Young and dyslexic? You've got it going on (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)

Revision Note

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

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
Challenging stereotypes	Zephaniah discusses a range of stereotypes in this article, and how damaging they can be: For example, he remembers a teacher talking about Africa and the “local savages”, stereotyping all (black) Africans as primitive and uneducated He was also stereotyped as unintelligent but probably a good sportsperson, an example of racism Zephaniah challenges the assumption of his lack of intelligence through his achievements in life and by the very act of writing this article
Challenging stereotypes	Zephaniah began challenging stereotypes from a young age: He challenged the teacher who called Africans “local savages”, even though he got into trouble He challenged the idea that professors should be more educated than their students by accepting a job at Brunel University He challenges the idea that dyslexia is somehow a measure of a person’s intelligence, and that it can limit people
Dyslexia	The article explores the lack of awareness in the education system about dyslexia when Zephaniah was growing up: “As a child I suffered…” When he was at school, “teachers didn’t know what dyslexia was”
	The writer argues that having dyslexia can be an advantage, as dyslexic people see the world more creatively: “We are the architects. We are the designers.”
	He reveals that reading and writing were, and still are, hard work for him: “Still now…” “When I look at a book, the first thing I see is the size of it”
	Zephaniah argues that people who are ignorant to differences such as dyslexia are the problem, not the people who are dyslexic: “In many ways being dyslexic is a natural way to be” He suggests that the way we read and write are actually unnatural, so if someone finds these things difficult, then they should not be hard on themselves He embraces young people who are proud to be dyslexic as he “didn’t have that as a child”

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
Title	The title directly addresses Zephaniah’s target audience of children and young adults The colloquialism “you’ve got it going on” conveys his message that young dyslexic people have the ability to be successful
Inclusive pronouns	Zephaniah uses “us” and “we” to establish a sense of unity and collective belonging It establishes that people with dyslexia are not the ones with a problem
Anecdotes	The personal anecdotes Zephaniah uses to illustrate his points range from childhood to early adulthood to the present day This gives the writer authenticity and reliability
Intertextuality	The metaphor “the past is a different kind of country” is a reference to a 1953 novel The Go-Between, in which L.P. Hartley wrote, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there” This demonstrates the writer’s education, challenging the stereotype that dyslexic people are unintelligent or uneducated
Rule of three	Rule of three, or triads, are used to highlight the failings of the education system: For example, “no compassion, no understanding and no humanity” The writer also uses this technique to emphasise the qualities he believes set people apart, such as “passion, creativity, individuality”
Imperatives	The writer urges his readers using imperatives such as “don’t be heavy on yourself” and “don’t think of it as a defect” This emphatically emphasises his message that having dyslexia is not something to worry about
Parallel sentences and repetition	Zephaniah uses two short sentences at the start of the article, which he repeats at the end: “We are the architects, we are the designers” He also repeats the term “creative” throughout the article to reinforce the strengths of those with dyslexia
Direct address and quotations	Zephaniah directly addresses his audience using “you” and talking to both dyslexic young people and their parents He separates “us” and “you” from “them” and “their”, with the positive message being on the readers’ side, implying that the “others” are wrong He quotes himself and others, such as the teacher who told him to “shut up, stupid boy” to reflect the power of the spoken word, both to damage but also as a tool to empower and foster self-belief
Humour	Zephaniah uses humour and a light-hearted tone: When he found out he was dyslexic he asked “do I need an operation?” He returns to this tone at the end of the article with the rhetorical question “Bloody non-dyslexics… who do they think they are?” This helps foster a sense of optimism and hope in the reader