AQA GCSE Foundation Reading English Exam. Preparing for the Reading Section

Transcription

1 AQA GCSE Foundation Reading English Exam Preparing for the Reading Section

2 AQA Assessment objectives for Unit 1 Section A In this examination, you will be given 3 pieces of unseen writing to read. The writing will always be non fiction / media and you will always be asked five questions. The texts could be about anything but they may possibly be linked by theme; education for example or exercise. The type of texts you are asked to read could be any of the following: Leaflets Articles (newspaper and magazine) Reports Autobiography / biography Travel writing Advertisements Web pages Reviews

3 AQA Assessment objectives for Unit 1 Section A The exam board also give us some helpful tips about the questions: Question 1a refers to Source 1, and will be a straightforward test of the candidates ability to retrieve information and ideas from the source Question 1b also refers to Source 1 and will test candidates ability to retrieve, understand and interpret information and ideas from the source Question 2 refers to Source 2, and will test the candidates ability to understand and interpret meaning in the text which will be an extract of well-written non-fiction, such as a biography or a piece of travel writing or journalism Question 3 refers to Source 3 and will test the candidates ability to write about the effectiveness of language employed by the writer Question 4 refers to any two of the sources, selected by the candidate. The question will test candidates ability to write about presentational features and to compare two texts Candidates should make close reference to, and quote from the sources to support their comments and analysis.

4 AQA Assessment objectives for Unit 1 Section A So, there are five questions in total: Question 1a find information in Source 1 (4 marks) Question 1b write about how a point is suggested, so being able to read between the lines in Source 1 (4 marks) Question 2 - find and understand part of Source 2 and suggest what is being implied (8 marks) Question 3 write in detail about the language the writer of Source 3 has used (12 marks) Question 4 - choose two of the sources and compare the presentational features used (12 marks)

5 How long should I spend on each question? You are given 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete your entire exam. This means 10 minutes to read the 3 source materials and the question paper, then 1 hour for the reading section and 1 hour for the writing section and 5 minutes to check your work. For the reading paper spend approximately: Question 1a 5 minutes Question 1b 5 minutes Question 2 10 minutes Question 3 20 minutes Question 4 20 minutes Remember this is an approximate guide. Just be aware that you get the most marks for the final 2 questions so you should spend the most time answering them.

6 What the examiners have said about this section Question 1a mostly answered well. Most students earning 3 4 marks Question 1b - again mostly answered well but students must use quotations and infer what is being said Question 2 this question was a lot more problematic for many students. Many students were copying chunks of text rather than using selective quotations to support their point of view. Question 3 many students found this question difficult. To gain full marks students need to be able to analyse and comment on the language features and their effects. This means you need to be able to identify how language is used for a particular purpose and describe the effect a choice of word or phrase has on the reader. Question 4 students generally performed well on this question although some students muddled up language and presentational features. This question is always about presentation and never about language.

7 AQA Assessment objectives for Unit 1 Section A So, there are five questions in total: Question 1a find information in Source 1 (4 marks) Question 1b write about how a point is suggested, so being able to read between the lines in Source 1 (4 marks) Question 2 - find and understand part of Source 2 and suggest what is being implied (8 marks) Question 3 write in detail about the language the writer of Source 3 has used (12 marks) Question 4 - choose two of the sources and compare the presentational features used (12 marks)

8 Good news!! Preparing for the reading section of the exam really helps you prepare for the writing section of the exam many of the skills are identical.

9 Even more good news! You are not tested on spelling in this section. As long as the examiner can understand your meaning, your spelling doesn t matter in the slightest which is great news for us who have trouble with speling...

10 Back to Basics Skimming and scanning techniques Skimming and scanning are ways of reading a text quickly. You will need these skills when you are looking for information in your source materials. Skimming Skimming is when you very quickly read over a piece of text. You do not need to read every word, you are only finding out the main points or the gist of a text. Scanning Scanning is when you very quickly read over a piece of text, this time however, you are looking for a particular piece of information. For example, if in the exam you could be asked to locate three reasons why smoking is on the increase for the under 16 s. You would scan the article looking for key words like smoking, increase or under 16 s.

11 Back to Basics When reading any type of non fiction text, try to find the PAF. PAF means PURPOSE, AUDIENCE, FORM PURPOSE The purpose of a text is most important. What is the text trying to do? Is it trying to make you buy something? Is it trying to give you advice? Is it trying to give you balanced information about an event? How do you know this? What gives it away? AUDIENCE Who do you think is the intended audience of this text? Is it a child? Is it a teenager? Is it an adult? How do you know? What gave it away? FORM What kind of non fiction text is this? Is it a letter, a newspaper article, a review? How do you know? What gives it away? Do you know the features of each kind of non fiction text type? This will be helpful for the writing section too...

12 Try! Junk mail can be very annoying but it is now your new best friend. Grab as much of it as you can and try to identify the PAF. Look at the purpose it is probably to sell you something. How do you know? Be detective like and track down clues. What words and phrases does it use to persuade you to try the product? Are there any pictures, colours, particular fonts, bullet points that are there to persuade you to buy? Look at the audience who is it for how do you know? Look at the text type, is it a letter, is it a leaflet what effect does the text type have on the reader?

13 Question 1a - Information retrieval This is one of the easier skills you have to master for the exam. It is a basic comprehension skill that you will have learned about in Primary school. You will be asked to locate and copy down information from Source 1. For example, you may be asked to identify one reason why exam results are steadily improving. You would simply use your scanning techniques to find the appropriate passage in Source 1 and copy down the reason why exam results are improving. SIMPLE!

14 Read Source 1, the online article, Help us mutiny : Johnny Depp pays surprise visit to London primary school dressed as Jack Sparrow after letter from girl, 9. 1a List four things we learn about the actor Johnny Depp from the article. (4 marks)

15 Give one mark to each of the following possible answers up to a maximum of 4: Johnny Depp visited a primary school in London - he was in London filming the fourth Pirates Caribbean - he went to the primary school dressed up as his character Jack Sparrow - he was responding to a request by a pupil at the school who wrote to him - he was filming nearby at the Naval College - he arrived in a blacked out car - he was in full make-up for his character - Johnny Depp asked to meet Beatrice in the assembly and gave her a cuddle - he had been doing some stunts when he was filming jumping from windows and riding a chariot - he is starring in the film with Penelope Cruz - he once made a similar visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital to donate 1million - he also visited the hospital in costume as Jack Sparrow to tell bedtime stories to the children - he has a daughter Lily-Rose and a son Jack John - his partner is Vanessa Paradis

16 Questions 1b and 2 - How to read between the lines One of the key skills you will need for this exam is to locate, retrieve and interpret information. This means to read between the lines to look for clues as to how the writer really feels about something. Exam Tip! You can discuss both language and presentational features when writing about inference i.e. reading between the lines.

17 Reading between the lines Quite often a writer will give the reader clues to how they feel about a particular topic without actually saying the words I like this or I don t like that. On the following slide are some examples for you to look out for. These are only suggestions. Try finding your own ways to spot the writer s feelings on the topic they are writing about.

18 Reading between the lines Humour / sarcasm. A writer might poke fun at a topic or mock it to show that they disagree with it. Exaggeration. A writer might go over the top about the topic. This implies that they like or don t like something. Repetition. A writer could repeat a statistic or a phrase to show they do or don t like something. Rhetorical questions. This is a technique often used in writing an argument and its function is to get the reader to agree with what the writer thinks. Positive and negative language. Words often carry positive and negative meanings. It might be nice to be called curvy but not so nice to be fat. Emotive language. This is language that stirs up the emotions. If the writer uses language like unimaginable cruelty when discussing animal experiments, they are probably not in favour of them.

19 1b What was interesting and unusual about Johnny Depp s visit to the primary school? (4 marks) Mark Band 3 - clear, relevant (4 marks) clear evidence that the text is understood engages with the text and makes inferences offers relevant and appropriate quotations makes developed reference to interesting/unusual aspects of the visit

20 Candidates responses may include: the fact that it is unusual for a Hollywood star to visit your school it is interesting and unusual because it was a surprise visit it was more interesting because Johnny Depp came dressed up as Jack Sparrow it was unusual because he was responding to a letter from a nine year old, asking for his help to mutiny against their teachers and actually came to the school in his pirate costume usually a celebrity visit might be very well planned and involve a lot of security, but the school only had ten minutes notice of the visit.

21 Now read Source 2, the RNLI webpage. Q 2. Explain what you learn about the RNLI lifeboat rescue on Loch Ness. Remember to: show your understanding by explaining in your own words support your ideas using the text.

22 Mark Band 3 - clear, relevant marks clear evidence that the text is understood clear engagement with the text and makes inferences offers relevant and appropriate references/quotations makes developed reference to the rescue

23 Candidates responses may include: the rescue took place in October it involved a family whose boat ran aground it took place on Loch Ness that not just the family were rescued but their pet hamster too the rescue took place in the afternoon in clear weather Ian Putnam, Joy Cameron and Martin Douglas were the rescuers on the RNLI boat which was called Mercurius during the rescue, Joy swam and waded to reach the boat in choppy conditions nobody was injured and the boat wasn t damaged but had to be towed into deeper water because the water was so shallow this made the rescue more difficult, as did the narrow channel the boat was trapped in.

24 Top tips for analysing language For Question 3, you need to know how to analyse language effectively. Remember, this is the question that is a) worth 12 marks and b) the question that students found most difficult. So what is so difficult? According to AQA, many students are simply finding the correct information and copying down huge chunks without analysing the effect of the language. So, do not copy chunks, use quotations carefully and always explain the effect of a word or phrase on the reader. On the following slide are some top tricks that writers use to influence their readers.

25 Question 3 continued But first... Here is an example of the type of question you can expect for question 3. Remember, you will be always asked to analyse the language not the presentational features. Now read Source 3, an extract from a charity leaflet from the NSPCC, and answer the question below. 3 How does the writer use language: to attract readers and to persuade them to make a donation? (12 marks) You can see that you are being asked to identify examples of language that you would expect to find in a persuasive text and comment on how that language is used to persuade the reader. Simple!

26 Question 3 continued When analysing the language in a piece of text, think about the tone. An easy way to remember about the tone is to ask yourself, what tone of voice would be used to read out the text? Would it be persuasive, informative, argumentative, light hearted and so on. Once you have established what the tone is, you can work out how you know it is a persuasive or light hearted tone. What words and phrases are used to set this tone? Think also about the purpose of the text is it to sell you something? Does the tone match the purpose? It would be very odd to read a text whose purpose was to inform you about global warming but was using a light hearted, feel good tone! Tone is often created in a text using the techniques on the following slide:

27 Question 3 continued Look for any imagery in the text. Imagery is where the writer tries to paint a picture in the reader s mind to help them relate to what is being described. Imagery is often used in poetry and fiction but you might well find it in Sources 1 3. Look out for: Similes compares one thing to another using the words like or as (flat as a pancake) Metaphor describes one thing as if it were another (you are a tower of strength) Remember, it is not enough just to identify imagery. You need to explain clearly, in detail and in your own words what effect this imagery has upon the reader.

28 Question 3 continued Another technique to look out for in your text is sensational or emotive language. Emotive language is often used by writers when they want to manipulate the reader s feelings. Quite often emotive language will be found in adverts, charity leaflets or a text where the reader passionately believes in or hates something they are writing about. Examples could be: the animals used are often cold, lonely and starving. Remember it s not enough to identify emotive language. You have to clearly explain the effect it has on the reader.

29 Question 3 continued A common language technique to spot and comment on is the use of the personal pronoun you or us. This technique is commonly used by the writer to make the text feel more personal to the reader, as if it is aimed directly at them personally. Quite often, rhetorical questions will be used for added emphasis, such as Do you think it s right that... or Would you like that for your children? Sometimes, colloquial language is used. This is the kind of chatty, informal language that you would use with your friends such as when you are gossiping with your mates at break time... Remember it s not enough to identify the personal pronouns you have to explain in detail the effect on the reader.

30 Question 3 continued Repetition is a very common technique and often (although not exclusively) used in sales. The word or phrase is repeated throughout the text to make it stick in the reader s mind. It could be the name of the company, or it could be the word bargain or words like best ever. It could even be it is not enough to simply identify examples of repetition you have to explain in detail the effect on the reader. Something similar is the use of three. You will know all about this from writing to argue or persuade. The technique to spot is where the writer uses a list of three to emphasise a particular point it is wrong, disgraceful and we shouldn t stand for it. Remember it s not enough to identify the repetition you have to explain in detail the effect on the reader.

31 Question 3 continued Quotations, statistics and anecdotes are used often in newspapers and magazines and sometimes in sales texts. They are used to add interest and credibility to a text. For example, a charity leaflet might highlight the fact that 156 more people were helped last year through the generous donations made by people like you. They might go on to say that Princess Kate Middleton supports that charity and feels This charity holds a special place in my heart. They may also choose to have a few lines about how the charity has helped a particular person. Robert, 16, was struck down by this terrible illness during his GCSEs. Remember it is not enough to identify quotation, statistics and anecdotes you need to explain in detail the effect upon the reader.

32 Question 3 continued Humour and or sarcasm is an easy technique to identify and comment on in an exam. Think about the purpose of the humour is it there simply to entertain and make the writing more lively? Or, is it there to manipulate the reader into thinking in a particular way. For example, if you were reading an article about the justice system in the UK and the judge in a case was mocked as being old as the hills and doddery as a dodo, you might be prejudiced towards what he said. Remember, it is not enough to simply identify humour and sarcasm in the exam you need to explain in detail the effect upon the reader.

33 Question 3 last bit If you can try and comment on the following techniques they tend to impress the examiner... Sentences and paragraphs Short sentences suggest tension and speed. Short paragraphs are often used in tabloid newspapers making them easier to read. Very short paragraphs attract the reader s attention. Long sentences are mainly used for description and are full of detail. This is the same with long paragraphs. These are often used in broadsheet newspapers. Punctuation Look for lots of exclamation marks. They often stand out and attract attention. Use of imperatives Commands often appear in advice leaflets, try this tip at home but can also be used in persuasive texts Give money now. Try to link the language to the audience You might wish to comment on more sophisticated language for an educated audience and a more colloquial vocabulary to a teenage audience etc.

34 Now read Source 3, an extract of travel writing by Michael Palin. Q. 3 How does the writer use language features to inform the reader about his trip and to describe his experiences? Remember to: give some examples of language features that inform give some examples of language features that describe explain the effects

35 Skills required. Mark Band 3, clear, relevant marks. clear evidence that the text is understood in relation to language features developed comment on the effect of features of language to inform and describe supports response with relevant quotations/examples clear focus on language features which inform and describe.

36 Candidates responses may include: To inform: numerous references to time and place Day 22, east, at 5 uses of proper nouns names of people and places, Captain Suleyman, Karachi use of technical terms/subject specific language crew, bows huge sail use of listing sleeping space.water use of anecdote/real life story his brother s ship drowned use of statement sentences/declarative sentences.

37 To describe: use of adjectives flat, calm, motionless use of adverbs Suddenly, rarely, shamelessly use of metaphor boat comes to life use of non-finite verbs/ ing verbs rolling/weaving/diving/backtracking/returning to describe the actions of the dolphins use of intensifier so blue and clear use of noun phrases perfect silhouette, lucky men, precious water use of complex sentences for detailed description. A 50/50 weighting between linguistic features to inform and linguistic features to describe is not necessary.

38 Question 4 Question 4 is another big mark question, but many students find this question easier to manage than Question 4. This question will always be a comparison of presentational devices between two texts. The key to answering this question is to a) make sure you are analysing the presentational devices and not the language and b) ensure you are answering the question and writing about two texts. An example of Question 4 might be: Write about the ways in which two of the source texts use: layout and other presentational features (12 marks) So, what are presentational devices?

39 Question 4 presentational devices The presentational devices you are going to identify and comment on, are obviously dependent on the texts you are given to read in the exam and the question asked. However, here are a selection of the most common to get you started...

40 Question 4 presentational devices Pictures and illustrations. Most of the source materials in the exam will have pictures on them. Remember, you are looking at newspapers, magazines, web pages, charity leaflets etc all of these will have carefully chosen pictures on them. Think about the purpose of your source material, if it is a charity leaflet for example, its purpose may be to persuade you to donate to that charity. You need to comment on how that picture in the leaflet helps persuade the reader to part with their money. Perhaps it could be for the RSPCA and the picture on the front is of a cute kitten with a broken paw. You would need to state how that picture a) gets your attention and b) persuades the readership to part with their money. There may be a picture of a smiling person holding up their dog who wants to thank all the lovely people who support the RSPCA. Why is this picture there? How would it persuade the reader to donate?

41 Question 4 presentational devices Colour. Colour is another key feature that you can comment on in your exam. Especially if you are analysing the presentational features of an advert, try to think about the colours and why they have been chosen. For example, the colour red may be used to symbolise love or passion, white purity, green nature, blue the great outdoors. Use your imagination, there is no set answer providing you can justify your point of view. Take care though. Just like with the language, it is not enough just to identify a colour, you clearly have to analyse the effect on the reader.

42 Question 4 presentational devices After analysing the graphics, you may wish to look at how the words are presented on the page. For this I mean: o font size o any capital letters used o any bold type or italics or underlining o bullet points o the layout of the source material as a whole Keep asking yourself, why has this device been used? What is the effect on the reader. Without making this analysis, you cannot gain the full marks for this question.

43 Question 4 comparing texts In Question 4 you will always be asked to compare 2 texts. You will always be allowed to choose which texts you wish to compare but you must write about both texts. There is no set format for answering this question. Perhaps the easiest way is to look at the pictures / illustrations / diagrams in Source A and then compare them to the pictures / illustrations / diagrams in Source B saying in what ways they are the same and different. You could then go on to look at the non picture presentational features (bullet points, text size, colour etc) in Source A and compare to Source B. Make sure you use a wide range of connectives when comparing the texts. Remember to look for the PAFs of each source and write about how well each text succeeds in its chosen purpose.

44 Q. 4 Choose two of the three sources and compare the way that both texts use presentational features for effect. I have chosen source and.. Remember to: - write about the way the sources are presented - explain the effect of the presentational features - compare the way they look.

45 Skills required Mark Band 3, clear, relevant marks clear evidence that the texts are understood in relation to presentational features clear comparison of presentational features developed comment on the effect of presentational features in both texts focused examples of presentational features from both texts

46 In Help us Mutiny the traditional Daily Mail logo is reduced to Mail and placed alongside Online in a more modern font the headline uses a quotation from the little girl s letter and a clear reference to the star s name and character the intro paragraph is a one line paragraph the article is structured in tabloid paragraphs the colour photograph shows the strange sight of Captain Jack in a school assembly hall, complete with benches etc, in costume. He is holding Beatrice s letter which links to the information in the article. Beatrice is smiling shyly. There is an onlooker, smiling, who is also dressed as a pirate

47 In RNLI webpage uses the RNLI logo and the explanation of who they are on the blue band at the top the colours blue and white are used in various shades on the webpage and are used in connection with the sea the menu bar also uses an orangey red and white which links to the flag the photograph seems to show the rescue in action and shows the lifeboat crew throwing the tow rope to each other. It seems it s not staged because the crew are busy and not posing for the camera. You cannot see their faces, but you can see what they are doing five short paragraphs are organised with light blue space and printed in the same navy blue as the header further information about the RNLI is organised at the side in text boxes and the menu on the right includes a bar to make a donation directly to the charity.

48 In Around the World in 80 days uses a logo like a date stamp or a postmark to suggest a postcard sent home structured into paragraphs, the shorter ones indicating periods of inactivity, the longer ones the moments of more action the text uses two colour photographs, one of Palin and the film crew relaxing, sleeping, reading. They are in shorts and look casual and leisurely bored even. By contrast, the second photograph depicts a crew member working on the sail. Both photographs show vivid shades of blue.

49 What else should I look for? It is likely (although not certain) that one of the source materials on your exam paper could be either a newspaper or magazine article. For this reason, it is a good idea to get to know the main terminology used in this industry. Broadsheet a serious newspaper like the Times or the Guardian. Usually tackles more serious stories. Smaller headlines and more serious tone. Tabloid a less serious newspaper like the Sun which does contain news but also celebrity gossip and scandal. It will have a less serious tone and a more limited vocabulary. Headline the title of the main story on the front page. Strapline the introductory smaller headline located just underneath the main headline. Byline the journalist s name who wrote the story Sub-headings you will find these breaking up columns of text. They make the story easier to read and you can find out the main points of the story by scanning these.

50 Media terms continued Lead story as its name suggests, it is the main story on the front page. Feature article a feature is a topic the journalist believes will be interesting to the readers. S/he will cover the topic in some detail. Human interest story this type of article is often a personal or funny story, e.g. at Christmas a 100 year old letter addressed to Santa Claus is found up a chimney etc. Editorial this is where the editor (the person in charge of a newspaper) writes his / her opinion on a particular subject or news story. This is sometimes quite controversial.

51 What else? Practice really does make perfect. For best results keep your junk mail and continue to find the PAF. Go one step further by analysing both the language and the presentational features and getting vital practice for questions 3 and 4. Soon you will be able to do this in your sleep!! For practice on questions 1 2, see your teacher who will be delighted to give you millions of past papers.

52 Finally!! Top tips for exam success... 1.Prepare for your exam now. Start saving that junk mail... you know what to do! 2.Start asking for those past papers. 3.Time yourself. You have 1 hour to complete 5 questions. Can you do it? 4.Read every non fiction title you can manage. Start to look at different types of newspapers and magazines, web pages, travel writing etc. Start to look for particular styles know what to expect. 5.Get a good night s sleep before your exam you ll need it! 6.Pack at least two pens in black or blue. 7.Plan your journey. Do you really want to be late? 8.In the exam room, listen carefully to all instructions 9.Read the questions before you read the texts. This will help you as you already know what you are looking for when you read the texts. 10.Read the questions carefully. Use the bullet points to help structure your answer. 11.Remember that you get most marks for questions 4 and Take a deep breath and relax. You can do it!!