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Get Ready for Edexcel GCSE English
Like most people you probably do a lot of talking! Just think about how many conversations you have had today. This kind of talk is called spoken language. It’s likely you have also read and written play scripts. Play scripts are examples of scripted speech. They represent spoken language – they are not the same as spoken language.
Look at the examples of language used by teenagers below.
1 a Try to work out which of them are most likely to be examples of real spoken language and which are most likely to be examples of scripted spoken language.
b When you are doing this it might help to ask yourself whether you would ever talk in this way.
2 Copy and complete the table, placing each of the examples into the correct column.
Some of the examples in activity 1 might have been di� cult to put in the correct column. This is because some examples of scripted language are good at sounding just like spoken language.
1 Which examples did you � nd easiest to place in the correct column? Make a list of these.
2 Now look at your list from question 1. For each example, write down what made it easy to decide whether it was an example of spoken or scripted language.
3 Now choose one example of spoken language and one example of scripted language. What are the main di� erences between the two? You might want to think about:● how formal or informal the examples are● which example includes hesitations and pauses● whether you would speak in this way.
Look at the example of a play script below in which two teenagers are talking.
1 Do you think the conversation sounds realistic all the way through?
2 Rewrite the play script so that it sounds more like real spoken language. For example, you might want to add in more informal language, pauses and hesitations as well as other things.
The language of teenagers
Let’s talk
Activity 1 Get ready for GCSE!
Activity 2 Get going with GCSE!
Activity 3 Get ahead at GCSE!
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Learning objectivesI am learning:• what spoken language and scripted language are
At GCSE …Because at GCSE you will analyse spoken language and write for the spoken voice.
Esther: I went to town today.David: Oh yes.Esther: I was walking through the car-park. You know, the one near the cinema.David: Yes I know the car park you mean.Esther: An old lady was driving along towards the exit and a man reversed into
her. He damaged her front passenger door. He got out of his car and blamed the woman for the accident.
David: How did he blame her?Esther: He said that she was being impatient, even though it was him who
backed into her!David: What happened next?Esther: The man asked the old lady to move her car forward and he was just
about to drive o� .David: Did someone stop him?Esther: I tried to but he drove away. I wrote his registration number down on a
piece of paper. I then gave the piece of paper to the woman. She said thank you.
David: What did the old woman say?Esther: Thank you.
Spoken language. Scripted language
Watch out!
It’s not always easy to work out whether examples of spoken language are real or scripted. Some writers are very talented at making their language sound like real spoken language.
Yeah. Well. Maybe. No, don’t think so.
Alright? How’s it going?
What do you want?Erm wadya want?
Would it be at all possible to have two of those please?
Um ... Tuesday ... or Wednesday.
Hello Mum. Have you had a good day?
I’m not sure but I don’t think that I will be going.
a
e
h
f
g
dc
b
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Get Ready for Edexcel GCSE English
Watch out!
Selecting evidence means more than just picking any old quote from a text. You need to be careful to choose evidence that supports what you are saying.
Strange but true
The purpose of a text means why it was written. For example, the advert below is written to persuade the reader to enter a competition. We know this because the advert uses lots of features of persuasive language.
When trying to identify the purpose of a text it is important to ask yourself: why? Why was this text written?
Activity 1 Get started with GCSE
Activity 2 Get going with GCSE
Activity 3 Get ahead at GCSE
Using evidenceWhen identifying the purpose of a text it is important to back up what you say with evidence from the text. Think of it as being like a detective; evidence is the key to showing you know what you’re talking about!
1 Look at the three responses to activity 1 below. Put them in order of the best and worst responses.
2 What is it about the best answer that makes it the best?
1 Now look at the text below.
The purpose of the advert is to persuade the reader.
The advert persuades the reader. It tells them about the car.
Toucan play at that gameToucans at Leeds Castle have been captured on camera playing the game KerPlunk. The rare toco toucans at Leeds Castle have been taught to pull chopsticks from a fruit-� lled tube inside their enclosure.
Staff in Leeds Castle’s aviary team adapted the original game to use fruit instead of marbles.
Mairee Vincent, head of the aviary team, said the activity keeps the toucans active during the day.
She said: “The device requires the birds to solve a problem. “They need to work out how to remove the chopsticks from the
suspended tube in order for their favourite fruit to drop down and fall to the � oor, wherupon they can eat it.”
1 Look at the list of texts below and the possible purposes.
2 First match each text type to a possible purpose.
3 Next make one comment about why you think this.
A newspaper report about a football matchA lea� et about a music festivalA magazine article containing a humorous anecdoteA weather forecast in a newspaperA letter of application for a job
To inform the readerTo persuade the readerTo advise the reader To entertain the reader
2 What is the purpose of this text? Remember to ask yourself: why was this text written? What e� ect does the author want it to have on the reader?
3 Write a short paragraph in which you identify the purpose and use details from the text to support your point. Look at the best example you identi� ed in Activity 2 as a model.
b
a
The purpose of the advert is to persuade the reader. It uses features of persuasive language such as the rhetorical question in the fi rst sentence to persuade people that they really do want to win a sports car.
c
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What’s the point?Learning objectivesI am learning:• how to work out what the purpose of a text is
At GCSE …Because when you reach GCSE you will need to be able to quickly identify the purpose of a text and comment on how the text achieves this purpose.
Rhetorical question
Pattern of three
Emotive language – ‘once in a lifetime’
Have you ever dreamed of trading in your old wreck for something that turns heads? Well now you can win a brand new, limited edition, ready-for-the road sports car complete with full insurance, a year’s worth of free fuel and an unlimited amount of envy from your friends!
Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity! For a chance to enter the fast lane just call 0896 7555 3226 to answer one easy question.
Win your dream car!
EDEXCEL_Head_Start_SB sample speads.indd 28-29 25/8/10 15:48:31
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Now look at your own answer to this activity. Compare it to the three student answer above.• Which one is your answer closest to?• Discuss or jot down what you might need to do to improve your answer if you were to do
it again.
Maximise your marks
Be the examiner!In this activity you are going to look at some sample answers to activity 2 on page xx. An examiner has commented on the answers and suggested a grade, but he has forgotten to show which bit of commentary belongs to which answer.
Your task is:• To read the diff erent student answers• As you read, think about the strengths and weaknesses of the answers• Read the examiner commentaries• Work out which piece of commentary belongs to which answer.
Like a real examiner, you could be asked to explain your choices so make sure you have reasons ready to support your answers!
Student answer 1 Grade
There are a number of features of spoken language in this dialogue. For example, there are pauses, such as when Chris replies ‘Maths. (2) I’m dreading it.’ There are also some times when both of the speakers speak at the same time. We can also see dialect in the word ‘gert’ and the question ‘Where’s it to?’ There is also some modern slang such as ‘Sweet’ and ‘Cool’.
Student answer 2 Grade
There are loads of features of spoken language in this transcript. I think the two people are friends because of the way they talk to one another it’s just like how I talk to my friends but not how I would talk to like my parents.
Student answer 3 Grade
I can pick out several examples of features of spoken language that reveal something about the speakers. For example, when Chris pauses after ‘I’m dreading it.’ The pause suggests just how much he is dreading his Maths exam. The conversation is quite informal and this is shown by the numerous overlaps in the conversation. Also informal is the use of slang and dialect such as in the word ‘gert’.
The language used suggests that these two are good friends. For example, Chris says, ‘I know what you mean’ at the beginning of the conversation and then at the end he says ‘later man’. This helps to explain why they talk as they do. They seem to have equal status. They must also come from a similar social circle because they understand the slang that they use. This suggests that the speakers are friends.
?
?
?
Examiner comment 1E
This answer makes general points only and does not back them up with any speci� c reference to the text. It is therefore di� cult to understand whether the student truly understands the text or not. The student rightly identi� es that the speakers are friends but again does not back this up with any evidence. It is on its way to a Grade E.
Examiner comment 2D
This student identi� es a number of features of spoken language and uses evidence from the text to show that they understand what the features are. However it does not comment on why those features are used and so would be on its way to a Grade D.
Examiner comment 3C
The student has identi� ed several features of spoken language, such as the pauses and times when both speakers speak at the same time. Impressively, the student has also commented on what these features show about the speakers – such as the relationship between the two and their status. This answer is well into the C grade.
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