COURSE CONCEPTS- COMPREHENDING

mood

Mood is the atmosphere or feeling in a text, which is often created through the use of descriptive language and imagery.

examples of mood

representation

way people, places, events or subjects are presented in a text

The text represents [subject] as [description]

e.g. The text represents children as innocent and vulnerable.

The text constructs a [description] representation of [subject]

Gendered groups (men/women/trans/non-binary)

Cultural or ethnic groups

Classes (upper class, middle class, working class)

Age groups (children, teenagers, adults, the elderly)

examples of values

examples of attitudes

interpretation

refers to the process of making meaning from a text.

dominant- reading from majority people in society

alternative- differs from the dominant reading

resistant- contradicts dominant interpretation

meanings

not one set meaning

literal- surface-level, objective meanings

interpreted- shaped by context or readings

implied- suggested meanings

connoted- shaped by mental associations

symbolic- deep, amblematic meanings

ideologies

Ideology refers to a set or system of beliefs, values and attitudes, centering around such things as religion, politics or economics.

common ideologies

mode

"Mode" refers to the process of communication: writing (written mode), speaking (spoken mode), visuals (visual mode), sound (aural mode) and gestures (gestural mode). Multimodal texts combine at least two of these modes.

written vs spoken mode

tone

Tone describes the attitude of the author: the feeling associated with their voice in the text.

examples of tone

perspectives

A perspective is a position from which things may be viewed or considered.

The text presents a [context] perspective on [subject], viewing it as [opinion]

come from author or the characters

socio- cultural- age, gender, class, nationality, religion, cultural backround, profession/ role.

ideological- feminist, capitalist, marxist, nationalistic

time related- period of time

physical perspective- angle between narrator and subject

voice

The voice of a text is the personality of a piece of writing, which we associate with the author, the narrator or a character in the text.

example issues

idea

messages, thoughts, notions, opinions, views or beliefs

The text conveys the idea that.... (full statement)

audience

age, gender, cultural background, ethnicity, class, profession, ideology, social roles and relationships

purpose

aim writer trying to produce in a text

- entertain or provoke

- thinking, feeling or acting responses

imaginative texts-entertain or provoke thoughts

interpretative texts- explain and interpret issues/ ideas e.t.c

persuasive texts- put forward a point of view

analytical texts- identify, examine and draw conclusions