1. Homework Feedback Objective: to learn how to structure the examination essay

2. Now… Read your essay feedback – what do you need to do to improve? How can you make your essay better next time? Will this be easy or challenging? What steps can you take to ensure that you DO improve?

3. Tip Number One Basically, your opening paragraph should compare the purpose/audience/genre of each piece. Use TRIPE wherever possible (particularly for spontaneous speech) Question: How can your opening paragraph be improved? TRIPE – A WAY OF ESTABLISHING THE PURPOSE OF SPEECH T – TRANSACTIONAL R – REFERENTIAL I – INTERACTIONAL P – PHATIC E- EXPRESSIVE

4. What is wrong with this opening paragraph? ‘In this essay I will be looking at two different texts and comparing how information, attitudes and feelings are conveyed by the speakers’

5. Tip Number Two As you are making notes, decide upon tone as this will tell you LOTS about attitudes and ideas. I think this makes a great second paragraph as it guarantees you’re addressing the question right from the start. A good way of deciding upon tone is deciding how something is said. How would you describe the tone of each of the texts?

6. Ideas Text A – Kat is both enthusiastic (about her placement) and unenthusiastic (about her university course) Sue seems caring, concerned and helpful. Text B – Brown seems passionate, committed, enthusiastic about education

7. Tip Number Three Make sure every point you make related either to attitudes, feelings and ideas or context. It sounds obvious, but this is the question and there are no marks for talking about anything else! Now, cross out any points that are unrelated

8. Tip Number Four Make sure you don’t define linguistic/literary terms. Assume your reader is a qualified examiner and will understand such terms as ‘elision’ and ‘filler’.

9. Tip Number Five Spend time planning, making notes about interesting language features and how they convey attitudes/ideas. Many students like to write the frameworks near the question to remind them to use a range. However, it is very unlikely you will refer to them all! NEVER So don’t be hard on yourself. You will NEVER cover everything. Your job is to identify and discuss a few interesting points.

10. Tip Number 6 Keep mentioning context! E.g. Brown’s speech is basically written to persuade people that his policies are best and that they should support him. This very public context will obviously affect the way his views are conveyed. Kat’s views about her education are expressed very bluntly because she is talking to her friend.

11. The Markscheme – please ‘translate’ the following boring AOs… AO2 (worth 15 marks) Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in spoken and written texts. Am I commenting on how particular language choices relate to the attitudes/feelings/ideas being expressed? A03 – worth 30 marks Use integrated approaches to explore relationships between texts, analysing and evaluating the significance of contextual factors in their production and reception. Are you discussing context and analysing the effect this has on what is being said?

12. A second possible structure Paragraph 1: A comparison of context – purpose/audience/genre. Paragraph 2: Compare the tone of each of the texts and what this tells us about attitudes and values. Paragraph 3: Discuss an attitude, value or idea expressed in Text A, using linguistic/literary terminology to support your answer. Paragraph 3: Discuss an attitude, value or idea expressed in Text B, using linguistic/literary terminology to support your answer. Paragraph 4: Discuss a second attitude, value or idea expressed in Text A, using linguistic/literary terminology to support your answer. Paragraph 5: Discuss a second attitude, value or idea expressed in Text B, using linguistic/literary terminology to support your answer. Paragraph 6: Provide a short, neat conclusion comparing each text.

13. A third possible structure Paragraph 1: A comparison of context – purpose/audience/genre. Paragraph 2: Compare the tone of each of the texts and what this tells us about attitudes and values. Paragraph 3: Make a comparative point about lexis and what this tells us about attitudes/ideas/values Paragraph 4: Make a comparative point about grammar and what this tells us about attitudes/ideas/values Paragraph 5: Make a comparative point about phonology or structure or nonverbal aspects of the texts. Paragraph 6: Provide a short, neat conclusion, giving a brief comparison of the two texts. Please note: you should be flexible about frameworks, depending on the paper