Eleven Plus Jargon Friday 28/11/08

It seems likely that much of the current `on line’ Eleven Plus materials have been developed by teachers. These authors will have attempted to produce materials that are relevant to the children they are teaching. The internet allows the teachers to become `instant’ publishers. Parents then have a choice of deciding what is relevant to the needs of their children.

In the early days of the Eleven Plus there must have been far fewer published materials for children, parents and teachers to work through. It must have easier for parents to look at a limited collection of Eleven Plus materials – and select the one that they thought would best suit their needs. When a mother or a father walks into a large book shop today, in one of the Eleven Plus areas, then he or she will be faced by an extraordinary selection of books and materials.

Determining what to buy will be aided by a variety of factors including price, availability and recommendation.

Mum and dad will need to develop a new Eleven Plus jargon or argot.

The term argot is used to describe the secret language used by French beggars and criminals during the seventeenth century. At times some parents must feel that they are falling into a secret Eleven Plus minefield. Some parents will happily pass on the name of the favoured tutor. Other parents, recognising the competitive nature of the examination, will only utter guarded responses to direct questions like: “Who do you send your son to?” (To whom do you send your son?)

Jargon, however, is often used as a label for a vocabulary peculiar to a field. Thus when a group of mothers discuss the eleven plus, they could, at times, communicate with each other in ways that would be utterly confusing to the uninitiated.

Cyberspace, forums, the internet, Face Book and Twitter all allow rich opportunities for parents to employ secret messaging. Some jargon could be deliberate and implicit – while others less implied.

This blog, therefore, given me the ability to develop a new eleven plus word. Perhaps one day the word will find its way into an online dictionary.

The `Elevenpluser’. An `Elevenpluser’ is a parent on the eleven plus journey. Confused at times, focused on success and willing to do almost anything to win a place in a grammar school. I have added the word `Elevenpluser’ to my dictionary. I hope it become part of your eleven plus jargon.