Andrew Moore

http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/contents.htm#langa

All English specifications blended together, key thing I may need.

Aqa english language a level.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-7701-7702/assessment-resources

Links to aqa, past papers, examiners comments and mark schemes.

Speeding transcript.

         *explaining to a police officer why you were speeding*

 Policewomen:  Can you step out of the car please?

John: Uhhh, I am so sorry but I I I am in a rush. 

PW: There is no excuse, please get out of the car

J: (gets out the car, starts to shuffle with nerves) 

PW: So, what is your excuse for breaking the law then, sir? 

J: Well, umm (.) my mother is seriously ill and (.) she is very close to passing away and I uh just wanted to see her one last time. (Lots of hand gestures which shows nerves) 

PW: Oh, umm, I am, umm so sorry (avoiding eye contact)

J: It’s it’s okay, I just (1) want to see her one last time. (Fidgeting) 

PW: Of course you do (.) where is she? In hospital?

J: Yes, the umm one in town, I was trying to beat the traffic. 

PW: Well, I shall uh drive you to your mother (1) that will get you there quicker and you’ll have longer with her 

J: Uh thanks (.) Do I need to do anything, for being pulled over? 

PW: No (.) I’ve been in a similar situation myself. I uh know how you feel so I’ll just forget about it and take you there. 

J: Sorry to uh hear that 

PW: Its fine (.) let’s get you to the hospital (smile to lighten mood) 

J: Thank you officer (.) this means a lot 

PW: Park your car on the side of the road and I’ll pick it up later on the way back. 

J: Thank you  

(The two get into the car and drive off to the hospital)  

Features of the text:

- Formal register – police officer has authority, influential power

- Non-fluency features – hedges and pauses

- Implied that the police officer is not charging him

- ‘So’ is a discourse marker.

- ‘Sir’ appropriate address terms

- Avoiding eye contact – paralinguistic features

Job conversation transcript.

Job conversation transcript

A: have you got a job?

B: (laughs) no I don’t but I've applied for lots of places

A: where have you applied for?

B: Um Argos, House of Fraser (Debenhams)

A: (did you not have any replies)

B: No (.) well the people either ignore me or tell me that I don’t (.) have the right thing for the job (2) that didn’t make sense but yeah (laughs) 

A: Have you got a job C?

C: I don’t have a job but I’ve applied for many places (.) like B I’ve applied for (.) House of Fraser (.) my recent one I got  (.) told I can’t work at Lush because I pat my thighs

All: (Laughs)

C: That’s a bad (.) thing to have apparently (2)

A: Oh (.) fair enough

C: I know its great

B: (laughs)

A: D have you got a job?

D: No I don’t have a job because (.) nowhere gets back to me so I’m still looking

A: Oh  - conversation quantity = very little, creating a halt in conversation flow. 

D: Mm (.) what about you? Have you got a job?

A: Yeah I got a job I work at Costa (2)

All: (laughs)

C: (we’ve had this conversation before)

D: (How many hours do you do?)

A; 15 hours a week

D: Is that good or bad?

A: That’s good (.) but then it takes up all my social time so I got no friends anymore 

C: (mm that’s sad)                                                                 non-standard English 

B: (aw that’s sad)

A: Yeah I know

B&D: (laugh)

C: What Costa do you work at?

A: The one in Avonmeads

C: Oh yeah (the new one?)

D: (Do you get discounts on stuff?)

A: I get it free if I go into that shop (.) and then if I go into other shops (I get like 45% off)

C: (Okay I’m gonna go work at Costa)

A; (laughs)(but um yeah)

C: (yeah)

A: I’ve only worked there for like (2) I’ve only had two pay packets now so like two months (2)

C: I need a job

B: So do I (.) I need money

C: It’s so sad

A: (this is just turning into like a)

All: (laughs)

A: (like a sad conversation)

D: Are we done?

A: (.) yeah

B: How do I stop it?

D: (laughs)

C: how do you stop that?

A: We haven’t even been talking for a minute

D: that’s alright

Yellow highlight = Paralingustic features. (laughing/body language etc.)

Purple highlight = overlapping conversation, interruptions, happens more during the later part of the conversation where people are getting more comfortable after a while. 

Green highlight = indicating the pauses used in the conversation, (.) means small pause, (2) means longer pause. Most of these pauses are just allowing people to find their train of thought etc.

Awkward interviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBSPGZIrIzI

Bruce Willis interview.

Clearly from the beginning Bruce Willis's attitude was very reserved and held back during the interview, his attitude was quite isolated and could be interpreted as ignorant.

His paralinguistic features are held back and closed, clearly showing he wasn't interested in the interview and wasn't very interested.

All of Bruce's language was very short and quick easy answers, the quantity of the conversation was very small, creating a low conversation fluency.

The conversations replies were also very low in quality as well as quantity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfu26eTw93w

Cara Delevigne

From the start of the interview Cara was extremely sarcastic and not interested in what they had to say, it was shown by her paralinguistic features of the eye rolling, eyebrow raising and confused facial expressions.

Cara also showed her disinterest with her straight to the point answers which she was giving the news reporters with her continued use of fillers, this shows disinterest because she was quite held back as to what to say to them, she said 'ummm' and 'uhhh' quite often and due to the context it shows cara did not know how to respond back to them.

Speech terminology

• 'A pattern of speech in which one utterance is followed by an appropriate linked response' - is the definition of the term..

..adjacency pairs.

• example of tag questions.

'its cold, isn't it?'

• Three terms of non standard english.

pauses, hesitation, false starts.

• Explain the term phatic talk.

phatic talk = small talk,

'Hi, how are you?' 

'Good weather today'

• 'elp me orf this 'orse' is an example of ellision

• List the Grices Maxims.

Quantity - too much/too little.

Quality - truth.

Relevance - on topic.

Manner - clear communication.

• Grice was interesting in creating a fluid conversation.

• When analysing spontaneous speech we do not refer to it as sentences, we refer to it as:

Utterances.

• In order to analyse a transcript what three things must you establish an awareness of from the outset.

- context

-age 

-regional situation

'Manspreading' article.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/28/manspreading-men-oxford-dictionary-sitting-position-gendered

Zoe Jewell posted this article confused as to why it was only acceptable for men to spread their legs and take up room on public transport or anywhere else for that matter, however if a women was to do that then it wouldn't be considered polite or 'ladylike.'

Recently the word 'manspreading' was added to the online oxford dictionary, Zoe Jewell says 'I felt surprisingly pissed off about it.' I think the main reason for her being so pissed off about it is because men and women are treated differently even narrowing it down to the way people sit. If a women was to sit like that people would be mortified to see it however when a man does it, it is considered normal and a way of which is normal for men. She says that people think women should make themselves small and polite in public places, and that is  most definitely something she doesn't agree with.