VCE English Language Sample Language Commentary Studio 98 Education offers additional free custom written pieces and exam preparation material to students who enrol for tuition (we travel to you!) VCE English Language www.studio98education.com [email protected] TEXT: Kevin Rudd’s Sorry Speech This is a written text of Australia’s apology to the stolen generations, which as read by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Parliament and telecast to the nation. The main purpose of this extract was to express a convincing apology to the stolen generations on their past mistreatment and to inform the nation about it. It uses a formal register as it was read in a public arena by a person with a high social status and authority. The use of formal language throughout the text not only elevates the register, but may also present a more convincing text. The audience is also a key contextual factor that influences the register, as the language used must be culturally and socially understood by Parliament, the stolen generations and the nation. This text achieves cohesion in a variety of different ways. Kevin Rudd uses lexemes from the same semantic fields to create associations or links between the ideas expressed in this text. For example, ‘grief’ (line 11), ‘loss’ (line 11), ‘pain’ (line 14) and ‘suffering’ (line 14) are all words that may evoke tragedy, separation or mistreatment. The use of anaphoric pronouns also creates cohesion within the text. For example, it uses ‘their’ (line 14) to refer to the stolen generations to avoid repetition. This also assists the audience to create connections in the text through making references to the people or ideas expressed. The information flow achieves cohesion through end-­‐focus, where given information is presented before introducing the new information. In this text, the given information is what Kevin Rudd is apologising for the mistreatment to the stolen generations. The new information, which draws the attention of the audience and therefore drives the text forward, is the desired future in which Kevin Rudd is determined to establish. By using end-­‐focus, this puts the information into meaningful links and provides the audience with the right cue to interpret the information with the correct intentions. The way how information flows from one idea to another therefore provides this text with a cohesive structure. VCE English Language www.studio98education.com [email protected] Much of the formality of this text is constructed through semantic patterning. The use of figurative language such as ‘turns a new page’ (line 8) and ‘the healing of the nation’ (line 21) constructs formality and also elevates the register. This language is often associated with formality as it is rather more sophisticated compared to casual everyday expressions. This text also uses euphemisms, which are more polite alternatives of expressing something that may be considered to be offensive or impolite. The use of euphemisms also veils taboo subjects rather than exposing it, as this may result in a loss of face of both the writer and the audience. Examples of euphemisms used in the text are ‘this blemished chapter in our nation’s history’ (line 7), which is used to describe the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations in a rather more positive way. The use of euphemisms creates formality in the text, as it is less direct and more expansive. This language can be culturally constructed within a community, and therefore create an in-­‐group solidarity with the audience through this shared understanding. Kevin Rudd also employs the use of politically correct language to refer to the stolen generations as ‘the Indigenous people’ (line 3) and ‘Aboriginal’ (line 12) rather than associating them to as ‘black people’. As this is deemed to be a taboo subject, utilising this type of labelling therefore offers respect and removes discrimination to the audience. Thus, euphemisms use rather more polite associations to veil a taboo subject rather than expose it. The sentence types that are mainly used in this text are declarative sentences. Kevin Rudd uses this sentence type to make statements of apologies to the stolen generations. This may indicate an increased social distance with the audience as Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia, expresses statements to the people of the country, rather than using rhetorical questions or interrogatives to seek mutual agreement or create solidarity with the audience. The use of declaratives also appear to create a more sincere tone in this context and thus supporting the function to present a convincing apology. The sentence structure used in this text is typically complex sentences. The use complex sentences are associated with formality as these are usually constructed through layers of editing and thought rather than spontaneously. For example, ‘we the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation’ (line 20 to 21). The text also uses parallelism such as “we apologise…” (line 10), “we apologise…” (line 12) and “a future where…” (line 26) and “a future where…” (line 28). By using this matched syntactic constructions, this creates impact and emphasis on Kevin Rudd’s apology as the audience is more likely to pay special attention to this through compounding the idea and creates a more sincere feel with repeated key phrases against a series of lists of nouns or abstract nouns. This VCE English Language www.studio98education.com [email protected] text also uses listing such as ‘expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity’ (lines 29 to 30) and ‘mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility’ (line 33). The second example was used with the combination of parallelism to create a rather more emphasised and convincing text. This may also indicate formality as constructing sentences with matched syntax is done through processes of planning. Overall, the syntactic patterning together creates a powerful and strong impact of the text, which represents the significance of this Australia’s apology to the stolen generations. VCE English Language www.studio98education.com [email protected]