Edexcel IGCSE English Language

RNLI Your Guide to Beach Safety

Teaching notes
Section A
The first five questions require the students to see only the front cover. When you
tackle Q9, it is important that the pages are not presented in sequence.
Q9 works well as a group task and leads in to a discussion about structure. Compare
groups choices and discuss why there is consensus (if there is) or the advantages and
disadvantages of different choices. Show the correct order and get the students to stick
the pages into their books in the correct order. Getting them to surround each page
with notes and annotations is an opportunity for consolidation/independent
revision/homework.
Q10 offers an opportunity for teachers to model techniques - with a whole class or single
group - such as underlining (and glossing) the key words in the question, planning and
writing structured paragraphs using point/reference to text/analysis. If your students
are already confident at writing these short pieces of analysis, up the challenge by
setting a time limit using the Teachit Timer.
Section B
The questions present different levels and types of challenge and so aid differentiation.
The mini-essay question can be tackled independently by more confident students; less
able students could be shown how to group the preceding questions into three or four
topics to give them a framework for completing the task.
Section C
An alternative to Q3 would be to allocate specific examples (e.g. picture of mother and
son in the True Story, sub-headings on the Swimming, Surfing & Bodyboarding page) to
students, and present a hypothetical scenario that the leaflet is to be reprinted with
fewer presentational devices to save printing costs they have to make a case for
retaining their example. This oral exercise will help students revise argument features
and will support them in writing about the effectiveness of presentational devices in this
leaflet (Q4).
Q4 could be made more challenging by asking students to work on the three examples
they chose in Q3. Alternatively, they could join up into small groups and peer-teach
each other so everyone builds up a range of points about the presentation of the leaflet.
Section D
These questions assume students are already familiar with the techniques of writing to
advise and to persuade, and different kinds of sentences. Most of the analysis focuses
on language, although there is some consideration of presentation and structure.

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16051

Edexcel IGCSE English Language

RNLI Your Guide to Beach Safety
Section A
Look at the front cover only:
1. How does the front cover attract our attention?
2. Based on the front cover, what do you think will be in the leaflet?
3. Can you explain your ideas/expectations by linking them to specific
aspects of the front cover?
4. What is the link between the title and the picture?
5. How is the leaflet branded in other words, what features make it clear who has
produced this leaflet?
6. Read through each of the pages that make up this leaflet. Is this what you expected
(look back at your answer to question 2).
7. What is the purpose of this leaflet? How do you know?
8. Who is it aimed at (the target audience)? How do you know?
9. (a) arrange the pages of the leaflet into a sensible order
(b) can you explain your choices by referring to the leaflets audience and purpose?
10. Use your notes, annotations and ideas so far to answer this question:
What aspects of the front cover help to make this leaflet effective?
Section B
Analysing the True Story
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Summarise this story in 50 words. (Use full sentences.)

Why has a true story been included?
Why this particular true story? (Think about the leaflets audience
and purpose.)
What advantages are there in having the true story at the beginning?
What is its perspective? (Whose point of view is it? What person is it written
in?)
What words or phrases show us the mothers feelings?
Underline in pencil the facts in this true story.
What words or phrases show:

9.

how quickly the RNLI responded

what a good job they did?

Use your answers to questions 2 8 to write three or four paragraphs that answer
this question:
How does this True Story help to make the leaflet more effective?

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16051

Edexcel IGCSE English Language

RNLI Your Guide to Beach Safety
Section C
1. List as many different kinds of presentational devices as you can.
2. Highlight on your list any that have been used in this leaflet. (Add any you find have
been used that you missed out from your original list.)
3. Choose and circle the three presentational devices that you think are the most
important in helping this leaflet do a good job. Explain why you have chosen each
one.
4. Choose one specific example of where a presentational device has been used in this
leaflet and write about how it helps make the leaflet more effective.
Section D
On the page headed RIPS:
(a) underline the verbs. What do you notice about them and in what
kind of writing are these kinds of verbs most often found? Why are
these kinds of verbs used in this section?
(b) circle the word if whenever it appears. Why is this word used so
often in writing to advise? How does it help to make this section more effective?
(c) highlight the pronoun you wherever you see it. Choose one example and rewrite
the sentence into the third person. Compare your new version with the original.
Why is the original way of writing (using the second person pronoun) likely to be
more successful at getting the reader to pay attention?
2. On the page headed Know Your Flags:
(a) count the number of sentences in each paragraph
(b) count the number of words in each paragraph
(c) for each sentence, decide if it is a simple sentence, compound sentence, complex
sentence or sentence fragment (sometimes called a minor sentence).
3. With a partner, discuss your answers to question 2 and list the advantages of this style
of writing.
4. Use your notes and ideas to write a short answer to this question:
How does the language used in either Rips or Know Your Flags help to make the
leaflet effective?

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16051

Edexcel IGCSE English Language

RNLI Your Guide to Beach Safety
5. Turn to the last two pages headed The RNLI and read them carefully. How is this
section different from the rest of the leaflet? To help you answer that question,
complete the table and answer the question below:
The RNLI (left hand side)

The RNLI (right hand side)

A brief summary of the

contents

Is the language mainly fact or

opinion? Can you give an
example of each type?

Would you describe the

sentences as long or short?
Are they mainly complex,
compound or simple?
Can you give an example?
Which punctuation mark helps
create a conversational tone
on these two pages?
Can you give an example?
Extension: Where else in the
leaflet is this punctuation
mark used and what effect
does it have?
Which of these features of
persuasive language are
present in this part of the
leaflet?
emotive language
using you to address
the reader directly
rhetorical questions
writing in the first
person (I, we, us).
Can you give an example of
each?
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Edexcel IGCSE English Language

RNLI Your Guide to Beach Safety
6. What is the purpose of this last section of the leaflet and why do you think it has been
put at the end of the leaflet?
7. What impression is given of the RNLI in these two pages?
8. What is the connection between the aim of this section and the picture?
9. (a) Rank these three extracts from the text into order from most effective to least
effective at persuading you to give money. Can you explain your decision?
When someone is drowning in the surf seconds count so we need expert lifesavers on
the beach ready to act.
Whether were rescuing an offshore fisherman or a child swept out to sea, the RNLI
exists to save Life first.
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Acts
(b) Choose three more aspects that you feel are really important for getting people to
support the RNLI. (They can be anything you like, from an aspect of the language, a
fact, a presentational device, the slogan, something about the structure ... as long
as you can justify your choices!)
10. Think again about the original question in question 5 above:
How is this section different from the rest of the leaflet?
Make either an essay plan or mind map to answer this question or record in the form of
annotations on the text all your ideas.

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