This book is a superb all-in-one guide to success GCSE English Language and English Literature - GCSE English 2003

Different Cultures and Traditions
Section Two — Writing Literature Essays

"Different Cultures" questions aren't that different from any others. There's just some extra bits to learn.

There Are Two Big Things to Write About

There are two main types of "Different Cultures and Traditions" question:

How the poems or stories are written

Write about the same stuff as you would in any literature essay, but look out for these things too:

1) Unfamiliar words from other languages or dialects.

2) Words spelt so they sound like an accent or dialect.

3) The form of poems. It's a lot more varied in the "Different Cultures" poems than in the other ones you have to study.

The main thoughts and feelings

1) Feelings about differences between cultures come up all the time. It could be someone who's moved to a different country feeling out of place, or the contrast between rich and poor in one country.

2) A lot of the material for "Different Cultures and Traditions" is more political than anything you'll study by British writers. Look for views on equality and democracy.

Even if the question seems to ask mainly about the way things are written, DON'T ignore the thoughts and feelings. The same goes for questions about the thoughts and feelings — DON'T ignore the way it's all written. If you totally ignore one thing, and only write about the other, you won't get a C or above.

The Examiners Just Want a Bit of Understanding

For the thoughts and feelings bit you have to show 'empathy' with the writers' ideas and feelings. That doesn't mean you have to agree with what they say — it just means you have to show you understand the writers' points of view. You also have to 'explore' the ideas in the work for a higher mark. That means go into detail and be specific.

It Pays to Know About the Writers

The best revision you can do is read the Anthology. After that find out a bit about each of the writers, and note down how that links with their work. Don't just make notes. LEARN THEM.

You don't have to go on and on about this stuff in your essay. Just make sure you know it — it'll help you come up with ideas about what to say, and avoid saying anything embarrassingly wrong.

If you know the work well, you can write much better essays

You must READ the Anthology. You usually have to compare, (P. 24) so if you haven't read them, you're a bit stuck. But if you've revised properly, you could go up a whole grade.