A2 Coursework Ideas

A2 Course Work Ideas

Idea One:

Chat shows

-          Jonathan Ross with Lindsay Lohan

Russell Brand, Miley Cyrus, Kanye, Amy Winehouse (suggestions for 'big' personalities both male and female)

Big/extroverted personalities

Do big personalities exert more power regardless of status?

http://theadventurouswriter.com/blog/extrovert-at-work-personality-traits-of-extroverted-people/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75KluX-1Wps            (21.30-23.30 , could look at body language etc)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Dqa_K6blg          

 (Amy Winehouse exerts power through facial expressions/sarcasm leading the interviewer to back down and change what they are saying).

Language and Gender /  Language and Power

Idea Two:

Comparing Television Shows

The Office UK in comparison to The Office U.S.

US:
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=the-office-us&episode=s01e01

UK:
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=the-office-uk&episode=s01e01

http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2013/12/03/10-common-british-expressions-baffle-americans/

Brown and Levinson's Face Theory

Brown and Levinson Face Theory

Politeness is described as a social norm, a set of prescriptive 'social rules'. We are polite in order to protect our 'face' as, as humans we want to be liked by others. Brown and Levinson developed the 'Face Theory' which explains about this in detail. It mentions that we have both a 'Positive Face' and a 'Negative Face'.

Positive Face: The desire to be appreciated and liked

Negative Face: The desire to have freedom and not be imposed upon

Our 'Face' is basically the way we present ourselves to others and how we want to be seen.

There is also something called a 'Face Threatening Act (FTA)'. A Face Threatening Act is where someone deliberately does something to threaten someones either positive or negative face, and therefore challenges their face and how they portray themselves.

Politeness could be described as:

Showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.;courteous; civil:

And can often be achieved by:

- being contextually appropriate

- following social and cultural norms

- being socially positive by addressing face needs

However, when someone threatens your 'face' you can react in a number of ways and stratagies, these are called 'politeness superstrategies' and vary depending on contextual factors...

Bold on record - not attempting to minimise the face threat

Positive politeness - showing you value someone so minimising the threat to the positive face

Negative politeness - not impeding on someone, minimising the threat to the negative face

Off record - avoiding responsibility for the FTA often by being indirect

Withhold - not performing the FTA

Politeness superstrategies are determined by contextual factors: 

-Power relations between speaker and listener

-Social distance between speaker and listener

-How great the threat of the FTA is

Grices Maxims

Grices Maxims

Maxim of Quantity:

The maxim of quantity is where you only give the information that is needed and that relates to the question/topic. 

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of quantity):

Person 1: Do you know the time?

Person 2: It's five o clock here, in America its two o clock.

This extra information is unnecessary and excessive.

Maxim of Quality:

The maxim of quality is where you give reliable and truthful information that can be supported by evidence.

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of quality):

Person 1:Do you know the time?

Person 2: Yes it's five o clock.

- It is really three o clock and therefore the information is false.

Maxim of Relation:

 

The maxim of relation is where your conversation and contribution to a discussion is relevant and relates to the situation or topic.

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of relation):

Person 1: Do you know the time?

Person 2: It's Tuesday today.

This is a bad example as Person Two provides information that is irrelevant and unwanted in the conversation.

Maxim of Manner:

The maxim of manner is where you avoid ambiguity and speak briefly and orderly.

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of manner):

'The professor came in and the student left'. • Indicates that student left after (or, as a result of) the professor coming but is unclear.

language and power powepoint

'Is technology affecting our language?'

https://driverwebdesign.com.au/blog/how-technology-has-changed-our-language

Geoffrey's Monologue

Geoffrey is a reasonably short man serenely sat at the dining room table, he is conversationally tilted forward in a friendly manner, his hands hugging a cup of tea. In the background an open window lets in daylight and he sound of birds, while the clock on the wall reads the time 1'o'clock.

The service went as planned. A few hiccups obviously. I sometimes look up, peer over my glasses during the service. Just to check. It throws me off but I can't help it. I fret that I might be left in the empty church alone, unaware everyone grew bored and left half an hour ago (laughs awkwardly) I can't help it. I can't give a speech halfheartedly, it will not do. After today’s service I was confronted with praise and given the usual congratulatory pat on the back from those who attended. (Geoffrey’s voice becomes more animated) Roger said it was his favorite service in a long time and Diane asked whether I would be able to read a sermon at- (His speech is cut off by the sound of a door and footsteps from upstairs, he coughs awkwardly) That should be Susan awake. She couldn't make it today. Said it was her head – not that I blame her, of course. Susan’s not feeling up to scratch, you know. Going through a rough patch. Says its stress. I told her to lay off the flower arranging for awhile – she just laughed. 

(Geoffrey gets up from his seat and walks over to the open window staring out)

I've tried to help her, it's not as if I don't care. Like the other day, we were sat on the settee, I was reading – she was pretending to. I confronted her, asked her what's troubling her. She just opened her mouth as though to speak being shutting it again, laughing coldly, knowing I wouldn't understand. (He reaches over to the window, shutting it and cutting off the outside noise, leaving silence)

What can I do? Ask too much? I'm interrogating. Ask too little? I'm uncaring. I'm trapped.

'The Woman Who Walked into Doors' Analysis

The Woman Who Walked into Doors Analysis

Throughout the short story 'The Woman Who Walked into Doors' imperative sentences are used, in particular the phrase 'ask me'. This phrase is regularly repeated, highlighting her desperation and anguish. Despite the sentence being short and simple, it carries lots of impact due to the reasoning behind it. You could say that because the command seems so simple it is effective as it highlights the little amount that needs to be done in order for her life to dramatically change; making the reader also want her to be asked. The triplet placed at the end of the short story 'Ask me. Ask me. Ask me.' is powerful as it presents the character as always having the phrase running around in her head - again highlighting desperation.

There is a distinct lack of adjectives used in the short story. The shortage of adjectives represents the realism in the story, as in real life situations we do not use a vast amount of adjectives when speaking. Despite this being a story, the situation is quite dark and sadly realistic, so it might not be as effective to use dramatic adjectives that most people would not say or use. 

Both concrete and abstract nouns are employed within the story. An example of a concrete noun in use is when it says 'I'd be led behind the curtain and it would be over'. The use of the concrete noun 'curtain' could be interpreted metaphorically and represent the hidden aspect of her life and the fact that she wants everyone to know the truth. On the other hand, abstract nouns are used to represent the feelings of the character, frequently making the reader feel sympathy for the character. It says 'but if I got the right doctor or nurse i'd feel safe'. The abstract noun 'safe' is seen as something everyone should be entitled to feel but because she does not, the reader again feels commiseration for the character.

Rhetorical questions are effectively placed in the short story - in the form of a triplet. The piece says 'What about the burns on my hand? The missing hair? The teeth?'. Because the questions are presented in a triplet; almost like a list, it highlights the amount of pain and negativity the character is facing. Which consequently makes the reader feel sympathy. Furthermore, similarly to the imperative it presents the fact that someone only needs to ask her any of these things to change her current predicament.