Self-Taught Language A: Paper 2: Comparative Essay

Criterion A: Understanding and Interpretation

• Know, understand and interpret a range of texts, works and/or performances, and their meanings and implications.  

• Know, understand and interpret contexts in which texts are written and/or received.  

• Know, understand and interpret elements of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual and/or performance craft.  

• Know, understand and interpret features of particular text types and literary forms.  

You will be expected to show knowledge and understanding of the meanings evident in two works you are discussing; focusing on how these are conveyed and their relevance to the chosen question. Knowledge of the contexts of the works in relation to the question selected is also important. How the craft of the writer, in terms of their use of literary, stylistic, performance and rhetorical devices, can be understood and might be interpreted also needs exploration, as do the features of the selected works.  

For example, if you choose a question such as “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,.” To what extent do two of the works you have studied present concepts of good and bad as a matter of perception? When answering, you should ensure you show an understanding of the two works through the lens of the concept of good and bad. You should identify where there are different perceptions of good and bad and go on to develop an interpretation of the works in relation to the question.  

Parallels should be drawn between the two works to show similarities and differences in the way the topic is presented and addressed. How effectively you have compared and contrasted both works in relation to the question would be considered in this assessment objective. 

 

 

Criterion B: Analysis and Evaluation

• Analyze and evaluate the uses and effects of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual, or theatrical techniques.  

• Analyze and evaluate relationships among different texts.  

• Analyze and evaluate ways in which texts may offer perspectives on human concerns.  

In the case of the question referred to in the previous section, you would analyze primarily how literary devices in the works have been used to assert or question an absolute view of good and bad. In this connection, it will be necessary to use relevant evidence from the works to support your claims. You do not need to memorize quotes, but ensure that your arguments are justified with references to aspects of the works themselves. You would also be expected to evaluate the way different techniques have been used to fulfill different aims in the works and their relative effectiveness.  

Parallels should be drawn for this assessment objective between the two works to show similarities and differences in the way meaning has been constructed. How effectively you have compared and contrasted both works in relation to their literary features and the way these have constructed meaning would be considered in this assessment objective.  

 

Criterion C: Focus and Organization

• Communicate ideas in clear, logical, and persuasive ways.  

Criterion C in Paper 2 requires that your answer should be well-focused. The focus that you are expected to apply in the case of Paper 2 is the one indicated by the question. In an example question such as “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”, you are being asked whether the notions of good and bad are relative and, therefore, vary from person to person. You should make sure that everything in your essay is relevant to this focus. Another element to remember for this criterion is the balance between the two works under discussion and you should make sure that you have not discussed one at greater length than the other.  

 

Criterion D: Language

• Communicate in a range of styles and registers and for a variety of purposes and situations.  

Criterion D does not differ much from the same criterion in Paper 1. Both a guided analysis and a comparative essay are academic pieces of writing and therefore, need to be formal and impersonal. In terms of language, it is useful to be familiar with a range of vocabulary to refer to and describe specific elements of texts like tone, perspective, and characterization. Linking expressions and structures that relate to comparison and contrast could also help to organize your essay more effectively.  

 

Learner Portfolio Expectations for Paper 2:

• group the works studied according to a common theme or issue and explore their similarities and differences

• develop an awareness of the differences between literary forms and of how these differences may have a bearing on how different works approach one theme or issue

• consider which combinations of works might be the most productive ones to address the variety of questions they might encounter in the actual paper

• inquire into the connections between the works studied, the areas of exploration and the central concepts of the course to gain an awareness of the multiplicity of lenses that can be used when studying a work and the essay questions that these might potentially lead to

• compare their successive practices of Paper 2 to the first one they have done and monitor the evolution of their overall performance in the paper.

This exam is designed to test your knowledge and understanding of any two of the works studied and the way style and content interact. Your preparations should mean you come into the examination knowing and understanding at least three of the works studied, even though you will only write about two of them.  

To help prepare for Criteria A and B, you will need to take notes on stylistic and literary elements and themes that are present. You should consider how the writer crafts their writing and what the effects of this are upon the work and the reader.  

As you read the works on your Book List throughout the course, you should get a sense of which ones complement each other. The richer and more varied the connections between two works, the more suitable they will be for Paper 2. It is recommended that during your course, in consultation with your tutor, you should set aside three works to study for Paper 2. This will make revision for this component more manageable and make it easier to choose a question in the exam.  

Paper 2 is a literary essay so you must ensure that you understand and have skills in essay writing. It is important to note that how an essay is structured and organized in one language may be different in another. Criterion C looks at the focus and organization of your comparative essay. As mentioned in the discussion of the assessment objectives, in this component it is not only organization and coherence that matters, but also that your essay should have a clear focus on the question. Therefore, you have to know how to organize and structure an essay. Criterion D assesses how appropriately you use language to make an argument. In your Learner Portfolio you should practice using a register and language that is appropriate for a comparative literary essay. This means using language that is precise, clear and accurate and utilizes literary terms when referring to the works.  

You are not just being assessed on how to write an essay: you must be able to communicate understanding and give a comparative critical response to two works read in your study in response to one of four questions. This does not mean you have to memorize quotes, but you do have to know details about the works. For example, if you are writing about a novel, you should be able to discuss the plot, narrative style, point of view and characters. If you are writing about a poem, you should show an understanding of the structure, form, and content.  

This will help you to understand how your work will be assessed:  

• Look at the marking criteria of Paper 2 and cut up the separate bands of each criterion. See if you can put them back together in the correct order for each criterion, from the lowest mark to the highest mark.  

• Think of an ideal essay structure for Paper 2. Write a plan for it on a piece of paper, then find another student who is also doing a language A subject to discuss it and see if they agree. Ask your tutor or supervisor what they think.  

• Write a checklist for a successful Paper 2 essay. What elements should a good paper 2 essay have? Use this checklist on a past paper which scored a high mark to see if you agree with the examiner.  

• Ask your SSST Coordinator to provide you with examples of student work and mark these with the assessment criteria. Afterwards, compare your mark with that given by the examiner. What could this student have done to make their essay better? What did they do well? How does this affect what you will do in your essay? Write your reflection in your portfolio.  

• During your course, you should frequently ask your tutor or SSST Coordinator for examples of Paper 2 essay questions to practice with so you can get used to the requirements, as well as applying and improving your comparative and analytical skills.  

• Use the assessment criteria to mark what you have written in your practice essays. Which were the areas where you did well and which areas could you improve? Discuss with your tutor what you can do to improve these areas.  

These activities may help you to understand your selected works and how you might write about them:  

• After reading two works, you could try and find a common aspect such as theme, perspective or how imagery is being used to convey meanings and then outline their similarities and differences using a Venn diagram.  

• In your Learner Portfolio, imagine and write a dialogue that the authors of two different works might have had, bringing out the similarities and differences.  

• Rewrite the ending of two works, in each case using the perspective of the author of the other work to do so.  

• Explore how the work of one of the authors you have read might have changed if written by another author on your Book List.  

• Think of general questions that might appear in Paper 2 that would be suitable for you to work on with different pairs of works you have read, then outline an answer.  

• Take 20 minutes to write an introduction setting out your thesis in relation to the question you chose. Then, get another language A student to peer review your work.