remember to analyse the effectiveness of your linguistic/structural choices in you commentary as well as just identifying them and linking them to genre/audience/purpose.
Pretty obvious I know, but just make sure you're doing it all.
Loads of quotes, loads of terms.
Cram the analysis in.
You can do it!
Thursday 22 June 2017
COMPONENT 3 - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!
This post is going to outline how you should go about writing your pieces, what you should put into them, and what you need to talk about in your commentary. Essentially, this will be your guidebook for the component!
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
Wednesday 21 June 2017
COMPONENT 3 - CONVENTIONS OF GENRES
On this post, I will list as many genres as I can think of with sensible conventions that you should try to include if these genres come up. I will keep adding to this post as I think of different genres, so check back regularly.
Short stories
Clear plot arc; characterisation of protagonists/antagonists through adverb/movement/adjectives; aptronyms; symbolic use of setting; descriptive language and modifiers throughout; multisensory descriptions; feelings/emotions; Third person may be simpler as a narrative style.
Monologues
Clear individual voice for character; stage directions to set scene; embedded stage directions to add tone; setting may be important; honest and confessional tone; some non-fluency features for effect; aptronyms; fade to black/scene change. movements and actions denoted by minor stage directions.
Reviews
Opinionated and decisive tone; likens product to other products to show experience; use of humour; uses statistics to support opinions; mixed register (sometimes very formal, followed by very informal for comic effect); hyperbole and exaggeration; very descriptive; does not give things away that could ruin the subject; gives ratings.
Guide to a place
Sometimes imperative tone 'take a walk along the sandy beach and enjoy...'; sometimes interrogative to show choice, 'why not try one of our local...?'; uses proper nouns and place names to help show you around; makes suggestions and gives options; informs about the place giving factual information; provides historical facts where relevant; separates text into sections which all deal with a different practical element, 'what to do', 'how to find us', etc.
Guide to a product
Imperative tone; technical information about product; hyperbole and exaggeration to describe features; excited mood throughout and a suggestion the product will improve your quality of life; direct address; helplines/customer service information etc.
Magazine articles
Catchy headline, sometimes using puns/rhymes or maybe even just a sensationalist 'my babysitter ran off with my dog' type declarative; subheading to add more context and information to the piece; opening paragraphs will hint at issue but not give too much away as readers will then be encouraged to read on; paragraphs often topped with their own subheading such as 'the truth behind the lies' or 'the grim reality' or 'life after the surgery'; will contain an exaggerated and hyperbolic narrative style, and incorporate quotations from people concerned with the story. DO NOT PUT PICTURES IN OR WRITE IN COLUMNS.
Travel writing
Written in present tense, e.g. 'As we approach the pyramid itself, I am filled with a sense of wonder.' You must maintain tense throughout; gives factual and historical information (make this up, obviously); lots of descriptive detail; reflective and emotive account, often reflecting the idea that the experience has affected the writer somehow; an honest summary, often mixing negative and positive aspects of the experience; multisensory and emotive descriptions; NOT written to persuade - focus is on reflection, informing and entertainment.
Persuasive leaflet
Lots of emotive language; use of anecdote for one paragraph to illustrate point or need for support 'take poor Timmy for example...'; lots of direct address and rhetorical questions; lots of descriptive detail; clear suggestions of how your support will help; cloaked and polite imperatives; will cater to negative face needs of reader.
Newspaper article
In all seriousness, go and have a look at a few and see how they look. Catchy/entertaining headline; subheading which expands slightly on the story at hand; opening paragraph or two which outline the main basic facts of the story to entice the reader, but without giving any complex details away; a formal account of how the events unfolded; responses from public; quotes from witnesses and experts; writer's name at end of article.
Blog
Informal tone; a sense that this is one post in an ongoing work - may refer to previous posts 'as I've stated before' or future posts 'in tomorrow's section, I will..'; speaks to'followers' and 'friends' directly; informative and entertaining; uses of humour whilst still conveying information; each individual blog post has its own title and a date stamp.
Dramatic script
Very similar to blog conventions except each individual speaker should have their name written in capitals in the left hand margin; speakers rarely overlap unless to show tension; stage directions at start of scene should outline who is present and where they are/what they are doing; will often start relaxed and build in tension as scenes progress; tension hinted at through structure of dialogue and subtle embedded stage directions.
Radio drama
A very unusual genre but it is exactly what it sounds like - a drama for radio airing. Because of this, you'll need to ensure ALL stage directions are SOUND BASED. 'Sounds of typing, traffic coming through an open window, the sound of glasses clinking together' etc. Put them at the start of each scene AND embed them wherever necessary. Remember, the audience can't see ANYTHING. This must be reflected in your writing. Often scenes will be much faster moving than a stage drama to keep the interest of listeners, so scene breaks will be short and frequent, demarcates by their own set of brief opening stage directions. Other than this, follow conventions of a dramatic script.
Podcast
Another very unusual genre. A podcast is a downloadable short broadcast which informs on a particular topic in an entertaining way; often take the form of a scripted conversation where two speakers pretend to be spontaneous, but without the stutters and interruptions; speakers will often have hilariously contrasting personalities e.g. One may be immature and act a bit bored or impatient, asking lots of questions about the issue whereas the other one may be sensible and informative. By using this structure, the writer is able to deliver specific information on a topic by entertaining the listening audience through a manufactured conversation. If you want to see a good scripted example, look at the UFO podcast on this link...
https://issuu.com/marshdalek/docs/gce-langlit-voices-anthology
Diary entry
Very personal tone; first person perspective; written in immediate past tense; confessional and reflective content; will catalogue events in chronological order using adverbials; lots of descriptive detail; feelings and emotions included; critical voice; written not be read by others; date at the top of each individual entry; will talk about effect of experiences.
Letter
Writer's name and address in top right; start with 'Dear Sir/ Madam' unless you know their name; sign off with 'yours sincerely' if you know their name or 'yours faithfully' if you don't; separate paragraphs by topic or subject.
Remember these basic rules...
We don't know that the above genres will come up, but similar ones will. Whatever happens, remember three basic rules: remain calm, be sensible and be decisive.
And READ THE TASK CAREFULLY! You can throw away marks on this by not doing exactly what it asks. If it tells you to write an INTRO write and intro, not a whole story. If it says to write a SERIES of diary entries, then write a series, not just one. Fairly simple, but an easy way to mess it up.
Be careful and good luck!
Nick
Short stories
Clear plot arc; characterisation of protagonists/antagonists through adverb/movement/adjectives; aptronyms; symbolic use of setting; descriptive language and modifiers throughout; multisensory descriptions; feelings/emotions; Third person may be simpler as a narrative style.
Monologues
Clear individual voice for character; stage directions to set scene; embedded stage directions to add tone; setting may be important; honest and confessional tone; some non-fluency features for effect; aptronyms; fade to black/scene change. movements and actions denoted by minor stage directions.
Reviews
Opinionated and decisive tone; likens product to other products to show experience; use of humour; uses statistics to support opinions; mixed register (sometimes very formal, followed by very informal for comic effect); hyperbole and exaggeration; very descriptive; does not give things away that could ruin the subject; gives ratings.
Guide to a place
Sometimes imperative tone 'take a walk along the sandy beach and enjoy...'; sometimes interrogative to show choice, 'why not try one of our local...?'; uses proper nouns and place names to help show you around; makes suggestions and gives options; informs about the place giving factual information; provides historical facts where relevant; separates text into sections which all deal with a different practical element, 'what to do', 'how to find us', etc.
Guide to a product
Imperative tone; technical information about product; hyperbole and exaggeration to describe features; excited mood throughout and a suggestion the product will improve your quality of life; direct address; helplines/customer service information etc.
Magazine articles
Catchy headline, sometimes using puns/rhymes or maybe even just a sensationalist 'my babysitter ran off with my dog' type declarative; subheading to add more context and information to the piece; opening paragraphs will hint at issue but not give too much away as readers will then be encouraged to read on; paragraphs often topped with their own subheading such as 'the truth behind the lies' or 'the grim reality' or 'life after the surgery'; will contain an exaggerated and hyperbolic narrative style, and incorporate quotations from people concerned with the story. DO NOT PUT PICTURES IN OR WRITE IN COLUMNS.
Travel writing
Written in present tense, e.g. 'As we approach the pyramid itself, I am filled with a sense of wonder.' You must maintain tense throughout; gives factual and historical information (make this up, obviously); lots of descriptive detail; reflective and emotive account, often reflecting the idea that the experience has affected the writer somehow; an honest summary, often mixing negative and positive aspects of the experience; multisensory and emotive descriptions; NOT written to persuade - focus is on reflection, informing and entertainment.
Persuasive leaflet
Lots of emotive language; use of anecdote for one paragraph to illustrate point or need for support 'take poor Timmy for example...'; lots of direct address and rhetorical questions; lots of descriptive detail; clear suggestions of how your support will help; cloaked and polite imperatives; will cater to negative face needs of reader.
Newspaper article
In all seriousness, go and have a look at a few and see how they look. Catchy/entertaining headline; subheading which expands slightly on the story at hand; opening paragraph or two which outline the main basic facts of the story to entice the reader, but without giving any complex details away; a formal account of how the events unfolded; responses from public; quotes from witnesses and experts; writer's name at end of article.
Blog
Informal tone; a sense that this is one post in an ongoing work - may refer to previous posts 'as I've stated before' or future posts 'in tomorrow's section, I will..'; speaks to'followers' and 'friends' directly; informative and entertaining; uses of humour whilst still conveying information; each individual blog post has its own title and a date stamp.
Dramatic script
Very similar to blog conventions except each individual speaker should have their name written in capitals in the left hand margin; speakers rarely overlap unless to show tension; stage directions at start of scene should outline who is present and where they are/what they are doing; will often start relaxed and build in tension as scenes progress; tension hinted at through structure of dialogue and subtle embedded stage directions.
Radio drama
A very unusual genre but it is exactly what it sounds like - a drama for radio airing. Because of this, you'll need to ensure ALL stage directions are SOUND BASED. 'Sounds of typing, traffic coming through an open window, the sound of glasses clinking together' etc. Put them at the start of each scene AND embed them wherever necessary. Remember, the audience can't see ANYTHING. This must be reflected in your writing. Often scenes will be much faster moving than a stage drama to keep the interest of listeners, so scene breaks will be short and frequent, demarcates by their own set of brief opening stage directions. Other than this, follow conventions of a dramatic script.
Podcast
Another very unusual genre. A podcast is a downloadable short broadcast which informs on a particular topic in an entertaining way; often take the form of a scripted conversation where two speakers pretend to be spontaneous, but without the stutters and interruptions; speakers will often have hilariously contrasting personalities e.g. One may be immature and act a bit bored or impatient, asking lots of questions about the issue whereas the other one may be sensible and informative. By using this structure, the writer is able to deliver specific information on a topic by entertaining the listening audience through a manufactured conversation. If you want to see a good scripted example, look at the UFO podcast on this link...
https://issuu.com/marshdalek/docs/gce-langlit-voices-anthology
Diary entry
Very personal tone; first person perspective; written in immediate past tense; confessional and reflective content; will catalogue events in chronological order using adverbials; lots of descriptive detail; feelings and emotions included; critical voice; written not be read by others; date at the top of each individual entry; will talk about effect of experiences.
Letter
Writer's name and address in top right; start with 'Dear Sir/ Madam' unless you know their name; sign off with 'yours sincerely' if you know their name or 'yours faithfully' if you don't; separate paragraphs by topic or subject.
Remember these basic rules...
We don't know that the above genres will come up, but similar ones will. Whatever happens, remember three basic rules: remain calm, be sensible and be decisive.
And READ THE TASK CAREFULLY! You can throw away marks on this by not doing exactly what it asks. If it tells you to write an INTRO write and intro, not a whole story. If it says to write a SERIES of diary entries, then write a series, not just one. Fairly simple, but an easy way to mess it up.
Be careful and good luck!
Nick
COMPONENT 3 - What if we get an odd genre?
I am going to provide you with some resources which outline suggested conventions of some of the more likely genres. However, it is possible they might throw you a bit of a 'curve ball' and give you a genre that makes you think, 'What the heck is that?' or 'How the flip am I supposed to know what the conventions of that are?'
Again, remember our number one rule - REMAIN CALM.
If this happens, it is likely they are testing your common sense. It is also likely that everyone up and down the country is feeling the same as you. So, the best thing you can do is to think it through logically, be decisive, and come up with your conventions anyway.
One example question in the SAMS says, 'Write the opening to a murder mystery novel...'
Being totally honest with you, I have never read a murder mystery novel. I'm assuming most of you have not either.
Does this mean we panic? cry? throw up? No! Of course not - because most people reading the question will not have read one either.
What we do is stay calm, and decide what FOUR/FIVE likely conventions of the genre will be.
So how do we work this out?
Well, firstly, are you familiar with any similar genres? Yes - short stories! So we can borrow at least a couple of conventions from there.
Aside from that, just use your common sense.
*It is likely to be quite mysterious, so my first convention will be to use a semantic field of mystery in my writing.
*There will be a detective of some sort, who will be a strong character, so I will characterise him or her as strong, inquisitive and decisive.
*The setting will be important - usually (I imagine) these novels will be set somewhere very atmospheric like a castle or stately home, so I'll set it there.
*There will normally be lots of foreshadowing that something bad will happen (remember it is the START of the story, so the murder might not have taken place yet). So I'll use pathetic fallacy (mist/ thunder and lightning), sounds and descriptions to add tension.
And there we have it - the conventions of a murder mystery! And I've never read one! But I can guarantee my suggestions will be as valid as anybody else answering the exam.
All you need to do, whatever the genre, is stay calm, and be decisive. You can't go wrong if you do that.
Nick
Again, remember our number one rule - REMAIN CALM.
If this happens, it is likely they are testing your common sense. It is also likely that everyone up and down the country is feeling the same as you. So, the best thing you can do is to think it through logically, be decisive, and come up with your conventions anyway.
One example question in the SAMS says, 'Write the opening to a murder mystery novel...'
Being totally honest with you, I have never read a murder mystery novel. I'm assuming most of you have not either.
Does this mean we panic? cry? throw up? No! Of course not - because most people reading the question will not have read one either.
What we do is stay calm, and decide what FOUR/FIVE likely conventions of the genre will be.
So how do we work this out?
Well, firstly, are you familiar with any similar genres? Yes - short stories! So we can borrow at least a couple of conventions from there.
Aside from that, just use your common sense.
*It is likely to be quite mysterious, so my first convention will be to use a semantic field of mystery in my writing.
*There will be a detective of some sort, who will be a strong character, so I will characterise him or her as strong, inquisitive and decisive.
*The setting will be important - usually (I imagine) these novels will be set somewhere very atmospheric like a castle or stately home, so I'll set it there.
*There will normally be lots of foreshadowing that something bad will happen (remember it is the START of the story, so the murder might not have taken place yet). So I'll use pathetic fallacy (mist/ thunder and lightning), sounds and descriptions to add tension.
And there we have it - the conventions of a murder mystery! And I've never read one! But I can guarantee my suggestions will be as valid as anybody else answering the exam.
All you need to do, whatever the genre, is stay calm, and be decisive. You can't go wrong if you do that.
Nick
COMPONENT 3 - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!
This post is going to outline how you should go about writing your pieces, what you should put into them, and what you need to talk about in your commentary. Essentially, this will be your guidebook for the component!
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
Genre
So, firstly you need to take genre into account. We have no idea what genres it is going to ask you to write. It could be anything really. However, what you will need to do is to decide on about five CLEAR conventions that should be present in whatever genre it asks you to write, and make sure you put these conventions into your writing. Again, you need to be confident with these, stay calm, and make effective decisions. I WILL MAKE MULTIPLE BLOG POSTS SUGGESTING CONVENTIONS FOR LOTS OF GENRES.
Here is an example:
If it asks you to write an extract from a short story, make sure you put in FIVE conventions of short stories. Eg, make sure you use highly descriptive language, use subtle details to characterise your protagonist, use aptronyms (names which mean something), make sure you have a strong plot arc, make sure that you use setting to affect mood (pathetic fallacy etc).
These are not the only conventions of short stories. They are just the FIVE that I came up with on the spot. It doesn't matter if you decide on five totally different things. That is just you showing your skill as a writer. These conventions will help you to shape and craft your writing rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes.
Here is another example:
If it asks you to write a monologue, put in conventions like this: A strong personal/realistic voice for the character (idiolect/sociolect, some non-verbal features), stage directions at start of monologue, a 'fade to black', embedded stage directions, an honest and confessional tone.
Again, I just thought of those on the spot, but they are very definitely things that we find in monologues. You MUST be brave and ensure that you make decisions about what needs to go into your writing, and use these conventions as a frame-work.
Nobody is expecting you to write a prize-winning piece of writing. They just want you to look like you know what you are doing, follow specific rules and conventions, and then point out what you have done in your commentary.
Audience and Purposes/Attitudes
As well as the conventions of the GENRE, you also need a strong sense of AUDIENCE and PURPOSE in your writing. All this means is that, you should have a specific audience in mind when you start writing, and you should put a few things in there which will appeal to that specific audience. Additionally, you should have one or two specific purposes within your writing, and you should write to these purposes.
If you do all of the above, your commentary will be very straightforward.
Like so: (No intro)
Paragraph 1 - Talk about how you have met the conventions of the genre (mention all the individual things you have done, and analyse their effectiveness using terms)
Paragraph 2 - Talk about the purposes/attitudes you set out to achieve. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
Paragraph 3 - Talk about what specific audience you set out to appeal to. Provide quotes to show how you have done this and analyse their effectiveness using terms.
You probably will not have much more time to do anything else. If you do, then simply continue to add points analysing what you have done. DO NOT WRITE AN INTRO FOR YOUR COMMENTARY. GET STRAIGHT INTO THE ANALYSIS.
COMPONENT 3 - USING THE STIMULUS
So, within each question, there will be a stimulus text which will inform your writing to some degree.
What will the stimulus texts be?
Well, so far, the SAMS have given us a short extract from a novel, and a string of trip advisor reviews for a caravan site. So, its safe to say that it will be hard to predict what comes up. However, this should not panic you at all. The stimulus text is there to help you, not constrain you. Just be prepared for all kinds of fiction and non-fiction texts, and make sure you choose the question (1 or 2) which suits your ability the best.
To what extent do we need to use or incorporate the stimulus in our work?
I have read the exam board guidance very closely in order to give you the best possible answer to this. Essentially, it depends largely on the wording of each individual task. For example, in the example exam, you are given an extract from a novel where a character called Mrs Reed sits in a room, reflecting on here life.
Task A asks you to write "an extract from a story where a room is the backdrop to an event in the life of the main character".
Task B asks you to "Write a dramatic monologue where Mrs Reed reflects on her life".
By using common sense, you can see here that task B requires far more focus on the stimulus than task A.
Task B is asking you to write about the life of Mrs Reed - so you will need to take inspiration from the stimulus in order to know anything about her. You may wish to drop in events in your monologue which are mentioned in the stimulus, or you may wish to use key terms to characterise her in a particular way. Either way, you will be using the stimulus material to a reasonable degree.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates should select some details from the stimulus material, but may select others if they wish."
Task A, on the other hand, merely asks you to write about 'a room'. At no point does the question suggest that this room or character has to have anything to do with the room or character in the stimulus. So you have far more freedom here.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates are likely to make little use of the content of the stimulus material."
So, as you can see, you need to read and understand the question carefully to know how much inspiration you should take from the stimulus.
That said, there is no SPECIFIC objective on the mark scheme for how well you use the stimulus. It will just form a more general part of how effectively your text is constructed for purpose.
What will the stimulus texts be?
Well, so far, the SAMS have given us a short extract from a novel, and a string of trip advisor reviews for a caravan site. So, its safe to say that it will be hard to predict what comes up. However, this should not panic you at all. The stimulus text is there to help you, not constrain you. Just be prepared for all kinds of fiction and non-fiction texts, and make sure you choose the question (1 or 2) which suits your ability the best.
To what extent do we need to use or incorporate the stimulus in our work?
I have read the exam board guidance very closely in order to give you the best possible answer to this. Essentially, it depends largely on the wording of each individual task. For example, in the example exam, you are given an extract from a novel where a character called Mrs Reed sits in a room, reflecting on here life.
Task A asks you to write "an extract from a story where a room is the backdrop to an event in the life of the main character".
Task B asks you to "Write a dramatic monologue where Mrs Reed reflects on her life".
By using common sense, you can see here that task B requires far more focus on the stimulus than task A.
Task B is asking you to write about the life of Mrs Reed - so you will need to take inspiration from the stimulus in order to know anything about her. You may wish to drop in events in your monologue which are mentioned in the stimulus, or you may wish to use key terms to characterise her in a particular way. Either way, you will be using the stimulus material to a reasonable degree.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates should select some details from the stimulus material, but may select others if they wish."
Task A, on the other hand, merely asks you to write about 'a room'. At no point does the question suggest that this room or character has to have anything to do with the room or character in the stimulus. So you have far more freedom here.
The mark scheme for this says, "Candidates are likely to make little use of the content of the stimulus material."
So, as you can see, you need to read and understand the question carefully to know how much inspiration you should take from the stimulus.
That said, there is no SPECIFIC objective on the mark scheme for how well you use the stimulus. It will just form a more general part of how effectively your text is constructed for purpose.
COMPONENT 3 - So what do we do? Simple version
I can sum it up very simply, as this is a very straightforward exam:
You write TWO short pieces of creative writing based loosely on a stimulus text, then you write a short commentary explaining your language choices in ONE of the texts.
Sounds very simple doesn't it?
Well it is. But I am still going to give you lots of information which will hopefully give you access to the high end of the mark scheme, because there are ways of doing this extremely well, and ways of doing it not so extremely well.
You will not be able to write much AT ALL - You are advised to write about 300 words each for the creative tasks, which means that your commentary certainly will not be much more than this (it should be easier and faster to write the commentary because you are not having to invent it as you go along).
I will discuss the stimulus and mark scheme on the following posts.
You write TWO short pieces of creative writing based loosely on a stimulus text, then you write a short commentary explaining your language choices in ONE of the texts.
Sounds very simple doesn't it?
Well it is. But I am still going to give you lots of information which will hopefully give you access to the high end of the mark scheme, because there are ways of doing this extremely well, and ways of doing it not so extremely well.
You will not be able to write much AT ALL - You are advised to write about 300 words each for the creative tasks, which means that your commentary certainly will not be much more than this (it should be easier and faster to write the commentary because you are not having to invent it as you go along).
I will discuss the stimulus and mark scheme on the following posts.
COMPONENT 3 - STRUCTURE & TIMINGS
Ok, so here is the GENRERAL OVERVIEW of Friday's exam.
You will be given a choice of two questions 1 & 2. Each question has three parts - a, b & c.
You can choose to answer either 1 or 2 - but you MUST answer ALL THREE PARTS of whichever question you choose.
So, either:
1a, 1b & 1c
or
2a, 2b & 2c.
There is NO WAY that you can choose to answer some parts of Q1 and some parts of Q2. You can not leave out ANY part of the question you choose.
Understand? :)
Timings
The paper is 1hr 45mins long.
Parts a & b of whichever question you choose will be short creative writing tasks on different genres.
You are advised to spend around 40 minutes on each of these tasks - so a total of 80 minutes.
Part c asks you to write a short commentary on ONE of the two tasks you have written. NOT BOTH.
You are advised to spend around 25 minutes on this task.
You will be given a choice of two questions 1 & 2. Each question has three parts - a, b & c.
You can choose to answer either 1 or 2 - but you MUST answer ALL THREE PARTS of whichever question you choose.
So, either:
1a, 1b & 1c
or
2a, 2b & 2c.
There is NO WAY that you can choose to answer some parts of Q1 and some parts of Q2. You can not leave out ANY part of the question you choose.
Understand? :)
Timings
The paper is 1hr 45mins long.
Parts a & b of whichever question you choose will be short creative writing tasks on different genres.
You are advised to spend around 40 minutes on each of these tasks - so a total of 80 minutes.
Part c asks you to write a short commentary on ONE of the two tasks you have written. NOT BOTH.
You are advised to spend around 25 minutes on this task.
Tuesday 20 June 2017
Nearly there!
You lot are currently in your Component 2 exam. Hope it's going well. I can see that some of you were viewing the blog up until 8.58am! Nothing like leaving things til the last minute.
I will put some stuff up for component three, probably on Thursday. You will SMASH component 3, provided you stick to your timings. Loads of you will score highly on it as you are good writers.
You just need to ensure you know a handful of conventions to put in the different genres it asks you to write, and then point these out using terms in your commentary.
Compared to the 2 exams you've done so far, it really is simple.
Anyway, good luck and speak soon.
Nick
I will put some stuff up for component three, probably on Thursday. You will SMASH component 3, provided you stick to your timings. Loads of you will score highly on it as you are good writers.
You just need to ensure you know a handful of conventions to put in the different genres it asks you to write, and then point these out using terms in your commentary.
Compared to the 2 exams you've done so far, it really is simple.
Anyway, good luck and speak soon.
Nick
Monday 19 June 2017
Check CONNECT for 20 marker guidance.
mark has put some guidance on how to answer the 20 marker in full sentences. It is a document from the board with annotated feedback.
READ IT.
But always give as much detail as you an on the 20 marker questions. Even if you don't know the 'right term' just explain it as best you can.
If you don't know the name of an interchange or spelling pattern, then just describe what you see.
Again, keep calm.
See you tomorrow,
Nick
READ THIS!! COMPONENT 2A
This will be my final blog post before Component 2. I will check my emails at 10pm just to ensure there's no last minute questions or wobbles.
But take note of this...
Just BE CONFIDENT when analysing the texts in Section A. No one in the country is more of an expert than you lot. Don't just look at the genre and think 'how the flipping heck am I supposed to know what 16th century love letters were like?'
That's the point! They want you to look at the data in front of you, and identify its features and how these have changed over time.
They're not expecting you to be a PHD student. So be CONFIDENT!!!
Say things like, 'A clear convention of the genre can be identified when...'
Or
'An obvious change in the audience of the genre is visible when...'
Or
'Unlike older texts which seek to ue imperatives to impose authority, the convention has eviently become far more lax over time, as demonstrated by...'
You MUST show this degree of confidence.
You MUST stick to your timings.
You MUST keep calm and give everything your best shot.
You MUST write like your life depends on it.
But you'll be fine. You got this.
See you in the morning.
Nick
But take note of this...
Just BE CONFIDENT when analysing the texts in Section A. No one in the country is more of an expert than you lot. Don't just look at the genre and think 'how the flipping heck am I supposed to know what 16th century love letters were like?'
That's the point! They want you to look at the data in front of you, and identify its features and how these have changed over time.
They're not expecting you to be a PHD student. So be CONFIDENT!!!
Say things like, 'A clear convention of the genre can be identified when...'
Or
'An obvious change in the audience of the genre is visible when...'
Or
'Unlike older texts which seek to ue imperatives to impose authority, the convention has eviently become far more lax over time, as demonstrated by...'
You MUST show this degree of confidence.
You MUST stick to your timings.
You MUST keep calm and give everything your best shot.
You MUST write like your life depends on it.
But you'll be fine. You got this.
See you in the morning.
Nick
COMPONENT 2A - Example paragraphs!!
These paragraph are written about imaginary texts, but I have put them together to show you what is a good balance between evidence, explanation, terms, context and comparison.
Have a look...
A clear convention of an authoritarian tone can be identified in Text A, which demonstrates a significant change compared to the later examples. We can see this from the significant amount of fronted imperative verbs such as 'putte' - which demonstrates a double consonant and superfluous terminal 'e', 'take' and 'cleane' (which shows a terminal 'e'). Coupled with these, we can see through the use of modals that recipes in the 17th century were extremely authoritarian where it says 'you must do this immediately'. here, the modal 'must' and adverb 'immediately' show the haste and precision with which the chef must act. This is dissimilar to Text C where far more choice is given, demonstrating a change in conventions of recipes.
A secondary convention which is clear within Text A is that of presupposing the abilities of the chefs, which is likely due to the fact that in the 17th century, these texts were aimed at professional housekeepers rather than amateur hobbyists. We can see this presupposition where it says, 'take one skullet'. Here, the archaic noun 'skullet', which has fallen out of common usage, denotes a presupposition that the chef will know exactly what is meant in terms of equipment. Secondarily, presupposition is shown through the nouns of quantity 'a bit', 'a pinche' which demonstrates a terminal 'e', and 'a little'. All of these are rather vague amounts which would require previous experience from the chef to understand exactly what it meant. This differs hugely from both Texts B and C which prove that, over time, the convention has become to explain things in more detail, and give precise measurements for ingredients to avoid ruining the recipe.
The audience for this genre has clearly gone through a transition over time, as demonstrated by the adverbial phrase, 'for his lordship', the archaic compound noun 'lordship' denoting that all of these rules are in place to impress the upper classes. Within the declarative statement, 'one must remain gay at all times', the archaic pronoun 'one' coupled with the adjective 'gay' imply that there is pressure on the staff to act properly when around their social superiors. It is worth noting here that the adjective 'gay' which meant 'happy' here, has gone through a process of semantic shift, and is now largely accepted to mean 'homosexual'. This attitude demonstrates a totally different convention to Text C when the focus appears to be on having fun in the kitchen and experimenting with food as a family, not conforming to strict rules.
Do you get the idea??
*Nice and concise.
*Heavily signposted towards the question (remember, this will not always be about conventions so read it carefully)
*Consideration of language change terms, but not to the extent that they get in the way.
*Clear comparisons to other texts.
*Uses terms to focus on KEY WORDS. Does not classify EVERY SINGLE word.
Hope this helps,
Nick
Have a look...
A clear convention of an authoritarian tone can be identified in Text A, which demonstrates a significant change compared to the later examples. We can see this from the significant amount of fronted imperative verbs such as 'putte' - which demonstrates a double consonant and superfluous terminal 'e', 'take' and 'cleane' (which shows a terminal 'e'). Coupled with these, we can see through the use of modals that recipes in the 17th century were extremely authoritarian where it says 'you must do this immediately'. here, the modal 'must' and adverb 'immediately' show the haste and precision with which the chef must act. This is dissimilar to Text C where far more choice is given, demonstrating a change in conventions of recipes.
A secondary convention which is clear within Text A is that of presupposing the abilities of the chefs, which is likely due to the fact that in the 17th century, these texts were aimed at professional housekeepers rather than amateur hobbyists. We can see this presupposition where it says, 'take one skullet'. Here, the archaic noun 'skullet', which has fallen out of common usage, denotes a presupposition that the chef will know exactly what is meant in terms of equipment. Secondarily, presupposition is shown through the nouns of quantity 'a bit', 'a pinche' which demonstrates a terminal 'e', and 'a little'. All of these are rather vague amounts which would require previous experience from the chef to understand exactly what it meant. This differs hugely from both Texts B and C which prove that, over time, the convention has become to explain things in more detail, and give precise measurements for ingredients to avoid ruining the recipe.
The audience for this genre has clearly gone through a transition over time, as demonstrated by the adverbial phrase, 'for his lordship', the archaic compound noun 'lordship' denoting that all of these rules are in place to impress the upper classes. Within the declarative statement, 'one must remain gay at all times', the archaic pronoun 'one' coupled with the adjective 'gay' imply that there is pressure on the staff to act properly when around their social superiors. It is worth noting here that the adjective 'gay' which meant 'happy' here, has gone through a process of semantic shift, and is now largely accepted to mean 'homosexual'. This attitude demonstrates a totally different convention to Text C when the focus appears to be on having fun in the kitchen and experimenting with food as a family, not conforming to strict rules.
Do you get the idea??
*Nice and concise.
*Heavily signposted towards the question (remember, this will not always be about conventions so read it carefully)
*Consideration of language change terms, but not to the extent that they get in the way.
*Clear comparisons to other texts.
*Uses terms to focus on KEY WORDS. Does not classify EVERY SINGLE word.
Hope this helps,
Nick
COMPONENT 2A - BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...Usually only written about prestigious people who have achieved significant things. Will focus on achievements. Will focus on achievements which resonate with a wide audience. Will often have an educational aspect to them, informing about facts. Will be very formally written. Often written by people who are employed to follow and document the individual. Often written retrospectively.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written about a wide range of celebrities, often ones currently in the public eye who have not achieved much. Will focus on achievements as well as scandal, gossip and private issues. Will on personal issues which shed light on sensitive and embarrassing parts of a person's life. Will often have an entertaining aspect to them. May be very informally written. Often written shortly after events in order to maximise sales to the public.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written about a wide range of celebrities, often ones currently in the public eye who have not achieved much. Will focus on achievements as well as scandal, gossip and private issues. Will on personal issues which shed light on sensitive and embarrassing parts of a person's life. Will often have an entertaining aspect to them. May be very informally written. Often written shortly after events in order to maximise sales to the public.
COMPONENT 2 - TIMINGS
Just in case anyone is confused...
Tomorrow's exam is 2hr 15 mins long.
Spend the following timings on each section.
Section A - Change
20 marker - About 20 - 25 mins
60 mark essay - About 65 - 70 mins (split this 3 ways and devote equal time to each of the 3 texts)
Section B - 21st century
40 mark essay - About 45 mins.
STICK TO THESE TIMINGS!!! You will mess it up if you don't. BE STRICT!!!
Nick
Tomorrow's exam is 2hr 15 mins long.
Spend the following timings on each section.
Section A - Change
20 marker - About 20 - 25 mins
60 mark essay - About 65 - 70 mins (split this 3 ways and devote equal time to each of the 3 texts)
Section B - 21st century
40 mark essay - About 45 mins.
STICK TO THESE TIMINGS!!! You will mess it up if you don't. BE STRICT!!!
Nick
COMPONENT 2A - GENERAL ADVICE FOR THE 60 MARKER
Ok,
So you are going to want a general walk-through for the essay. You know this already. There is no way around the fact that it is a BIG essay. Remember, if you follow the timings I have outlined in an earlier post, you should have between 60-70 minutes to write it.
THE QUESTION WILL PROBABLY ASK YOU HOW THE CONVENTIONS OF THE GENRE, OR ANOTHER RELATED ASPECT OF THE GENRE, HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. WHATEVER IT ASKS YOU, YOU MUST ANSWER THE QUESTION DIRECTLY AND SIGNPOST YOUR ARGUMENT BACK TO THE QUESTION IN EACH PARAGRAPH.
Got it? Sorry if that looked a bit shouty, but it's pretty much the most important thing on the exam so take note.
So...make sure you do the following things:
1. Read the blurbs for each texts and highlight any key words that will give you clues about the content of the text. Often, you will see clues to do with the class, social position, age of writers etc.
2. Aim to find SIX key points in each text which directly answer the question. ie, if the question asks you to talk about how the conventions of the genre have changed, then aim to find around SIX conventions per text. Alternatively, if the question asks you something like 'how have attitudes towards love changed over time? Find points which mostly answer this question. And so on.
3. Write your paragraph clearly with a focussed TOPIC SENTENCE, back them up with multiple bits of EVIDENCE and use TERMS to discuss the KEY WORDS of PRAGMATIC SIGNIFICANCE. Remember, don't classify EVERY word, just the ones which carry meaning or are the most important.
4. If you come across KEY LANGUAGE TERMS, point them out as a 'by the way' sort of point. Don't just look out for grammatical stuff...comment on words which are archaic, or have changed meaning too.
5. Write your paragraphs QUICKLY and CONCISELY - you will need to get through a lot of them.
6. Write your six PGs on text A, then 6 on B, then 6 on C.
7. Ensure, in the majority of your paragraphs, that you make a comparison with one of the other texts.
8. STICK TO YOUR TIMINGS!!! YOU MUST COVER EACH TEXT EQUALLY!!! If you get a third of the way through your time and you have only done 4 PGs, MOVE ON!! Don't carry on with Text A forever, as your essay will be weak.
9. Remember, your paragraphs can differ in length. Some may be long, and some may only be short.
10. WRITE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. It is a long essay....there is no avoiding that...so write FAST. Write FASTER THAN YOU EVER HAVE BEFORE. WRITE UNTIL YOUR HAND ACHES. It will be worth it!
Do all the above, and you'll be fine.
Nick
So you are going to want a general walk-through for the essay. You know this already. There is no way around the fact that it is a BIG essay. Remember, if you follow the timings I have outlined in an earlier post, you should have between 60-70 minutes to write it.
THE QUESTION WILL PROBABLY ASK YOU HOW THE CONVENTIONS OF THE GENRE, OR ANOTHER RELATED ASPECT OF THE GENRE, HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. WHATEVER IT ASKS YOU, YOU MUST ANSWER THE QUESTION DIRECTLY AND SIGNPOST YOUR ARGUMENT BACK TO THE QUESTION IN EACH PARAGRAPH.
Got it? Sorry if that looked a bit shouty, but it's pretty much the most important thing on the exam so take note.
So...make sure you do the following things:
1. Read the blurbs for each texts and highlight any key words that will give you clues about the content of the text. Often, you will see clues to do with the class, social position, age of writers etc.
2. Aim to find SIX key points in each text which directly answer the question. ie, if the question asks you to talk about how the conventions of the genre have changed, then aim to find around SIX conventions per text. Alternatively, if the question asks you something like 'how have attitudes towards love changed over time? Find points which mostly answer this question. And so on.
3. Write your paragraph clearly with a focussed TOPIC SENTENCE, back them up with multiple bits of EVIDENCE and use TERMS to discuss the KEY WORDS of PRAGMATIC SIGNIFICANCE. Remember, don't classify EVERY word, just the ones which carry meaning or are the most important.
4. If you come across KEY LANGUAGE TERMS, point them out as a 'by the way' sort of point. Don't just look out for grammatical stuff...comment on words which are archaic, or have changed meaning too.
5. Write your paragraphs QUICKLY and CONCISELY - you will need to get through a lot of them.
6. Write your six PGs on text A, then 6 on B, then 6 on C.
7. Ensure, in the majority of your paragraphs, that you make a comparison with one of the other texts.
8. STICK TO YOUR TIMINGS!!! YOU MUST COVER EACH TEXT EQUALLY!!! If you get a third of the way through your time and you have only done 4 PGs, MOVE ON!! Don't carry on with Text A forever, as your essay will be weak.
9. Remember, your paragraphs can differ in length. Some may be long, and some may only be short.
10. WRITE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. It is a long essay....there is no avoiding that...so write FAST. Write FASTER THAN YOU EVER HAVE BEFORE. WRITE UNTIL YOUR HAND ACHES. It will be worth it!
Do all the above, and you'll be fine.
Nick
COMPONENT 2A - DIARIES
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Probably only written by educated/higher class people as these would be the only ones to survive. Will be written more as a historical record or document. Will often include mention of activities/timetables. No focus on entertainment. Far more mention of religion and religious practices. Written in a factual tone - no suggestion that they are written to entertain or to be read by anybody else. Will contain mention of life in high-class settings. Writing will be largely accurate (for the time) and well-written due to nature of writers. A formal tone to be expected.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by anyone. Written for a variety of purposes - possibly to record secrets, to complain, voice anger - far more focus on freedom of expression. Focus will be more on feelings and opinions due to change in oppressive nature of society. Tone of honesty and sometimes entertainment. Some more modern diaries - particularly if written by a significant individual such as a celebrity - are written with a view to them being read out or published (wider audience). Will feature interesting AND mundane activities. May be very informal in their approach.
Probably only written by educated/higher class people as these would be the only ones to survive. Will be written more as a historical record or document. Will often include mention of activities/timetables. No focus on entertainment. Far more mention of religion and religious practices. Written in a factual tone - no suggestion that they are written to entertain or to be read by anybody else. Will contain mention of life in high-class settings. Writing will be largely accurate (for the time) and well-written due to nature of writers. A formal tone to be expected.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by anyone. Written for a variety of purposes - possibly to record secrets, to complain, voice anger - far more focus on freedom of expression. Focus will be more on feelings and opinions due to change in oppressive nature of society. Tone of honesty and sometimes entertainment. Some more modern diaries - particularly if written by a significant individual such as a celebrity - are written with a view to them being read out or published (wider audience). Will feature interesting AND mundane activities. May be very informal in their approach.
COMPONENT 2A - ARTICLES
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Not necessarily as immediate in their reporting of the news. Might be published periodically rather than daily due to constraints of technology. May mention 'God' or 'God's will' more due to religious society. May seem far more superstitious due to beliefs of society at the time. Might demonise natural elements and disasters rather than people. May have a far more dramatic tone (more like a narrative rather than the more factual tone of modern journalism). May make assumptions and accusations due to the lack of legal system in society. May have a more local appeal and mention local place names/people etc as national papers are a relatively modern concept. May show views which are considered controversial by today's standards. Might seem sensationalist in their approach, as if warning the public. Not very much focus put onto writer.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
More immediate - sometimes even reported within minutes. Will tend to stick to facts and quotes to ensure they can't be sued. May seek to demonise perpetrators of crimes, but always making sure they do not say anything which is legally dubious. May have a dramatic tone, but only once the modern conventions of the genre are established. For example, most articles' first PG will outline the who/what/where facts in a concise way before continuing to add information. Will always be very careful about legal implications when making assumptions, often relying on the quotes of others or modals such as 'may have' or 'might have'. May have a more national appeal. Will probably show less controversial views than an older text, but can still be controversial. Some papers will display a clear political stance. Might seem sensationalist in their approach, but simply just to sell papers rather than acting as a warning. Sometimes written by celebrities or famous journalists.
Not necessarily as immediate in their reporting of the news. Might be published periodically rather than daily due to constraints of technology. May mention 'God' or 'God's will' more due to religious society. May seem far more superstitious due to beliefs of society at the time. Might demonise natural elements and disasters rather than people. May have a far more dramatic tone (more like a narrative rather than the more factual tone of modern journalism). May make assumptions and accusations due to the lack of legal system in society. May have a more local appeal and mention local place names/people etc as national papers are a relatively modern concept. May show views which are considered controversial by today's standards. Might seem sensationalist in their approach, as if warning the public. Not very much focus put onto writer.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
More immediate - sometimes even reported within minutes. Will tend to stick to facts and quotes to ensure they can't be sued. May seek to demonise perpetrators of crimes, but always making sure they do not say anything which is legally dubious. May have a dramatic tone, but only once the modern conventions of the genre are established. For example, most articles' first PG will outline the who/what/where facts in a concise way before continuing to add information. Will always be very careful about legal implications when making assumptions, often relying on the quotes of others or modals such as 'may have' or 'might have'. May have a more national appeal. Will probably show less controversial views than an older text, but can still be controversial. Some papers will display a clear political stance. Might seem sensationalist in their approach, but simply just to sell papers rather than acting as a warning. Sometimes written by celebrities or famous journalists.
Sunday 18 June 2017
COMPONENT 2A - CHANGE
I will put a load more stuff on for 2A - Change starting in the morning. However, there's a lot on here already to be getting on with and I have just sent you all an email with an example A* essay attached with a little bit of exam feedback.
Read EVERYTHING on the blog, make sure you understand it, and ensure you come to tomorrow's lesson.
I don't want anyone turning up to the exam (like last time) telling me they have 'no idea what tey're doing' when they haven't been to a single revision lesson. That is just crazy, if you don't mind me saying so.
See you tomorrow!
Nick
Read EVERYTHING on the blog, make sure you understand it, and ensure you come to tomorrow's lesson.
I don't want anyone turning up to the exam (like last time) telling me they have 'no idea what tey're doing' when they haven't been to a single revision lesson. That is just crazy, if you don't mind me saying so.
See you tomorrow!
Nick
COMPONENT 2B - The final 2 paragraphs continued...
So...
You've done a PG on 'wider reading/your own experience'. Now just ensure you do a paragraph which mentions theorists and other peoples' opinions. You can pretty much write this in advance.
Just look back at the opinions from Stephen Fry and John Humphreys. Make sure you discuss their attitudes towards CMC/21st century English. Stephen Fry thinks experimenting with language is great - so he is a descriptivist. Humphreys actually compares this sort of experiemntation with language to 'rape'. Highly controversial and offensive, but in line with what some PRESCRIPTIVISTS think about language.
So, just write a paragraph where you sum up some public attituds to CMC, and then finish off by quoting good old David Crystal. Say how he is a world expert in the field. Mention his classic quotes, 'you can't freeze a moving river' etc, as well as a few more descriptivist quote from the info I've given you.
Here are the texts you will need...
You've done a PG on 'wider reading/your own experience'. Now just ensure you do a paragraph which mentions theorists and other peoples' opinions. You can pretty much write this in advance.
Just look back at the opinions from Stephen Fry and John Humphreys. Make sure you discuss their attitudes towards CMC/21st century English. Stephen Fry thinks experimenting with language is great - so he is a descriptivist. Humphreys actually compares this sort of experiemntation with language to 'rape'. Highly controversial and offensive, but in line with what some PRESCRIPTIVISTS think about language.
So, just write a paragraph where you sum up some public attituds to CMC, and then finish off by quoting good old David Crystal. Say how he is a world expert in the field. Mention his classic quotes, 'you can't freeze a moving river' etc, as well as a few more descriptivist quote from the info I've given you.
Here are the texts you will need...
COMPONENT 2B - The final 2 paragraphs
So...
What do you need to put in your final 2 paragraphs, I hear you ask?
Dead simple.
1. You should ensure that you write a paragraph about your own experience of the medium named in the question. So, for the following mediums, you should just have a think about 1 paragraphs worth of example of unusual and strange langauge use you have witnessed in different contexts:
*SMS
*Facebook
*Twitter
*Snapchat
*Email
*Instagram
*Whatsapp
You can make it up/elaborate if you want to. Just ensure that you are able to talk for a PG about your personal experience, backed up with examples. So, if FB came up, I might have a few exaamples of how I talk to my friends, but then talk about how that differs if I'm talking to my mum on there or something. You might want to mention how memes have affected the way you talk, or 'in jokes' you have with your friends. All you need to do is to have one PG where you talk about your own experiences of the medium, using terms to back up what you're saying, and linking your points to multiple contexts.
If you are REALLY stuck for points to make, or you don't think your own experience of SMS of facebook is interesting enough, remember these stimulus texts that we have used in class, and analyse these instead. Some very unusual examples, particularly the 'wrong number' text, the SPAM text ad the text between the younger person and parent...
Also, if FB happens to come up, remember that we studied this HUGE argument from FB. There's all kinds of stuff you could drop in from here...
What do you need to put in your final 2 paragraphs, I hear you ask?
Dead simple.
1. You should ensure that you write a paragraph about your own experience of the medium named in the question. So, for the following mediums, you should just have a think about 1 paragraphs worth of example of unusual and strange langauge use you have witnessed in different contexts:
*SMS
*Snapchat
You can make it up/elaborate if you want to. Just ensure that you are able to talk for a PG about your personal experience, backed up with examples. So, if FB came up, I might have a few exaamples of how I talk to my friends, but then talk about how that differs if I'm talking to my mum on there or something. You might want to mention how memes have affected the way you talk, or 'in jokes' you have with your friends. All you need to do is to have one PG where you talk about your own experiences of the medium, using terms to back up what you're saying, and linking your points to multiple contexts.
If you are REALLY stuck for points to make, or you don't think your own experience of SMS of facebook is interesting enough, remember these stimulus texts that we have used in class, and analyse these instead. Some very unusual examples, particularly the 'wrong number' text, the SPAM text ad the text between the younger person and parent...
Also, if FB happens to come up, remember that we studied this HUGE argument from FB. There's all kinds of stuff you could drop in from here...
COMPONENT 2B - Theories 2
As well as David Crystal, please also remember Tim Shortiss' 'Disinhibition Theory'. You don't hae to remember quotes for this, just remember what the theory is, and mention it if it crops up in your data.
The theory is the idea that, because CMC allows you to communicate without having to see people face to face, you are more likely to say things that you would be too embarassed to say in real life.
If you see this happening in your data, mention Tim Shortiss and 'Disinhibition Theory'.
The theory is the idea that, because CMC allows you to communicate without having to see people face to face, you are more likely to say things that you would be too embarassed to say in real life.
If you see this happening in your data, mention Tim Shortiss and 'Disinhibition Theory'.
COMPONENT 2B - THEORIES 1
The amount of theory you have to remember for this section is nothing compared to the last exam.
Essentially what you need to do is try to add some relevant quotes into your analysis of the data when you think it is important, then memorise a really good example paragraph to put at the end of your essay.
David Crystal is a fantastic source, as he is one of the world's experts on this subject. When David Crystal visited, I made a PPT outlining all kinds of quotes he made about CMC communication.
Here is the PPT. You will see LOTS of useful quotes that you can use as you analyse your data.
Obviously the 'language and the internet' slides are the most important.
Essentially what you need to do is try to add some relevant quotes into your analysis of the data when you think it is important, then memorise a really good example paragraph to put at the end of your essay.
David Crystal is a fantastic source, as he is one of the world's experts on this subject. When David Crystal visited, I made a PPT outlining all kinds of quotes he made about CMC communication.
Here is the PPT. You will see LOTS of useful quotes that you can use as you analyse your data.
Obviously the 'language and the internet' slides are the most important.
COMPONENT 2B - Prosodics and paralinguistics
Don't forget these two things:
Prosodics (volume, tone, pace of speech). These are missing in CMC communication (Computer mediated communication) and s we use other things to mimic them to save confusion (caps lock, non-standard punctuation, emojis). Point them out when you see them.
Paralinguistics (non-verbal communicators - such as facial expression, hand gestures, body movements). These are also missing in CMC and are mimicked by other typed features. Point them out when you see them too.
Other terms...
Multimodality - The tendancy for 21st century texts to take on features of speech as well as writing due to immediate and informal nature of CMC communication.
Plasticity - The ability to edit texts to get the best and most convincing quality to the message.
Prosodics (volume, tone, pace of speech). These are missing in CMC communication (Computer mediated communication) and s we use other things to mimic them to save confusion (caps lock, non-standard punctuation, emojis). Point them out when you see them.
Paralinguistics (non-verbal communicators - such as facial expression, hand gestures, body movements). These are also missing in CMC and are mimicked by other typed features. Point them out when you see them too.
Other terms...
Multimodality - The tendancy for 21st century texts to take on features of speech as well as writing due to immediate and informal nature of CMC communication.
Plasticity - The ability to edit texts to get the best and most convincing quality to the message.
COMPONENT 2B - So what do we do? 3
Linking to context....
Follow this formula and you won't go far wrong.
1. Point out a language feature
2. Show a clear example or examples of where we see this in the data
3. Explain why this happens in a general sense - 'Emojis like this are used to express emotion rather than putting things into words which means that word counts are cut down, and there is less chance of messages being misread on an emotional level
4. Explain why this happens in this particular context - 'Within this message, it is particularly important that this 'laughing' emoji has been used, as the recipient is an older individual who may be more inclined to misread the sarcastic tone of the text if the emoji was not used to clarify it.
It is that last point which will ensure you are always linking to context. So, within each message, consider and comment on the following factors:
*How old is the sender/recipient? Is this having any effect on the language used?
*Is there a language/culture barrier between sender and recipient? Any linguistic effect?
*How well do the sender and recipient know each other? Is this affecting anything?
*Is the message informal or formal? Why? How is this shown linguistically?
*How far apart are the sender and recipient? Any linguistic effect?
*Is the message wanted or unwanted? How does this affect the things the sender says?
*SPAM MESSAGES - Remember, SPAM companies will use abbreviations and hyperlinks to keep word counts and costs down. They will also use a whole host of tactics to trick people into following the messages. Point these out when they shows up, and explain what you know about spammers.
*Multimodality - Do any of the messages show signs of CONVERSATIONAL features? Why? Point these out.
Follow this formula and you won't go far wrong.
1. Point out a language feature
2. Show a clear example or examples of where we see this in the data
3. Explain why this happens in a general sense - 'Emojis like this are used to express emotion rather than putting things into words which means that word counts are cut down, and there is less chance of messages being misread on an emotional level
4. Explain why this happens in this particular context - 'Within this message, it is particularly important that this 'laughing' emoji has been used, as the recipient is an older individual who may be more inclined to misread the sarcastic tone of the text if the emoji was not used to clarify it.
It is that last point which will ensure you are always linking to context. So, within each message, consider and comment on the following factors:
*How old is the sender/recipient? Is this having any effect on the language used?
*Is there a language/culture barrier between sender and recipient? Any linguistic effect?
*How well do the sender and recipient know each other? Is this affecting anything?
*Is the message informal or formal? Why? How is this shown linguistically?
*How far apart are the sender and recipient? Any linguistic effect?
*Is the message wanted or unwanted? How does this affect the things the sender says?
*SPAM MESSAGES - Remember, SPAM companies will use abbreviations and hyperlinks to keep word counts and costs down. They will also use a whole host of tactics to trick people into following the messages. Point these out when they shows up, and explain what you know about spammers.
*Multimodality - Do any of the messages show signs of CONVERSATIONAL features? Why? Point these out.
COMPONENT 2B - So what do we do? 2
Answering this question really is EASY.
The Sample Assessment material showed 8 SMS messages and expects you to write about 4-5 paragraphs.
Whilst we don't know that YOUR data will feature SMS messages, we can assume it will be a similar length.
So, just try to GROUP the data into about 4-5 paragraphs. Don't just blindly work your way through it one text at a time This won't show off your skills. See if any of the texts/tweets/message have anything in common, and tackle these in the same paragraph.
For example, don't do this:
Paragraph one - discusses sms 1
Paragraph two - discusses sms 2
Paragraph three - discusses sms 3...
Because if you do that, you'll find that you eventualy start repeating yourself.
Instead, do it like this...
Paragraph one - discusses all messages which features arguments
Paragraph two - discusses all message which are sent in a more formal context
Paragraph three - discusses all messages which are sent mby older people
Paragraph four - discusses all texts which are SPAM messages or unwanted messages
Paragraph five - discusses all texts sent between close friends and family
ETC ETC ETC.
Do you see the benefit of this??? Essentially, this will guarantee that each PG has a nice specific focus, you won't be repeating yourself, and you should ALWAYS be able to link VERY EASILY to the context of the messages, showing how it is affecting language use.
Carry on reading for more help...
The Sample Assessment material showed 8 SMS messages and expects you to write about 4-5 paragraphs.
Whilst we don't know that YOUR data will feature SMS messages, we can assume it will be a similar length.
So, just try to GROUP the data into about 4-5 paragraphs. Don't just blindly work your way through it one text at a time This won't show off your skills. See if any of the texts/tweets/message have anything in common, and tackle these in the same paragraph.
For example, don't do this:
Paragraph one - discusses sms 1
Paragraph two - discusses sms 2
Paragraph three - discusses sms 3...
Because if you do that, you'll find that you eventualy start repeating yourself.
Instead, do it like this...
Paragraph one - discusses all messages which features arguments
Paragraph two - discusses all message which are sent in a more formal context
Paragraph three - discusses all messages which are sent mby older people
Paragraph four - discusses all texts which are SPAM messages or unwanted messages
Paragraph five - discusses all texts sent between close friends and family
ETC ETC ETC.
Do you see the benefit of this??? Essentially, this will guarantee that each PG has a nice specific focus, you won't be repeating yourself, and you should ALWAYS be able to link VERY EASILY to the context of the messages, showing how it is affecting language use.
Carry on reading for more help...
COMPONENT 2B - So, what do we do?
Really, this is a component which should NOT have you panicking.
You will be given a small set of data from the genre of 21st century English.
This could be from:
SMS
Twitter
Facebook
Snapchat
Instagram
Email
All the questions will ask you to do will be something like 'analyse how the context of this data affects language use in the 21st century'.
You already know ALL of this! You really do. All you have to do is imagine you are explaining EVERYTHING to a 95 year old, and you can't go far wrong (ie, just be prepared to explain what the heck is going on as if you are talking to someone who has never seen a text message or abbreviation in their life.)
Got it?
Key terms:
If you see any of these, you'll need to point them out and explain why and how they are being used. Don't just assume that you only need to mention them once. You might make a point about how a smiley face to a friend shows informality or flirting, whereas you might later make another point about how inappropriate a sad face is when used in a formal situation.
*Abbreviations
*Acronyms
*Initialisms
*Emojis/Emoticons
*Sociolect
*Elliptical expression
*Elision
*Logograms (when a symbol is used to carry meaning, like '+' or '@'
*Hyperlinks
*Hashtags
*Retweets
*Tagged friends
*Mentions
*Like/Dislikes
Again, none of this should scare you. This is the sort of language you use EVERY DAY. You just need to switch your brains on, look at the contexts, and ensure that you are fully explaining WHY these things are happening.
Carry on reading for more help...
You will be given a small set of data from the genre of 21st century English.
This could be from:
SMS
Snapchat
All the questions will ask you to do will be something like 'analyse how the context of this data affects language use in the 21st century'.
You already know ALL of this! You really do. All you have to do is imagine you are explaining EVERYTHING to a 95 year old, and you can't go far wrong (ie, just be prepared to explain what the heck is going on as if you are talking to someone who has never seen a text message or abbreviation in their life.)
Got it?
Key terms:
If you see any of these, you'll need to point them out and explain why and how they are being used. Don't just assume that you only need to mention them once. You might make a point about how a smiley face to a friend shows informality or flirting, whereas you might later make another point about how inappropriate a sad face is when used in a formal situation.
*Abbreviations
*Acronyms
*Initialisms
*Emojis/Emoticons
*Sociolect
*Elliptical expression
*Elision
*Logograms (when a symbol is used to carry meaning, like '+' or '@'
*Hyperlinks
*Hashtags
*Retweets
*Tagged friends
*Mentions
*Like/Dislikes
Again, none of this should scare you. This is the sort of language you use EVERY DAY. You just need to switch your brains on, look at the contexts, and ensure that you are fully explaining WHY these things are happening.
Carry on reading for more help...
COMPONENT 2 - GENERAL GUIDELINES
Hi all,
I'm going to be blogging for a bit today and also a lot tomorrow to get you prepared for the next exam. Although this might seem like a more complex exam, I actually don't think that you should feel as stressed about it as you did for component 1 as there are fewer variables and less stuff to remember. I am assuming you've been reading the posts I put on a few days ago. Keep reading those and revising them, and I'll take you through the component.
On the exam, you are tested on two different sections, A - Language Change over Time and B - Language in the 21st century.
However, this time, the sections are NOT EQUALLY WEIGHTED.
Timing
Here is how you should spend your time:
The exam is 2hr 15 mins long.
You should spend around 1 and a half hours on Section A - Language change (The 20 marker, and the 60 mark essay), then you should spend around 45 mins on section B (language in the 21st century essay).
I would recommend you spend around 20-25 mins on the 20 marker, and about 65 - 70 mins on the essay (including your planning time)
The 20 marker
There is guidance on CONNECT regarding how to answer the 20 marker. Mark uploaded this last week. Please go to connect and open the relevant resources, ensuring you feel comfortable with precisely what you are doing.
My initial few posts on Component 2 such as the orthographical points, change terms etc will be very important for this.
The 60 mark essay
You will be asked to compared 3 texts from a similar genre but separated over time. The question will have a specific focus and will usually ask you to identify how the genre itself or an element of the genre has changed over time. You MUST ensure that the wording of your essay is always signposted towards this question, and shows a thorough understanding of the change you have seen.
You should aim to make around 6 points per text, making small but relevant comparisons as you go. Ensure you have analysed each text fully before moving onto the next.
In total, you essay should be between 16-20 PGs long plus an intro.
I would recommend you spend around 20-25 mins on the 20 marker, and about 65 - 70 mins on the essay (including your planning time)
The '21st Century' essay
This is a reasonably basic and approachable task. You should revise and read everything I provide for you here, but you should be confident over this.
You will be presented with some 21st century data. We don't know what it will be, but the practice materials have shown SMS messages and Tweets.
Essentially, you will be asked to analyse this data by talking about how the CONTEXT of the messages is affecting language.
This really is easy, and just requires you to think carefully about things you do every day.
I will write some more specific guidance on this in the next few posts.
You will be expected to analyse the data for around 4-5 paragraphs, then spend about 2- paragraphs talking about your own experiences and what theorists' view on the subject matter are.
Read ALL posts I put on here over the next two days, and you'll be fine.
Nick
I'm going to be blogging for a bit today and also a lot tomorrow to get you prepared for the next exam. Although this might seem like a more complex exam, I actually don't think that you should feel as stressed about it as you did for component 1 as there are fewer variables and less stuff to remember. I am assuming you've been reading the posts I put on a few days ago. Keep reading those and revising them, and I'll take you through the component.
On the exam, you are tested on two different sections, A - Language Change over Time and B - Language in the 21st century.
However, this time, the sections are NOT EQUALLY WEIGHTED.
Timing
Here is how you should spend your time:
The exam is 2hr 15 mins long.
You should spend around 1 and a half hours on Section A - Language change (The 20 marker, and the 60 mark essay), then you should spend around 45 mins on section B (language in the 21st century essay).
I would recommend you spend around 20-25 mins on the 20 marker, and about 65 - 70 mins on the essay (including your planning time)
The 20 marker
There is guidance on CONNECT regarding how to answer the 20 marker. Mark uploaded this last week. Please go to connect and open the relevant resources, ensuring you feel comfortable with precisely what you are doing.
My initial few posts on Component 2 such as the orthographical points, change terms etc will be very important for this.
The 60 mark essay
You will be asked to compared 3 texts from a similar genre but separated over time. The question will have a specific focus and will usually ask you to identify how the genre itself or an element of the genre has changed over time. You MUST ensure that the wording of your essay is always signposted towards this question, and shows a thorough understanding of the change you have seen.
You should aim to make around 6 points per text, making small but relevant comparisons as you go. Ensure you have analysed each text fully before moving onto the next.
In total, you essay should be between 16-20 PGs long plus an intro.
I would recommend you spend around 20-25 mins on the 20 marker, and about 65 - 70 mins on the essay (including your planning time)
The '21st Century' essay
This is a reasonably basic and approachable task. You should revise and read everything I provide for you here, but you should be confident over this.
You will be presented with some 21st century data. We don't know what it will be, but the practice materials have shown SMS messages and Tweets.
Essentially, you will be asked to analyse this data by talking about how the CONTEXT of the messages is affecting language.
This really is easy, and just requires you to think carefully about things you do every day.
I will write some more specific guidance on this in the next few posts.
You will be expected to analyse the data for around 4-5 paragraphs, then spend about 2- paragraphs talking about your own experiences and what theorists' view on the subject matter are.
Read ALL posts I put on here over the next two days, and you'll be fine.
Nick
Thursday 15 June 2017
COMPONENT 2A - LETTERS
If you get a question based on letters, look out for the following conventions. If they are there, then you can comment on them. If you find the EXACT OPPOSITE, then you can comment on how unusual that is. Either way, you win!
Letters
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by people who are generally more literate and adventurous with language due to higher prestige of the form; look out in particular for particular people and how their role is reflected within the letter (explorers, writers etc - only letters from reputable individuals will have survived); more formal in tone; aimed at higher classes - consider how literate the population would have been; letters were far more practical - once upon a time they would have been the only real way of communicating over long distances. This would affect the content hugely; people generally more skilled and proficient at letter writing; lots of mention of love as often letters would be kept and saved if they were significant; lots of mentions of God due to more religious society; formal and proper uses of SE/grammar; strict social conventions.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by anybody; aimed at a much wider audience; letters now written to show sentimentality or to raise importance of the communication; lower standards of grammar/SE; not as many social conventions or standards; much more choice and freedom; may include multi-modal aspects; may include intrusions from similar formats such as text/email (emoticons, phonetics spelling, homophones, abbreviations); often associated with military/complaints/legal processes; more casual in terms of subject matter.
Letters
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by people who are generally more literate and adventurous with language due to higher prestige of the form; look out in particular for particular people and how their role is reflected within the letter (explorers, writers etc - only letters from reputable individuals will have survived); more formal in tone; aimed at higher classes - consider how literate the population would have been; letters were far more practical - once upon a time they would have been the only real way of communicating over long distances. This would affect the content hugely; people generally more skilled and proficient at letter writing; lots of mention of love as often letters would be kept and saved if they were significant; lots of mentions of God due to more religious society; formal and proper uses of SE/grammar; strict social conventions.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by anybody; aimed at a much wider audience; letters now written to show sentimentality or to raise importance of the communication; lower standards of grammar/SE; not as many social conventions or standards; much more choice and freedom; may include multi-modal aspects; may include intrusions from similar formats such as text/email (emoticons, phonetics spelling, homophones, abbreviations); often associated with military/complaints/legal processes; more casual in terms of subject matter.
COMPONENT 2A - RECIPES
If you get a question based on recipes, look out for the following conventions. If they are there, then you can comment on them. If you find the EXACT OPPOSITE, then you can comment on how unusual that is. Either way, you win!
Recipes
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by cooks, for cooks; authoritative in tone; aimed at higher classes or people who are servants to higher class people; cooking is a practical and necessary thing; cooking may often be done on a grander scale; lots of presupposition because of the fact that the people reading it already do the job (knowledge of methods, equipment, amounts, measurements will be assumed); less sterile environment; archaic ingredients and attitudes will be shown; often recipes seem to be unappealing by today's standards showing a change in tastes.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by celebrity chefs (maybe - but be careful); aimed at a much wider audience; cooking is now a hobby/done for enjoyment; creativity is key; multi-sensory approach due to new technologies; much less presupposition; much squeamish attitudes towards ingredients/ more sterile environment; much more choice and freedom (cloaked imperatives/face); different equipment available.
Recipes
The older they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by cooks, for cooks; authoritative in tone; aimed at higher classes or people who are servants to higher class people; cooking is a practical and necessary thing; cooking may often be done on a grander scale; lots of presupposition because of the fact that the people reading it already do the job (knowledge of methods, equipment, amounts, measurements will be assumed); less sterile environment; archaic ingredients and attitudes will be shown; often recipes seem to be unappealing by today's standards showing a change in tastes.
The newer they are, they are more likely to be/show/have/display...
Written by celebrity chefs (maybe - but be careful); aimed at a much wider audience; cooking is now a hobby/done for enjoyment; creativity is key; multi-sensory approach due to new technologies; much less presupposition; much squeamish attitudes towards ingredients/ more sterile environment; much more choice and freedom (cloaked imperatives/face); different equipment available.
COMPONENT 2A - Key Change Terms
You should also be able to identify examples of these phenomena in any historical texts you are presented with, and mention them as they crop up. This does not mean that you should write entire paragraphs about them, just that, if you see an example of pejoration, say this...
"The noun 'shambles', which has gone through a process of pejoration over time, is used here to express an attitude that the organisation of the kitchen is chaotic.'
See...so the pejoration bit is not the main point, it is just mention as a 'by the way'.
Language Change Terms
Semantic change/ semantic shift - an umbrella term for where any word or phrase has changed its meaning over time.
Example - 'Gay' used to mean 'happy', but now means 'homosexual'
Pejoration - A process where a word takes on a more negative meaning over time.
Example - 'Silly' used to mean 'happy', but now means 'idiotic'.
Amelioration - The word has become more positive in meaning over time.
Example - 'Brilliant' used to means 'bright', but now means 'extremely good or impressive'
Weakening - A word means the same thing but has lost impact over time.
Example - 'Awesome' used to mean 'beyond comprehension'. Now it is just a throw-away colloquialism for 'good'.
Narrowing - A word that used to refer to a variety of things now only refers to something far more specific.
Example - The word 'fowl' used to be a direct synonym for all species of birds. Now, it refers to a specific group of birds commonly used in cuisine such as hens, geese and ducks.
Broadening - A word which used to be very specific now refers to a much wider spectrum of things.
Example - The word 'desktop' used to mean 'the top of a desk'. It still means that now, but also the visual display on a computer screen.
Borrowing - A word which is clearly adopted from another language or culture.
Example - 'Pyjamas', 'Croissant', 'Boomerang', 'Tepee', 'Kindergarten'.
Neologism - A brand new word made up because there was not a suitable one already in existence
Compound - 'Lawn + mower = Lawnmower', 'Flower + pot = flowerpot'
Blend - 'Britain + Exit = Brexit', 'John + Edward = Jedward'
Clipping - 'Television' becomes 'telly', 'Telephone' becomes 'phone', 'perambulator' becomes 'pram'
Initialism - an abbreviation which is not said as an individual word - Like: FBI, DVD, BBC
Acronym - Where the abbreviation is said as a word - Like: Ofsted, Nato, Fifa
"The noun 'shambles', which has gone through a process of pejoration over time, is used here to express an attitude that the organisation of the kitchen is chaotic.'
See...so the pejoration bit is not the main point, it is just mention as a 'by the way'.
Language Change Terms
Semantic change/ semantic shift - an umbrella term for where any word or phrase has changed its meaning over time.
Example - 'Gay' used to mean 'happy', but now means 'homosexual'
Pejoration - A process where a word takes on a more negative meaning over time.
Example - 'Silly' used to mean 'happy', but now means 'idiotic'.
Amelioration - The word has become more positive in meaning over time.
Example - 'Brilliant' used to means 'bright', but now means 'extremely good or impressive'
Weakening - A word means the same thing but has lost impact over time.
Example - 'Awesome' used to mean 'beyond comprehension'. Now it is just a throw-away colloquialism for 'good'.
Narrowing - A word that used to refer to a variety of things now only refers to something far more specific.
Example - The word 'fowl' used to be a direct synonym for all species of birds. Now, it refers to a specific group of birds commonly used in cuisine such as hens, geese and ducks.
Broadening - A word which used to be very specific now refers to a much wider spectrum of things.
Example - The word 'desktop' used to mean 'the top of a desk'. It still means that now, but also the visual display on a computer screen.
Borrowing - A word which is clearly adopted from another language or culture.
Example - 'Pyjamas', 'Croissant', 'Boomerang', 'Tepee', 'Kindergarten'.
Neologism - A brand new word made up because there was not a suitable one already in existence
Compound - 'Lawn + mower = Lawnmower', 'Flower + pot = flowerpot'
Blend - 'Britain + Exit = Brexit', 'John + Edward = Jedward'
Clipping - 'Television' becomes 'telly', 'Telephone' becomes 'phone', 'perambulator' becomes 'pram'
Initialism - an abbreviation which is not said as an individual word - Like: FBI, DVD, BBC
Acronym - Where the abbreviation is said as a word - Like: Ofsted, Nato, Fifa
COMPONENT 2A - Periods of history
Below is a diagram outlining the key periods in the history of the English language. Memorise them (this should take around five minutes). Whenever you introduce a text, you should mention in your intro which period of English it dates from.
It is unlikely you will get anything before early modern English, but memorise all of them just to be sure.
It is unlikely you will get anything before early modern English, but memorise all of them just to be sure.
COMPONENT 2A - Orthographical features
Here is a list of unusual orthographical features which you will need to memorise. These are the sort of historical anomalies that you will have to identify in the 20 marker:
Orthography
and Punctuation:
- idiosyncratic/inconsistent spelling
- non-standard (link to period, education etc.)
- use of long s (usually initial and medial position)
- u/v interchange
- i/y and i/j interchange
- single consonants eg. super
- doubling of consonants eg. dispossinge, sonne
- lack of final e eg. cam, wher
- use of final e eg. eate, spirite, goinge
- extra e before plural eg. feeldes
- use of ampersand (&) and &c for etc.
- non standard capitalisation
- lack of apostrophe for possessive
- commas and semi-colons, rather than full stops
COMPONENT 2 - GENERAL
Hello once again, everyone.
From today onwards, I am going to be offering you advice regarding the SECOND component.
Remember, this comprises Section A - Language Change - which is worth 80 marks in total (20 marker + 60 mark essay) and Section B - English in the 21st Century which is worth 40 marks.
Section A is worth two thirds of the paper, so you should ensure you reflect this in your revision time, and the amount of time and space you devote to this section in the exam.
Again, don't panic. Just COME TO THE REVISION LESSONS, and READ EVERYTHING ON THE BLOG.
If you don't do those two things, then you will suffer for it.
Stay tuned,
Nick
From today onwards, I am going to be offering you advice regarding the SECOND component.
Remember, this comprises Section A - Language Change - which is worth 80 marks in total (20 marker + 60 mark essay) and Section B - English in the 21st Century which is worth 40 marks.
Section A is worth two thirds of the paper, so you should ensure you reflect this in your revision time, and the amount of time and space you devote to this section in the exam.
Again, don't panic. Just COME TO THE REVISION LESSONS, and READ EVERYTHING ON THE BLOG.
If you don't do those two things, then you will suffer for it.
Stay tuned,
Nick
Tuesday 13 June 2017
That's it for now
Right everyone, I think you have enough to be getting on with. I will continue the blog after tomorrow's exam.
I will check my emails at 10pm in case there are any really important questions.
Revise well - don't panic - do your best.
See you in the morning.
Nick
I will check my emails at 10pm in case there are any really important questions.
Revise well - don't panic - do your best.
See you in the morning.
Nick
COMPONENT 1A - FULL RESPONSE
Ok everyone.
Here is the full response. This took just under half an hour IN TOTAL - I wanted to prove it could be done. You have almost twice as long to write yours. It could do with one or two more PGs ideally and stronger/more frequent connections, but it is certainly a strong effort.
Read it, and allow this to inform your structure for section A.
"Text A is a transcript between a famous ex-footballer and his mother, which I imagine would be partially pre-scripted as it is for TV broadcast. Within the exchange, we see both parties using spoken language techniques to identify family members and to recount memories which are relevant to the celebrity’s career, often over-explaining, which shows that this has been partially set up for the entertainment of the viewing audience.
Here is the full response. This took just under half an hour IN TOTAL - I wanted to prove it could be done. You have almost twice as long to write yours. It could do with one or two more PGs ideally and stronger/more frequent connections, but it is certainly a strong effort.
Read it, and allow this to inform your structure for section A.
"Text A is a transcript between a famous ex-footballer and his mother, which I imagine would be partially pre-scripted as it is for TV broadcast. Within the exchange, we see both parties using spoken language techniques to identify family members and to recount memories which are relevant to the celebrity’s career, often over-explaining, which shows that this has been partially set up for the entertainment of the viewing audience.
It is clear that the two speakers have been instructed to ensure that they clarify certain aspects of their family life for the purpose of the viewers, visible where M says ‘my favourite picture of your father’. The emphatic stress placed on the noun ‘father’, and the determiner ‘your’ sound unnatural as it would be clear that Barnes would already know who is in the picture, but she is clarifying it for the viewers. We see a similar example when she says ‘you used to play a lot of football there’. The use of the second person pronoun ‘you’ and the phrasal verb ‘used to’ is again an odd inclusion as Barnes would already have this recollection. This seems to have a secondary purpose to inform the viewers of the origins of Barnes’ footballing career. This is dissimilar to text B where F actually refers to C’s mother as ‘little Norma’ – the proper noun reflecting a shared understanding only between family members.
The fact that JB is famous as a footballer is reflected in the edited subject matter of the exchange in Text A, with M focussing on Barnes’ footballing as a child and her declaration that he ‘had a good place coz [he] could run up and down’. The verb ‘run’ and adverbial phrase ‘up and down’ shows that he was an active and athletic child and hints that he was always destined to become a sportsman. Barnes also reflect how different life was for him compared to children living in the UK as he mentions ‘we had eighty mangos in the garden’. The enumerator ‘eighty’ and relatively low-frequency plural noun ‘mangos’ shows that Barnes lived in exotic surroundings, and this would seem odd or alien to the majority of BBC1 viewers who would have grown up in a much colder climate. This is similar to Text B where F focusses on the rural lifestyle he and his siblings enjoyed as children, and the trouble this got them into.
An element of humour is introduced in the text where the two speakers discuss how inappropriate the father’s gifts of a ‘woolly bath robe’ and a ‘big sweater’ were for their ‘hundred degree’ climate. The premodifying adjectives ‘big’ and ‘woolly’, juxtaposed with the enumerator ‘hundred’ shows how ill-thought-out the gifts were and categorise him as a rather dim individual, thus entertaining the audience.
Barnes attempts to add context to his arrival in the UK by claiming, ‘some of us who were deserted (2) stayed longer.’ It is clear that Barnes delivers this accusation with a humourous tone due to the massively hyperbolic past participle verb ‘deserted’ which is followed by an unvoiced timed pause for comic effect. The use of paralinguistic features by the mother ‘[laughs]’ shows that this is taken in good humour and is merely an inclusion to show how JB ended up being here for so long.
It is clear that the exchange has been edited to appear spontaneous and emotive. In a more formal situation, we might expect that there would be lots of interrogatives and more obvious adjacency pairs, but these are lacking from this exchange, except for later in he transcript when M asks ‘you remember much about him? (his grandfather). Here, the elliptical interrogative containing the adverb ‘much’ is used to chow that JB has gaps in his family memory which the show will help to fill. Throughout the exchange, we see lots of playful and relaxed interruptions by both speakers. Whilst this could be seen as a struggle for power in other situations, here it merely reflects their close relationship as family members. However, in terms of Fairclough’s features of dominance, JB is allowed to speak more, perhaps reflecting the wishes of the directors who would want to hear his insight on matters as the subject of the show. This is different to Text B where F allows C to interrupt him in order to keep her interest in the conversation.
A purpose to inform the viewers that Barnes’ family is perhaps far more prestigious than they might expect is fulfilled through the inclusion of a description of JB’s grandfather, Frank Hill. M’s assertion that ‘he was like an indoor kinda guy’ creates a humourous tone through the mixed formality of the hedge ‘kinda’ to mimic Barnes’ earlier comment about himself. The colloquial noun phrase ‘indoor kinda guy’ proves that Frank Hill was studious and intelligent. The importance of him as a figure is represented by the mention of a ‘bust of Frank’. The concrete noun ‘bust’ connotes he must have been a figure of some repute. JB’s backchanneling during this section, ‘mmm’ and ‘yes’ implies that he is impressed and proud to hear about this significant member of his family who was ‘Chairman of the National Heritage Trust’ – the compound noun ‘chairman’ signifying his huge importance, thus entertaining the audience.
Text B is an exchange between a small child and an older
family member in which we see the older family member allow the child to
dominate the conversation in order to keep her interested in the exchange. The
child leads the conversation by asking directed questions, resulting in
adjacency pairs presenting themselves. In addition to this, the uncle attempts
to use this opportunity to instruct and warn the child, without much success.
An attempt to ensure the conversation runs smoothly is
eveident from F. As C is only 9 years old, she is not familiar with the rules
of conversation and so does not realise that she needs to be more specific with
her questioning. This is reflected by F’s more simplified interrogative of, ‘what
you want to hear then?’. The simplified verb ‘hear’ and adverb ‘then’ show that
he wants to be more precise about the memories C would like him to divulge. C
also shows that, due to her age, she is prone to interrupt F, meaning that F
has to accommodate her so as not to upset her. We can see this on line 7 when
when Freddy says, ‘well I said I’m a bit tired //but I//’ and is interrupted.
Although he has just started an additional clause, the child interrupts him mid
sentence with an interrogative, ‘//why// why were you tired uncle Freddy?’ This
demonstrates that the child unintentionally flouts Grice’s maxim of quantity by
interrupting after she has asked a direct question. This is dissimilar to text
A where the exchange can be viewed as more of a battle for dominance.
A voice of encouragement from F regarding C’s ability to
learn to ride a bike is visible through F’s use of prosodic features such as strtching
out the verb ‘ri::::de’ and adverb ‘alri:::ght’. This is arguably done to make
the process of learning to ride the bike sound more appealing and to encourage
C to stick at it in order to reep the rewards of learning a new skill.
In a similar respect, we see F attempting to incorporate
sub-purposes into the exchange when he warns C what nearly happened to her
mother one time stating, ‘if I han’t a-caught her her she’d a-ran straight into
the pit.’ From the conditional conjunction ‘if’ and adverb’straight’, it is
clear that F is trying to exaggerate the risk faced by C’s mother in order to
encourage the child to be more careful herself. However, it is evident that the
child lacks the understanding of the situation and merely back-channels with
the paralinguistic ‘{laughs}’, proving that she does not full realise the
magnitude of the danger.
This voice of warning continues later on when F uses an
example of a bridge washing away due to the actions of his brother Gerald.
Because of their building up of a dam, he claims that someone said, ‘father
gotta pay’. The elision ‘gotta’ and the overly formal proper noun ‘father’ hints
at a situation full of tension due to the blame placed on the children, and the
apparent lack of closeness in the relationship between the children and their
father. F appears to think that the message has got through to C this time due
to his willingness to stop talking and once more use prosodic features to
respond with an elongated ‘ye::::s’ after C back-channels with the statement, ‘in
big trouble’. The colloquial idiom containing the premodifying adjective ‘big’
shows that she has begun to take some of these warning seriously. However, her
final declarative ‘but they had their fun’, containing the conditional conjunction
‘but’ and abstract noun ‘fun’ shows that she is still far more interested in
whether or not the children enjoyed themselves than taking any sort of moral
message from the anecdote.
It is clear that F is keen to use aspects of his local
dialect when speaking to C, such as his use of dialect nouns such as ‘picle’
and ‘hoss’. It could be argued that his is a slightly irresponsible way to
communicate with a child who apparently does not share the same dialect, as
this would often be described as a potential use of downwards divergence in
other contexts. However, it is possible here that this is simply a reflection
of the relaxed communication between two family members, and may be used by F
to simply introduce her to some words which are part of her family’s culture,
and which she may wish to use in the future herself. This would be supported by
Peter Trudgill who claims that is it our duty to attempt to preserves dialects,
both new and old. We do not see similar dialect words being used in Text A, despite
the family originating from Jamaica where the dialect is probably far more
strong. This is likely because of the audience of the broadcast who may
struggle to understand if a strong dialect were used, to the director has
probably requested a rather standard use of English.
A final moral lesson about the perils of gambling is
attempted by F when he recounts another anecdote where he hyperbolically exclaims,
‘I said to them can’t you see that police car’ in response to seeing his fiends
playing the card game Newmarket for money. The rather incredulous sounding
interrogative tone, particularly in reference to the contraction ‘can’t’,
dynamic verb ‘see’ and noun phrase ‘police car’ shows that he is trying to
persuade his young niece to adopt a negative stance towards gambling from an
early age, something which she finaly seems to accept with the exclamative ‘more
trouble’, the intensifier and abstract noun connoting that she ha finally
learned a lesson. This is dissimilar to text A where the communication from the
parent in recounting anecdotes is done for the entertainment of the viewers
rather than to inform the child."
COMPONENT 1A - Revision Lesson 5 - Example response
The following is HALF of a response which I wrote LIVE in class today, relating to the first of the two papers. It shows you the following:
*Range of points needed
*Variation in Paragraph Length
*Range of terms, including speech terms
*Theories to include
*COMPARISONS to other text.
Remember, this is only a TEXT A comparison. I will try to write the rest of it later on if I have time.
This took 15 minutes to write...so the whole thing would take me around 30 minutes.
This is to prove that it is possible! Have faith.
here it is...
"
*Range of points needed
*Variation in Paragraph Length
*Range of terms, including speech terms
*Theories to include
*COMPARISONS to other text.
Remember, this is only a TEXT A comparison. I will try to write the rest of it later on if I have time.
This took 15 minutes to write...so the whole thing would take me around 30 minutes.
This is to prove that it is possible! Have faith.
here it is...
"
Text A is a transcript between a famous ex-footballer and
his mother, which I imagine would be partially pre-scripted as it is for TV
broadcast. Within the exchange, we see both parties using spoken language
techniques to identify family members and to recount memories which are
relevant to the celebrity’s career, often over-explaining, which shows that
this has been partially set up for the entertainment of the viewing audience.
It is clear that the two speakers have been instructed to
ensure that they clarify certain aspects of their family life for the purpose
of the viewers, visible where M says ‘my favourite picture of your father’. The emphatic stress placed on
the noun ‘father’, and the determiner ‘your’ sound unnatural as it would be
clear that Barnes would already know who is in the picture, but she is
clarifying it for the viewers. We see a similar example when she says ‘you used
to play a lot of football there’. The use of the second person pronoun ‘you’
and the phrasal verb ‘used to’ is again an odd inclusion as Barnes would
already have this recollection. This seems to have a secondary purpose to
inform the viewers of the origins of Barnes’ footballing career. This is
dissimilar to text B where F actually refers to C’s mother as ‘little Norma’ –
the proper noun reflecting a shared understanding only between family members.
The fact that JB is famous as a footballer is reflected in
the edited subject matter of the exchange in Text A, with M focussing on
Barnes’ footballing as a child and her declaration that he ‘had a good place
coz [he] could run up and down’. The verb ‘run’ and adverbial phrase ‘up and
down’ shows that he was an active and athletic child and hints that he was
always destined to become a sportsman. Barnes also reflect how different life
was for him compared to children living in the UK as he mentions ‘we had eighty
mangos in the garden’. The enumerator ‘eighty’ and relatively low-frequency
plural noun ‘mangos’ shows that Barnes lived in exotic surroundings, and this
would seem odd or alien to the majority of BBC1 viewers who would have grown up
in a much colder climate. This is similar to Text B where F focusses on the
rural lifestyle he and his siblings enjoyed as children, and the trouble this
got them into.
An element of humour is introduced in the text where the two
speakers discuss how inappropriate the father’s gifts of a ‘woolly bath robe’
and a ‘big sweater’ were for their ‘hundred degree’ climate. The premodifying
adjectives ‘big’ and ‘woolly’, juxtaposed with the enumerator ‘hundred’ shows
how ill-thought-out the gifts were and categorise him as a rather dim
individual, thus entertaining the audience.
Barnes attempts to add context to his arrival in the UK by
claiming, ‘some of us who were deserted (2) stayed longer.’ It is clear that
Barnes delivers this accusation with a humourous tone due to the massively
hyperbolic past participle verb ‘deserted’ which is followed by an unvoiced
timed pause for comic effect. The use of paralinguistic features by the mother
‘[laughs]’ shows that this is taken in good humour and is merely an inclusion
to show how JB ended up being here for so long.
It is clear that the exchange has been edited to appear
spontaneous and emotive. In a more formal situation, we might expect that there
would be lots of interrogatives and more obvious adjacency pairs, but these are
lacking from this exchange, except for later in he transcript when M asks ‘you
remember much about him? (his grandfather). Here, the elliptical interrogative
containing the adverb ‘much’ is used to chow that JB has gaps in his family
memory which the show will help to fill. Throughout the exchange, we see lots
of playful and relaxed interruptions by both speakers. Whilst this could be
seen as a struggle for power in other situations, here it merely reflects their
close relationship as family members. However, in terms of Fairclough’s
features of dominance, JB is allowed to speak more, perhaps reflecting the
wishes of the directors who would want to hear his insight on matters as the
subject of the show. This is different to Text B where F allows C to interrupt
him in order to keep her interest in the conversation.
A purpose to inform the viewers that Barnes’ family is
perhaps far more prestigious than they might expect is fulfilled through the
inclusion of a description of JB’s grandfather, Frank Hill. M’s assertion that
‘he was like an indoor kinda guy’ creates a humourous tone through the mixed
formality of the hedge ‘kinda’ to mimic Barnes’ earlier comment about himself.
The colloquial noun phrase ‘indoor kinda guy’ proves that Frank Hill was
studious and intelligent. The importance of him as a figure is represented by
the mention of a ‘bust of Frank’. The concrete noun ‘bust’ connotes he must
have been a figure of some repute. JB’s backchanneling during this section,
‘mmm’ and ‘yes’ implies that he is impressed and proud to hear about this
significant member of his family who was ‘Chairman of the National Heritage
Trust’ – the compound noun ‘chairman’ signifying his huge importance, thus
entertaining the audience."
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