"Casablanca" on the Big Screen!

August 14th sees Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman come to the big screen in the Solstice Arts Centre!    This captivating wartime adventure of romance and intrigue tells the story of Rick Blaine, a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII.  His world is turned upside down with the arrival of Ilsa and her husband Victor Laszlo.

A lot of our 5th and 6th year students are studying this film for the Leaving Certificate, so  for 6.50euro you can view this fantastic film on the big screen with popcorn in hand!  Please click on the link for further details on booking your ticket! 

"Casablanca" on the Big Screen!

'First Death in Nova Scotia' and 'Mid Term Break'

As part of their study of the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, 5th year students Hannah McMahon, Aisling Taaffe and Dearbhla Maguire noted the differences in the treatment of the theme of death by Elizabeth Bishop and a poet from their Junior Cert days, Seamus Heaney!  Comparing both 'First Death in Nova Scotia' and 'Mid Term Break', Aisling, Hannah and Dearbhla made some very interesting observations and communicated them in a beautifully fluent manner.  Well done girls!

Poem: First Death in Nova Scotia

Poem: Mid Term Break

Bishop and Heaney - Hannah's Comparison

Bishop and Heaney - Aisling's Comparison

Bishop and Heaney - Dearbhla's Comparison

Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop, the American poet, is on both the 2013 and 2014 Leaving Certificate English course.  She is a firm favourite with students for her accessibility, as well as her thought-provoking themes and vivid imagery.  Here is a list of websites the English Department have put together that may be useful for Leaving Certificate students studying Bishop for their exams.

Biography

Revision Notes on Bishop

Booklet of Notes on Bishop

Imagery in Bishop's poetry

'The Fish' by Elizabeth Bishop

Please click on the video below to view a short video based on 

Elizabeth Bishop's poem, 'The Fish'. 

Leaving Cert English Syllabus 2015

The Department of Education have just published the prescribed material for the Leaving Certificate English Examination in 2015.  So for those of you beginning 5th year in September 2013 you might like to click on the link below to see what novels, plays, films and poems you will be studying!  

Leaving Cert Syllabus 2015

Students are always eager to learn which of Shakespeare's plays are on their course...and for you lucky 2015 candidates, you will have the pleasure of studying 'Othello' as a Single Study Text or 'King Lear' as part of your Comparative Course!

  

Plot Summary of 'Othello'

Plot Summary of 'King Lear'

The Single Text In Focus

This evening some members of the English Department attended a conference on correcting the Single Study Text for the Leaving Certificate.  Raymond Frawley, former Chief Examiner of the Leaving Certificate English Examinations, provided '10 Commandments' for students to remember when they are answering their Single Study question and five things that examiners look for when they are correcting this question.  Try to remember these tips when you are writing your next essay! 

 

10 COMMANDMENTS FOR ANSWERING ON YOUR SINGLE TEXT

1. Keep your personal response at the heart of your answer
2. Keep your focus on the question at all times
3. Analyse and discuss the text
4. Give your opinions with conviction and energy
5. Write fluently
6. Make clear connections between paragraphs
7. Be confident that you can assess the success of the writer's style
8. Don't give large chunks of summary
9. Don't give unfocused character sketches
10. Don't skim the surface of the text - dig deep

 

5 THINGS THAT EXAMINERS ARE LOOKING FOR:

 

"A sound understanding and a genuine appreciation of the features of the writing"

 

"A genuine interest and perceptive analysis of the text"

 

"Students should engage clearly and never lose focus of the question"

 

"You can't beat passion and energy, allied to good knowledge of the text"

 

"Make a convincing and compelling argument that is well supported

with judicious quotation"