Analyse an article which concentrates on the use of slang and its origins

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Max Walkington J20                F3

        Slang Article Analysis

I have chosen to analyse an article which concentrates on the use of slang and its origins. The article covers ‘where slang comes from in the ages of sitcoms and graphic novels,’ citing ‘popular culture and the generation of language’ as the source of information. The article is written by Jonathan Green, author of The Cassell Dictionary of Slang, as a result the article offers somewhat of an interesting and informative insight into the topic of slang.

The purpose of the article seems to be offering a preview to The Cassell Dictionary of Slang with the intention of increasing awareness of the book and as a result selling more copies. Other then simply publicising a book however, there is a lot of new content that is written informatively in an entertaining way. Thus it may be presumed that the article is targeted at those particularly interested in language and particular aspects of it, specifically students studying English Language or a similar course. Although due to the theme of the article it may appeal to a far wider spectrum.

The article covers how language has progressed over the years and how particular words have changed to form a new meaning. Such as ‘illiterate’ which was once defined as ‘someone who wasn’t fluent in Latin or Greek.’ Particular reference is also given as to why language has changed in the way it has, offering stages of developments for particular words and how they have evolved. The information is offered in an accessible way that uses no specific language that isn’t defined somewhere in the text, hence allowing for a broader audience.

A key aspect to the article is its appearance. Immediately apparent is a picture of the author alongside his name; beneath is the strap line, which I will go into further detail about later. The article takes ease of scansion into account, the layout is clear and approachable whilst offering a clear message on the content of the article. A definition box lies slightly to the right of centre of the article, clearly visible. Inside the box the subject ‘Slang’ is defined in a dictionary-esque manner, this sets the theme of the article and grabs the attention of the reader. Alongside the definition box is a picture of The Cassell Dictionary of Slang, which supports my theory that the aim of the article is to promote the book. It also makes the article far more interesting to look at and attract further readers. The main body of text resides on the lower half of the article and probably covers just over half of the actual content. The text is well sized and clearly visible as to not put off potential readers. To the bottom-right hand side of

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the article are some examples of slang taken from The Cassell Dictionary of Slang, it appears that the extract is purposely under the image of the book. The majority of the examples are humorous in order to fetch interest. The positioning of the text is relevant as it is the last place that a reader typically looks at and as a result is the content that fills that space is the main drawer to the article.

I will now begin the analysis of actual content within the article. Instantly evident is the strap line of the article which ...

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