| Learning Outcomes |
| · Reading and/or viewing strategies appropriate to the purposes for reading/viewing are adopted.
· Organisational features of texts are identified. The role of each of the features is explained about usefulness in making meaning of readings and/or viewing. · Synthesis of information from texts, and generalization of patterns and trends, result in appropriate conclusions about purpose, audience, and context.
|
1. ANALYSING TEXTS
1.1 Reading and viewing strategies
1.1.1 Skimming
Skimming is used to quickly identify the main ideas of a text and is done three to four times faster than normal reading. Skimming can be used when:-
- You have a limited amount of time and a lot of material to get through
- You want to see if something may be of interest
- You just need to get the main ideas
- You want to find specific information such as names, dates, and places.
- You want to review tables, graphs, and charts.
Some skimming techniques include:-
- Read the first sentence of each paragraph
- Read the first and last paragraphs
- Read the headings and subheadings
- Look at the illustrations and graphics
- Shift your eyes through the text quickly, focusing more on the relevant areas, words, and sentences.
You may use one technique at a time or you may need to use a combination of the techniques.
1.1.2 Scanning
Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down a page to find specific information. Scanning can be used when:-
- You know what you are looking for
- You are searching for keywords or ideas.
- You want to find a specific word or phrase
- You want to find a resource that will answer a question
Some scanning techniques include:-
- Look for boldfaced words or italics words
- Look for words written a different font size, style, or color.
- Look at the organizers such as lettering, numbering, or steps
- Look for the relevant keywords
You may use one technique at a time or you may need to use a combination of the techniques.
1.1.3 Prediction
Predicting involves previewing the text to anticipate what will happen next. Practicing a prediction reading strategy will help the reader:-
- To keep their mind actively focused on the meaning of the text
- To keep motivated and maintain a purpose for reading the text
Some techniques one can use to predict include:-
- Look at the front cover
- Look at illustrations, captions, graphs, and charts
- Look at the headings and sub-headings
- Use your prior knowledge of the theme, characters,, or setting
- Ask yourself the question: “Based on what I have seen and what I know, what do I think I will learn?”
- Ask yourself the question: “Based on what I know about this character, what do I think he/she will do next?”
- Ask yourself the question: “Based on what I know about the situation in this story and other stories like it, what do I think will happen next?”
- Ask yourself the question: “Based on what I know about the subject, what do I think will happen next?”
- Ask yourself the question: “Based on what I know about the author, what do I think he/she will write next?”
- Revise, abandon and create new predictions as you read
When using a prediction strategy, the reader is also using the following thinking processes which help analyze texts:-
- Filling in the gaps
- Making connections (to other areas of the text itself and external factors)
- Using prior knowledge
- Inferring from the text (reaching your own opinions and conclusions)
- Thinking laterally
1.1.4 Form and features of text types
When employing a reading strategy, it is important to be aware of what type of text you are looking at.
| Form of text type | Features of text type |
| Narrative
Examples include Plays; fairytales; myths; stories; cartoons |
· Descriptive language
· Dialogue · Usually written in the past tense · Defined characters |
| Information report
Examples include Any organized and presented information |
· Impersonal objective language
· Paragraphs with topic sentences · Timeless present tense · Technical terms
|
| Procedure
Examples include Recipes; instructions; rules
|
· Linking words
· Use of precise vocabulary · Timeless tense · Use of action words (verbs) |
| Recount
Examples include Diaries; the news |
· Words to do with time such as “after”, “before”
· Simple past tense · Nouns that identify people, things,, and animals · Use of action words (verbs) |
1.1.5 Different genre
Different texts may be classified according to different genres. Categorizing a text by style, form or content will give you the genre.
Fiction genres are classified according to their content and include mystery, horror, science fiction, fantasy,, and romance. Different types of texts can be classified by their form into genres such as poems, diaries, letters, biographies, journals,, and essays. These texts can be further classified by their style into genres such as a basic essay and a five-paragraph essay
Use the strategies of skimming, scanning,,, and prediction to help determine which genre you are working with.
1.2. Organisational features of text
The content of a text can be organized in a variety of ways. A story can be organized into chapters, an essay can be organized into an introduction, paragraphing,,,, and conclusions and a business report can have tables, graphics,,,, and summaries. The writer will choose organizing features that suit the purpose and the need.
1.3 Purpose, audience,,,, and context
When critically analyzing text, one can make conclusions about the purpose, audience,,,, and context.
1.3.1 Purpose
To determine the author’s purpose, ask yourself the question “What is the author trying to accomplish?” An author’s purpose can include the following:-
- To entertain
- To inform
- To educate
- To explain
- To persuade
The purpose of a text can influence the interpretation of the text.
1.3.2 Audience
To determine the author’s intended audience, ask you, “m is the author writing?” Types of audiences in terms of variety, category,,,, and scope can be quite broad. Audience types may be categorized by the following:-
- Age
- Demographics
- Gender
- Beliefs
- Level of formality (informal/ formal)
- Economic status
- Societal roles
- Workplace roles
The audience may further be categorized by the level of information they have on the subject:
- The general reader reads for entertainment or to broaden their knowledge of a topic
- The layperson has no special expertise in the topic but reads the text out of human interest
- The managerial person may or may not have special expertise on the topic, but they are required to decide on the topic
- The experts are the theorists, practitioners,,,,,,, or specialists on a topic and will demand a high level of content in the text.
1.3.3 Context
The broader literal, social, workplace,,,,,,, or cultural environment to which a text is related and which affects its readers/ viewers is called the context of the text.
1.3.4 Make appropriate conclusions about Purpose, Audience,,,,,,, and Context
Two methods one can use to draw appropriate conclusions about the purpose, audience,,,,,,, and context of a text include:
- Synthesizing the information from the text (putting together the elements of the text to conclude)
- Looking at the patterns and the trends in a text
Trends and patterns can be picked up in the following:-
-The type of language used
-The tone employed
-The way the information is arranged
– Repetition
– Layout
– Themes
– Concepts and ideas
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