AQA Paper 2 Source A: ‘Could you do your child’s homework?’
For an overview of my quest see this post.
This is my analysis of the first source from the AQA Specimen Insert for Paper 2: ‘Could you do your child’s homework?’. I am trying to identify the prior knowledge needed for comprehension of the text.
Tier Two words
I haven’t used any particular lists to decide what a Tier Two word is (I’m still waiting for my copy of Bringing Words to Life to arrive). I used the rough definition that Tier Two words are those we are mostly likely to encounter in written texts rather than spoken.
|
Tier Two words
|
|
|
|
|
|
academic |
announced |
assignment |
attempts |
attention |
|
available |
baffled |
childhood |
chilly |
conga |
|
dragging |
dread |
educate |
efforts |
emptiness |
|
especially |
expand |
experimenting |
finely |
firmly |
|
flunked |
|
grades |
humiliation |
idleness |
|
imposition |
increasingly |
Jay |
manage |
marks |
|
memories |
merry |
mickey |
mocking |
nosebleed |
|
obscure |
powers |
received |
refuses |
remorselessly |
|
ruined |
scenario |
seep |
sense |
setback |
|
shamelessly |
single |
slapping |
solidarity |
straightforward |
|
tough |
typical |
voice |
website |
weeds |
|
weighed |
whether |
wondering |
worth |
wrench |
A search on the British National Corpus then showed the frequency of these words in the corpus and in which kind of texts they appear. (Details of these searches are show in the tables in the appendices at the end of the blog.)
Fiction
The corpus searches seem to show that, even for this non-fiction text, the reading of fiction gives the best chance of having encountered these words before. In total 22 out of 57 words from the Tier Two list, that appeared in the corpus, were most frequently found in fiction. 12 out of the 19 most unusual words (least frequently occurring in the corpus) are usually found in fiction – this goes up to 13 if I changed ‘seep’ to ‘seeped’ and ‘seeping’ – then the frequencies changed to being predominantly from fiction.
Other contexts
Academic text was quite dominant as a context in which these Tier Two words were found. I’m not sure if this is because of the topic of the text (homework) or if 13 out of 57 is usual.
Newspapers and magazines, at 11 out of 57 were less frequent as contexts than I would expect for an article – again I’m not sure if this is typical.
Surprising findings
· Nosebleed got a surprising low score (even if I added ‘nose bleed’ – which gets an additional 6 frequency hits making 13 in total), but I do not think that this would not be a problem word for most students.
· Flunked (flunk gets a frequency of 4, flunking gets 1) this is a North American word so would be interesting to see if students are more familiar with this than the corpus suggests through film, television and new media.
Phrases/images/idioms
I identified 6 phrases in the extract that needed to be understood as a whole rather than just as individual words.
|
Phrases
In the weeds weighed down wrench things out take the mickey
|
Fiction
Fiction texts dominated as the most frequent source for these phrases. The phrase ‘in the weeds’ was not very frequently used at all, especially in its metaphorical sense. Neither were ‘merry dance’ or the idea to ‘wrench things out’ – I think all these phrases are key to understanding how the writer felt about the homework.
Next Steps
I will analyse Source B in the same way.
I would really like to compare year 11 students’ knowledge of these words and phrases to the BNC findings. Do the least frequently occurring words correspond to those that are not understood? It would also be interesting to find out whether or not knowledge of these words and phrases corresponds to performance on the paper.
If I design some vocabulary tests based on these words would anybody else be interested in using them with their classes?
(PS – I am new to both blogging and research so any constructive criticism or corrections very welcome J.)
Appendices
Tier Two word list in alphabetical order:
|
Tier 2 Word |
Type of word – in context |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Largest context: |
|
academic |
Adjective |
4762 |
Academic |
|
Announced |
Verb |
9853 |
Non-academic |
|
Assignment |
Noun |
1129 |
Academic |
|
attempts |
Verb |
5066 |
Academic |
|
attention |
Noun |
13186 |
Academic |
|
available |
Adjective |
26664 |
Misc |
|
baffled |
Verb |
318 |
Fiction/closely followed by newspaper |
|
Childhood |
Noun |
2751 |
Fiction and misc |
|
Chilly |
Adjective |
335 |
Fiction |
|
Conga |
Given a definition in the glossary on the insert |
13 |
Spoken |
|
Dragging |
Verb |
684 |
Fiction |
|
Dread |
Noun |
551 |
Fiction |
|
Educate |
Verb |
364 |
Non-academic (but quite even except fiction) |
|
Efforts |
Noun |
5430 |
Non-academic |
|
Emptiness |
Noun |
300 |
Fiction |
|
Especially |
Adverb |
17144 |
Academic |
|
expand |
Verb |
1726 |
Non-academic |
|
Experimenting |
Verb |
311 |
Magazine |
|
finely |
Adverb |
678 |
Magazine |
|
firmly |
Adverb |
3793 |
Fiction |
|
flunked |
Verb |
10 |
Magazine |
|
|
Proper noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
grades |
Noun |
831 |
academic |
|
Humiliation |
Noun |
557 |
fiction |
|
Idleness |
Noun |
149 |
fiction |
|
Imposition |
Noun |
670 |
Academic and non-academic about the same |
|
Increasingly |
Adverb |
6494 |
Academic |
|
Jay |
Proper noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
Manage |
Verb |
3903 |
fiction |
|
marks |
Noun |
4301 |
Newspaper |
|
Memories |
Noun |
2498 |
Fiction |
|
merry |
Adjective |
504 |
Fiction |
|
Mickey |
noun |
4952 |
Spoken and Newspaper |
|
Mocking |
Adjective |
409 |
Fiction |
|
Nosebleed |
Noun |
7 |
Fiction |
|
Obscure |
Verb |
1159 |
Academic |
|
Pac-Men |
Given a definition in the glossary on the insert |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
powers |
Noun |
6710 |
Academic |
|
Received |
Verb |
12882 |
Misc, then newspaper |
|
refuses |
Verb |
725 |
Newspaper |
|
Remorselessly |
Adverb |
67 |
Fiction |
|
ruined |
Verb |
1070 |
Fiction |
|
Scenario |
Noun |
714 |
Spoken |
|
seep |
Verb |
104 |
magazine |
|
sense |
Noun |
21190 |
Academic |
|
setback |
Noun |
381 |
Newspaper |
|
Shamelessly |
Adverb |
68 |
Fiction |
|
single |
Adjective |
17649 |
Magazine |
|
Slapping |
Verb |
216 |
Fiction |
|
Solidarity |
Noun |
1026 |
Non-academic |
|
Straightforward |
Adjective |
1926 |
academic |
|
tough |
Adjective |
3073 |
Newspaper |
|
typical |
Adjective |
4737 |
Academic |
|
voice |
Noun |
23205 |
Fiction and newspaper |
|
Website |
Noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
weeds |
Noun |
549 |
Magazine |
|
Weighed |
Verb |
6304 |
Fiction (just pretty equal) |
|
Whether |
Conjunction |
281240 |
Academic and spoken |
|
Wondering |
Verb |
18320 |
Fiction |
|
worth |
Adjective |
95024 |
Newspaper and magazine |
|
wrench |
Verb |
1424 |
Fiction |
Tier Two word list in frequency order:
|
Word |
Type of word – in context |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Largest context: |
|
Whether |
Conjunction |
281240 |
Academic and spoken |
|
Worth |
Adjective |
95024 |
Newspaper and magazine |
|
Available |
Adjective |
26664 |
Misc |
|
Voice |
Noun |
23205 |
Fiction and newspaper |
|
Sense |
Noun |
21190 |
Academic |
|
Wondering |
Verb |
18320 |
Fiction |
|
Single |
Adjective |
17649 |
Magazine |
|
Especially |
Adverb |
17144 |
Academic |
|
Attention |
Noun |
13186 |
Academic |
|
Received |
Verb |
12882 |
Misc, then newspaper |
|
Announced |
Verb |
9853 |
Non-academic |
|
Powers |
Noun |
6710 |
Academic |
|
Increasingly |
Adverb |
6494 |
Academic |
|
Weighed |
Verb |
6304 |
Fiction (just pretty equal) |
|
Efforts |
Noun |
5430 |
Non-academic |
|
Attempts |
Verb |
5066 |
Academic |
|
Mickey |
Noun |
4952 |
Spoken and Newspaper |
|
Academic |
Adjective |
4762 |
Academic |
|
Typical |
Adjective |
4737 |
Academic |
|
Marks |
Noun |
4301 |
Newspaper |
|
Manage |
Verb |
3903 |
fiction |
|
Firmly |
Adverb |
3793 |
Fiction |
|
Tough |
Adjective |
3073 |
Newspaper |
|
Childhood |
Noun |
2751 |
Fiction and misc |
|
Memories |
Noun |
2498 |
Fiction |
|
Straightforward |
Adjective |
1926 |
academic |
|
Expand |
Verb |
1726 |
Non-academic |
|
Wrench |
Verb |
1424 |
Fiction |
|
Obscure |
Verb |
1159 |
Academic |
|
Assignment |
Noun |
1129 |
Academic |
|
Ruined |
Verb |
1070 |
Fiction |
|
Solidarity |
Noun |
1026 |
Non-academic |
|
Grades |
Noun |
831 |
academic |
|
Refuses |
Verb |
725 |
Newspaper |
|
Scenario |
Noun |
714 |
Spoken |
|
Dragging |
Verb |
684 |
Fiction |
|
Finely |
Adverb |
678 |
Magazine |
|
Imposition |
Noun |
670 |
Academic and non-academic about the same |
|
Humiliation |
Noun |
557 |
fiction |
|
Dread |
Noun |
551 |
Fiction |
|
Weeds |
Noun |
549 |
Magazine |
|
Merry |
Adjective |
504 |
Fiction |
|
Mocking |
Adjective |
409 |
Fiction |
|
Setback |
Noun |
381 |
Newspaper |
|
Educate |
Verb |
364 |
Non-academic (but quite even except fiction) |
|
Chilly |
Adjective |
335 |
Fiction |
|
Baffled |
Verb |
318 |
Fiction/closely followed by newspaper |
|
Experimenting |
Verb |
311 |
Magazine |
|
Emptiness |
Noun |
300 |
Fiction |
|
Slapping |
Verb |
216 |
Fiction |
|
Idleness |
Noun |
149 |
Fiction |
|
Seep |
Verb |
104 |
magazine |
|
Shamelessly |
Adverb |
68 |
Fiction |
|
Remorselessly |
Adverb |
67 |
Fiction |
|
Conga |
Given a definition in the glossary on the insert |
13 |
Spoken |
|
Flunked |
Verb |
10 |
Magazine |
|
Nosebleed |
Noun |
7 |
Fiction |
|
|
Proper noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
Jay |
Proper noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
Pac-Men |
Given a definition in the glossary on the insert |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
Website |
Noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
Tier Two word list in order of contexts:
|
Tier 2 Word |
Type of word – in context |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Largest context: |
|
mickey |
noun |
4952 |
Spoken and Newspaper |
|
conga |
Given a definition in the glossary on the insert |
13 |
Spoken |
|
scenario |
Noun |
714 |
Spoken |
|
imposition |
Noun |
670 |
Academic and non-academic about the same |
|
solidarity |
Noun |
1026 |
Non-academic |
|
expand |
Verb |
1726 |
Non-academic |
|
efforts |
Noun |
5430 |
Non-academic |
|
announced |
Verb |
9853 |
Non-academic |
|
worth |
Adjective |
95024 |
Newspaper and magazine |
|
setback |
Noun |
381 |
Newspaper |
|
refuses |
Verb |
725 |
Newspaper |
|
tough |
Adjective |
3073 |
Newspaper |
|
marks |
Noun |
4301 |
Newspaper |
|
received |
Verb |
12882 |
Misc, then newspaper |
|
available |
Adjective |
26664 |
Misc |
|
flunked |
Verb |
10 |
Magazine |
|
seep |
Verb |
104 |
Magazine |
|
experimenting |
Verb |
311 |
Magazine |
|
weeds |
Noun |
549 |
Magazine |
|
finely |
Adverb |
678 |
Magazine |
|
single |
Adjective |
17649 |
Magazine |
|
baffled |
Verb |
318 |
Fiction/closely followed by newspaper |
|
voice |
Noun |
23205 |
Fiction and newspaper |
|
childhood |
Noun |
2751 |
Fiction and misc |
|
weighed |
Verb |
6304 |
Fiction (just pretty equal) |
|
nosebleed |
Noun |
7 |
Fiction |
|
remorselessly |
Adverb |
67 |
Fiction |
|
shamelessly |
Adverb |
68 |
Fiction |
|
idleness |
Noun |
149 |
Fiction |
|
slapping |
Verb |
216 |
Fiction |
|
emptiness |
Noun |
300 |
Fiction |
|
chilly |
Adjective |
335 |
Fiction |
|
mocking |
Adjective |
409 |
Fiction |
|
merry |
Adjective |
504 |
Fiction |
|
dread |
Noun |
551 |
Fiction |
|
humiliation |
Noun |
557 |
Fiction |
|
dragging |
Verb |
684 |
Fiction |
|
ruined |
Verb |
1070 |
Fiction |
|
wrench |
Verb |
1424 |
Fiction |
|
memories |
Noun |
2498 |
Fiction |
|
firmly |
Adverb |
3793 |
Fiction |
|
manage |
Verb |
3903 |
Fiction |
|
wondering |
Verb |
18320 |
Fiction |
|
whether |
Conjunction |
281240 |
Academic and spoken |
|
grades |
Noun |
831 |
Academic |
|
assignment |
Noun |
1129 |
Academic |
|
obscure |
Verb |
1159 |
Academic |
|
straightforward |
Adjective |
1926 |
Academic |
|
typical |
Adjective |
4737 |
Academic |
|
academic |
Adjective |
4762 |
Academic |
|
attempts |
Verb |
5066 |
Academic |
|
increasingly |
Adverb |
6494 |
Academic |
|
powers |
Noun |
6710 |
Academic |
|
attention |
Noun |
13186 |
Academic |
|
especially |
Adverb |
17144 |
Academic |
|
sense |
Noun |
21190 |
Academic |
|
|
Proper noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
Jay |
Proper noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
Pac-Men |
Given a definition in the glossary on the insert |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
|
website |
Noun |
Doesn’t appear in corpus |
|
Combinations of words (images/idioms):
|
Phrase |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Contexts: |
|
‘in the weeds’ |
9 occurrences – (6 which meant literally to be in amongst weeds) 3 occurrences to mean bogged down in detail or stuck in problems |
Fiction |
|
‘weighed down’ |
85 occurrences (36 which meant literally carrying heavy things) 49 meant burdened with something metaphorically |
17 Fiction 11 Newspapers |
|
‘memories of homework came flooding back’ |
23 occurrences of ‘flooding’ collocated with ‘memories’ |
6 fiction 8 news |
|
‘merry dance’ |
9 (1 which referred to ‘merry dance of death’, 2 which meant fun) 6 which meant – used to trick or confuse |
1 fiction 2 newspaper 2 pop lore (?) |
|
‘wrench things out’ |
5 occurrences of ‘wrench’ collocated with ‘out’ |
3 fiction 2 pop lore (?) |
|
‘take the mickey’ |
19 occurrences of ‘mickey’ collocated with ‘take’ (1 was a reference to marriage ‘take Mickey’) |
2 speech 4 fiction 5 newspapers 1 pop lore 2 academic 1 non-academic 2 biography |
