Language features

Young and dyslexic? Youve got it going on by Benjamin Zephaniah

Highlight and annotate the following language features used in the article.

1. A group of three to emphasise how teachers in the past viewed dyslexia

Lines 2. A metaphor to iterate that the way of thinking then was almost foreign
1-8
3. Negative language describing the system

4. Aggressive insults reinforcing the view that the system didnt support
Zephaniah
Lines
9-23 5. Anecdote to reveal how ignorant teachers were
6. The use of contrast between himself and the teachers

7. An adjective that reinforces how much of a challenge reading and

Lines writing were
24-27
8. A phrase that makes us feel sympathy for the writer

9. A phrase that evokes our anger against the teacher

Line
10. Examples of the language of crime to reflect how bad the writers
28-35
situation had become

11. The use of contrast between two different parts of society who have a
high percentage of being dyslexic to increase our understanding of its
scale
Lines
12. Use of the direct pronoun to engage the reader in his individual situation
36-41
13. A list to remind us that he has overcome all stereotypes
14. Use of the modal verb to emphasise what society assumes his route in
life will be

15. Repetition and rhythm akin to dub poetry to show his thinking about the
Lines different life choices made by prisoners
42-47
16. Simple declarative sentence to show inner self conviction

17. Use of a colloquial expression to show how popular his poems were
Lines
48-54 18. Use of humour to reveal his naivety about his situation

www.teachit.co.uk 2016 26399 Page 1 of 3

 Language features
Young and dyslexic? Youve got it going on by Benjamin Zephaniah

19. Words to do with the world of academia to show how far his life has
changed
Lines 20. Use of temporal markers to indicate that his struggle still goes on
55-69 21. Pairs of phrases/clauses to show us how he has learnt to deal with his
daily reading/writing challenges

22. Use of conditional sentences to emphasise the writers feelings that

people with dyslexia are not to blame
23. Use of advisory tone, creating an uplifting mood
Lines
24. A rhetorical question that shows how confident the author is of his point
70-78
of view
25. Use of explanation to confirm in a light hearted way just how illogical
the process of reading and writing is

26. An interjection to show us he is arriving at a considered conclusion

27. The use of the colon to show how important the second clause is
28. Use of the imperative reflects how seriously he considers his advice
29. Use of the neologism (made up word) physicalizes the image, reflecting
the writers view that it is important to keep it working
Lines
30. A collective pronoun creating a sense of camaraderie
79-88
31. Use of urban idiom to create a feeling of warmth, and being modern and
street
32. Parallel sentences to generate a climactic sense of optimism as the
writer reaches his conclusion
33. A colloquial light hearted question aimed to create a distinct rapport
between the writer and the children

Writing task

How does the writer use language and structure to convey his views about young
dyslexics?

www.teachit.co.uk 2016 26399 Page 2 of 3

 Language features
Young and dyslexic? Youve got it going on by Benjamin Zephaniah
Suggested answers

1. No compassion, no understanding and no humanity

Lines
2. the past is a different kind of country
1-8
3. werent allowed to just wasnt done

4. the teachers retort stupid boy / how dare you challenge me?/stereotyping
him as preferring sport
Lines
5. the local savages
9-23
6. I was just being creative she called me stupid or I would say and that
would get me into trouble

7. hard
Lines
8. I could read very basically or as long as you could read how much the
24-27
banknote was worth

Line 9. the Nazis werent that bad

28-35 10. stab fighting revenge stole

11. prison population architect population

Lines 12. if you look at the statistics
3641 13. black man wrong side of town, family fell apart, trouble with police
14. should be in prison

Lines 15. didnt notice them or didnt take them

42-47 16. I never thought I was stupid or I didnt have that struggle

Lines 17. really took off

48-54 18. do I need an operation?

19. University professor students literary festivals

Lines 20. still now in my life now
55-69 21. how do I write that I have to draw something if I cant spell I just put a
question mark

22. if someone cant understand dyslexia its their problem

Lines 23. just remember; its not you
70-78 24. how can I become white?
25. whats unnatural is the way we read and write

26. so
27. : you may have a genius on your hands
28. you have to think of a way to
Lines 29. creativity muscle
79-88 30. us dyslexic people
31. weve got it going on
32. we are the architects we are the designers
33. bloody non-dyslexics who do they think they are?

www.teachit.co.uk 2016 26399 Page 3 of 3