year 13

  • My blogs, YouTube, Soundcloud and Twitter channels…

    Together with a number of other eminent journalists and educationalists, I co-founded and help run the popular educational blog, Local Schools Network. I also blog for Mumsnet on Tales Behind The Classroom Door. My YouTube channel is Wonderfrancis. My Soundcloud Channel is Electric Schubert. I am @wonderfrancis on Twitter. Other blogs: A Streetcar Named Desire for […]

  • The unfair representation of a collective group in two media platforms

    Ryan Linham has written interesting answer to an A Level OCR Media Studies question here. What are the strengths and weaknesses of his answer?

  • Collective Identity — Media Studies, Youth Demonisation

    There’s a useful blog on Collective Identity connected with Youth Demonisation here, devised by a chief examiner at OCR.

  • Standardisation: presentation ideas and presentation on processes of semantic change, taboo words

      Presentation format:     On PowerPoint: give some history and a task for pupils to do. All presentations must include some definitions on standardisation. Ask FGI for help if necessary.     Devise a presentation on how spelling was standardised, the development of printing, dictionaries, mass education. Devise a presentation on STANDARD ENGLISH and […]

  • The changing discourses connected with health

     Starter activity: brainstorm the times when you were ill when you were a child. What did your carers say to you in connection with your illness? What are your memories of your first trip to the doctors, to hospitals? What language did people use to describe your illnesses etc? What did they say to comfort you? Learning […]

  • Dramatising your life

    Learning objectives: to learn how to dramatise elements of your life Learning outcomes To write in detail about an aspect of your life NOT covered in the autobiography in detail, but dramatised. The question will be: Write an entertaining account which explores in depth moments when you have been alone or lonely in your life. […]

  • The bully — reading an FGI extract and planning your answer

    Read this passage, written by me and use it to help you plan your own autobiographical extract.   Although I don’t know him at all, a kid, Andrew Mintern, in the year above senses my difference and decides to pick on me. One break-time there’s a massive surge after all the “spazzies” in the school […]

  • Year 13: Useful websites for Child Language Acquisition

    Should you want further reading on language acquisition, these websites are very helpful and explain all the relevant hypotheses and theories:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_acquisition   http://home.cogeco.ca/~monicafitz/theories.htm   http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/ling001.html

  • Social Contexts and Child Language Acquisition

    Read the following two articles from the Daily Telegraph and write about whether you think that children’s changing environment is affecting their language for better or worse. Use evidence from your own investigations and research. Teacher and class notes have been added in CAPITALS. Not on Speaking Terms: Why do many children lack basic language […]

  • Year 13: STUDENT ANSWER JUNE 2007 Question 1 Unit 6 — Child Language Acquisition

    Lexical Choice It appears that Ewan becomes a bit worried that he will cause Holy to drop out of their role play game, due to his aggressive tone. He repeats the proper noun ‘Holly’ in order to grab her attention and says the verb ‘playing’ once again using a declarative where he should be using […]

  • Revision questions for Language Acquisition Unit 6

    1. What are the Assessment Objectives for this subject? Summarise them briefly, and highlight the AO with the most marks.2. What aspects of the systematic framework do you have to use in this exam? Write out a list and say why they are important. 3. Why is it important to study Child Language Acquisition? 4. […]

  • Notes on Child Directed Speeches, Children’s grammar, theories of language acquisition

    Child-directed Speech • “Even four year olds adjust their language when speaking to a two year old. The way that adults talk to babies is similar to the way they talk to dogs. (Hirsh-Pasek and Treiman, 1982) • Child-directed speech aims to: 1. attract and hold the baby’s attention; 2. help the process of breaking […]

  • Exam Essay January 2004 AQA Spec B Unit 6 by HG. MODEL ANSWER

    1. The transcript has been set in both a domestic and a child’s play context, and the fact that the speakers involved are of a completely different linguistic capability due to age, makes the interactions all the more interesting. Although the playgroup assistant tries to address the children at the same level, using the same […]

  • Year 13: Language Acquisition � Frank Myszor: Framing questions about language acquisition

    • MLU – mean length of utterance – Roger brown 1969 Total number of morphemes Number of utterances Stage 1 – 1.1 – 2.0 Stage 2 – 2.0 – 2.5 Stage 3 – 2.5 – 3.0 Stage 4 – 3.0 – 3.5 Stage 5 – 3.5-4.0 Theories and the ages at which they are applicable: […]

  • Year 13: Key Terminology Quiz for A2, followed by answers

    1. What do we mean by the active and passive voices of verbs? Analyse these sentences in this regard. ‘I kicked the boy’. And ‘The boy was kicked by me’. What is the difference in tone and approach?2. What do we mean by the affix, suffix, and prefix of a word? 3. What does ‘amelioration’ […]

  • June 2008 Unit 6 Exam — Child Language Acquisition and Development

    ENGLISH LANGUAGE (SPECIFICATION B) ENB6Unit 6 Language Development Thursday 19 June 2008 1.30pm to 3.30pm For this paper you must have: • the data booklet (enclosed) • a 12-page answer book. Time allowed: 2 hours Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer […]

  • Year 13: June 2007 St. John’s Wort Language Change Question AQA Spec B English Language — student answer

    Audience: Text H appears to be possibly aimed at a doctor or ‘physitian’- description of precise look, smell, touch as well as place to find and when to find it. This information id provided in detail in order to direct the would be doctor to gathering the plant; whereas the website, gives no information as […]

  • Year 13: Heather and Sarah’s Powerpoint on CLA theories

    Behaviourism (B.F. Skinner 1950s-60s) Language is learnt by positive reinforcement (offering a reward for ‘good behaviour’) and negative reinforcement (for ‘inappropriate behaviour’) Language is a particular social behaviour that follows this model. Positive reinforcement can be verbal praise or reassurance, and negative reinforcement could simply be correction. Skinner wanted to apply his theory to all […]

  • Year 13: Going beyond Chomsky and Skinner in Language Acquisition — Notes and question adapted from Myszor

    Many researchers followed up on what Chomsky speculated upon: children’s knowledge of grammatical rules. However, the idea of impoverishment (parents’ language is insufficient) prompted others to look in more detail at language experience, with an emphasis on social circumstances and the language of adults. Two key factors are important: 1. Social or experiential factors 2. […]

  • Year 13: Exam question on Language Acquisition

    Here is Adam, in the year following his first word combinations at the age of 2 years and 3 months (Pinker, 1994a). The numbers by the transcript indicate his age, so 2;3 means two years, three months and so on. Look carefully at the following changes in his language development, and using the systematic framework […]