SAC 1 Informal Discourse Comparative Analysis

Analytical Commentary SAC 1: Analytical Commentary What is it? Linguistic analysis. Articulate your understanding of what the text is, why is was written, its intentions and how it achieves this through linguistic features. We will be assessing: You ability to demonstrate your knowledge on Register and Formality, Social Purpose, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic features relevant to the subsystems.

How should you approach SAC 1 Prepare your knowledge on: Written Informal Discourse Sociolinguistics- mode, locale, function, social purpose, audience/interlocutors, domain Formality/Register Understand how Lexical Choice, Syntactic Complexity and Discourse reflect the register and aim to achieve the social purpose of the text.

Analytical Commentary Structure This is not an essay therefore it does not need an introduction or a conclusion. In fact examiners have suggested that those students who do so, waste time and the depth of their for analysis suffers. P1: Sociolinguistics – this will essentially set up and compare the texts function, purpose, register, audience, etc. This will allow you to set up your understanding of the text as a whole. Without sociolinguistics you analysis would simple be listing linguistic feature.

Structure of Analytical Commentary P2: Lexical Choice. This should compare each texts lexical choices. This can be anything from jargon, subject specific terms, colloquialisms, metaphors to basic word class functions. ALWAYS LINK TO FORMALITY AND SOCIAL PURPOSE! P3: Syntactic Complexity. Sentence Types and Sentence Structures and or fragments. How does this reflect the register and aid the social purpose. Quite often this will lead back to sociolinguistics. Ie to achieve rapport, maintain authority, lessen social distance, indicate social distance, obfuscate etc.

Analytical Commentary Structure P4: Discourse Analysis. Aim to look at 2 areas here. The broad structure of the discourse that aim to create cohesion and then the discourse features within the text that create coherence. Structure; headings, subheadings, dot points, paragraphing, logical sequencing of ideas. How does this create cohesion? How can we link cohesion to social purpose and formality? Discourse Features: Discourse markers, building off of prior information, new information through topic sentences. This creates coherence (ability to be understood). How does this achieve social purpose?

In the SAC 1. Read the texts. Choose 2 to compare. 2. Reread the texts and annotate for: Sociolinguistics and Formality. Lexical Choice, Syntax and Discourse. If you can create a mini plan that is great but also use your annotations as a guide. Stick to the structure given to you. Remember this is a comparative analytical commentary. Compare formality and social purpose in two texts. The texts will be similar in context.

PRAC: You have been given 4 articles to read and annotate. These concern linguistic issues facing society today. They serve two purposes here. 1. For use in an analytical commentary. 2. For use in your essays in unit 4 where contemporary linguistic theory needs to be drawn on. Lets analyse Article 1 together and create a plan.