MOD B: Language, Culture and Identity – Tara June Winch “Swallow The Air”
EXAM TIP: Don’t confuse Oodgeroo’s themes with Winch’s!! Use acronyms for Swallow the Air (STA) and use “Winch” when
referring to the author.
Essay Question:
In what ways does the language of your text represent important ideas about identity and culture?
In your response, refer to Tara June Winch’s “Swallow The Air” in depth.
OA THESIS: Language is the vehicle which carries our understanding
of our culture and identity.
1. Add strong adjectives to make this thesis your own!
2. Amplify this thesis! What does it mean to you?
3. In your introduction, briefly describe the story, characters and
themes/vignettes you will analyse further in your essay.
Idea 1: Power of language to reflect and shape identity
STATEMENT 1: Authors use the vehicle of their writing to reflect and
shape readers’ understanding of culture and identity.
Add ideas from the rubric:
Power of language to reflect and shape
Individual and collective identity
Complexities and subtleties
Personal, social and cultural identity
inform and influence perceptions of
ourselves and other peoples
the impact texts have on shaping
individuals’ or communities’ sense of
identity.
texts affirm or challenge prevailing
assumptions and beliefs about individuals
and lifestyles, and about social and
cultural groupings.
4. Which parts of Swallow the Air (Characters/Setting/ Events) fit best
with this statement? What textual references would you use?
Idea 2: Personal sense of identity
STATEMENT 2: Identity, like language, is fluid, ever-changing and adapting to our sense of belonging in social circles.
5. Which parts of Swallow the Air (Characters/Setting/ Events) fit best with this statement? What textual references would you
use?
Idea 3: Texts challenge cultural assumptions
STATEMENT 3: Assumptions of collective identity and cultural groupings are challenged through representations of anomalic
protagonists.
6. Which parts of Swallow the Air (Characters/Setting/ Events) fit best with this statement? What textual references would you
use?
CONCLUSION:
All in all, what we say and how we say it reveals what we see in ourselves,
while at the same time influencing what others see in us. Authors have a
privileged opportunity to represent themselves and their culture
linguistically to a wider sphere of influence, and, in doing so, enhance the
collective attitudes and beliefs of their society.
Ways to say: In Conclusion
In a nutshell… In brief,…
In closing,… In summary,…
After all is said and done,
All in all,… All things considered,…
Ultimately, … On a final note…
On the whole,…
7. Make this conclusion yours. Add strong adverbs/adjectives to create
personal voice. Or re-word it completely! Summarise each aspect you’ve discussed and how writers
reveal/shape/challenge/affirm identity and culture through their language choices.
REMEMBER: The module asks you to evaluate how the Author makes you think about the interconnectedness of language,
identity and culture, while also shaping the identity and culture of Aboriginal people through her story.