Language Analysis Guide: Write a Well-Structured Paper

Language Analysis Guide: Write a Well-Structured Paper
Table of Contents
  1. Language Analysis Guide: Write a Well-Structured Paper
  2. So what is language analysis?
  3. Guide on starting your language analysis
  4. Guide for writing your language
  5. Top 5 tips on finishing your paper
  6. A Few Last Words

Language analysis is one of the most popular tasks students get every year during college or literary courses (like a task to write apa style paper). This type of work lets you dig down and find out more about the writer of any text. There are man details you need to know before you write your first language analysis, and this article is going to explain to you the basics of mastering a good paper.

So what is language analysis?

Before doing anything, first, you need to understand the task you are working with. The purpose of language analysis is to take a look at the way the author talks about the ideas with the help of word choice, sentence structure, title, tone, visual forms, writing technique, and other components of language analysis. To write a good language analysis, you need to check every word and sentence of the given text. The International educational system is basing on language factor fundamentally.

Guide on starting your language analysis

So how do you start working on your language analysis? Here are a few steps that could help you get started quickly.

  • Read a few study guides, blogs, and the latest articles to find out more about language analysis. For example, you could take a look at Lisa’s Study guide or VCE Studies on the VCAA website to see more information not only about language analysis, but other types of work. Lisa Study Guide could be useful for beginners and more advanced writers. You could also watch a quick video that could tell you more about language analysis.
  • Read a couple of samples of language analysis. It will help you understand how to write such type of paper properly. Examples of others will also help you see how other writers analyzed the given text.
  • Start with reading the given material. Before analysing any text, you need to study it. It’s best to read it more than once. After reading the first time, go back and try to catch as many details as possible. Leave notes through the process of reading so you won’t forget about the ideas you got. It will also save a lot of time for you.
  • Underline key moments, especially those which appeal to you. Highlight those passages, sentences, and words when you see that the author uses persuasion, interesting word choice, descriptions, etc. You will be able to go back to these places and analyse them again.
  • Try to understand what the author was trying to say. If needed, write it down. Why did the author use specific language construction to deliver his or her ideas? What was he or she trying to say? Did the writer succeed at delivering the message? The answers to these question will be a foundation of your language analysis.

Other three important steps you need to consider are:

  • Understand the way the author uses to appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos.
  • Find interesting metaphors, analogies, and comparisons.
  • Improve your metalanguage.

Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.

Benjamin Lee Whorf

Guide for writing your language

Here is an ultimate guide on how to write a good language analysis. Remember these tips, and you will ace your paper:

  • Work on your introduction. This is a part where you need to get your potential readers interested in language analysis. A good introduction should not be too long: not more than 5-7 sentences. It should contain a brief description of the topic and some background information on it. Another important part of the introduction is the thesis statement.
  • Create a hook for your intro. Feel free to pick anything that appeals to you: it could be a story from your life to touch the hearts of your readers, a quote, a curious fact, a pun, or a joke. The goal of your hook is to attract readers to your paper, so make sure that it actually accomplishes it.
  • Come up with a thesis statement. The goal of the thesis statement is to show the main idea and present the topic of the paper. It should not be longer than 1-2 sentences.
  • Write the body. In the body paragraphs, you should give your reader some information, your thoughts, and support it with some evidence. Usually, the strongest argument appears in the first paragraph, and the weakest one goes in the last paragraph.
  • Sum up your language analysis. Conclusions are for summary — we all know that. To write a good conclusion, remember: no additional information should be included. In your summary, restate your thesis statement and main ideas.

Top 5 tips on finishing your paper

Read this mini-guide to know how to finish your paper well.

  1. Give it some time. After completing your analysis, you need to take a step back and have a rest. After some time passes, go back to your paper and re-read.
  2. Revise. After you read your paper once more, you will be able to see what should be corrected or deleted. If you want to avoid any oops moments, it’s best to read and correct everything carefully.
  3. Create a title. Now you will be able to understand which title suits your paper best.
  4. Edit and format your text. Submitting your analysis without double checking would be wrong, especially if you are not a native speaker (English as an additional language, EAL). Check your grammar, punctuation, and writing style. Choose an appropriate essay format (Harvard, ASA, or Chicago).
  5. Don’t be private: give someone your text to read. It could be your parent, friend, or teacher that you trust. Ask them what they think about your paper, and you will definitely get an honest response. 

A Few Last Words

Language analysis is a form of writing where you can combine research with creativity and share more interesting thoughts with our world. There is no best way to write a language analysis, so simply do what you feel like you have to do. Language analysis could help you understand the writer as if it’s your best friend, and this is the best thing about it. Download some music, clean up your workplace, and start writing your paper!