Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan Analysis
Students studying the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A qualification must study all ten of the non-fiction texts in Part 1 of the Edexcel IGCSE English Language Anthology in preparation for Paper 1. You will be given one of the ten texts in your exam, along with another unseen text, which are thematically linked. Section A, Question 4 will specifically be about the anthology text, and Question 5 will ask you to compare the anthology text with the unseen text.
The following guide to Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan by Jamie Zeppa contains:
Beyond the Sky and the Earth overview
Beyond the Sky and the Earth summary
Themes, ideas and perspectives in Beyond the Sky and the Earth
How does Zeppa present her ideas and perspectives?
Beyond the Sky and the Earth overview
Jamie Zeppa is a Canadian writer who worked in Bhutan teaching English in her early 20s. She wrote an essay about her first month in the country, which developed into the book Beyond the Sky and the Earth about the first three years she spent there. The book’s title is derived from a Bhutanese expression of thankfulness.
Beyond the Sky and the Earth summary
The passage for Zeppa’s memoir begins with a description of the landscape of Bhutan and the writer’s first night in Thimphu, the capital. She goes on to describe her first morning and her new colleagues: two other Canadians who had also signed up for teaching in Bhutan for two years. Zeppa reveals that she is feeling apprehensive about the country, and describes the town in detail as they walk down the main road with Gordon, their field director. Gordon gives the trio some background information on the tour, and Zeppa observes the local people. She then attends a week-long orientation course with 12 other new teachers, learning about the history of the country, which she discovers an admiration for.
Themes, ideas and perspectives in Beyond the Sky and the Earth
Paper 1, Question 4 will ask you to explore how the writer has used language and structure to present a theme or idea within their text. Paper 1, Question 5 will ask you to compare how the writer presents their ideas and perspectives with the unseen text.
What are the key themes in Beyond the Sky and the Earth?
Theme | Analysis |
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Exploration of new countries and cultures |
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Cultural differences |
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How does Zeppa present her ideas and perspectives?
Zeppa uses a variety of language and structural techniques to present her ideas and perspectives.
Technique | Analysis |
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Title |
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First-person perspective |
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Long paragraphs and factual information |
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Imagery |
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Repetition |
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Plosives |
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Negative adjectives |
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Juxtaposition |
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Lexis |
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For more guidance on how to get top marks in your exam, check out our comprehensive revision notes on Paper 1, Question 4:
Question 4 Skills: Language and Structure Analysis
And see our guides for the other IGCSE English Language Anthology texts here:
Explorers or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill |
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