Key Words and Meanings - Year 8 English

• Term 1 & 2: Stone Cold – Robert Swindells

  Hyperbole	Excessive exaggeration.
  Machiavellian	Machiavellianism is the political theory of Niccolò Machiavelli, especially the view that any means can be used if it is necessary to maintain political power. Refers to someone cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics.
  Context	The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. Consider here the relationship 'Othello' holds with Cinthio's play and also the year it was written of 1603.
  To dehumanise	To treat / think of someone as if they are no longer a person
  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)	Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition caused by a traumatic experience. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include flashbacks, nightmares, feeling very anxious and difficulty sleeping.

• Term 1 & 2: Detective Fiction

  Imagery	Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.
  Language technique	The techniques writers use to make their work more powerful, specifically the words they use e.g. metaphor, simile, hopeful imagery.
  Structural technique	The techniques writers use to make their work more powerful, specifically how they order their ideas and sentences e.g. short sentences for impact, mysterious opening, ellipses.
  Connotations	Ideas or emotions associated with a word / idea / image e.g. red may have connotations of danger or romance.
  Flashback	When a story does not run in chronological order, instead going back to focus on an event from the past.
  Cyclical narrative	A story that starts and ends with the same / very similar ideas or words.
  Headline	A heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine.
  Sub-header	An additional headline or title that comes immediately after the main headline or title or a title given to one of the parts or divisions of a piece of writing.

• Term 3 & 4: Noughts and Crosses (play script version) – Malorie Blackman

  Apartheid	A policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race. See South Arica 1960 - 1983 for a historical example.
  Prejudice	A preconceived (already held) opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, normally a negative opinion against a specific group or culture.
  Allegory	A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
  Foil	In literature - a foil is a character who contrasts with another character. Typically, a character who contrasts with the protagonis (main character), in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist.
  Allusion	An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference - normally to events or characters from a different story / poem.

• Term 3 & 4: Times of Challenge

  Hyperbole	Excessive exaggeration.
  Connectives	Using linking words to connect ideas.
  List	More than one idea connected by commas or semi colons.
  Punctuation	Using a variety of punctuation to enhance a piece of writing. For example: . , ; : - ? ! " ()
  Facts	Something that is proved true. Information used as evidence.
  Counter Argument	An argument which is opposing to the main argument you are making.
  Statistics	Percentages, data and other numerical facts which can be used to prove an argument.
  Opinions	A viewpoint, statement or belief.
  Facts	Something that is proved true. Information used as evidence.
  Setting	The location and situation of a story. When and where is it taking place, and what is happening at that time?
  Conflict	Every story has a problem / desire that needs to be solved. What is driving the story?
  Theme	A repeated idea throughout a story.
  Purpose	Why has the author written this? What are they trying to achieve? E.G. Persuade, entertain etc.
  Audience	Who has this been written for? Older people? Younger people? People with an interest is something?
  Tone	Formal or less formal? Serious or humorous? Factual or full of opinions? Balanced or biased?
  Generic convention	Rules for different genres (types) of texts. E.G. Newspaper articles start with a headline.
  Headline	A heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine.
  Sub-header	An additional headline or title that comes immediately after the main headline or title or a title given to one of the parts or divisions of a piece of writing.
  Passive voice	Passive voice is a verb form that creates a sense of indirect action in a sentence, leading with the object, and often conceals the subject of a sentence. E.G. active voice = I broke the vase, passive voice = the vase was broken.
  Generic convention	Rules for different genres (types) of texts. E.G. Newspaper articles start with a headline.
  Terminology	Specific words used with a particular technical application in a subject of study, profession, etc.

• Term 5 & 6: ‘Speaking Up’ & Comparison skills

  Poetic persona	A poet takes on a poetic persona, when they write from the point of view of a character or someone other than themselves.
  Imagery	Creating a picture for the reader using words.
  Palindrome	A text that can be read both forwards and backwards.
  Aural imagery	Using specific word sounds to create a particular image or emotion for the readers. See also assonance, alliteration and onomatopoeia.
  Rhythm	The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables.

• Term 6: End of Year exam / Speaking and Listening

  To rebut (pre-emptive rebuttal)	To rebut a point means to (successfully) argue against it. A pre-emptive rebuttal is to raise a common argument and explain why it is wrong, before anyone else has a chance to make the argument against you.
  Logos	An appeal to logic.
  Pathos	An appeal to emotion.
  Ethos	An appeal to ethics.
  Kairos	An appeal to time.