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Wednesday 14th May exam: English Language AQA A level

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Original post by RuthC
thanks so much for this post!!x what are the main theories for language and power??? and omg I am finding categorizing texts had too I need to find a good structure to follow


I had to watch a YouTube video about it. YOUTUBE HAVE EVERYTHING.
Theorists, definitions, exemplar answers. But I just do TAP to start off, than I wing it. Probs why I'm expected a B
Original post by TIMTIMTIMTIM
Could someone explain the difference between deontic and epistemic modal verbs?
my teacher taught us that deontic modal verbs= certainty (e.g. 'You MUST read on'), whilst epistemic modal verbs= uncertainty (e.g. 'You CAN read on'). I'm unsure whether this is correct or not...
thanks!


Deontic = connotations of obligation and necessity (you must, never, do not)
Epistemic = PPC (possibility, probability and certainty) - (you will, I shall)
Reply 22
Original post by madmorgss
I had to watch a YouTube video about it. YOUTUBE HAVE EVERYTHING.
Theorists, definitions, exemplar answers. But I just do TAP to start off, than I wing it. Probs why I'm expected a B


Do you have the link for the youtube video? and what does TAP stand for?
:smile:
Original post by Libbie-
My notes were mainly about context, ways its exerted in conversation, how it's shown, Jargon, political correctness and the media using it to persuade. English language has always been the option that I was going to drop but I still want to try and at least pass. Not looking hopeful with the CT section however :mad:


BASIC STRUCTURE FOR CT TEXTS:

1) Name your grouping and what texts you choose for that grouping (good groups include text-image cohesion, similar register, shared contextual knowledge, use of genre conventions, similar syntax structure)
2) State why you have chosen that grouping for each text and give examples, e.g. text A uses formal register e.g. .... This is because it is a letter written to an important person therefore has to connote sophistication.
3) State how the texts differ e.g. Text B also uses a formal register e.g.... but dissimilar to text A, this is because it is a text written in the 18th century where only the elite members of society could read and afford books and so a formal register was a stylistic convention of the upper classes literature.


General point. Give yourself 15 mins to annotate text A in detail and to find grouping titles from text A. Then search the other texts that you can put in the groups. You don't have enough time to go through all the texts. Do not start before 15 mins.

PM me if you have any other questions. I'm pretty confident this year round. Aiming for a high A.
What is political correctness?

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Yep one day to go aaahh!! Im nervous!! I hope Gender is a transcript!! With mix-sex talk

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Original post by RuthC
Do you have the link for the youtube video? and what does TAP stand for?
:smile:


Type (genre) audience and purpose.

& sure ofc
http://youtu.be/BNcQKwMHO3Y
http://youtu.be/nBaD0QDJY4A
http://youtu.be/6APgc5SPZko
http://youtu.be/xEDmYopExBQ

Sorry they're all jumbled I used mobile YouTube and Safari. They're sooooo poo :frown: but yeah here you go :smile:
Reply 27
Original post by madmorgss
Type (genre) audience and purpose.

& sure ofc
http://youtu.be/BNcQKwMHO3Y
http://youtu.be/nBaD0QDJY4A
http://youtu.be/6APgc5SPZko
http://youtu.be/xEDmYopExBQ

Sorry they're all jumbled I used mobile YouTube and Safari. They're sooooo poo :frown: but yeah here you go :smile:


thanks so much :smile:
Reply 28
Original post by madmorgss
I had to watch a YouTube video about it. YOUTUBE HAVE EVERYTHING.
Theorists, definitions, exemplar answers. But I just do TAP to start off, than I wing it. Probs why I'm expected a B


everything you need for power:
Three Types Of Power
1. Political - power held by those working with the law e.g lawyers, politicians, police
2. Personal - power as a result of occupation e.g. teacher, employee
3. Social - power as a result of membership of a group

Then there is:
Instrumental Power - power used to mantain and enforce authority
Influential Power - power used to influence and persuade others

Ideology - a set of beliefs held by an individual or group

Power in written texts
Epistemic Modality - express degrees of probability, possibility or certainty e.g. shall, will
Deontic Modality - express degrees of obligation and necessity

Power in advertising
Fairclough
1. Synthetic Personalisation - build relationship between text producer and text reciever by using personal pronouns e.g 'you' or 'you'
2. Members' Resources - creating image of text using shared knowledge or the background knowledge of reader
3. Building Consumer - positioning the reciever as the ideal reader and therefore consumer of product

Power in spoken discourse
Power Asymmetry/ Unequal Encounter - the power one speaker has over the othere (Fairclough)
Powerful Participant - speaker with higher status in given context who is able to impose a degree of power
Less Powerful Participant - speakers with less status in a given context who are subject to constraints imposed by the powerful participants
Constraints - a way in which the powerful participant blocks or controls the contributions of the less powerful participants e.g by interupting or controlling content

Sinclair & Coulthard
Classroom setting
- Initiation Response Feedback
- Formulation -> teacher rewording contribution of student in order to impose a meaning or understanding

Politeness in Conversation
Face - a individuals self-esteem or emotional needs
Positive Face - the need to feel wanted, liked and appreciated
Negative Face - the need to have freedom of thought without feeling imposed on
(Brown & Levinson)

Politeness Strategies
Positive Politeness - e.g 'I really appreciated all the music you've lent me, can i borrow this soon?'
Negative Politeness - e.g 'I'm really sorry to ask you again..'
:smile:
Thank you. How are you going to approch the groupings task?

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I'm panicking for this exam. What would you say are the key bits of information needed to be remembered for this exam?
Reply 31
Do you have these notes on gender they're so useful!
Reply 32
The major thing to remember for the Language and Social Contexts question is that context is KEY. It was also mentioned on another thread that everytime you make a point, always ask yourself 'so what?'

So, for example, the data in the power question last year was a headteacher speaking to parents who had just visited an open day at the school. She used lexis in the specific field of education, such as 'Oftsed'. That could be a point you mention - but you have to ask yourself 'so what?' WHY did she use this specific lexical field? You could say that she used it in order to appear more knowledgeable, which would exemplify overt prestige and allow the headteacher to empower herself. You could develop this and say that she uses this specific lexical field in order to alienate the audience of parents; they must be aware of what the jargon means, or otherwise they will not understand what she is talking about. BUT then you could bring in context and say that the parents were at an open day at the school, so they will be likely to be familiar with the lexis in the semantic field of education. Just remember; for the Power/Gender/Technology question, always try to link back to how this shows the text/speaker is asserting power over their audience, or how gender influences their speech.

I'm resitting the exam, and the way I always write essays is a developed PEE (Point Evidence Explain) structure;
-Identify examples of power. Do they use a specific type of lexis? Is it through their use of grammar/syntax? Pragmatics?
-Give evidence for this. Quite simple, just ensure that the quotes are succinct and embedded. Examiners are not looking for reams of quotes, just put appropriate, short quotes in. You don't have to introduce them - you could literally just write 'the speaker uses rhetorical questions in their speech - "Why is this?" - and this allows....'
-Explain how this asserts power This is the 'so what?' part. The text uses imperatives - so what? How does that exemplify power? Bring in context and theory here - how does context influence power? Does the power within discourse parallel the power behind discourse? Is an imperative used as a face-threatening act to exhibit power? How would the audience respond?

REMEMBER: Always, always, always link back to the question. HOW does this exhibit power?

Keep calm and level-headed; we can all do it!
Thank you!! This really helped.

I need advice on how to answer the Groupings task?

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Reply 34
Guys would it be suitable to write the plan on the first page on the booklet?

(I'm doing AS)

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Idk about that.. I do my plan next to the texts because there are always empty spaces to do it.

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I think I've actually done every single paper on the aqa website. I have no more. I didn't think that was possible .-.
Reply 37
With the groupings, just make sure that you are inventive. Examiners get bored very quickly of the usual 'texts b and d use non-standard English'; try for something like 'texts f and e use humour through pragmatical references' or something like that.

DON'T go into the exam with a preconceived idea of how you're going to group things. This will NOT work and you will end up forcing the texts to suit your groups, which will get you low marks.

Be specific. Don't just group texts because 'they have grammar'; all texts use grammar. Perhaps some texts use repeated complex sentences, or some of them use exclamatives. These would be better groupings. Grammar is the hardest grouping according to the examiners, so try to do at least one grammar group to push for the higher bands.

Do about 4 groups with roughly 3 texts in each group. More than four groups and you're not analysing; more than 3 texts and the grouping is too broad. You can always do subgroups too, which the examiners like seeing; perhaps you have a group of texts that use specific Lexis, and you could subdivide this group into texts that use specific lexis in order to appeal to the audience.

Context is again important. Who are the audience? Where would you find the text? What is the genre of the text? What is its purpose? Try not to simply label it as a purpose of 'to persuade' - be specific; the text could persuade the audience to buy the product, or sign up for something. Theory is not really needed in Section A - you need your theory more in Section B. Only include theory if it's part of your grouping and isn't too explicit eg. 'Texts that include synthetic personalisation' would be okay, but 'Texts that exhibit Lakoff's theory on gender' is a little too specific.

DO NOT INCLUDE AN INTRODUCTION AND/OR A CONCLUSION. This is a complete waste of time and will get you 0 marks. Just go straight into the first grouping - you don't have time to waste.

YOU MUST 100% PLAN YOUR ANSWER. Never, ever, ever start writing your answer straight away. It will seem messy and rushed, which will get you low marks. Take roughly 15 minutes to quickly go through the texts and annotate them - write down the GAP (genre audience purpose) of each text and any interesting elements. Once you've done that, quickly decide your groupings and jot them down on the paper so you don't forget. Then you can began writing.
Reply 38
Original post by Rarar
With the groupings, just make sure that you are inventive. Examiners get bored very quickly of the usual 'texts b and d use non-standard English'; try for something like 'texts f and e use humour through pragmatical references' or something like that.

DON'T go into the exam with a preconceived idea of how you're going to group things. This will NOT work and you will end up forcing the texts to suit your groups, which will get you low marks.

Be specific. Don't just group texts because 'they have grammar'; all texts use grammar. Perhaps some texts use repeated complex sentences, or some of them use exclamatives. These would be better groupings. Grammar is the hardest grouping according to the examiners, so try to do at least one grammar group to push for the higher bands.

Do about 4 groups with roughly 3 texts in each group. More than four groups and you're not analysing; more than 3 texts and the grouping is too broad. You can always do subgroups too, which the examiners like seeing; perhaps you have a group of texts that use specific Lexis, and you could subdivide this group into texts that use specific lexis in order to appeal to the audience.

Context is again important. Who are the audience? Where would you find the text? What is the genre of the text? What is its purpose? Try not to simply label it as a purpose of 'to persuade' - be specific; the text could persuade the audience to buy the product, or sign up for something. Theory is not really needed in Section A - you need your theory more in Section B. Only include theory if it's part of your grouping and isn't too explicit eg. 'Texts that include synthetic personalisation' would be okay, but 'Texts that exhibit Lakoff's theory on gender' is a little too specific.

DO NOT INCLUDE AN INTRODUCTION AND/OR A CONCLUSION. This is a complete waste of time and will get you 0 marks. Just go straight into the first grouping - you don't have time to waste.

YOU MUST 100% PLAN YOUR ANSWER. Never, ever, ever start writing your answer straight away. It will seem messy and rushed, which will get you low marks. Take roughly 15 minutes to quickly go through the texts and annotate them - write down the GAP (genre audience purpose) of each text and any interesting elements. Once you've done that, quickly decide your groupings and jot them down on the paper so you don't forget. Then you can began writing.


Can you please answer the question I asked above? :tongue:

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Really? Lol thats goood!! I've only got one past paper:lolwut:

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