Pre-AP Sophomore English
Summer Reading Assignment & Dialectical Journal
Video Instructions available at http://bit.ly/GomezJournal
What Is a Dialectical Journal?
A dialectical journal allows a reader to have a mental conversation with a text by posing questions; reading
closely for diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax; noticing patterns; and analyzing deeper meanings
found in a work of literature. In a dialectical journal, students record lines from the text that stand out to
them, then provide an analysis (see sample entry below).
Dialectical Journal Requirements:
1. You will use Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck for the dialectical journal.
2. You will need to use a composition book (wide or college ruled) for the assignment (no spirals or binders,
please).
3. You will need to complete three entries per chapter for a total of 18 entries.
4. Consult the DIDLS guide on the back of this handout for further explanations on the types of entries you
may make.
5. If a question arises and you are unable to resolve it on your own, please feel free to e-mail me at
matgomez@pasadenaisd.org. I check my e-mail very frequently and will respond promptly.
Making Your Dialectical Journal:
Prior to making entries in your journal, fold each page in half vertically. Quotes from the text and the page
number you found them on will go in the left-hand column, and your commentary will go in the right-hand
column.
Sample Dialectical Journal Entry:
Note: Not all entries need to rely strictly on DIDLS. You may also make comments about tone, characters, questions,
author’s purpose, etc.
DIDLS
DIDLS is an initialism for diction, imagery, details, language, syntax (sentence structure). Readers may use
DIDLS to help discover the tone of a reading selection. Tone is a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward their
subject. Understanding tone is the first step toward understanding meaning.
Example Tone Words:
Angry
Upset
Silly
Boring
Sweet
Dreamy
Restrained
Candid
Dramatic
Pessimistic
Cold
Peaceful
Mocking
Somber
Sentimental
Confused
Sarcastic
Humorous
Nostalgic
Irreverent
Apologetic
Poignant
Joyful
Urgent
Using DIDLS can help you remember the basic elements of tone you should consider when evaluating prose or
poetry. Diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax all help to reveal the author’s or speaker’s attitude
toward the subject they are discussing.
Diction: The connotation of an author’s word choice. For example, an author might describe a character as
thin. This description would have an entirely different feeling if the author described that same character as
scrawny.
Imagery: Descriptions an author provides that help a reader experience something through their five senses.
Imagery allows an author to describe something in a way that helps a reader see, hear, feel, taste, or smell
something.
Details: Facts an author includes or omits. Authors include or exclude details to give a reader a specific
impression of something. For example, a character in a book would likely describe a party they went to much
differently to their friends than to their parents.
Language: The overall way an author writes. Examples of language include: scholarly, informal, conversational,
emotional, and detached. Imagine the language you use talking to a peer compared to the language you may
use talking to an adult. The words and style of speech you employ are often specific to your audience.
Syntax: How are sentences structured? Are they long, eloquent, and fluid, or are they short, choppy, and
abrupt? Look for sentence length, the use or absence of conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), and
punctuation. Repetition of either words or grammatical structures creates specific feelings.
Final Words
The best dialectical journals are ones that students complete as they read. Your best ideas will come when the
text you are reading is fresh in your mind.
If you get stuck, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to working with you all next year!
- Mr. Gomez