Analysing language and its effects (Bao Ninh's "The Sorrow of War")

This resource consists of anonymised quotations from real sixth-form student essays about Bao Ninh’s language use in the opening pages of “The Sorrow of War”. By asking students to identify what is good about them and what could be improved, it is possible to not only develop their justifications/opinions of these aspects of the novel itself, but also to allow students to critique the quality of the analysis. This helps to develop metacognitive and essay-writing skills as well as knowledge of the text. As such, it can be used with students who have no experience of the novel, as well as with students who are studying the novel directly. It would make a great starter/plenary activity, especially in the context of revision of the novel or essay-writing classes.