AQA English Language Paper 2 question 3 is the language analysis question, and in this video
we’ll look at how language analysis is about so much more than spotting and defining language
choices - it's about writing about their their effect in a specific and contextualised way.
AQA English Language Paper 2 question 3 assesses the language element of assessment objective
2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers
use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject
terminology to support their view. Now in this exam, what we mean by language
analysis is pointed out in the mark scheme: a writer’s use of words/phrases/language
features and techniques and sentences forms. You’ll note that this is the same thing
we looked at in Paper 1 question 2, but in that question they were listed in bullet points.
In this question language means the same thing, it’s just that there aren’t any bullet
points, so you need to remember the areas that you could write about.
In this question, you’re directed to a section of one of the sources and asked to analyse
how the writer uses language. Before we look at a sample question, let me
point out that there has been a lot of variety in this question over the four live exams
we’ve had so far: Firstly, the lines in question have ranged
from as short a section of text as just 7 lines, to as many as 16 lines.
And the source in question 3 has twice focused on the 19th C text, and twice focused on the
more modern text, so you need to be happy with analysing language in both.
Even the focus of the question can vary: so far the question has been how is language
used to describe a person, or an experience, or the setting.
With that said, let’s look at a sample question, created exclusively for this video, based
on the source taken from Mr Bruff’s Guide to GCSE English Language, which is available
in paperback on Amazon or eBook at mrbruff.com: You now need to refer only to Source B from
lines 10 to 33 How does the writer use language to describe
Adrian and Woodland Green School? [12 marks]
So this is a 12 mark question, which means you should spend around 15 minutes on it.
That gives you plenty of time to re-read the lines you’ve been directed to and to pick
out examples to write about.
Now the assessment objective for question 2 refers to the use of ‘relevant subject
terminology’, and this has led some students to approach the question as if it is all about
feature spotting - looking out for similes, metaphors, personification, that kind of thing.
The key to this question is to be specific about the effects the writer’s language
choices have, or explain a reason behind the writer’s choices. Your comments have to
be specific to the text - they need to be precise and contextualised to the extract.
One way to do this, is to read the extract and ask yourself ‘what is the specific effect
that the writer is trying to achieve?’ It could be to reveal a key characteristic of
a person, such as dominance, or confidence, excitability or enthusiasm. Or it could be
to present a feeling about an experience, such as intimidation or vulnerability. It
really could be anything, so you need to re-read the lines carefully and not just look for
language to write about, but to think carefully about the effect.
So let’s look at that part of the text: Dear Mr Woolark,
I am writing with reference to the continued poor behaviour exhibited by your son, Adrian,
here at Woodland Green School. At Woodland Green, we pride ourselves on providing
the very best education available to our students. As you are supposedly aware, lessons begin
at 7:30 a.m., with students quickly making their way to the schoolroom. It is unfortunate
that Adrian seems to find it impossible to arrive at school on time although this is
not why he has been reprimanded. Each schoolroom here at Woodland Green contains
as many as one hundred students, who are eager and keen to learn. Students are seated at
an iron-framed desk, which is bolted to the floor, facing the front of the room. Seating
is tiered towards the back of the room to ensure that all pupils are able to see clearly
to the front of the class. These seating arrangements ensure all students are given an excellent
view of the class teacher from whom they will be learning. We pride ourselves on our teachers
here, Mr Woolark, and students who do the same are quick to learn, nay, to excel. Adrian
does not seem to feel the same way. Twice, yes twice, he has been caught talking over
the teacher Mr Butterly. Mr Butterly, himself now a little hard of hearing, was not aware
of Adrian's idle chatter, but I myself was. I observed Adrian through the curtain at the
rear of the room and withdrew him directly to my office to receive the cane. He was obstinate
enough to inform me that he knew all about the topic Mr Butterly was expounding upon
and therefore had no need to listen. You can quite understand, I am sure, that I therefore
proceeded to administer two lashes of 'old faithful'?
In our example, the writer clearly wants to present Adrian as being disobedient and disrespectful,
and the school as majestic and beyond reproach. Let’s finish this video by looking at a
sample paragraph: Thompson uses a range of negative emotive
language to describe Adrian, detailing the: 'poor behaviour exhibited' by the boy. The
use of the verb 'exhibited' has an extra layer of criticism to it, as it suggests that Adrian's
bad behaviour is some sort of public spectacle, a performance given for the purpose of eliciting
a response. It is as if the boy has deliberately misbehaved, rather than accidentally found
himself in trouble. This exaggerates the sense of Adrian’s disobedience. This negative
emotive language is juxtaposed with a wealth of positive terms to describe Woodland Green
school. Thompson employs a range of positive adjectives such as 'keen', 'eager' and 'best’,
juxtaposing the negative description of Adrian with the positive description of the school
to emphasise just how wonderful the school is and just how disobedient Adrian is.