01 retpa.hC o3 Tc ip
1 Begin by get ting an ov erview of the argumenot d. To this,
look at each paragraph in turn and jot down six or s even
keypoi n t s . For example:
Title:‘Howbooks entered a new chapteroffor t u ne’ –
whybooksarehavingamore‘ of r t u nate’exist ence!
o P :Finact:n1umberof independent bookshops down
almost 50% in tenyears.
Toptpi
o P int2: ‘thereishope–thebookrevivalisgathering ReoadpiTcs 8.5 and 8.6,
pace’ – Opinion:etrh; einibngogsobkaersealegse
are fal ing; print book sales rising. which give more information
about analysing and
o P int3:…
evaluating tex t s .
Build the skills explain , evaluat e , e x p r es s )
based on
N e x t , you need to evaluate the points: to de cide wheth er you
agree or disagree with what the writer say s, and add a comment
of your own.
Here is an example, based on the information abovue. cYan use
the idea:
E+E+E(
The writer of the article comments on the number of explains the key idea (from how
independent bookshops as being down almost 50%. paragraph 1) from the article
This may be true, but the assumption that this is down in own words personal research/
t o e b o o k s m a y b e m i s t a k e n . oF r e x a m p l e , r e s e a r c h s h o w s to evaluate
t h a t v i e w e r s o f e - s p o r t s h a s ‘ e x p l o d e d f r o m 20 4 t o 292 draws on
b e t w e e n4 102a n d 2’610s( o u r c e : b i g f i s h g a m e s . c o).m evidence
I w o u l d a r g u e t h a t p e o p l e a r e j u st c h o o s i n g o t h e r ways accurate or important the
t o s p e n d t h e i r l e i s ure time – not just on e books. information given is
expresses own view
the evaluation
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
248
3.
01
The table below contains one of the point s from the a r ticle and Meaning or Agree Disagree
a s u g g e s t e d r e s p o n s e from a stu d e n t ( y ou do not have to share implication
their view). !
Ebooksales arefaling
P o i n t q/ u o t a t i o n andpeoplearebuying
from text moreprintbooks –
this is a good thing!
‘there is hope –
the book revivalis
gathering pace’
2 Copy and complete the table, adding the points from the Toptpi
list you madeaionsuk1T.dYo not have to agre e and
disagree but , as in th e model paragraph on page 24 8 , you
must evaluate the point s . Additional research can realy
help in this ty pe of writing
Develop the skills – which will show that you are able to ex press your task. Use the internet, books,
magazines and newspapers
T h e t e x t you have to write about may be chosen by your teac,her to find out more about the
or you may be give n a choice of related t e x t s to choo se from. topic. If appropriate, go out
Whatever th e t e x t is, you s hould: in your local area and find out
more.This can help you ot
• personalise the task.
draw on any conventions related to that tex t t y p e
Toptpi
•
use language that matches your purpose (this relates to oT remind yourself about
register voice and formality/
ideas appro priately) informal,it y look back at
poT ics192.and.2 0.
•
write in the role you have chosen or that has be e n a s s i g n e d Key term the level of
to you
register:
• formality in a piece of
draw on any additional information or research you have writing
done. (For example, how many book shops are t h e r e l e f t in
your local town or ci?tHy ow many of your frie n d s u s e
e - r e a ders likeKindl e o r s m a r tphones to re a d b o o?kDso they
b u y b o o k s from online re tail?e) rs
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
249
01 retpa.hC o3 Tc ip
Look at the two example assignm e n t s b e l o.w
uoY are an avid reader and feel ver y s trongly about what
you have read in the ar ticle. Write a res ponse to the editor
of the newspaper in which you argue for or against the
changes des cribed.
uoY can respo nd in any form you wish – for example,
through an article or a let . ter
Give a spee ch to younge r s t u d e n t s at your school in which
you discus s a topical issue that mig h t a f fe c t th e m .
In this cas e, the issu e will be t h e i m p o r t ance – or oth e r w i s e –
of printed b o o k s .
3 D ecide which of these t wo pie ces you would prefer to Toptpi
write. Star t by thinking about your own opinion on the
topic or your own experience s of printe d b o o k s o r e b o o k s .
Remember, t h e t h r e ee‘’s:
4 N ow,plan your respo nse. (Lookoapt iTc s 8 . 5, 8.6 an d 8.7 •
for more information on planning and writing this t ype of
taska.) T keinto account the points you have s e l e c ted and Explain the points in
commented on. R e m e m b, yeoru will nee dto: your own words . the points
• • your
begin with an ap propriate introduc tio n that fits the
t y p e o f t e x t and audience (for example, Evaluate
l e t t i ng me talk to y ou today ab out…
or information either
•
use clear paragraphs to ex plore each point and as they st and, or in
comment on it
Thank you for relation to other
• )
end with a conclusion that ex p r e s s e s your view – and, if
relevant, c alls for a c t io n . evidence or re search
you have.
•
Express
viewpoint.
F o r p e r s u a sive writing, you need to us e: ) Surely it is not the case
incredibly sle ek machine
• )
rhetorical q u e s t io n s o r s t a t e m e n t s ( no co,vneor pap, neor turning of pages .)
hta…t ?
•
p o w e r f u l, emotive language (
•
repetition or list s (
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
250
3.
01
Appylthe skills Check your prog r e s s
5 Write your arti c l e , l e t ter or spee ch. Remembe r that it mus t I can d evelop a clear and
b e 5 0 0 – 8 0 0 w o r d s , somake sure you comment on each e f f e c tive r e s p o nse to a given
point fu.lly passage.
I can ex p r e s s m y i d e a s on a
g i v e n p a s s a g e t h o u g h t f u l l ,y
and for d elibera t e e f fe c t .
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
152
01 retpa.hC o4 Tc ip
nghiAcaopr Asginment2:
Wtirnigto describe
ForA ssignment2,youneed to proudcea pieceof
descrpi tive writ ing thatcreates a convincingtamosphere.
Explore the skills
Itislikely that whatever t ype of description you cho ose to write,
itwillinvolve some of the following eleme n t s :
•
a p a r ticular set tin g or building (for example, a wintry beach, a
magical tower)
•
weather or natural event (for example, mountain sto r m ,
heatwave in the city)
•
an event or expe rience (fo r example, a birth d a y p a r t y)
•
a p e r s o n o r group of people.
1 W hich of thes e ideas would you choose to d e s c r i?bWehy?
Build the skills
Whatever th e t a s k , yo u r d e s criptive writing should:
•
create a convincin g p i c tu r e o f fering depth and detail
•
provide a varie t y of focuse s, for example using ‘c a m e r a - s t y l e ’
techniques – zooming in on detail or widening out
•
create a vivid or power ful atm osphere, mood o r s e t t in g
•
use well- chos e n i m a g e r, ysen s o r y language and sentence
variety to bring the de scription to life
•
have a clear str u c t ure: this could be chronological, or include a
change of mood , s e t t in g o r p e r s p e c t i ve
•
include de tails that ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’ the read er about
the scene or a character’s feelings
2 sheunrdtouryfweyehicraevRk–ofstasnegurdetaif
ohcae?wtahraeltocseroudafyrne,notfIT .9scpia3nd
ohuoywohuscrtwhs.c4o,9wt.yihepriuldcfoestneitcvti
Develop the skills
Hiearte.riwrytevidurialcdSnveushtpoidwcgeunolfsft
mdeonnhtleriaxeltacnwostahrdic,tsietsopcfvtiestlryc.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
252
For bleak, unadulterated m i s e r y that dâk -bungalow wa s the wors t of the many that I had ever 4.
set foot in. T here was no fi re place, and the windows would not open; so a brazier of charcoal 01
would have bee n u s e l e s s . The rain and th e wind splashe d and gurgled and moaned round the toddy palms rattled and roared.
house, and the by Rudyard Kipling
From M y O wrnueTGhostSto r y ’ by Ger tru de Bell
We wandere d along inter s e c t ing avenues , until we c ame to one b roader than th e r e s t , at the end by Peter Gould
of which sto od a little house. Tiny stream s fl owed round and about it, fl owe d u n d e r i t s walls and
into its ro oms; fountains splas hed ceaselessly in fro nt of it, a s o f t light wind swayed the heav y
folds of the pat terned c u r t ains hangin g half-way down acros s its d eep balconie s .
From ‘ In Praise of Gardens
My mother was the archety pal Cockney sparrow and was much loved by all the famyl.i She was
small, but m ovedquickly, p o s s e s s e d a sharp wit and considerable intelilgence. He r school rep o r t s
were excellent: the family Bible was jus t one of s everal prizes sh e had won. No tra desmen eve r
managed to cheather, although some tried – she could always add up faste r than they could!
From From Step neytoroStpTe z
coVabulary
dâk: atraveller ’sre st- h o u s e
toddy palm:
which produces a sort a type of tree
of wine
3 W hich of the features in the lis t on the p revious page can Check your prog r e s s
you identif y in each tex?t
I u n d e r s tand w hat the
4 W hat is dis t i n c tive about each of the tex?t s Think about: requirements of As signment
• 2 are.
the narrative viewp oint (who, if anyone, se ems to be
speaking) I can ap p l y w h a t I have
• learned abou t As signment 2
the use of te nses or tim e to my work.
•
the mood or atmo sphere create d.
Appylthe skills
5 T hink of one me morable pers on, one memorable place and
one memorable ev e n t . W hich would you choos e to write
about?Makenotes about your choice, trying to visualis e as
much detali as you can.
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
253
01 retpa.hC o5 Tc ip
Asginmte2n:rWit niga
descprtive text
uoY r d e s c r ip t i v e t e x t d o e s n ot h a v e t o b e b a s e d o n your Developed
o w n p e r s o na l e x p e r i ences, but it may help to draw
on place s o r p e o p le y o u k n o.owY u c a n t hen adapt •
or develo p t h e s e t t ing or c h a r a c t e r t o m a k e i t e v e n perhaps just go with
more memorable.
my mother
Explore the skills
•
Look at the table below, which shows so me notes in preparation holding her hand
for a piece of de scriptive writing about‘a memorable event or
experien. ce’ •
wintry, coldday?
Event– the opening match of the season
betweenmy team and another •
imagineweareat
Ideas
• groundlevelby the
wentwithmyfamily side of the pitch –
–bigfootbalfans!
• canbringinal the
lovelysunnyday
• action from the game
sat halfwayupthe
stands •
• n e x t…t oan old man
next toaboylikeme
inawheelchair
1 H ow has the original idea bee n developed?
2 gwusehetvahthsegnra?hiemctWdeyisthehsreg having a focus or different focus e s
ek eedhtnistafuoisbhatcepuedmskoinsri,hcyn:Tos creating convincing, vivid p i c tu r e s
• use of chang e or contras t .
•
•
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
254
3 y foknihtoNRwempixouwreno,a.cbemlobrer story , 5.
deahssaiuoeytsae–hircteicepttohaniptrdcesvluo 01
rotarurocanfodyruohlywstahnouyarnoedshuears. Toptpi
Chapter4 aondpiTc 9.2 show 255
a) Jot down your o riginal idea (leikthe on e on page 25 4 , you how to generate ideas for
b a s e d o n p e rsonal e xperience if possibe.l) your descriptive writing. T his
mightinvolve using the sens es
b) Develop it to maekit more interes ting or allow for a to build ideas.
tighter focu s (it is of ten b e t ter to focu s on a spe cifi c
individual or individuals in a des cription rather than jus t
describe broad group.)s
Build the skills
kaTe the same idea of an exciting event or ex perience. The notes
below begin to build the ideas from the table on page 254 .
sight: huge,
cubed,silevr
l f oodlights
touch: mychild
handholdingmy
mums’ hand sound: roar
of fans, songs
andchants
Football match
with my mother
smell: wafting scent
of hot coff eeand
tea from fl asks
4 Create a similar sen se diagram for your choice of exciting
event or expe rience (you could consider a music gig , a
ride at a fun,fagire t t ing caught in a tropical storm – or
whatever you canthinkof, real or imagined ).
taht merRb uoy ,ensoetdiitwrpeveiutrwaohyc us ot dneeiants ti
rp,05slreivohletsiwedevnueory–inehvlbacoa8 woT0.0dsr
oclaevedenasokh–tl lwtesfoaheodgetbnioisdenpehyd.
Thehuge,cubed fl oodlights,fl ashingsilverintheearlyeevning,
captured the lines of rain thatfel acrosstheirglare.Therain
into the hoadringsorslipped, over likeclowns–except
slanted down, turning the white lines by the pitch in front of
mefromstraight,neatstripesto a blurrymess.Players slid or
crashed
itwasnotdeliberate.
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
01 retpa.hC o5 Tc ip
5 H ow has the de scription of the fl o o dlights b e e n
developed? Think about the highlighted s e c t ions:
•
w h a t a s p e c t of the weather the fl o o dlights lead to
•
what feature of the pitch is then des cribed
•
w h a t p e o p l ec/ h a r a c ters are th en brought into the
p i c t ure.
6 kaTe one a s p e c t of your chosen exciting exp erience and
develop it in the s ameway.
•
Begin with one fo c u s .
•
Lead into a seco n d .
•
Add a third.
Develop the skills
B e c a u s e this is cours ework writin g, there are many st yles and
approaches you can take (.seo)e1piTc10.
7 L o o k a t t h e d e s c r i p t i v e p i e c e s b e l o w a n d o n p a g e 2. 5 7
What do you n otice about th e d i f fe r e n t f o r m s , s t r u c ture s
a n d u s e s o f l a n g u a g e t h e y a d o pt? Ma ke note s o n e a c h ,
p e r h a p s j o t t i n g d o w n w h a t y o u like, or would like t o u s e
in your own writing.
A
Dusk:motherswithchildrendraggedbehind,racedby, their
ering tehr-rpoaufgeehttphie thin, grey puddles. The
neon lights at the crossing blinked and winked like naughty
schoolboysandredbusesscreeched to a halt t o let
passengerstumble off .
Dawn:emp tystreets.Asinglestarlingsatonalamp-posthigh
abovethepavement, olepebenaekdaintdssliangout.But
no one except me headr.
B
Slowl y n ow
T h e s ea’s ti d e c r e e p sby
A l o n g t h e v a l l ey o f t h e s a n d y d u n e s ,
E a t s u p t h e l e v e l l a n d , t h e gr a s sy m a r s h e s ,
S w a l l o ws, spr e a d s a n d c o v e r s a l l with wa t. e r
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
256
5.
01
C not be suita?ble Check your prog r e s s :
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
Supper is a rio t. Ma stna ds at the top of the l ong table, I can cr eate an ef f e c tive
dispensin gchi cken and cous- cous from a huge pot, while r e s p o n s e to my chos en
sixpairsof han dsshout ‘Me fi rst!Me fi . Hr’o!stt, f ruity d e s c r i p ti v e t a s k .
saucedr i b b l e s downthe ladl e while plates cl a t ter and
b a t tle for at ten t i o n . I can create an original and
D d i s t i n c tive d e s criptive piece.
T h e o l d m a n i n t h e c o r n e r s h o p h a s a f a c e l i k e a w r i n k l e d m a p;
it cre a s e s w h en h e smile s , a n d u n f o l d s w h en h e s i t s b a c k o n his
w o b b l y s t o o l t o h av e a nap. When h e o p e n s h i s p al m t o t a k e m y
m o n e y , h i s f i n g e r s a r e l i k e b e n t t w i g s a s t h e y g ra s p t h e c o i n s . H e
w e a r s a t a t t y re d b e r e t a n d a s c r a t c h e d m e d a l h a n g s f r o m h i s
j a c k e t : a w a r h e r o I w o n d e?r O r s o m e t h i n g h e h a s a c q u i r e d ?
8 N ow,imagin e that you have be en given the following tas k :
uoY have just spent your fi r s t night in a new town or city.
D e s c r i b e your surroundings and feelings as you awaek.
a) Do any of the str u c t ures and st yles you have jus tlooke d
at appeal to y?ou
b) Would any of them
c) Can you think of any t e x t s you have rea d that could
provide inspiration for your own work?
d ) What other original or interes tingway s could you
s t r u c ture or pres ent your ide?a s
9 U sing the skill s you have learne d here, and through your
readingoopf iTcs 9. 2 and 9. 3, plan a r e s p o n s e to the tas k ,
considering how you will a p p l y d e s criptive writing features
e f f e c tiveyl.
Appylthe skills
10 Complete the fi r s t d r a f t of your des criptive re s p o n s e .
Remember that in your cours ework, your draft will be
handed in with your fi nal piece, so make sure that you use
it thoughtfully to improve your work.
257
01 retpa.hC o6 Tc ip
nghiAcaopr Asginmen3:t
Natra ive wr gniti
A s s i g n m en t 3 i s a g r e a t o p p o r t u n i t y t o t e l l a c o mp e l l i n g
a n d o r ig i n a l s t o r y o f y o u r o w n .ouY w i l l b e a bl e t o d r aw
o n y o u r o w n r e a d i n g , a s w e l l a s o n n e w id e a s t h at you
d e v e l o p a s p a r t of t h e c ou r s e w o r k p r o c e s s .
Explore the skills
It is import antthatyourchos ennarrativehasawell- defi ne d,
engagingplotwithinteresting characterisation.Howcanyou
achiev?ethis
Look back at the fi ve - p a r t s t o r y s t r u c ture describ edoinp01iTc. 4.
Then look at this palette of characte r s , locations and general plot
ideas.
a one-arm ed a small hut a tale of
shop-keeper by a lake revenge
a journey of discovery
aborder crossing-p o i n t a secret revealed
a terrif ying experience
a brilliant young pianist an unexpecte d relationship
a sad memory
a luxury penthouse fl at
a father whos e children have all
left home
a huge hall in a castle
a highly successf u l a p e a c e f u l forest glade
businesswoman
a palace made o f ice
1 Create three stories bas ed on or in spired by th e s e i d e a s .
Share your ideas with others , then ame nd or add to your
original plots to improve them .
Build the skills
A s w ell as the core co ntent (the main plot ideas and cha r a c ters,)
you will als o need to consider howtomake your work original
and interes ting. Sp end some time exploring original ways of
telling or str u c t uring your work.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
258
Read this example narrative task: Toptpi 6.
Write a fi c t ional or autobiographical account of a se cret that 01
is revealed with a n e f fe c t o n o t h e r s . uoY could even mix the s t y l e s
accordingot character–for 259
A s w ell as the core content, there are several narrative choices you example, anelderly‘p osh’
canmake. For example: character might speak in
amoreformal waythana
Form teenage tearaway!
short story
diary or diary Narrative voice)(s Style or m o o d
entries
l e t t e r)s( if r s t p e r s on formal ando/ r
informal
2 Copy the table, then add any other forms, voices or s t y l e s Toptpi
you can think o. f
narrator
Develop the skills
Here is a set of choices bas ed on the id ea of a secret revealed. If you are not surewhateach
series of l e t te r s third pers on refl e c t i ve
narrator
of these narrative choices
dramatic,and soon
refersot,lookoaptiTc s
multiple narrat o r s
0 1 ,9.54a.nd9.6ofr more
information about narrative
writing.
two narrators if r s t narrator:
refl e c tive , s a d ,
looking back; second
narrator: ang,ry
funny, sharp
3 U sing the tas k above, or o ne of the sto r ylines you
developed ear,lmiearkeyour own choice of narrator(.s)
Appylthe skills
A s s i g nment 3 rewards b o l d n e s s and originalit . y
Complete the plan using the followi n g s t e p s:
•
Write out your c h o s e n s to r yline clearly (from the
opening to this less on.)
•
Underneath it, write out clearly your choice of narrator(.s)
Check your prog r e s s :
•
Add any further detail s that come to min d (name of charac,tre
more detali on place...)
I u n d e r s tand w hat is required
in a des criptive writing t a s k .
• I can ap p l y w h a t I have
Evaluate the idea – is there any thing you could change or
learned about d e s c r iptive
improve to maekit more original or striking (chang e charac,tre
a d d a t wist or surp rise to the stor y?li)ne
w r i t i n g t o c o n s i d e r a rang e of
options for succes s .
R e d r a f t your plan as nee d e d .
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
01 retpa.hC o7 Tc ip
Asginm3t:eDnevelopngi imagine.
nart ive wr gniti tuomeoc daH daedeerht si
In Topic 10.6 , y o u e x p l o r e d s o m e o f t h e b r o ad e r c h o i c e s
availabl e t o m a k e y o u r s t o r y e n g a g i n g a n d e f fe c t i v e .
N o w r e m i n d y ou r s e l f of s o m e o f t h e s k i l l s t h a t
n a r r a t i v e w r iter s e m p lo y t o a c h i e v e s uc h a n i m pa c t .
Explore the skills
What make s an interes ting account and interes ting chara c t e?r s
In this extr a c t , the novelist John Braine explores the pro cess that
should go on in your head when you
Let us consider another example of how not to write.
I made it up, but i t ’ s an absolute l y t y pical pass age from any
unpublished novel and I have see n p a s s a g e s likeit in more
than one publishednovel.
oT‘ mwalked over to the window.The sun had come out .
H e w e n t u p s t airs an dawake ned Hilda.’
akmeubnrmaeerheodtstri.otsnafeuqsnoetfi’hnlbTsrwre
wi eht ot??yryelvklowso?kwiloldrSwadiBdomnTWtahdidwoH
htspuhguog?wrhoehtdnideW?eiwtahsdwoHehseriat
otneykiwawatenwhetehnofadI?eiclHdiHw?tonneh
ol ehks di?iswdalemohpe,rtdsebawhlsnehawhkt
Wadn.wi leuhvtonoautjasirtYnel’gwvnaoidiktwklso
.gni laerevvenursdlnaceshilntoaiscypahdiptcAninosyyaihtc
.stuolemvoencnysimltpni’dsoe
eht taht si efiels slaiwehgNrnstnueBpiah.nsdwtroi.tnae
ro tehygliedfaehrbrlsapnosmiotirwof,nueglnsasl ec etd
awoscdnlmowfimerorfne,fitwar,bmortfeicrehotttuo; sg
sarg ehetrtflofehterhukmotadnldanoatcise; swrwones
gnihtpadhlostakhno’dsnail.Wtdnpaehrsgewndenliohts
nutcapflaaereilnbeatgkuncbmreaheiarntepsn,ayh
tuobaigc’bnefupowisnryecptsaeierfcy,ailpc pcosenr.
]ee l .s eo…dandwsoehl?oad[idH,nlAtiHisprtnmteafhteIt’
hwnwaorsfmis’eenrheoheskeanswle?o.Ddma t’nrseetotd
s?aetfneihuedsrkgawsroaIrOyotf?iodtulctanhwdehnAs se
eohekneTishws’elodehlespt?Weakhefonlksmeoshwal
h? trae
From Writing a Novel by John Braine
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
260
1 W hat advice d o you think is mo s t i m p o r tant from this 7.
p a s s a?gWehy? What will you pay attention to in 01
s t o r? y
your
Build the skills
One piece of key guidance from John Braine is that you m u s t i s b e t te r e x p r e s s e d a s : The old lady
‘ s h o w ’ not ‘t.ell ’ ou cYannot completely avoid giving information,
but generally it is be t t e r to show a charac t e rs’ p e r s onality rather .
than tell the reade r w h a t s o r t of pe r s on they are. For example,
She was a lonely old woman
sat in the rocking chair s taring sadly out of the rain- swept
window
2 H ow is this achieved in the followin g e x tr a c?t
The snake and Ántonia
I was walking back w a r d , in a crouching po sition, whe n I heard
Ántonia scream. She was s tanding opposite me, pointing coVabulary
Bohemian: a native or
inhabitant of Bohemia –
behind me an d shouting so mething in Bohemian . I whirled in the prese nt-day Czech
Republic
round, and there, on one of thos e d r y gravel bed s, wa s the
b i g g e s t s nakeI had ever see n. He was sunning himself, a f ter
the cold night, an d h e m u s t have been asleep when Á ntonia
screamed. W hen I turne d, he was lying in long loo se waves ,
likeal e t t e r ‘W’ .He t w i t c h ed and began to coil slow. lHy e
was not merely a big snake , I thought – he was a circus
monstrosit . y His abominable mu scularit , y his loathsom e,
lf uid motion, som ehow made me sick. He was as thick as my
leg, and loo ked as if mills tones couldn’t crus h the disgus ting
v i t a l i t y out of him. He l i f ted his hide ous lit tle head, and
rattled. I didn’t r u n b e c ause I didn’ t think of it – if my back
had been again s t a s tone wall I couldn’t have felt more
cornered. I s awhiscoil s tighten – now he would spring , spring
his length, I r e m e m b e r e d. I ran up and drove at his head with
my spade, struck him fairly across the n e c k , a n d in a minute he
was all abou t my feet in w a v y l o o p s . I struck now from hate.
Ántonia, barefooted as she was, ran up behind me. Even af ter
I had pounded his ugly head fl at , his bo dyke pt on coiling and
winding, doubilng and falilng back on it self. Iwalked away
and turned my ba ck. I felt seasick.
Ántonia cam e a f te r m e , c r ying,‘OJimmy, he not bitoe ?yoYu u
user? Why you not run when I s?ay’
From My Ántonia by Willa C a t h e r
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
162
01 retpa.hC o7 Tc ip
3 M akebrief notes abou t : in a crouched position and whirled round
a) what we are told abou t Jim, his feelings an d behaviour tell the stor . y
b) the impression we get of Ántonia, through what Jim
says and how she speaks and behave s
c) the way in which the e xcitement of the event is
conveyed to the rea.der
4 D oes the ex tra c t p a ss the John Braine tes?t In what w?ays
Note down ef f e c ti v e a s p e c t s of the text . For example: How
did Jim m?ov(e
show his care, and fear – he wants to protec t Ántonia)
Develop the skills
Look at the tas kbelow.
Write a narrative piece in which th e following word s appear:
‘I knew we didn’t have long’…
5 U sing what you have learned about generatin g ideas and
planning for narrative writing, makenotes about how you
might approach the t a s k .
•
S t a r t by coming up with idea s s u g g e s ted by the title –
for example, who is ‘ I ’ ? W hy don’t they ‘have long’?
uoY could use a spider diagram, a list of ideas or any
other method.
•
C o n s t r u c t a ‘well- define d’ plot, using the five - p a r t s t o r y
s e q u e n c e o u tlinedoinp01iTc. 4.
•
C o n s i d e r s e t tings you might use, but do not have too
many.
•
Decide on your main character or charac t e r s .
•
Think about where the given sentence wil come in the
s t o r. y
6 N e x t consider the variety of ways you could
Think about:
•
the form or tex t t y p e
•
narrative voice)(s
•
s t y l e and/or mood.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
262
7.
01
7 Finaly, create a sto r y t ablelike the one below that capture s Details C h a n g e o r i m p?revo
all your deci s i o n s . Leave the third column blank for now.
Check your prog r e s s :
Features
Who is the s t o r y about? I can cr eate an ef f e c tive
What is the ba sic (five- stage) r e s p o n s e to my chos en
plot? narrative ta s k .
What will b e the main se t t i n g
or locatio?n s I can create an original and
What form wil it be tol?d in
Who willtelit? d i s t i n c tive narrative piece.
In what st y l e /mood?
8 Review your deci sions and the s t o r y you have planned. Is
there anything you could change or improve to maekyour
s t o r y or characters more distinc ?tiCveomplete the la s t
column of the table.
Appylthe skills
9 Write your firs tdraf t .
As youdoso,gobacktoJohnBrainseg’ uidanceandlookagainat
whatmakesWilaCather’saccountsuccesosufuslh.Youldnotcopy
whatshehasdone, but useitasatemplatefor good writing–
memorablecharac t e r s, situationandac toi n.
10 N o w c o n s i d e r w h a t m i g h t n e e d i m p r o v i n g o r c h a n g i n g .
Remember that your draft will be hand ed in with your
final piece, so make s u r e t h a t y o u u s e i t t h o u g h t f ully to
improve your wo r k .
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
263
01 retpa.hC o8 Tc ip
Draftingandmirpovignyourkwro
Coursework a s s i g n m en t s g iv e y o u t he o p p o r t unit y Not a Could be Needs
to hone and improve your ideas – and perhaps most problem better a lot of
i m p o r t a n t,l y t h e w a y y o u e x pr e s s t h e m . work
Explore the skills
What do you think will be the b i g g e s t challenges you face when
writing your coursework a s s i g n m e n? tTshink about what you have
done well previously, and what you have found more challen ging.
1 Copy and complete this self- evaluation check l i s t .
Skil
Using or adapting the basic conventions o f p a r ticular
t e x t t y p e s (for example, s p e e c h , l e t t e r s , n ews ar ticles)
Using an approp riate range and variety of vocabula r y
G e t t i n g basic grammar right
ael c ss–i wrotoliglnoifssgnoiknitarcngoweurOqre
gnikanrigal,ragypnlsigdnserfuowfievitsecshup
P u n c t u ating work for clarit y a n d m eaning
Spelling c o r r e c tly
Explore the skills
2 U se your completed table to identif y areas that you might
struggle with in your cours ework.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
264
Build the skills overall st r u c t u r e of your text: 8.
: do not get ‘c aught up’ in 01
uoY wilhavetheopp o r t unity toredraf tyourworkandimprove it. technical accuracy
individual problem sentences or paragraphs, and 265
F i r s t – check the
•
Is it logical?Does it crea t e i m p a c t in the right plac?e s
•
Are you able to follow the argument, stor y o r descrip tion
w i t h o u t g e t ting confus ed? Loo k again at your plan a n d t r y
s h i f ting ideas around.
Second – check for
the fl ow of the text b u t i n s tead look at each wo rd individua.lly
Third – ident i f y
s t a r t to redraf t them. For example:
Firstdraft
ildwoulthIunderofabnrcthesmwT,hreiy
atupedstarThIouds.clunktrheyey ttsniagkchabneo
l f evaltsapehcdheTavncgryuomehtklise.d
alpethoiwhsdnadniamase.nyraedigrheTgbmynse.csip
Final version
There,underthe huge, curvingbranchesofthewilow,Iwould
lie with my back againystrtuhnekk, nstoaring up at
thecloudswhichfl ickeredthroughtheleaves,formingand
reformingthemselvesingreysandwhites.
This is the place my dreams and hopes began.
3 W hat changes has the stu dent made bet ween the two
v e r s i o?nTshink about:
•
covlncefiehregtnahctoteynasea(bcne)uayorulds
•
the end of the paragraph (wha t e f fe c t i s created by
separating information ilke?tshi)
4 In what ways d oes the fi nal versio n work bet ter than the
if r s tdraf t ?
Check your prog r e s s :
I u n d e r s tand w hat the
d r a f ting and p r o o f r e a d i n g
process require s .
5 Review the three - s t a g e proofreadin g proces s outlin e d I can ap ply my d r a f ting and
oinpiTc 2 . 8 , andmake notes to en sure that you are clear p r o o f r e a d i n g skills to my own
about what you need to do. work.
y Athpepsl kills C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
01 retpa.hC o9 Tc ip
Coursework-style tasks and
responses
Asginment 1
Key skills
I n A s signment 1, you will nee d to show the following skils:
•
d e m o n s t r a te u n d e r s t anding of explicit meaning s
•
d e m o n s t r a te u n d e r s t anding of implicit meanings and
attitud e s
•
analyse, evaluate and develop f a c t s , i d eas and opinio n s , u sing
appropriate s u p p o r t from the text
•
a r t iculate expe rience and ex press what is thought, felt and
imagined
•
o r g a n i s e a n d s t r u c tu r e i d e a s a n d o p i n i o n s f o r d e l i b e r a te
effec t
•
use a rang e of vocab u l a r y and sentence s t r u c ture s appropriate
to context
•
u s e r e g i s ter appropriate to contex t
•
makeaccurate use of spellin g , p u n c tuation and gram.mra
our tYask
Read the tas k. It is base d on the ar ticleoinpiTc 10.3: ‘How printed
b o o k s e n t e red a new chapte r o f f o r tu.ne’
uoY have read an article about a to pical issu e. Write a
response to t h e a r ticle giving your views on the issue and
arguing your ca se. (In thi s case, th e a r ticle explore s the
revival in the sales of printe d b o o k s ).
1 I d e n t i f ythekey requireme nts of the q u e s t ion.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
266
Exploring responses 9.
Read the following ex tra c t f r o m a respons e to the ta s k . 01
Response 1 But I am not one of them. I do not wish to go clear opening, but a 267
This resp onse is a le t t e r to the editor of the news paper that Whowantstolugagreatbigold mass of little blunt – could give
published the a r ticle. Read the op ening to th e r e s p o n s e , and that the writer makesisthatpeople more of an overview
consider in w hat ways it m e e t s t h e criteria for a let ter arguing a comment on use of words and
case to the rea.der what this implies
clear viewpoint on issue but
D,earSir not developed
Ireadthearticleaboutprintandebooksniyo.urpaper short sentence creates
Thewriterstateshow‘ thebookrevvialisgathering persuasive impact
pace’ and how sales of ebooks are going down. effective rhetorical
Thismakesitsoundlikethisisagoodthingasr‘evial’ question
meanscomnigbacktofile.ButIthinkthismakesit paragraphs used for each
soundlikeebooksarereaylabd,andIdont’agree. new point of discussion
The writer alsomentionssomeonewhosays, some development from
co‘nsumers,youngandold, appear tohave the studesnotw’ n personal
establishedanewappreciationforthistraditional views
form’ at. viewpoint clear but no
backintimetooldbooksasthey do not fit in with argument – and no detailed
mylifestyle. comment on the point
paperwiththe?mNot me. made
Another point C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
aresickoflookingatscreensal the time. They need
a ‘respite’ which makes reading ebooks sound like an
ilness!How,Iedvoenrotfeelil whenIreadanebook.
Lots of ebook electronicdeviceshavescreensthat
donotaffectyoureyesasmuchastheusualones, so
I don’t agree there.
The writer says it is ‘t odowiththetangiblenature
o f b o o k s , t h e i r d e s i g n s a n d t h e i r fe e l . I t i s t h e
physicalbookthatevokes a memo.ry ’ Thisisrubbish –
I don’t agree.
Feedback
This resp onse provides a clear view of the writer ’sopini o n s .
However, points from the article have not be en evaluate d in
any depth and no additional research is referred to.
2 Identify threethings thactoudlbemi provendtihisresponse.
Usethe‘Exceelntprogresspoints’onpag2e75toheplyou.
01 retpa.hC o9 Tc ip
3 Rewrite the final paragraph of the res ponse so that it
works more p e r s u a s iveyl.
Now read an ex tra c t f r o m a second s a m p l e r e s p o n s e .
Response 2
This resp onse to the task is in the form of a spe ech to children
a g211e–adbo1ut print b o o k s v e r s u s e b o o k s . T h i s is the opening
of the spee ch.
I am delighted t obeable to talk t oyoual about a suitable opening that
oneofmyfaovurite things–books!Nowy,oumight refers to the audience
notthinkthisisabigissue – everyoneloves a good
book!–butyou ’ dbewroounsge.eY,forthelast slightly informal register is
fewyearspeoplelikeyouhave beenchoosingtoread suitable here
ebooksratherthanthepaperones.Therewas a explains point in
realdangerthatprinted bookswoulddieout–but, own words
thankfuly, itseemsthisisnotthecase.
comment and viewpoint
ThereasonIamtalkingtoyouisthatIread an Can clearly expressed in same
a r t iclerecentlywhichsaidthatofrthe first time sentence
formanyyears,ebooksaleswere going downr. iPnt Boring, dul and rhetorical question skil-
bookswerehavinga‘revi.vTahli’s sounds like theyare fully uses visual detail
comingbacktofile,andthastw’ onderf ulnews. pattern of three hammers
you imagine a world without brightly colouredcover s home the point
andpaperyoucanflickthrough? paragraph for new point
deadyl.
effective personal
T h e a r ticlealsostatedthatweal spend too long ‘ dayandnight’andweneeda reference
staring at screens,
break.Iagree–Igetfedupofstaringatmy phone Research has shown that people whohave viewpoint clear but this is
ormytablet; thelightfromthescreenreally hurts an assertion – no evidence
my eyes. or support provided
workrolesinvolving substantial screen time are
more likely to suffersleep problems,headaches and
similar issues. It seems clear that staring at that
rectangular whitespacecan’tbegoodofryou.
Another important point from the ar ticlewhichI
wanttosharewithyouisthat expertsbelieve people
like the ‘traditionalformat’ofbooks.Ithinkthisisa
goodporiandti.tTionisvery impor t a nt,isn’tit?
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
268
Feedback 9.
01
This is an excellent resp onse, well -suite d to its target au dience
269
a n d o f fering a clear point of view on the topic .Itmake s use
of language device s e f fe c t ively, including rhetorical q u e s t io n s ,
p a t t e r n s of three and p e r s o n a l experience. It could be slightly
improved by a dding evidence for the final as s e r t ion, but
overallthis is an effe c t ive, engaging op ening to a s p e e c h .
4 Look again at your r e s p o n s e to this tas k froompiTc 10.3 .
Using the res p o n s e s a n d feedback in th i s l e s s o n, and the
‘Excellent progres s points’ on page 275 , evaluate your own
r e s p o n s e a n d make impro v e m e n t s where you can.
Asginment 2
Key skills
uoY will need to show the following skills:
•
a r t iculate expe rience and ex press what is thought, felt and
imagined
•
organise and s t r u c ture ideas and o pinions for d eliberat e e f fe c t
•
use a rang e of vocab u l a r y and sentence s t r u c ture s appropriate
to context
•
u s e r e g i s ter appropriate to contex t
•
makeaccurate use of spellin g , p u n c tuation and gram.mra
our tYask
Read the tas k, which you began to explore oinpiTc 10.5.
uoY have just spent your fir s t night in a new town or city.
D e s c r i b e your surroundings and feelings as you awaek.
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
01 retpa.hC o9 Tc ip
Exploring responses
Read the extr a c t from the res ponse belo.w
Response 1
etaohltwfeahspmtootfrIoeFh rloo nuos fodyrnaoehphmys Iasd fo krowten de l gnat ytsud good ‘long shot’ of the city
orb ortoassdgendrniuadohltslitiouwebced-rdedtepnswrpn dna e l ,ac faol cre eht ek i l opens up the possibilities of
ap e l poeoprgFnwnadi v.eahwtsm description
. sfoor
c fo snesrvokhacuewrttnathedscwnaitdiehebshwterhantde . Itgrowlsandsnarlsand vivid sensory details and
vocabulary
t i boatoh,menorcodeiytnhcaTdsesdtk.rwsoeitiwbrnrlca
ht fo tuo.ndinaaga n,gnsi diwo,gognrnicegphpdtotdes close up detail provides
focus
a hfguodfehot ieliacewafhitfeoan,orsotkohNogti ehltl c new paragraph good for
evo l g etiifhwfoneci i rloespc switching time
buh a si ecai vl pi tcsai hdtnademesedeisorna.twifynoost
repetitive vocabulary
Later Iwentback to my apar t m entastheeveningfadedand
thebakingsunslowlysliddownovertheedge of the ci.tByut Newcarsandworkers going tonigthimt-ework. very expressive and original
nothing stopped andthecityneverslept.Just newpeople opening metaphor/image
appeared. present tense suits
eEv r y thingseemedjumbleduplike whoeverbuiltthecityjust description
threwal thebuildingsupintheairandletthemfal onthe
ground as if playing a game.
Iwasrealynervousaboutmynewjobbutdecided I needed to
welcomemynewel.if
Feedback
There are som e detail s picked out and some precise use of
vocabular , y but this res p o n s e b e g ins to slip into a narrative
towards the en d.
1 I d e n t i f y three spe cifi c things that could be improved in this
r e s p o n s e . U se the ‘Excellent pro gress’ p oints on page276 to
help you.
Now read this ex tra c t f r o m a second s a m p l e r e s p o n s e .
Response 2
TheCity isanOcean
Iwaketo the sight of a huge,silvereel.Itisthehighway
whichcurlsaroundthecoralbuildings,suff olecatingtheli
roadsandpaths, like tiny minnows
swalowsonrushingvehiclesandthrowsthemoutagain,
forever hungryandneversatisfi ed.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
270
9.
01
In offi ces,Icansee sharks patrol the corridors in business inappropriate word
suits, likesea-urchins,wrapping choice – sharks can’t
Smalerlfei frigsht–elinedlcerianbtso–rsocoums t o t h e i r j a g g e d w o rds cu t t i n g d o w n t h e i r e n e m i e s . ‘patrol’?
avoidtheir bossesandcower behind doors or under desks, clever link
afraid theye’ dl l. Tbheensehark s ’ narrloewoneyaes se metaphor cleverly
uselessblo,ater aslow-movingsalesmanwhofailed to hide. extended and
Hes’ notbeenselingmuchsothesharksnapshimupand developed
sendshimhome,never to return.
perhaps too literal – him
Abovethectiy, I look up and see the sky is anotherocean.Itis being sacked?
serene,stil anddeepblue.Itremindsal fi sh of other peacef ul change of focus
worlds,wherenonetscomeandfoodisfree.
excellent simile
Backonthestreetsbeowl,myeyespickoutmarried couples and vocabulary
and friends who cling to each other choices
t h e i r f r o n d s a n d s p ines around each othe r’s bodies.
Theyswayalongthepavementinthebreezee,fa r f ulofbeing structurally
swept up by thetideoftimest.I’ onlysixhourstil workbegins links end to the
again. beginning
Slolewtlyo amsyInsewsurroundings,thewaevs sleep and
tlehsetoeoe.lItseeatsbutnowmoreslow-.aHlytaclfhing ,
waiting,readyforthe rush of the new da.y
Feedback
This is an out s t a n d in g r e s p o n s e, which is b oth original,
engaging and ef f e c tive. The str u c t ural deci s i o n s , s plitting the
d e s c r i p tion into different views and times , help the reader
visualise the scene.
2 serhet,cngopUtinshaetnpisdoehkbainfcesd
ndanapl het ltnleipocxsEopegrs‘i,nv2e’t6prgsaeo7ns
5.01ekMacihoptiany.Tronfimedkauosytadfhrets
enuoyitahftaonatelphnatgsewcnteirdo,iservlna.
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
172
01 retpa.hC o9 cTip
Asginment 3
Key skills
uoY will need to show the following skills:
•
a r t ic u l a t e e x p e r i e n c e a n d e x p r e s s w h a t i s t h o u g h t , f e l t a n d i m a g i n e d
•
organise and s t r u c ture ideas and o pinions for d eliberat e e f fe c t
•
use a rang e of vocab u l a r y and sentence s t r u c ture s appropriate to contex t
•
u s e r e g i s ter appropriate to contex t
•
makeaccurate use of spellin g , p u n c tuation and gram.mra
our tYask
Read the tas k, which you began to explore oinpiTcs 10.6an.d107.
Write a narrative piece in which th e following word s appear: ‘ I knew we didn’t have lo. ng’
Exploring repsonses
Now read this ex tra c t f r o m a sample res ponse, which comes fro m
the end of the narrative.
Response 1
Stranded by the sea
Sowewere stuck and it wasal Carslaf’ault.
‘ I d i d n ’ t w a n t t o c o m e t o this stupid cave in t h e f i r s t place,’ I said.
Carladidn’tsay anything.WebothfeltsocoldandIcouldseethe water erom tub l iated doog
levelscreepingupW.e huddledonaledgebutitwas verynarrowandwe pleh dluow noi tpi rcsed
weren’t sure if it would be high enough.
good use of suspense
Then something stirred in the surfaceofthewa.t e r speech punctuation
error
‘ W h ats’hat?’Carlascreamed.
sensory detail
‘I don’tk’n.owIreplied.
Therewasanothermovement, and then a sortofhandreachedupfor
ourledge.Itlookedlikeayoungwomans’ handasithasslimlongfi ngers.
Thenslowlytherest of the personemerged from the grey-lookingw.ater
Itwasabeautifullady with long, fl owing, lihkaeiradoll.
Ihadnoideahowshegotthere,becausethewat erwassocold no one a n d I k n e w w e d i d n ’ t h a v e long.
would survivefor long. The huge waveswere now cra s h i n g i n t o t h e c a ve’s
entrance
C‘ om’ teh,ewomansaid, holdingoutherhand.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
272
9.
01
‘I’m not jumping into that!’Carlastated. punctuation
needs correcting
‘If you do notoflowme,youwil die,itisyourchoic’e. Saidthewoman.
Then she added. ‘Iknowatunnelunderwa,tbuetryoumusttrustme,you slap good attempt at
need to hold your breathforafewsecon’ds. imagery
I took one look at Carla and jumped. Then the water hit me like a narrative twist,
in the face from anice-block. Then I was underwater and to my shock but perhaps more
Isawwhatthewomanlookedlike. She had a ta i l o f a f i s h w h i c h w a s could be made of
s h i m m e r i n g g r e e n a n d b lue. wristeshr’ock
e P rhapsthecoldwater was blindingmeandIcouldn’tseeproperlythat
wouldexplainit.
NextIheard Carlasploshinto thewatertoo.
Feedback
T h e s t r u c ture for the sto r y s eems clear and easytofolow.
Howe,vtehrere are several errors o f p u n c tuation, tens e and
gram.mInar places, there is som e e f fe c t ive description, bu t the
ideas are only par t ially develop e d .
1 I d e n t i f y three spe cifi c things that could be improved in this
r e s p o n s e . U se the ‘Excellent pro gress’ p oints on page276 to
help you.
Now read this ex tra c t f r o m a second sample resp onse. Thi s time it
is the opening to the sto r. y
Response 2 and in the dark I could no lon g erseemyfelow excellent fi rst line plunges
the reader right into the
The shrinking land action
Iknewwedidn’thave long. Now the sand had shrunk to a tiny good use of sensory
areaofabouttwometressquarearoundme.The cold easterly details
wind howled
i f shermen. use of fl ashback to set
scene
Theysaythatwhenyourelifis underthreatyourpastfl ashes
beforeyoureyes.Inmycase,al Icouldrememberwasmywfies’
facethatmorningwhenI l e f t.
ou‘doYn’thave to go out on the sandsE.ev r yonesaysst’i
dangerous,’ she told me.
Wewerestandinginourone-roomhut;thebabywas crying,
andtheelectricity meter had runout.Theradiator was coldas
stone,andIcouldfeel the icy winter draughtslidingthroughthe
gap under the.door
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
273
01 retpa.hC o9 cTip
‘Id’ Iot, old. h‘eWrhavenomo’ney.
Shewasrightof courseandperhapsnowIwouldn’t see rather repetitive
h e r a g a i n . I t h o u g h t o f m y fel l o w f i s h e r m e n a n d women vocabulary
and wondered if theyknewthesands anedrttidhaensmbe.
e P rhapstheyweresafe athomenowwiththeirfamilies. excellent use of
imagery
I l o o k e d f o r a l i g h t o r a n y s i g n o f life. W h e r e wa s t h e b e ach?
concisely expressed charac-
There was no moon or stars to guide me, but I had to terisation
m o v e o r I ’ d b e d e a d . I p l u n g e d w a i s t u p i n t o t h e s w i r l ing use of short sentence for
impact
w a t e, r h o o k e d a r o u n d m e l i k e s o m e g hastly grey snake,
and headed in a straight line.
B u t t h e w a t e r r o s e e v e n f u r t h.e Nr o w i t w a s a t m y c h e s t !
There was nothing for it: I just dropped my baskets of fi sh –
the fi sh that paid my pal t r y wages – so that I could swim. I
fee lrtl yu m i s e r a b l e . Eve n i f I s u r v i v e d I w o u l d l o s e m y j o. b
I d i d n ’ t l i k e t h e g a n g b o s s , t h e s m u g m a n i n t h e e x p e n s i ve
coat who’ d picked me out of the line of men looking for work,
b u t I n e e d e d t h i se. tY i f I c a m e b a c k w i t h n o c a t c h t h e y w o u l d
g e t r i d o f m e . D iscard m e l i k e a n u n w a n t e d b i t o f u s e l e s s
seaweed.
miaIngeidmwyefMai.nysdboanbwytihsiha,rpbuleyeksi–el
eplebeslonthebachIa.dtomoftarikehem. thiel
SuddenlyIsawalight!Ahazyovalshimmeringanddipping up
anddown.Itpulledmelike a magnet towardsandit,andfi nalyI
felthope – surely I could survive now?eWwould see in the next
fewhorrible minutes.
Feedback
A v e r y e f f e c t i ve r e s p o n s e, with well- devel o p e d i d e a s and a
highly effe c t ive characterisation and content.
2 U sing the res p o n s e s a n d feedback in this topic, and the
‘Excelle nt progres s’ point s on page 276, evaluate the
response to this task that you draftedoi.npiTc170. Then
write the fi nal versio n of your resp o n s e .
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
472
Checkyour progress 01
Assignment 1 572
Reading
Sound progress
•
I can includ e relevant ideas from the tex t .
•
I can begin to explore simpler and more explicit ideas and say whe ther or not I agree
with them.
•
I can write a re sponse that is appropriate to the ta s k , u s ing some of th e c o r r e c t
convention s and voice required.
Excelent progress
•
I can fluently pick out ideas fro m the text and explain the m .
•
I can explore an d o f fer my views ab out implicit and explicit ideas from th e t e x t .
•
I can write a re sponse that uses my own research and experience, and which shows a
high level of unde r s t a n d ing of the issues discu s s e d .
Writing
Sound progress
•
I can write in a way that gets my views acro ss and engage s my rea.der
•
I can usually organise my id eas into a clear s equence.
•
I can sometim e s u s e p o w e r ful words.
•
I can sometim e s c h o o s e the words and tone that match the pur p o s e
and audience of my text .
•
I can use g enerally accurate spelling, pun c t u ation and gram.mar
Excelent progress
•
I can write in a way that gets my meaning acro s s v e r y precisely a n d p o w e r fuyl.
•
I can organise my writing carefully so that it helps my read er to under s t a n d my i d e a s .
•
I can selec t wo rds carefully to create precise meaning s a n d e f fe c t s .
•
My choice of regi ster is ef f e c tive and suits th e purpose and audience.
•
My spellin g , p u n c tuation and grammar is almost always accurate.
C h a p t e r 10 : A p p r o a c h i n g w r i t t e n c o u r s e w o r k
01 retpahC
Assignment 2 & 3
Writing
Sound progress
•
I can choose ideas and de tails relevant for the ta s k .
•
My organisation is strai g h t f o r ward and my writing f e e l s p u r p o s eful and complete.
•
I use some precise vo c a b u l a r y and a range of se ntences so metimes chosen for th eir
effec t.
•
M y r e g i s ter is sometimes app ropriate fo r the contex t .
•
My spellin g , p u n c tuation and grammar is generally accurate.
•
I c a n d e s cribe objec t s , people and scenes by using helpful det ails(d escriptive writing.)
•
My plot is suitable and ideas link togeth er(narrative writing).
•
I can create charac t e r s a n d s e t tings that are int e r e s ting(narrative writing).
Excelent progress
•
I can write in a way that is interes ting fo r my rea.der
•
I organise my writing so that it ha s a n e f fe c t o n the rea.der
•
I use well - c h o s e n v o c ab u l a r y preciselya, n d v a r y my sentence s for effe c t .
•
My writing makes it easy for the reader to imagine pe o p l e , o b j e c t s or sce nes (d escriptive
writing).
•
I can write s tories with a clear sens e of developm ent and charac t e r s and places that are
convincing (narrative writing.)
•
My spellin g , p u n c tuation and grammar is almost always accurate.
S e c t i o n 3: Appl y i n g k e y s k i l l s i n c o u r s ework
672
Approaching
speaking and
11
listening
s lsuledhrinuatkoysngenltegYilsnkauaiielp
cusruof tmpdenadnaitnmedyeoiecltreht
rael cdeeatnedieoflbnyo,clyodiwuttus
i rbmaCrorafptrEouaSGCoA.scIyiegtdnumoc
dnlal goniykieksat,eespgsinerrluaoirucns
noi taut ipestlpeahlamcrolsflihiiTwadessens.sra
y s dihlstiloulrtboifdknoasht ktosrubauotoy
dna ilonoumhoccs utoayfyfepnlielvtieatechc
. ef iyrleveyrauody
o Y uwuliseyourspeaknigandsiltennigsksltio:
•
xeepdxnea eeatwhcaneslusietcratp
dnaLS)t(ledfen1,igthamguioht
•
ienhoipco adnaanf istaneesdvsneoisrpcts,
usrnehticdnuihawi erShesn(dtia’rote)s2ecL
•
soplnrcuipseudtnaycylinlumuroafceeg
S( egaugnal tneul)3fL
•
oc ot se)it4grepaLpraSi e(rrsptuexotn
•
listen an d r e s p o n d appropriately in
convers ation(SL 5).
277
11. retpahC o1 Tc ip
Unsigeht ghtrangiluage
You r a u d i e n c e i s a v i t a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n a n y s p e a k i n g monologue i n t h e r o le of a
a n d l i s t e n i n g s i t u a t i o n . A t a l k o r p r e s e n t at i o n t o
a t e a c h e r s h o u l d b e i n a f a i r l y f o r m a l r e g i s t e .r I f s t a n d a r d E ng l i s h , r at h e r
you choo se to del iver a
c h a r a c t e ,r y o u c a n s p e a k l e s s f o r m a l l y a s l o n g a s t h a t Key terms
s u i t s t h e c h a r a c t e .r H o w e v e r , i n t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n p a r t
o f t h e a s s e s s m e n t , y o u s h o u l d a l w a y s s p e a k f o r m a l l.y monologue: a speech,
A n s w e r q ue s t io n s u s i n g in role, by one chara c t e r the
t h a n t h e c a s u a l l a n g u a g e y o u m i g h t u s e w it h f r i e n d s . without interruptio n
were going
Explore the skills standard English: we and
most widely u sed form of
uoY are going to deliver a pres entation o n how your scho ol’s rules English that is not specific was
should be change d. Remember the following point s w h e n to a particular location going
working through the t a s k s b elow. or region (fo r example,
• Focus on using formal st andard Engli s h . i n s t a n dard English , you rather than tiff
• Use a suitable s t y le and includ e content that wil would say: )
engage your audience. not we
you would use the word
1 W ith a par tn, deercide how you would vary your content argument
a n d s t yle for: or barney
a) the head teacher
b) your class mates
c) a meeting of interes ted pare n t s .
In each case, ask yours elf:
• What will theyalreadyknow?
• What do I nee d to tell th?em
• How can I put across my vi e w s m o s t p e r s u a s iveyl?
2 T he example on the n e x t page is part of an unsucces sful
p r e s e n t a t ion. Read it, then decid e what need s to be
improved.
S e c t i o n 4 : S p e a k i n g a n d l i s t e n i ng
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1.
11
Thing is, nobody likes rules. They’re rubbish. And
theoneswehave in this school are brainless.
o Ya beuhv’egeroeto know we suff . er Man, do
we suff earr!ePnts? They don’t know nothing
aboutstuffhappening to us everydayW.ewas
told offfor eating our lunch outside on the fi eld
yesterd.ya Maybe they thought the grasswas,
like, going to get worn out. Mental!
oT do well in speaking and listening, you will need to be able to in your task s. That means:
u s e s t a n dard English
• avoiding slang or language that is too informal
• speaking in full sentences , usin g c o r r e c t grammar
• using voc a b u l a r y that will be wid e l y u n d e r s to o d .
3 D eliver the sp eechain T sk 2 to a par tn, cehranging it
to stan dard English that would be more suitable for an
audience of pare n t s . A l t e r words and s entence str u c t ures
w h e r e n e c e s s ary.
Build the skills … So,really, healthy eating is somethin g we should
The tone you use is always impor t a n t . Here is a good example of a all be aware .of
convers ation about healthy diets .
I m’ sure we would all agree with that.
Sara:
aeT c h e r : We would, bsiur t agreeing is not neces sarily the
Sara: same as ac tin g, is it? A f ter all, it is ea sy tosay,e ‘s Y,
l e t ’ s eat more vege tables and consume les s sug,ar’
aeT c h e r : b u t i ts’ much harder to apply that philosophy wh en
we arrive at the supermarekt .
Sara:
Well…aren’t we all v e r y aware that our diet is
crucial if we are goin g to live a long and healthy
e?fil
I g u e s s … S …o are you sugg e s t i n g that
fundamentally a f fe c t s the produc t s we choo? se
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279
11. retpahC o1 Tc ip
aeT c h e r : M aybe… Doe sit?
Sar:
Perhaps…BuptrobabyolnuonotefntenodughY.
…oeoctrdvxnaclemrisnye…pamslfkeLiy
m…Iean…Hyamolfwoiyufr etdnoyuwgeih
youhoyrnsetkhayfDitlou?edtuirnough,
?…Dhyothguseotapnhtdki…rMi‘ds’mI,
betterbuyelchso.coaetnldmoreorange’s Otisr
…acoteusoafsyfloealprbtenhioefwagsrlvik
Writte n English c an be reco nsidered and reworked; spoke n i s p e r fe c t for her
English is formulated moment by moment and de mands an
i n s t a n t r e s p o n s e . In the example above, Sara work s out h er ideas
as she speak s (‘I g u e s s … S …o)’ a n d u s e s part- s e n t e n c e s . Howe,ver
she stil u s e s appropriate English and her tone
audience. She is thoughtful and makes points without becoming
too casual o r o f fending her tea c.her
4 H ow does Saramake her conver sation e f f e c t i ve and
engag?inCgonsider her u se of the following features:
a) rhetorical q u e s t io n s
b) quotations
c) sensitive chalenges to her teacher
d) vocabular . y
Develop the skills I get sick of traf fi c j a m s . Boring traf fi c j a m s .
The example below is an imaginary convers ation bet ween a
s t u d e n t , Majid, and hi s teacher abou t transpo r t p r o b l e m s . N otice I t ’ s a problem we all face, isn’ tit? Have you had
how Majid some times s truggles to use ef f e c tive English , which p a r t icular proble?ms
would clarify his ideas.
I ’ve bee n stuck for hours s o m e t i m e s . A g eas . T ke last
Majid: week. Hardly movingatall.We n e e d b e t ter roa d s
aeT c h e r : made.
Majid: Wastheresomething actualywrongwiththeroad?
aeT cher: o oTtrue! An d it’s not enough to say ‘ride .bWikes’
Majid: need to ge t to placesquicokluy. cYan’t c ycle across
the countr, ycanyou? And the train s are rubbish.
aeT c h e r :
I nwhatway?
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1.
11
Majid: T hey’re rubbish. We n e e d s o m e o n e new in charge,
if you ask me… Someone who know s w h a ts’
wrong. And put s it right…
5 Rewrite Majid ’sword s , t r yin gtoimprove:
• the variety of sentence lengths and t y p e s
• t h e s t yle, making it less c h a t t y bu t stil natural
• the detail s , s o that the ideas are d eveloped.
Now read this sample opening to a prese ntation in which the
speake r t a l k s about her favourite countr . y
Gerpeascleithartactpseoevrpeohtlfmrewalodlr
anfonwciatd:ays, someres,orH.tuosjawerseovtpertopuarl
ehtyodlefsuah,dicnlowytkdsfihaentrdn’ted
spots,dihdenfromhtmetonraisufri cw,ermhcinyodiu
fo eelykoahwdiotelhawtneevtceaenhweodrnGafosofer
orp l l witnweogreotcnraefanhuitrepexr.vehnTalbatudfler
oti gn,eimlpambxuet,aroHefhttfnaor:owtnistnac
hcirurhecS efhotoydtntsayrbn,laihcseotdvoufnbia,rmtesey
m,aehhrtdttudoynwasksoeaherltcusptaohrejte,
oht l la enod ehpovsaohlmag…iyehsapturso
6 A nswer th e s e q u e s ti o n s , considering the speake r’s
vocabular ,y sentences and tone.
a) What make s this ope ning engag?ing
b) How does sheshowshehasthought about her audi?ence
Appylthe skills
7 Prepare the ope ning of a pres entation d escribin g your
favourite place and explaining why you like it. Use an
appropriate s t yle to engage your audience, and varied
vocabular y an d sentenceosu.mYight include:
• a precise d e s c r iption of whatitislike
• why it is spe cialforyou, or your earlie s t m e mories of i t .
8 N ow rewrite it a s a monologue , recounting your fi r s t visit
to this place.
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281
11. retpahC o2 Tc ip
Choosnigandresearchniga
pretseinonat otpci
W h e n m a k i n g a p r e s e ntat i o n , it i s i mp o r t a n t t o c h o o s e Toptpi
a g o o d t o pi c a n d r e s e a r c h i t w e l l .
Whenasked to give a
Explore the skills presentation, try to choose
atopicthat wil alow fora
good discus sion,to showyour
skilsatanaly sis and debate.
Always think carefully about howtomake a present ation
i n t e r e s ting for your audience. Check that you know your to pic
in detail, so you will feel confide nt when talking and answering
q u e s t i o ns about it . If nece s s a r, ycar r y out research.
1 W hich of the se topics could you talk a b o u t m o s t
s u c c e s s fyu?l W?hy
• Argue that pro b l e m s c a u s ed by teenagers are
sensationalised in the press .
• Advise the parents of prima r y s c h o o l s tu d e n t s to send
them to your school.
• Explain w hy teenage rs prefer technology toreallife.
Build the skills
Once you have cho sen your to pic, think ab out what angle you
couldtake on it. For example, it is more dif f i c ult to persuade
someone that your football team is the be st than it is to des cribe
w h a t h a p p e n e d during a matochu. sYhould not nece ssarily
choose the ea s i e s t approach – a mo re complex one i slikely to be
more engaging and s u c c e s s ful.
2 Choose one of the topics b elow and us e n o t e s , a mind
map or a spider diagram, to explore the angles you could
take on it. Reme m b, eatr the simplest level you might be
arguing for or again s t a p oint.
• Some television presente r s b e i n g v e r y highly paid
• Pressure on te e n a g e r s to do well in exams
• Zoos
Read the following s a m p l e e x tr a c t s from pre sentatio ns, showin g
d i f f erent responses to the same topic.
S e c t i o n 4 : S p e a k i n g a n d l i s t e n i ng
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2.
11
Response 1
The trip was a huge successe. Wmetat6:45w,hich a clear topic sentence
wasrealyearlyfor mostofus,thenthebusarrivedat sets the scene
adds humour
aboutseven.Irushedstraight to the back, to sit with
direct address to audi-
Jenny and Asma, and a whole gang of us wereontheback ence/rhetorical question
an engaging approach
seat .Mind you,wedidn’tfeellikesingingthatearlyinthe challenging
light humour
morning. IswearLucy wasstil chewing her breakfast when
she got on …
Response 2
Iknowwhatthereaction from most of you wilbe
whenIaskthis,b…uthowcananybody justify atrip
to a theme park in schooltime?Andbeofreyou start,
yes, Iknow everyoneenjoysit–butwhatintheworlddoes
ithaveto dowitheducatio?noWuldne’tritobesbite
inlessonsduringtheweek and go to an amusementpark
attheweekend?tsI’ lovelyto see the teachers having fun
and running around, of course,butweekdaysshouldbefor
learning…
3 W tihapar ,idtennertifywhatisgoodaboutResponse1.
Thenidentif ythemoreadvancedsklishownniResponse2.
Develop the skills
If your content is not relevant, you will los e the attention of
your audience. Researchin g your topic carefully to fi n d t h e m o s t
i n t e r e s ting material is vital. Thi s means bein g s e l e c tive and fi n ding
information fro m d i f ferent sources that suits your purpose. Avoid
copying material from any source.
4 List fac t s about the cit , y town or area wh ere you live. Make Toptpi
them as dif fere n t a s p o s sible, to cover a range of intere s t s .
T h e n s e l e c t f a c t s from your list that you could us e in a talk Each point youmakeneeds
presenting the place as: to be clear andprecise. If the
audience misses a point, they
• a tourist d e s tination have no secondchanceto
hear it.
• a good place for a major company to relocateto
• s o m e w h e r e d e s e r ving special government funding.
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Read the extr a c t from a pres entation b elow. The speake r chose and uses a rangeoflanguage devices .
her topic, then her approach to explain w hat made Muhammad
Ali ‘the greates.tNo’te how the to pic has bee n well researched. Toptpi
It is full and well or ganised Whenplanning a
presentation, remember that
Mostboxingexpe r t sagreethatMuhammadAlishouldbe each detail needs to suppor t
consideredthegreatestboxerofal time.AsCassiusClay, youroveral purp ose.Fni ding
hewonthegoldmedal at the Rome Olymp9ics60, inth1en the fact sisjus t the star t .
turnedprofessionalandbecame world heavy weightchampion Whatcount s is how you
964,idne1featingSonnyListon,theboxereev r yone else use and develop your ideas
feared.Claywashandsome,‘fl oatederlikefa lbu y and aroundthem.
stunglikeab, eaen’dtheworldloevd him. H,ohwevercourt ed
controversAy.li refused to fi ghtfortheUSA intheVietnam
. HeWrahadhistitletakenfromhim..
5 W ith a par tn, deri s c u s s the following que s t i o n s .
a) How many fact s does th e r e s p o n s e above inclu?d e
b) How does th e speake r use the fa c ?t s
c) What is the main point?
d ) How does th e speake r t r ytomake her audience
i n t e r e s ted in Muhammad A?il
T h e p r e s e n t ation on Muhammad A:il
• o f f e r s fac t s that give a clear picture of what was happening
• indicates w hat was spe cial about him
• gives an impre ssion of w hy he was su ch a great boxe r
• only includ e s f a c t s relevant to the main topic – Ali and why
he was outs tanding.
Even a fairly e v e r yday topic, such as sch o o l r u l e s , can be mad e
more interes ting by in cluding:
• s t a t i s tics (fo r example, how many rules are broke)n
• s u r v ey results (for example, how stud ents feel a b o u t
p a r t icularrules)
• comparisons f(or example, with other schoosl).
Appylthe skills
6 Prepare a talk for your clas s on your favourite hob.by
Complete a table likethe one below, which is about
running.
S e c t i o n 4 : S p e a k i n g a n d l i s t e n i ng
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2.
11
Points you would select W hyyouwo u l d c h o o s e How you would develop the
the points points to sh ow their ef f e c t s
health issues importantatany
age or go into more detail
Running is healt.hy w-ebleing how much weight I lost/how
mylife changed as I became
5 1 millionBritishpeoplerun. pleacsuorem/petitione/feling of healthier
age no barrier: Constantina
Ditabecameworldmarathon
championat38; Buster
M a r tinranintheLondon
marathon 1ag0ed 1
7 N owmake notes on po ssible angles for the pres entation
about your hobb.yFor example, is it unu sual? Does it help
you in other areas of your?liCfeould you ever maeka
career of i?t
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Strcut u rnigyourpesrnt oanti
I n a w e l l -s t r u c t u r e d p r e s e n t atio n , t h e s p e a k e r k no w s
what t h e y a r e g oi n g t o s ay a n d i n what order. I n
p a r t icular, y o u w i l l n e e d t o t h i n k a b out t h e d i f f erent
w a y s t o b e g i n , d e v e lo p a n d e n d yo u r p r e s e n t at io n .
Explore the skills
1 I magine that you are going to give a pres entation ab out
yourfavourite school sub j e c t . Firs t, li st the points you might
make,then put them into a logical o r.dFeorr example, you
might group points as follows:
• how it is taught
• why it particularly appeals to you
• how it could help you in the future.
T h i n k p a r ticularly about how you would be gin your pres entation
and how it might end.
uoY should plan your id eas in det ail, then summarise them s o
they fit on a cue c ard that you can refer to when giving your
p r e s e n t a t ion. Remember that you will only be talking for about
four minutes .
Toptpi
2 Complete a table liketh e one below to develop your idea s . Planning a pres entation is
Add more detailed information to the righ-th a n d column.
Then, using your plan, run through what you wouldsay. similartoplanning an es.sya
How, ewvheren you are
talking,you can develop ideas
Main idea Points to be inc l u d e d
teachers
on the spot and interact with
MissSpivey (bringscakestoschool) youraudience, using difefrent
Mr Jenksinimsp(ly adoresovlca)noes
lots of videos tones of voice and gestures.
drama improvisations about other countries
lessons includefieldtrips,camping
trips
Build the skills
uoY r opening s e t s t h e tone for what follows. It should make it
clear what you inten d to talk about. It should also immediately
engage your audience.
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S o m e p o s s i ble techniques to use in an o pening include:
• rhetorical questions: Have you ever wondered why the sea is
salty? We recently learned ab out the Leaning
Th9e331Californi a e a r t hquakekilled at le a s t
• relevant humour:
woT er of Pisa – not to be conf used with piz za..
• powerful f a c t s:
5 1 1 people.
3 Uehstetchnqiueasbhtewornievitrenriegsotpenigs
ofhtrepersenatoinabovychuoseatfuiroslubejct.
Develop the skills
uoY r c h o i c e o f e n d i n g w i l l d e p e n d o n y o u r t o p i c a n d p u r p o s erT. y • o nefinal,convin cingpoint
to make a p o w e r f u l i m p r e s s i o n u s i n g o n e o f t h e s e t e c h n i q u e s :
• a s u m m a r yofyourargument • arhetorical q u e s tion.
• ajoke C h a p t e r 11 : A p p r o a c h i n g s p e a k i n g a n d l i s t e n i n g
4 U se one of the se techniques to write a conclusion to a talk
on why it is imp o r t a n t for schools to have histo r y l e s s o n s .
5 Write an alternative ending to th e histo r y - l e s s o n t a lk using
one of the other te chniques li s t e d a b ove.
Read this example co nclusion to a prese ntation about a favourite
subject .
Anyone co ming to our school should look fo r w ard to doing Maths .Wereally do have the be s t
t e a c h e r s . The equipm e n t a n d b o o k s areallnew. What is more , the way they pre sent the subje c t
makes it fun from the st a r t to the finish. An d they manage to fin d things to do outsid e the
school, so we g et away from o u r d e s k s for a while. Th e M a t h s d e p a r tment really could not be
a n y b e t. rte I t s’myfavourite subjec t , and I bet it willbeyou r s .
6 Rewrite the con clusion ab ove to improve it.
• Organise the material more ef f e c tively so that the id eas
develop more logicaly.
• A d d m o r e d e t ailandcomment appropriately.
• Rephrase o r rewrite whe r e n e c e s s a r y to leave the
audience with a m emorable idea.
Appylthe skills
7 Plan a prese ntation to p e r s u a d e your local co m m u n i t y to
donate to a charit y sup p o r t e d by your school.
• Makea plan in bullet p oints an d add detali s .
• Prepare what you are going to say to open and clo se
the present ation.
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Enganginecuoyradie
Including i m a g e r y and repeat i n g k e y words or ph rases
w i l l h e lp y o u t o e m p h a s i s e i m p o r t a n t p o i n t s . C a r e f u l Topt pi s
use of hu mour, rhetor ical que s t io n s a n d e x a g gerat ion I f•you choose a presentation
where you must speak
w i l l a pp e a l t o l i s t e n e r s. inrole, you will needto
adapt yourtone tosuit
Explore the skills that role.
owRlonehfsaltgdiampleexrtacorfmtapersenatoiTn.psheaker I n•general, avoid repeating
hachsoesnotdoamonoTelhrgeo.rnluie, sponnsesitandard yourself. How, euvsinegr
bEhsnu,tigtalbseenenchriedbymi agerayndreponeit. repetition skilfulyto
hammer home a point is
Icursethatman–roPspero!–andevery thingabouthim.He an effe ctive techniqueni
demands and he demands. Alwayscraving more. He holds presentations.
himselflikeagodandwieldshispowerasifheeven ruled
theworld.Asifhewouldbewo r thytobowandcrawlatmy
mother’sfeet;asifhewould be worthy to sit at hertable;as
,fi wereitnotofrthe sprite who does his bidding, he could look
down on me tod.aHyeismendacious.Heis trulytheserpent
onthisisland…
1 I d e n t i f y t h e i m a g e r y and repetition in the ex tra c t .
a) Comment on each example and its ef f e c t .
b) lA‘ ways craving more’ is not a conventional sentence.
Why is it u sed? What ef f e c t does it h?ave
2 W ith a par tn, deri s c u s s why each example you have found
is appropriate for the purpo se.
Build the skills TheTem p e s t .
Read the following ex tra c t f r o m a sample pre sentatio n spoke n in
role as Miranda from
Myfatherisawonderf ulman.Hedoesever y thinginhispowerto keep every thingundercontrol
andhehasledavery diffi cultlife.HehassomuchtroublewithCaliban,becausehebehaves
sobad, layndmyfathersimpyl has to disciplinehim.Itseemsthatpunishmentisal Caliban
understands…
3 Rewrite this ex tra c t t o improve it, adding image r y and
repetitio n .
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Develop the skills ( T h e d esired re a c t ion is:
Rhetorical q u e s t ions can be used to challenge the audience to )
think more actively about an is sue. For example:
• ‘Can this eve r be accept a?ble’
Probably no!t
4 Ad d t w o rhetorical q u e s t ions to this ex tra c t t o add interes t .
Whenwoelakcorssthewotdrhl,esnrieoasownhwysehoudl
nowtalt,owdraktsaocgometmheornfutureS.omeonefrom
nyAroesldaisfli erentfromsomeonWeniChanldve.s
thatmayvaryandwmeeadhyfaiv erenbtuewstif,aleral
humanbneaiguwalsh,ovenl,.dcry
Adding humour a n d w i t t y tou ches can e ncourage th e audience to Toptpi
warm to yoru. Ty : ( s h o r t stor y) to suppor tyour point, for
• a funny anecdote Exaggeration can also
makeaconsiderable But use
example: ‘I caught measles on holid.aWye l l , a c tualy, measles i m p a c t , for example: ‘Her
caught me. What happened wa …s’ make- up was s o thick
her nose was only just
5 Add a funny follow - o n to each of thes e sentences . poking out of .i t ’
a) Anyone can dress well if they know where to shop. exaggeratio n sparing.ly
b) I t r y to help my cousin.
Appylthe skills
6 Produce a pre sentation opening about the job you would
likewh en you are o.ldUesre the followin g techniques ,
underlining each example: i m a g e r, yrepe tition for ef f e c t ,
rhetorical qu e s t i o ns, humour and exaggeratio n .
Checklistforsuccess
✔
U s e i m a g e r y and repetition in your pre sentatio n to create
more of an impac t .
✔
Use rhetorical q u e s ti o n s , humour and exaggeration
sparingly and only when suited to a topic or an audience.
✔
Plan in advance w hich of thes e technique syouwill u s e .
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Deveolpnigarole
uoY m a y c h o o s e t o m a k e y ou r i n d i v idual pr e s e n t at ion
i n c h a r a c t er – f o r e xample, as a f i c t ional charact er or
s o m e o n e f r o m h i st o r. y
Explore the skills TheTem p e s t in
uoY need to prepare in advance to create and develop a what has happened to them
convincing charac. rte If you have chose n a f i c tional charac ,tseurch what they think abou t d i f ferent issue s
as the examples of Caliban and Miranda from
p.o1T ic41, you m u s t be prepared to discus s their role in th e novel, how they speak to and treat others
play or film they com e from. If you have chosen a histo rical figure, with people around them
you may be as ked q u e s t ions about what they hoped to achieve, or
t h e i r i m p o r t ance in hi s t o r. y why they behave as they do.
In order to po r t r ay someone convincingly,you need to consider
the following:
•
their history:
•
their attitudes:
and people
•
t heir behaviour:
•
t heir relationship s :
•
t heir motivations:
1 Choose one of the following roles .Make notes about the
c h a r a c ter for each of the areas in the lis t above:
• an older relative
• a famous painter
• a prison guard
• a film .star
2 I n groups of thre e, choose a c h a r a c ter each from the list
above. Introduce your charac ,tdeer scribing your life and
what has happe ned to you.
Build the skills
W h e n p e r forming in role, you need to u se language that is
appropriate for your charac . tFeorr example, a politicianwill speak
d i f f e rently from someone who works in a burger.bar
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5.
11
3 Work with a paort.nYe r u are talking about whether space
exploration is a waste of time and moanek.yeitTin turns
to deliver a mo nologue while the other lis t e n s .
• One of you is N eil Arms trong, the fi r s t a s t r o n aut to
walk on the moon ,in19 69.
• The other is a volunteer workerfor a charity fi ghting
against home l e s s n e s s .
Before you begin, note down some appro priate words or phrase s
for your charac . ter
Develop the skills
When you are in role, you nee d to speakclearly, but you als o need
to speak in the way your character would.
Read the example improvisation below. The speake r is in role as
a television repo r t. Ne ortice how she s p e a k s , giving th e audience
a vivid feeling of what happened at the end of a marathon, how
p e o p l e r e a c ted and an impression of t h e s o r t o f p e r s on she is.
OnlyrarelyinmylifehaveIeflt so many people united in
joy:whenAlexandrocrossedthe fi nishline,therewasan
outpouring of emotion the likeofwhichmanyheretoday will
neverhaevwitnessed.Hehadruntheentire race in absolute
agony,butwasnotprepared togivein,an2dk4ilometresis
along,longway to suff . er Ashefi nished,thewholecrowdwas
cheeringandmanywere crying. I cried…too
4 W ith a par tn, deri s c u s s what features of h e r s p e e c h makeit
s u c c e s s ful.
5 Continue the rep o r t , making up any det ails, but
maintaining th e tone of the rep o r t e r ’ssp e e c h .
Appylthe skills
Choose a chara c t e r from the media or real life. It could be the
c h a r a c ter you choseains kT 2 . O th e r p o s s i bilities include:
• a leading politician
• a singer
• someone in yourfavourite television show
• a s p o r t s s.t ar
6 Demohnoyewalhnsrtcegyiaspteahtevrdkiel, -
mniueptseecyhaosucrharaecbrtoguiasfntii canevten:t
perhapysouhwoyaebjvult,sormanlfoe.volrndailn
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Prepagrinofrconvesart oni
H o w y o u n e e d t o p r e p a r e f o r a c o n v e r s at io n w i l l
depend on you r t o p ic. For example, for a conversat ion
about t e e n a g e c r i m e , y ou c o u l d r e s e a r c h f a c t s , f i g u r e s
a n d o p i n i on s . I f y ou a r e a s k e d f o r i d ea s t o i m pr o v e y o u r
l o c a l c o m m u n i t, yy o u m ig h t a s s e s s a r a n g e o f o p t i on s
a n d t h e n a d o p t a p o i n t of v i e. w
During your conv e r s ation, you might b easke dto:
• expand on what you have already said, adding d etails or
considering other angles
• clarify f a c t s or opini o n s .
Explore the skills Toptpi
When preparing for the conve rsation about your pre sentation Briefnotesare fine,butnever
topic, think about what qu e s t i o n s your teacher might ask, and read directly from them. Maek
note down any info rmation and ideas . surethatyoudo not develop
themintoany form of script.
1 W hat would you n eed to de cide and res earch to give a
p r e s e n t a t ion and answe r q u e s t ions on the topicbelow?
The greates t individual th e world has ever known.
Build the skills
r T yto anticipate ques tions that you might be as ked , and have the
information read. y For example, if you were talking a b o u t ‘ M y
life outside school an d what make s it interes ti,nygo’u might have
prepared info rmation on:
• your hobbies o r interest s
• a job you have
• how you spen d the rest of your time.
2 W ith a par tn, deer cide what other detalis you would ne e d
to know in cas e a range of qu e s t i o n s were aske d on this
topic.
3 List ten fa c t s or points you would have to research abou t
someone you admire. In pair s , t akeitin turns to read
out your lis t so.urY p a r tner should tr y to think of three
q u e s t i o ns seeking f u r t h er information on your chose n
p e r s o n a n d w hy you admire the m.
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6.
11
Look at these sample resp onses to the prese ntation to pic: Response 2
What more can we do to help old pe opel?
Obvious,lisyt’ nevereasCyh.aritieslikeAge
Response 1 Concerngiveoutleafl e tslikethisone,with
advice,butwe can’t just waveamagic wand to
I have a friend who suggests we should al transformthelivesofoldpeople.Neev r theless,
thinkaboutwhatitwil belikewhenwe get to just gievup on them isn’t an option.Andeven
.oIfldweeral thoughtaboutthat,Iam . leetrhingsLmalaistweek,forinstance,
surewewould treat old people much more thepaperboyknewmygrandmawasunwel and
knidyl. It is not just about raising moneyofr askedifshewould likeanextramagazinethe
charitiess;iti’m p o r tant to be nice to old next…day
people everyday.
4 W ith a par tn, deri s c u s s why Resp onse 2 is b e t t. e r
Develop the skills
uoY need to be ready to ans w e r q u e s tions following your
p r e s e n t a t io n .
5 W ith a par tn, iemragine that you have given a pres entation
s u p p o r ting the view that teache rs are a s chool’s m o s t
valuable resouroceu.rY p a r tn e r a s k s you questions about
why you hold that view an d challenge s your opinio n s .
r T yto make use of some of their points and reach a
compromise. Follow the example beolw.
Student: Well, it s’ true that
c o m p u t e r s are good for revising
aeT c h e r : But couldn’t you something you’ve forgot t e n , b u t
learn just as well from an you need a g ood teacher to asses s
online res ou?rce what you need in the fi r s t place.
6 Working in pair s , p repare a talk r e s p o n ding to the ohsreir owunocslicn.
following st atement: C h a p t e r 11 : A p p r o a c h i n g s p e a k i n g a n d l i s t e n i n g
dtai rdanhanocdsebtolnpaoywjephttrono’awP;tneyce 293
.egaw
aoctunrTsihetankie ocuntveart aositnbetweenteachearnd
studenwtihcuhitetsdenatcknoweldghetsetachpeso’rniatsnd
ethierachcaoemspormsiecokitsro
y Athpepsl kills
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Respondnigto talk,seenig
tacimlpi onisnadpahrpansig
D u r i n g a c o nversat i o n , i t i s i mp o r t a n t t o s h o w t h at y ou and
can both talk listen.
Explore the skills allows you to absorb oth er people’s ideas and
E f f e c t i ve listening
develop new ones of your own. OK. So, you think that Jus tinBie ber is as
Read this example ex tra c t f r o m a group discu ssion about people i m p o r t ant a world fi gure as Mahatma Gandhi?
we respec t.
He was only my age when he released his fi r s t
Kamal: full-le ngth album. How cool is that?
Lucy: T h a t ’ s quite impres sive, but Gandhi’s n o n - v i olent
Kamal: protest helped to secure India n i n d e p e n d ence.
Lucy: Well,Ithink celebrities can do a lot of good.
Kamal:
Shabnam: Can you give an exam?ple
Kamal:
Lucy: Likefootballers . There’s that Suarez for one.
Didn’t he bite another play?er Toptpi
Well, it might have been a misunders tanding. Inaconversation, always
respond direc tlyto what
1 W ith a par tn, e r discus s: someone says,countertheir
ideas, ask them for more
a) h o w L u c y s’ liste ning skill s are limiting the conver satio n detail or develop what they
have said.
b) how she fails to respo nd to promp ts and implications .
Build the skills
R e s p o n d i n g s e n s i t i v e l y m eans not only engaging with what say dire c t l y but with what they imply . People regularly
people
say things that imply some thing else , for example: ‘I love your
n e w d r e s s . I t s’ so… d i f f e r e n. tA’ g o o d l i s t e n e r p i c k s o u t w h a t i s
implied and co mments on it .
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7.
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2 Look at the sample convers a t i o n e x tr a c t below, then Toptpi
a n s w e r t h e s e q u e s t io n s .
Look out for whatyour
a) Which teache r r e s p o n s e s could be challen ged by a teacher is implyni gandfor
anyinconsiste n. cCheaylnge
perceptive liste ner? them if necessar. y
b) What is implied in each res ponse you have identifi ed?
Dan: Geography s’likeRE – a total was teoftim e.
aeT c h e r : Have you ever be en on holiday ab road?
Dan: aeY h, we went to – wh ere was it – s ome place in Italy, or Spain.
aeT c h e r : So,you’re not sure what countr yyou went to.
Dan: Oh... yeah, it was Mallorc a. Is that a count?rIyt was a lot hot ter than we expec ted
a n d e v e r y thing was shut onaSunday.
aeT c h e r : Might a bit of research have made the ex perience m ore reward?ing
Develop the skills what is said during a discu ssion proves that you
Paraphras i n g
listen an d u n d e r s t and well. For example: I think that for many pe ople, travel is an educ ation as well as fun. It broadens our
horizon s .
aeT c h e r :
onhetuskiagtotherparYthweodfloserxpandoshntuikrgandpecrepoitn.
Sonia: A b solute.ly
aeT c h e r :
3 In groups of f,opurepare a conve r s a t ion entitled: ‘ S p a c e Checklistfor
exploration is a waste of time. The money could be spent success
o n m o r e w o r thwhile thi.ngs’ wT o of you should takeup
each viewpoint.
• Note down the points mad e by each speaker taking the
opposite view.
• Summarise what each speake r thinks .
Appylthe skills ✔
Focus on listening
4 In a group of three, discus s this topic:
carefully be c a u s e w hat
Out of scho o l , m o s t te e n a g e r s waste m ost of th eir time.
you hear affe c t s how
• Look out for implications and challenge them.
• Use paraphra se to acknowledge what pe ople say, well you resp o n d .
and to check your u n d e r s t anding. ✔
O f f e r a clear
paraphrase of any
comments or questions
to show that you
have listened well
a n d u n d e r s tood any
implications made.
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Deveolpnigandsupport nidegias
with codnecif
uoY w i l l f e e l m o r e c o n f i dent i f y o u a r e w e l l p r e pa r e d
a n d c a n d e v elop your i d e a s i n d e t a i l , u s i n g e v idence
and examples.
Explore the skills
Imagine that you are going to talk about the following topic:
There should be a ban on compe titive spo r t .
1 List the points you maekin favour and thos e that might be
made against you. How would you counter each o?ne
2 Look at this example of a convers ation abou t this topic.
How does Abi show that she has prepared well, and can
confi d e ntly suppor t h er ide? as
aeT c h e r : What kind of mo ney do top playe rs e?arn
Abi:
aeT c h e r : They earn obs cene amounts ofmoney. A r s e n a l ’s Alexis Sanchez ear1n$s8 6 0 0 0 a
Abi: w e e k , a n d h a s j u s t b e e n o f fered $53 0 0 0 0 a we ek to move to China.
aeT c h e r : T h a ts’ c e r t ainly a bit more than most of us earn, bu t aren’t these players an
Abi: inspiratio n to oth?ers
Up to a point, but their earning s might jus t encourage young peo ple to have
unrealisti c e x p e c tations. Many young people won’t be able to see a live Premier
League football match – not when th e c h e a p e s tticket s can co st up to $69. That s’ for
Chelsea. Evenaticke t for Leices ter co s t s a t least $29!
Excellent p oint. But w h a ts’ wrong with j u s t watching on T V ?
And becoming even more of a cou ch poet?aTto e n a g e r s w ould be bet ter of f goin g
o u t a n d a c tually playing in an amateur game them s e l v e s .
Q u e s t i o n s may be us ed to tes t you and to encourage you to do
your best . They may :
• r e q u e s t e x t r a information: ‘So, if you think Py thagoras was
the greatest mathematician ever – what did he do that has
improved my ef?il ’
• encourage you to extend an idea: ‘ Excellent , J a m e s – can you
develop that point?’
• challenge you: ‘Surely not! What aboutVan G.o?gh’
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3 In pairs , identif y how the teacher u s e s q u e s tions in the Developme nt Toptpi
convers ation above. Condfi enceisnotjust
about talking at length.
4 T hink of another three q u e s t ions that the teacher might Careful listening, folowed
ask on this topic, and su g g e s t h o w they could be ans wered. by a pertinentcommentor
question, can showyour
Build the skills confidencejust as well.
5 If someone raised the points and qu e s t i o n s below in Counter argument
a convers ation, how could you develop them or argue
against thm?e By that, do you mean..or.. ? .
seY .
Statement ; Not only that , but…
Surely football d o e s n ’ t a c t ually C h a p t e r 11 : A p p r o a c h i n g s p e a k i n g a n d l i s t e n i n g
makethe world a bet ter pla ce.
The whole world seems to be
obsessed with America.
Develop the skills
6 Write down what you would say in re sponse to these
challenges . Remember: you can, if you wish, acknowled ge
that someone ha s a point, but then dis agree.
a) But isn’teducational aboutg e t t ingagoodjoboneday?
b) Shouldn’twebancarscompelteylfiwevauleh?umanfiel
c) Don’t you think everyone should learn at least t wo
l a n g u a g? e s
Appylthe skills
7 In pairs , prepare a presentation on the following topic:
uoY don’t nee dtotravelto enjoy life.
P r a c t i se giving your p r e s e n t a t ions, following them up with the
kind of conver sation you might have.
Checklistforsuccess
✔
E x t e n d your own ideas by adding supp o r t i ng evidence.
✔
Get your par tne rtoclarif y qu e s t i o ns if nece s s a r, yby using
phrases such as
✔
Develop an idea yourself, by using phra ses leik
And that reminds me…of
297
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Collins Cambridge IGCSE™ ENGLISH STUDENTS BOOK
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