The document provides guidance on preparing for the language analysis section of the English exam through practicing skills like strategic selection of text, developing précis skills, and demonstrating language analysis abilities. It recommends practicing language analysis techniques for 10-15 minutes 1-3 times per week, focusing on skills like identifying persuasive language, grouping examples, and varying sentence structure. Specific vocabulary like "apprehensive" is given as an example to analyze how word choice influences meaning. Common phrases used in language analysis responses are identified to avoid overusing. Templates are provided to model analyzing visuals, identifying contentions, and describing an author's language techniques.

1. How To Revise for
Language Analysis: Unit
3&4 English Exam

2. 43

3. Three Sections
• Text Response
• Context
• Language Analysis

4. Language Analysis

6. What’s the link?
2010: “students who attempted to work laboriously
through every sentence found the task difficult.
Students needed to choose which parts of the material
they would use to explore the way in which language was
being used.”
2010: “Some responses were just simple summaries or
lists of the techniques used, with little development.
These pieces did not score well as they did not fulfil the
task.”
2011: In stronger responses, strategic selection, together
with well-developed précis skills, allowed students to
demonstrate their language analysis skills.

7. Skills vs.
Knowledge

8. Language Analysis
• 10-15 minutes of practice every 1-3 days
will make more impact than ‘cramming’ in
SWOTVac.

9. Language Analysis
• Reading, thinking, planning
• Analysing the visual
• Identifying the issue and contention
• Identifying the best examples of persuasive
language
• Grouping examples
• Using specific verbs to describe an author’s
technique
• Varying the way a follow up sentence is started

10. Bring a dictionary
• We must, at the very least, be apprehensive
about this proposal.

11. Bring a dictionary
• The use of the word “apprehensive” brings
an association of doubt and mistrust in the
reader’s mind towards the idea.

12. Task & Background

13. Task & Background

14. Identify
• Which quote best identifies the contention
• What is one persuasive phrase/sentence
used

15. Birmingham Library Speech - Malala
Yousafzai

16. Which of these best
identifies the contention?
• We must not forget the 57 million children
are out of school
• Pens and books are the weapons that
defeat terrorism
• I truly believe that the only way to have
global peace...is to have reading, knowledge
and education

17. Which of these quotes
is the best example?
• A city without books... is like a graveyard
• We must not forget the 57 million children are out
of school
• We must speak up for peace and development in
Nigeria, Syria and Somalia
• We must speak up for the children of Pakistan,
India and Afghanistan who are suffering from
terrorism, poverty and child labour

18. Analysing language
• Joe Bloggs uses a rhetorical question when
they say “Are we all stupid”. Rhetorical
questions really only have one answer.

19. Students overuse these
phrases
• The author writes
• The writer says
• The author uses
• The author argues
• The author thinks

20. Analysing language
• Joe Bloggs challenges the audience with the
question:“Are we all stupid?” This challenge
confronts us with a black and white choice
- we can either accept that we are stupid,
or think that we are smart by agreeing with
Bloggs’ argument.

21. Praises, Celebrates,
Gushes, Champions,
Supports, Effuses,
Commends, Approves,
Accepts, Applauds,
Understands,
Advocates, Identifies
with, Esteems,
Credits ,Endorses
Labels, Dismisses,
Attacks, Insults, Slurs,
Denigrates,
Undermines, Criticize,
Critiques, Lambasts,
Denies, Demeans,
Blames, Accuses,
Judges, Rejects
Connects...with,
likens...to,
compares...to,
associates...with/to,
connotes...as being
like, relates...to,
attaches...to
Queries, Reflects,
Raises, Wonders,
Reasons, Philosophises,
Ponders, Supposes,
Speculates
Urges, Posits,
Contends, Argues,
Disputes, Challenges,
Opposes, Debates,
Contests, Demands
Forcefully, logically, caustically,
sarcastically, emphatically, darkly,
quickly, humourously, emotionally,
angrily, passionately, laughingly,
reassuringly, authoratively,
jokingly, seriously, matter-of-factly,
accusingly, effusively,
speculatively, challengingly,
insultingly, disgustedly,
righteously, absolutely, clearly,
rhetorically, carefully

22. • A city without books... is like a graveyard
• We must not forget the 57 million children
are out of school
• We must speak up for peace and
development in Nigeria, Syria and Somalia
• We must speak up for the children of
Pakistan, India and Afghanistan who are
suffering from terrorism, poverty and child
labour
urges;
champions;
connects...
with...;
likens...to;
supports;
reminds us;
advocates
Malala likens a “city without books” to a “graveyard”
creating the association for us that...

23. Improving analysis

24. Improving analysis

25. Visual
• Our focus is captured by the visual when / at...
• The portrayal of...as...focuses our attention
because...
• ...is represented as...
• Re-inforces the point that...
• Supports the contention / argument that...
• The image visually captures the author’s argument
that...

26. Analysing visuals
We live in an age where privacy does not
exist
Our attention is captured
by...
Google is represented as...
The image supports the
author’s contention that......

27. Headlines you’re
unlikely to see