If you want help with A-Level Lit but aren’t able to commit to regular tutoring, you may be interested in a one-day crash course to learn to write essays that a) address essay questions comprehensively, b) thoroughly analyse literary techniques and other choices made by the writers, and c) to manage your time more effectively.
This month’s focus is passage-based questions – both set texts and unseen poems. I will also be offering a course on the key concerns in Atonement – if you are having trouble understanding McEwan’s themes / character development / literary techniques, this is the course for you.
This round of courses will run from August 19th to September 10th. More courses will be offered after prelims; new topics will include Victorian unseen prose, The Age of Innocence passage-based question, and Atonement short essay question. Click for more detailed descriptions:
Atonement – Key Concerns
Atonement – Passage-Based Question
All My Sons – Passage-Based Question
Unseen Poetry Comparison
There will be writing exercises during each session for you to apply the skills you have learned. After the session, you will have the chance to:
a) get detailed comments on one new essay (practice questions will be provided),
b) consult me during my designated office hours,
c) text your questions to the Whatsapp group for your course topic.
All sessions are capped at 4 students per session. Registration details are at the end of this post.
I’ve been teaching A-level Literature students for the past 4 years. Here are some student testimonials. I also write and translate poetry, among other things. Please feel free to email me at qianxi dot teng at gmail dot com or use the contact form if you want to find out more.
Atonement – Passage-Based Question (3 hours)
All My Sons – Passage-Based Question (3 hours)
All PBQ courses will teach you how to write essays that effectively address the question. Skills covered include annotation techniques, point development, and how to choose relevant evidence.
As part of the Atonement course, I will be dedicating part of the session to the literary techniques you are most likely to encounter, and explain how McEwan uses them to develop the passage’s key concerns. For All My Sons, I will explain how to identify dramatic techniques and how they contribute to the key ideas in a passage.
Materials provided will include sample annotated passages, essay plans, as well as well-written paragraphs with explanations of what makes them good.
Atonement – Key Concerns (3 hours)
You will get a detailed overview of how McEwan develops a key theme and character in Atonement. The focus will be on the theme of war and the protagonist, Briony, but we will also discuss how other themes and ideas are explored through the presentation of war and Briony.
Other skills covered include how to revise for themes and characters, identify important scenes and quotes, and relate passages to the novel’s broader concerns.
Materials provided will include sample paragraphs on these topics, overviews of important concerns, and step-by step explanations of how to analyse key ideas and quotations.
Unseen Poetry Comparison (3 hours)
You will learn how to understand poems, identify the links between different poems, and come up with nuanced interpretations of poetry. Skills covered include reading techniques, identifying what two poems have in common, and how to organise essays.
Identifying literary techniques and understanding how they contribute to the broader ideas will be an essential part of this course.
Materials provided will include sample annotated poems, sample essay plans, as well as examples of well-written paragraphs.
Schedules, rates, and payment policies can be found here and in the registration form.
The sessions will be held in Upper Bukit Timah. The address will be provided once your registration has been confirmed.
Looking forward to working with you!
Lit Without Tears 