ENG1514 Exam Portfolio Semester 2 2026 – Due 14 October 2026

ENG1514
October/November 2026

October/November 2026 – Main Examination

ENG1514

Applied English Language For Foundation and Intermediate Phase: First
Additional Language

100 marks
Duration: 48 hours
Open book Examination Portfolio

First Examiners: Dr S Lediga
Second Examiners: Dr R. Baloyi, Ms J. Lendrum
Moderator: Prof J. Alexander

This paper consists of 6 pages including the cover pages.
Instructions:
You are allowed to access your prescribed works and the study material. You are
however not allowed to copy verbatim from your study material. You should write the
answers in your own words and any sources consulted should be cited according to
the Harvard referencing method. In the case of plagiarism or cheating of any kind
you will be reported to the University’s Student Disciplinary Section.
The answered exam script must be uploaded as a PDF electronic document.
• Please do not password protect your document
• Convert all pages into a single PDF document.
• Do not load the pages one by one.
• Your answer file must not be more than 20MB in size.
• Submissions will only be accepted from registered student accounts.
• Do not submit answer files that are illegible and unclear, so, please preview
your script before uploading and ensure that the correct script is uploaded.
• You are permitted to resubmit your answer script should your initial
submission be unsatisfactory. You have three opportunities for
resubmission. Thereafter the portal will be locked.
• The mark awarded for an illegible scanned submission will be the final mark.

ENG1514
October/November 2026

No opportunity for resubmission will be granted.
• Incorrect answer scripts and/or submissions made on unofficial examination
platforms (including email) will not be marked and no opportunity will be
granted for resubmission.
• The mark awarded for an incomplete submission will be the final mark. No
opportunity for resubmission will be granted.
• Students suspected of dishonest conduct during the examinations will be
subjected to disciplinary processes. UNISA has a zero tolerance for
plagiarism and/or any other forms of academic dishonesty.
• Students experiencing network or load shedding challenges and fail to
submit answer scripts will be automatically admitted to the supplementary
exam in the January/February period.
• Students experiencing technical challenges should contact the SCSC at 080
000 1870 or email Examenquiries@unisa.ac.za or refer to Get-Help for the
list of additional contact numbers. Only communication received from your
myLife account will be considered

If you are submitting a typed response
• Use the Arial font.
• Use size 14 for any headings and size 12 for the body of your answer.
• Use double-spacing for your paragraphs.
• From the options available to format your work on the Home tab of the
ribbon on your computer, please click on JUSTIFY to format your work.
Presentation:
• Include a cover page with your name, student number, and module code
• All subsequent pages must have your name and student number.
• If you are submitting a handwritten response, ensure that your handwriting is
neat and legible. Your answers must be written in black pen and not pencil as
this affects the quality of the scanned paper.
• Number your answers correctly and clearly as per each question in the
question paper.
• Please do not write in the margin/s.
The exam can be downloaded from 09:45 on the morning of 13 October 2026 and
must be uploaded by 10:00 on the morning of 15 October 2026.

Answer both Section A and Section B – both sections are compulsory.

Section A has 3 short questions and is worth 60 marks.
Section B has two paragraph questions and is worth 40 Marks.

This exam is not proctored.
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ENG1514
October/November 2026

NO LATE EXAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
MANAGE YOUR TIME AND DO NOT LEAVE SUBMISSION TO THE
LAST MINUTE.

 

 

SECTION A: INTEGRATED CONTENT AND TEXT-BASED
QUESTIONS

Question 1

Read the text below and answer the questions set.
TEXT
The Psychology Behind Aesthetics
Sharam Heshmat Ph,D.
Science of Choice Posted August 5, 2026 Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

Paragraph 1 The psychology of aesthetics is the study of how a viewer interacts with artworks.
It is naturally more focused on the response of the perceiver, and less on the object causing
the response, such as a piece of art. The psychology of aesthetics explains why something is
liked or disliked, and what concepts people associate with aesthetics. Aesthetic experiences
can arise from the appreciation of artworks, such as music, poetry, sculpture, visual arts,
nature, and the built environment. The perception and interaction with art can evoke a strong
feeling, usually a sense of pleasure. In the presence of beautiful things, we feel a broad range
of emotions, such as fascination, awe, wonder, admiration, chills, goosebumps, and crying.
When astronauts see Earth in its entirety from space, they report feelings of awe and selftranscendence.
Aesthetic
emotions
motivate
prolonged
and
repeated
experiences
(you
never

get

tired of watching a beautiful sunset). We also desire to possess aesthetically pleasing
objects.

Paragraph 2 A distinctive feature of aesthetic experience is that it is not goal-directed but
focused more upon the activity itself. Most of the objects of everyday life are utilitarian objects
with a specific function. In contrast, a work of art demands that it is experienced aesthetically
for its form rather than its function. For example, we often go to botanical gardens or to music
performances with the expectation of experiencing emotional uplift. However, form and
function interact. For example, attractive people are generally perceived as more competent.

Paragraph 3 Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. What is beautiful to one audience is ugly
to another, and those audiences will themselves change over time. Aesthetic taste is rooted
in a broader cultural context. For example, people used to prefer a clean-shaven man. But
now men with beards are the mainstream. The old proverb that you cannot argue about
matters of taste may well be true, but that should not conceal the fact that taste can be
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ENG1514
October/November 2026

developed. For instance, music education can increase music preferences by providing
background information and an understanding of the pieces one is being exposed to. Music is
one of the most powerful means of evoking aesthetic emotions. Musical pleasure is commonly
called “chills” or “frissons.” It is the pleasurable bodily reactions such as goosebumps that
many people experience while listening to certain musical passages. Much of music’s pleasure
comes from the patterns of melody, rhythm, and sudden changes. An unexpected change in
intensity and tempo is one of the key factors by which music provokes a strong emotional
response in listeners. We also enjoy listening to sad music. Sad music helps to channel one’s
frustration (catharsis) or unburden negative emotions like anger and sadness. Listening to a
sad song while in a sad mood is like someone (a friend) empathizing with your experience.

Paragraph 4 Aesthetic appeal often follows an inverted U-shaped relationship curve. We
dislike things that are either too boring or too overwhelming. An object that is too simple would
lead to boredom, while too much complexity that exceeds the perceiver’s capabilities to
process would cause distraction. The sweet spot, for most people, is somewhere in the middle.
For example: a room with zero décor vs a room packed with clutter. Songs that are too
repetitive or purely chaotic. There is also a beauty in simplicity because people prefer things
that are easy to think about. Familiar stimuli are processed faster than complex stimuli. This
is due to processing fluency (greater speed and efficiency). The processing of stimuli recruits
fewer cognitive resources, and fluent processing elicits positive reactions.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/science-of-choice/202608/the-psychology-of-aesthetics

 

1.1 There are five functions of human language. Identify the three functions of human
language that are demonstrated in the text “The Psychology Behind Aesthetics”.
(6)

1.2 Explain how you identified the three functions of language in 1.1.
Focus on what features of the text encouraged you to identify these functions
and quote from the text to substantiate your answer.
(12)

1.3 Which two functions of human language are not demonstrated in the text?
(2)

Subtotal: 20 Marks

Question 2

2.1 Explain the function of the phrase “of aesthetics” in the noun phrase “the
psychology of aesthetics”.
(4)

2.2 Analyse the phrase “of aesthetics” into its two constituent parts.
(4)

2.3 What parts of speech are the following words?

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ENG1514
October/November 2026

2.3.1 “Often” in paragraph 4

(2)
2.3.2 “Sculpture” in paragraph 1
(2)
2.3.3 “But” in paragraph 2

(2)
2.3.4 “Sad” in paragraph 3
(2)
2.4 What function is the underlined noun phrase performing in each of the
following sentences?

2.4.1 Aesthetic emotions motivate prolonged and repeated experiences.
(2)
2.4.2 Musical pleasure is commonly called “chills” or “frissons.”
(2)

Subtotal: 20 Marks

Question 3

3.1 Refer to paragraph 1. Quote one word that explains why people’s aesthetic
experiences differ.

(2)
3.2 Name four sources of aesthetic experiences mentioned in paragraph 1.
(4)
3.3 An aesthetic experience can be visual, auditory or both. Based on your
knowledge of the six stages of the listening process, identify which two stages
the term you quoted in 3.1 could relate to and explain why.
(8)
3.4 Using the text, describe how a reader could apply the pre-reading, duringreading,
and
post-reading
phases.

(6)

Subtotal:
20
Marks

TOTAL FOR SECTION A: 60 MARKS

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ENG1514
October/November 2026

SECTION B: PARAGRAPH WRITING

1. In a paragraph of 150 words, indicate what type of music you enjoy. You may
refer to particular artists, genres or instruments. Explain why you enjoy that
particular music and how you resonate with your choice emotionally.

20 marks
CRITERIA
Mark
Structure – Inclusion of a topic sentence, supporting
sentences and a concluding sentence. Linking and
signposting words used in the paragraph.
4
Language usage/grammar, punctuation, sentence structure 4
Originality and Creativity
6
Content
6
TOTAL
20

2. Write a paragraph of 150 words in which you reflect on an activity that you have
completed for this module. This could be one of the assessments or an online
class that you attended. Indicate what the activity was about, what you learned
from this activity, what you enjoyed about the activity and how you will put it into
practice in your teaching.

20 marks

CRITERIA
Mark
Structure – Inclusion of a topic sentence, supporting
sentences and a concluding sentence. Linking and
signposting words used in the paragraph.
4
Language usage/grammar, punctuation, sentence structure 4
Originality and Creativity
6
Content
6
TOTAL
20

TOTAL FOR SECTION B: 40 MARKS

 

 

© UNISA 2026
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