Department of Education

SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CITY OF MEYCAUAYAN

Pag-asa St., Malhacan, City of Meycauayan, Bulacan

Senior High School

Module 8
in 12
ENGLISH
21st Century Literature from the
Philippines and the World-
Quarter 1:
Identify the way one may evaluate a
literary text, specifically by examining its
linguistic context
(EN12Lit-la-21.1)
 IDENTIFY THE WAY ONE MAY EVALUATE
A LITERARY TEXT, SPECIFICALLY BY
EXAMINING ITS LINGUISTIC CONTEXT

Introduction

In this module, the learners will be able to learn that linguistic is the study
of language, sometimes called the science of language. It deals with the social,
cultural, historical, and political factors that influence language, through which
linguistic and language-based context is often determined. The main goal of
linguistics, like all other intellectual disciplines, is to increase our knowledge and
understanding of the world. Since language is universal and fundamental to all
human interactions, the knowledge attained in linguistics has many practical
applications.

"A language is not just a word. It’s

a culture, a tradition, a unification
of a community, a whole history
that creates what a community is.
It’s all embodied in a language." —
Noam Chomsky

LESSON 8: Literary Reading through a linguistic Context

(WEEK 8)

Fig. 1: Linguistic and

Literary Theory
https://linguisticandliterarytheory.facebook.com
 Let’s Begin!

According to David Richter, “Practically

everything we do that is specifically human is
? Essential Question
expressed in language.” In this lesson, the learners will
What is the importance
be able to learn that literary texts can be read through
of understanding the way
the context of the language used to write the text as language is used in a
literary text?
well as the way language is used in the text. Reading
through a linguistic context focuses on the language
used in the literary work and how it is used to convey
meaning.

Try This!

A. Directions: Read and understand carefully each statement. Then, write TRUE if the
statement is correct, and FALSE if it is incorrect.
________1. Literary texts can be read through the context of the language used to
write the text as well as the way language is used in the text.
________2. Reading through a linguistic context focuses on the language used in the
literary work and how it is used to convey meaning.
________3. Reading the text on its own, regardless of the author’s biography and
sociocultural context, can’t help you understand the literary text through
analyzing the words, sentences, patterns, imagery, etc. of the text.
_______4. Analyzing the literary text’s grammar, syntax, or phonemic pattern may
help you find the meaning of the text within its form and help you
interpret it by simply analyzing the content of the literary work.
_______5. Structuralism relays the texts being examined to a larger structure.
_______6. Analyze the content of the text is one of the strategy use to read a text
through the linguistic context.
_______7. Syntax is the study of how linguistic elements form phrases, clauses, or
sentences.
_______8. In reading a text through the linguistic context, analyzing the diction or
choice of words in the text is important.
_______9. Formalism is a school of literary criticism and literary theory that focuses
on the structure of a particular text.
_______10. The characteristics of the language in which the text was written may
help in analyzing the text.
 Do This!

Questions:
1. What is your favorite song?
2. What words from that song seem to be immortalized by time?
3. What do these words mean to you?

Explore!

A. Directions: Read the poem of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Then, analyze the poem through its
literary context by answering the following questions below.
Josephine,
Who to these shores came?
Searching for a home, a nest,
Like the wandering swallows,
If your fate guides you
To Shanghai, China, or Japan,
Forget not that on these shores
A heart beats for you.
1. What are the striking words used in the poem?
2. How many meaningful statements are used in the poem?
3. How were the lines cut? Did the line cuts help in conveying the message of the
poem?
4. Are there rhymes? Is there a certain rhythm? How does the presence or absence of
rhyme and rhythm help convey the message of the text?
5. What imagery was used in the poem?
6. What is the mood of the poem?
7. Did the use of language help in conveying the poem’s message? How?

Keep This in Mind!

Here are some reasons to read literature through the linguistic context:
Reading the text on its own, regardless of the author’s biography and
sociocultural context, may help you understand the literary text through
analyzing the words, sentences, patterns, imagery, etc. of the text.
 Analyzing the literary text’s grammar, syntax , or
Vocabulary
phonemic pattern may help you find the meaning of the
Linguistic- of or
text within its form and help you interpret it by simply relating to language
analyzing the or the study of
language.
content of the literary work.
Syntax- the study of
The following are some strategies you may use to read a text how linguistic
through the linguistic context: elements form
phrases, clauses, or
Analyze the diction or choice of words in the text.
sentences.
Examine the texts’ syntax or use of sentences, clauses,
phrases, line cuts, etc.
Observe the use of figurative language.
Analyze the mood and tone of the text.
Observe the text’s overall structure.
Analyze the content of the text.
Here are guide questions that may help you when you read literature through the
linguistic context:
What were the striking words in the text? What words were unfamiliar to you?
Which words attracted your attention? What words were dramatic?
What nouns are the most prominent? Are these concrete or abstract nouns?
What about verbs? Does the author use common words or lofty diction? Are the
words short or long? Is there any word that has two or more meanings?
Are the sentences in the usual order of subject-predicate? What are the
dependent clauses? What are the independent clauses? If you restructure a
sentence or a phrase, would it make a difference? Is the voice active or
passive? Is there a rhythm in the sentence structure in relation to the length of
the sentences or lines?
What literary devices are used? Are there images? Do those images stand for
anything aside from their literal meaning?
What is the tone? Is the speaker happy about the subject? Is the tone negative
or positive?
What is the structure of the text? Is it a narrative? Is it linear or nonlinear?
What is the
point of view of the text? Is it a poem? What type of poem is it?
Does the language help in delivering and understanding its content? Is there a
theme?
What is it saying about its subject matter? How do the literary elements
contribute to the effectiveness of the text?
What is the text saying about the world in general?
Take note of the following before reading a text through the linguistic context:
Even if literature uses language, it does not mean that the structure of
literature and the language are the same. Some writers may not follow
 grammatical rules, and this kind of deviation may be used in your analysis.
You may ask, “Why is the text not following standard grammar?” and other
similar questions.
The characteristics of the language in which the text was written may help in
analyzing the text. You may also ask, “Why is the text written in this
language?”, “Is this considered a weak language or a strong language?” and
other similar questions.
You may consult literary approaches that focus on language. Structuralism,
poststructuralism, and formalism have linguistic aspects. These approaches
may lead you in your view of reading through the linguistic context.

Perspective Explanation
Structuralism Structuralism relays the texts being examined to a
larger structure. The structure may be a particular
genre, a range of intertextual connections, a model of
a universal narrative structure, or a system of
recurrent patterns or motifs.
Formalism (or New Formalism is a school of literary criticism and literary
Criticism) theory that focuses on the structure of a particular
text. It examines a text without taking into account
any outside influence.
Poststructuralism Poststructuralism is the reaction to structuralism. In
the linguistic context, there may be underlying
structures that may have different interpretations
based on how the words or phrases were used in the
text.

Application

A. Directions: Compare and contrast the expressions of love shown

during the time of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and the present time. How does
distance and setting affect the language conveyed in one’s literary
work?
Assessment

A. Direction: Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.

1. Analyzing the literary text’s grammar,___________, or phonemic pattern may help
you find the meaning of the text within its form and help you interpret it by simply
analyzing the content of the literary work.
2. The ______________________ in which the text was written may help in analyzing the
text.
3. ____________is the study of how linguistic elements form phrases, clauses, or
sentences.
4. _____________________ is phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to
get a message or point across.
5. It is a context defined purely in terms of what follows or what precedes particular
segment that is undergoing a sound change. _________________

B. Directions: Read and understand the question below. Encircle the letter of the
correct answer.
6. How can the following mixed structure sentence be corrected? “From looking at the
textbook helped me understand my mistakes.”
A. Removing ‘From’ (Don’t forget to capitalize ‘Looking’ as it is now the first word in
the sentence.)
B. Adding a semicolon after ‘textbook’.
C. Adding a comma after ‘textbook’.
D. Rephrasing as two sentences: “From looking at the textbook. I helped understand
my mistakes.”
7. When directly quoting a source with three or more authors for the first time, what
should the in-text citation include?
A. Every author’s last name in alphabetical order.
B. Only the last name of the author listed on the source.
C. Every author’s last name, in the same order they are presented in on the source,
the publication year, and the page or paragraph number being referenced.

D. The last name of the first author listed on the source and the publication year.
8. Assume that you wanted to indicate a shift in time in your writing. Which of the
following words or phrases would you want to avoid using?
A. Finally C. For example
B. Meanwhile D. Next
9. People write for many reasons. Some want to inform, others want to persuade while
others aim to teach or train their audience. If you are concerned about what your
readers think about you based on writing, what does this represent?
A. Understanding your readers’ biases.
B. A primary objective of your writing.
C. Wanting to earn as much money as possible from writing.
D. A secondary objective of your writing.
10. What should you consider to ensure that you’re writing effectively for your
audience?
A. How many graphic images need to be included to best convey your message?
B. The amount of time the reader is likely to have for reviewing the piece.
C. What you want your reader to take away from what you write.
D. Assuming what the reader knows about the subject and writing to that level.

Enrichment Activities

A. Directions: Read the poem “Air Castles” by Juan

Salazar. Analyze the significance of the airplane in the
illustration below. What do you think the airplane
symbolizes? After reading, decide whether this illustration
best depicts the poem. Is the speaker of the poem a young
woman or a young man? What specific elements in the
poem make you say so?

Wrap Up

Linguistic Context Contextual

Reading
Approach
This context requires
the reader to analyze the
language, form, and
structure of the text.
Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?
Do a self-check on how well you learned the lesson. Place a checkmark in the
appropriate box.
I think I need I am familiar and I am confident
Skills more practice can perform well that I can
and assistance with minimal perform this on
assistance my own
I can identify the way
one may evaluate a
literary text,
specifically by
examining its
linguistic context.
I can distinguish
various critical
reading strategies.
I can analyze literary
texts through context
using different
critical reading
strategies.

References
(n.d.). Cuevas, R. (2018). 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World.
Davao Doctor College: Copyright 2018 Quipper limited.

“7 Critical Reading Strategies.” Salisbury University. Accessed May 3, 2018.

http://www. salisbury.edu/counseling/new/7_critical_reading_strategies.html.
Bautista, C. F. 2006. “Believe and Betray: New and Collected Poems.” Manila: De La
Salle
University Press.

Bethge, Wolfgang. 2007. “Josephine Bracken - Her Bonds of Love with Jose Rizal.”
Josephine
Bracken - Her Bonds of Love with Jose Rizal. Accessed January 03, 2017.
http://www.insightsphilippines.de/brackenengl.htm.

Brizee, Allen, J. Case Tompkins, Libby Chernouski, and Elizabeth Boyle. “Literary
Theory and
Schools of Criticism.” OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab. Accessed January 3, 2017.
https:// owl. english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/1/.

Brooker, Peter, Raman Selden, and Peter Widdowson. 2005. A Reader’s Guide to
Contemporary
Literary Theory. 5th ed. Great Britain: Pearson Education.

Crockett, L. “10 Great Critical Thinking Activities That Engage Your Students.”
Accessed April
30, 2018. https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/10-great-critical-thinking-activities-that-
engage-your-students

Gioia, Dana and X.J. Kennedy. 2007. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction Poetry,
Drama, and
Writing, Compact Edition. 5th ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon/Longman.
 Stockinger, Johann. “José Rizal.” University of Vienna.
May 13, 1995. Accessed May 9, 2018.
https://www.univie.ac.at/ksa/apsis/aufi/jorizal.htm.

Glossary
Linguistic- of or relating to language or the study of
language.

Syntax- the study of how linguistic elements form

phrases, clauses, or sentences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JESSICA BARGUIN-BONGABONG

Graduated from Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan where she earned her degree in Bachelor of
Secondary of Education major in English. She passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2013.
She earned 9 units in Master of Arts in Education (MAED) major in Educational Management in
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela. She earned another 9 units in Master of Arts in Education
(MAED) major in English Language in Meycauayan College.
She taught different subjects 21 st Century Literature from the Philippines, Reading and Writing Skills,
English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions,
Business Ethics, Organization and Management, and Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person in
Meycauayan National High School since 2017.

LAYOUT ARTIST

JESSICA BARGUIN-BONGABONG
Graduated from Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan where she earned her degree in Bachelor of
Secondary of Education major in English. She passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2013.
She earned 9 units in Master of Arts in Education (MAED) major in Educational Management in
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela. She earned another 9 units in Master of Arts in Education
(MAED) major in English Language in Meycauayan College.
She taught different subjects 21 st Century Literature from the Philippines, Reading and Writing Skills,
English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions,
Business Ethics, Organization and Management, and Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person in
Meycauayan National High School since 2017.