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In April 2017, I was unable to effectively analyze the different uses of english language in a text and was unsure on how the use of different language features affects how the piece of writing is delivered to the reader. I also often use simplistic words when writing and communicating with others.

My goal by the end of the PT is to widen my vocabulary and be able to  improve on my analyzing skills when identifying the language/stylistic features in a text,  which will also allow me to understand how it (the different language and stylistic features) affects a piece of writing. I can accomplish my goal by completing most of the task assigned in the language study competency.

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The goal I wanted to achieve from this task:

The aim of this task was for me to increase my vocabulary. By searching up and writing down the meanings for every word that seems foreign to me in the reader, I hope to be able to learn their meanings and be able to apply these words into my writings, instead of keep re-using the same words over and over again. By writing down the meanings, I will be able to familiarise myself with these words whenever I revise my readers, allowing me to eventually know these words by heart.

Outcome of task:

This task was helpful as it directly helps me in accomplishing my goal of wanting to widen my vocabulary. Through this task, I learned more than 30 words by heart and are able to create sentences using these words, showing that I did not merely memorise their meanings but are able to apply them.

Reflection:

My diligence and perseverance helped me in completing this task. Though I was met with some difficulties when completing this task, such as how I was unable to memorize the meanings and was merely writing them down, I overcome it by creating sentences utilizing the words I've learnt down on a piece of paper and revised them at least once a day so that I will remember them. Though I did not managed to remember all the new words I've learnt, since I did 17 excerpts, I managed to learn at least 30 words.

Example of how I created the sentences: (its in the green folder)

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The goal I wanted to achieve from this task:

I wanted to learn more about the types of stylistic features, how it makes a writing unique and provides it with its own style. By completing this task, it gives me a better understanding of the function of the stylistic features and thus allowing me to better identify them in writings, which in turn helps in my analysis in pieces of writings.

Outcome of this task:

I felt that this task was helpful in achieving my goal of wanting to analyse stylistic features better as I have a better understanding of them. Through this task, I managed to learn the functions of contractions, and how they help a piece of writing to remain a colloquial tone, allowing the reader to feel more personal to the subject in the biography. Even though it is not commonly seen in formal pieces of writing such as a biography, this particular biography excerpt uses it to address the tone of the writer, giving it its own style.

Reflection:
I had fun learning about the use of contractions through exploring the website given to us. I learnt the importance of stylistic features and how critical it is in a piece of writing. I am also more confident in applying them into my writing though I am rather hesitant of doing so before completing the task as now I am aware of the benefits it brings about to the writing.

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The goal I wanted to achieve from this task:

The goal I had in mind when completing this task was to have a better understanding of the linguistic features of an excerpt, specifically the language of tenses, and how to apply them to my own biography. By completing this task, I might be better at identifying linguistic features in a piece of writing, which will allow me to have better analyzing skills, helping me achieve my goal of wanting to improve on my analyzing skills.

Outcome of this task:

I felt that this task was helpful in providing me with a deeper understanding of the language of tenses, and how each excerpt utilizes different features to be unique from other writings. For example, in the excerpt, it used the present tense to write, even though it is considered unusual and often discouraged when writing a biography. However, it allowed this excerpt to stand out for its ability to create a feeling of the series of events unfolding as the reader reads each sentence, causing the readers to want to continue reading, and that it gives the reader the feeling that the ending is not already determined, which cannot be "felt" in other biographies. This will motivate the readers to carry on reading as they will not feel that the excerpt is mundane and boring since everything is just being narrated.This task increased my ability to identify and tell the type of linguistic feature used since I was able to get more experience through analyzing this excerpt which helped in achieving my goal.

Reflection:

To facilitate my progress and prevent from limiting my improvement when completing these tasks, I increased the difficulty of the excerpts when completing this task so that I will be able to maximize my progress. Though I experienced some difficulties analyzing this text because I could not figure out what linguistic feature it used, I overcame it by referring to the learning resources provided by my English teacher, such as the table of learning points and the worksheets given to us. I used the questions provided in them and applied it when I was analyzing the texts, such as "what class of conjunctions do you expect to see if the writer uses this particular type of evaluation?", allowing me to eventually overcome the problem. I am able to analyze an excerpt better in terms of identifying uses of linguistic features in an excerpt, allowing me to work closer towards my goal. From the transition from task 3 to task 4, I felt that I have improved in analyzing the texts, as seen from how when completing task 3, I did not annotate much on the excerpt, but for task 4, I managed to annotate much more under a shorter amount of time

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The goal that I wanted to achieve from this task:

The goal I wanted to achieve from this task is to be more confident in analyzing excerpts through familiarizing myself by analyzing the use of the linguistic feature on a biography excerpt that I have never seen before.

Outcome of this task:

I had a deeper understanding on the the language of evaluation, which is one of the linguistic features. I learnt how to identity them through the change in the subject pre-event and post-event and I am able to analyze the evidence and judge whether the use of the language of evaluation, such as how the language of evaluation allows the readers to have a better and deeper understanding with the subject and have a sense of "personal connection" with the subject, through evaluating the subject's personality change/change in outlook after a certain process or event. It was helpful in achieving my goal as it provided me with a chance to learn more about the linguistic features and analysis skills since I am now able to analyze an unfamiliar excerpt that is given to me.

Reflection:

This was one of the harder tasks that I had to complete as I had to search for a biography excerpt online, and it took me quite some time to find a suitable biography as I wanted to analyze an excerpt that I found interesting and that the subject is someone I know. I chose Hillary Clinton's biography to complete this task as I was curious about her personal life and realized that I only knew the political story of her life. It also took me quite some time to analyse the text and to figure out that it used the language of evaluation. This task made me more familiar with the use of evaluation and helped me be better at analyzing excerpts since I am given more experience in analyzing them.

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The goal I wanted to achieve for this task:

I have the goal of wanting to improve on my analyzing skills, as by completing this task, I will have more exposure in analyzing texts.

Outcome of this task:

Though it has indeed provided me with more exposure in analyzing texts, which was the goal I set for this task, I do not think that it is very helpful in achieving my main goal of improving on my analyzing skills, and did not help me deepen my understanding the different linguistic or stylistic feature. Even though I managed to analyse the text, I am unsure whether I completed the task correctly, or even whether the annotations regarding the word choice is correct. Moreover, I chose to annotate a text of high difficulty, which gave me difficulties in analysing the text. Thus, I felt that the task did not help me in achieving my goal of wanting to improve on my analysis skills and my understanding on features.

Reflection:

Through this task, I was met with several difficulties and felt rather frustrated that I was not able to analyse the text well, I will continue to work on the analysis of word choices specifically even after this AA is over, on other texts, even though word choices is not stated in the main goal of my AA. I will try to start analysing the word choices from texts with lower difficulty and not start from a difficult one so that I will be able to slowly work my way up towards improving much more effectively, rather then working with a harder text that I might not understand well. I will continue to work on it and hope I will be able to improve and be better at it in the future.

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Thoughts:
I was interested in completing this task, which was to create a timeline, as it sounded rather fun and interesting to complete, and when I thought about this task, I realised that it had a slight connection with my goal of learning more about the features of a writing, since I will be able to learn more about the language of chronology by trying to craft a timeline of a subject, from her birth to present day. I had a lot of fun drawing out the timeline, as I not only get to learn more about the history of my subject, but also get to have a better understanding of the language of chronology.

How it is helpful with the goal of understanding the features of a writing:

The timeline helps in the language of chronology as it organizes the events related to the subject from birth to present day.

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At the start, I had troubles analysing the use of features in an excerpt, and often spend more than an hour analysing an excerpt of lower difficulty. I did not have a deep understanding of the use of the features in an excerpt too. I had a small vocabulary bank and often use simple words to express myself, causing me to be unable to bring across the message I wanted to convey effectively to others.

After the PT, I had a deeper understanding of the various features, such as the language of chronology, the language of tenses, the language of evaluation and the use of contractions. I am able to effectively analyse an excerpt, making more annotations than before, and can better understand the reason why the biographers use certain features. I learned more than 30 words and I am able to apply them in my writing.

Thus, I felt that I have achieved my goal. :D

However, through this PT, I realized that I have some difficulties in analysing the word choices in excerpts, so I will be working on improving this area after the PT, by making sure that I constantly analyse texts on their word choice, starting from the easier texts.

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Though I have achieved my goal, there is still space for improvement. i can improve by analysing the language used in books and newspaper articles, and spot the difference between the features used in different writings to learn about how the features used will affect a piece of writing. I do not want to limit my learning within this AA, and to continue learning even after that.