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Language Study
What are we doing?
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A language study is a process of looking for the ways language is formed, and how it is adjusted, for different contexts and audiences.
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Why are we doing it?
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Because being able to identify how language is used to persuade, inform, satorise, manipulate, etc., means that you will be a more informed consumer of information, and you will be more empowered to use language as a tool yourself.
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Assignment sheet:
Language Study
What will I need to do?
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You will need to choose two texts and propose a hypothesis or a question about how language is used for a purpose in those two texts.
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This is built on your initial understandings of these texts, so it is important to choose texts you are familiar with, or that you will be able to analyse in-depth within the timeframe of this course.
For example;
Hypothesis:
Nikki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar use slang, coded language, and particular social and cultural language in order to communicate complex and important ideas to their audiences.
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Question:
How do Nikki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar use slang, coded language, and particular social and cultural language in order to communicate complex and important ideas to their audiences?
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Some ideas for questions:
(You are welcome to choose your own)
Potential questions
How do I start?​
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A good place to start is by performing a "close reading" of your text. This just means that you will need to listen/read/watch your text with the intention of finding out how it is using language & conventions to communicate with it's audience.
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What can I use to help me?
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You can use the note-taking template below, along with the literary techniques bible. Together they should help you find the things you are looking for. I have also added some sentence starters for extra assistance.
Note-taking worksheet
Lit technique bible
Sentence starters
What are some student examples, and how can I use them to help me?
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Below are some examples of student work looking at different forms of media:
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The language of drag racing
Film analysis
Political language
Marketing language
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