Elements of spoken text

Spoken text is different from written text such that once delivered, it

can no longer be changed.

• Effective spoken text includes the following elements:

• Fluency- the ability to express oneself easily and accurately.

• Tone- the ability to produce sound with reference to its pitch, quality and

strength.

• Cohesion- the ability to present logical organization of ideas in a speech.

• Correctness – the ability to present truthful information in a speech and

ideas that are factual and evidenced-based.

Getting information from a written report

Reports communicate information which has been compiled as a result of

research and analysis of data and of issues. Reports can cover a wide range of

topics, but usually focus on transmitting information with a clear purpose to a

specific audience.

Reports contain the following elements:

• An interpretation of the significance of these events or situation, whether solely

the writer’s own analysis or an information from other’s views with careful

reference. .

• A discussion of the likely outcomes of future courses of action;

• A writer’s recommendations as to a course of action; and

• A comprehensible conclusion based from the above elements.

An effective written report contains the 5Ws and 1H.

• Who – are the involved people or persons.

• What – is the event, happening or subject matter.

• When – is the date and time the event in the report takes place.

• Where – is the place or setting of an event in the report.

• Why – is the reason or justification on the subject matter or outcome of an

event. It is simply the purpose.

• How – is the process or procedure.

Vocabulary:

 chronic (adj.) – (of an illness) persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.

 disease (noun) – a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal or plant.

 etiquette (noun) – the customary code of polite behavior in society or among

members of a particular profession or group.

Using advance organizers, title, non-linear illustrations on the understanding of the text.

Textual aids - are educational instruments emphasizing the essential phrases,

thoughts, graphs, and/or images of a story, narratives, report or any printed and

written texts.

Examples of Textual Aids:

• Cause & Effect Diagram - emphasizes the connection between the different

concepts. This is called the most beneficial organizer since it can be applied to

all subject areas.

• Flow Diagram - this is a sequence chart that shows series of events in logical

and chronological order.

• Venn Diagram - this is used to identify, classify, categorize and recognize

similarities and differences of two or more subjects, ideas, thoughts, and / or

concepts.

• Graphic Organizer - this is a visual display that has key content information.

This textual aid provides learners with structure for abstract concepts. It is

usually created and designed for those who have trouble organizing information

and thoughts.

• Concept Maps – this organizer shows the central thought with its matching

characteristics. This is actually helpful and excellent for brainstorming,

refreshing stock knowledge, and/or generating alternative expressions.

Vocabulary:
envious (adj.) – feeling or showing envy.

exhilarated (adj.) – very happy, animated, or elated.

labyrinth (noun) – a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it

is difficult to find one’s way; a maze.

Understanding writer’s purpose in a material viewed through its unity of plot, setting and
characterization.

Understanding writer’s purpose is summarizing the writer’s objectives and

getting the message he/she tries to convey to the target audience or viewers. The

writer’s purpose is either to persuade, inform or entertain.

The following are elements that help one understands the writer’s purpose in a

material viewed.

• Character- is the mental, emotional, and social qualities to distinguish one

entity from another (people, animals, spirits, automatons, pieces of furniture,

and other animated objects).

• Plot- is the order in which things move and happen in a story.

• Setting - includes time and place.

• Theme - is the main idea that weaves the story together, the why, the

underlying ideas of what happens in the piece of literature, and often a

statement about society or human nature.

• Point of view - is determined by the authors' descriptions of characters, setting,

and events conveyed to the viewers throughout the story.

Vocabulary:

short story (noun) - a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter

and less elaborate than a novel.

purpose (noun) - the reason for which something is done or created or for which

something exists.

elements (noun) - a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is

essential or characteristic.
Compare and contrast the contents of the materials viewed with other sources of information.

Academic textbooks are not the only source of information when one is

engaged in a formal study program. Other sources include: the internet,

newspapers, journals, transcripts from radio or TV programmes, leaflets,

photographs and other artefacts (man-made objects).

All sources of information use documents as the main source. These

documents are categorized as follow:

Primary Documents– are documents that are written at the time of an event

or period of research. Primary documents therefore include literary texts, letters,

speeches and historical documents such as birth certificates and diaries.

Secondary documents- are written after an event, usually the authors have

not witnessed the event themselves. Such documents are usually written with

reference to primary documents and attempt to provide an interpretation.

Core texts –are academic texts related to the topic being studied. They are

examples of secondary documents. In current affairs, a secondary source is a

standard news story.

Tertiary documents - usually act as pointers to primary and secondary

documents. They are indexes, directories, bibliographies and other categorized

collections of information documents that one can turn to and be guided to other

potentially relevant documents on a particular subject.

Analytical Listening

Analytical Listening is the ability and the capacity to properly analyze what

is being said. This does not only mean understanding what the other person is

saying but also being able to divide difficult questions into separate parts in order to

get to the core.

Preposition of Place - A preposition of place is a preposition which is used to refer

to a place where something or someone is located. There are only three

prepositions of place, however they can be used to discuss an almost endless

number of places. Examples of these are: across, near, adjacent to, in front of and

the like.

The use of preposition can greatly improve analytical listening skills of

a student.

Vocabulary:

analytical (adj) -relating to or using analysis or logical reasoning

direction (noun) -a course along which someone or something moves

preposition (noun)-a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun

and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

dejection (noun) -a sad and depressed state, low spirits

: Evaluating informational text.

Informational text is a subset of the larger category of nonfiction (Duke &

Bennett-Armistead, 2003).

Evaluating informational texts means confirming, extending or changing

personal views and agreeing or disagreeing with the information presented in the

texts.

When evaluating informational texts, one must:

• focus on ideas and information in a text and consider the relation to their own

views and their purpose for reading.

• make thoughtful, evidence-based judgments about information in a text

• consider how judgments affect his response to the text and determine whether

he needs to seek further information or collaborate with others.