A2 LL - DADDY A READING, SOME QUESTIONS AND NOTES

Click here for a reading of Daddy by Sylvia Plath

Click here for a short 5 minute documentary film of Dachau concentration camp. It contains some very shocking and disturbing images. Please view these images thoughtfully and carefully and make sure this cannot be viewed by people unprepared or unable to cope with such images. However these are the scenes that Plath was referring to when she refers to Dachau in her poem.
Some questions

What is this poem about?

Comment on the voice of the narrator of this poem.

How is 'daddy' presented throughout the poem?

What different language features does Plath use through the poem

and what do you think her intended effect is on her readers?

Critics have viewed "Daddy" as a response to Plath's complex relationship with her father, Otto Plath, who died shortly after her eighth birthday as a result of undiagnosed diabetes. Nick Mount, an English professor at the University of Toronto called "Daddy" in a lecture about Plath, "probably one of the best poems of  the 20th century".

Some definitions

Ach, du = oh you

Ich = I, me, myself

Tyrol = a region of Austria

Vienna = Largest and capital city of Austria

Luftwaffe = German military airforce

Aryan = Aryan race has been used by proponents of ideologically-motivated racism and white supremacism such as in doctrines of Nazism and neo-Nazism. Aryanism developed as a racial ideology that claimed that the Aryan race was a master race.

Panza = tank

Mein Kampf = My Struggle - is an autobiographical manifesto by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, in which he outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany.

Otto Plath - father of Sylvia Plath - probably the main subject of Plath's poem Daddy. He died in 1944 of undiagnosed diabetes when Sylvia Plath was 8.

A2 LL - DACHAU - RECASTING AND COMMENTARY QUESTION

Click here for a short 5 minute documentary film of Dachau concentration camp. It contains some very shocking and disturbing images. Please view these images thoughtfully and carefully and make sure this cannot be viewed by people unprepared or unable to cope with such images. However these are the scenes that Martha Gellhorn would have witnessed when she arrived at the camp.

Here is a practice recasting task and commentary question that you could work on once you have a copy of the text.

Read the source material - the section of the text from 'The Germans made here', on page 14 to 'crippled for life' on page 16 - and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled [Dachau]by [Martha Gellhorn]
It was first published in [The Observer].

You were a [prisoner held in Dachau camp]

Using the source material, write the text [of a letter]
Your audience will consist of the International Military Tribunal, to be used as a witness statement against the SS officers running the Dachau camp.]

You should adapt the source material, without using direct quoations.
Your letter should be approximately 300 – 400 words in length.

In your adaptation you should:
• use language appropriately to address purpose and audience

• write accurately and coherently, applying relevant ideas and concepts.

(25 marks)

AND

Question 3

Write a commentary which explains the choices you made when writing your letter
commenting on the following:

• how language and form have been used to suit audience and purpose

• how vocabulary and other stylistic features have been used to shape meaning and
achieve particular effects.
You should aim to write about 150 – 250 words in this commentary.

(15 marks)

 

 

A2 LL - THREE WAY COMPARISON HOMEWORK - FEEDBACK

TASK

Write only one comparative analytical paragraph on the alcohol three way comparison question. Your single paragraph shoud compare one of the eight comparative topics we have discussed and listed in class.

• Some work submitted did not do the task actually set but wrote genreal introductory statements, introducing the three texts, summarising the content and generally commenting on audience, purpose and genre. There was very limited analysis in these answers.

• Although the three texts were linked by the topic of alcohol a topic sentence should be more detailed and specific and state clearly that the three texts all express different perspectives and attitudes to irresponsible alcoholic consumption.

• It's vital that you adopt a formal academic register when writing academic work. You must avoid using cliches, slang or literary techniques - such as imagery. All these features were found in this batch of homework.

• Be concise. Try and include a lot of detail with the shortest number of words you can. One way of doing this is to use listing or modify nouns with relevant technical terms.

• Be focussed on one single point in your analytical comparative paragraph. For this homework there was no need to write a whole essay in a paragraph 

A2 LL - FORMAL LETTER - REQUEST - AN EXAMPLE

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 3 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND TEXT ADAPTATIONJ
RECASTING FORMATS – FORMAL REQUEST LETTER - EXAMPLE
 

Below is an example of formal letter of request. It may contain some elements that will help you in writing the recasting letter for the Mountainsides of Hell recasting task.
 

764 Freedom Lane
Clearwater Falls,
FL 23619

 

September 27, 2013 

Mr. Louis Henderson
Store Manager
The Corner Cafe
273 Main Street
Clearwater Falls, FL 23619 

Dear Mr. Henderson: 

My name is Cathy Pettis and I'm the chair of the Clearwater Falls Elementary School Fundraising Committee. The committee is planning to hold a fundraiser next month to raise funds for this years field trips and we're looking for donors to help out with providing goods for the fundraising event. 

If The Corner Cafe is willing to help donate some coffee and cups, we would greatly appreciate it. Our fundraiser will be held on the morning of October 18th and we're expecting around 200 people to show up.

Thanks for your time and consideration, if you need to contact me with any questions, feel free to call me at 555-555-5555, I'm available to speak between 10am-5pm on weekdays. 

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

 

Cathy Pettis

A2 LL - RECASTING FORMAT - FORMAL LETTER WRITING

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 3 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND TEXT ADAPTATIONJ
RECASTING FORMATS - FORMAL LETTER - DETAILS 
Below is a post about formal letter writing.

There are many websites that post guides to how to write using appropriate writing conventions for the 12 writing formats you will be called upon to write in the exam in June 2015.

I recommend that when you are have been given a recasting task as homework you should do a little research on the internet and elsewhere to understand the writing conventions for that particular format.

You could print out examples and postr them into your journal

You could write down a key list of the conventions into your journal.

Click here for a link to a website letter writing guide.

 Layout

See the formal letter example posted elsewhere on this blog

Conventions

There are a number of conventions that should be adhered to and it is important that the overall structure is as clear and concise as possible and that you avoid the use of colloquialisms (informal language).

Addresses:

1) Your Address

Your address should be displayed in the top right-hand section. This will enable the person that you are writing to, to reply.2) The Address of the person you are writing to

This address should be displayed beneath your address on the left-hand side, remember to include the name of the person that you are writing to (if known).

Date:
This should be displayed on the right-hand side of the page on the line beneath your address and should be written in full format:

e.g. 1st January 2014

Salutation & Greeting:

1) Dear Sirs,

If you do not know the name of the person that you are writing to, use the greeting "Dear Sirs,". In some circumstances it is useful to find a name, especially if you are making a request as this will show that you have done your homework and you are more likely to receive a response.

2) Dear Mr Jones,

If you know the name, use one of the following titles:

Mr - for a male
Mrs - for a married female
Miss - for an unmarried female
Ms - for a female whose status is unknown or would prefer to remain anonymous
Dr - for a person with the status of a doctor

This should be followed by the surname only (not the first name).

Concluding:
1) Yours faithfully,
If you do not know the name of the person, conclude with "Yours faithfully,".
2) Yours sincerely,
If you know the name of the person, conclude with "Yours sincerely,". 

3) Your signature

Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If it is potentially unclear what your title would be then include this in brackets next to your printed name.

 Content

 In modern society there is a trend to use a shorthand writing style, for instance replacing the word "you" with "u" or replacing the word "weekend" with "wkend", there are many other examples. This casual approach and informal writing style can easily be transferred, sometimes subconsciously, when a more formal style is required. 

Introductory Paragraph

The introductory paragraph should be concise and should clearly state the purpose, whether it is to lodge a complaint, make an enquiry or to request something.

Main Body

The main body should clearly state the points that you want to make. As a general rule it is a good idea to keep this as to the point as possible to ensure that the recipient remains engaged. A longer main body may be more appropriate when making a complaint as you may require to add more detail in order to convey the importance of what you are putting across.

Concluding Paragraph

The concluding paragraph should outline what action you would like the recipient to take: to make a refund, to send you information etc.

Application

Complaint 

A letter of complaint is sent to an individual or organisation in response to receiving poor service or a product that is not fit for purpose. An example of a letter of complaint would be a one sent to a tour operator who has provided a bad service while you have been on holiday. This does not necessarily need to be concise as it is important that you detail your arguments and points as much as possible.

Enquiry

A letter of enquiry makes an approach to an individual or organisation either speculatively or in response to printed public domain material whereby you are requesting some information. An example of a letter of enquiry would be one sent to a company requesting a copy of their catalogue or brochure. By their very nature these are short and to the point, it is usually beneficial to include other methods of contact in case the company needs to get in touch with you via other means.

Request

A letter of request is similar to when you make an enquiry but specifically asks an individual or organisation to take an action. An example of a letter of request would be one sent to request sponsorship for a charity activity. It is important to stress the importance of being clear and concise with this format as the recipient must remain engaged and interested in what you have to say.

A2 LL - CURRENT RECASTING ARTICLES

Below are the articles from Cupcakes you should be reading and making notes on now for this week beginning 22 September.

Injustice and Inhumanity

·         Dachau   ·         Mountainsides of Hell   ·         The Right to Life: What Can the White Man… Say to the Black Woman?   ·         Regarding the Torture of Others

I suggest you then follow up this reading with the following cluster for the week beginning 29 September

Making History

·         Report from the Spanish Civil War   ·         On Surviving the London Blitz   ·         Report on the Fall of the Berlin Wall   ·         The Arafat I Knew

For the week beginning 6 October you should catch up with any articles you've not read and make notes on from above.

A2 LL - RECASTING ARTICLES - CLUSTERS

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 3 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND TEXT ADAPTATION
RECASTING TEXTS – CLUSTERS

Below is a table of the articles you need to read and make notes on for the question 2 & 3 form the June exam.

I’ve grouped these in clusters according to topics that are different from those in the actual book.

ARTICLE TITLE

Capitalism and Consumerism

The Promoters of the War Mania   Report from Vietnam 1: The Home Program   The War in Passaic   Nickel-and –Dimed: On Not Getting By in America

Making History

Report from the Spanish Civil War   On Surviving the London Blitz   Report on the Fall of the Berlin Wall   The Arafat I Knew

Injustice and Inhumanity

Dachau   Mountainsides of Hell   The Right to Life: What Can the White Man… Say to the Black Woman?    Regarding the Torture of Others

Power

On the American Invasion of Inchon, Korea  The English Aristocracy   Putting her Best Face on a Murky Business   A Watergate Diary

Personal Experience

Ten Days in the Madhouse The Summer I Left Childhood was White   Fat is Ugly   Through the Pain Barrier

Femininity

Hilary’s Husband Re-elected: The Clinton Marriage of Politics and Power   Gladys Hall interviews Tallulah Bankhead

Women’s Rights and Feminism

The Social Aspects of Birth Control   Sluts I   The Iron Butterfly: Helen Gurely Brown   Georgia O’Keeffe   If This is Sex, I’m Glad I’m English

The Importance of Looks and Image

On Self-Respect   Feminists and the Right to be Ugly   Fabulously Fat

Social Comment

Bridget Jones’s Diary   Everybody Wins and All Must Have Prizes   What Became of the Flappers?   Net Prophet

Important and Iconic Women

Poor, Immortal Isadora   Jacqueline Kennedy   You Know, I’m Not Everybody’s Cup of Tea!   Slimeballs Always Hate a Strong Woman   Diana Regina

 

A2 LL - HOMEWORK

DEADLINES

Module 1: 3 October
Module 6: 3 October
Module 2: 2 October

TASK

Write 3 analytical paragraphs on the poems we have studied in class. You should just make one point in each paragraph.

or

Write 1 comparative analytical paragraph and 2 analytical paragraphs.

I've posted guidelines on how to write the paragraphs and posted examples of both types of paragraph.

A2 LL ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH TEMPLATE

Here is a template for an analytical paragraph

1 Make a point - a topic sentence
2 Expand on the point / Introduce the quotation
3 Quote a short phrase or word
4 Make comments on the quotation

Here are some comments you can make:

1 Comment on how the quotation supports the point you made in the topic sentence
2 Identify key language and / or literary features used in the quotation
3 Comment on the effect of these on a reader

A2 LL COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH TEMPLATE

Here is a template for a comparative, analytical paragraph

1 Make a point - a topic sentence
2 Expand on the point / Introduce the quotation
3 Quote a short phrase or word
4 Make comments on the quotation

Here are some comments you can make:

1 Comment on how the quotation supports the point you made in the topic sentence
2 Identify key language and / or literary features used in the quotation
3 Comment on the effect of these on a reader


Then write a bridge or connecting word or phrase comparing or contrasting your point with another poem. Make sure your comparative statement[s are] is full and quite detailed.

7 Introduce a quotation from the comparative text
8 Quote a short word or phrase
9 Make comments on the quotation

Here are some comments you can make:

10 Respond to the point you made in the topic sentence
11 Identify key language or literary features used in the quotation
12 Comment on the effect of the features on a reader

A2 LL - EXAMPLE OF A COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH

Below is a comparative analytical paragraph. The paragraph uses literary and linguistic analytical frameworks. However there are no references to the form of the poems here - just the language. As you read it try and identify the different parts of the paragraph structure. It is slightly different from the structure I've given in an earlier post.

One word of warning with this example. It is quite a long paragraph - about 250 words. I think you should aim to write 160 - 180 words per comparative paragraph.



Both Betjeman and Plath present horses in their poetry. In Pot Pourri Betjeman is horse riding. This is a symbol of upper class life style. In his poem we can imagine him riding to the home of the woman he loves 'over your boundary now, I wash my face in a bird bath' . Although on horseback he's not really interested in the horse at all. He's interested in where the horse can take him. The poem is a love poem. The two declarative statements above are addressed to his lover. This is done using the second person personal pronoun 'your'. The noun 'boundary' is interesting. He has not used a more practical lexis like fence or wall. Instead he uses a noun that suggests a large expansive property. It may even have sexual connotations. This is very different for Plath. For her, horses are powerful and elemental creatures that embody the power of nature. In the poem Ariel Plath too is riding a horse. She writes about the horese as 'God's lioness,/ How one we grow'. Here she relates the horse to 'God' this powerful emotive pronoun creates a shocking and vivid image in the mind of the reader. The noun 'lioness' conjures ideas of empowered female, wildness, uncontrollable power and energy. And in the line 'How one we grow', the horse embodies power and energy from the natural world that she herself seeks to draw from.

Click here to read Ariel by Plath

Click here to read Pot Pourri from a Surrey Garden by John Betjeman

A2 LL - EXAMPLE OF AN ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH

To help with your home work here is an example of an analytical paragraph. It follows the structure I showed you in class. I've used a point from A Streetcar Named Desire.Because it's a play and the analytical framework I've used is from the spoken word.

Can you identify the different elements of the paragraph?

Where is the main point?

Where do I introduce the quotation?

How many commentary points do I make?

And where do I mention the effect on the reader?

Mitch is presented as an outsider to the group of men. One way this is shown is when he is awkward and self-conscious when he is talking to Blanche. An example of this can be found in scene 6 after Mitch and Blanche’s date to a fair ground. As they say good night Mitch asks, ‘Can I – uh – kiss you – good-night?’ This interrogative emphasises Mitch’s nervousness and anxiety. Romance does not come naturally to Mitch. The three hesitations, indicated by dashes are used as a non - fluency feature used here to simulate spontaneous speech. And the filler ‘uh’ all combines to express Mitch’s awkwardness. This quotation and these techniques make us feel sorry for Mitch. Perhaps even think of him as a pathetic and desperate character.

I hope you find this helpful for your homework.

A2 LL - ADAPTATION FORMATS

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 3 COMPARATIVE ANAYSIS AND TEXT ADAPTATION
ADAPTATION FORMATS

Below are the 12 adaption formats published by the exam board for the recasting task. In class we will be discussing the conventions of these formats and looking at examples.

Over the year you will be collecting examples of different formats to develop an understanding of the writing conventions used in each format.


WRITTEN FORMATS

Letter

Article – Magazine / Broadsheet / Tabloid newspaper

Encyclopaedia entry

Editorial

Diary

Leaflet

Guide

Report
SPOKEN FORMATS

Radio Script

TV Script

Speech / Talk

A2 LL - MOUNTAINSIDES OF HELL - RECAST QUESTION

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 3 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND TEXT ADAPTATION
QUESTION 2 & 3 MOUNTAINSIDES OF HELL

Question 2

Read the source material which follows and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled [Mountainside of Hell] by [Julie Flint]
It was first published in the [The Observer]

You are [You are an eighteen year old refugee fleeing Iraq. In your bags you have paper and pens and decide to write a letter to close relatives who live in the UK. Inform your relatives of the situation on this mountainside and ask them to raise awareness and support for the plight of the Kurdish refugees in the UK.]

Using the source material, write the [text of the letter]

Your audience will consist of [your close relatives and perhaps a larger public audience]

You should adapt the source material, using your own words as far as possible.
Your [letter] should be approximately 300 – 400 words in length.

In your adaptation you should:

• use language appropriately to address purpose and audience

• write accurately and coherently, applying relevant ideas and concepts.

(25 marks)

AND

Question 3

Write a commentary which explains the choices you made when writing your [letter]
commenting on the following:

 • how language and form have been used to suit audience and purpose

 • how vocabulary and other stylistic features have been used to shape meaning and
   achieve particular effects.

You should aim to write about 150 – 250 words in this commentary.

(15 marks)

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - ELLA 3 & ELLA 4 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORKS AND KEY TERMS - ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORKS – A CHECKLIST

A2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 3 & ELLA 4 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORKS AND KEY TERMS
ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORKS – A CHECKLIST
 

Mode Voice - always consider the voice of a text and its effect on its audience. Is the voice spoken/written, third/first person, objective/subjective?	Audience / Purpose	Linguistic Frameworks	Literature Frameworks
WRITTEN MODE NON FICTION e.g. Letter, Magazine article, Newspaper article, Diary, biography, autobiography, travel writing, speeches	AUDIENCE the audience the writer targets. This could be general, specific, young or old, male or female. There maybe two specific audiences e.g. children and their parents	GRAMMAR e.g. Verbs/adverbs: nouns - concrete, abstract, pronouns: adjectives, comparatives, superlatives	IMAGERY Visual images create strong vivid, life like mental impressions in a readers imagination e.g. metaphor, simile, personification
WRITTEN MODE FICTION – consider 1st /3rd person narrator, setting, character, theme, plot, structure	PURPOSE generally texts inform, persuade, entertain, instruct [remember that a text will have a main purpose and at least one other secondary purpose] But each individual text will have a specific purpose e.g. to create vivid	REGISTER e.g. Informal - colloquial, slang, accent,  contractions, ellipsis, elision, expletives Formal- objective, unemotional, complete sentences, correct grammar, appropriate lexis	PHONOLOGY sound patterning creates harmony. Usually the effect is pleasing but can be used to create tension e.g. alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, assonance, rhythm, sibilance
WRITTEN MODE POETRY – consider genre e.g. sonnet, ballad, lyric Form – iambic pentameter, blank verse, stanza, quatrain, free verse		SYNTAX e.g. Sentence types complex, compound, simple Sentence functions declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory Sentence structures Subject, object, main clause, subordinate clause	RHETORICAL DEVICES  e.g. list of three, contrasting pair, direct address, repetition, emotive language, lists, emotive language, hyperbole
WRITING STYLE e.g. descriptive, dialogue, reflective, monologue, narrative – action		LEXIS e.g. denotations, connotations, simple, complex, emotive, rational, neutral, lexical field, low/high frequency, polysyllabic, monosyllabic
SPOKEN MODE e.g. non-fluency features e.g. false starts, fillers, repetition, pauses fluency features e.g. adjacency pairs, discourse markers, signposting, latch on

A2 LL - EXTRACT FROM A MENU COMMENTARY

Below is an example of an extract from a commentary written in class this afternoon. It addresses purpose directly and audience indirectly.

I tried to make the café attractive by using alliteration and assonance in the title 'Way Croft Café'. The vowel 'a' is repeated in 'Way' and 'Cafe', and the consonant ‘C’ is repeated in 'Croft' and 'Cafe'this is pleasing and satisfying for an audience. Both techniques are used to create emphasis in the name and make it appealing.

 

This example uses a clear assertion that identifies a clear purpose - 'I tried to make the café attractive'.

 

It uses quotations as evidence to support the assertion - 'Way Croft Café'.

 

It refers to analytical frameworks of phonology and grammar - 'alliteration' and 'assonance' as well as 'vowel' and 'consonant'.

 

It refers to audience indirectly with references to - 'emphasis' and 'feelings of satisfaction and pleasure'.

Now I realize I writing a commentary on my commentary. This is getting weird.

 

IB ENGLISH SL - TALES FROM OVID - PYRAMUS & THISBIE HOMEWORK

TASK

Write one or two analytical paragraphs. Draw on one idea in the extract from Pyramus and Thisbie to analyse in detail.

DEADLINE

Monday 29 September

Paragraph stucture

Make one simple statement based on the extract you were studying in detail in class

You could expand on this simple statement - explaining it in more detail

Introduce a quotation you are going to use as evidence to prove the statement you have just made

Write down the quotation. The quotation should be a word, phrase or one line only

Finally make a comment or comments on the quotation by identifying language / literary feature[s] and state what kind of effect this feature or features have on us as readers.

Please hand write your answers.

I'm expecting about half a page of writing on A4 paper

I expect your paragraph to be no shorter that 80 words and no more than 250 words long.

Be concise in your writing.

Here is an example paragraph:

As you read the paragraph below try and identify the different structural sections of the paragraph listed above.

Thisbie is presented as an attractive girl. She is probably young and just becoming a woman. This is clearly stated to us at the beginning of the poem where Thisbie is described as
                    '.....A girl who has suddenly bloomed
                          In Babylon,'
The verb 'bloomed' is used metaphorically here. It makes a comparison between a woman and a flower which is a traditional way of describing women in literature. And this helps the reader understand how to read and how we should view Thisbie. The alliterative ' bloomed' and 'Babylon' is a way of creating emphasis on Thisbie's development as a woman.

103 words including quotations