[cuzza]

Hi all,
So we've just gone back to school and we're starting our A2 courses now, mostly coursework in majority of subjects... which means English coursework.

I'm with AQA, doing the language investigation coursework, yet I've no idea WHATSOEVER on what to do it on and I need to have an idea fairly soon. Most people have chosen something easily, but I want an A (should be getting one really) and I don't wanna rush into something.

Only idea I've come up with is:
An idea of comparing the language of MSN (teacher suggestion), but I'm not sure at all... lack of real frameworks, and data collection could be difficult.

If I did it... I was thinking maybe get:
- Conversation of a guy speaking to a girl and a guy.
- Conversation of a girl speaking to a guy and a girl.

Then I could do gender comparisons as well as looking at internet language?

Cheers!

((''Pick what interests you'' doesn't really help, I'm not particularly interested in anything 'language related' I can think of.))

[dans]

I did the following, it does not sound very interesting, but I found it really intersting by the end and got an A in it hehe.

"Compare the language used in children's scientific textbooks to that of A level."

Children's = horrible science
A level = anything from the science dept.

You can get loads from it!

[cuzza]

Sounds quite interesting actually, what frameworks did you use?

[eksman]

i got an A in mine this year, i did the language and phonological features of MCs
just do something you're interested in, computer games, football, iron maiden whatever

[cuzza]

That's the problem though, I wouldn't have a clue on what to actually study within that field.

[grammar_king]

Mine was quality and very interesting (at least for me, and my 2 teachers, even if I say so myself). I got 49/50, the highest mark anyone's got at my school for years.

"How has the Spanish language influenced American English in comparison to British English?" basically I looked at the differences between British and American English, and thought about how those changes could have come about by the influence of foreign languages, particularly Spanish. It was tough.

I have a few other ideas though.

"a comparison of protest songs from the 1960's and today"
basically compare devices from the lyrics of Bob Dylan to System of a Down or Rage Against the Machine.

"a comparison of newspaper adverts throughout the 20th century"
comparing newspaper adverts from the past to those of today.

"a comparison of political speeches"
compare, say, Martin Luthur King's 'I have a dream' to something by Tony Blair or something, or to be more relevant, Tony Blair to Margaret Thatcher. Then you can get the gender issue into it.

In general the comparison studies work well.

[dans]

(Original post by cuzza)
Sounds quite interesting actually, what frameworks did you use?

The normal: Lexis, Grammar, Semantics and Phonology. I also had an extra framework on humour as there was significant use of humour within the texts.

[vaughn_]

(Original post by eksman)
i got an A in mine this year, i did the language and phonological features of MCs
just do something you're interested in, computer games, football, iron maiden whatever

I am considering doing "The language and phonological features of hardcore singers"

Any ideas if this is a suitable topic??

[dans]

Yeh of course!!!!!!!!!! It would make an interesting one. In my year, someone else done the language of birthday cards, and another the language of grave stones.

[Becca88]

u cud still do ur original idea of language used in msn chat logs, and compare them to an older fashioned style of communication such as letters, you can always get letters from war, that would be a really good one in my opinion lol

I did the difference in the language used in football spoken and written commentaries lol, i dont no wot grade i got cos my teacher still wont tell me until the results r out!!! Grrrrrr!!

Becca xx

[Wildebeest]

This is a helpful thread. I'm still trying to decide what to do for mine.

The textbooks comparison idea is very good, but I also have a perfect opportunity over the summer (my grandparents' fiftieth wedding anniversary) where I could manipulate a group of about forty northeners. If only I could think of a good dialect study!

[dans]

What are the common features of '???' dialect and how do they interact with one another?

Or compare that with a newsreader or something. Get a transcript of the news reader, and get the relative to translate into how they'd say it.

[TheeHelenine]

I did toponomny (place names). I investigated 20 place names in 5 different counties to trace back the settlers of that area through religious connotation.
Such as: Allerston means 'Aelfhere's stone' Aelfhere being an old english name which means supernatural elf warrior and so i linked it to paganism. And more so I could identify it as norse paganism because it was in Yorkshire surrounded by places with 'Thor' in the name etc.
I really enjoyed doing it actually as you can probably tell lol.

[vaughn_]

(Original post by vaughn_)
I am considering doing "The language and phonological features of hardcore singers"

Any ideas if this is a suitable topic??

So if i wanted to do the language and phonological features of hardcore singers, what would i discuss? Would i need to compare this type of music to another??

Help please

[cuzza]

I think you'd need to come up with a bit of a definition of what you mean by 'hardcore' singers. Sounds a bit unclear.

I've decided on my original idea, few people have sorta 'sold' the idea to me. I think I could do well on it, plus I've got a bit more of an insight as to what I would put, thanks a lot people.

[Becca88]

are you going to compare msn convos to something?
Becca

[cuzza]

Ha sorry thought I'd already said. I'm gonna compare how genders use language on it... so normal gender frameworks, then bit of internet stuff, should work.

[vaughn_]

(Original post by cuzza)
I think you'd need to come up with a bit of a definition of what you mean by 'hardcore' singers. Sounds a bit unclear.

I've decided on my original idea, few people have sorta 'sold' the idea to me. I think I could do well on it, plus I've got a bit more of an insight as to what I would put, thanks a lot people.

Okay so if i want to analyse the language used in the lyrics of deathcore bands or the language and phonological features

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deathcore_bands

what would i discuss? any ideas

[eksman]

you could analyse the semantics - so how like 'x' culture and other social and political issues.you could say how the screaming means that understanding isnt universal etc.

[dumdumdumdidum]

Just a quick suggestion of maybe what you want to look at if you are going to do an investigation into msn conversations. You would probably be looking at the discourse framwork, because despite it being written language, many people write as they would talk.
Also points for comparison would be things like how well the participants know each other, age and gender. Possibly also wanting to look at grammar, the way sentences are constructed and use of punctuation and how this has changed in meaning. for example the use of '!?!?!' and '...'