Classified: How to psychologically (and hence practically) manage the O Levels English Written Paper, yeah.
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There are many resources on how to excel academically, but I do not see much discussion on the paper itself and its implications on students' mentally.
It is quite a tough paper to ace, so let’s explore why that is, or at least, why that seems to be the case.
Separate your personality from the paper
Slightly controversial to say, but so true. I have noticed that when my students start to die inside, that is when they ironically start to shine on the paper, yay!
Seriously, though, the paper is simply a rigorous way to test how much you connect with the language on a technical and analytical level. It needs you to showcase your abilities in combing through the vast expanse of the language, only to get the point, or the points they ask for. Surprisingly, the answers are all there. In the text for comprehension. In the topic for the composition.
It is simply a text-based, evidence-based, and safe theme-based paper, which does not demand that your personality or thoughts be etched onto it.
You are mostly teenagers. It is totally normal to want to express yourself authentically. You actually think without being told to. However, that is the problem. You must limit your thinking to within the confines of the context and the topic.
Reading and debating will undoubtedly help you on a grander scale, in terms of your life and your mental growth, but I cannot fully say that it will help you ace the paper. That is why I love helping students do well within the given text.
Understand the intention and the limitations of the paper
This brings me to the point that the paper, regardless of how we may view it, is essentially a test of English in a couple of forms. You get to navigate the informative space, the literary form, and talk about social themes orally and through writing.
The kicker is, you also don’t.
The themes of discussion for your writing must be within the boundaries of what they deem correct; you would need to touch on the social and intellectual points that are often repetitive and clichéd, rather than exhibiting many of your true ideas or thoughts. They must be balanced, so you do not sound too happy or too sad, but offer a cohesive viewpoint within the existing boundaries.
For reading, you are given giant texts with new extracted contexts every time, and even if you magically enjoy them in style and content, the questions suck the joy out of that experience but making you give a single answer to a question that you happen to vibe with.
Soooo. Why is the paper doing this lol
The answer is pretty simple, in that they just want to see how you navigate the language on a fundamental level. After you lay the foundation for the building and showcase that you can build a nice, solid, bricky building, then they would trust you to go ahead and explore in building fantastical architecture (If you go to JC, then probably not though, I’m sorry)
However, that seems to be the dominant intention.
It is quite ironic that the O-level paper is considered easier compared to the likes of IB, but I would urge people to empathize, as it is easier to think than not. It is easier to focus on single strains of information than many.
It is challenging simply by its somewhat easy design and objective stance.
Be a lawyer, not an artist
So, instead of looking at this expectation in a negative light, take it as an interesting challenge.
One silver lining in all of this is that the paper has everything you need. If you do not know the meaning of a word, the sentences and the context are there to save you (trust me, you just gotta know where to look)
In compositions, if you are unable to write what you truly feel or simply lack ideas, there are easy formats to help generate the thematic concepts you want (again, trust me - I will post ways to help with this soon!)
So, be a lawyer in the fact that all you have to play with are bits of evidence already in front of you. You do not need to go further, but simply look at what you have and proceed to make a simple inference one level above.
This does not give you the option to turn into a robot and start copying extracts blindly to “get” the answer. Come on, imagine if a lawyer does that. Copying evidence that just kind of fits what they are going for - that is a recipe for disaster. It would lack context and connection, and dare I say, the point of even sitting for the paper at all. Sorry, case. You know what I mean.
You may be taught to locate answers and copy them down blindly, but remember that it is a goal-oriented approach and, hence, unsustainable.
Understand that it is your language
Lastly, I would like to emphasise this point. You already speak the language. So, just because it is presented in styles that teenagers do not normally or usually consume, it does not make it a different entity. It is just English 2.0, you know?
It hurts me when I hear comments about how the paper is just unapproachable, or how it is not in English. It is :) Allow yourself to melt into how the language can be presented in such different ways. Hate to break it to you, but the texts are very approachable - so don't freak out, be patient, and just get the vibe, then gather evidence to support it.
If you do not know the meaning of many words or the tone, or what a phrase is, understand that you are all babies - you have many years ahead of you to actually learn new words. No one knows every word. So, forgive your baby self and simply infer, not interpret. Language is not meant to be learned statically, but in motion. Meanings shift and flow, and so should you.
