GCSE English Language Analysis Scaffold

This is a fantastic booklet that enables pupils to get in to good habits when approaching language analysis. It can be used in many different ways by a teacher. As a tool for pupils to work with, or for a teacher to save time planning. Examples of how I have used it can be found at the end of this description.

The purpose of this booklet is to help pupils develop their writing style by getting them in to good analytical writing habits.

This booklet will also allow pupils to concentrate more on what they are writing rather than how they are writing.

The aim is that pupils use it until they develop their own style and are confident enough to write without it.

How to use this booklet
There are 3 tables in this booklet:
• Literary language features
• Grammatical language features
• Word classes

Each table has 3 columns:
• The first column is the name of the feature/word class
• The second column is the feature/word class’ effect on a reader/definition
• The third column is a model/writing frame

Using the model/writing frame
1. Read and understand the text(s) you’re studying
2. Read and understand the question being asked
3. Identify the language feature that the writer has used in the text
4. Locate it in the booklet
5. Copy the straight black writing and insert your own words where the writing is red and in italics.

My examples
For a year 10 set 5 class:

After assessing a mock of the new GCSE English Language Paper 1 and realising their language analysis was very weak (identifying features and then explaining/analysing their effect), I created this booklet.

I printed a copy for each individual to have and to use every lesson. I encouraged them to use it when answering language analysis questions (e.g. New GCSE Language P1Q2 + P2Q3). They did, and it had an immediate impact.

Initially the pupil’s responses were similar but as they became more familiar with the technique by practising with these models, their responses became more bespoke, thus collectively their language analysis has improved considerably.

For a year 8 set 2:

I have copies available in the classroom; if a pupil finds it difficult to write about language, or a particular language feature, then they independently use the booklet, similarly to how they would use a dictionary.

This booklet also contains a revision page.