MODULE 2 – LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY

Read the excerpt below, then answer the questions that follow.

With great dignity, she slowly mounted the steps of the Housing Office in town. The chief
clerk in the office greeted her politely and offered her a chair.

He remembered his boyhood days when he would buy three oranges for a penny from
Tantie’s tray in the market.

“Tantie, I am glad you came in answer to my letter. We have a little matter to settle.”

He stretched out his bare knees and long stockinged legs under the desk. Tantie remained
silent.

“I I know how you feel to leave the old place. But never mind, we’ll fix you up snug and
nice.”

“Me old house is good enough for me, thank you. I ain’t going nowhere.”

“Yes, Tantie, but you won’t be able to stay there when they build the road and all the
heavy lorries and taxis start passing along there.”

He pleaded but Tantie remained adamant.

“All right Tantie. We’ll see what can be done.”

“Any luck?” asked his assistant coming in from the adjoining room after she had gone.

“No use arguing. I think we’ll just have to move the old girl bodily.”

In an essay of no more than 500 words, discuss the following:

(a) The different ways in which the clerk and Tantie use language
(b) The various social factors responsible for the tension in the interaction they have
(c) How a video presentation would highlight that tension.

Monica Skeete, The Road,

Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd., 1982, pp. 115 - 116

[25
marks]
 MODULE 2 – LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY (2005)

Read the excerpt below, then answer the questions that follow.

‘I think is Mr. Robinson,’ Babolal said, shaking a little, as if he trembled with the horses’ hooves.
‘But you best hads call him “sir”.’
‘Not me! Tiger said, ‘I not “sir”ing anybody.’
When Mr. Robinson drew rein in front of the house Tiger’s attention was all on his companion
and he didn’t see when Manko held the horse while Robinson dismounted, then lead it to the side of the
house.
It was the woman he had seen naked by the river. She had on a white straw hat turned up at the
front and pushed half way of her head at the moment, a white shirt broken about three buttons from the
neck, and a fawn-coloured pair of riding breeches tucked into brown leather riding-shoes. She dismounted
swiftly and stood looking around, fumbling with her shirt at the back.
Her presence upset Tiger completely and disrupted his plan of behaviour. He had intended to be
cool or even cold to the supervisor, calling out the names and wages in a clear voice and leaving the
house the minute he was through. At sight of the woman he had unconsciously risen from the chair and he
stood now a little off-guard, watching her.
She came up the steps with the supervisor and Babolal was waiting, his lips parted in a kind of
smile, and his whole expression denoting service behind which his uncertainty and nervousness flickered.
‘Morning Sir, morning,’ Babolal said, standing there and making a little half-bow, and a series of
‘morning, sirs’ echoed from the labourers.
‘I want to get on with it as quickly as possible; Babolal,’ Robinson said, ‘and afterwards I want to
have a little talk with you about things here. This is my wife. Have you got a chair for her?
For a moment Tiger debated whether he should relinquish his seat: still unresolved he rose and
pulled the chair back in an offer to Mrs. Robinson.
‘Thank you,’ she said in a soft voice, and she looked at him. Was there amusement in her eyes?
Did she recognize him?
He stared back boldly and she appraised him swiftly as she sat. There was a slight smile on her
lips; he had the feeling she was laughing at him for running away by the river like a little boy caught at a
prank.
While they were talking Tiger could feel Doreen’s eyes on him and he cursed her in his mind, and
desperate to make up to himself for his flight, he suddenly blurted out to her:
‘Have you been here long, Mrs. Robinson?’
 Babolal shot him a mingled glance of fear and surprise but Tiger looked straight at Doreen.
She answered easily, with a smile, ‘Oh yes. We lived in Chaguanas while my husband worked
there.’
What next should he ask or say? Anything at all. Just keep talking. And talk good English.
‘Do you find it too hot for you in this country?’
Adapted from Samuel Selvon, Turn Again Tiger,
Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1958, pp.58 – 60.

In an essay of no more than 500 words, discuss the use of speech and body language in the excerpt,
concentrating on the following:
(a) A careful analysis of the context and its effect on the language behaviour of Babolal, the other
labourers, and Mr. and Mrs. Robinson
(b) Tiger’s interpretation of, and reaction to, Mrs. Robinson’s non-verbal gestures
(c) What Tiger hopes to achieve be addressing Mrs. Robinson in “good English”
(d) How Tiger’s discomfort would be highlighted in a video presentation of the scene.
[25 marks]
 MODULE 2 - LANGUAGE AND COMMUNITY (2006)
Read the excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The following is a discussion between Andrea, a university student, and Natasha, a primary
school student whom Andrea tutors.

Natasha was very intelligent, almost unchildlike, and Andrea felt at a loss. She didn't know how
to talk to children who didn't particularly act like children, didn't know what tone to adopt, what
subject might be good. She said, "Do you like dolls?" and Natasha said: "When I grow up I'm
going to be an astronaut.''

Andrea hadn't heard that one before. Doctor, teacher, nurse and policeman she was used to, but
not astronaut. Especially not from a child who'd probably never been further than Kingston. She
felt herself pitying the child for being so ambitious, knowing her ambitions would never be
fulfilled. She said, "That's a good profession. Why do you want to do that?"

"So I can float around. My teacher says there's no gravity in space, so you have to float. They
showed a movie at school about it. And I know that's what I want to do."

Andrea burst out laughing. How many people were there who wanted to float? Natasha was
staring at her and she tried to stop laughing, swallowed hard.

Natasha said, "What are you going to be? A doctor?"

"No" Andrea said. "I'm studying languages. You know, French and Spanish. I'll probably teach
when I graduate."

"Oh." She was un impressed and Andrea felt belittled.

Natasha spoke good English, which was strange because her mother knew only dialect. When
Mrs Jackson brought Natasha, she had tried to speak 'properly ', but Andrea knew it was beyond
her. She herself spoke Creole to the woman, to put her at ease, but Mrs Jackson had been
insulted. She left quickly, telling Natasha she'd be back for her at one o'clock.

Adapted from Alecia McKenzie,

"Natasha",
Satellite City and Other Stories. Longman, 1992, p.31 -
32.

In an essay of no more than 500 words, discuss:

(a) Natasha's possible motivation for achieving a good command of the English Language
(b) Any possible justification for Andrea's surprise that Natasha spoke English so well
(c) What Mrs Jackson's behaviour reveals about her attitude to the use of the Creole
(d) How communication could be enhanced through a video presentation of this scene.

[25 marks]