Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

As our Brandon students count down to the 13+ exam (most of our girls sat the exam in Spring but we have a very determined group of Harrow candidates who will certainly do well!) I would like to offer some advice on the English paper. The first English paper ('Literary prose') offers a prose comprehension followed by a structured writing task. Candidates have the option of writing a directed piece (speeches/magazine articles/diaries) or reflecting on literature. The majority of our students choose the first option and this advice is directed towards them: 1: Read the question carefully, underline the key words. 2: Be aware of the structure of the piece you are being asked to write. Make sure that you have the correct format in mind (e.g. if you are writing an article, have you included an introduction and conclusion?) 3: Think about the level of language you need to maintain: a diary entry can be informal language whereas a letter to a Head needs to be formal. Speeches

To all our Brandon 13+ candidates! Tips to ensure that your answer matches the questions 1: Underline the key words in the question. Ask yourself what the question requires of you. 2: Check the marking scheme, don't waste time on a one mark answer 3: Look for recognisable instructions: describe, analyse, compare 4: Is the question asking HOW something happens or WHY? 5: As you are answering, refer back to the question to make sure that you are on track. Read carefully... Don't panic!

At this time of year, on the Feast of Saint Patrick, we should be celebrating everything which is good about our country. My favourites are: our family ties, our incredible contribution to literature and our relish for and resilience to the absurdities of life. Everyone will have their own memories and recollections of growing up in Ireland; running along a beach in the rain and returning home to the scent of the peat fire and warmth. For me, this poem encapsulates our childhood joys and dreams and the experiences I hope to pass on. For children or the diaspora who are living outside Ireland, read this for your parents or grandparents and share in their memories and love of our land. Irish Children - An Dara-Leabhar (Gaelic League) Happy Irish children, In your home below, Sheltered when the rain falls, Safe from winter's snow. Sing your songs of gladness In your grand old speech, Climb the sunny hillside, Race along the beach. Nowhere greener pastures, Nowhere bro

Air rage.. road rage.. and now concert rage?  Last night I attended the wonderful first night of the  43rd Hong Kong Arts Festival . The Arts Festival is an annual treat during which we have the opportunity to experience masterly and challenging performances from the worlds' most talented artists. Last night's performance by  Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden  was exquisite. The programme opened with Strauss's Metamorphosen, a poignant reflection on war and a memorial for a world destroyed during the bombing of Europe in World War Two about which the composer wrote:  “2000 years of cultural evolution had met its doom, and irreplaceable monuments of architecture and works of art were destroyed by a criminal soldiery.” A phenomenal opportunity and an evening which generated reflection on man's ability to create and destory? Yes.. but not provoked by Strauss's music.  In the dying moments of the Metamorphosen, an over-enthusiastic member of the a

I had a wonderful piece of news from one of my students today: she had won first place in one of the poetry reading categories of the HK Schools Speech festival. Here are some of the reasons why: 1: She knew her poem. This sounds basic but it is easy to forget words under stress unless you know them back to front, inside out and upside down! Choose a poem which offers you scope. 2: We talked about the meaning of the poem. Unless you understand the theme and story of the poem, it is almost impossible to convey the meaning. 3: We worked and worked to add variety of pace, pitch and volume. A poem is a conversation between the poet and the audience which is interpreted by the reader. Make your listeners want to happen by adding colour. Most importantly, she practiced! A lot. A wonderful student who worked incredibly hard and received an excellent reward. Even if you don't win, entering the competition with the three key steps in mind will ensure that you have learned a va

We have had a few requests for lessons at Brandon this week which have reminded me that the HK Schools' Speech Festival is on the horizon again! I did my first speech festival a LONG time ago but the general concept hasn't changed. Here are a few things to be thinking about: Classes - there are so many options to consider. I particularly like teaching Bible Speaking as I feel that, to excel in this area, the speaker really needs to understand the verses in question. The HKSMSA website has the syllabus up already:  Have a look here for the different classes Get the right piece! It sounds obvious but last year at Brandon Learning Centre, we had five students who came in with incorrect versions of their poems. The source of the poem is specified in the HKSMSA syllabus. If you choose prose reading classes, you will also need to get hold of a copy of the book. Memorisation - once you have your piece, the first step is to understand the texts. The second step is to memorise i

The Spoon River Anthology is a fascinating collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters. The conceit is simple; the poet moves through a graveyard and the lives and regrets of villagers are told in poetic form. Each poem has a clear voice and the interplay between the characters is fascinating. Amongst the most moving poems for me is that of George Grey. The narrator speaks of the anguish caused by his lack of engagement. Fear of failure or hurt holds us back and can prevent us from realising our potential and achieving happiness. Any enterprise we undertake will have the potential to go wrong but it is from our mistakes and experiences that we achieve actualisation. George Grey - from Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters I have studied many times   The marble which was chiseled for me—   A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.   In truth it pictures not my destination   But my life.       For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;   Sorrow kn

For all of our Brandon (and non-Brandon!) students who are about to start their Common Entrance exams, some last minute advice: 1: Take a deep breath, panic will only make you feel overwhelmed 2: The night before your exam, pack your pencil case. Don't forget that you will need calculators for some non-maths exams, including biology. 3: Review your notes. Put your books away and relax by reading. Don't be tempted to go online, computer games will only stimulate your brain and prevent rest. Get a good night's sleep. 4: Before the exam, review your notes again, take a deep breath. Off you go! 5: During the exam, draw a line through mistakes rather than using Tippex and remember to show your workings. Good luck!

I have just acquired a copy of Muriel Young's 1967 recording of Jellyco the Magic Budgerigar. I had the record as a child and have always wanted to hear it again. The story is simple but magic lies in the sound or Mrs Young's voice. The spoken word has a power of its own. Even over the hiss of a record, you can hear every word clearly and become enmeshed in the world of the story. I was fortunate, as a child my parents read to me daily and I grew up listening to Radio 4 ( www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 ) Research has formed links between reading to children and their emotional, health and academic development. You don't have to be a Shakespearean actor to create a special relationship between your family and books. Try the following: 1: Go to a quiet area of the house 2: Make sure that you will not be disturbed or distracted 3: Throw yourself into the world of the book: use voices, change your pace to create excitement 4: Have fun!  If you are looking for ideas, UK charity

I have just finished listened to a fascinating interview with Timur Vermes on BBC Radio 4's Frontrow programme (the heaven of getting Radio 4 wherever you are!) His book, Look Who's Back , a satirical novel in which Adolf Hitler returns and is stunned by the modern world, is definitely one I will be reading. One of the interesting points which arose from the interview was that his publisher had suggested that the language of the book was too complex and that it should be simplified. The gist of Mr Vermes's response was: there are some jokes in there but why shouldn't readers have to work to get to them? New Orleans is particularly rich in independent book sellers and the slogan of one, Maple Street Book Store is "Fight the Stupids!" In a world filled with reality television which reduces our humanity and creates caricatures which convey of the worst of the human condition, it is wonderful to know that there are people fighting against the tide of ignorance!

"Aprile is the cruelest month" according to Chaucer who had clearly never spent March in Louisiana battling the howling winds! Today, however, all the misery is forgotten as spring appears to be making a guest appearance after a weekend of truly miserable rain (I volunteered for Hogs for the Cause www.hogsforthecause.org  which degenerated into a mud bath within minutes of opening. Fortunately the turnout was incredibly good and the barbecue was nectar of the gods. I spent a wonderful morning discussing Chinese culture with the bright students of Isidore Newman School http://www.newmanschool.org/home  and emerged into brilliant sunlight which made me think of the last lines of ee cumming's poem "if i have made, my lady, intricate" which sum up the creeping of delight into the psyche; if i have made, my lady, intricate if i have made, my lady, intricate imperfect various things chiefly which wrong your eyes(frailer than most deep dreams are