New GCSE exam helps students learn how to see through the spin

Rather than decide on future leaders by the colour of their tie, a new GCSE exam unit will teach future voters to make a hard-headed analysis of spoken language used in the media, e.g. the carefully crafted rhetoric peddled by political spin doctors.

From September the new OCR GCSE exam requires students to study real spoken language from public figures such as David Cameron or Gordon Brown, and Oxford University Press is publishing resources to give our future electorate the tools to see through the spin.

Could the election result have been more clear-cut if young voters had been better equipped with these skills? And will the new exam unit survive the latest education cuts?

Nick, Gordon, and Dave on the spot

Did Gordon Brown actually mean it when he said “If it is all about style and PR, count me out”?
What was David Cameron’s specific point when he said, “that to me is the same old politics”?
Clegg Mania: what exactly did Nick Clegg say to attract a comparison to Winston Churchill?
What tactics do politicians use to avoid answering the question?

Students will learn how to cut through the rhetoric of spin doctors to uncover the truth behind the talk and the policies behind the prattle.

You’re Fired! Lord Sugar’s language up for scrutiny

A compulsory unit in the new GCSE English Language curriculum, the spoken language study will be worth 10% of the final grade. Exam board OCR asks students to submit an analytical 1000-word essay on either:

the language of a public figure, such as Barack Obama or Eddie Izzard;
language, media and technology, which involves studying the language of a TV programme like The Apprentice;
language and society, which may include studying the language of an occupation like Formula 1 engineers or magazine journalists.

Chris Barcock, examiner and author for the Oxford University Press GCSE English Language for OCR textbook, says; “I’m expecting students to really engage with this topic and this should be reflected in their answers. In today’s society young people need to understand how language works in politics and the media.”

To read a sample answer, please see below. For more information, or for an interview with Chris Barcock, please contact Rachel Iliffe on 01865 353971 or email Rachel.iliffe@oup.com or Helen McManners on 01865 353597 or email Helen.mcmanners@oup.com (Oxford University Press).