ENG2601/201/2/2019

Tutorial Letter 201/2/2019

Applied English Language Studies:
Further Explorations
ENG2601

Semester 2
Department of English Studies

CONTENTS
1. Feedback on Assignment 02.

Define tomorrow
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Dear Students

FEEDBACK TO ASSIGNMENT 02
First Step: In preparing to write your essay, you should have carefully read your texts to
understand and contextualize each of them guided by the bulleted questions provided. The
following is just an example of how your thinking could have been directed:
Texts 1, 2, 3. & 4 …

Common features

 There is no contextual variation: theme is the same; dealing with social circumstance-
verbal abuse in social contexts
 There is interaction: dialogue (husband-wife); poem; self -help book (writer - reader) ,
campaign (campaigner - audience)
 Specific language features used to construct desired message with desired force
 Readers receive/observe/embrace shared socially meaningful message-verbal abuse at
workplace socially and professionally unacceptable

Distinctive features


Dialogue: exchange structure, husband-wife in dialogue, turn-taking

Campaign: a blog in social media with a message against verbal abuse; Self-help
textbook:
 Poem: Message delivered through a poem of four short stanzas
 Self-help textbook: Excerpt from a book chapter, written not like dialogue, campaign or
poem but like a textbook delivering facts about how to deal with verbal abuse in self-
defense.
Discussed below …

Text 1: Dialogue

Context Husband and wife in dialogue; abusive husband; language not loving;
disrespectful, insulting; emotionally abused wife shows low self-esteem in
typically victim response, taking undeserved blame [“I know, I’m sorry, I
didn’t want to wake you up, I need to take my lenses out and I think …]- she
can’t even finish her sentences before the abusive husband cuts in …

Topic/theme/structure Topic/theme is emotional, verbal abuse and how it is played out in

relationships using language; structure is exchange, initiation-response
[“turn on the lights …”- “I will …”] find other examples.

Style of argument to  Direct exchanges, abusive husband initiates dialogue with a

influence meaning disrespectful, unloving instruction [“turn on the lights …”] followed by
selfish, self-centred remarks and insults [For f---k’s sake, I’m trying to
sleep, turn the lights off and shut up with the long story, I’m fucking
sleeping. Cunt”]
 Down-trodden, emotionally abused wife responds sheepishly: [“I know,
I’m sorry, I didn’t want to wake you up, I need to take my lenses out
and I think …]- find other examples

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 Style of argument, utterances from abusive husband designed to put

the woman down, to gain control over her using fear-mongering tactics
to subdue her into submission; to destroy her self-worth; to cause her
to doubt her ability to do anything right; to feel like she deserve the
insults, [“Jesus Christ, what the f---k is wrong with you …Cunt ]
 Style of response, reflection by the abused woman waking up to her
abusive relationship [“I crept out of my bedroom, like I always did”;
Notice, the abused wife does not directly confront the husband
[“thought that I was getting what I deserved…”]

We know from the woman’s response that, the author’s message is that
verbal abuse is wrong, it is unacceptable [“What an f...ng lie.”]. Now she is
wiser; she may never again allow herself to be emotionally abused.

Specific language Highly emotive language…

features
 Commands/imperatives/giving orders: [“turn out the lights”]; [“turn off the
lights and shut up …”]
 Apology: [I’m sorry …]
 Rhetorical question: [I thought that I was getting what I deserved, right?
 Synonymy in description of abused woman’s experience: [heartbreak,
hurt, pain]; [fear, shock]; [fear; confusion]; [sympathy, empathy,
compassion](Lns 11/12)
 Antonymy to express and underscore feelings of emotional devastation
and confusion in an abusive relationship: [joy, heartbreak- none of these
emotions existed in the woman any more]
 Metaphor: [everything human … had been beaten out me (Ln 14/15)]

Find more language features with the help of your Study Guide …

Rhetorical devices to  Exclamatives/insults/expressing opinions strongly [“Jesus Christ …”; “For

convey feelings, f…k’s sake”; “Cunt”]; [What a f…ing lie]
tone, attitude  Intonation: anger, rage,
 Repetition for emphasis and intimidation: [“Turn out the lights (Ln 1)”;
[Turn the lights off …” (Ln 5)

Text 2: Social Media Campaign

Context Campaign against verbal abuse through social media

Topic/theme/structure  Message about how to stop verbal abuse using hotlines and social
media to report it; at the same an advocacy campaign for the
recognition and support of hotlines.
 Structure is short writing; a paragraph of six lines with a question
as a caption- [how would you feel if someone said the following to
you “Go away and die!”].
 Piece cleverly created to achieve the dual purpose referred to
above
Style of argument to Appeal seeking to exert influence, credibility of message
influence meaning

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Specific language Language of appeal

features Appeal to culture and group values –social media, hotline
Rhetorical devices to  Language of appeal [many people are familiar with …hotline] when you
convey feelings, tone, read this and you are not sure what ‘hotline’ means, you are bound to
attitude want to find out! the phrase is supposed to lend credibility to the claim,
this is persuasive rhetoric or language used to attract you to social
media, the platform that broadcasts the intended message; the
platform associated with dissemination of knowledge
 Appeal to group culture [now thanks to social media “…] phrase used
to cause collective conformity
 Careful word choices like common and popular words [address issues;
helplines, hotline] all used carefully to create much needed hype
around the message that verbal abuse towards children has to stop,
which message is posted on social media, the popular platform
Read your Study Guide to find more points of discussion …

Text 3: Poem

Context Poet addresses message to reader that verbal abuse is degrading

Topic/theme/structure Verbal abuse which includes name calling is unacceptable; message

is delivered in the form of a short poem with four stanzas

Style of argument to  Emotive language: [it’s been a constant headache, go around and call
influence meaning me names, breaking me, women abused and blamed (see if you can
find these lines in the poem. What lines are they?)
 Tone: what is it? Sadness, maybe? Frustration?
 Simple, everyday language, poem in free verse, not conforming to
traditional styles like rhyme; but yes there is rhythm to it, you can rap it!

Specific language  Use of figurative language is evident:-

features  Metaphor [it’s been a constant headache (Ln 1)] where the experience
of abuse is said to be the same as suffering a headache]
 Style more conversational; see ellipsis to create rhythm: [So it’s been
…instead of /So it has been…] (Ln 1]; ellipsis to avoid vulgarity
[bas*ard …]
 Conjunctive cohesion: [And (conjunction) I wish you could know it];
[Each and every day you degrade me]; [To go around and call me
names] (Can you find the lines where these examples occur?)
Rhetorical devices to Questioning: [did you know…women are verbally abused, then blamed?];
convey feelings, tone, [Does it make you proud…to realize you’re an abusive bastard yourself?]
attitude (Lns 12/14)

Can you find more examples …?

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Text 4: Self-Help Textbook

Context A textbook discussion on how to handle verbal abuse

Topic/theme/structure A textbook written in formal English structured in sections discussing four
principles of how to handle verbal abuse as a learned art; factual
Style of argument to Language is formal, article in paragraphs
influence meaning
Specific language Grammatical sentences
features
Gerunds: [suffering; knowing; inflicting; preventing] (Can you find these in
the passage?)

Adjectives [hundreds suffering; verbal violence; physical attack; careful

person; obvious and unmistakable, gentle art… (Can you find more
examples?)

Adverbs [slugs you physically; lies…publicly; fully capable (other

examples?)

Possessives :[opponent’s weapons, opponent’s move

Prepositions: [under attack, harm on others, keep in mind; before

witnesses]

Compound nouns: [self-defense

Idiom/cliché: [enough is enough]

Cohesive strategies: [First principle…Second…Third…Fourth…]

Rhetorical devices to Repetition as a cohesive strategy as well as emphasis: [Know that you are
convey feelings, under attack; Knowing that you are fully capable; Know what kind of attack
tone, attitude

Second Step: After the careful reading and gaining some knowledge about each text, you
should have planned your essay according to the knowledge you gained in your studying of the
texts. The following is what you should do each time you are required to write an
academic essay.
Organise, Develop and Arrange details as you write the first draft
As you work on the draft paragraphs, you should keep in mind all the important facts about
discursive writing:
1. Use details to develop your topic sentence.
2. Consider your purpose for writing and the audience. If you write to provide information,
then present plenty of factual detail.
3. Keep unity: everything in the paragraph should support your point. For example, the writer
begins a persuasive paragraph by stating clearly what he or she is arguing for or against.
The writer further supports argument by referring to an authority, and supplying clear
examples.

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4. Arrange the supporting details using specific persuasive words. For example, words like
ought, and must (and the negatives should not, ought not, and must not) are especially
effective in the topic sentence of an essay discussing ‘Verbal abuse’.
5. Maintain coherence and use transitional words. Edit the draft carefully for grammar and
punctuation mistakes.
6. The following transitional expressions are helpful in the argument essay you were
expected to write. They will help prevent you and your reader from getting lost as you
proceed.

Giving reasons Defend Appeal to reason Conclude

-First, second, third -Of course … -May contribute; -It is fair to conclude …
-Another, next, last, -Some may say -Many (e.g. many -Can draw conclusions
finally, … experts, researchers, that …
-Since, for that -Nevertheless scholars …) say, claim, -Therefore …
reason, … maintain … -Thus …
-Because … -On the other -Concerned people …, -Hence …
hand … -Knowledgeable people -Consequently ...
-Although … argue …, reasonable -As a result …
-Nonetheless … (experts’/researchers’ -So …
opinions, assumptions
…)
-So-called scientists
(Opposing views …), ----
---Some people are
willing to acknowledge
…,

Third Step: Write the final draft

(1) You can now write your final draft. Assume that, you are writing an examination.

(2) Revise the final draft. Use the checklist as given:

1. What is your thesis? In what ways is it an arguable claim?
2. Where have you provided the evidence readers need?
3. Where it at all, is your evidence not accurate, relevant, representative, and adequate?
4. Where do you make appeals? Are the appeals appropriate for your audience?
5. Where have you answered opposing arguments?
6. Are your paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence and connected by transitional
phrases?

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7. Does your conclusion re-emphasise your main topic sentence and bring your essay to a
close?
8. Have you proofread your paper and corrected any mechanical errors (grammar, spelling,
punctuation and so on?
9. If your paper is handwritten, is your handwriting legible throughout?
10. Are your pages in the correct order and numbered?