GUIDELINES FOR MODULE ONE ESSAY

CAPE COMMUNICATION STUDIES
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING MODULE ONE ESSAY

NB: Every year the CXC report continues to lament the fact that students do badly on this essay. This happens because students either write insufficient information on the effectiveness of the devices or they are confused between the writer’s main point and the writer’s purpose.
Tips on distinguishing the Main Point/Main Idea and the Writer’s Purpose/Intention/Intent: Remember that the main point/idea is what the writer is writing about, the idea that is coming out from what you are reading; if you were asked what the piece was about, whatever you respond that should be the main idea. The Main Idea/Point is NEVER A VERB so it can never be stated like this...”The main point/idea of this passage is to inform...” If you have done this then your answer will be incorrect. Always remember the main point/idea is never to do something rather it is stated like this...”The main point/idea of the piece is that students have problems answering the Module One essay...”.
On the other hand the writer’s purpose/intent is ALWAYS STATED AS A VERB! It is what the writer wants happen as a result of your reading the piece. So the writer wants to “inform the reader of...”, “to entertain the reader...”, “to criticise...” “to argue that...”. Remember that all writers writer with a purpose/intent in mind, to shift the readers from point A to point B!
If you understand and can identify these two different concept s you are on your way to satisfying one- third of the essay requirements. The next two thirds are correctly identifying the language strategies /techniques/devices that the writer employed to help her achieve the Main Point/ Idea and the Purpose/Intent.
Some of the techniques that the writer employs are Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Alliteration, Imagery, Rhetorical Question, Conversational tone, Anecdote, Historical data, Statistical data, Repetition, and Humor.
Once you have identified a technique you need to write it out (do not give line alone) and then you must write about the effectiveness of the device, in other words what is this device adding to the piece, how does it appeal to the senses and therefore to your understanding and most importantly how is it aiding the author to achieve her purpose and expand her main point?For example when a writer uses the strategy of historical data its effectiveness is to add/lend credibility to what she is saying as a reader can easily check the records. Conversational tone (found in anecdote and use of Personal Pronouns) on the other hand allows for the reader to be drawn into the piece as one feels that the writer is striving to make us comfortable with the piece.
The challenge is NOT TO DEFINE the devices but rather to identify appropriate examples (use quotation marks) from the passage to support and then say how they add or why you believe that the writer used them and how in rare cases they took away from the piece.
As with every essay one must have proper organisation. There must be an opening, a body for the content and a conclusion where no new ideas must be introduced. The correct use of transitional words will enhance your essay. Refrain from making your essay read like a list of devices. For example do not say the first, the second etc). Do not analyse the piece by its paragraphs but by the strategies/techniques found. Depending on the length of the example one would do, keeping in mind the word limit of the essay and keeping within it.
Finally, the best way to overcome this challenge is to practice writing this type of essay!

For more ideas purchase the book Communication Studies: Preparing Students for CAPE by Edlin Rochford
ALL THE VERY BEST!

WHAT'S IN YOUR COMMUNICATION PORTFOLIO

CAPE COMMUNICATION STUDIES PORTFOLIO
FORMAT
Ø Cover Page
Ø Introductory Statement
Ø Table of Content
Ø Acknowledgement (Optional)
Ø Rationale for Reflective One
Ø Reflective Piece Number One
Ø Rationale for Reflective Two
Ø Reflective Piece Number Two
Ø Analysis of Reflective Piece (Your original work or a relevant/pertinent piece that’s someone else’s)
Ø Conclusion (Optional)
Ø Bibliography

WHAT’S ON THE COVER PAGE
Ø Name of Student
Ø Name of School
Ø Centre Number
Ø Subject
Ø Topic/Theme
Ø Teacher’s Name
Ø Territory

WHAT’S IN THE INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
Ø State the Theme of your Portfolio (General)
Ø State if there is a sub-topic to your Theme (Specific)
Ø State how your Theme/Topic is linked to your academic work (how can this help you or your classmates at this point in time)
Ø How is this research for your portfolio linked to your future career? Is it going to help you in any way? Did you choose the topic with your career in mind?
Ø Who or what motivated you to choose to research this topic?
Ø What do you hope will happen at the end of doing this portfolio? Be simple! Be specific! Do not generalise and be grand in your expectations!
Ø What is the content of your portfolio? (Optional)

Next: What’s in the Rationale?
How to begin your Reflective pieces

How to prepare for your Oral Presentation

NB: For help with this subject try purchasing a copy of "Communication Studies: Preparing students for CAPE"

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

MODULE ONE: GATHERING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION
GENERAL TOPICS
RESEARCH
NOTETAKING
SUMMARY

MODULE ONE: GATHERING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION
SPECIFIC TOPICS WITHIN THE GENERAL TOPICS
*Methods of data collection or data collection methods
*Strengths and weaknesses of each method
*Contexts for choosing each method or tool or instrument
*Definition of terms; Primary and Secondary Sources, reliability, validity, authority, fact, opinion, bias, data collection method vs data collection instrument, data vs information
*How and why there is a need for verification or authenticity
*What makes a piece or person authentic
*Writer’s main point or purpose
*Strategies and language techniques employed/used by the writer
*Types of writing: expository, descriptive, argumentative, narrative
*Study and summary skills
*Commenting on the reliability of information and evaluation of sources making mention to dates, writer’s qualification/experience, where the information was first published etc.

NB: BEGIN PREPARING FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO AT THIS POINT!!!!

CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC

MODULE 2: LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY
GENERAL TOPICS
*LANGUAGE
*CREOLE; DIALECT
*REGISTERS
*TECHNOLOGY

MODULE 2: LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY
SPECIFIC TOPICS WITHIN THE GENERAL TOPICS
* Define and Differentiate between a language and language
* Describe the characteristics of language
* Purpose of language
* Functions or roles of language in society re Identity marker, political role, social, ethical and psychological
* Define dialect
* Concept of Creole history in the West Indian context (influence of colonisers)
* Characteristics or features of Creole languages
* Differences between Creole and Standard English
* Challenges faced by Creole speakers to learn Std English
* Points on the Creole Continuum ( Define and explain Acrolect, Mesolect and Basilect)
* Registers re what are the factors responsible for a person’s choice of register, dialect?
* Attitudes to language and impact of these attitudes eg for regional integration, create sense of marginalization and alienation
* Technological advances and its impact on communication re computer, internet, cell phones, communication gadgets

MODULE 3: SPEAKING AND WRITING
GENERAL TOPICS
COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION CONTEXTS
TYPES OF WRITING
SPEECH
COMMUNICATION AIDS

MODULE 3: SPEAKING AND WRITING
SPECIFIC TOPICS FROM THE GENERAL TOPICS
* Define and describe the process of communication
* Contexts of communication (intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, mass communication etc)
* Forms of communication (verbal, non-verbal)
* Types of writing and speaking (narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, argumentative
* Audio Visuals
* Elements of speech


On completing your syllabus you should be able to give detailed information on the following:
· Contexts of communication
· Register
· Dialect
· Creole Continuum
· Standard languages
· Interactive settings
· Lexicon
· Characteristics of language
· Features of Creole (any territory)
· Languages of the Caribbean today
· Dialectal Variations
· Attitudes to language re Creoles and Standard
· How these influence language in an interactive setting: audience, message, purpose, occasion, gender and age
· Data and information, investigation and research
· Features of Verbal and non-verbal communication
· Facilitators and barriers to communication
· Speech and speech delivery
· Correlation between author/ speaker, context , text and reliability and validity of sources
· Suitability of data collection methods
· Choosing your medium and channel
· Technology and its impact (positive/negative) on communication

SUMMARY OF MODULES 1 & 3 COMMUNICATION STUDIES

WHAT’S IN MODULES ONE AND THREE

WEEK -TOPIC -OBJECTIVES -ASSIGNMENT

MODULE ONE

Research

The Aim and Purpose of research
Define such terms as: sources ie Primary and Secondary, reliability vs validity, credibility, authority, fact, opinion, bias, method, instrument, data vs information,
Identify the many types of Data Collection Methods
Identify the Strengths and Weaknesses of these methods
Factors to consider when choosing a method or methods
How do you document your source/sources
Read and make copious notes in your assigned groups

Presentations of Group Assignments will take place in Week 2

Choice or formats: PowerPoint, White board, Bristol board
NB whatever your choice please prepare Handouts of the main points for everyone

MODULE ONE

Note -taking
Define note-taking
Identify the objectives/goals/aims/purpose of note-taking
Types of Reading re Skimming, Scanning, Critical Reading
The importance of developing listening skills
Identifying effective listening
Tips to improve listening skills
Role playing to get the message across.
Can be done in Groups, pairs, solo

MODULE ONE
Summary
Define summary
Identify what are the Objectives/Purpose
The importance of Sequencing your ideas
How to Identify Main point/idea, writer’s purpose, writer’s intention
Looking at practice questions

MODULE ONE

Language
Identifying the language techniques/strategies/devices that writers use
Evaluating these strategies/techniques (How effective were they?)
Essay writing skills re how to organize an essay
Practice Questions

MODULE THREE

Communication
Define communication
Describe the communication model and process
Identify types and forms of communications (verbal. Non-verbal, written, computerized etc)

Identify and describe Contexts/situations in which communication takes place
Types of Non-verbal Communication
Functions/Purpose of NV comm.
Barriers to communication
How to communicate effectively

EXAMPLES OF PAPER 3

Portfolio Preparation
Identification of a Topic…Remember to check pages 28-29 in Comm Std Syllabus
or check my Blog entry titled "Topics for Communication Studies Portfolio"

PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT EXERCISE FOR MODULE ONE COMM'N STUDIES

MODULE ONE PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT EXERCISE


1. In your own words, explain what is research?
2. In order to conduct a successful research there must be a process that one should follow. In your own words describe the sequence of this process.
3. Explain the term ‘source’. How is source linked to research?
4. Distinguish between Primary data and Secondary data.
5. Give 4 examples of each of type of sources.
6. Choose two data collection methods and write a short scenario each to show how you will use them
7. Explain why you should follow certain considerations when choosing Data Collection method(s)?

Sources Exercise

For each of the following, indicate whether it is primary (P) or secondary (S), not a source used in history at all (N) or either, depending on its use (E):


21. _____ A World War Soldier’s coat button

22. _____An article in The Trinidad Express commemorating an important historical event

23. _____Prime Minister Eric Williams’ memoirs

24. _____Your history textbook

25. _____A colonial coin

26. _____ A 1962 copy of the Trinidad Guardian describing the Water riot in Port of Spain

27. _____ A farming machine from the 1890s

28. _____A letter from a schoolteacher describing the school curriculum

29. _____A photograph taken on the University of The West Indies campus during a 1970 demonstration

30 ____Your Great Grandmother’s wedding ring

31. _____The report of the Commission of Inquiry investigating the Airport scandal.

A GLIMPSE OF MODULE ONE

PLEASE NOTE! This is just a glimpse at what you need to know in module one. For more information see the book Communication Studies: Preparing Students for CAPE.


COMMUNICATION STUDIES
WHAT’S IN MODULE ONE
· Methods of data collection/ data collection methods

· Strengths and weaknesses of data collection methods

· Sources from whom you willl gather data ( must be seen in context)

· Verifying, validifying credibility of data/information

· What are barriers/weaknesses to verifying/validifying credibility of data/information

· What is the writer’s main point/idea?

· What are the strategies/language techniques (literary devices/figures of speech) used by the writer?

· Identify the type of writing (expository, narrative,

· Descriptive, argumentative)

· Comment on the reliability of the information in the piece ( look at dates given, is the person an authority or not, where the information was published)

WHAT IS RESEARCH?
Research is exploration combined with learning…

PRIMARY SOURCE
Is a document that was created at or near to the time of the event being…

EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters….

WHAT IS A SECONDARY SOURCE? A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one…

Examples of secondary sources include:
A journal/magazine article which…

ADVANTAGES OF USING SECONDARY DATA
Secondary data may be available which is entirely appropriate and wholly adequate to draw conclusions and answer the question or solve the problem. Sometimes primary data collection simply is not necessary...

RELIABILITY, VALIDITY AND CREDIBILITY
Perhaps the two most common technical concepts in measurement are reliability and validity. Any kind of assessment...

RELIABILITY: DEFINITION
... how stable, dependable

B. VALIDITY DEFINITION
The degree to which they accomplish ...

CREDIBILITY
When you assess a source's credibility, you try to determine how believable it is. First, you should look...
RATIONALE
Informs the readers as to why your topic is...

AUTHORITY is any accepted source or....

DATA COLLECTION

Data collection is a term used to describe a process of preparing...

TYPES OF DATA COLLECTION
Data collection methods vary greatly in the amount of time and

FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE WHAT DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT TO USE:
kind of issue you need to resolve …
ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES OF DATA COLLECTION METHODS
OBSERVATIONS (a): (Advantages) Provide direct information about behavior of individuals and…
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING A DATA COLLECTION STRATEGY
In each data collection strategy, students are gathering information for the purposes of exploring an area of interest…

Taken from my text book Communication Studies: Preparing students for CAPE which is available online from all the major book sellers e.g Amazon, Alibris and Barnes and Noble, the bookstores inTrinidad and Tobago and R. Laws and Sons in St Kitts.

CAPE COMMUNICATION TEXTBOOK

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Feel free to post a comment.