THE INGREDIENTS OF LANGUAGE

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• THE INGREDIENTS OF LANGUAGE

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• AS Level Language
• Remember that the focus at AS level is on Style
  rather than Content, so when thinking about the
  following, consider the Why as well as the
  What.

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• The Ingredients of Language
• The following features, or ingredients, are
  influenced by the context, or situation, in which
  they are found.

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Lexis
• Grammar
• Structure/discourse structure
• Semantics
• Phonology/prosodic features
• Graphology

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Lexis
• The words themselves that make up the text or
  discourse

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Grammar
• The way individual words are structured and
  arranged together in sentences

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Discourse structure
• The way the content of a text is organized
• (Discourse is simply another term for text)

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Semantics
• The meaning conveyed by the lexis this can
  include pragmatics, the underlying meaning behind
  what we say

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Graphology
• (Written texts only)
• The way in which written texts are presented
  their spatial arrangement and layout, the type
  and size of their lettering, etc.

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Phonology/prosodic features
• (Spoken texts only)
• The use of vocal elements to add extra force to
  what is being said

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• These are the individual parts, or ingredients of
  language, that taken together you will be asked
  to analyse and comment upon.

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Note 1
• While each of the above ingredients may be found
  in a text, individually they may not always be
  sufficiently important for you to comment on.
  Every text is different, and what strikes you in
  one may not be so interesting in another.

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Note 2
• What you must not do is simply make a list of the
  ingredients without saying anything useful about
  them.

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Note 3
• Dont forget the Why as well as the What!

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Introduction to the Study of Language

• Note 4
• The examiners already know what ingredients are
  in a given text what they want you to do is tell
  them something useful about them.