Language analysis exam revision 2013

How To Revise for Language Analysis: Unit

3&4 English Exam

43

Three Sections

• Text Response

• Context

• Language Analysis

Language Analysis

What’s the link?2010: “students who attempted to work laboriously through every sentence found the task difficult. Students needed to choose which parts of the material they would use to explore the way in which language was being used.”

2010: “Some responses were just simple summaries or lists of the techniques used, with little development. These pieces did not score well as they did not fulfil the task.”

2011: In stronger responses, strategic selection, together with well-developed précis skills, allowed students to demonstrate their language analysis skills.

Skills vs. Knowledge

Language Analysis

• 10-15 minutes of practice every 1-3 days will make more impact than ‘cramming’ in SWOT Vac.

Language Analysis

• Reading, thinking, planning

• Analysing the visual

• Identifying the issue and contention

• Identifying the best examples of persuasive language

• Grouping examples

• Using specific verbs to describe an author’s technique

• Varying the way a follow up sentence is started

Bring a dictionary

• We must, at the very least, be apprehensive about this proposal.

Bring a dictionary

• The use of the word “apprehensive” brings an association of doubt and mistrust in the reader’s mind towards the idea.

Task & Background

Task & Background

Identify

• Which quote best identifies the contention

• What is one persuasive phrase/sentence used

Birmingham Library Speech - Malala Yousafzai

Which of these best identifies the contention?

• We must not forget the 57 million children are out of school

• Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism

• I truly believe that the only way to have global peace...is to have reading, knowledge and education

Which of these quotes is the best example?

• A city without books... is like a graveyard

• We must not forget the 57 million children are out of school

• We must speak up for peace and development in Nigeria, Syria and Somalia

• We must speak up for the children of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan who are suffering from terrorism, poverty and child labour

Analysing language

• Joe Bloggs uses a rhetorical question when they say “Are we all stupid”. Rhetorical questions really only have one answer.

Students overuse these phrases

• The author writes

• The writer says

• The author uses

• The author argues

• The author thinks

Analysing language

• Joe Bloggs challenges the audience with the question: “Are we all stupid?” This challenge confronts us with a black and white choice - we can either accept that we are stupid, or think that we are smart by agreeing with Bloggs’ argument.

Praises, Celebrates, Gushes, Champions,

Supports, Effuses, Commends, Approves,

Accepts, Applauds, Understands,

Advocates, Identifies with, Esteems,

Credits ,Endorses

Labels, Dismisses, Attacks, Insults, Slurs,

Denigrates, Undermines, Criticize, Critiques, Lambasts, Denies, Demeans, Blames, Accuses, Judges, Rejects

Connects...with, likens...to,

compares...to, associates...with/to, connotes...as being

like, relates...to, attaches...to

Queries, Reflects, Raises, Wonders,

Reasons, Philosophises, Ponders, Supposes,

Speculates

Urges, Posits, Contends, Argues,

Disputes, Challenges, Opposes, Debates, Contests, Demands

Forcefully, logically, caustically, sarcastically, emphatically, darkly, quickly, humourously, emotionally, angrily, passionately, laughingly, reassuringly, authoratively, jokingly, seriously, matter-of-factly, accusingly, effusively, speculatively, challengingly, insultingly, disgustedly, righteously, absolutely, clearly, rhetorically, carefully

• A city without books... is like a graveyard

• We must not forget the 57 million children are out of school

• We must speak up for peace and development in Nigeria, Syria and Somalia

• We must speak up for the children of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan who are suffering from terrorism, poverty and child labour

urges;champions;connects...

with...; likens...to;supports;

reminds us;advocates

Malala likens a “city without books” to a “graveyard” creating the association for us that...

Improving analysis

Improving analysis

Visual

• Our focus is captured by the visual when / at...

• The portrayal of...as...focuses our attention because...

• ...is represented as...

• Re-inforces the point that...

• Supports the contention / argument that...

• The image visually captures the author’s argument that...

Analysing visuals

We live in an age where privacy does not exist

Our attention is captured by...

Google is represented as...

The image supports the author’s contention that......

Headlines you’re unlikely to see