tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post8920655903183596919..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Where Angels Fear to Tread by Keren DavidUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-15488541026475654662014-06-10T09:03:26.525+01:002014-06-10T09:03:26.525+01:00Hear hear Keren, well saidHear hear Keren, well saidPiers Tordayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14108691607571882537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-88057527812037584332014-06-09T16:31:59.907+01:002014-06-09T16:31:59.907+01:00Yes, it's a very interesting list. I too was a...Yes, it's a very interesting list. I too was at secondary modern school, and then, from age 13, at a technical school, in the late 1950s. I don't remember studying any book by a living writer - though I may be mistaken! When I changed schools at 13, we had a wonderful school library. And my husband (at a grammar school) and I both remember having a "library" period at least once a week when we simply went to the library and read anything we liked. I also remember that right up till GCE 'O' Level our English teacher used to simply read to us for one period a week, and I loved that; I remember Dickens, Shakespeare, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, among others (the whole book as a serial, I mean, not excerpts). Ann Turnbullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484265041343702129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-48820505697904430532014-06-08T23:22:21.864+01:002014-06-08T23:22:21.864+01:00I agree, Ann, but 16 is the cusp of adulthood, and...I agree, Ann, but 16 is the cusp of adulthood, and I think the compilers of the CSE list had thought hard about what sort of books might engage young adults. I'd love to know more about how this list was drawn up.Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-84175670972998558272014-06-08T23:22:17.186+01:002014-06-08T23:22:17.186+01:00I agree, Ann, but 16 is the cusp of adulthood, and...I agree, Ann, but 16 is the cusp of adulthood, and I think the compilers of the CSE list had thought hard about what sort of books might engage young adults. I'd love to know more about how this list was drawn up.Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-77533614621297661052014-06-08T22:00:02.155+01:002014-06-08T22:00:02.155+01:00Yes, hooray for Hilary Mantel! And thanks for a br...Yes, hooray for Hilary Mantel! And thanks for a brilliant post, Keren.<br /><br />I've read nearly all the books you mention on your husband's list - not all while I was at school, but many as a young working adult - and nearly always getting them from the public library. None of these set texts were written with children in mind - which doesn't mean they can't enjoy them; but often they don't, and reading a book too early can put you off it for life. Ann Turnbullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484265041343702129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-55950126817879078092014-06-08T17:16:13.933+01:002014-06-08T17:16:13.933+01:00I should say, rather, as much of a profit!I should say, rather, as much of a profit!C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-86542053669865741952014-06-08T17:15:27.506+01:002014-06-08T17:15:27.506+01:00I also read the Hilary Mantel quote and cheered - ...I also read the Hilary Mantel quote and cheered - and read about Eimear McBride's plan to give away Of Mice and Men and groaned! How fabulously liberating the CSE exam sounds - but you know why they won't do it? It requires properly qualified markers and a lot of moderation, because the exam boards can't write 'tick box' suggested answers for their underpaid, overworked, under-qualified markers and hence will not be able to make a profit. C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-29949037070746482982014-06-08T14:55:07.703+01:002014-06-08T14:55:07.703+01:00Nice Post, and i still wait the updateNice Post, and i still wait the updateObat pelangsing alamihttp://goo.gl/0c8Bntnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-33836150013308530702014-06-08T10:55:31.485+01:002014-06-08T10:55:31.485+01:00Stroppy The CSE exam was all generic questions wh...Stroppy The CSE exam was all generic questions which could apply to all the texts, so there was a wide choice for teachers and pupils. For once, I think, the experience of learning was more important than the exam at the end. Which exam board did you have for O level? You had so many texts...and we'd never heard of coursework! Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-50362344360576618822014-06-08T10:26:32.681+01:002014-06-08T10:26:32.681+01:00Hooray for Mantel! - Not at all surprised that she...Hooray for Mantel! - Not at all surprised that she gave the most intelligent response.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-54219576593246773622014-06-08T06:46:53.864+01:002014-06-08T06:46:53.864+01:00I did O level English in 1975 and the texts were: ...I did O level English in 1975 and the texts were: Romeo and Juliet, Journey's End (play set in the WW1 trenches by Sheriff, early 20th c)), Erewhon (satirical dystopian novel by Samuel Butler, 19th c), a poetry anthology, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Power and the Glory (Grahame Greene, 20th c), The Mill on the Floss (George Eliot, 19th c). We wrote coursework on 3 (?) and were examined on the remainder, so not too much to revise but a good spread 2xdrama, 2xpoetry, 2xnovel, 1xpropaganda/satire/politcal discourse. I can't see how they can spread three texts over a whole 18 months. My daughter did GCSE English a couple of years ago and she did 5 texts. I agree, Keren, that the CSE approach sounds much more liberating - but, presumably, the teachers needed to be able to cover any and all of those texts unless they then restricted the students to their choice rather than an exam board's choice? It would certainly be a better way to go if it could be made to work to the students' advantageStroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-4731924622920620692014-06-08T06:23:12.456+01:002014-06-08T06:23:12.456+01:00I had to move schools in the middle of the year wh...I had to move schools in the middle of the year which would have been the equivalent age at which you did "O" level - and found that the new school was doing an entirely different set of texts. I think it says something for the low standard expected that I just accepted this, read the new texts and passed the necessary exam. Although I loved reading and was considered good at English I was actually advised not to study English at tertiary level if I wanted to write - the advice was to instead "read and ready widely". I took the advice and have never regretted it. catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.com