Author Archives

Unknown's avatar

Doug

Proper English? Attitudes Towards Language in Motion

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Language is never static; it evolves, adapts, and reflects the shifting values of the societies that use it. But that doesn’t stop people having strong opinions about ‘proper’ English, and how people should and shouldn’t speak (or write). In this sequence of lessons, you’ll learn about why some people want to uphold traditional rules, and others who prefer to embrace language as it’s used in real contexts. Unfortunately, the way you speak – your accent and choice of words – does have consequences, and we’ll see how easy it is to form perceptions and reinforce hierarchies and stereotypes. Later, we’ll look at a specific driver of language change – technology – and see how texting, social media, and digital communication are transforming the way young people express themselves.

Multitudes of English

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Today, English is the most widely learned language in the world, spoken in countless accents and styles. But English didn’t start that way. In this section, you’ll uncover the origins of English, tracing its roots from ancient Indo-European beginnings through invasions and borrowings that made it a ‘mongrel language’; examine why this language – out of thousands of contenders – became the world’s lingua franca, and what historical, cultural, and technological forces drove its rise. Finally, learn how divergence and local identity have created unique forms.

Drama Study: Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Fans of psychological thrillers, courtroom dramas, and intense themes of revenge and justice are drawn to Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden. Written after the writer’s exile from Chile, the play is set in an unnamed post-dictatorship country, representing Dorfman’s lost home. Having adopted a democratic government, the country faces many challenges in its attempt to return to stability after upheaval.

You Are What’s Happening!

By on • ( Leave a comment )

This text is perfect example of a visual narrative, designed to hook viewers into a story of confidence and independence that can be gained by buying a new coat. The response you can read below was written by Anna Huang after she studied the visual language of advertising. I hope you’ll agree that she’s done a fantastic job at unpicking the appeals to prominence and autonomy that the ad taps in to. The structure of her response is completely effective: Anna focuses on the meaning-making image of the woman first, then analyses selected compositional features, before explaining how the slogan ties the ad together. How would you approach this text?

Make Netball Number #1

By on • ( Leave a comment )

There’s no doubt about it – humour can be one of the most tricky things to analyse. Notwithstanding cultural differences that mean people find different things funny, the mechanics of humour can be hard to unpick. Throw in a guiding question about tone, and this past paper suddenly looks far from straightforward. While you may hear tone differently to me (this article could be described as sharp, dry, witty, sarcastic, eager, satirical, and more), I’ve gone for ‘humourous’, ‘self-deprecating’ and ‘lighthearted’ in the response below.

I Was Reading That

By on • ( Leave a comment )

It can be tempting when you sit down to write your Paper 1 analysis to rush to show off your knowledge of different text types, especially after you’ve made all that effort to learn and revise niche genres such as comics and cartoons. Finally, you get to explain fancy techniques like emanata, colour symbolism, or graphic weight! However, the guiding question accompanying this past paper asks how meaning is created – and the central meaning of a comic rarely depends on features such as emanata or colour schemes. This response shows how the figures in the images combined with the words of the text create the meaning of the strip. Only once this is established does the answer analyze supporting compositional features.

Hold the Front Page! How the News Gets Made

By on • ( Leave a comment )

News doesn’t just happen – it’s made. The modern news cycle runs twenty-four seven, 365 days a year. Reporters and editors can’t simply wait for the next big event; they have airtime, feeds, and column inches to fill. At the same time, they can’t fabricate stories. This is where news values come in. Almost anything can become news if it meets certain criteria: relevance, rarity, human interest, conflict or controversy, and the potential for ongoing coverage.

Myth Busting! Shock Factor and Provocation

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Mainstream media doesn’t just tell stories; it shapes what society considers acceptable and what remains hidden. Cultural taboos, those topics we rarely discuss openly, are often glossed over or disguised. In this section, you’ll see how some creators break through that silence using shock tactics and provocation. These strategies grab attention, challenge norms, and force us to confront uncomfortable truths. But provocation comes with risks: it can alienate, offend, or even reinforce stereotypes if used carelessly.

Origins and Evolution of the Forbidden

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Taboos are among the most powerful forces shaping human behaviour, yet they often operate silently, woven into the fabric of culture. The word itself comes from the Polynesian term tapu, meaning ‘sacred’ or ‘forbidden,’ reflecting its early roots in spirituality. From these beginnings, taboos spread across societies as mechanisms to protect what was considered holy, pure, or essential for survival…

Your Mother’s Ears: the Language of Taboo

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Language plays a fascinating role in negotiating taboo. Throughout history, certain words have carried immense power, capable of shocking, offending, or even endangering the speaker. Yet taboos are not fixed; they shift as societies evolve. Words once considered scandalous, like zounds or bloody, now sound quaint, while new linguistic flashpoints emerge around politics, identity, and morality. In this section, we’ll explore historical swear words, modern euphemisms, and campaigns that challenge comfort zones – all the while asking if language is supposed to protect us or reveal the truth?