Language Analysis
whatislanguageanalysis
Language analysis is achieved through choosing key quotations and exploring how the words have been used effectively.
Many of the quotes identified will be examples of techniques. It is important that you are able to recognise and identify them.
commondevices
Fact, Description and Opinion
Facts are true and cannot be disputed. They provide information and help to achieve the purpose of ‘writing to inform’.
Description tends to be perceived. It provides information as well but it fulfills the purpose of ‘writing to describe.’
Alongside factual content, the writer will use opinions. These are personal viewpoints on a subject or topic. Often, opinions almost appear factual.
Emotive Language
Emotive Language is any language that makes you feel something for a person or situation. It is an umbrella term and there are many different devices that create emotive language.
Simile
A simile is when you compare one object with another. A simile uses the words ‘as’ and ‘like’ to compare.
Rhetorical Question
Rhetorical questions are questions that require no answer. The question remains unanswered in the piece.
howtoachievelanguageanalysis
A ‘Peter’ paragraph is similar to a PEE paragraph but it is much more specialised to language and structural devices.
__Point __- this is the idea that you are trying to suggest. It is your own idea. It usually answers the question.
__Evidence __- this is the quote that you are using to support your Point. You should aim to integrate the quote with the point.
__Technique __- the language/structural technique used. This should be named.
Explanation - these are the reasons why you think the quote suggests the point. You should aim for at least three comments.
Reader - this is the effect that is being created on the reader.
A ‘Peter’ paragraph does not need to occur in a set order.
Example:
Maya Angelou demonstrates her feeling of freedom (Point),_ within the metaphor (technique) ‘_I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’ _(Evidence). S_he is suggesting that she is so full of life that her positive spirit is never-ending; she cannot be contained, in a similar way to the ocean being free _(Explanation). _This creates a sense of empowerment for the reader and a feeling of hope (Reader)
exampleanalysis
Read the following text:
From Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan, Jamie Zeppa
_When Zeppa was 24 years old she left Canada to teach in Bhutan. This memoir grew out of an essay she wrote about her early days in the country. _
_Mountains all around, climbing up to peaks, rolling into valleys, again and again. Bhutan is all and only mountains. I know the technical explanation for the landscape, landmass meeting landmass, the Indian subcontinent colliding into Asia thirty or forty million years ago, but I cannot imagine it. It is easier to picture a giant child gathering earth in great armfuls, piling up rock, pinching mud into ridges and sharp peaks, knuckling out little valleys and gorges, poking holes for water to fall through. _
How does the writer use language to create an impression of Bhutan?
The writer uses imagery ‘a giant child…fall through’. The verb usage of ‘pinching’ suggests that the landscape seems quite harsh but it is sculpted and designed by a greater being. Furthermore, the fact that the peaks are ‘sharp’ suggests that you could get hurt in Bhutan, the reader feels as though the writer is as excited as a small child, who is naive about the world and what to expect. This could set the tone for the remainder of the article.
You will need several paragraphs to complete an essay.
- What is language analysis?
- How do you achieve language analysis?