NCEA Level 3 English flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Defensible thesis

A clear interpretative claim about a studied text that can be supported with specific evidence and is not merely a statement of fact.

Narrator versus implied author

The narrator is the voice telling a story; the implied author is the values and perspective the text constructs, which may differ from the narrator's views.

Focalisation

The perspective through which a narrative is presented, including whose knowledge, feelings, and perceptions shape what the reader is shown.

Dramatic irony

A situation where the audience knows something a character does not, creating tension, humour, or judgement about that character's actions.

Mise-en-scène

The arrangement of everything visible in a film frame, including setting, props, costume, lighting, colour, and the blocking of actors.

Diegetic sound

Sound whose source exists within the story world, such as dialogue, footsteps, or a radio playing in a character's room.

Non-diegetic sound

Sound added in post-production that the characters cannot hear, such as a musical score or voice-over commentary shaping audience response.

Audience positioning

The ways a text invites viewers to align with, judge, or distance themselves from characters through camera, sound, editing, and narrative information.

Close reading

A method of analysing how specific language choices, patterns, and structural features in a short passage create meaning and effect.

Tone versus mood

Tone is the speaker's or writer's attitude towards the subject; mood is the feeling or atmosphere the text creates in the reader.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and clauses in a sentence, including length, order, punctuation, and parallelism, which affects pace, emphasis, and tone.

Volta

A turn or shift in a poem's argument, tone, or perspective, often marked by words such as 'but' or a change in stanza structure.

Cohesion

The linguistic links that hold a text together, including pronouns, conjunctions, repetition, synonyms, and parallel structures across sentences.

Coherence

The logical and organisational clarity of a text, so that ideas progress in an order the intended audience can follow and understand.

Topic sentence

A sentence that states the controlling claim of a paragraph, often at its start, so the reader knows what the paragraph will argue.

Register

The variety of language chosen for a particular audience, purpose, and situation, ranging from formal academic prose to informal conversation.

Extemporaneous delivery

Speaking from key points or cue cards rather than reading a full script, allowing natural phrasing, eye contact, and audience responsiveness.

Rhetorical question

A question asked for persuasive effect rather than to obtain an answer, often prompting the audience to agree with the speaker's implied view.

Signposting

Explicit spoken cues such as 'first', 'however', or 'in conclusion' that show the structure and direction of an oral presentation to listeners.

Visual hierarchy

The arrangement of elements by size, colour, position, and contrast so viewers notice the most important information first.

Rule of thirds

A composition guideline that divides a frame into a three-by-three grid, with key elements placed on or near the intersecting lines.

Denotation and connotation

Denotation is the literal meaning of an image or word; connotation is the associations and implied meanings it carries for an audience.

Comparative thesis

A claim that states a significant similarity or difference between texts and explains what that comparison reveals about their themes or techniques.

Synthesis

A new understanding produced by combining analysis of two or more texts, going beyond listing similarities to make a larger claim.

Intertextuality

The ways a text refers to, echoes, or transforms another text, shaping meaning through the audience's recognition of those connections.

Critical lens

A theoretical perspective, such as feminist or postcolonial criticism, used to highlight particular features and assumptions in a literary text.

Secondary source

A critical text written about a primary text or issue, offering interpretation or analysis rather than the original creative work itself.

Ideology

A system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about the world that shapes how a text represents people, relationships, and social power.

Low-key lighting

Lighting with strong contrast and deep shadows, often used to create tension, mystery, danger, or moral ambiguity in a scene.

Montage

A sequence of short shots edited together to compress time, convey a process, or create meaning through their association.

Paralanguage

Non-verbal features of speech such as pitch, pace, volume, pauses, and stress that modify meaning and convey emotion in oral texts.

Kinesics

Body movement and gesture, including posture, facial expression, and hand movement, which communicate meaning alongside spoken language in oral texts.