A detailed explanation of how to write the Language Analysis for CAPE Communication Studies, along with a sample passage and analysis.

1. THE LANGUAGE
ANALYSIS
Presenter: Mrs. Schaaffe - McFarlane

2. What is the Language Analysis?
 The language analysis is an assessment of a
piece of communication for the use of
language conventions.
 For the purpose of your I.A. the specified
pieces of communication are:
 A short story
 A poem
 A drama piece/play

3. What is the Language Analysis?
 The specified pieces of communication
which will be written by you the candidate
will be assessed for:
 Language Registers
 Dialectal Variations
 Attitudes to Language
 Communicative Behaviours

4. Requirements
 The analysis should not exceed 350 words.
 The sample of work must be original.
 The analysis should address two (2) of the
language conventions.
 A second copy of the reflective piece should
be placed in the appendix of the portfolio.
Additionally, the sections used in the analysis
should be colour coded and a key provided at
the bottom of the page.

5. Marking Criteria
 The language analysis is assessed by the
examiner for:
 Content: the analysis of the two elements
selected.
(8 marks)
 Expression: clarity and fluency of the analysis
with control of grammar and syntax (5
marks)
 Organization: contains an introduction, proper
development, conclusion and coherence (5
marks)

6. The Language Conventions
Language Registers
Dialectal Variations
Attitudes to Language
Communicative Behaviours

7. Language Registers
 Refer to the kind of English appropriate to a
particular purpose or situation.
 They refer to the formality/informality and tone
that are correct for a specific context.
 The suitability of a register is dependent on:
 The audience
 The subject-matter
 The medium
 The writer’s attitude toward the content

8. Types of Registers
 Formal – used in formal social settings, almost
always involves the use of S.E.
 Casual – used in non-formal settings, usually
marked by slangs and ellipses.
 Intimate – used between people who are very
close, has minimal sentence structure, ellipsis,
non-verbal elements, specialized words and
phrases.

9. Types of Registers
 Consultative – used in situations where the
listener is required to give some form of
continuous feedback based on info provided
by the speaker.
 Frozen – for use in print and public speeches
where no direct response is expected from the
reader or listener.

10. Dialectal Variation
 This refers to the spoken and written
differences in the use of language within a
speech community.
 Speech related variation within the Caribbean
may all be located on the Creole continuum.

11. Acrolec
t
Mesolect Basilect

12. Dialectal Variation
 In commenting on dialectal variation the
student needs to be aware of the different
types of English used and spoken in the
Caribbean. These include:
 Foreign English
 Radio & Television English
 Erudite English
 Colloquial English
 Rasta English
 Profane English

13. Attitudes to Language
 Attitudes to the varieties of English spoken in
the Caribbean result from a number of factors
including historical and social ones.
 Crucial to the attitude one adopts are two
considerations:
 The association of Education
 Formality and good taste with Standard English
and the question as to whether Creole English is
fitting and appropriate for certain uses.

14. Attitudes to Language
 Positive Attitudes
 Pride
 Confidence
 Celebration
 Acceptance
 Approval
 Respect
 Worth
 Trustworthiness
 Negative Attitudes
 Contempt
 Shame
 Ridicule
 Disgust
 Rejection
 Disdain
 Scorn
 Skepticism

15. Communicative Behaviours
 This refers to communicating impressions to
others without being aware of doing so
(unconscious) and without even wishing to do
so (inevitable).

16. Communicative Behaviours
 The elements are:
 Vocalics
 Proxemix
 Artifacts
 Movement
 Chronemics
 Our Five Senses

17. Analyzing a Piece
A Short Story Extract

18. Tee took longer than usual to get dressed.
Her hand lingered around her puffy nipples
as she slipped on her raffia brassiere and
the tension in her G-string confirmed that her
delicate curves were now fuller. Weeks ago
she had began noticing that every time she
smelled the car fumes at the club she
wanted to puke. Now these changes. At
least Miss D had not noticed. The men who
frequented the “Plum Plum Night Club” in
Jones Town had only praise for her
increasing voluptuousness.

19. “A wha so? Browning you look sawsy!”
“Mi say di likkle gal bubbly yu see man… she can ride
my boat any time.”
The broke-pocket regulars would lust from a distance
or run the occasional rude joke with her. Other patrons
– the owners of Bimmers and Escalades – also came
to savour the sassy little number from St. Thomas.
Sometimes she would let them buy her drinks and
when she felt like it she would go with them;
sometimes to the back streets and back seats of their
cars, sometimes to their expensive homes in Cherry
Gardens. Conrad always insisted on taking her to a
hotel. At their second conversation when he asked her
why they called her Tee, she told him it was short for
Nefertiti.

20. “That’s a special name for an African Princess,” he told
her and from that time she was his special. In his
company, she relished his polished way of speaking to
her and the little gifts he often ‘surprised’ her with.
Once, after one of their Thursday ‘appointment’, he had
given her a genuine “Gucci timepiece”. He would never
force or rush her like some of the others. Now with
things as they were, she had to tell Conrad. She had
heard he was from a well to do family, had been to
university abroad and now worked with an investment
bank in New Kingston. She had tried to learn more
about him but such attempts always ended in the same
way.

21. “Connie, we’ve been together now for eight months…
and I hardly know anything about you… like where you
live… or where you work”.
“It’s not about me baby”, he remarked without looking at
her. “It’s all about you princess” he assured her as he
got dressed. Later in the Bimmer he told her he had to
travel. No, he did not know how long he would stay away
but sure he would call her as soon as he got back. After
all she knew she was his Thursday Night Special. Sure,
of course he would bring back something for her.
An extract from “The Dancing Princess”
From Stories my Father Told me and Other Tales
By H. N. McDermott © 2000
Pg. 490 – 493 CAPE Communication Studies

22. Writing the analysis
 Organize your essay by having
 An introduction: this can contain a synopsis of
the written piece as well as the two language
conventions to be analyzed.
 The body: this should be two paragraphs at least;
one for each convention
 The conclusion: this should say how the
conventions identified functioned in the overall
piece.

23. Writing the Analysis
 When analyzing your piece of communication, you can
follow this simple three step process.
1. State the Convention and the specific element
within it that you will be analyzing E.g. Language
Registers – Intimate Register
2. Give an example of the element E.g. ‘Alright Pookie
Poo’
3. Analyze the element, by looking at its function, the
effect it had, the information it gave etc. E.g. The
use of the specialized term ‘Pookie Poo’ serves to
highlight the closeness of the relationship between
Ricardo and Sandy.

24. Analyzing Registers
 In the extract from “The Dancing Princess” the writer
utilizes a number of Language Registers. One such
register is the c a s ua l re g is te r. Evidence of this is seen
when the patrons said “A wha so? Browning you look
sawsy!”
“Mi say di likkle gal bubbly yu see man… she can ride my
boat any time.” The patrons use Jamaican Creole and
speak in a casual tone to Tee because of the type of job
she does. Because she is an exotic dancer, the patrons
did not feel that it was necessary to speak to her in a
formal or respectful manner. Also, the fact that they are
likely from the area, which is an inner city community,
means that they are more likely to speak in Creole.

25. Analyzing Dialectal Variation
 Throughout the extract, different characters use
a variety of language forms. The a c ro le c ta l
variety is used by Conrad when he speaks to
Tee. “It’s not about me baby” and “It’s all
about you princess”. This variety is expected as
Conrad is from a well to do family and is
educated. He uses the a c ro le c t as he is also
trying to impress and assuage Tee and this type
of variation makes him seem more sincere. It is
also in stark contrast to the crude language of
the other men; hence, Tee is led to believe that
she and Conrad are in a relationship.

26. Analyzing Attitudes to
Language
 A positive attitude towards Standard English is
shown by Tee. This is seen where Tee says
about Conrad’s language that she “relished
his polished way of speaking to her”. This
shows that Tee takes pleasure in hearing
Conrad speak the Standard English and
prefers this type of language which she
associates with his superior status. This is in
contrast to the other patrons who speak creole
and who she refer to as “broke-pocket”.

27. Analyzing Communicative
Behaviours
 The writer of the extract utilizes the
Communicative behaviours artifacts, movement
and our five senses in the piece. The use of
artifacts is seen in Tee’s description of the gifts
given to her by Conrad as well as the things he
owns. He gives her a genuine “Gucci
timepiece” and he drives a ‘Bimmer’. He can
also afford to take her to a hotel whenever they
meet. These artifacts serve to strengthen the
idea of Conrad as a rich/well to do man who has
some amount of influence over Tee.