Quarter 1 – Module 4:

Contextual Literary Reading

Approaches
Development Team of the Module

Writer: Alvin R. Lim

Editor: Redemption C. Guinto
Reviewer: Rolylyn H. Dado
Illustrator: Ralph Berly A. Pineda
Layout Artist: Ralph Berly A. Pineda
Management Team: SDS Zenia G. Mostoles, EdD, CESO V
ASDS Leonardo C. Canlas, EdD, CESE
ASDS Rowena T. Quiambao, CESE
CID Chief, Celia R. Lacanlale, PhD
SGOD Chief, Arceli S. Lopez, PhD
June D. Cunanan, EPS-I, English
Ruby M. Jimenez, EPS-I, LRMDS

Published by: Department of Education, Schools Division of Pampanga

Office Address: High School Boulevard, Brgy. Lourdes, City of San Fernando, Pampanga

Telephone No: (045) 435-2728

E-mail Address: [email protected]

 Introductory Message

Welcome to the 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Alternative
Delivery Mode (ADM) Module Contextual Literary Reading Approaches.
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators from public
institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set
by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints
in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent learning
activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help learners acquire the
needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of the module:
As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You also
need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage their own learning.
Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included
in the module.

Welcome to the 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Alternative
Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Contextual Literary Reading Approaches
Remember that a text is not created in a vacuum. Every piece of writing comes from a particular
time, place, and author. In analyzing a specific literary work, we must also pay attention on
some important aspects – life of the author, the language use, and the societal and cultural
setting of the piece.
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for guided
and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to process the
contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
 This module will assist you in encouraging the learners to realize how different contexts
enhance the text’s meaning and enrich their understanding as readers.
Please help the learners in sharing their ideas and knowledge from their experiences so that
there will be collaboration and learning will be easy.
Answers are written at the back of this module. Inculcate to the learners the value of honesty
while answering this module.

There are various ways and means in reading and comprehending a literary piece. A good
reader is interested in fully understanding a text - both their own impressions and the author's
intentions.

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Define context and contextual analysis in reading and interpreting literature.
2. Identify the key features of each of the contextual reading approaches.
3. Compare and contrast the three (3) contextual approaches literary reading.
4. Cite the importance of contextual analysis in enhancing the text’s meaning and
enriching the reader’s understanding.
5. Read and evaluate literary works using the contextual approaches –
biographical, linguistic, and sociocultural contexts.

Match Column A to Column B by identifying the term/concept being described in each

item. Write the letter of the best answer on your notebook
Column A Column B
a. A discourse that surrounds a language unit.
_____1. Context b. An analysis of a text that helps us to assess that text
_____2. Contextual analysis within the context.
_____3. Textuality c. It places a particular literary work within the context
of the author’s life.
_____4. Biographical Context d. The background of the text.
_____5. Linguistics e. The qualities that characterize the text
_____6. Linguistic Context f. The scientific study of language
g. A literary genre that portrays the experiences of all
_____7. Sociocultural Context these events occurring in the life of a person.
_____8. Diction h. It becomes evident when literary works respond in
_____9. Authorial some way to the society in which they were written.
i. It refers to the choice of words
_____10.Biography j. The other term for biographical context.
 Texts are not created in a vacuum. Every piece of writing comes from a particular
time, place, and author. Every piece of writing exhibits, at least in part, the language and
form of its day. Every piece of writing is approached by readers with their own set of
experiences and beliefs. Together, these aspects form a text's context.

Context is the background of the text which may have been influenced by the
author’s life, language, society and culture.

Moreover, a contextual analysis is simply an analysis of a text (in whatever medium,

including multi-media) that helps us to assess that text within the context of its historical
and cultural setting, but also in terms of its textuality – or the qualities that characterize the
text as a text. A contextual analysis combines features of formal analysis with features of
“cultural archeology,” or the systematic study of social, political, economic, philosophical,
religious, and aesthetic conditions that were (or can be assumed to have been) in place at
the time and place when the text was created. While this may sound complicated, it is in
reality deceptively simple: it means “situating” the text within the milieu of its times and
assessing the roles of author, readers (intended and actual), and “commentators” (critics,
both professional and otherwise) in the reception of the text (Behrendt, 2008).

Identify what term is being described or referred in each item. Choose the best answer
from the pool of options given. Write your answer on your notebook.
Aswang Ibong Adarna
Cenaculo Legends
Corrido Oral tradition
Epics Salawikain
Harana Tanaga

____________1. A mono-rhyming heptasyllabic quatrain expressing insights and

lessons.
____________2. A story explaining how things and other phenomena came to be.
____________3. This is the basis of literary genres back then.
____________4. An example topic of fantastic stories.
____________5. These are witty sayings using metaphors which aimed at teaching
virtues.
 ____________6. A folk songs used to serenade a lady love.
____________7. Early forms of drama during Spanish Colonial Period
____________8. A notable corrido about a mythical bird with healing powers and three
brothers’ quest
____________9. A folktale of narrative revolving around supernatural events of a hero.
____________10. This drama is the reenactment of life and sufferings of Christ.

Activity 1
Here we go! Let’s play the phenomenal “4 Pics 1 Word”! Use the images for each set
of jumbled letters to decipher the hidden word. Write your answer on your notebook.

Discussion of Activity 1
The previous activity leads you to the keywords: (1) life, (2) language, and (3) culture.
These terms will be the central idea of each of the three literary contexts, namely: biographical,
linguistic, and socio-cultural context.
Biographical Context
Another term for this is authorial context. To say that authors write from their own
experiences is an exaggeration (imagination is important, too), but their lives always
influence their work in some way.
Biographical context places a particular literary work within the context of the author’s
life.
That does not mean, however, that the author identifies with the main character or even
the narrator in a novel or the speaker in a poem, or that the events or experiences he or she
describes actually happened and the author is just reporting what he or she has witnessed.
While exploring biographical context, useful sources include biographies of the author,
autobiographies or memoirs by the author or by people who knew him or her, and critical
works that give close attention to the author’s life.

Linguistic Context
Linguistics is defined as the scientific study of language, and Roland Barthes find
language an important tool in understanding and analyzing literary works than knowing
the life of the author. It is reflected in his famous maxim “The author is dead.”
Linguistic context is a discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine
its interpretation.
Reading through this context focuses on the language used in the literary work and how
it is used to convey meaning.

SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT
Sociocultural context becomes evident when literary works respond in some way to the
society in which they were written, and most often (though not always) that response takes
the form of criticism. It is about how a particular literary work depicts society.
Literary works often respond in some way to the society and culture in which they were
written, and most often (though not always) that response takes the form of criticism.

Identify each characteristic if it describes what particular type of literary context. Write
your answer on your notebook– LIFE for biographical context, LANGUAGE for linguistic
context, and CULTURE for sociocultural context. Write your answers on a separate sheet.

____________1. “The author is dead.”

____________2. Analyze the mood and tone of the text.
 ____________3. Examine the role of the audience (readers) in shaping literature.
____________4. Focus on the language used in the literary work and how it is used to
convey meaning.
____________5. It surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation.
____________6. Literary works often respond in some way to the society and culture.
____________7. Place a particular literary work within the context of the author’s life.
____________8. Sources you might investigate include works (books and articles) of
history or sociology
____________9. Useful sources include biographies of the author.
____________10. Writers’ lives always influence their work in some way.

Look for the following words in the puzzle. Briefly explain each word by relating
their essence in our lesson for today. You can locate them either vertically, horizontally, or
diagonally.

CONTEXT

BIOGRAPHICAL

LINGUISTICS

DICTION

SYNTAX

SOCIOCULTURAL

CRITICISM

READING

LITERARY

Through a Venn diagram, compare and contrast the three contextual approaches in literary
reading and interpretation.
 Biographical
Context

Linguistic Sociocultural
Context Context

Now it’s your turn to read, analyze, and understand literary pieces based on their
contextual aspects.
Let’s have first one of the classic novels of our National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Noli
Me Tangere. Read or watch the summarized version of the masterpiece by visiting the
links below:

https://www.wattpad.com/361607731-ang-buod-ng-noli-me-tangere-buod-ng-noli-me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfwNmifPlB0

In evaluating this piece biographically, answer the following guide question from
Needham Public Schools. Write you answer on your notebook.

1.What is the relevance of facts about the author’s life and experiences to an
understanding of the text?
2.How do the author’s intentions shape the meaning of the work?
3.What is the extent to which the author’s life may unintentionally impact his work?
4.What positions does the author take that directly relate to events and conditions of
his/her time?
 Using its linguistic context, read, analyze and evaluate the Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42916/jabberwocky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU-nBIwVzLM

Answer the following guide questions from Study.com. Write your answer on your
notebook.

1. Which words in the first stanza are nouns? Which ones are adjectives? Which ones are
verbs?
2. Based on the parts of speech, what could this stanza mean?
3. What tone can you identify in the first stanza? For example, is it happy and carefree or
fearful and gloomy?
4. In stanza two, who are the ''antagonists'' in this poem? How do you know?
5. In stanza three, what words do you recognize? How do these help you understand what
the young man is planning to do?
6. In stanza four, what sound words (onomatopoeia) are used? What do you think they sound
like?
7. In stanza five, what do you think ''beamish'' and ''frabjous'' could mean? Can you think of
adjectives that may have a similar meaning? What words do we use in traditional English
that could be represented by ''Callooh! Callay!''
8. Why do you think Carroll ends with the same stanza as the beginning of the poem? Does
anything change in the woods because of the death of the Jabberwock?

Read Y Miss Phathupat written by Juan Crisostomo Soto dubbed as the “Father of
Pampanga Literature”. Analyze and evaluate this short story using in its socio-cultural
boundaries.
https://www.facebook.com/lsapni/posts/1189468641116894/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjeuPoQuME4

Answer the following questions. Write your answers on your notebook.

1. What king of society and cultural setting is taking place?

2. What do you think is the principal social order displayed?
3. What is the main idea or theme of the piece?
4. How do the people during those times act? How do they differ from our generation?
 1. What is context and contextual analysis?

2. What is biographical context. How to evaluate a literary piece in it is biographical

aspect?

3. What is linguistic context. How to evaluate a literary piece in it is linguistic aspect?

4. What is sociocultural context. How to evaluate a literary piece in it is sociocultural

aspect?

5. How do the various literary contexts enhance the text’s meaning and enrich the reader’s
understanding?

Think of a specific literary piece you have already read. It can be any of the literary genres. Identify
the title and the author. Briefly evaluate and express the meaning of your chosen piece in various
contexts – biographical, linguistic, and sociocultural. Use the template below:
 Read and analyze each item. Write the letter of the best answer on your answer sheet.
_____ 1. The background of the text which may have been influenced by the author’s life,
language, society and culture.
a. Context b. Hypertext
c. Intertext d. Text

_____ 2. An analysis of a text (in whatever medium, including multi-media) that helps us to
assess that text within the context of its historical and cultural setting.
a. Contextual analysis b. Literary criticism
c. Reaction Paper d. Reader-response

_____ 3. The qualities that characterize the text

a. Contextuality b. Hypertextuality
c. Intertextuality d. Textuality

_____ 4. It places a particular literary work within the context of the author’s life.
a. Authoritarian Context b. Biographical Context
c. New American Criticism d. Sociocultural Context

_____ 5. The scientific study of language

a. Botany b. Kinesics
c. Linguistics d. Thermodynamics

_____ 6. A discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation.
a. Biographical Context b. Historical Context
c. Linguistic Context d. Sociocultural Context

_____ 7. It becomes evident when literary works respond in some way to the society in which
they were written.
a. Biographical Context b. Historical Context
c. Linguistic Context d. Sociocultural Context

_____ 8. It focuses on the language used in the literary work and how it is used to convey
meaning.
a. Biographical Context b. Historical Context
c. Linguistic Context d. Sociocultural Context

_____ 9. It is reflected in his famous maxim “The author is dead.”

a. Biographical Context b. Historical Context
c. Linguistic Context d. Sociocultural Context

_____ 10. While exploring biographical context, useful sources include biographies of the
________.
a. Antagonist b. Author
c. Protagonist d. Reader
 How are the words LIFE, LANGUAGE, and CULTURE related to the better understanding
and appreciation of LITERATURE? Be guided with the graphic organizer below:

LIFE OF THE
AUTHOR

LITERARY
READING

CULTURE
LANGUAGE AND THE
USED SOCIETY
 Answers may vary 10. Cenaculo
What I Can Do 9. Epics
10. LIFE 8. Ibong Adarna
Answers may vary 9. LIFE 7. Corrido
Learned 8. CULTURE 6. Harana
What I Have 7. LIFE 5. Salawikain
Answer may vary 6. CULTURE 4. Aswang
Answers may vary 5. LANGUAGE 3. Oral tradition
Activities
Assessment 3 4. LANGUAGE 2. Legends
Additional 3. CULTURE
Activity, 1. Tanaga
Independent 2. LANGUAGE What’s In
10. B Assessment 2; 1. LANGUAGE 10. g
9. C Independent Activity 1 9. j
8. C Independent 8. i
7. D Answers may vary What’s More 7. h
6. C Activity 2 6. a
5. C Independent 5. f
4. B 3. CULTURE 4. c
3. D below 3. e
See the chart 2. LANGUAGE 2. b
2. A
1. A Assessment 1 1. LIFE 1. d
Assessment Independent What’s New What I Know

References
"Historical & Biographical Lenses." Needham Public Schools. Accessed June 1, 2020.
https://sites.google.com/a/needham.k12.ma.us/nhs-english-department/home/courses/english-
12/curriculum/historical-biographical-lenses
"Interpreting Works in Context." Study.com. March 29, 2015.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/interpreting-works-in-context.html.
Behrendt, Stephen. "Using Contextual Analysis to evaluate texts." Accessed May 29, 2020.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/interpreting-works-in-context.html.
Nanian, Richard. “Five Types of Context for Literary Works.” Accessed June 9, 2020.
http://mason.gmu.edu/~rnanian/305context.html
Illustrations
https://www.freepik.com/
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – Schools Division of Pampanga, Learning
Resource Management System
High School Boulevard, Brgy. Lourdes, City of San Fernando
Pampanga, Philippines 1200
Telephone No: (045) 435-2728
Email Address: [email protected]