2-3 Paragraphs of Analysis of the June 2013 Paper

Analysis on the June 2013 Paper

Study the texts A–G on the next seven pages.  These texts illustrate different varieties of language use.

Discuss various ways in which these texts can be grouped, giving linguistic reasons for your choices. (48 marks)

Texts A-G all illustrate different varieties of language use and can be grouped in various ways. One way some of these texts can be grouped is due to the graphology features used. Texts B, C, F and G can be grouped as all four of these texts are posters. Compared to all the other texts they immediately stand out, they are eye catching due to the big bold headings and subheadings although they lack a range of lexis. Texts C and F also contain images and colour making the texts much more appealing to their audience. For example the pragmatics in text C shows a chicken and a mushroom having a conversation. The chicken says “In a chicken and mushroom casserole, I’M THE MAN.” The mushroom replies “you are the chicken.” This shows a creation of a relationship with the intended audience of people who are looking into healthy eating. It includes humour into a healthy eating adverting portraying that healthy eating can be fun.

In addition the subject specific lexis stands out in texts D, F and G. For example in text D subject specific lexis is spoken between the two people having a conversation. They use the word ‘Morrissey’ to refer to a British singer and lyricist rather than his full name ‘Steven Morrissey.’ It may be only the adults talking during their night out that understand the meaning of Morrissey and other people not part of the group may not know what these people are talking about. Other subject specific lexis includes ‘fan’, ‘lyricist’ and other singer’s names to show the discourse of these peoples conversation. Similarly in text G where subject specific lexis is demonstrated in terms of technology for example the words ‘broadband’, ‘wireless’, ‘connection’ and ‘BT total broadband’. People who are not up to date with current technology may not understand the meaning of these words and therefore the lexis is specific to those who use technology and is aimed at a younger audience. Text F also demonstrates subject specific lexis through a poster about bike safety. For example words such as ‘bicycle’, ‘helmet’, ‘reflectors’ etc. show subject specific lexis, however most people are likely to understand these terms.

Language and Power Class Notes

Language and Power Class Notes

 -Conversations
-Political Speeches/ Debates
-Arguments
-Transcripts
-Letters
-Written Language i.e. eviction notices

 There are two types of power according to Wareing 1999 Political/Personal/Social group

1.       Instrumental Power
2.       Influential Power

Type of Power	Example:
Political	Held by politicians, the police and those working in law courts
Personal	Those who hold a position of power as a result of their occupation or role such as teachers or employers.
Social Group	Those who hold power as a result of social variables such as class, gender, age (typically) but not exclusively white, middle class men hold positions of power.

 

1.       Instrumental- When it is used by individuals or groups to maintain and enforce authority.
2.       Influential- When it is used to influence and persuade others:

·         Peer Pressure
·         Politics
·         Government
·         Media and Advertising

Task 1

 What does it mean to be powerful?

 

·         Being knowledgeable
·         Being respected
·         Be able to take control and have the last say
·         Leadership
·         Narccism (Love yourself)
·        Authority
·         Confidence
·         Responsibility
·         Encouraging
·         Assertive (In charge)
·         Intimidating
·         Being decisive
·         Being a role model
·         Experience

 What does not dictate power?

·         Age

·         Gender

·         Qualifications

 

What situation is an interview? How do you feel? What do you expect?

Interviewer- Instrumental

Interviewee - Influential

·         Interviewer uses interrogative questions

·         Put on the spot
·         We use declaratives e.g. ‘I will’
·         Try to project confidence in body language
·         Expect to use formal language and lexis
·         They have the power to give us the job: assertive, decisive, higher position of power
·         Use maxim of manner and maxim of relevance
·         Control the way we speak including tone/volume
·         Completely unfamiliar in terms of discourse

 

 

 

Shawshank Redemption Presentation

Shawshank Redemption
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtwXlIwozog

 Parole Officer

 •     He starts off with the power, however his turn is shorter than Red’s and hence his moment of power is shorter

•       The conversation begins on the parole officers terms as he sets the agenda and frames the conservation by calling him by his full name- ‘Ellis Boyd Reading’

•       He speaks clear and rhythmically using formal lexis

•       He used imperatives such as ‘please sit down’ which uses maxim of manner, displaying his confidence of his authority because formality is uncommon in a prison.

•       However he doesn’t have maxim of quantity, but instead wants Red to use it in his speech to see if he can be released from prison.

Red

•       Personal authority: knows that the parole officer and him are not part of the same group so does not use “we”, uses “I” instead

•       Rhetorical questions: “What do you really wanna know?”

•       His authority is visible because his speech sticks to the four Maxims – the reason why he sounds eloquent.

Brown + Levinson's Face Theory and Grice's Maxims

Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory

Politeness can be described as normal social behaviour or a set of prescriptive social ‘rules’ also known as rules or things we do to be liked. Lots of linguists have researched into politeness including Brown and Levinson who developed their face theory in 1987, based on our desire to be liked.

Brown and Levinson’s theory is called the ‘face theory’ this is because of our public image which is important during everyday interaction. There are two aspect of ‘face’, these are positive and negative. Positive is the desire to be appreciated and liked whereas the negative face is the desire to be free and therefore not be imposed upon. Brown and Levinson also come up with the face threatening act (FTA) this is where an act is put on purposely threatens the face needs of others.

Politeness is defined as ‘using communicative ways to create and maintain social harmony.’ Brown and Levinson’s face theory relates to this is various ways:

·         Being appropriate
·         Following social and cultural normality
·         Being socially positive

People use politeness strategies in order to ‘save face’ by using FTA’s:

·         Not attempting to minimise face threat
·         Positive politeness, showing you value someone
·         Negative politeness, not impending on someone
·         Avoiding responsibility for the FTA by being indirect

Politeness strategies are also determined by contextual factors:

·         Power of relationship between listener and speaker
·         Social distance between listener and speaker
·         How great the threat of the FTA is

The aim of conversation is usually cooperative, therefore the more dangerous our FTA is, the higher number strategy we use.

 

 

Grice’s Maxim’s

Maxim of Quantity- A person attempts to be as informative as they can and gives as much information as needed and no more.

Maxim of Quality- A person attempts to be truthful and therefore doesn’t pass on false information or say anything that cannot be supported by evidence.

Maxim of Relevance- A person tries to be relevant and only says things relevant to the topic of conversation.

Maxim of Manor- A person attempts to be as clear, as brief and as orderly as they can avoiding obscurity and ambiguity.