Text Analysis Notes
Uploaded by
esther.muuleText Analysis Notes
Uploaded by
esther.muule© COPYRIGHT PLATONIC ACADEMY NAMIBIA
PLATONIC ACADEMY NOTES
SUBJECT: English First Language
GRADE:
TEACHER’S NAME: Ms Kaarina Muule
Unit 1.1
Understanding context, audience and purpose
Learning objectives
In this unit, you will:
- learn how the context, audience and purpose are linked to a text (A03).
- learn how these factors influence the way a text is constructed (A03).
Before you start
1. Have you heard or used the word 'context' before? If so, when? For example, what does it
mean if you are told to look at the 'context' of an unfamiliar word to work out its meaning?
2. You will know the word 'audience' - what is its usual meaning? For example, when you go
to films or music shows with friends - who is the audience? Are audiences always the same
people for every film or show? Why not?
3. 'Purpose' will also be a word you probably know, but can you think of any synonyms for it?
How might 'purpose' and 'audience' be linked?
Each of these elements is important, both in understanding whether a text is effective and in
shaping your work.
Why is it important to understand these key ideas?
When you write any text, identifying audience, context and purpose is vital. For example, look at
this typical exam-style writing question:
[1] context - time (left school), situation (working for a charity)
[2] audience - members of the school
[3] purpose - to explain why it was a rewarding experience
After leaving school, a student decides to work for a year as a volunteer for a local charity.
At the end of the year, the student returns to their previous school to give a speech about their
experience to other students. Write the speech. In your writing, create a sense of a positive and
enthusiastic attitude towards the experience.
Key Terms
context: the situation or background to a text or its writer. On a general level, this might be 'the
writer's childhood' or 'Canada, 19205', but it might also be more specific, for example, "a party
which takes place at the height of the Mexican Revolution'.
www.pan.edu.na +264 81 205 8011 [email protected]
© COPYRIGHT PLATONIC ACADEMY NAMIBIA
audience: the reader(s) of, or listener(s) to, a text.
This can apply both to an individual (Uncle Joe'), or to a group (middle-aged women who like sporty
cars).
purpose: the reason why a text has been written, and what the writer is seeking to achieve. This
might be a general intention (to entertain with a humorous account) or more specific (to persuade
an employer to give you an interview).
ACTIVITY 1
Why is it Important to identify these core elements? What might be the outcome if you ignore such
things?
It is also important to realise that many texts you read and write have more than one purpose and
sometimes, different types of readers.
ACTIVITY 2
What might be a secondary purpose for the speech in the task at the bottom of page 3?
Now look at this extract from a students letter to an editor of a newspaper on a different topic:
It is completely unfair of your paper to accuse our local island of communities of contributing to the
pollution of the seas, and the destruction of the coral. We have no control over climate change and
one of the few ways we can survive on our tiny strips of land is to extend the landmass by taking
rocks and other materials from the sea-bed. Rather than blame us, why don t you attack local
government for abandoning indigenous people, and demand that they invest in communities?
ACTIVITY 3
What do you learn about the audience and purposes here?
a) What - or who - is the audience for this text? Look at the personal and possessive
pronouns: your paper, 'our local island, we have no control'
b) A key feature of persuasive texts is often a call to action (a request for the
reader/audineceto do something or change their behaviour.) What is the call to action
here?
Why does knowing about these things matter?
If you understand the context, audience and purpose of a text you need to write, it will help you to:
● include the relevant content (for example, the speech for Activity 2 wouldn't be much use if
the student wrote about his favorite music!)
● write in the correct style (for example, writing for people your own age will have a different
tone than when you write for people much older or younger than you)
● use techniques that will help you achieve the required purpose (explanations tend to
require factual information, and some detail about processes; persuasive texts might
address the audience directly, have a 'call to action' and so on).
If you understand the context, audience and purpose of a text you are reading, it will help you to:
www.pan.edu.na +264 81 205 8011 [email protected]
© COPYRIGHT PLATONIC ACADEMY NAMIBIA
• understand the mood or tone created
• identify the ways the writer has achieved their purpose
• engage emotionally with or understand the views expressed.
Mood: the atmosphere or feeling/emotions created by a text or elements of a text.
The emotions a text evokes in the reader.
Tone: the voice or level of feeling, closely linked to the mood created.
Optimistic
Lighthearted
Tense and anxious
Eerie and uncanny
Farcical
Rebellious
Hopeful
Fearful
Humorous
Melancholy
Sad
Cheerful
Excited
Idyllic
Whimsical
Worried
Angry
Gloomy
Lonely
Mysterious
Peaceful
Reflective
