Form and Structure

English mark schemes make the distinction between the analysis of language, structure and form. These are helpful categories, and clearly serve a useful function in explaining to students the different approaches we can take when approaching language and literature.

Yet are they as watertight as they appear?

I had an interesting moment with a student yesterday where we were analysing the mise en page of a particular poem. He paused, then wondered whether he was analysing the 'form' of the poem (the focus of our lesson), or whether he had slipped into an analysis of structure.

I find analysis of semantic fields much the same. On the one hand, we are analysing language in the sense we are analysing word choice. On the other hand, we are analysing structure in the sense we are analysing the relationships between these words.

All of this led to a really interesting meta-cognitive discussion regarding what we actually mean when we talk about 'structure' and 'form'. Naturally, none of this would directly benefit his GCSE grade, but that was besides the point.

Seeing the bigger picture, I love when lessons throw up these wider questions regarding what the study of English actually is.