Sample Paper 1: Australianism

This Paper 1 practice was written using the outline created in the carousel activity last week. Our group’s text was ‘Australianism’. The outline for the Perfect Paper can be found on Managebac (‘12_A_SL_Australianism’).

The given extract is an introduction to a dictionary of Australian slang, or Australianisms. This text type can be inferred from the heading in bold and the first sentence of the passage.

The language of the text informs us that it was written for an English speaking audience, thus revealing a cultural context. The explanations of what Australianisms are in lines 1-2, however, imply that the context of the dictionary is not necessarily Australia. Thus, the text is unique in that it may have been a Global Edition of the dictionary. This is also supported by references throughout the text cementing Australianism within a wider international context, for e.g. in referencing “other British colonies” (line 18).

The function of an introduction is usually to engage the reader and begin their journey through a topic. With the dictionary’s usual function of recording words and conserving a language in mind, we see that this introduction specifically does this by allowing the reader to reach a better informed understanding of the themes behind the conservation of a language. Throughout this analysis, we will see that this extract uses diction and style to present its readers with a background on Australianism, focusing on how it differs from English spoken elsewhere, how Australian English came to be this way, and the potential issues in dealing with its origins – in order to justify the conservation of ‘Australianism’.  

Having understood the general function and cultural context of the text, we can proceed to its audience and purpose. The given text appeals to the target audience using their main purpose of explaining the origins and historical events associated with Australian English. The central audience is comprised of people interested in linguistics. This can be gleaned from the wordy nature of its diction, and the choice of long and complex sentences over more easily understandable alternatives (e.g. the first sentence in four lines long).

Building off of this, the central purpose of the text is to introduce the audience to Australianism, focusing on how it differs from English spoken elsewhere, the reason for its origins, and the potential issues with identifying said origins. These main points outline the ‘how’, ‘why’, and ‘so what’ of Australian English. Doing this adds dimension to the dialect, and allows its conservation to be better justified.

The purpose of the text is strongly linked to its content and theme. Throughout the extract, the text provides the reader with historical and background information regarding the dictionary; explaining the concept of Australianism and reasons for the creation of the dictionary. The content of the extract can be split into three main parts, which tackle the topics in the following order: how Australian English differs from other English and why; the historical events that led to the creation of it; and the potential issues with identifying the origins of Australian English.

Clearly expressed in this text is the theme of conservation. From the earlier summary of the content alone, we can see that the author is mainly explaining and justifying Australian English. This links well with the general function of a dictionary. This theme would have been useful in engaging readers, since it presents the readers with reasons why they should read the dictionary, by making Australian English seem multi-faceted and interesting. Justification in this manner thus serves the introduction’s function of making people read the dictionary.

To support the given extract’s objectives of garnering more readers and reinforcing the theme of conservation, it uses a pedagogical tone to develop a formal and scholarly mood. The pedagogical tone is expressed in the many sentences of high modality which are presented as facts. For example, “Australian English reflects also the composition of the immigrant population…” (line 16). Phrases like “Most obviously…” (line 9) also imply to the reader that it is not in order to refute the statements of the dictionary. Finally, the scholarly mood is also created through the academic language and use of jargon (e.g. “regional dialect” in line 18), and the referencing of establish dictionaries like the “Oxford English Dictionary”.

The tone and mood of the text validate it and make it more creditable, contributing to its central purpose of justifying and encouraging the conservation of Australian English. This is also done using stylistic devices. For example, the earlier mentioned complex sentences give the author credibility, since they are well-written and perfectly crafted in terms of grammar. The audience may reason that someone who can write like that is qualified to make statements about language. This is thus an appeal to ethos.

The literary device of distinctio is also used in line 36, with “puncher (as in bullock puncher)”. This explanation of the original term furthers our argument that this text was intended for non-Australians, to encourage them to be interested in Australianisms. Alliteration and repetition is also achieved with the term “special significance”, which was used twice in the text. This reiterates the uniqueness of Australian English and the author’s attempts to promote it.

The absence of literary devices and the focus on style over literature also functions as an appeal to logos, since their argument seems more objective and less disputable. The strong structure of the content also makes the introduction seem more ‘essay-like’ and academic. The only stylization of the text is the heading, ‘Introduction’ (line 1), in bold at the top of the page. With this simplicity the text fits in better with the scholarly community, by indirectly stating that the content is what matters, not the outward fanciness or appearance of the text. The style and structure could thus be concluded to show the thought process behind the ideals of Australianism.

In conclusion, we have shown how this extract used diction and style to present its readers with a background on Australianism ­- specifically focusing on how it differs from English spoken elsewhere, how Australian English came to be this way, and the potential issues in dealing with this -­ in order to justify the conservation of Australian English. In all, the text generally achieves its purpose, since it conveys the theme of conservation by adding richness and depth to Australian English. With this, readers will see the value of preserving this language, and hopefully do their best to do so by reading the dictionary.