Study Sessions: STG English Revision

In this episode, recorded to support your completion of Week 4's quotations in your exam preparation booklet, we turn to those 'juggling fiends' in Macbeth: the witches. Use this podcast in conjunction with Mrs Blade's video to complete your exam prep work to the highest possible standard!

In this reposted episode from last year, we run through Lady Macbeth's tragic collapse: from dominant and assertive 'dearest partner of greatness' to a psychologically shattered figure, isolated and alone.

Use this episode to support your completion of this week's homework: the detailed, thoughtful annotation of key quotations relating to Lady Macbeth from across the play.

In this episode, we explore Stave Five of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge as he wakes on Christmas morning transformed by the lessons of the spirits. From his generosity towards the Cratchits to his reconciliation with Fred and his decision to raise Bob’s salary, Dickens shows redemption through action. This episode will strengthen your understanding of Scrooge’s transformation, the importance of social responsibility, and Dickens’ hopeful message that people, and their futures, can change.

In this episode, we recap the essential plot points, ideas, quotations and themes from Macbeth. Listen to this episode to support and reinforce your understanding of the play as we complete our study of the text in class.

In this episode, we review 12 essential quotations from Lord of the Flies, ahead of your Paper 2 English Literature exam!

Featured quotations:

1. Jack: “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages.” — Ch2
2. Roger: “Roger stooped… threw it to miss.” — Ch4
3. Roger/civilisation: “Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.” — Ch4
4. Jack: “The mask was a thing on its own…” — Ch4
5. Simon: “Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.” — Ch5
6. Narrator: “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.” — Ch5
7. Jack: “Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong—we hunt!” — Ch5
8. Narrator: “The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering.” — Ch7
9. Lord of the Flies: “Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” — Ch8
10. Narrator: “At once the crowd surged after it… screamed, struck, bit, tore.” — Ch9
11. Narrator: “The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.” — Ch11
12. Narrator: “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.” — Ch12

In this episode, we explore one of the most central themes in Lord of the Flies: the tension between civilisation and savagery. Given the centrality of this theme, today's short, accessible episode is essential revision ahead of your Paper 2 English Literature exam!

In this episode, I explore the theme of family in A Christmas Carol. From Scrooge's early experiences as a 'solitary child' to the Cratchits at Christmas, this episode is designed to support your revision of an under-assessed area of the text. Best of luck for the 11th May Paper 1!

In this episode, we examine gender in Macbeth. Moving beyond simplistic statements like 'masculinity is presented as violent' and 'femininity is weakness', we look at gender across the play, from Macbeth, to Lady Macbeth and Macduff.

Listen to this episode to support your revision and understanding of the play ahead of your Paper 1 exam on Monday 11th May!

In this episode, we look at the debates around smartphones, social media access and young people. Our new series, The Knowledge, is designed to give you the key information needed for topics that might come up as the focus for English Language Paper 2, Question 5. This episode is designed to be listened to alongside the supporting listening sheet - ask for this from your class teacher.

In this episode, we explore four models of kingship and leadership in Macbeth: Duncan, Macbeth, Edward and Confessor and Malcolm. With detailed quotation analysis and comment, this episode covers a topic yet-to-be assessed in the exam. Make sure you use this episode to revise such a central theme!