Level 3 English - Visual

Level 3 English Visual

Level 3 Visual English is a course which challenges students to think critically and analytically about film as well as developing the written, oral and visual language skills that will prepare them for further study and work opportunities. Over the course of the year, students will study and respond critically to several film texts in a range of written, oral and visual forms including essays and report writing, delivering a seminar presentation and creating a visual text. This course will enable students to gain 4 University Entrance Writing Literacy credits. There are 17 credits available in this course, 13 of which can be gained in internally assessed standards and 4 from an externally assessed standard. 

What films could we study?

Three films are studied, linked by their director and/or their themes. Themes this year are: The Italian-American experience; War; and Westerns. 

The Italian-American experience - films directed by Martin Scorsese

War

Westerns

Areas of study

Close Viewing (3.9 - Internal)
The first internal assessment requires students to pay close attention to the director's style and deployment of a range of film techniques. Students critically analyse the use of film techniques and how these create atmosphere, character information and thematic messages.

Connections (3.7 - Internal)
After viewing all three films, students select an area of interest related to the director's style, the films' structure, or the ideas discussed in the films. Students develop a hypothesis and test this through an independent investigation of the films' construction and ideas.

Oral presentation (3.5 - Internal)
Students have the opportunity to teach their classmates by presenting a seminar or podcast based on either their close viewing or connections reports.

Create a Visual Text (3.6 - Internal)
This involves developing and extending the symbolic visual language of one of the studied films to create an analytical visual essay. Elements of the visual essay can include: moving and still images, music and voiceover, and on-screen text.

Critical analysis of a studied film (3.2 - External)
Assessed in the external exam, students critically respond to a studied film, analysing not only the director's craft and purpose but also the film's comment on society and human nature.

It will be necessary to pass the external standard 3.2 and the internal standard 3.7 to gain the 14 credits needed to use 13ENV as part of a student's University Entrance qualification.