Literary devices commonly used in Paper 1A (Listening comprehension)

CONTRAST The two widely differing elements are contrasted using a common value to convey further information about one or both elements. The differences between them often intensify either their positive or negative qualities. They frequently will be opposites. E.g the warmth of the Caribbean with the cold of a New York Winter (comparison point temperature). Contrasts also can be metaphorical. IRONY Irony is the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is. For example A clumsy ballet dancer. Verbal Irony (sarcasm is the tone of voice/writing) The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant. E.g He did an excellent job of making a mess. Irony of Situation This refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended. E.g. The wedding of a son causes a marital breakdown for the parents. DEVICES OF COMPARISON METAPHOR Compares by stating the element is the item of comparison e.g. The lawyers claws were out and he would not stop until they drew blood, ANALOGY Extends a metaphor to compare a situation or particularly to explain a complex item by using a familiar item to structure the explanation. E.g. Exam preparation is like baking a cake all the ingredients must be used and preparations thorough before baking. Firstly the ingredients: study which is lightened with periods of recreation, physical health, managing stress. (The analogy would continue for several paragraphs even)

SIMILE (note spelling well) Compares using the like, as, resembles, looked as though etc. e.g. His exam worries even after the event were as if a rat was gnawing at his brain. PERSONIFICATION Compares non-human, inanimate elements OR abstract concepts to using HUMAN qualities e.g. The building stared down at him daring him to enter OR Justice is never kindly but it is ruthlessly fair. If the qualities are not human then the comparison is a metaphor e.g. A beast of a car. ANTHROPOMORPHISM Gives animals human characteristics e.g. The fox spoke to the cubs and then strolled away with a dancing step. ALLUSION Uses familiar classical, biblical or other well know cultural references . E.g. Anasi-like cunning DEVICES OF EMPHASIS HYPERBOLE Exaggerates qualities of an element or an overstatement (sometimes for comedic effect). E.g. I could eat my shoes Im so hungry. REPETITION Uses repetition of either words, phrases or even a whole sentence. E.g What if I dont make it, what if I cant pass, what if I fail

DEVICES USING SOUND Alliteration similar consonant sounds Assonance similar vowel sounds Onomatopoeia - the word sounds like the sound

A search of the internet will bring up many more complex and obscure devices.

CAPE Syllabus Module 1 - Gathering and Processing Information

Module 1 Gathering and Processing Information General objectives 1. use the structures of English correctly as well as with a degree of elegance 2. Evaluate examples of written and spoken communication, including arguments, taking in to consideration the form and content of the communication and the context in which it is presented and constructed. 3. Apply comprehension skills of analysis and critical evaluation to a wide range of oral and written material. 4. Demonstrate organising competencies in oral and written communication. Specific Objectives 1. Speak and write with control of grammar, vocabulary, mechanics and conventions of English usage; 2. indentify the characteristic formats, organizational features and modes of expression of different genres and types of writing and speech; 3. evaluation the appropriateness of data collection methods, including the use of the internet 4. apply any of the six different levels of comprehension to spoken or written material 5. write continuous prose and note form summaries of specific types of spoken and written material 6. evaluate the effect of source, context, medium or channel on the reliability and validity of information 7. gather information about current issues 8. evaluate information about current issues 9. present in appropriate oral form the evaluation of (8); 10. create a portfolio of oral and written work

CONTENT 1. Structural competencies a. Grammar b. Usage c. Word choice d. Spelling e. Punctuation f. Pronunciation g. Enunciation h. Correcting errors and mistakes, revising and editing drafts 2. Levels of comprehension a. Understanding levels: literal, interpretive, analytical, application, synthesis, evaluative b. Understanding modes, genres and types of speech and writing, with specific attention to organisation and language used c. Levels of comprehension to different modes, genres and types of speech and writing i. Expository (for example definitions, technical writing) ii. Literary (for example prose fiction, poetry, drama) iii. Argumentative a. Forms (deduction, induction, analogy, authority) b. Fallacies (such as non sequitur, unproved assertion c. Evaluating arguments 3. Study and summary skills a. General study skills i. Preparing to study (understanding mental, emotional and physical connections, scheduling and controlling distractions) ii. Defining and distinguishing between reading and listening iii. Setting purposes for reading (surveying, skimming and scanning) iv. Setting purposes for listening (general, specific) v. Understanding factors which affect reading and listening comprehension

b. Summary skills i. Note taking and note making ii. Distinguishing between main and subsidiary ideas iii. Understanding logical linkages between ideas iv. Formulating topic sentences and linking them to subsidiary ideas v. Sequencing vi. Condensing vii. Writing outlines viii. Writing continuous prose summaries ix. Editing drafts (peer evaluation and self evaluation)

Language: registers
An acrolect is a register of a spoken language that is considered formal and high-style. The term mesolect refers to a register or range of registers of spoken language whose character falls somewhere between the prestige of the acrolect and the informality of the basilect. Mesolectic speech, where it is distinguished from acrolectic speech, is often the most widely spoken form of a language, generally being used by lower and lowermiddle classes. Within the context of Creole languages, mesolects only appear in instances of a post-Creole speech continuum where in speakers code-switch between various mesolectal levels within the continuum depending on context. In linguistics, a basilect is a dialect of speech that has diverged so far from the standard language that in essence it has become a different language. A basilect represents the opposite end of the scale of linguistic formality from an acrolect. In certain speech communities, a continuum exists between speakers of a Creole language and a related standard language. Basilects typically differ from the standard language in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, and can often develop into different languages.

Worksheet 5
Look at the poem: Dis ting called language is real funny We does use it for all kinda ting you see Sometimes it fancy and sometimes it free And in did Caribbean is a real potpourri When it fancy we it formal and real la de da When it free we does call it vernacular Each country down here have it own language flavour But they each have a standard that they must master.

1. The author refers to using language for all kinda ting (line 2). State THREE different purposes of language. 2. Suggest TWO situations when one might use what the author refers to as fancy language (line 5). 3. Suggest TWO situations when one might use what the author refers to as free language (line 6). 4. Americans and British speakers may be said to be using different dialects of the same language. (a) What are some noticeable differences between them? (b) In this context explain what is referred to as accent. 5. Identify FOUR instances where Creole influenced vernacular is used in the poem. 6. Suggest one reason for the demise of the Garifuna language in St Vincent. 7. Identify ways in which the same language used by different speakers may vary. 8. What are the possible causes for the development of varieties of any language? 9. Write a short definition for the linguistic term register. 10. Explain the process by which one dialect emerges as the Standard.

EXTRA: For each of the examples that follow, explain why these speakers of the same language did not seem [ :0)] to understand the meaning that was being transferred: .................... YOU ARE BACK AGAIN? The Judge said to the defendant, "I thought I told you I never wanted to see you in here again." "Your Honor," the criminal said, "that's what I tried to tell the police, but they wouldn't listen." CONTACTS A policeman stops a lady and asks for her license. He says "Lady, it says here that you should be wearing glasses." The woman answered "Well, I have contacts." The policeman replied "I don't care who you know! You're getting a ticket!"

Language: dialects and registers

Language is systematic or rule governed. Although this is true, it is also true that there is often variation in the actual use of any language. All users of the same language do not necessarily use it in the same way. Often the same speaker may use the same language in different ways depending on a number of factors. A dialect is a variant of a language. If it is associated with a geographically isolated speech community, it is referred to as a regional dialect. However, if it is spoken by a speech community that is merely socially isolated, it is called a social dialect. These latter dialects are mostly based on class, ethnicity, gender, age, and particular social situations. Black English (or Ebonics) in the United States is an example of a social dialect.

Code switching: People may quickly switch back and forth between dialects, depending on the person they are talking to at the time. This pattern is referred to as diglossia or "code switching." Code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to alternation between two or more languages, dialects, or language registers in the course of discourse between people who have more than one language in common. Sometimes the switch lasts only for a few sentences, or even for a single phrase. More broadly defined, code-switching occurs when people alter their speech and behavior so as to fit into different social situations. The most common changes involve vocabulary, levels of casualness or formality, types of clothing, and facial and hand gestures. Dis ting called language is real funny We does use it for all kinda ting you see Sometimes it fancy and sometimes it free And in did Caribbean is a real potpourri When it fancy we it formal and real la de da When it free we does call it vernacular Each country down here have it own language flavour But they each have a standard that they must master.

Worksheet 4 - Language
Worksheet 4a True or False? 1. Language is the human ability to use certain forms for thinking, speaking, enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure. 2. Language is common to all living things. 3. A language is used by a particular community. 4. Language is acquired at birth. 5. The rules for one language always apply to another. 6. An infant will speak as a native tongue whatever language it is exposed to during the first few weeks of life.

7. The stages of acquisition of language in Spanish children and Chinese children are the same. 8. English is a prestigious language because it is inherently superior to other languages. 9. Language is centered in the brain. 10. Intelligence is measurable independent of language and culture.

Worksheet 4b. a). What is language? b). What are the main reasons for this complexity? c). Would you agree that the Europeans all spoke the same dialects of their language? d). What evidence does the passage provide to support your answer to (c) above? e). From which continent do the majority of official languages of the Caribbean come? f). What languages did the Europeans encounter when they came to the Caribbean region? g) Why does the writer of the passage in Language Variety refer to the Caribbean as a complex linguistic area? h). Identify the official language in all territories of the Caribbean. i). Identify the popular languages of St Lucia, Jamaica, Bonaire, Haiti and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. j). Give five examples of the linguistic features of Creole languages.

Language variety
All human societies use language. Some societies use just one and are said to be monolingual. Most societies use more than one language. Such societies are bilingual, trilingual or even multilingual. Sometimes individuals within a society might be bilingual or multilingual. There is a difference between a society that is bilingual and an individual who is bilingual. In bilingual societies such as Canada, provision is sometimes made for equal treatment for speakers of either language. Road signs and other public use of language are often presented in both languages. The bilingual individual usually has to make a choice of language depending on her audience. Usually the history of a language is the history of the people who speak it. The Caribbean provides good examples of this. It is a complex linguistic area. The original inhabitants spoke, and in places like Guyana and Suriname still speak, a range of indigenous languages brought to the region many hundred years ago. These languages are mainly the Arawaccan or Cariban language groups but there are also speakers of Warrau. The official languages of the Caribbean are local or regional forms of European languages such as Spanish, French, Dutch and English. In the special case of Haiti, the French-lexicon Creole language, called Haitian, is also regarded as an official language along with French. It must be remembered that many of the Europeans who came to the Caribbean territories were themselves speakers of non standard dialects of English.

Language - its origins and characteristics

Many animal and even plant species are said to communicate with each other. Humans are not unique in this capability. However, human language is unique in being a symbolic communication system that is learned instead of biologically inherited. Symbols are sounds or things which have meaning given to them by the users. Originally, the meaning is arbitrarily assigned. For instance, the English word "dog"

does not in any way physically resemble the animal it stands for. All symbols have a material form but the meaning can not be discovered by mere sensory examination of their forms. They are abstractions. A major advantage of human language being a learned symbolic communication system is that it is infinitely flexible. Meanings can be changed and new symbols created. This is evidenced by the fact that new words are invented daily and the meaning of old ones change. Languages evolve in response to changing historical and social conditions. Some language transformations typically occur in a generation or less. For instance, the slang words used by your parents were very likely different from those that you use today. You also probably are familiar with many technical terms, such as "text messaging" and "high definition TV", that were not in general use even a decade ago. * Additional reading: Writing in English Chapters 1-2 Labels: characteristics, language, module 2