AS Language computer room lesson 1/3/16

It's Fair Trade fortnight and I wanted to use resources linked to this to explore terms and ideas to use in Paper 1 (analyse two texts separately then compare them). This work should bring together some of the work on representation that we have done so far. you should be able to do most of the analysis and write-up in class but you should finish the task and post the three-part answer (a, b and c) to the following question on your blog by Friday (4th March).

The question is 'how are meanings and representations communicated in the two texts?'

a) The first text is an official website (ActionAid) providing teaching resources for Fair Trade fortnight. Use the following questions and terms to help you explore it but your answer should be structured like an essay in PEE paragraphs:

• Identify the GRAPE and select some key conventions/techniques that relate to the GRAPE across a range of frameworks/levels (grammar, lexis, discourse etc - particularly explore how graphology supports meanings made through language)
• Look at all the conventions of the form (website) and how these are used to make meanings and representations e.g. they might link to other reputable organisations to make them seems more reliable, or characterise the organisation in particular ways e.g. as professional ("get a job at ActionAid" hyperlink). Use the terms 'affordances' (benefits of the genre/mode i.e. what the technological aspects of the form allow the producer to do/achieve/communicate) and 'constraints' (the limitations of the form i.e. what the website cannot do or can only do in a limited way - try to tentatively establish the effect of constraints and how the producer mitigates/compensates for these).
• choose a range of points that cover meanings, representations and different aspects of the form (including affordances and constraints) and plan an answer. 

b) The second text is a Daily Mail article on research into fair trade.

• Again establish the effect of the GRAPE on language choices
• Then explore the representations of Fair Trade, the workers, the researchers, The Daily Mail etc.
• Look for significant patterns in the language (quotes you could group together that work in similar ways or for similar effects)
• choose a range of points that cover meanings, representations and different aspects of the form ensuring that you can use plenty of terminology across a range of frameworks (lexis, grammar, discourse, graphology etc.) and that you can link all of the analysis to the GRAPE then plan an answer

c) compare the two texts

• spot connections and contrasts across the two texts, focussing on the theme they have in common but also considering how and why they diverge
• choose quotes that you can connect and contrast because they are comparable (e.g. they both use interrogatives/noun phrases/metaphors or other shared techniques; they both talk about the Fair Trade initiative; they are both critical of something; they both refer to outside agencies etc.) 
• ensure that you talk aboiut how the meanings and representations that are made are similar and different using terminology from a range of frameworks
• plan an answer and write up all three answers on your blog

AO1 terminology, clear PEE with linked points and clustered (linked/grouped) quotes
AO3 show how the context affects the linguistic techniques used (why those techniques are used in that way for that audience and purpose, and how the form/genre affects language use)