Task 1: Chavs

In this section of the study guide, we will focus on Task 1. You are asked to read two texts about chavs and discuss how they differ in terms of language features.

In what follows, we will make a presentation of each text, and we will outline some points relevant to language features.

Text 1

Text 1 is a narrative that focuses on the description of Chavs. According to the narrator, Chavs are most probably young people of low class, whose behaviour and language are in accordance with their scruffy appearance.

We do not know who the narrator is, but we can assume she is a girl, as she associates herself with a “schoolmarm”, i.e. a severe schoolteacher in a small town or village. She describes how, on a grey day, all she wants is a coffee from Starbucks. However, in front of the shop, she has a small conflict with two Chavs, two girls called Mindy and Maude.

Here are a few language features worth mentioning when discussing the text:

Adjectives

The narrator makes use of adjectives to create a gloo...