English AS Language Essay - Language and Power
With detailed reference to Text H and to relevant ideas from language study, explore how written language is used to assert power
Text H is a poster which displays the rules and information to students taking or entering an exam. It also is for the use of the invigilators, to inform them of the rules as well as the candidates.
This poster will be shown right across the country to students preparing to take an exam. This is done to make sure there is regularity and equality everywhere, so that nowhere has different rules.
The text asserts power using different language techniques, for example the use of instrumental power to enforce the exam boards’ authority on the candidates. The text uses words such as “must” and “must not”; this creates power by telling the candidates what they have to do in order to sit the exam. “Most” is also a modal auxiliary verb, which is deontic. This is because it’s used in a way to give permission to the reader. There is also influential power in the text, it asserts power by influencing the candidates not to be involved in any “irregularity” or ”misconduct” or they could be “debarred from any future exams” by creating a necessity towards the text. They also use pragmatics; this sentence suggests that if the candidate fails to follow these set rules then, they’ll be branded as a cheat, which will then follow to a criminal conviction. This creates power because the exam board show that they hold the power and authority in this situation and with that power they have the ability to achieve this.
There are also certain lexical fields throughout the text. The groupings of these words are law and order. These words and phrases enforce power because they’re powerful and emotive, for example “warning”, “misconduct” and “unauthorised”, they inflict fear and control over the candidates, so they make sure that they don’t break any of their rules. The consequence for breaking a rule could lead to a “criminal offence”, which is another
Text H is a poster which displays the rules and information to students taking or entering an exam. It also is for the use of the invigilators, to inform them of the rules as well as the candidates.
This poster will be shown right across the country to students preparing to take an exam. This is done to make sure there is regularity and equality everywhere, so that nowhere has different rules.
The text asserts power using different language techniques, for example the use of instrumental power to enforce the exam boards’ authority on the candidates. The text uses words such as “must” and “must not”; this creates power by telling the candidates what they have to do in order to sit the exam. “Most” is also a modal auxiliary verb, which is deontic. This is because it’s used in a way to give permission to the reader. There is also influential power in the text, it asserts power by influencing the candidates not to be involved in any “irregularity” or ”misconduct” or they could be “debarred from any future exams” by creating a necessity towards the text. They also use pragmatics; this sentence suggests that if the candidate fails to follow these set rules then, they’ll be branded as a cheat, which will then follow to a criminal conviction. This creates power because the exam board show that they hold the power and authority in this situation and with that power they have the ability to achieve this.
There are also certain lexical fields throughout the text. The groupings of these words are law and order. These words and phrases enforce power because they’re powerful and emotive, for example “warning”, “misconduct” and “unauthorised”, they inflict fear and control over the candidates, so they make sure that they don’t break any of their rules. The consequence for breaking a rule could lead to a “criminal offence”, which is another