1. Date
Analysing Transcript
Learning Objective:
To be able to analyse a speaker’s language choices based on features of spoken language and language choices.

2. What are the features of transcripts?
A: - shows speaker followed by a colon.
(.) – shows a brief pause (less than a second).
(1.0) – shows a longer pause (the number represents seconds).
¦ ¦ - vertical lines show that words are being spoken simultaneously (at the same time).
Bold – words in bold show that they are stressed.
There is no punctuation.
Learning Objective:
To be able to analyse a speaker’s language choices based on features of spoken language and language choices.

3. Transcript Analysis Task
Read the extract.
Answer the questions by annotating the extract or making notes in your books – you do not need to write paragraphs at this point
Success Criteria
Looking for more than one interpretation if possible.
Zooming in on specific language features and words and explaining how they create character
Relating language to the context in detail
Exploring various attitudes to the language of different characters.
Learning Objective:
To be able to analyse a speaker’s language choices based on features of spoken language and language choices.

4. Waterloo Road Transcript
Bus Driver FARES
Student ahhh (.) hey
Donte hand it over [takes bus ticket, smiling]
Explore the context: participants, purpose and place – is this register appropriate? Why/ Why not?
What do the language choices and features of spoken language reveal about their character/personality?
Quotation
What attitudes might people have to the way they are speaking?
Learning Objective:
To be able to analyse a speaker’s language choices based on features of spoken language and language choices.

5. PEE Success Criteria
Their point engages with the question and doesn’t just repeat it.
An appropriate piece of evidence has been selected.
In the explanation they focus on a particular feature and explain the following:
What it reveal about the speaker’s character.
What it suggests about the speakers’ relationship.
A comment on the context and whether this language use is appropriate – stating why/why not.
What attitudes might people have towards their use of language and why these attitudes exist.

6. What do Donte’s language choices reveal about his character
What do Donte’s language choices reveal about his character? What attitudes towards spoken language could be applied to this extract?
Donte comes across as being aggressive and arrogant towards Treneman in the way that he speaks.
For example, ‘This is mine he’ll tell you innit Steven [elbows Steven].
Donte emphasises ‘mine’ to enforce that the bus ticket belongs to him. He is forcing Steven to agree with what he is saying. This is an example of Donte having power over Steven. Also, Donte’s idiolect includes slang: ‘innit’, which suggests that he is a lower class person or does not feel the need to speak in standard English due to the context of being on a bus. This could also imply that he doesn’t have respect to Treneman (as he speaks in proper English). Donte’s attitude towards spoken language seems to be that as long as he is understood, it doesn’t matter what he says of whom he says it too. It is possible that some people, probably academics, who think that ‘correct’ English should be upheld would dislike Donte’s language because it is not standard English and therefore implies lowering of standards. However, teenagers who share a sociolect may feel that it is acceptable because he is able to communicate in a way he feels comfortable.

7. What do the speaker’s language choices reveal about his character?
PEE Practice
Choose one example from the transcript and answer these questions:
What do the speaker’s language choices reveal about his character?
What attitudes towards spoken language could be applied to this extract?
Learning Objective:
To be able to analyse a speaker’s language choices based on features of spoken language and language choices.