Analysing Language Features

Year 11 English – Lesson Plan

Curriculum Area: English (NZ Curriculum)
Level: NCEA Level 1 (Aligned with Achievement Standards)
Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 25 students

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Learning Intention

Students will identify, analyse, and evaluate the effect of language features in written texts.

Success Criteria

• Identify key language features (e.g., simile, metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, repetition, and personification).
• Explain how these features create meaning in a text.
• Use appropriate terminology to describe language features in written responses.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity – ‘Describing the Scene’ (10 minutes)

Objective: Engage students in thinking about language features through a creative warm-up.

• Display an image of a dramatic New Zealand landscape (e.g., Milford Sound in the rain, the volcanic terrain of Tongariro, or a storm crashing against a rugged coastline).
• Ask students to take two minutes to write short descriptions of the scene using their own words.
• In pairs, share descriptions and underline any words or phrases that are particularly vivid or striking.
• Discuss as a class:
  • “What makes a description effective?”
  • “Did anyone naturally use figurative language?”

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2. Explicit Teaching – Language Features (10 minutes)

Objective: Introduce and define key language features that will be analysed in the lesson.

• Write these language features on the board:
  • Simile – A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
  • Metaphor – A direct comparison, saying something is something else.
  • Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human things.
  • Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds.
  • Onomatopoeia – Words that imitate sound.
  • Hyperbole – Exaggeration for effect.
  • Repetition – The deliberate use of repeated words/phrases for emphasis.
• Give brief, engaging examples for each. Encourage students to come up with their own examples.

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3. Group Activity – 'Hunting for Features' (15 minutes)

Objective: Identify and analyse language features in a provided text.

• Hand out a worksheet containing a short New Zealand-themed text (e.g., an extract from Witi Ihimaera’s Pounamu Pounamu or Patricia Grace’s The Sky People).
• In small groups of 3-4, students:
  • Identify at least three different language features in the passage.
  • Underline them and annotate how they add meaning.
  • Choose one to explain in detail, considering its effect on tone and imagery.
• Share findings with the class.

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4. Independent Task – ‘Rewrite with Style’ (10 minutes)

Objective: Apply knowledge of language features in students' own writing.

• Students rewrite their initial scene description (from the starter activity), deliberately incorporating at least three different language features.
• Encourage creativity – they should aim to make their writing vivid and engaging.

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5. Exit Reflection – ‘Think-Pair-Share’ (5 minutes)

Objective: Reinforce learning and encourage reflection.

• Think: What was the most powerful language feature you used in your writing? Why?
• Pair: Discuss with a partner.
• Share: A few students share their sentences with the class.

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Worksheet

Task 1: Identifying Language Features

1. Read the passage below. Underline and annotate three language features.
2. Explain how one feature enhances the mood or meaning of the passage.

"The wind howled like a lonely wolf across the cliffs, its sharp fingers clawing at the pōhutukawa trees. Waves crashed with relentless fury, drumming against the rocks in a never-ending battle. Lightning carved the sky, a jagged scar in the darkness."

Task 2: Applying Language Features

Rewrite your own scene description from the starter activity, making sure to use at least three different language features.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative: Teacher circulates during group work to assess student understanding.
• Summative: Evaluate rewritten descriptions for correct identification and use of language features.

Extension & Homework

• Research and find examples of language features in a favourite song, poem, or book and explain how they enhance meaning.
• Students peer-review and give feedback on each other’s rewritten descriptions.

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Teacher’s Reflection (Post-Lesson Notes)

✔ What worked well?
✔ Where did students struggle?
✔ How will I adjust the next lesson based on student responses?

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Why This Stands Out

• Specific to NZ education standards – Uses explicit language feature teaching aligned with NCEA Level 1.
• Culturally relevant – Includes New Zealand landscapes and literary extracts from local authors.
• Engaging structure – Balances explicit teaching with creative and analytical tasks.
• Student-centred – Opportunities for collaboration, independent work, and reflection.

This lesson ensures students not only identify language features but also analyse their effect and use them in their own writing. 🚀