Unit One, Section A

Higher

Unit One, Section A

• This section is worth 40 marks• It is where you are the reader and your ability

to understand a range of non-fiction texts is assessed

• There are four questions based on three reading sources

Using your time

• Question One – read source one then answer question 1– 8 marks = 15 minutes

• Question Two – read source two then answer Question 2– 8 marks = 15 minutes

• Question Three – read source three then answer Question 3– 8 marks = 15 minutes

• Question Four– 16 marks = 30 minutes

Mark Scheme

Band 4 perceptive/detailed

Band 3 clear/detailed

Band 2 some/attempts

Band 1 limited

Question One• Question 1 is based on source 1 and is worth 8 marks. You are

given 3 pages in the answer booklet, and should aim to fill at least two of these. The question is testing your ability to read and understand a text, backing up your points with quotations. It is a fairly easy opener to the exam paper. You are being asked to summarise the text in your own words, pointing out subtleties or inconsistencies if you can spot them.

• Although this is a fairly simple question, there are still a few pitfalls you need to avoid. To begin with, this is not a language analysis question. You should not be picking out DAFOREST techniques and commenting on their effect on the reader. In fact, all you are being asked to do is summarise the text in your own words.

YOU SHOULD SPEND AROUND

12 MINUTES

Answering THIS QUESTION

What do you understand from the article about…?

You are being asked to retrieve the important information and ideas in an article. To retrieve something

means to find it in the text.

You are being asked to support the important information and ideas that you retrieve. Back up what

you say with embedded quotations.

You are being asked to interpret the important information and ideas that you

retrieve. To interpret means read between the lines. It’s what you can work out from

the text without actually being told.

The rest of the question will depend on what the

article is about.

To interpret means to infer meaning from a text; to

comment on parts of the text using your own words.

TOP TIPS FOR QUESTION 1

Make a range of points which summarise all parts of the text.

Comment on how the text begins, what it is saying in the middle and how it ends.

Use your own words – don’t just copy out the text. Back up your points with appropriate quotations.

• Look for subtleties such as inconsistencies or contradictions.

Item 1: Education for the Nation

• Q: What do you learn from the article about the ways students are revising?

What = describe something

The article ‘Education for the Nation’ shows us that students are revising in a number of different ways. To begin with, they are revising through watching online videos, such as those recorded by Andrew Bruff. We know this to be true because the videos have been ‘been viewed nearly half a million times’. This is a staggering statistic which must represent a massively part of the population who take exams. Considering such a great number is being achieved by just one teacher, we can hypothesise that the majority of students are now using this method of online videos to revise.Another way students are revising is through downloading eBooks. Again, Andrew Bruff’s eBook has been downloaded over 10,000 times in a month which suggests that there is a big call for this type of revision material. The beauty of eBooks is that they can be downloaded not only onto PCs but also iPad, iPhone and the like. This suggests that students are revising ‘on the go’, at times and places where they want to revise. This perhaps shows that students are no longer just revising at home or school, but are utilising their mobile technology to revise whenever they can fit it in – during car trips for example. If an actual print book sold 10,000 copies it would be considered a bestseller, so clearly this huge figure points to the fact that students WANT to revise on the move.Students are also revising through podcasting. Podcasts are a relatively new phenomenon, but clearly students revise through them as Andrew Bruff has seen the need to create the ‘walk to school’ podcast. Again this suggests that students want to revise on their own terms, at times and places that are convenient for them.The final thing we learn about student revision is that students want instant feedback and results. Andrew Bruff has 1,000 followers on Twitter and gets asked questions which he responds to ‘in real time’. This shows that students want 24/7 communication with teachers and are utilising technology to achieve this. They don’t want to have to wait until they get to their English lesson to speak to their teachers.

QUESTION 2

• Question 2 will ask you to explain how the writer uses presentational devices to engage the reader. This question is worth 8 marks, meaning you should spend around 12 minutes on it. You are expected to analyse the presentational devices mentioned in the question and comment on their effect on the reader. Unlike in the foundation paper, there will be a second part to the question, usually asking how the presentational devices relate to the text itself.

• The best way to approach this question is to imagine that the sources began as blank white pieces of paper. Every single colour, image and font was therefore chosen with purpose, and the placement of these elements was also a deliberate choice. That means you will have plenty to choose from.

This means everything except words, so you should be thinking about images, fonts, pictures, photos etc.

Explain how the headline and picture are effective and how they link with

the text.

You are being asked to comment on the effect of the words used in the headline.

You are being asked to select actual words and phrases from the text and explain how they

link with the headline.

You are being asked to comment on the effect of the

details used in the picture

You are being asked to select actual words and phrases from the text and explain how they

link with the picture.

Crawling crabs slide into UK to pinch festive sales

The writer uses two puns in this headline, partly to make it fun for the reader but also to hint at something more devious. ‘Slide’ is used to represent the sideways movement of a crab, ut it also suggests the almost unnoticeable movement of the toys as they enter the UK. It’s like they’re creeping in and sneakily taking over the toy market. This is reinforced by ‘pinch’, which is less subtle than ‘slide’ and is a quick, sharp word. As well as indicating the characteristics of a crab, it implies the toys are powerful and are confidently going to steal all the sales at the shops.

Next you would need to link the headline with the contents of the text.

Link this quotation to the headline:One is sold “every seven seconds in America”

The use of scale and colour in a picture is often worth mentioning, and camera

angles can also be important. Try to consider the less obvious features,

such as a person’s facial expression or what is happening in the background.

This is from an article about a street theatre company who visited Liverpool

on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. There were three giant puppets and this one is called Little

Girl

Band 3

• The picture shows Little Girl, one of the giant puppets that was part of the street theatre company visiting Liverpool. We can see the huge crane holding her strings and the people watching in the background look tiny to emphasise how big the puppet is. There is also a real girl staring up at her who looks extremely small and the effect of this is to reinforce the scale and show that Little Girl really isn’t little at all!

TOP TIPS FOR QUESTION 2

• Make a direct reference to illustrate the device. Obviously you can’t quote a picture or colour, but you can refer to it like this: ‘the colour pink is used for the magazine title’.

• Explain why the writer has used this device.

• Comment on the effect on the reader.

YOU SHOULD SPEND AROUND

12 MINUTES answering THIS QUESTION

Q: How are the headline, subheading and picture effective. How do they link to the

text?• There are basically 4 different parts to this

question:

1)How is the headline effective?

2)How is the subheading effective?

3)How is the picture effective?

4)How do they link to the text?

The headline of the article ‘Education for the Nation’ is effective for two reasons. To begin with, it does what every good headline should do – it hints at the topic of the article and it is catchy and memorable due to the use of rhyme. It is also effective because it summarises the most important part of the article: that Andrew Bruff’s online resources are teaching students across the country. It links to the text because the text goes on to explain just how Andrew is educating the nation, e.g. ‘Andrew created over 200 videos’ [on YouTube]. The picture is effective because it really symbolises so much of what Andrew Bruff does. The photo shows Andrew smiling and laughing. The connotation here is that Andrew is a fun person who has a good sense of humour which is likely to be used in his revision materials. This would appeal to students who may think revising is boring; if Andrew makes it fun then that would certainly make them want to look at his resources. This links to the text because Andrew himself says “I try to throw in some humour where I can, just to keep things lively”. Also, the ‘Education for the Nation’ image shows Mr Bruff wearing a pair of sunglasses. The connotation and the effect on the reader is that they therefore think Mr Bruff must be ‘cool’. For teenagers (Mr Bruff’s target audience), image is very important – as is street cred, so appearing ‘cool’ would be very important to attract the right target audience. This ties in with the text because the text goes on to explain how Andrew uses YouTube, Twitter and iTunes: all sites which are very popular with young people. Through utilising sites which are popular with young people, Andrew is, as suggested in his pose in the photo, contemporary and relevant to young people.

My final point about the photo is that Andrew is faced away from the camera. This symbolically refers to the relationship Andrew has with his audience: they watch him but he cannot see them. It shows that the responsibility lies with the student to make the effort to watch his materials. This is different to school life where the teacher will be checking up on the class. In the online world where Andrew Bruff operates, the onus is on the student to watch the teacher, not the other way around. This links to the text because in the text we see that Andrew uses Twitter to ‘answer questions’. The focus here is on students coming to Andrew and Andrew responding, not the other way around. Finally, the subheading is effective because it summarises the whole article in a short space. This is the purpose of a subheading – if the headline has grabbed the reader’s attention, the subheading will then show them whether the article is going to be of interest to them. When we read ‘An English teacher from Devon is revolutionising the way students learn, utilising web2 technologies such as YouTube, iTunes and Twitter’ we have a full understanding of what the rest of the article is going to be about. It links to the text because there is a paragraph in the article about each of the points mentioned in the subheading: one on YouTube, one on iTunes and one on Twitter.The subheading is also effective for another reason. Through the use of emotive language. One example can be found when he states that the work Mr Bruff completes is ‘revolutionising’ learning. The word ‘revolutionising’ conjures up images of something grand and historical. The effect on the reader is that they think the work Mr Bruff is doing is absolutely amazing, and therefore it makes the reader want to read on to find out just what is so stupefying.

QUESTION 3

• Question 3 is based on source 3. It is a difficult question in that it appears to be quite vague. It will ask you to explain – to make clear and understandable, something you have read about in the source. The question is, once again, worth 8 marks. It will often, but not always, be based on a non-fiction text such as a journal or autobiography piece.

• Like question 1, this question will be testing your ability to understand and interpret meaning, this time in source three. Again, it is not a language analysis question, and language should only be analysed if it specifically answers the question. You should not write about the effect on the reader in this question (that comes in question 4).

• As with question 1, you should aim to make a range of points which cover all parts of the text. Comment on how the text begins, what it is saying in the middle and how it ends.

Explain some of the thoughts and feelings … has when …

¥ou are being asked to select parts of a text which convey some of the

thoughts and feelings of a character/s. These parts may include what is happening, what the character is

saying or what the character is doing.

You are being asked to interpret – this is the most important part

of the question. You need to ‘read between the lines’.

You are being asked to identify the thoughts and feelings of a

character/s from the parts of the text that you select.

The rest of the question will depend on the events in the text.

TOP TIPS FOR QUESTION 3:

Write about all parts of the text – beginning, middle and end

Back up your points with quotations from the text

Do not write about the effect on the reader.

YOU SHOULD SPEND AROUND

12 MINUTES

answering THIS QUESTION

QUESTION 4

• This is the trickiest question in section A, in that it will require you to choose which sources you will write about. You will be asked to compare the language use in two texts – one is set and the other is to be chosen by you. This question is worth 16 marks and requires a very detailed answer.

• A lot of students struggle with this question, particularly with the idea of analysing ‘language’ which seems like such a vague term. The exam boards have stated in their examiners’ reports that many students struggle with this question because they do not have a tool-kit to analyse language. Well, I have got a toolkit for you, and it’s called DAFOREST. I will happily share it with you but I must make it clear that it is not going to get you an A or A* - it is a good building block to start with, and I include it here for those of you looking for a starting point when it comes to language analysis, but I will give some more sophisticated techniques afterwards.

• There is no quick way around this other than to say you will need to memorise DAFOREST and be able to spot it in the two sources. The great thing about it is that the effect it has on the reader is always the same, so if you can memorise it now you pretty much have your answer ready for question three. Here is another table explaining the effect of each technique:

Read the two sources, highlighting the DAFOREST techniques as you find them. You may not find them all, but there should always be at least five of them.

Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some

examples and analyse what the effects are.

¥ou are being asked to compare the use of language in two texts. To compare means to look at the

similarities and differences.

You are being asked to comment on the effect on the reader of using these words, phrases or language features.

This is the most important part of your response.

You are being asked to select actual words, phrases or language features

that have been deliberately chosen to create an effect in the reader.

Compare

• You are not comparing content or structure• You should not comment on the absence of a language

feature– E.g. analysing the effect of alliteration in one source and saying

it has not been used in the other is not a clear comparison• It is a good idea to use words that indicate similarities and

differences between the text in your comparison– ‘both’, ‘is similar to’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘however’, ‘whereas’– ‘more’ and ‘less’ can also be useful to compare– ‘darker language’, ‘sharper vocabulary’

It is important to consider the purpose and audience…

• A simple comparison:

• The writer of source 3 and source 2 both use facts but the effects are different.

• Could become:

• The purpose of Source 3 is to entertain, so the language is mostly positive and facts are used to engage the reader, whereas Source 2 has a warning tone, meaning the facts are used more to scare than entertain.

BUILDING ON THE BASICS OF DAFOREST

• DAFOREST is a useful starting point but for those of you aiming to achieve the very top grades you will need to do more than churn out simple PEE paragraphs verbatim. For example, you should also try to consider the structure of a text as seen in this sample answer:

The writer uses a mix of fact and opinion to persuade the reader to give up smoking. When we read 'each cigarette contains 0.2 grams of asbestos', this fact makes us feel that the article is accurate and to be believed; facts give an air of authority to a text. By following this with the opinion 'smoking is a disgusting habit', we are led to believe that this too is a fact, like the one that went before it. The effect is that we believe the opinion to be fact and are therefore persuaded that smoking is both a dangerous and disgusting habit.

• You should also look for examples of humour, irony, satire, hyperbole and other techniques. When you find these you should follow the same format as stated above: mention the technique, back up your point with a quotation and write about the effect on the reader.

• Finally, if you are naturally a top level student you should also be willing to ‘go with your gut’. If there is a word or phrase which seems significant to you then you should write about it.

The writer of ‘Education for the Nation’ uses emotive language throughout the article. One example can be found when he states that the work Mr Bruff completes is ‘revolutionising’ learning. The word ‘revolutionising’ conjures up images of something grand and historical. The effect on the reader is that they think the work Mr Bruff is doing is absolutely amazing. The writer of ‘First Day Nerves’ also uses emotive language. However, whereas the purpose in ‘Education for the Nation’ is to present the topic in positive terms, the emotive language used in ‘Firs Day Nerves’ is used to show how awful the students were. Describing the group as a ‘rabble’ of ‘yobbish lads’ is clearly used to have the emotive effect on the reader of thinking that these students were incredibly uncouth. The inconsistency here is that Mr Smith had only just met the class, so clearly these assumptions were being made on first impressions.Another use of language in the ‘Education for the Nation’ is seen through the persuasive mix of fact and opinion. The writer uses many facts such as ‘half a million times across 179 different countries’. The writer uses facts to make the text sound accurate and authoritative. Whereas the rest of the article is largely made up of positive opinions, the facts and statistics make the reader believe what they are reading is true. It moves away from sounding too much like a fan piece to seeming to be real ‘news’. This is important as the text comes from a newspaper and should therefore aim to appear impartial. The truth is that the text is not impartial – it clearly aims to promote the online work of Mr Bruff. However, by cleverly mixing facts and statistics along with the more persuasive opinions such as ‘an English teacher from Devon is revolutionising the way students learn’, the reader is inclined to believe that everything they are reading is fact. The subtle juxtaposition of fact and opinion is used to make the reader believe every part of the article is fact.

TOP TIPS FOR QUESTION 4

Choose your second source carefully – the easiest thing to do is choose the one which contains most of the DAFOREST techniques.

Read both sources, highlighting the DAFOREST techniques as you find them. You may not find them all, but there should always be at least five of them.

Turn each one into a separate PEE paragraph, using the formulaic answers from the table above.

Look for more sophisticated points if you are aiming for A and A* grades.

Remember to compare – write about similarities and differences.

YOU SHOULD SPEND AROUND

25 MINUTES answering THIS QUESTION

Key Words

• What – describe something• Why, Explain – explain something through reference to the

texts, and by giving reasons• How – identify the writer’s techniques• Discuss – suggest different meanings• Comment – analyse something and read between the lines• Effective – consider how (or whether) a text conveys its purpose

successfully to its target audience• Compare – look for similarities and differences in the texts• Form and presentation – how the texts are structured and how

they appear on the page• Reader’s response – how the writer intends the reader to react

to the article