Stage 2 English Pathways
Assessment Type 3: Language Study
Student Response 7
Context: Basketball
Focus: The language used on the court and off the court throughout a basketball game.
Language is the way people communicate, be it in writing or spoken. This can be under taken by the use of words, expression even it symbols, or gestures.
For my language study the place that I have chosen in this study is the basketball club I belong to. I am very involved with the club. I started playing basketball at the age of 5. I joined the North Adelaide Basketball Club six or seven years ago. My aim in this study is to look at the different uses of language on and off the basketball court, during games and training sessions.
The North Adelaide Rockets Basketball Club is a District Basketball Club. This means basketball clubs from around Adelaide are organised to play against each other based on age group and skill level, also known as "Division". The District Competition is a very serious type of basketball where everyone takes the game very seriously and wants to win. I have noticed a great deal of variety in the types of language used on and off the court, throughout my years of playing basketball at this club. When I was younger and just starting out, to playing in social teams, school teams and the more competitive district teams, I have been aware the communication used by these different coaches and players. I have noticed that throughout my basketball career it has been very different, depending on the situation.
I play for North Adelaide Rockets "under 23's" on Tuesday nights. My team also trains every Sunday and we join in with some older teams which is good for developing our experience. At these training sessions the coaches from the other teams and all the players of these teams attend. The language used at training sessions is different to the language used at a game. I have noticed that if we have lost a game on the Tuesday night the training session the following Sunday can be very hard, intense, and aggressive training. On the other hand if we happened to win a Tuesday night game then the training session on the following Sunday has been much more relaxed, fun and relatively easygoing. Whilst I have highlighted the different types of training sessions we can have, as part of this, there is also a big language difference between the two types of training sessions used by both the players and coaches. At the more aggressive training sessions the coaches speak in a raised aggressive tone, using downgrading comments. Their stance and nonverbal communication appears stressed, anxious and angry. This situation makes our usual training drills feel like a punishment. Fellow players also feel disappointed, displeased with themselves, and can be aggressive to team mates if they feel they are to blame for the loss. In the main I have noticed that the players usually talk to each other with a great deal of team spirit at these training sessions as they do support each other and we all take the game very seriously. We also understand that coaches can use many different techniques of language to get us to perform come game time.
After we win a game by a lot or play very well our trainings are very easy going. The drills that we run are more fun and not as intense on our bodies. The language used is completely different to our bad performance games trainings. At the easy going trainings the coaches joke around a lot more and appear a great deal more relaxed and enjoying the time spent with us.
I understand the methods used by both players and coaches for the situations presented and on a personal level, do not mind which form of training session I attend as they are designed to stem performance in the individual player and develop the team spirit.
The training sessions involve a large group of young men of all different ages, different backgrounds and different skills levels and I have noticed the type of humour used in this instance is very different to what I expected. It appeared that the interaction between the coaches and the players was a form of harassment as they would all pick on each other. I felt it was very odd and weird at first, but I have got use to this and now consider it funny. The players and coaches may well appear to harass each other, but when you consider the team spirit, the desire to win, and the overall respect we all have for each other this 'harassment' is merely humour.
My position on the court is point guard. It is my role to bring the ball up the court towards our sides scoring ring. I have to choose the plays we run in our set offences, being our form of attack so we can score the points. The language I use towards the players on my team has to be very loud, clear and direct. Also in this position the coach needs to convey to me the importance of my game plan as I am responsible for what happens when we have the chance to shoot for points. The coach, to convey what I need to do will specifically direct me, in a very clear and loud manner as it is important that I follow his instructions. The tone used is almost abusive as he screams out to me even whilst I am out on the court.
My fellow team mates and I can use a lot of different language towards each other through out the game depending on how the game is going. When my team is losing or playing bad and making some terrible mistakes we often express our negative feeling towards each other with put downs. I will always try not to do this as it destroys the positive team spirit and makes the players feel bad. A couple players in the team will nag each other after a bad play saying things like 'What was that?' or 'Are you serious?' I feel that these put downs can be detrimental to a game. I always keep away from saying things like that no matter what has happened. It is important to keep the team strong, support everyone in the team. I feel the more positive you feel about yourself the better you can perform.
Any positive, supporting forms of language used on the basketball court helps to keep the team focused and playing well. It is a good feeling when you are out on the court, trying your best and the spectators and coach offer many varied forms of encouragement from the sidelines, such as 'well done'; 'good work'; 'nice shot'; 'great defence', 'great pass'; and the list can go on. I know this makes my team feel better and more positive and this feeling transfers to how we play the game, making us play better.
During the game on the court our team will high five each other or pat each other on the back after something good is done on the court or even if the player did not do so well but they tried as we aim for awarding encouragement the whole time throughout the game.
Some games can get extremely loud, especially when it is a very close game, as the spectators will become very involved in encouraging the players on the court. Generally when a side scores their supporters use body language and cheer for them by clapping and sometimes screaming out things. On the other hand this can also work in the reverse by upsetting the team that is not doing as well. For example if my team was to lose the ball or get the shot blocked, the opposition teams supporters would cheer from the sidelines and this is very negative language that can work indirectly against us. Often the spectators can get very fired up, becoming abusive and yelling using bad terms and language. This mainly happens when there is something not called by the referees or if the players on the court start to play rough.
In games there is always strong rivalry with your opponents. Before the game commences everyone is friendly to each other and will shake hands before ball up, but once the ball is in play that is all forgotten. Sometimes the opposition will get angry and in an effort to win anyway they can they will start to play dirty, secretly hitting or tripping you, or 'trash talk', such as 'Don't miss!' when a player is about to shoot, to try put the other teams players off their game. The secret is not to fight back, ignore the body language and verbal comments from the opposition and carry on playing because any form of retaliation on our part gets us nowhere in the game.
Throughout the game the opposition is your enemy as you want your team to win. A lot of bad language and fiery tempers can be used on the court. After certain incidents or bad decisions, the players that chose to fight back verbally or physically, get sent off the court with a poor sportsmanship foul or a technical foul. Once the siren sounds and the game is over the opposition are no longer your enemy and we all line up to shake hands and carry on as if nothing had happened.
The referees and officials play a major part in our game. They decide everything that is called and run the game. Sometimes you can come across very one sided referees that decide to favour a team. The language used with the referee has to be very formal and polite as they tend to turn against you if you appear to treat them with disrespect. In my team there are two players that have the need to answer back to the referees after a decision has been made. This then turns the officials against our team and we end up with some very unreasonable and unfair calls which can result in us losing the game.
When you consider the variety of language that can be used in the game of basketball it is a very unique situation. The overall outcome from the use of negative, abusive or bad language styles can result in your team losing. Overall, and even though it is hard to maintain, I prefer to choose to play it cool and calm and be a good sportsman.
STUDENT RESPONSE 7
Performance Standards for Stage 2English Pathways
Knowledge and Understanding / Analysis / Application / CommunicationA / Detailed knowledge and understanding of the ideas, values, and beliefs in familiar and unfamiliar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the creators and readers of familiar and unfamiliar texts use a range of language techniques to make meaning.
Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the ways in which familiar and unfamiliar texts are composed for a range of purposes and audiences. / Detailed analysis of complex connections between personal experiences, ideas, values, and beliefs, and those explored in familiar and unfamiliar texts.
Perceptive analysis of a range of ways in which authors use language techniques to influence opinions and decisions in familiar and unfamiliar texts.
Perceptive analysis of aspects of familiar and unfamiliar cultural, social, and technical roles of language that support effective interactions in different contexts. / Use of a comprehensive range of language skills to interact effectively in different contexts, and to analyse and solve simple and complex problems.
Location, recording, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge relevant to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
Sophisticated skills in reproducing the structural, conventional, and textual features of text types for a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts, audiences, and purposes. / Fluent and precise writing and speaking, using an appropriate style and structure for a range of mainly unfamiliar audiences and contexts.
Appropriate use of language to convey mostly complex meaning in a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
B / Sound knowledge and understanding of some ideas, values, and beliefs in familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts.
Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the creators and readers of mainly familiar texts use some language techniques to make meaning.
Sound knowledge and understanding of the ways in which mainly familiar texts are composed for some purposes and audiences. / Analysis of some complex connections between personal experiences, ideas, values, and beliefs, and those explored in familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts.
Well-considered analysis of a range of ways in which authors use language techniques to influence opinions and decisions in familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts.
Well-considered analysis of aspects of mainly familiar, and some unfamiliar, cultural, social, or technical roles of language that support effective interactions in different contexts. / Use of a sound range of language skills to interact effectively in different contexts, and to solve simple and complex problems.
Location, recording, analysis, and occasional synthesis of knowledge relevant to mostly familiar contexts.
Sound skills in reproducing some of the structural, conventional, and textual features of text types for a range of mainly familiar, and some unfamiliar, contexts, audiences, and purposes. / Mostly fluent and precise writing and speaking, using an appropriate style and structure for a range of mostly familiar audiences and contexts.
Appropriate use of language to convey complex and simple meaning in a range of familiar, and some unfamiliar, contexts.
C / Knowledge and understanding of some ideas, values, or beliefs in familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the creators and readers of a narrow range of familiar texts use some language techniques to make meaning.
Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which familiar texts are composed for familiar purposes and audiences. / Competent analysis of simple connections between personal experiences, ideas, values, or beliefs, and those explored in familiar texts.
Descriptive analysis of a number of ways in which authors use language techniques to influence opinions and decisions in familiar texts.
Competent analysis of some aspects of mainly familiar cultural, social, or technical roles of language that support effective interactions in different contexts. / Use of competent language skills to interact effectively in different contexts, and to solve routine problems in familiar contexts.
Location, recording, and occasional analysis of knowledge relevant to a familiar context.
Skills in reproducing some of the structural, conventional, and textual features of some text types for familiar contexts, audiences, and purposes. / Generally clear and accurate writing and speaking, using an appropriate style and structure for familiar audiences and contexts.
Appropriate use of language to convey simple meaning in a narrow range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
D / Identification of some simple ideas, values, or beliefs in some familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the creators and readers of a narrow range of familiar texts use a restricted range of language techniques to make simple or factual meaning.
Knowledge of the ways in which familiar texts are composed for personally relevant purposes and familiar audiences. / Reference to simple connections between uncomplicated personal experiences, ideas, values, or beliefs, and those explored in familiar texts.
Reference to some ways in which authors use language techniques to influence opinions and decisions in familiar texts.
Reference to some simple aspects of familiar cultural, social, or technical roles of language that support effective interactions in one or more contexts. / Use of a restricted range of language skills to interact in familiar contexts, and to solve simple problems.
Location and recording of factual knowledge relevant to a familiar context.
Limited skills in reproducing some of the structural, conventional, or textual features of a text type for a familiar context, audience, or purpose. / A level of fluency in writing and speaking in personally relevant situations, using an appropriate style and structure for a narrow range of familiar audiences and contexts.
Occasionally appropriate use of language to convey simple meaning in familiar contexts.
E / Identification of a simple idea, value, or belief in a familiar text.
Some knowledge and emerging understanding of the way in which a creator or reader of a highly familiar text uses a language technique to make factual meaning.
Some knowledge of the ways in which highly familiar texts are composed for personally relevant purposes and highly familiar audiences. / Recognition of a simple connection between a straightforward personal experience, idea, value, or belief, and that explored in a highly familiar text.
Reference to the way in which an author uses language techniques to influence opinions and decisions in a highly familiar text.
Recognition of some simple aspects of highly familiar cultural, social, or technical roles of language that support effective interactions in one or more contexts. / Use of a restricted range of language skills to interact in highly familiar contexts, and to solve simple problems.
Location or recording of factual knowledge relevant to a highly familiar context.
Restricted skills in reproducing a limited number of structural, conventional, or textual features of a text type for a highly familiar context, audience, or purpose. / Emerging development of fluency in writing and speaking in personally relevant situations, using an appropriate style and structure for a narrow range of highly familiar audiences and contexts.
Occasionally appropriate use of language to convey literal meaning in highly familiar contexts.
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