FATIMI ESTAR

NOVEL Important things that we need to understand are: the question on novel must be adaptable to all three novels (The Curse, Catch Us If You Can and Step By Wicked Step). the question will always be in positive tone. For example, the question on character will always ask you to discuss the good aspects being portrayed by a particular character (usually the main character). Therefore, you should always see a question that looks like this "Choose a character who you l ook up to from a novel that you have learned in Form 5, and give reasons to support your answer by giving close reference to the text." but nothing like this "Choose a character that you hate from a novel that you have learned in Form 5, and give reasons to support your answer by giving close reference to the text." your answer must be properly written in an essay form. I suggest that you write five paragraphs; 1st paragraph for introduction, 2nd-4th paragraphs for content and last paragraph...

NOVEL I would like to share some past experience in dealing with novels for Form 5. When literature was first introduced to Form 5 students in Malaysian schools, there were three different novels which have to be studied by students based on the regions divided by the government. They were The Pearl, The Return and The Jungle of Hope. On the first year, everybody (teachers and students) was so obedient. They studied what had been decided for them (I was in Johor then, and we studied The Jungle of Hope which was the most difficult and complicated among the three. It was very thick and hard to read because it was translated from BM) and chose to answer Section D in SPM English 1119 based on that particular novel. However, on the following year onwards we learned our lesson and started to play smart (of course after seeing what the question looked like). I believe that others around Malaysia also learned their lesson too. It was so obvious that The Pearl was the easiest to study since t...

Upper secondary students in Malaysian schools are having a lot of worries in their minds especially those sitting for SPM at the end of this year, and one of the reasons is the literature component which they have to learn during their English lessons in form 4 and form 5. The syllabus covers different genres from poems, short stories, plays to novels. These poor students are expected to understand all these literary works written in a language which for many students is not their second but sometimes third or fourth. However, like it or not, they will have to answer questions on literature in their SPM English 1119. Fortunately, regardless of the so many items that they have to study in class, they would only be tested on the poems (learned in form 4 and form 5) and the novels. As there is not much time left, students need to be smart and think of the most practical approach to study the literature components so that the valuable marks would not be wasted unnecessarily. I believe...