writing explores multiple perspectives on a topic without favouring one side. In contrast to descriptive writing, which creates vivid imagery and sensory details, discursive writing focuses on discussing ideas and opinions. Additionally, while narrative writing follows a clear structure with characters and plot development, discursive writing allows for a more fluid exploration of concepts, often lacking a traditional beginning, middle, or end.
The Features of a Great Discursive
- In-depth Exploration: A solid discursive text really digs into a topic. Instead of just pushing one viewpoint, it looks at different angles, which gets readers thinking critically.
- Balanced Tone: It strikes a nice balance in tone. Whether it’s serious or a bit humorous, the right tone helps keep the discussion engaging and relatable.
- Personal Voice: Adding your personal touch is key! Using anecdotes, figurative language, and a bit of flair makes the writing more interesting and helps connect with readers.
- Clear Structure: While you have some freedom in how you organise your ideas, a good discursive text still benefits from a clear structure. Think of it like having a roadmap: an intro, body, and conclusion help guide the reader through your thoughts.
- Engaging Introduction: Start strong! Your introduction should grab attention and lay out what you’re going to explore, setting the stage for the discussion ahead.
- Well-Organised Body: The body is where you present different arguments and counterarguments. Make sure to back them up with evidence or personal insights to keep things balanced.
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FAQs
What structure should a good discursive text have?
A well-structured discursive text typically follows this format:
- Paragraph 1: Introduction – Start with an engaging introduction that outlines the topic and sets the stage for the discussion.
- Paragraph 2: Perspective 1 – Present the first perspective on the topic. This is where you can delve into the arguments and evidence supporting this viewpoint.
- Paragraph 3: Perspective 2 – Introduce a contrasting perspective, exploring the arguments and evidence that support this side of the discussion.
- Paragraph 4: Personal Anecdote – Here’s where you can weave in your personal anecdote! Use it to illustrate a point or connect with the overall theme of your discussion, helping to make the topic more relatable.
- Paragraph 5: Conclusion – Wrap things up with a thoughtful conclusion that reflects on the discussion and leaves your readers with something to think about.
This structure helps create a clear and engaging flow!
Where do I put my personal anecdote?
Your personal anecdote can fit perfectly around the fourth paragraph, or the body of your discursive, right after you’ve presented the different perspectives. That being said, there is no rigid structure for discursive texts; some prefer including the anecdote towards the beginning, within the introduction! Mainly try to prioritise that it flows naturally within the context of the arguments you’ve presented.
How do I choose a topic for my discursive text?
Choosing a topic is a crucial first step! Look for subjects that are relevant, interesting, and have multiple viewpoints. Think about current events, social issues, or even personal experiences that can spark discussion. It’s helpful to pick a topic you’re genuinely curious about, as this enthusiasm will come through in your writing. Once you have a few ideas, consider the different perspectives you can explore- – make sure there are at least two sides to consider.
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Written by KIS Academics Tutor for HSC English Advanced, Cherie Tran. Cherie is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Communications (majoring in Social and Political Sciences) at UTS, and has received stellar reviews from her past KIS Academics students. You can view Cherie’s profile here and request her as a tutor.
