Young and dyslexic? You've got it going on (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)
Revision Note
Young and dyslexic? You’ve got it going on Analysis
Students studying the Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Language A qualification must study all ten of the non-fiction texts in Part 1 of the IGCSE Edexcel 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 Young and dyslexic? You’ve got it going on by Benjamin Zephaniah contains:
Young and dyslexic overview
Young and dyslexic summary
Themes, ideas and perspectives in Young and dyslexic
How does Zephaniah present his ideas and perspectives?
Young and dyslexic overview
Benjamin Zephaniah was a British writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing. He was born in Birmingham and was of Jamaican heritage. This particular passage is an autobiographical article, published in the Guardian newspaper online in 2015, about how Zephaniah’s childhood was affected by dyslexia and how it helped shape his identity.
Young and dyslexic summary
The article is written from a first-person perspective. Zephaniah reflects on the challenges he faced as a child with ignorance and stereotyping, but also how he learned to turn dyslexia to his advantage. He then reflects on his challenging time in — and out of — schools and his eye-opening stint in a borstal. He also reflects on the stark fact that how dyslexic people are overrepresented in both prisons, but also, more hopefully, in the architect population. He considers what set him apart to be opportunities that he noticed or took, as well as a refusal to buy into the labels given to him. He remembers dictating his first book of poems to his girlfriend who wrote them down for him.
Zephaniah didn’t learn to read or write properly until he was in his early 20s, when he also found out that he was dyslexic. He describes how he adapts his writing to accommodate his dyslexia, and if people are not willing to make accommodations for him, then this is their problem, not his. He then addresses a dyslexic audience directly, and those who support those who are dyslexic, persuading them that differences like this can be used to your advantage.
Themes, ideas and perspectives in Young and dyslexic
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, via language features and other writer’s methods, with the unseen text.
What are the key themes in Young and dyslexic?
Theme | Analysis |
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Challenging stereotypes |
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Dyslexia |
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How does Zephaniah present his ideas and perspectives?
Benjamin Zephaniah uses a variety of language and structural techniques, including sentence structure, to present his ideas and perspectives.
Technique | Analysis |
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Title |
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Inclusive pronouns |
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Anecdotes |
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Intertextuality |
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Rule of three |
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Imperatives |
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Parallel sentences and repetition |
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Direct address and quotations |
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Humour |
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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 International GCSE English Language Anthology texts here:
Explorers or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill |
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