Methodology and conclusion/evaluation feedback (including key)

Methodicals,

here is the key to the feedback with a few expanded points:

• +ac =  more academic in register: choose more formal, academic expressions
• +alt inter = more alternative interpretations: offer more than one interpretation in context of why language choices might be the case 
• +anon = anonymise the data as fully as possible, replacing names with codes and removing identifying details 
• +clar = clarify (make clear) what you've said, thinking about the reader's needs
• +con = express more concisely what you are trying to say - no padding!
• +contx = more contextual comments needed - GRRAMPES and wider context (there are many marks available for this)
• -emp = avoid empty sentences - give details/overview
• +foot = use footnotes to back up theory and contextual points with precise references to other texts
• +GRRAMPES = get higher contextual marks by thinking about the subtler aspects of GRRAMPES and how they might be affecting language choices - offer alternative interpretations, tentatively
• +org = organise ideas in the most helpful order for the reader and make sure of flow/cohesion
• +para = include more paragraphs to help the reader
• +sub= use subtler points to hit the higher bands - use your imagination about the context and add higher level terminology to explore quotes with deep analysis
• +ten = be more tentative in your expression of ideas to get into the top two bands (offer alternative interpretations where possible - are you seeing a pattern?)
• +term = more terminology - crowbar it in wherever you can but I've put this where it is drastically in need

Start to think now about the whole investigation - remember, it is not an essay, it is a presentation of your findings.

What is going to go in your appendices? Unannotated data, bibliography, tables, research that isn't easily accessible etc.

Also start to think about the whole folder.

Bring in the whole investigation, printed out, for peer analysis on Tuesday 7th Feb.

computer room lesson 27 Jan/30 Jan

Perfectnesses,

here are some checklists for improving your conclusion/evaluation and methodology before handing in at the end of the lesson:

Methodology:

• sub-headings for 'reliability', 'comparability' (if relevant) and 'ethicality' (briefly state if it is not an issue and why) - all your clever thinking about how to mitigate the observer's paradox, increase generalisability, select helpful comparability factors and increase ethicality e.g. how you can overcome problems e.g. about informed consent and anonymity
• data description table - lay out for me what you've collected and any helpful contextual detail with clear codes to refer to each piece of data so I can read the investigation without ever looking at the data if I want to and know what it is
• is it concise, using bullet points etc to help?

Conclusion/Evaluation:

• check it is tentative and that you have mentioned problems with generalisability, reliability etc despite your careful methodology
• link back to quantified data and theory to evaluate how far your hypothesis is supported (tentatively!)
• contextualise speculatively considering GRRAMPES and wider context that might have affected the data e.g. age, dialect, social group etc. 
• what would you need to do to make a more effective investigation? e.g. more data, more focussed hypothesis, another section/technique etc.
• don't be self-critical but do be evaluative of the investigation

terminology - apposition (top band grammar)

Here's another I know you'll love!

Apposition.

Terminology - parallel structure (top band)

This is a link to a clear explanation of this term which is mentioned in the top band mark scheme - seems straightforward to be able to spot non-standard uses in texts and comment on them but it seems too straightforward to be worth dissecting if it is accurately used - try proving me wrong in an essay!

Here are some elegantly used examples in literature.

Prescriptive Guardian article - slang

The Guardian is not normally so prescriptive but this article is quite useful for slang terms that have attracted criticism.  Learn a few for the exam.

Hay festival work experience - journalism, broadcast media, press office, events management

Fantastic opportunities for students to work at the Hay Festival :
www.hayfestival.com/wales/jobs.aspx




Students are provided with travel expenses to get to Hay and food and accommodation during the festival. 

Opportunities are available in Journalism, Broadcast Media, the Press Office and Events Management.

If you are interested, let me know.

Language Change timeline

Here's a useful Sideshare presentation - make good notes from this and notice the prescriptive attitude evident in Dr Johnson's choices for his dictionary.

computer room lesson 20th/23rd Jan - conclusions/evaluations

Conclusives,

you should, by now, have pretty much finished your analysis, bar some editing.

The job of the conclusion slash evaluation (you don't have to combine them but I always recommend it) is to put everything you've found into context:

•  recap what you found, briefly (using anaphoric reference - discourse markers that refer back) to add cohesion - establish how far the hypothesis is or is not supported and any other key findings
• be tentative in drawing conclusions and show that you are aware that your investigation is too limited to prove anything
• what contextual factors might explain how far the data does/does not support the hypothesis?
• Look at the GRAPE of the texts 
• but also at wider contextual factors like 
• society's attitudes changing since the original research or other diachronic factors
• the data you sampled (gender/race etc of participants and size of sample - reliability)
• offer alternative interpretations where possible 
• are there any apparent anomalies which  may be skewing the data? What is the picture without that anomaly? Are there any significant outliers in your quantified data? Why might they be the case?
•  evaluate what were the effective (and less effective) approaches (consider commenting on the usefulness of a quantified approach as well as which techniques you chose to focus on and how successful that was)
• don't be too critical - remember, you are trying to show off your thoughtful considerations not admit you did it wrong because you didn't think hard enough about it in the first place 
• BUT, on reflection, what would you need to change to improve the generalisability of your investigation (i.e. what would make your findings more reliable)?

I will take printed copies of these in, as well as the methodology as I need to see those again, on Fri 27th (for A-Block who have a computer room lesson on Fridays) or Monday 30th (for E-block who have coursework lessons on Mondays).

I should be able to get those marked in a week so we can do some peer assessment on the whole investigation in the week before the holiday; then you can do final tweaks.

Trump's linguistic techniques

This Guardian article is quite ambitiously linguistic (you would need to do more to make it suitable for non-specialists in the exam) in its opinion-based exploration of Trump's idiolect, but it's very engagingly written and would provide you with some tips on how to tackle linguistic issues in an opinion piece.

Computer room lesson 13th/16th

Deep-thinkingnesses,

over the next week, while I mark the introductions (and before you do the conclusion/evaluation next week), you need to finish redrafting the analysis.

Re-visit your targets and update them. Decide if you need any support from me - if so, have specific aspects in mind for when you ask me. I will be doing coursework tutorials with those I haven't seen and then I will come round and support ongoing work.

Pop culture grammar

I love this and you can have a pretty good look at it using their zoom function.

It's not vocal fry that boils my blood (Language and Gender)

This article made me angry. I don't get angry very often. See what you think because I am in the minority, I'm aware!

Vocal fry is the Kardashian creak - watch the video halfway down the article first if you are not familar. I don't love it or hate it, but I think it is interesting (how descriptivist of me!).

Most of you will have read my post containing Mary Beard's article on valuing women's voices and that really struck a chord with me - what right do we have to denigrate (criticise) a particular way of speaking? Lakoff thought tag questions and other co-operative speech techniques were 'deficient' but Fishman and others explored their value decades ago.

You are taught to be tentative and offer alternative interpretations in your study of language and so you should - open up dialogue to find out more and reach a better understanding.

So, should people using vocal fry and uptalk be taught that this makes them sound like airheads and they shouldn't do it? Or should there be more publicity about the value of it so that people who use it are less discriminated against?

Read the comments too.

Coursework - introductions and analysis

Reinvigorateds,

getting back to your coursework now it has been marked (or, taking it seriously if you missed the deadline), work hard and ask me specific questions during the tutorials I will be doing.

Ensure your introduction follows the right structure. The introduction in hard copy first draft is due on Tuesday and the completed folder is due Tue 21st Feb.

Introductions:

• why you chose the theory area and data - what makes this an interesting and useful investigation? (remember to be academic not rampantly enthusiastic)
• a summary of what you know about that theory area including a range of theories and how they connect/contrast
• what you have focussed in on from all of those and why
• therefore what your hypothesis is
• how you will test it (which features of language will you quantify/explore?) and why

There is a clear flow here that is essential for getting good marks in AO1 (the structure and flow of your investigation and the clarity and precision). Really think about the reader's needs - what do I need to know so I can understand your thinking and good decisions?

Irony - use in your articles

Irony is one of the concepts many students struggle with. Similar to sarcasm (without the tone of voice to help you), irony in article writing involves saying something while meaning the opposite. The writer has to give enough clues to ensure that readers who are paying keen attention will pick up on the fact that the writer doesn't mean what they are saying but readers need all sorts of pragmatic understanding to pick up on these clues and if you, as a reader, haven't had much practice, you can easily miss them.

I've found a really good example of an ironic article here. What are the clues that this is irony, not a really offensive diatribe?They are all completely obvious, clearly...