Cape Comm Studies Review 2021
Cape Comm Studies Review 2021
Cape Comm Studies Review 2021
Candidates will be asked to write THREE essays in which they will be required to do the
following:
1. Analyse an expository passage written in Standard English
• Summarize main message and identify author’s purpose
Assess the effectiveness of the organizational and rhetorical strategies used to convey
the message and achieve the writer’s purpose.
3. Write a proposal for the delivery of a message to a specific audience and justify the use of
the following for the targeted audience.
• Promotional strategies
• Rhetorical appeals
• Presentation strategies
• Technological devices
• The timeline for delivery
The purpose of this post is to clear up a mistake that is often made on the exam. The main
point of this post is that there is a marked difference between the main point (main idea) of a
piece and the purpose for writing a piece and you will be tested on whether you can make that
distinction. The main point can never be the same as the purpose and vice-versa. Hence, your
responses should reflect that you recognize this fact.
Main Point/Idea
The main point of a piece is the same as the topic/thesis statement. It refers to those
words/sentences that capture the essence of the overall piece of writing. The thesis/topic
statement is generally found in the first or last sentences of the introductory paragraph.
However, sometimes it is not stated and has to be inferred from the passage A good thesis
statement does two (2) things:
o First, it tells about an essay's topic.
o Second, it presents the writer's attitude, opinion, idea or point about that topic. Let us
look at some examples:
Ask yourself:
a. Who/what do you think the paragraph is about? (Topic)
b. What is the writer's attitude, opinion etc about it?
Discussion: Even though this is an excerpt of the piece, already you should be able to tell that
that the main point/idea of the piece is that 'When the Atlantic slave trade began decimating
the Kongo, that nation was under the reign of a ManiKongo named Nzinga Mbemba Affonso,
who had gained the throne in 1506 and ruled as Affonso I for nearly forty years.' Let us try
another one:
Though it's true that tsunamis are ocean waves, calling them by the same name as the ordinary
wind-driven variety is a bit like referring to firecrackers and atomic warheads both as
"explosives." Triggered by volcanic eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and even impacts by
asteroids or comets, a tsunami represents a vast volume of seawater in motion -- the source of
its destructive power.
On the open ocean, tsunami waves approach speeds of 500 mph, almost fast enough to keep
pace with a jetliner. But gazing out the window of a 747, you wouldn't be able to pick it out
from the wind-driven swells. In deep water, the waves spread out and hunch down, with
hundreds of miles between crests that may be just a few feet high. A passenger on a passing
ship would scarcely detect their passing. But in fact the tsunami crest is just the very tip of a
vast mass of water in motion, as a tsunami can travel great distances with little loss of energy.
The 1960 earthquake off the coast of Chile generated a tsunami that had enough force to kill
150 people in Japan after a journey of 22 hours and 10,000 miles.
As the waves in the tsunami reach shore, they slow down due to the shallowing sea floor, and
the loss in speed is often accompanied by a dramatic increase in wave height. Tsunamis also
flood in suddenly without warning. Tsunami waves usually don't curve over and break, like
Hawaiian surf waves. Survivors of tsunami attacks describe them as dark "walls" of water.
Impelled by the mass of water behind them, the waves bulldoze onto the shore and inundate
the coast, snapping trees like twigs, toppling stone walls and lighthouses, and smashing houses
and buildings into kindling.
The contours of the seafloor and coastline have a profound influence on the height of the
waves -- sometimes with surprising and dangerous results. During the 1993 tsunami attack on
Okushiri, Japan, the wave "runup" on the coast averaged about 15 to 20 meters (50 - 65 feet).
But in one particular spot, the waves pushed into a V-shaped valley open to the sea,
concentrating the water in a tighter and tighter space. In the end, the water ran up to 32
meters (90 feet) above sea level, about the height of an 8-story office building.
Discussion: In this example taken from the May 2011 CAPE Paper 2, the main point may
actually be located in the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. Therefore, the main
point is that 'a tsunami represents a vast volume of seawater in motion - the source of its
destructive power.'
Purpose
The purpose of a piece of writing is generally evidenced by the type of discourse used.
There are at least five (5) modes of rhetoric that may utilize either one or a combination of
technical and artistic writing depending on the topic, purpose for writing, and audience.
Rhetoric is simply defined as the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience. It
also refers to the specialized literary uses of language and the ability to use language effectively
in communication.
Types of Discourse/Rhetoric
Description
The main purpose of this type of discourse is to explain or describe some concept, person or
setting, thought to be unfamiliar, to the audience. Descriptive writing uses various
organizational/spatial strategies. For example in describing a house on a hill, a writer may start
describing what it looks like starting from the base of the hill upwards (ground view). Another
writer may start by describing how it looks from the skies going downwards to the base of the
hill (aerial view).
Narration
The main purpose and distinguishing factor of this writing is to explain some concept according
to a given time sequence. For example, The first thing Tory did when she arrived in the
beautiful island of Jamaica was to take a dip in the beautiful azure ocean of the North Coast.
Afterwards, she went to the infamous jerk restaurant, 'Scotchies', for some delicious jerk
chicken, festival and roast corn. She then ordered two glasses of refreshing red stripe beer,
which she savored as she rocked to the irie music floating in the island breeze. As the sun was
about to set, she contacted a reliable tour company and went for a relaxing drive along the sea
coast culminating in a tour of the alluring fern gully which covered with miles of the most
gorgeous indigenous ferns.
Exposition
The main purpose of exposition is to define, inform, teach or explain some concept. As such,
the expectation of expository writing is for it to be objective, precise and neutral (free from bias
and prejudice). In other words, it mostly uses technical/scientific writing. Writers also employ a
combination of varied organizational strategies in exposition, depending on
their topic, audience and purpose for writing. These may include, cause and
effect, comparison/contrast, definition, description/illustration.
Persuasion
The main purpose of this type of writing is to convince or influence readers to accept a
particular point of view. Persuasive writing does this by mainly appealing to readers' emotions.
In this type of writing you may find the use of emotive words, repetition, figurative
language, opinions, biases etc. In other words, this type of writing relies heavily on artistic
writing.
Argumentation
The main purpose of this type of writing is to convince or influence readers to accept a
particular point of view. Argumentative writing does this by appealing to readers' logic. Readers
expect a strong piece of argumentative writing to be as objective and neutral as possible, and
to convince them by presenting them with statistical/scientific data, quotes, facts and other
information that can be tested/substantiated. In other words, this type of writing relies heavily
on technical/scientific writing.
The second example, speaking about tsunamis) evidences mixed discourse types. It utilizes
elements of exposition, description and narrative. Readers receive in-depth information about
tsunami wave formation as well as true to life accounts or anecdotes of tsunami attack. This
combination of discourse types aids the writer's purpose which is to alert or educate readers
about the destructive power of tsunamis.
Organisational Strategies
• Order of importance –to emphasise a particular point
• Logical linkages – helps the flow
• Compare and contrast – lets you see the similarities and the differences between two things
• Problem/Solution – makes the reader think and be all curious
• Sequence – teaches us how stuff is done so you can appreciate the process
• Cause and effect – this forces you to think since its trying to show you how the causes and
effects are related.
Don’t forget to use examples from the extract to support what you’re saying. • Use paragraphs!
• Reread and check your spelling and grammar and make sure you’re making sense and
answering the question.
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.
• Acrolect
• Mesolect
• Basilect
1. At the top we have acrolect. Acrolect is the standard variety of a language. So therefore
acrolect will be Jamaican Standard English. Acrolect is spoken more in formal situations,
so therefore the Parliamentarian should be using it. This is what people refer to as
"good english".
2. In the middle there we have mesolect, this a a mixture of the Creole and Standard
English. However it leans more on the standard English side. You find this more in the
urban areas.
3. And here on the bottom we have basilect. This is basically Creole. It's used more in the
rural areas and if you ever get a question about farmers you assume they speak it.
Dialect
This refers to the variety of language characteristic of a particular group of people in a given
speech community (country) or region. For example one may refer to a Caribbean dialect as
there are certain vocabulary items and sentence structures that Caribbean countries have in
common.
Creole
There is no definition of creole that is accepted by all. The meaning of the word 'creole' has
changed considerably over the years. However, it is normally used to refer to a dialect or
language which results from contact between the language of a colonizing people and the
language of a colonized people. In the Caribbean, Creole languages are as a result of contact
between English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch (languages of the colonizers) and West
African languages (languages of the colonized).
Patois
Patois is a word of French origin which translates most closely, in French, to mean 'gibbrish'. It
was a word used to describe how foreign and strange Creole languages sounded to the
speakers of European languages. Patois is used to refer to a geographical dialect which differs
from the standard language spoken in a given country. In Jamaica, for example, the word patois
is used to refer to the English based creole spoken. Patois carries the usual negative
associations and lack of prestige which characterize non-standard, rural or regional dialects
Slang
This is a popular, fashionable use of words and phrases which may be either old words given
new meaning or completely new words. In the same way that fashion changes, so do slang
expressions. Slang is a normal part of everyday speech but may not be acceptable in certain
formal settings. When used in formal writing, in particular, these expressions should be put in
inverted commas (For e.g, 'wicked'- Jamaican slang for good/amazing, 'off the chain'-American
slang for exciting/good)
Foreign English
This refers to varieties of the English language spoken by persons not from ones country.
Rasta English
This refers to a special variety of English indigenous to Jamaica, spoken by a religious group of
persons called Rastafarians. This variety differentiates itself from standard and non-standard
English by use of different, specialized vocabulary items. The psychology of 'no contradiction'
extends to all aspects of a Rastafarian's life, including language. Hence because it sounds
contradictory for oppress -/up-res/ to mean held down in life, Rastafarians refer to this verb
as downpress. Likewise instead of participation -/part-icipation/ to mean being fully involved
they refer to this noun as fullticipation. The language is also characterized by use of 'I' to signify
positivity and the importance of the individual in relation to another, so instead of 'You and I',
Rasta would refer to us as 'I and I' to signify that we are both equal in importance. Irie, refers to
a good vibe and Ital food refers to food considered good for the body (i.e, Vegetarian based
food).
Language Registers
Register refers to the perceived attitude and level of formality associated with a variety of
language. The relationship between the writer's attitude and the variety chosen is very
important in the study of written language. In face to face speech, the listener can easily
interpret the attitude of the speaker by examining the speaker's tone of voice, facial
expressions and overall body language. This is not possible in writing. The writer has to use
specialized features of discourse to convey or mask attitudes. It is then the reader's
responsibility to correctly interpret the writer's attitude, tone and level of formality. Language
Registers range on a scale from most formal to most informal. The five levels identified have
been given specialized names by Linguists; frozen, formal, consultative, casual and intimate.
1. Frozen: This is where the use of language is fixed and relatively static. The national pledge,
anthem, school creeds and The Lord's Prayer are examples of a frozen register. In essence it is
language that does not require any feedback.
Example: "All visitors are invited to proceed upstairs immediately."
2. Formal: This describes language used in official and ceremonial settings. For example in
court, in a business meeting, at a swearing in ceremony, in an interview or in a classroom etc.
The language used in these settings is comparatively rigid and has a set, agreed upon
vocabulary that is well documented. In other words, the language used is often of a standard
variety.
Example: "Would everyone please proceed upstairs at once?"
3.Consultative: This describes language used for the purpose of seeking assistance as is
suggested by the word 'consult'. It also describes the language used between a superior and
subordinate. In both cases one person is deemed as more knowledgeable and having greater
expertise and the other person is the beneficiary of such knowledge and expertise. The
language dynamism between lawyer/client, doctor/patient, employer/employee and
teacher/student are examples of this type of register.
Example: "Would you all please go upstairs right away?"
4. Casual/Informal: This describes language used between friends. It is often very relaxed and
focused on just getting the information out. Slangs are quite often used in these instances.
Example: "Come on upstairs now."
5. Intimate: This is used to describe language used between persons who share a close
relationship or bond. This register would take into account certain terms of endearment, slangs
or expressions whose meaning is shared with a small subset of persons. For example lovers
having special terms of endearment, mothers giving pet names to their children based on some
character trait and best friends formulating slangs based on some shared past experience.
Example: "Come up nuh/ Unu naa go up?/ Unu naa forward?"
This form of communication relies on elements other than speech and writing. Non-verbal
communication is equal in importance to verbal communication. According to Leathers (1992),
non-verbal communication is the use of interacting sets of visual, vocal, and invisible
communications systems to convey and interpret meaning.
Non-verbal actions often tell a different story from the one we are telling with words. For
example, if you are making an apology to someone for a wrong done with a smirk on your face,
the person may not believe that you are serious and genuinely apologetic. Some major
categories that fall under non-verbal communication are paralanguage/vocalic,
Space/proxemics, objects/artifacts, posture & movement, time and the senses. These basic
elements of non-verbal communication may be used to enhance communicative behaviours
and can have a significant impact on your total message.
Vocalics/Paralanguage
The use of volume, tone, rate, pitch, and quality of voice to give dimension and meaning to
words. This is also referred to as paralanguage as the voice ‘surrounds’ the words. For example
you raise your pitch at the end of a sentence to indicate that you have completed a thought.
Proxemics
This is the use of space to communicate. For example if someone comes to sit next to you in the
library when the whole table is empty it can communicate a range of things about
relations/interests/personality types.
Artifacts
Artifacts are those items, such as jewellery, clothing or a vehicle that may communicate
something about the type of person you are. If a male wears extremely tight pants or shaves his
eyebrows, it may communicate something about him to others.
Movement
This includes posture, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. Waving, smiling, gazing at
someone, or slumping at your desk, are all instances of movement. Movement communicates
messages.
Time/Chronemics
The way you use time, or chronemics, can communicate attitude or status. For instance, one
may show/communicate respect by being early for an appointment or job interview.
Conversely, lack of respect may be communicated by turning up half-an-hour late for a class.
Senses
Finally, messages can be sent through the five senses – taste, touch, smell etcetera.
Attitudes to Language
Attitudes to the varieties of English spoken in the Caribbean result from a number of factors
including historical and social ones.
Attitudes to Language:
Shows intent of the speaker- to insult, to coax, to denote particular relationship
Shows how the speaker views different registers, and what impression he hopes to create by
his choice of register in any given context
May reveal the speaker’s bias/prejudice in terms of class/age/religion and other cultural
practices etc
Is very specifically related to the use of Language Is not one character’s attitude toward
another
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.
Attitudes to Language:
Positive Attitudes:
• Pride
• Confidence
• Celebration
• Acceptance
• Approval
• Respect
• Worth
• Trustworthiness
Negative Attitudes:
• Contempt
• Shame
• Ridicule
• Disgust
• Rejection
• Disdain
• Scorn
• Scepticism
3. Write a proposal for the delivery of a message to a specific audience and justify the use of
the following for the targeted audience.
• Promotional strategies
• Rhetorical appeals
• Presentation strategies
• Technological devices
• The timeline for delivery
PROPOSALS
• A proposal is a document that is created with the sole purpose of persuading the reader(s).
In a proposal, there are three elements that you should aim at addressing:
• There is a significant problem/situation
• You have a solution
• You are the person who should create the solution
Promotional strategies
Jingles
Road shows
Promotion girls
Use of paraphernalia (mugs, T-shirts, key rings)
Billboards
Public service
Flyer
Posters
Town hall meetings
Bumper stickers
Press briefings
Edutainment (involving the performing arts)
Blogs
Celebrity endorsements
Traditional media (radio/TV/newspaper)
Town criers
Social media
Emails
Word of mouth
#### Remember, you will need to justify the inclusion of every choice you make.
Note: If the question asks for strategies to evaluate a campaign which you may have discussed,
the following may be useful:
Focus group
discussions
Suggestion box
Facebook page
Polls
Observation (of whether there has been a change of behavior or achievement of the
desired results)
• Logos
– use logic and facts to add credibility
– Use of statistics and evidence to give full information or facts about the product
• Ethos
– show your audience that you propose to do what you put forward because it is moral and
ethical
– Seeks to speak to the credibility of character by convincing the individual that the sellers of
the product is reliable and trustworthy by employing experts or celebrities.
• Pathos
– appeal to the emotions of your audience
–Seeks to appeal to emotion of an individual by evoking an emotional response, be it a positive
or negative one.
–a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response to an
impassioned plea or a convincing story.
• Convince your the audience that the character of your team is good, trustworthy and suitable
to do the job
Proposal outline
• Strategies that would be used in the campaign/advertisement
• The information that would be relayed during the campaign
• The medium/channel that would be used
Note that although both campaign and proposal are mentioned in the question, it is a proposal
that is required. Your ideas should flow in a coherent essay, not listed in point form. Doing this
may earn you content marks, but will earn you 0/7 marks for organisation. Ensure that you
explain/expound on each idea.
ANSWERS
i. Strategies
• Colourful posters: Proclaiming the benefits of membership and promising an interesting
agenda incorporating the interest of prospective members.
• Music (jingles): Played during break/lunch times encouraging abstinence – to attract and
hold young people’s attention
• Dramatic presentations (skits, role plays, mimes): At assembly, presenting real-life
scenarios on the unhappy effects of abstinence to deter them from that behaviour.
• Special lectures/presentations by experts: In fields like sexual behavior, reproduction,
drug abuse and lifestyle, targeting the entire population.
• Video presentations/films: At special sessions, since young people enjoy visual media.
• Benefits of abstinence.
• Risks associated with sexual or other negative activity by students.
• Problems associated with abstinence and viable ways of overcoming them.
• How alternatives to abstinence are not viable for a healthy lifestyle.
• Recuperative strategies for those who have not been abstinent, but who wish to
change.