Language Terms in Meaning and Representation

A01 Terms in Meanings and Representations

• Euphemism: indirect language used to mask a harsh truth, e.g., "visit the bathroom" instead of "go to the toilet", or "let you go" instead of "sack you".
• Dysphemism: opposite of euphemism, using blunt and often taboo language to shock or entertain, e.g., language used by a stand-up comedian.
• Sound Iconicity: relationship between the sound of a word and its meaning, e.g., "splash" has a sound that imitates the action of water splashing.

Pragmatics and Grammar

• Negative Face: using indirect language to be polite and give the receiver options, e.g., "I wonder if you could possibly give in your homework on Friday".
• Schematic Knowledge: an individual's background knowledge about a subject, which is often assumed in texts.

Grammar and Language

• Passive Voice: a sentence structure that reduces focus on the agent and emphasizes the action, e.g., "The window was smashed" instead of "Paul smashed the window".
• Intertextuality: a reference to another text, e.g., "To study English or not to study English" references Hamlet's soliloquy.
• Collocation: an expected combination of words, e.g., "fish and chips"; subverting collocations can be intriguing, e.g., "Home is where the hurt is".

Prosody and Features

• Prosodic Features: variations in volume, pitch, and intonation in speech, which are essential to consider when analyzing transcripts.
• MLU (Mean Length of Utterance): the average number of words spoken per turn in a conversation, useful for analyzing power dynamics in conversations.
• Deixis: context-dependent speech that relies on shared knowledge between speaker and listener, e.g., "She put that there yesterday" assumes knowledge of the speaker, location, and time.### Language and Representation
• Representation refers to the portrayal of events, people, and circumstances through language to create a way of seeing the world.
• The word "re" in representation highlights the fact that the presentation of something is often mediated through someone else's view of the world.
• Language is filtered through someone else's view, making it a subjective representation of reality.

English Language Paper 1 Section A

• The paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes long.
• Students are given two texts from different modes (written, spoken, or blended).
• The texts differ in terms of time period, with one being current and the other being older.
• Students are expected to analyze the language features of both texts, focusing on modal differences, and how they create meanings and representations.

Key Terms and Mark Schemes

• AO1: Knowledge of language, including terminology, linguistic methods, and written expression.
• AO3: Analysis of language, including meanings, representations, and context.
• AO4: Connections across texts.
• To get high marks, students need to identify patterns, guide the reader, and evaluate the significance of individual words.
• Wider social and cultural contexts should be considered when analyzing texts.

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Writing a long, rambling, and generic introduction.
• Focusing on one language level only.
• Feature-spotting without linking to meanings and representations.

Effective Analysis

• Integrate language levels, such as grammar, graphology, phonology, and lexis, to produce a concise and analytical response.
• Link language features to meanings and representations.
• Use topic sentences to guide the reader and create a clear structure.
• Focus on patterns and evaluate the significance of individual words.

Terms and Meanings

• Euphemism: indirect language used to mask a harsh truth, e.g., "visit the bathroom" instead of "go to the toilet".
• Dysphemism: opposite of euphemism, using blunt and often taboo language to shock or entertain, e.g., language used by a stand-up comedian.
• Sound Iconicity: relationship between the sound of a word and its meaning, e.g., "splash" has a sound that imitates the action of water splashing.

Pragmatics and Grammar

• Negative Face: using indirect language to be polite and give the receiver options, e.g., "I wonder if you could possibly give in your homework on Friday".
• Schematic Knowledge: an individual's background knowledge about a subject, which is often assumed in texts.

Grammar and Language

• Passive Voice: a sentence structure that reduces focus on the agent and emphasizes the action, e.g., "The window was smashed" instead of "Paul smashed the window".
• Intertextuality: a reference to another text, e.g., "To study English or not to study English" references Hamlet's soliloquy.
• Collocation: an expected combination of words, e.g., "fish and chips"; subverting collocations can be intriguing, e.g., "Home is where the hurt is".

Prosody and Features

• Prosodic Features: variations in volume, pitch, and intonation in speech, which are essential to consider when analyzing transcripts.
• MLU (Mean Length of Utterance): the average number of words spoken per turn in a conversation, useful for analyzing power dynamics in conversations.
• Deixis: context-dependent speech that relies on shared knowledge between speaker and listener, e.g., "She put that there yesterday" assumes knowledge of the speaker, location, and time.

Language and Representation

• Representation refers to the portrayal of events, people, and circumstances through language to create a way of seeing the world.
• Language is filtered through someone else's view, making it a subjective representation of reality.

English Language Paper 1 Section A

• The paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes long.
• Students are given two texts from different modes (written, spoken, or blended) and time periods.
• Students are expected to analyze the language features of both texts, focusing on modal differences, and how they create meanings and representations.

Key Terms and Mark Schemes

• AO1: Knowledge of language, including terminology, linguistic methods, and written expression.
• AO3: Analysis of language, including meanings, representations, and context.
• AO4: Connections across texts.
• To get high marks, students need to identify patterns, guide the reader, and evaluate the significance of individual words.
• Wider social and cultural contexts should be considered when analyzing texts.

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Writing a long, rambling, and generic introduction.
• Focusing on one language level only.
• Feature-spotting without linking to meanings and representations.

Effective Analysis

• Integrate language levels, such as grammar, graphology, phonology, and lexis, to produce a concise and analytical response.
• Link language features to meanings and representations.
• Use topic sentences to guide the reader and create a clear structure.
• Focus on patterns and evaluate the significance of individual words.