REPRESENTATION
WHAT IT IS?
Representation is the depiction (how something is shown) of a thing, person or idea in written,
visual, performed or spoken language. Representation may aim to reflect the natural world
as realistically as possible or may aim to convey the essence of people, objects, experiences
and ideas in a more abstract way.
There are many different ways of seeing the world as our view is framed by context and
culture. This means that representation cannot mirror actual reality but each representation
offers a different construction of the world and of experience in it.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?
Students need to understand that representations are not neutral. All representations carry
personal and cultural meanings and have personal and social effects.
A CULTURAL ASSUMPTION IS AN
IDEA THAT IS COMMON
THROUGHOUT THE CULTURE.
(SUPPORTING A CHARITY WILL MAKE
YOU HAPPY)
Giving to charity is
good (could be an
attitude portrayed
by the text
(ALL CHARITIES ARE IMPORTANT)
EACH CULTURE MAY HAVE
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OR SIMILAR
ASSUMPTIONS, BASED ON THE
TRADITIONS, LAWS AND PEOPLE OF
THAT PARTICULAR PLACE.
ASSUMPTIONS ARE BASED ON
ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND VALUES.
BEHAVIOURS ARE HOW THESE
INTERNALISED SYSTEMS (ATTITUDES,
BELIEFS AND VALUES) ARE
EXPRESSED.
A belief can
underpin
messages in
texts – society
should help
those less
fortunate in
our community
Language Features
Metaphor – an imaginative description Simile – a comparison using like or as
that describes one thing as another
to create a vivid image – ‘As big as a
‘Sea of troubles’
whale’
Onomatopoeia – the sounds of words
to express or underline their meaning,
sensory imagery ‘crunch’
Alliteration – the repetition of the same
sound usually at the beginning of works
‘Reuse, renew, recycle’
Rhetorical Questions – a question asked
for effect with no answer expected
Personification – none human objects,
animals or ideas are given human
characteristics ‘The jaws of the cave’
Hyperbole – over-the-top exaggeration
for effect ‘I have tonnes of homework’
Contrast – a mode of description that
Inclusive Language – creates a bond or
emphasises the differences between two connection between the group and the
things ‘My story is one of rags to riches’ text creator ‘you’ ‘we’ ‘society’
Emotive Language – words chosen to
bring an emotional response
Rule of Three – repetition in group of
three to strengthen an idea or argument
‘Shake, rattle and roll’
Symbols/symbolism –the use of symbols
to represent ideas or qualities and
shape perspective
Assonance – the repetition of vowel
sounds in a series of words
‘moonlit pool’
Text Structures – refers to how a piece of text is built
Power line – memorable catchphrases
that stick with the audience. Obama’s
‘Yes we can’
Modality – words that indicate
possibility, probability and obligation.
Higher modality increases the authority
of a speaker. ‘must’ ‘may’
Sentences – short, long, one word
Placement/positioning of these in the
text should also be considered.
May or may not include punctuation
“Giving makes my heart happy” – a
short unpunctuated sentence
Paragraphs – short, long, number
When writing effective paragraphs, you
need to think about their structure and
the way they look on the page.
First impressions count and if your
paragraphs are long and dense, your
readers will be daunted.
Headlines/Titles – Are a "hook" to
capture the reader's attention and
inspire them to want to engage with the
text
Images – the use of size and perspective
in images, colour, framing, white space
Meme - A meme is an idea, behaviour,
or style that spreads by means of
imitation from person to person within a
culture—often with the aim of conveying
a particular phenomenon, theme, or
meaning represented by the meme.
Bullet points - Bullet points help to make
what you’re saying more clear. They
break up blocks of text into tidy chunks
so the reader can take in what you’re
saying. They present lists in a clear
format so people can see it’s a list. They
emphasise points you want to
emphasise.
Overall Structure
Cause and effect
Sequence
Compare and contrast
Problem and solution
Description