George T's English Journal

There is an article called “Twerking, selfie and unlike?” written by a woman called Isabelle Kerr which has caused me some distress. In this article, Isabelle talks about how slang and how they are ” Bizarre, nonsensical and downright pointless words”. In this piece, I’m going to talk about the reasons why I disagree and how slang can be very useful and powerful in the modern world.

Kerr mentions youth are not focusing on words to ” improve our ability to communicate and express ourselves.” By making this point, Kerr is making the youth of today seem as if the words that are being created and used are completely irrelevant replacements for perfectly good words that already exist. When in reality, the words that have been created were all words that no existing word covered. In addition, before many words of the words in the dictionary were in there, many were considered slang such as words like monumental and remorseless. These words, in the modern day, are considered sophisticated words and when said by a person, they are thought to be of great intellect. What Kerr is trying to say is these words, along with words like cater, compromise and academe, should not have been invented due to them being invented to cover a certain area what no word currently covers or give people individuality and originality, like what slang does. These words I spoke about previously were also created by Shakespeare, who was regarded as the greatest writer in the English Language. Is Kerr saying that our countries finest play write and poet is also a apathetic, ASBO-wielding yob just like the youth today for being inventive and trying to advance the English Language?

Slang can also give people or an area singularity and make them unique. This is shown in such words such as gaff. This word has a dictionary definition which is “a stick with a hook or barbed spear, for landing large fish” however its slang term means house amongst cockney Londoners. This creative and individual use for the word is not a bad thing but a thing that gives words personal meanings. If this word is used naturally and not forced by a person then it shows a lot about a person before they have even got to know someone. It also shows intelligence as the persons brain jumps to a new word rather than the word every body else uses or a word they have been brought up learning.

In addition to these points, Kerr specifically points out the word twerk. She says ” To reiterate, I had no idea what twerking involved before all this kicked off, and I’m still not entirely sure either”. Firstly, by saying she is not entirely sure what the word means shows Isabelle has not fully done her research and the fact she is complaining about it being in the dictionary and the dictionary is used to find out the definition of words is, is completely contradictory. Also, if many people share her opinion, maybe twerk being in the dictionary is for the best as it would help these “many people” understand the mind boggling mystery. The word twerk also dates back to the early 1800’s, meaning it was not created by the youth of the today but by the early Victorian’s. The Oxford Dictionary has said that the word twerk is an amalgamation of the words twist and jerk and was spelt twirk until 1901. Furthermore, maybe the reason why Kerr is so afraid is because she doesn’t like the action, not the word therefore wanting to completely get rid of it. However, if there was no word such as twerk, what would she call this action she despises.

As time goes on, many things advance like technology and people. This is the same as language and the current influx of new words, considered slang, is a huge step forward and it shows the huge understanding that people are beginning to have about newly invented words.

Ever since FIFA started running London Nautical things have been going surprisingly well. The timetable has had some dramatic changes due to the fact classes have been by separated by ability and the best teachers teaching the smartest students. For example The Champions Class, containing the very richest of the pupils, get top class teaching for the very best even if it does cost them £100,000’s a week. The second group of students are called The Premier Class. These pupils are not so well of as The Champions Class however still found a way to pay about £50,000-£75,000 a week depending what subjects they do. As you look further down the list you begin to see the classes where the children might not be so well off. For example, The Johnstone Paint Class is full of students with incomplete uniform and who’s parents are not as wealthy. The teachers the lower classes are provided show very little knowledge into the subjects they teach and on some occasions, the students know more.

The food students are provided with also contain the best of nutrition for their mental ability. Champions students are supplied with wholegrain, fish and vegetables to support them through their difficult studies. Johnstone Paint students are fed burgers, chips and sausages as not so much of a struggle is needed for them. Better facilities are also an option if you are willing to pay. Larger classrooms with state of the art of carpet that has never been flatter and books packed with information to make sure the well-heeled kids are gaining all the knowledge they can compared to the others who get smaller classrooms along with almost empty books, that the children add information to, and classroom floors that can barely be walked on due to the lumps and bumps all over.

Towards the end of the school life, the pupils face a tough set of tests called The Champions League. The Champions League is a set of exams where two classes of selected pupils will compete against each other to see who can get the best result. These are the exams that only the best of pupils compete for. But of course, due to there 5 years of good teaching and resources, the main people who qualify and succeed in these events are of the higher class and wealth. The second tier prosperity have a different set of exams called Europa. These will include 2 sets of exams against other schools, just like the champions league, however the difficulty will not be as severe. The conditions will also not be the same. Europa will have to deal with noise in the distant back ground, shaky tables and strict invigilators. Although they may share the down side of the strict invigilator, the conditions for the Champions League could not be better with sound proof windows and new tables every assessment. During this set of exams, schools have to pay an additional fund for extra invigilators who check for cheating the main one may not spot and just like the many other schools I asked, they completely disagree with the idea of it and seem baffled to why it happens despite the many schools that clash views of the FIEA (Fédération Internationale de Ecole Association).

Overall, after having VERY good discussions with the Head Teacher and coming to an arrangement, London Nautical is an Outstanding school with no problems. It is a school that thrives to bring out the best in all pupils by providing them with equal opportunities no matter there social or economic background.

Richard, Simon and Joe travel to the bottom of the mountain they are soon to climb, The Siula Grande

Joe described the beginning of the ascent of the mountain. He also tells us a story about him falling asleep.

Act 1 Scene 1 – The ghost of Hamlets father appears and is seen by the guards on watch. Horatio enters and is told by the guards on watch and does not believe it until the ghost reappears.

Act 1 Scene 2 – The King speaks to the Danish court, talking about his marriage to his dead brothers widow. Laertes ask permission to return to France. Horatio tells Hamlet of the appearance of the ghost who looks like the king

Act 1 Scene 3 – Laertes says goodbye to Ophelia, his sister, and Polonius, his father.

Act 1 Scene 4 – Hamlet goes with Horatio to his night shift and sees the ghost of the dead King, his father.

Act 1 Scene 5 – The ghost tells Hamlet that his was murdered by the current King, Claudius, and says he wants revenge.

Act 2 Scene 1 – Polonius sends a spy to watch on his son in Paris and finds out that his daughter was frightened by Hamlet.

Act 2 Scene 2 – The King and Queen meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and ask them to keep an eye on Hamlet. They reluctantly agree. Polonius tells the King and Queen he thinks the reason why Hamlet is mad is because Ophelia won’t return his affection. Polonius The King & Queen come up with an idea to set Ophelia on Hamlet to see how he reacts. Voltemand then enters and tells the King that Fortinbras would like to pass through Denmark to get to Poland even though they have strife themselves. The King says he likes the idea. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet the King and Queen asked them to spy on him. The players arrive and Hamlet tells them about his favourite play however he tells them to perform it with his own added twist about the King killing his dad. Hamlet finishes off the scene by saying how the play will link to his situation.

Act 3 Scene 1 – The king and Polonius try unsuccessfully to trick Hamlet into falling for Ophelia.

NOW
You watch as empty crisp packets brush the feet of the intoxicated. A constant flow of indistinct car fumes fill the air along with a murmur of unfamiliar foreign languages. A light drizzle gently falls on the mechanical monsters that surge through the wide streets with people weaving in and out of them. You walk east, towards the swamped train station, where the destitute man lay with his slender dog just hoping for that generous passer by. You look down and notice a trail of oil beside you and realise it’s falling from the polystyrene flip lid container you’re holding in your hand. You have a rummage around in your pocket to try and find a tissue to wipe the greasy liquid off your frosty hand but find yourself unlucky. You reluctantly decide to lick it off. Continuing your journey, you pass a rabble of bearded middle aged men leaving the pub discussing how their lives are so disatisfactory and how they could put the world to rights. As you proceed down the road, this behaviour becomes a bit of a pattern. Every now and then a man would come out thinking he was a professional analyser teaching his group of intrigued friends how he would control the 11 foreign, over paid players better than the current manager could. You proceed with your journey beginning to realise that the urban wildlife is starting to begin to show. A fox scampers out of an abandoned garage and nabs a half eaten chicken bone and begins to devour it. Pigeons, perched upon street lights, begin to bellow their different however very similar mating calls. Very soon, it gets to that time when sirens begin to burst into song. The piercing sound of them has a very similar feeling to the crimes and troubles they are attending to.

THEN
The morning after. Some stubborn on-going roisterers ploy there way down the once swamped high street now looking alien to there current surroundings. There seems to been something remotely odd about this morning. You sniff. For some strange reason the air that previously smelt of toxic car waste now has a distinct smell of freshly cut grass all thanks to the hunch backed old man that doesn’t even live near a patch of grass, but likes to keep himself busy.
Cars also appear to have transformed over night. These once demons of the night seem to have developed into angels of the day as they smoothly descend down the street gently, brushing any dead leaves or empty drink bottles aside. You notice the suns out after winning its battle with the clouds. Thankfully. It might have ruined the forlorn mans day. He looks a whole new man. He must have finally received some luck and got some decent money, to feed himself and his ravenous feline companion. The nocturnal city beasts begin there routine procedures and start going back in to hiding after hovering up all fallen rations. You see some familiar faces. The same troop of middle aged men are back. This time complaining about the referees decisions after watching them on a late night highlight show. You check your watch. 10:30. They enter the pub. Your attention now turns to the shops and there owners. Like their shops, the owners appearance have been dramatically altered due to the hard night they both had dealing with some hard and not so friendly customers. Colour of their outsides are just one of the many things these two allies have had changed. The look of them begins to make you feel a bit woozy, so you have a look around to see if there is anything going on to distract yourself. Your bus then arrives. You leave.

Martin Luther King was a very peaceful man who believed that the best way to beat the violent police men and the racist government was by peaceful protest and not retaliating to the violent acts that happened to them.

He had led many campaigns such as “The Bus Boycott” which started when a female called Rosa Parks sat on a white side of a segregated bus when a white female asked to move due to the colour of her skin. Shortly after she was arrested by the local police force. This sparked a huge protest across the south of the country leading to many people volunteers almost starting there own bus company giving 100’s of people free bus rides across the country. Another campaign he led was “The Freedom Marches”. These were from Montgomery to Selma which were done so that black people could gain the right to vote. The first attempt was going smoothly when all of a sudden whilst crossing a bridge on their route, they were greeted by an army of police officers all armed with batons and gas masks accompanied by some local media. The group of peaceful protestors, all of different races, tried to continue their journey when they attacked with tear gas and beaten to the floor by the police force. This was nationally noticed due to the utter brutality of the event. 4 million people tuned in and it was broadcast over all TV stations. Due to all the publicity it got, Mr King decided to go for a second attempt but this time, they were accompanied by national news instead of just local. Everyone was accepting The Protestors to act how the police force acted to them. However, one they reached the same point where they were threatened and attacked before, all the protestors kneeled and prayed. Shortly after, Mr King rose, turned around and walked back into the direction he came. He done this just to show they weren’t lowing there standards and acting violent, they wanted to stay peaceful.

Martin Luther King had achieved huge huge stuff over his lifetime and gave some very inspirational speeches along the way. He also kept he promise by staying peaceful and not giving in to all of the people trying to persuade him to go violent which showed how strong of a person he was

In “To Kill A Mockingbird” Harper Lee uses contrast to highlight how both colours of the community react to Atticus losing the trial.

I think that Harper Lee is trying to create a dark scene which gives the Radely House a very dark feel and it puts it in a negative light.

As William and I run through the field just hoping that the Americans hadn’t mined this field yet. All around different noises being created by dangerous things. The wheels cranking on the tank, the aeroplanes propellers piercing through the air, bullets firing from every direction. No one really knows why this war started in the first place. Mum said there had been many rumours however I wouldn’t `understand`and because of this wouldn’t tell me what they were. Our country was never considered violent or angry. Canada was seen as peaceful more relaxed country however when the Americans attacked the president our army just went ballistic and started firing loose fire over the white house which lead to th Americans firing a nuclear bomb however it somehow went wrong in space and didn’t get here. I’m a bit scared to be honest because the Americans are a lot more technologically advanced then we are and have a scary amount of bombs which they could launch at any time. They also have a lot of allies which are dangerous. However I would never show these feelings to anyone due to either it will make my family even more worried or my mates are not scared so I will look a bit like a wimp.

Me and William stopped for a breath. We decided to hide in a near by corn field where we were hopefully out of sight and could hide till the patrol cleared. I was worried what mum was gonna say when I got back. She told me not to come down to the farm because it was American territory but I promised William I would still visit him( he leaves right next to the farm). In the background I could hear a crackling noise getting closer and closer. I decided to take look so I told William to climb on my back. When he got up there he almost immediately jumped straight off an started running not knowing I hesitated but decided to just follow Wills lead and run. I’ve we arrived back at the city I asked will what was happening. He didn’t tell me. Instead he stared at me with he’s eyes wide open and a a pain in his heart. `Shhh` Said Will with his fingers on his lips. We stood there as quiet as ever. All of a sudden beeping noise broke the silence. We both looked down and a red light was flashing. A blue mist descended over Wills face. He looked at me. I looked at him