Although NCEA English isn’t a compulsory course at Level 3, taking English can help ensure that you have a well-rounded education that will allow you to go onto a wide range of areas at tertiary, or directly into the workforce.
Through the standard curriculum, NCEA English develops your ability to conduct interviews, understand differences in cultural communication, research information, write a report, write minutes for a formal meeting, develop and structure ideas, and close reading.
These are skills that will help you no matter if you plan to become a business leader or a scientist, whether you want to travel or create an entirely new industry.
These foundational skills are all about being able to communicate with others in a way that fits the situation.
Coming Changes to NCEA English Level 3
Changes in NCEA started in 2020 and will continue until 2026. The biggest change is that the number of credits required to receive a certificate endorsement drops from 52 to only 46.
However, you still need to receive these at merit or excellent level in order to receive your certificate endorsement in NCEA English Level 3.
While according to information from NZQA, in order to receive University Entrance you will need 14 credits in 2 subjects that are approved for UE, and at least 12 credits in a third UE-approved subject.
For most students sitting NCEA English level 3, or indeed any other NCEA Level 3 subject, the goal is less about worrying how many credits you get and instead trying to do the best you can.
In a perfect world, all students will be looking to achieve an excellence grade in their NCEA Level 3 subjects. In addition to receiving excellence, many students will also be looking at achieving scholarships at this level.
NCEA English Level 3 heading towards a scholarship
The benefits of gaining a scholarship are not only the financial rewards. Although, it is worth remembering that at the highest level, the Premier Award can be up to “$10,000 each year for up to three years for as long as the recipient maintains at least a ‘B’ grade average each year of their tertiary study”. But the academic reward can also not be underestimated.
Gaining a scholarship increases how desirable students are when applying to prospective universities, or highly competitive degrees, both in New Zealand and overseas. Achieving a scholarship level with Excellence at NCEA Level 3 can open doors for prestigious universities around the world as well as increase your chances of getting into the university courses that you wish to attend in New Zealand.
Or if you are wanting to head straight into the workforce, even without the contribution to your tertiary students the fact that you have been able to prove your dedication to education is certainly considered by employers wanting an employee who can learn the job.
Where will NCEA Level 3 English take you?
As the NZ Education department says, by studying NCEA English, students learn to “integrate sources of information, processes, and strategies purposefully and confidently to identify, form, and express increasingly sophisticated ideas.”
These are basic skills that when mastered allow you to move into almost any area. The ability to communicate your ideas clearly, both in written and verbal forms, is an essential part of life.
Whether you are a construction worker trying to explain where a load of rebar needs to be placed, an executive raising funds for a new venture, or a parent helping their child navigate a difficult and changing school curriculum, communication is key.
Of course, some careers are more directly influenced by a strong NCEA English background. Any job where you are going to be required to present written findings will benefit from a strong English background. This includes research scientists, psychologists, or governance roles such as a company secretary.
More obvious are areas such as journalism (particularly print or online), librarian, teaching, or writing – whether you are becoming an author, blogger or script writer.
When Writing English is Too Hard
Writing is not a skill that comes naturally to many people. Even prolific authors and journalists whose livelihoods depend on their ability to put words to paper will often struggle – writer's block is a very real thing.
Students will often get discouraged because they feel that there aren’t clear outlines as to what is a correct answer in English. Unlike maths, where 1+1 can only equal 2 (unless you are involved in higher maths or physics), in English, a lot of writing is very subjective. However, you aren’t being marked on whether your opinion is correct, you are being marked on how well you express and justify that opinion.
It is this skill that makes studying NCEA English such a vitally important topic. The ability to not only read something and describe what it was about, but to analyse it, decide if the piece offered any value to the world, think about its accuracy, and be able to share these thoughts and ideas in a way that helps others come to their conclusions is invaluable in today’s overloaded world.
There is also the ability to write an “Executive Summary” that stems from writing endless essays! Can you read a novel or textbook and sum it up in 500 words of coherent explanation?
Being able to take complex information and ideas, and turn them into something that catches all the key information while condensing it into a readable chunk is a skill that can be used in a range of areas.
Ultimately, NCEA English Level 3 is your guide to becoming a clear communicator. Whether you are heading into politics or fishing, being able to communicate with a wide range of people in a way that they will understand will increase your potential earnings, make your life easier, and help you become an essential member of any business – even your own.
Passing the NCEA English Exam
One of the key things to ensure a pass in NCEA English is to practice. This generally means that you will look at the practice exams from the NZQA website and work through these.
However, you can combine your study for different topics to increase the amount of practice you get writing for English. Again, the goal is to turn you into a clear communicator with strong writing skills. This doesn’t mean that you need to simply regurgitate what you’re learning in class.
If you are working with a tutor, look at using texts from different subjects. Look at a previous year’s exam and you’ll see you normally need to write an essay that focuses on one text and responds to one of a selection of statements.
If you’re studying history, look at the statement “characters who criticize society are those who teach us the most” from the 2019 Level 3 English unit standard “respond critically to specified aspects of studied written texts, supported by evidence”.
How could you relate this back to what you have been studying in history?
By being able to combine topics in this manner you are increasing how well you study across subjects. However, this does work best if you are able to have your finished essay critiqued by someone to make sure that you are writing a clear and cohesive essay that meets the requirements.
Working with a tutor who is familiar with NCEA English is a great start. If they are familiar with the other subject as well, even better.
But if they’re not, as long as they are able to compare what you have written with NCEA exemplars that have received grades of Merit or Excellence, then they are more likely to help keep you working towards the right goal.
Another option that allows you to work specifically on English is to find an exemplar that has achieved Excellence, and then write your own essay on the same text. Once you have completed your essay, compare what you have written with the exemplar and take into consideration the markers' comments.
For example, “Respond critically to significant aspects of visual and/or oral text(s) through close reading, supported by evidence” the student essay is responding to the films The Dark Knight and Inception, so if these were films that you have looked at critically you could write your own essay then look at if you have been able to make “insightful interpretations of the aspect of camera work, and how it is used to explore the relationship between characters” or sustain “a strong link between camera work and its effect on audience and purpose”, and have you explored “some of the influencing factors that could be behind Nolan’s camera work choices. [To begin] to show evidence of original interpretation”.
For this last point, the marker has suggested that bringing more original interpretations would provide for stronger Excellence. For your own essay following this advice allows you more flexibility in how you approach the topic.
Mastering NCEA English Communication
NCEA English is not simply writing, it is communicating. We communicate through words, music, movement, in our daily lives through our interaction with people and in our imaginary lives in the entertainment we consume.
Marketers finesse their communications skills to manipulate us into buying their products, while politicians finesse their communication skills to manipulate us into buying their ideas.
So, by understanding the ideas that are learnt through NCEA English Level 3, we are not only becoming better communicators ourselves, but we are better able to see through the manipulative communication techniques of others. We learn how certain phrasing makes us think a certain way, or how particular camera angles increase our likelihood of engaging.
Communication is a vital skill and heading out into the world after high school, NCEA English provides a solid foundation on which to create a balanced life.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
