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ENG1515 Assignment 1 Memo | Due 15 April 2025. All questions fully answered. SECTION A: CONTENT-BASED QUESTIONS
Question 1
1. In Units 1 and 2 you were introduced to some of the central concepts in the module. In your
own words, explain what you understand by the following terms. (You will be penalised for
verbatim copying of the definitions from Tutorial Letter 501 or any source).
1.1. Critical literacy
1.2. Phonology
1.3. Coherence
1.4. Read the following speech that Mandela delivered during his inauguration as the first
democratically elected president of South Africa. Answer the questions that follow.
Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.
Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul
have been freed to fulfill themselves.
Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land
will again experience the oppression of one by another and
suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.
1.4.1. In the speech the underlined sentence does not follow the basic sentence structure of
English (i.e., subject + verb + object). The sentence starts with the word “Never”. Explain why
you think Mandela deviated from the basic sentence structure of English.
1.4.2. What language aspect or component would you use to rearrange the underlined sentence?
Why? Language components are discussed in Tutorial Letter 501.
Question 2
2.1. English is known for the lack of one-to-one correspondence between speech sounds
(phonemes) and letters (graphemes). To assist teachers to teach learners the complex sound
structure of English, different methods are used, including analytic phonics and synthetic
phonics. In your own words, explain the distinction between these two methods.
2.2. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
Imagine
by Roland Egan
Imagine a snail
As big as a whale,
Imagine a lark
As big as a shark,
Imagine a bee
As big as a tree,
………………………
And a flea the same size as me.
2.2.1. Identify two pairs of rhyming words in the poem.
2.2.2. Which one of the methods mentioned in 2.1 would you use to teach the rhyming words you
identified in 2.2.1. Justify your answer to demonstrate your understanding of the method.
Question 3
3.Cohesive devices are used to achieve coherence in a text. In other words, cohesive devices are
words that show how ideas and arguments are connected in a text to form a meaningful whole.
Therefore, these words have grammatical functions, such as to show added information,
causal-effect relationship between ideas, or a sequence in which ideas are presented. Read the
following sentence and answer the following questions. I have always known that I would like to
visit the beautiful islands of Mauritius; however, I may never realise this dream because of the
exorbitant price of the cost of living in Mauritius.
3.1. Explain the grammatical function of the cohesive device “however” in the above sentence.
3.2. Create your own sentence and do the following: identify at least one cohesive device in the
sentence and then explain the grammatical function of the device in the sentence.
SECTION B: APPLICATION-BASED QUESTIONS
Question 4
4.1. Tone may be referred to as the writer’s attitude towards a particular topic in a text. Writers
use certain words, phrases and clauses to express the tone being conveyed in a text. Read the
following text and answer the question that follow.
I have brown skin and curly hair
1. My sister’s hair is straight and her skin is kinda fair.
2. My brother’s curls are tight and his skin is really dark.
3. My daddy says we’re coloured and from Eldorado Park.
4. My daddy has a booming voice.
5. He is strong and tall.
6. He throws me up in a tumble and doesn’t let me fall.
7. My mommy is beautiful, with light brown hair and eyes so green.
8. She loves to tickle my tummy and make me laugh and scream.
9. I see how people look at us when we go out.
10. They wonder and ask what we’re all about.
11. Why is this one got curls and that one straight hair?
12. Why is this one so dark and this one so fair.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
13. “But anyhow, it matters not what curly, twirly or straight hair you’ve got!
14. Don’t you see? You don’t need to look the same to be family!”
Source: Theunissen, K. (2020). I have a brown skin and curly hair. Jacana Media.
4.1.1. What is the tone in this text?
4.1.2. Justify your answer in 4.1.1 by referring to the text.
4.2. Find a text of no more than 10 sentences (or ten lines if it is a poem). The text could be from
any source, including novels, short stories, newspapers or poems. Make sure that you have
acknowledged the source; otherwise, you will be penalised. Do the following with the text:
The Old House
The old house stood silent on the hill.
Dust lay thick on every forgotten thing,
and shadows danced where laughter used to ring.
A broken swing swayed gently in the breeze,
a whisper of childhood amongst the lonely trees
4.2.1. Identify the tone used in the text.
4.2.2. Justify your answer in 4.2.1 by referring to the text.
Question 5
5.1. Question 4.1 gives you a glimpse of diversity, but diversity in terms of physical features
within the same family. Imagine you have been employed to teach a group of learners that is
linguistically and culturally diverse. Briefly discuss three strategies you would use to ensure that
all learners are accommodated in your English classroom regardless of their linguistic and
cultural diversity.
5.2. As a teacher of English or an aspiring teacher of English, how do you think your cultural
and linguistic background may influence or shape your teaching of English in your class? Briefly
explain two factors that may shape or influence your teaching of English.
5.3. When teaching a classroom that is linguistically and culturally diverse, there is a danger in
using a one-size-fits all approach. Bearing in mind this statement, answer the questions that
follow.
5.3.1. In your own words, explain what you understand by a one-size-fits all approach.
5.3.2. Explain why this approach is not suitable for linguistically and culturally diverse learners.
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