english

  I’m delighted to be the first contributor to this exciting new blog, especially as the timing coincides with so many significant events such as International Women’s Day (March 8th),  World Book Day (March 7th) and the 125th anniversary of the Football League (1888–2013).  I can’t think of three things… Read More

Being able to comment on the effects of language choices is essential to achieving grade C and above in GCSE English. Nonetheless students often struggle with this, getting tangled up in knots listing any literary terms they can remember and forgetting that the foundation of all language is words. A… Read More

With the renewed push on reading for pleasure in schools, come many exciting opportunities for enthusing our students about books. But what do we do with those really reluctant readers? You know- those ones who try to get away with only reading the Guinness Book of Records or with flipping… Read More

Build confidence in analysis skills with this simple classroom activity, suitable for KS3 to KS5. Read More

How many of these words did Shakespeare make up himself? Read More

So what is this nebulous image that the student has disdained to divulge? Which elusive emotion is it that the reader is supposedly experiencing? And, indeed, yes, just what on earth is going on!? Such bland and unfocused ‘explanations’ as these could refer to any one of millions of evocative words or phrases whereas a well-targeted response will be specific to just one particular word or phrase and will outline one or more very precise ways in which this particular instance of the writer’s use of language may affect a reader. It might help students to answer such a question more directly, and astutely, if they firstly consider the various possible ways in which a writer’s use of language can affect a reader: Read More