Hong Kong Examinations and
Assessment Authority
PD Session 1
Preparing students for the Hong Kong Diploma
of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Literature in
English Paper 3 Short Task
Component
Public
examination
Weighting
Duration
Paper 1
Appreciation
30%
2½ hours
Paper 2
Essay writing
50%
3 hours
Portfolio (2012 & 2013)
School-based Assessment
(2014 onwards for school
candidates only)
20%
Portfolio (School-based Assessment from 2014)

20% of subject weighting

Covers a more extensive range of learning outcomes
through employing a wider range of assessment
modes that are not all possible in external
examinations

Gives more comprehensive picture of student
performance throughout the period of study

Comprises works produced by students over SS4 to
SS6
Is not an “add-on” element but an integral part of the
curriculum

3
Portfolio/SBA
A review of a film / play / performance of about 600
words
OR
A piece of creative work of between 600 to 1500 words
(a short story / play, a collection of poems, or an
adaptation of a literary work) or a short film
(8% of the subject weighting)
4
Reviews




more than one review may be needed
a commentary on how the film(s)/play(s)
was/were critically received by the media
perhaps a re-evaluation of the piece is required
if it is particularly old or was received in a certain
way
may cover a franchise, series, etc.
5
The content

Plot synopsis
what, who, where,
when
Should be…
brief
factual
neutral
6
Analysis1
What:
Is it…
The plot/story
interesting/involving?
believable/credible?
a good example of the
genre?
7
Analysis 2
Who:
Are they…
the characters
interesting?
easy to identify with?
believable?
stereotypes/original?
8
Analysis 3
Where:
Are they…
the settings
interesting?
believable?
atmospheric?
9
Analysis 4
When:
Is it…
the time period
convincingly recreated?
imaginative?
topical?
10
Technical aspects:
Writing (plot & dialogue)
√




suspenseful
clever
funny
poignant
x




predictable
clichéd
unfunny
uninvolving
Is there a meaningful
subtext?
11
Performances
√





convincing
outstanding
well-observed
compelling
hilarious
x





unconvincing
underwhelming
lack-lustre
indifferent
unfunny
Are the performances great? (an
Oscar-winner or a Razzie?)
12
Location/sets
√





evocative
beautiful/ugly
atmospheric
grand/spectacular
stylish
x




poorly-captured
ill-chosen
not exploited
appropriately
mundane
Is the movie about the setting, or
could it be set elsewhere?
13
Direction
√



individual
original
inspired
x



workmanlike
pedestrian
uninspired
Is this the work of an ‘auteur’ or an
amateur?
14
Cinematography
√




sweeping
spectacular
striking
fluid
x



constrained
flat
static
What makes the images special?
15
Music







√
moving
atmospheric
grand/discreet
complimentary
discreet
original/source
genre
x




dull
melodramatic
derivative
intrusive
Is the music part of the whole
experience or quite literally
incidental?
16
Editing




√
dynamic
fluid
subtle
coherent
x




static
stilted
clumsy
incoherent
Are subliminal connections made
or is it a dog’s dinner?
17
Visual effects
√




artistic
believable
subtle
spectacular
x




unoriginal
unconvincing
obvious
threadbare/cheap
Can you see the strings?
18
Sources of problems in A-level
portfolios




texts analyzed in terms of themes
only/other facets of films, books,
performances routinely ignored
too much emphasis on supposed ‘review
style’ language
opinions ‘lifted’ from pre-existing reviews
opinions almost always positive
19
Ways to improve





Read newspaper/magazine/online reviews
Post online reviews (e.g. Empire, Amazon,
etc.)
Explore a director’s/performer’s back
catalogue
Watch films which have won awards
Choose something with artistic merit or
pretensions
20
Classroom practice

Carry on the good work!

Exploit the overlap between language and
literature requirements

Encourage reviewing ability through
different language skills areas
21
Activity

Book-related pairwork for classroom
practice
HKDSE Literature in English Classroom
Practice Pairwork Activity.doc
22
Creative work

Candidates may wish to adapt part of one of the
set texts for a different medium, write an
alternative ending or additional scenes, or
produce entirely original work
23
Creative work
What:
text-type
genre
theme
subtext/meaning
structure
24
‘Story Grammar’ structure
Referential
Orientation
Complication
Resolution
Coda
Evaluative
Why the story is actually being
told
Episode structure
Setting
Beginning
Reaction
Attempt
Outcome
Ending
Coda
Orientation
Complication
Resolution
Evaluation
Labov & Waletsky (1967)
Mandler (1984:22)
25
Who:
the characters
Are they….
interesting?
easy to identify with?
believable?
stereotypes/original?
consistent with those in set
text
Does the writer have a feel for
character/an understanding of
human nature?
26
Where:
Is it…
the settings
interesting?
believable?
atmospheric?
Has the writer been there?
27
When:
Is the time/period…
the time period
well-observed?
imaginative?
topical?
Has the writer done his/her research?
28
Not recommended

encouraging students in the same class/school
to study different issues arising from the same
text
Not allowed

portfolio work on texts not written or made in
English
29
How schools can plan for SBA Implementation

Conduct SBA as an integral part of teaching and learning and
not treat it as an “add-on”

Set up school’s own assessment plan, specify the no. of
assessment activities to be conducted for individual subjects

Coordinate the conduct of the SBA across subjects so that
students’ work will not be concentrated into one or two critical
months

Incorporate SBA as a part of schools’ internal assessment
program and replace some of the current assessment activities,
e.g. assignments, tests etc
30
PD Session 2
Preparing students for the Hong Kong Diploma of
Secondary Education (HKDSE) Literature in
English Paper 3 Extended Task
31
The extended essay
What can I do?
An extended essay of 1500 – 200 words on
a…
32
…Theme

arising from one or more set texts and
applied to other work(s) or arising from the
other work(s) of one set writer
33
the
Theme
Can be…
 Conceptual
eg.
good/evil
love/hate
racism/sexism
Or…
 Technical
eg.
genre
style
tone
34
a

Work
Inspired by a theme/idea in a
set text or connected to a
writer of a set text
novel
short story
play
film/TV show
poem
painting/sculpture
comic
music

The work should be artsrelated: ‘arts’ refers to activities
such as literature, cinema,
television, music, painting and
dance, which people take part
in for the purposes of
enjoyment, or to create various
impressions and/or meanings’
35
a

Writer
A study of the works of a writer
(novelist/poet/dramatist/scriptwriter) who
may have written one of the set texts or
whose works are connected in some way
to the set texts (perhaps in terms of theme,
genre, time period, etc.)
36
Theme activity 1 (10 minutes)
What are the themes of the set short
stories?
37
Short stories (Set 1)




The Yellow Wallpaper
Roman Fever
Paul’s Case
The Chrysanthemums






The Lottery
Seventeen Syllables
Dead Men’s Path
Cathedral
Everyday Use
The Red Convertible
38
Theme activity 2 (10 minutes)
The short stories may have more than one
theme. Which of the following themes
matches best with which story?
39
Short story
Theme
1. The Yellow Wallpaper
A. Escapism
2. Roman Fever
B. Superstition
3. Paul’s Case
C. Religion
4. The Chrysanthemums
D. Snobbery
5. The Lottery
E. Materialism
6. Seventeen Syllables
F. Repression
7. Dead Men’s Path
G. Oppression
8. Cathedral
H. Madness
9. Everyday Use
I. Despair
10. The Red Convertible
J. Community
40
Short story
Key
Theme
1. The Yellow Wallpaper
H
A. Escapism
2. Roman Fever
D
B. Superstition
3. Paul’s Case
A
C. Religion
4. The Chrysanthemums
F
D. Snobbery
5. The Lottery
J
E. Materialism
6. Seventeen Syllables
G
F. Repression
7. Dead Men’s Path
B
G. Oppression
8. Cathedral
C
H. Madness
9. Everyday Use
E
I. Despair
10. The Red Convertible
I
J. Community
41
Theme activity 3 (10 minutes)
Match the themes from the previous activity
with the non-set texts.
42
Book /Poem
Film
The Stepford Wives
The Shining
Pride and Prejudice
It’s a Wonderful Life
Life of Pi
Black Narcissus
Great Expectations
Inception
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Schindler’s List
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Revolutionary Road
Mrs. Dalloway
The Village
1984
There Will Be Blood
The Secret Agent
Agora
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Titanic
43
Book /Poem
Key
Film
Key
The Stepford Wives
J
The Shining
H
Pride and Prejudice
D
It’s a Wonderful Life
J
Life of Pi
C
Black Narcissus
F
Great Expectations
E
Inception
A
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
F
Schindler’s List
G
Something Wicked This Way Comes
A
Revolutionary Road
I
Mrs. Dalloway
H
The Village
B
1984
G
There Will Be Blood
E
The Secret Agent
I
Agora
C
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
B
Titanic
D
44
The Essay should contain a
through…




Thesis which is explored
Exposition
Substantiation
Synthesis
Conclusion
45
Preparation
You may want to
 investigate a viewpoint/idea on a given
theme/work/writer and discuss how far you
agree with it
 argue a point of view and persuade the reader of
its value
 analyze a situation and criticize it
 compare and contrast different things
 review a problem and put forward a solution to it
46
Purpose

Think out clearly what you want to write
and then put it down in one sentence: ‘I
intend to analyze/describe/
discuss/evaluate such and such (your
chosen topic)’.
47
Research



Read widely and take notes
Consult general and specialized books on a
subject, journals, newspapers, magazines,
government publications, films, advertising,
CD-ROMs, the Internet, etc.
Record the title and author of what you read
and other necessary details (such as the
publisher, and place and year of publication)
48
In the



Introduction you should…
state your purpose
state your idea/argument
give a brief outline of the main points you
intend to cover to support your
idea/argument
49
In your

Substantiation you should…
develop your main points, giving
information and evidence to support each
point you make. Be sure the point is
relevant to the topic and that the argument
is developed clearly and logically
50
In your


Synthesis you should…
draw your main points together so that the
relationship between them can be clearly
seen
not introduce any new ideas
51
In your


Conclusion you should…
sum up your main points
not claim to have shown/proved more than
your evidence can support.
52
Other features
You should be sensitive to…



Audience
The marker applying the marking guidelines, who has knowledge of
the field but perhaps not the text
Tone
the attitude you have towards your subject
the attitude you have towards your audience
should be objective and persuasive
no emotional outbursts
Style
avoid using ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘we’, ‘you’, ‘our’, ‘In my opinion’, ‘I think’, ‘It is my
belief’, etc.
53

Language
simple and straightforward expression
avoid colloquialisms and slang
accurate spelling of terms and titles (which
should be given in full)
54

Overgeneralization
Avoid sweeping statements that you
cannot support. Exercise restraint in your
conclusions and rely upon convincing your
reader with evidence
55
Referencing of Sources of
Information
Why reference sources?
 To validate a point, statement or argument
 To give credit to the originator of the thought
 To permit readers to check the original work and
assess it for themselves
 To add value to a paper by demonstrating
familiarity with relevant literature
56
What should be referenced?
 Direct quotations. These should be put in
inverted commas
 Any information (ideas or data) obtained
from another author, whether that
information be a direct quotation or
paraphrased comments
 Definitions of terms, if necessary
57
Plagiarism




‘to take and use (the thoughts, writing,
inventions, etc. of another person) as
one’s own’. (The Concise Oxford
Dictionary)
copying the work of another student
directly copying any part of another’s work
summarizing the work of another
58
Theme activity 4
Write extended essay titles for the ‘twin’ text
(i.e. either the book or the film in Activity3).
59
HKDSE Literature in English Classroom Practice Pairwork Activity
Student A
Part 1
Match these words associated with books to the correct definitions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
a classic
a volume
travelogue
pulp fiction
style
satire
bestseller
autobiography
chapter
epilogue
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
a written account of a journey
a book which is bought by millions of people
story about a person’s life written by that person
a book of the highest quality
books of low, though sometimes popular, quality
last part of a story, following the climax
the language the writer uses to tell the story
writing which makes a person or idea seem foolish
one of a series of books
part of a book
Part 2
Put the words in the box below into the correct spaces in the sentences.
novels
masterpiece
entertaining
dream
fun
prose
conclusion
account
crime
vocabulary
Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels makes
of the political systems of 17th century Europe.
Mickey Spillane is noted for writing a large number of cheap and nasty
thrillers.
Long Walk to Freedom is a very interesting
of his own life by the African leader
Nelson Mandela.
4. Many 17th century books are difficult to read because they are
without any breaks.
continuous
5. There are seven
in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
6. In William Golding’s Pincher Martin, we only discover that the main character was
dreaming after the dramatic
to his escape from the desert island.
.
7. Paul Theroux’s exploration of China by rail in Riding the Iron Rooster is very
.
8. Joseph Conrad’s novel Nostromo is recognised as a literary
9. Virginia Woolf is difficult to read because her writing
is very unusual.
10. It’s every writer’s
to be top of the sales list at some time in their career.
1.
2.
3.
Part 3
Now answer Student B’s questions.
Part 4
Ask Student B the following questions and note down his/her answers.
alone, look at B’s sentences in Part 2 and write your own answers.
If you are working
1.
What do people remember most about the novels of Charles Dickens?
e.g. His characters.
2.
What kind of book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
3.
What was the first piece of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales?
4.
When should you stop turning the pages of a good suspense thriller?
5.
How does E M Forster express his ideas in A Passage to India?
6.
What is one of the main features of Graham Greene’s stories?
7.
What does Justin Wintle fail to explore adequately in Romancing Vietnam?
8.
What is complicated about Agatha Christie’s detective mysteries?
9.
What kind of a book is Gone with the Wind?
10. What kind of a book is The Untold Story.
Student B
Part 1
Match these words associated with books to the correct definitions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
characters
plot
climax
an epic
an allegory
a biography
symbolism
theme
pace
prologue
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
the dramatic ending of a story
story where characters represent ideas like good and evil
the people in the story
the speed at which a story moves
what happens in the story and the way it is organized
the use of concrete objects to represent ideas
usually a lengthy novel covering a major historical period
the introduction to a story
true story about a real person written by another person
the underlying topic of a book
Part 2
Put the words in the box below into the correct spaces in the sentences.
represents
background
develop
description
thriller
works
1.
2.
sequence
exploring
famous
life
Nobody gave more
to Victorian personalities than Charles Dickens.
In C S Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the lion
Jesus and the
White Witch is the devil.
3. Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous
The Canterbury Tales were preceded by a long
introductory piece.
makes you keep turning the pages right up to the conclusion.
4. A good suspense
of the caves in A Passage to India brilliantly expresses his idea of
5. E M Forster’s
the hollow, empty universe.
6. Graham Greene’s experience as a screenwriter shows itself in the rapid way in which his
stories
.
7. Justin Wintle spends too much time writing about what he had for dinner in Romancing
his subject, which is the current state of the
Vietnam; and not enough time
country.
8. Agatha Christie’s detective mysteries always have a complicated, but logical
of
events.
9. Gone with the Wind skillfully tells a personal story against a
of major historical
events.
10. The Untold Story is a book about the
actress Marilyn Monroe.
Part 3
Now answer Student A’s questions.
Part 4
Ask Student A the following questions and note down his/her answers.
alone, look at A’s sentences in Part 2 and write your own answers.
If you are working
1.
What kind of book is Gulliver’s Travels?
e.g. A satire.
2.
What sort of writing is Mickey Spillane noted for?
3.
What kind of book is Long Walk to Freedom?
4.
Why are many 17th Century books difficult to read?
5.
How many Harry Potter books are there?
6.
When do we discover that Pincher Martin was only dreaming in William Golding’s
novel?
7.
What kind of book is Riding the Iron Rooster?
8.
What kind of book is Nostromo?
9.
What makes Virginia Woolf difficult to read?
10. What does every writer dream of having at some point in their career?
Activity 1
What are the themes of the following short stories?
Short story
1. The Yellow Wallpaper
2. Roman Fever
3. Paul’s Case
4. The Chrysanthemums
5. The Lottery
6. Seventeen Syllables
7. Dead Men’s Path
8. Cathedral
9. Everyday Use
10. The Red Convertible
Themes
Activity 2
Match the themes with the short stories.
Short story
Theme
1. The Yellow Wallpaper
A. Escapism
2. Roman Fever
B. Superstition
3. Paul’s Case
C. Religion
4. The Chrysanthemums
D. Snobbery
5. The Lottery
E. Materialism
6. Seventeen Syllables
F. Repression
7. Dead Men’s Path
G. Oppression
8. Cathedral
H. Madness
9. Everyday Use
I. Despair
10. The Red Convertible
J. Community
Activity 3
Match the works with the themes as identified in Activity 1.
Book
Film
The Stepford Wives
The Shining
Pride and Prejudice
It’s a Wonderful Life
Life of Pi
Black Narcissus
Great Expectations
Inception
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Schindler’s List
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Revolutionary Road
Mrs. Dalloway
The Village
1984
There Will Be Blood
The Secret Agent
Agora
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Titanic
Activity 4
Think of titles for the following extended essays, using the themes already identified.
‘Women and children first [class only]’: how classism is used to increase dramatic
tension in Titanic.
Pride and Prejudice: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Coleridge’s use of superstition in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the impact it
has on the reader.
The Village ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
‘The carousel wheeled, a great back-drifting lunar dream, the horses thrusting, the
music in-gasped after, while Mr. Cooger, as simple as shadows, as simple as light, as
simple as time, got younger. And younger. And younger.’. The dangers of
entertainment as presented in Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Inception _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why 1984 never happened: an analysis of the weaknesses of authoritarian
government in Orwell’s novel.
Schindler’s List ________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
What makes a community tick: the importance of appearances in The Stepford Wives.
It’s a Wonderful Life ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Cycles and ellipses: metaphors of religion and rationalism in Agora.
Life of Pi _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Is greed essential to the American dream? What There Will Be Blood has to tell us.
Great Expectations _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Unfulfilled dreams and the Revolutionary Road to misery: a study of the causes of
depression in Sam Mendes’ film.
The Secret Agent ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Emotional peaks: a study of setting and its role in repression in Black Narcissus.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde__________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
How Kubrick conveys madness through the cinematography in The Shining.
Mrs Dalloway _________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________