A2 LL - RECAST FORMATS - A BRIEF GUIDE

A LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
UNIT 3 TEXT PRODUCTION
RECASTING FORMATS GUIDE

Below is a table that includes a complete list of formats from the board. I have tried to be as specific and detailed as possible. However it is difficult being prescriptive about such an exercise as many language features are used across a range of recasting formats.

It might be best to consider what language features dominate in each recasting format.

Click here for a link to moodle where there are examples of the different genre formats you could be asked to write in the Section B question.

As part of your revision I strongly recommend you read / watch these examples and identify the main / typical language features used for each recasting format.

Remember that

Over 90% of the content you include in your recasting text must come from the source material.

Less than 10% should be made up material. New information must only be used to adapt the source text to the recast format, purpose, register and task.

The single most important invention you must include in your recasting text and synonyms of the key words and phrases from the source text. Synonyms are words that have the same meaning or very similar meaning to the key words or phrases in the source text.

Click here for a definition of tabloid journalism
Click here for a definition of broadsheet journalism
Click here for a brief US comparison between both broadsheet and tabloid newspapers

Conflict presented as contrasts is a really attractive way of


TASK

Identify at least one article from Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs for each type of article we have studied. These can be described as;  eye witness accounts, polemical writing, interviews, reviews, obituaries and discursive / investigative articles.

Identify and note key language features that dominate each of the different types of article studied.

RECAST GUIDE

FORMAT	KEY FEATURES
Letter	Generally two different types of letter. Personal or business. Use letter format - include addresses - salutations to introduce and conclude letter. Named addressee's use yours sincerely, unnamed addressee's use yours faithfully. Letter will require reference or title. Use series of structured paragraphs. Use appropriate register depending on task and audience.         Variety of syntax / grammatical features to suit audience, purpose genre · Lexis should link to register · Avoid literary features except for making very powerful points.   AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Expect personal /formal register · Could be persuasive / informative /entertaining / instructional purpose · Could be general / specific group / named audience
Article –	·There are a variety of different articles we've discussed and studied. We've discussed, eye witness accounts, polemical, interviews, reviews, obituaries and discursive. Be prepared to adopt the most appropriate article format for your purpose and audience. However I'd expect any article to include a title and sub-heading. Many articles use sub-titles. Articles are normally structured and often include quotations from others - witnesses, experts. Consider whether the article is broadsheet or tabloid.         Formal – full range of syntax, simple, compound, complex – for broadsheet – simple, compound sentences for tabloid – both dominated by declaratives · Lexis appropriate to format tabloid / broadsheet – inclusive lexis · May include interview, short quotes from experts    AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Will be generally formal / tabloid / journalese register · Will be informative / entertaining / could be persuasive purpose · Could be general adult, student, specific audience
Encyclopedia Entry	· Define term - simple and straightforward then give a broader definition - relating to the source text. Use examples to illustrate definitions  Encyclopaedias are generally objective and unbiased. However read the question carefully. Be prepared to write from a specific perspective. Be prepared to refer to speakers - give imaginary quotations or quotes from the source text itself. · Dominated by declaratives · Expect specific readership e.g. children · Lexis inclusive – technical terms explained · Grammar / syntax – formal    AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  Will be formal register · Will be informative / entertaining / instructional purpose · Expect a general / specific audience
Radio Script	Consider using a monologue, dialogue - this may be in the form of a interview or use different presenters to fulfil different functions - or voice over. Radio scripts are not transcripts of spontaneous speech. They are highly crafted texts. Therefore I would not expect to find non-fluency features or other features of spontaneous speech in them. There should be an introduction, followed by the main body of the text. This may include a variety of techniques - such as quotations. There  will be a presenter- used to introduce the main topic of the ‘article’ or slot. And may also introduce a second guest speaker. For interviews a  simple structure seems to be a presenter acting as a questioner – these should be short open questions and a speaker giving detailed full answers. Most of the content will be incorporated in these answers. Most attention should be paid to the answers to questions. These should dominate. · Probably two contrasting speakers - variety · Syntax a variety of sentences will encourage readers. But the task will probably dictate the dominate sentence structures · Lexis will be simple and inclusive – define technical terms used · Probably present a thesis and counter argument · Will be conceptual – visual references will be minimal but concisely explained    AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE · Will be generally formal / tabloid /journalese register · Will be informative / entertaining / could be persuasive · Expect be general adult, student, specific audience   Example of an interview extract Presenter: Today we continue our series on women in politics. And here in the studio today we have Caroline Spelman a Conservative minister to tell us about her experiences. Hello Caroline. So how did it feel the first day you took your seat in the Commons? Caroline Spelman: Hello Judy well it was an incredible first day in the house. That first morning so many came over to congratulate me....
TV Script	· Probably two contrasting speakers - variety · Syntax probably dominated by simple declaratives / interrogatives · Lexis will be simple and inclusive - define technical terms used · Probably present a thesis and counter argument · Expect mixture of conceptual / visual references · Script will include concise visual aural details · Maybe used to introduce a topic   AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Will be generally formal register / tabloid /journalese · Expect an informative / entertaining / persuasive purpose · Will be general adult, student, specific audience
Editorial	· Putting forward the attitudes, beliefs of the publication – newspaper / magazine – specific or general · Will include an argument and counter argument · Will use rhetorical devices · Probably a call to action   AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Probably persuasive / opinionated, subjective purpose · Probably a general / specific audience · Mostly formal perhaps some informal words and phrases
Diary	· Personal writing / extended diary may be journal · Probably simple lexis, may contain non standard grammar,   AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Informal register – may use short hand · Audience is personal · Probably to inform / entertain / advise /instruct / reflection purpose
Speech	· Direct address · Short simple sentences · May use imagery · Probably a range of rhetorical devices    AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Informative / persuasive / entertaining · Specific / general audience · Generally formal register
Leaflet	· Will use headings and sub-headings · Probably will use a variety of narratives including case study, statistics, bullet points, Q&A, anecdote · Probably use persuasive writing and include a number of rhetorical features Will adopt a specific narrative perspective   AUDIENCE PURPOSE GENRE  · Maybe general / specific audience · Probably highlight a specific problem or area of concern · Formal register used, inclusive writing
Guide	·
Report	· Factual, structured, logical and rational writing · Will use headings and subheadings · Usually addresses specific problem, offers findings and possible solutions, · may call for specific action

 

AS LL STREETCAR OVERALL REVISION

AS ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 1 Integrated Analysis and Text production
STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE REVISION SHEET

Read and re-read the play - actively and critically!

PLOT AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

1 May early evening  Blanche’s arrival
2 The following evening  Stanley interrogates Blanche
3 Later the same night   Stanley’s first Poker Night
4 Early next morning  Aftermath of the Poker Night Stanley overhears Blanche and Stella
5 Possibly the next evening Going out. Shaw and the young man
6 That night 2.0 am  After Blanche and Mitch’s first date
7 Mid September afternoon Birthday preparations and the bus ticket
8 About an hour later  Blanche’s birthday party Stella and Stanley go to hospital
9 Later that evening  Blanche alone, after the party Blanche and Mitch . FIRE!
10 A few hours later  Stanley returns, Blanche is alone, drunk, fantasising. Stanley rapes Blanche
11 Some weeks later  This game is seven card stud

MAIN CHARACTERS

• STANLEY
Animal, Bold colours, Light, Red stained package, Bowling jacket, Playing cards
• BLANCHE
Vain, Nervous, Scared of old age, Scared of her past, Scared of Stanley, Hates Stanley, Vulnerable, Judgemental, A snob, Isolated, Poor, Dreamer, Sensitive
• STELLA Realist, Sexual, Stella – peace maker, Stella the carer, Stella in love with Stanley, Stella as witness, Stella – pregnant – mum to be, Contrast to Blance
• MITCH Different, Sensitive, Kind, Suffered, Awkward, self-conscious, In awe of Blanche Answer to Blanche’s prayer, Honest, An answer to prayer, Cruel, hard, hypocritical, Angry

SOME THEMES

• DESIRE: Consider all four main characters – Stanley, Blanche, Stella and Mitch in relation to; Sexual desire, Emotional fulfilment, Physical needs

• DEATH: Consider the character of Blanche in terms of physical death, social death and the way in which death is presented symbolically.

• OLD AND MODERN AMERICA: Belle Reve – a symbol of French aristocratic colonial power. It was probably a plantation worked by slaves represented by Blanche. Elysian Fields – a symbol of modern America, an industrial and manufacturing democracy where workers are poorly educated semi and unskilled labour with some economic and political power represented by Stanley.


DRAMATIC TECHNIQUE

• Abstract ideas > Symbols

Stage Directions
o Details
o Descriptions of place
o Descriptions characters
o Props
o Lighting
o Music / Song
o Sounds
o Non verbal communication

Setting
o New Orleans
o The Quarter
o Elysian Fields
o The Apartment
o Belle Reve

Expressionistic techniques
o Lighting
o Sound effects
o The Jungle & Lurid reflections
o Music

KEY EPISODES

ANALYTICAL QUESTION – essay style
Spend 40 minutes

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES 1 – 15 marks & 2 – 15 marks

How has Williams portrayed Stanley’s relationship with Blanche?
In your answer you should consider:
• Williams’s language choices
• narrative viewpoint

PRODUCTION TASK
Spend 50 minutes
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES 4 – 30 marks & 1 – 15 marks
Imagine that Stella has written her memoirs of her life in New Orleans and what happened during this summer. Write an extract from these memoirs, in which Stella describes her life with Stanley. Give careful consideration to the language choices, form and style in order to convey a sense of Stella’s voice and point of view.

AS LL - SPIES REVISION OVERVIEW

AS ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
ELLA 1 INTEGRATED ANALYSIS AND TEXT PRODUCTION
REVISION SPIES – AN OVERVIEW

Read and re-read the play actively and critically

Production question 50 minutes / 45 marks /do first
10/15 minutes plan – 30 minutes write – 5 minutes edit and correct 
Analytical question 40 minutes / 30 marks /do second
5/10 minutes plan – 15/20 minutes write – 5 minutes edit and correct 

PLOT

TITLE
1 Present day – return to childhood home
2 The Close
3 The sitting room and the hideout
4 4 spying journey’s
5 The Box, Barbara and Mrs Hayward
6 Night. The box and the man. Keith interrogates Stephen. Beating on the tramp
7 The thermos
8 Barbara in the lookout smoking and the box
9 The basket. Confrontation with Mr Hayward. Stephen and Peter
10 Stephen and Peter, confrontations with Keith  and parents, night and Peter’s death
11 Present day reflections

CHARACTER

CHARACTER PRIMARY CHARACTERISIC QUOTATION COMMENT  REFERENCE
Keith
 
Mrs Hayward
 
Mr Hayward
 
Barbara Beril
 
Aunty Dee
 
Uncle Peter
 
Stephen’s family    


KEY THEMES

MAIN POINT QUOTATION COMMENT
Childhood

Friendship

Identity

Power

Class 

SETTING

The Close

The Barns

The Haywards house

The tunnel - railway line

The lookout
  
NARRATIVE VOICE

Older Stephen 

Younger Stephen 

WRITING STYLE – use frameworks to analyse questions – grammar, syntax, register, lexis & literary

KEY FEATURES QUOTATIONS COMMENT

Descriptive writing

Reflective writing

Dialogue

Action

SOME KEY EPISODES

pages 44 - 51 - investigating Mrs Hayward's room
pages 115 - 118 - Stephen's midnight walk
pages 145 - 147 - The Thermos
pages 177 - 181 - Mrs Hayward asks Stephen to take the basket to the barns
pages 186 - 190 - Stephen's confrontation with Mr Hayward
   

A2 LL - CUPCAKES QUESTION ON 'YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVERYBODY'S CUP OF TEA'.

Read the source material which follows and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled ['You Know, I'm Not Everybody's Cup of Tea!'] by [Lynn Barber]

It was first published in the [Observer July 2001].

Read from the middle of page 349, 'I'm already fed up with her...' to the middle of page 351 '...it was really great for my spiritual life.'

You [have been asked to write a short biographical text on Marianne Faithfull as part of the promotional material for the new film Intimacy .]

You should adapt the source material, using your own words as far as possible. Your [text] 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 [text] 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)

Here is clip of Marianne Faithfull probably recorded when she was 19 in 1965

Here is a recent clip of her from 2014

A2 LL - CUPCAKES QUESTION - A WATERGATE DIARY

Read the source material which follows and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled [A Watergate Diary] by [Elizabeth Drew]

It was first published in [Atlantic Monthly, 1973].

Read from the beginning of the article to the end of the 6 May entry.

You [are contributing to a non-fiction book on the Watergate scadal. You are responsible for a section on Howard Hunt.]

You should adapt the source material, using your own words as far as possible. Your [text] 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 [text] 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 CUPCAKES QUESTION - THE RIGHT TO LIFE

Read the source material which follows and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled [The Right to Life] by [Alice Walker]

It was first published in [Nation, 1989].

You [have been asked to contribute to a booklet for Black History Month, which will be targeted at 14 – 19 year olds in schools and colleges. You are responsible for the opening double page spread, in which you need to argue that it is important to remember Black History.]

You should adapt the source material, using your own words as far as possible. Your [text]
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 [text] 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 - CUPCAKES ARTICLES

Read and make notes on the following articles for next week's Cupcakes lessons. Please bring your copies of Cupcakes to the appropriate lessons.

Mod 1 Monday and Friday
Mod 2 Tuesday and Wednesday
Mond 6 Monday and Friday

The Right to Life: What can the White Man ...Say to the Black Woman? by Alice Walker
publshed in  Nation, May 1989 - first article

Click here for a brief video of Alice Walker talking about an aspect of feminism

Click here for a brief video where Alice Walker talks about share cropping.

Click here for a brief video where Alice Walker talks about her life.

'You Know I'm Not Everybody's Cup of Tea.' by Lynn Barker published in the Observer in 2001.

Click here and here for a couple of music videos featuring Marianne Faithful

IB ENGLISH STANDARD - END OF YEAR PRESENTATIONS

Presentations must be at least ten minutes in length and no more than fifteen minutes long.

If your presentation is less than ten minutes long you should expect to be asked questions. You might like to prepare these and give them to your listening group or to me to ask you questions. 

Thursday 23 April 12.30 - 1.30

Sophie
Lorenz
Natasha
Mathieu

Friday 24 April 1.40 - 2.40

Diana
Martin
Tristan
Janira

Monday 27 April 10.10 - 11.10

Nicola
Max
Marina
Diana

IB ENGLISH - THURSDAY AFTERNOON

I'm expecting to be in the lesson on Thursday afternoon.

If I'm delayed in hospital I'll get a text message sent to you as soon as possible.

However you must make sure that you are ready to do the presentations next Thursday 23, Friday 24 and the following Monday 27 April.

Make sure your presentations includes some of the following:

Click here for a post about presentation basics.

Ideas in bold are very important - mandatory
Ideas in italics are more straightforward topics

• Context
• Plot
• Structure
• Character
• Gender
• Setting
• Theme
• Narrative voice
• Writing style
• Writing techniques
• Comparisons

A2 LL - TRANSFERABLE COURSEWORK SKILLS

Now the coursework is over what can we use from the coursework experience  that can help us with the exam?  What are the transferable skills we used to write the coursework essays that will be helpful for then exam?

• know what analysis and present structured, analytical paragraphs
• identify good quotations to analyse
• use relevant and appropriate language and literary frameworks
• have a good grasp of key language and literary terms
• ability to identify the main effects of language and literary terms on a reader / audience
• identify key themes in a text
• be familiar with poetry and some poetic genres
• be confident in evaluating and commenting on poetic voices
• annotate texts well
• observe and make comparative and contrasting observations between texts
• critically evaluate a variety of different texts
• identify contextual features of a text

Now the coursework is over what will we experience in the exam that we have not been prepared for by the coursework?

• work under strict timed conditions
• be able to read and annotate texts quickly, appropriately and relevantly
• find quotations for evidence to identify audience, purpose[s], genre and attitudes of texts
• write quickly a relevant plan for your answer
• write a production text
• be familiar with a range of non-fiction and broadcast genres

A2 LL CUPCAKES QUESTION - THE ARAFAT I KNEW

Read the source material which follows and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled [The Arafat I Knew]by [Marie Colvin]
It was first published in the [Sunday Times in 2004].

Using the section of the article on page 156 beginning, ‘He loved his baby daughter…’ to ‘…his trademark green pen’ on page 158

You [have been asked to contribute to a broadcast obituary of Yasser Arafat for the programme Last Words on Radio 4. You have been asked specifically to write the section after Arafat's return from exile in Tunis to his return to  Gaza and the West Bank.]

You should adapt the source material, using your own words as far as possible. Your [broadcast obituary] 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 obituary
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)

A2LL CUPCAKES QUESTION - THE IRON BUTTERFLY

Read the source material [the whole article] which follows and answer both questions:

Text A is from an article entitled [The Iron Butterfly: Helen Gurley Brown ] by [Catherine Stott]

It was first published in the [Guardian in April 1968]

You [have been asked to script a radio documentary about the magazine Cosmopolitan and its influence on the women’s magazine market.
Produce the script for a section, introducing Helen Gurley Brown and her editorship,       ** [using a mixture of *voiceover, *narration and some scripted dialogue].

You should adapt the source material, using your own words. Your [scripted radio documentary] 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[scripted radio documentary] 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)

* Voiceovers - used to explain information - seem to be summary narratives that may be best suited to introductions or conclusions. They seem to present an overview or used to explain a situation.

Advertisements are a good example of voiceovers.

At award ceremonies we hear the presenters of awards - the narrators - they give us details of nominees and facts. But when the announcement has been made we often hear a narrator explaining the details or summarizing details about the recipient of the award. 

Narrators seem to be detailed and specific narratives. They seem to be best suited to the main body of a text where detailed information is being communicated.

** The prescription to use three different narrative techniques would not be included in an exam question. It's only here as a revision exercise.