She sells sea shells
An introduction to language study
Introduction
She sells sea shells is a set of resources designed to introduce students to some of
the key concepts and skills they will need as the basic foundation of language study.
These are:
•
•
•
the concept of synchronic language variation
ways of handling larger data sets
a linguistic framework for analysing texts.
The resources can be used independently of each other, or combined into a scheme of
work that builds gradually from non-linguistic data to linguistic, and from micro-texts
of just a word or two to mini-texts of a few hundred. There is an emphasis on
encouraging students to build outwards from these resources, creating their own
collections of recordings, transcripts and texts.
Handling language variation
A key issue in language study is the matter of synchronic language variation:
variations in texts all from the very recent past. Being able to explore a variety of
texts involves handling a larger range of data than students will generally have
experienced at GCSE. To do this well students need some ways of grouping texts in
meaningful ways, based on an understanding of the principles of classification and an
understanding of language variation. Grouping offers a way for students to start
working with a complex data set: in the process they will come to understand better
the nature of the texts and familiarise themselves with the data.
These practices are valuable for all specifications at an early stage, but for students
following AQA B these skills are formally assessed in question 1 of ENB1. Here they
are invited to produce a small scale classification of between seven and nine short
texts (including transcripts of speech) which illustrate features of language variation.
This requires open-mindedness and a willingness to engage with the data critically
and with open minded curiosity. Examiners’ reports consistently flag up the problem
of students going into the exam with a rigid set of predetermined categories for
grouping the texts, when these are deliberately chosen to encourage multiple
possibilities and creative thinking. In preparing students for the exam, critical
thinking, intellectual flexibility, creativity, and experience with a wide variety of
intriguing texts are more likely to lead to success than schematic learning of a fixed
list of grouping categories that may be of little relevance to the data set, and of little
interest to either the student or the examiner. These activities are designed to open
up approaches to language study and to make the thinking behind the exam more
meaningful.
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7270.doc
Page 1 of 5
She sells sea shells
An introduction to language study
Understanding classification – the Seashore resources
You may want to take ideas about classification back to first principles, in which case
you may find the She sells sea shells – seashore slides helpful. This PowerPoint
resource consists of 48 slides containing photographs of different seashore objects,
such as shells, driftwood, pebbles etc. The idea is that students engage with
classification as a concept before moving on to attempt it with linguistic data.
The seashore objects can allow very simple classifications based on type of object, as
well as increasingly subtle classifications based on colour, size, shape, condition,
inclusion of vegetative matter. With the aid of reference materials they could be
classified using terms from natural sciences. Some of the objects have been chosen
because they cross over between more obvious classification boundaries, for example,
there is a pebble embedded in a clump of seaweed. As the students group the texts,
they will see that all groupings are ways of organising data but any grouping is only
one way of thinking about the data. There will be variations in the items in any one
group and other groupings possible. This awareness is rewarded in ENB1 answers.
For a whole class traditional approach, you could print off the images in slide format
and give each student one or more of them; then have students coming to the front in
turn to Blu-Tack their image next to one or more already on the whiteboard, with a
justification of their choice. Let each person re-order existing images and groups to
accommodate their ideas. This is likely to generate debate as students argue for their
groupings. Let the debate rage, with the goal, once all the images are up, of reaching
some kind of class consensus on the best groupings. Every image must be in a group
of at least two, though for a tougher challenge make that groups of at least three or
four images. Alternatively you could do this in small groups by printing off the
images in a smaller format: select print > handout format > two/four/six per page
depending on the size you want.
For a whizzy approach, try using one of the She sells sea shells – seashore IWB sets
in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard. These are sets of between seven and
nine seashore ‘playing cards’: each image is in a text box, and the text boxes have
been stacked one on top of the other. Lift them off one by one, and work with the
class through open discussion to develop a set of groupings. Or get the students
experimenting in small groups using these resources on PCs. NB: different sets have
different challenges!
If students need more practice at finding a wider and more subtle variety of
similarities between items, try turning it into a game. Divide the students into small
groups and give them a set of the seashore cards. They deal the cards out between
them; these must be kept face down in a pile in front of each student. The first
student turns over their first card. The next student turns over his first card and
his/her task is to identify one meaningful (or interesting) similarity between the two
cards. If s/he can’t (by consensus agreement), s/he has to pass. If s/he can, the card is
placed next to the previous one to form a train. The next player then has to find one
similarity between the previous card (not both) and his/hers. Keep going for a fixed
period of time or until one student (the winner!) has got rid of all of his/her cards.
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7270.doc
Page 2 of 5
She sells sea shells
An introduction to language study
Then get the students to have a go at the grouping task based on some of the
individual links identified in the game.
If students need more practice in exploring subtler issues of grouping based on
recognition of both similarities and differences, try getting them to produce Venn
diagrams for each grouping (diagram below). Similarities go in the overlapping
segments of the circles; unique attributes go in the main segments.
Text
A
Text
B
Text
C
Whichever approach you try, tease out what they did and why, how else they could
have done it, and what issues about classification arose. Some key thinking points
might include:
•
•
•
•
classification criteria used – the identification of significant attributes
principles of classification: single factor vs multiple factors, lumping
(emphasising major similarities) vs splitting (emphasising minor differences),
classification hierarchies
the way the size of the grouping affects its cohesion/meaningfulness
the way that some things are easier to classify than others: degree of typicality,
cross boundary items, etc.
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7270.doc
Page 3 of 5
She sells sea shells
An introduction to language study
You could round the Seashore activity off by having a five minute creativity blitz to
see who can come up with the most curious and intriguing grouping. And/or start
getting students thinking about how we might classify language/texts.
Introducing language frameworks – the signs resources
She sells sea shells – signs is a collection of micro-texts designed to introduce very
small amounts of language data for students to start getting to grips with. It consists
of 42 images of street signs, mostly photographed in a small town in Devon, and a
few taken in Kings Cross in London.
For further practice in classifying data, you could use the signs in some of the same
ways as described above. This time, students will have linguistic attributes to work
with, such as grammatical structures like imperatives, as well as lots of features of
contextual variation like signs produced for a specific group.
This collection of signs is very ‘small town’, monolingual and middle class. You
could simply use this resource as a stimulus for students’ own investigation into the
signs available in their own neighbourhoods – perhaps including such things as
graffiti, bilingual signs, etc. This could form the basis of very nice digitally enhanced
presentations – with still images as here and possibly also short video clips of moving
signs on buses and rotating hoardings, perhaps recorded on their mobile phones.
Students could pick a grouping from the She sells sea shells – signs, such as signs
advertising food and drink, and aim to add their own images to show greater variation.
Get them to produce a set of between seven and nine images and you have a themed
set of micro-texts for further practice of ever more subtle grouping criteria.
However, this resource is designed to extend students’ early experience of language
study into the language frameworks. You could start by giving small groups of
students a set of the slides from the She sells sea shells – signs. Ask them to select
three they find interesting and which are very different from each other in the way
that they use language. This should help to draw out what they already know about
language from previous study at GCSE and from their own observation. You could
invite students to share their choices and use this to deduce a starter-list of language
features; you could add to this if there are gaping great holes, of course! The She sells
sea shells – signs grid is for students to record their observations, with a worked
example.
Some useful features to focus on might include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
abbreviations
ambiguities
arrows and indications of
direction/place/location
assumptions of prior
knowledge
capitalisation
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7270.doc
ellipsis
exclamation marks
formulaic language
imperatives
levels of formality
levels of implicit and explicit
reference
Page 4 of 5
She sells sea shells
An introduction to language study
•
•
•
•
•
politeness markers
pronouns
question marks
specialised lexis
•
use of fonts, typology, colour,
shape, and design
use of logos and symbols
With a more confident class, you could get them having a go at classifying the
features of language use they have identified in the signs.
Alternatively, you might want to lead this into your introduction to the language
frameworks:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
lexis
semantics
grammar
phonology
pragmatics
discourse
graphology
There are many resources in Teachit’s Language library which explore some features
of these descriptive frameworks.
Language frameworks – beyond the Signs
When your students are ready to tackle longer texts, you might find these further
resources helpful:
• She sells sea shells – frameworks grid: this presents some key features for
each framework. Students explore a longer text than a sign, using this proforma
to help them identify which features are pertinent, with further space to write in
examples and explain the effects. Different groups or individuals could work on
different frameworks and then share their findings. Either choose texts very
carefully or bear in mind that not all frameworks will be covered by a single text.
• She sells sea shells – analysing texts: for students who know how to describe
language using the frameworks, and need to practise stylistic analysis at speed
and with some coherence. For ENB1, get students practising until they can fill
the grid in with one point per question (they won’t have time for more in the
exam unless they have superhuman qualities!) in 15 minutes. To liven up exam
preparation classes, try it as a competitive team game with prizes for speed of
completion and quality of completion.
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
7270.doc
Page 5 of 5