2004 MODULE 2 ESSAY

General Notes for Communication Studies

Look at the questions and make a comment that connects all or as many of the questions as possible.
When answering each question specifically the tip is that you want to make a GENERAL statement thats
acts as the Intro to the paragraphto frame this Intro you ask yourself what do I know generally about
what the questions is asking for.
Using Module 2 from 2004 from Paper 2
There are many factors that influence a writers language choice; some of these are the context, the
audience and the message content. In Alicia Mc Kenzies Pinkie this is certainly the case as we see as
the choice of language is Creole in the Basilect variation.
a. The relation between language choice (Creole) and context/setting/situation (the beauty parlour) :
context influence language choice. The context in Communication refers to the place (a hairdressing
salon) and the grouping of people (interpersonal conversation). The term language choice implies that
there are other languages that could have been used but this was specifically chosen. In this excerpt the
language choice was creole in the Basilect and Mesolect variation. Because the context is casual the
language is casual. The persons in the conversation are friends/acquaintances and as such they are
comfortable to speak to each other in their mother tongue. Creole is appropriate as Pinkie and Ms Daisy
obviously are West Indians and as such when the Creole is spoken by either of them it is understood.
Examples are:
b. As with question (a) there are factors such as audience, content and nationality which when taken into
consideration lend to the appropriateness of a narrators choice of language. In this case the narrator
uses the Basilect variation as seen in I start to tell her bout a whole heap of strikes in England .... Who
are the people whod read this? Most likely it will be West Indians. Pinkie was complaining about her birth
country in creole and so one expects the narrator to respond likewise in creole. Also there is a perception
that creole will get the true meaning and feelings across. For example in the opening sentence Pinkie
says that is why this country will nevah get ahead, nevah get ahead. A reader immediately knows that
she is angry and in a complaining mode. So it is appropriate because of these main reasons: they are
West Indians friends, the topic lends itself to complaint, and they are in a casual/informal setting.
c. Is Pinkies language linguistically or non-linguistically motivated? How do we identify linguistic
motivation? When we are asked for non linguistic factors you should write about such factors as
Phonetics how the speaker articulates their speech sounds e.g. Guyanese roll their r
And Trinidadians do not
Phonology - how the speaker systematically uses sounds in language / the sounds of words
Morphology how words are structured or formed e.g. dog, yes, swing or un-happi-ness
Syntax how the speaker constructs sentences or how words are organized e.g. phrases, clauses,
sentences
Semantics how the speaker makes meaning of the words in the sentence e.g In the US most people
refer to death as passed whereas in Trinidad we say died or in the US they say pop

for soda and in Trinidad we say soft drink or sweet drink and sometimes you may even hear seet
drink
Non linguistic factors can persons believing:
that Americans and British speak the same way
that learning to speak in a foreign language by just listening to the television or being in that country for a
short holiday or from being around foreigners regularly e.g. a Hotel worker, tour guide
that an accent is all that is needed to learn a language
d. A video presentation of any piece will enhance it especially in the area of clearing up fuzziness of
words, phrases and situation. (give examples from the excerpt here)

2009 MODULE 2 PAPER 1

QUESTION 4 b. State two non- linguistic reasons why the students are NOT speaking Std English
N.B It is widely perceived that most speakers use Std Eng in formal situations or when they are speaking
to a stranger ...so in this scenario we are asking ourselves ... Why did they choose to speak Creole? Why
would one person be comfortable or be proud speak to Creole in any context and another will not do
such? And on the other hand why the others choose the Standard and are just as comfortable or proud
with it?
Possible answers...They were not in a formal setting/ the situation was a casual one
Creole is their first language and they are comfortable with speaking it / they are in an English speaking
country etc.
CAPE 2009 Communication Studies Paper 2 Module 1 was a tricky passage as it required students to
think harder than usual. I predict this is the new path of Communication Studies, no longer are
students going to just read the extract once and see the language techniques and strategies jumping out
at them but now they will have to read and read again.
Fear not students, as usual a writer always uses strategies and language techniques/devices to achieve
the purpose or to make the main point...always. A writer cannot write without these three things
re.Strategies/techniques, a specific purpose and a main point!Back to 2009 Module 1, many students
were caught looking only for language devices and techniques and when they did not uncover any they
became desperate and wrote the first things that came to their mind. They were right in believing that
there must be some tools in the extract but they were wrong in believing that this tool was only language
techniques. In this case there were mainly strategies hardly any of the former.
Rule No. 1 when there are none or few language or literary devices or techniques look for strategies as it
was in this essay.
Rule No 2. A writer always uses the techniques and strategies to make and emphasise the main point
and secondly a writer always use techniques and strategies to achieve the purpose. Identify the purpose
and main point correctly and more than ever you will be able to identify the techniques and strategies
used to help achieve the purpose.
Your main idea should mention that the only way women can break away from the vicious cycle of
illiteracy, poverty, repeated childbearing is by becoming educated. The important thing here is to realize
that there is a strong correlation between education and illiteracy.
Remember that the main idea and the writers purpose are connected; so if the main idea is that

education is the key to breaking the stranglehold of that illiteracy, poverty, lack of a political voice and a
voice on the hold then the purpose of this piece is to make readers aware/ to sensitize them/ to persuade
them of the main idea. So anything that says something like the purpose of this piece is to sensitize
readers to the fact that education is the only means for women to escape/break away from the clutches of
poverty, illiteracy, repeated childbearing/unplanned pregnancy etc.
So CAPE always asks for you to discuss strategies and language techniques and most times the
language techniques are easy to find but in CAPE 2009 you looked and looked and some of you only saw
...repetitionof education and illiteracy and if you looked really hard you would have seen contrast of
the effects of illiteracy and then you saw nothing else...and you were stuck.
Listen in a case like this CAPE is not mad...they wont ask you for something if it wasnt there but you
need to be smart...go back to the question. If you look you will see what are always there...strategies and
language techniques...never language techniques alone! So if there are no more language techniques
then you need to identify and discuss strategies...its as simple as that!
And so in this particular question students needed to identify and discuss strategies such as the way the
information was laid out. It was done as alist providing the benefits of education; there were examples of
the effects of illiteracy from around the world, statistical information/data, use of non
emotive/academic language, the use of a reputable institution as UNESCO, and the presentation of
factual information.
Another BIG CLUE can be as it was in this case... if there is a lot of statistical data from a serious
institution such as UNESCO believe this itmost likely will not contain such things as hyperbole (if the
organization is as reputable as this one is then the organization will not exaggerate the information!), it
hardly will have emotive word (the language is academic..can you imagine those staid, serious
statisticians writing in emotive words?), hardly likely to have all those easy devices as simile,
personification and metaphor.
Seriously though dont panic in the first essay, to panic in module one essay is most likely going to set
off a negative reaction in the next two essays.
SCENARIO: A group of farmers from a rural village in your country has invited you to give the Opening
Address at their workshop titled The Effects of Harmful Chemicals.
In an essay, discuss how you will develop your presentation looking specifically at:
I)The communication challenges that you most likely will encounter as you address the members of this
rural farming community
II)The language variety, register and vocabulary that you will take into consideration
III)Such factors as your organizational strategies, visual/audio visual aids and any other resources that
you may use in your presentation.
ANSWER
oMain challenges can be in the form of some farmers being unwilling to make a paradigm shift as they
prefer to stay doing and using the same old chemicals. Another way this can be said is that among the
farmers have an unwillingness to embrace/adopt change
oThere is a likelihood that some farmers may harbour mistrust for outsiders coming into their village
oLack of interest /an air of complacency which can lead to boredom with your presentation

oThe challenge of how do you get the message of the need for change from harmful chemicals that they
have been using for so long to newer and safer/more effective chemicals/ even eco-friendly chemicals
oThe challenge of not coming across to the farmers as either too educated and complex or on the other
hand making your message too simplistic/ finding the right balance is the key
oThe register can be moved between casual and formal
oThe content of your presentation must be relevant and clearly defined
oPresentation must not be too long as to bore and confused
oFind out before hand if there were other issues dealing with harmful effects of the chemicals
oTry to fit in with the audience, pay attention to dress code do not over dress etc ...be as natural as
possible
oWhen speaking make eye contact with the audience
oProvide a question answer session so as to give the farmers time to have their say
oAsk them to work with you sensitive to their needs and concerns
oRemember that your visual aids are just that aids do not make them your focus!
oYour presentation must have a clear introduction, body and Conclusion