SHS

E n g li s h F or A c ad em i c A n d
P r ofes s i on al P u r p os es
Mod u le 6
English For Academic and Professional Purposes
Module 6
First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: Laura Helene A. De Castro, T-III

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team

Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

ATTY. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent
Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph.D
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
German E. Flora, Ph.D, CID Chief

Virgilio C. Boado, Ph.D, EPS in Charge of LRMS

Belen C. Aquino, EPS in Charge of English

Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II
Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II
 Target

Writing is hard, simply because one hopes to write using the best possible
words to articulate the best possible thoughts in the most creative way imaginable.
Despite this, fact, writing a reaction paper seems not that different from a status
message in Facebook.

In practice, the reaction paper is an informed and insightful perspective on

art, popular culture, and the world. Think about the millions of voices clamoring to
be heard and read on the internet, and you come to know how to deal with the
challenge of sounding original and insightful. In the end, the reaction paper is a
reasoned and reasonable response to the world; the best response can either be
intelligent, humorous, wise, or all of the above.

In the previous lessons, the nature of academic texts and the concept of
academic writing was introduced.

In this unit, writing will be in action as we will provide you with model text
and guide activities to help you in writing one of the four core papers which is the
reaction paper or review, or critique.

After going through this unit, you should be able to:

1. understand the nature of a reaction paper;

2. appreciate the craftsmanship of writing a review; and
3. use appropriate critical writing a critique such as formalism, feminism, etc.

Before going on, check how much you know about this topic.
Accomplish the activity on the next page in a separate sheet of
paper.
Writing a Reaction Paper, Review or Critique

A very important expository discourse that you must know how to write is the
reaction paper or review, or critique. It is mainly written to communicate a fair
assessment of situations, people, events, and literary and artistic works and
performances. Whether a social commentary, or a critical judgment, it conveys
incisive insights into its analysis of events, its interpretation of the meaning or
importance of a work artifact, or its appreciation of the moral or aesthetic values
reflected in the work or performance. It may include the main purpose of the event;
the devices and strategies employed; an evaluation of its success or failure; and an
assessment of its significance and relevance, timeliness or timelessness.

Guidelines for Writing the Reaction Paper/Review/Critique

1. Value Communicated
a. Sound critical judgment

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 b. A fair and balanced assessment of situations or events, people and things

2. Basic Content
a. Ranges from an off-hand gut reaction, favorable or unfavorable, merely
expressive of emotion to a more rational impersonal critical analysis that
seriously communicates some value, ethical or moral, some hidden or
forgotten truth, and some aesthetic delight
b. May take the form of a reflection, an appeal, a protest, a tribute or
denunciation, a speculation
c. In general, the content would include the following topics:
(1) For human situations:
(a) A brief description of the event
(b) People involved, their roles and contributions
(c)`Other driving forces, in the open or hidden and
unsuspected
(d) Implications and consequences
(e) Assessment and prognostication
(f) Some offered solutions
(2) For cultural affairs, people, works, performances:
(a) The central purposes of the event or product
(b) The means, devices, strategies employed to achieve the
purposes
(c) An evaluation of the achievement: success or failure
(e) The significance (if any) beyond mere entertainment of the
event or product in ethical and/aesthetic terms, its timeliness
and/or timelessness
3. Modes of Ordering (Any of the following):
a. From the event/performance/artifact/work presented an
described/narrated in themselves to the writer’s critical evaluation of the
entire event, show or work in a sequence of its elements
b. Discussion that intersperses critical comments between mention or
description of the details of the event, show or work
c. From a cover statement giving an over-all judgment of the event, show or
piece to a discussion of each angle, aspect or element of the event, show or
work illustrating or providing evidence for the evaluative cover statement

4. Basic qualities of a Good Reaction Paper

a. Gives a fair and balance social commentary
b. Provides relevant and accurate factual information on the situation
c. Exhibits by means of thorough and in-depth analysis an appreciation of
context (including time, place, people, involvement, their motivation, and
actuations)
d. Makes a clear distinction, through language, between what is actual and
what is probable or possible
e. Exhibits a deep sense of humanity and an understanding of the human
situation even while expressing disapproval or disagreement most intensely

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5. Basic Qualities of an Adequate Critical Judgment
a. Provides accurate and relevant information on the event, show, or work
b. Exhibits full appreciation of the purpose behind the event, show, or work
c. Shows a clear understanding of the means (strategies, techniques, devices,
etc.) and their appropriateness and power in achieving the purpose
d. Exhibits fairness and balance in the judgment made
e. Projects incisive and profound insights into its
(1) analysis of the event or artifact
(2) interpretation of the underlying meaning or significance of the event
or artifact, and
(3) appreciation of the values “(moral and/or aesthetic) unfolded in
every detail of the event or artifact”

In Unit 1, you have learned about the academic texts. In this unit, you will learn how
to present your ideas for reaction papers/reviews/critiques.

J u m p s ta r t

F or y ou to u n d ers ta n d th e les s on w ell, d o th e follow in g a ctivities .

H av e fun an d good lu ck !

Ac tivity 1 : R ea d Me! U n d ers ta n d Me!

Directions: Read and understand the text below.

The Reaction Paper: A Measured Response to the World
Marikit Tara Alto Uychoco

(1) The world can be a chaotic place. Often, there seems to be no rhyme
or reason in the events that happen to us. Oftentimes, people despair,
and the modern alienation articulated by Henry David Thoreau may
be true for many - “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

(2) In order to make sense of the world, people write. In order to create a
semblance of order and understanding of one’s experiences, people
write. Often enough, they write a measured response to what has
happened to them. This takes on various forms, but for the purpose of
this textbook, the forms we will explore are the review and the reaction
paper.

(3) Of course, some may consider a diary entry to be a reaction paper to

the world. However, diary entries are personal in their significance,
while the reaction paper’s significance is societal. The reaction paper
is written for the enlightenment of one’s fellow human beings; a diary
entry is written for the enlightenment of the self. Both have their
significance, however, only the reaction paper is considered
significantly valuable for the academe.

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(4) There is also a difference in form: the reaction paper is more formal,
more descriptive, and often uses the rhetorical devices of description
and narration in order to prove a point; while the diary entry is less
formal, less descriptive, and does not endeavor to persuade or to make
another person understand; hence, there is no real effort in using
rhetorical devices. Oftentimes, the diary entry is a way to rage against
petty insults and grievances.

(5) When one reads a reaction paper, one expects to be informed and
amused. Reaction papers help us in our everyday decision: from what
movie we should watch, to the clothing that we should wear, and the
causes that we should believe in. It tells us that we are alone in
experiencing the world, and that there are others before us who care
to tell us what to watch out for and how to best experience what we are
about to go through.

(6) modern iterations of the reaction paper are the movie review, gadget
review, trip advisor post, and other travel reviews, restaurant reviews
and essays that discuss a social phenomenon or a common
experience. Many editorials can be considered reaction papers, if not,
position papers. many of them are written in newspapers, magazines,
and weblogs.

(7) Although the modern world can be a lonely and alienating place, the
reaction paper can reach out and tell us that we are not alone. It helps
to know that the other person is going through the same experience as
well, and that person has something to tell you about how to survive,
what to avoid, and where to seek pleasure. A reaction paper, when
done right, can help us process our own experience, and help us see
things that we weren’t able to dee on our own.

(8) In today’s multimedia world, this stretches across countries and over
territorial borders, where a housewife from manila can tell a tourist
from Tokyo how to best survive Manila’s hot summer. We reach out to
one another, in order to make the world a better place, by mapping
the world for others, and letting them know where beauty and
darkness reside.

Comprehension Questions: Answer these briefly on a separate sheet.

1. What is the difference between a diary

entry and reaction paper?

2. According to the text, what is the importance of the reaction

paper society? Do you agree?

3. Why does the academe value the reaction paper?

4. What do you think makes a good reaction paper?

5. Did the text change the way you look at reaction papers? Why or
why not?

6. Give some modern iterations of the reaction paper.

7. Why are reviews important?

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 8. How do reviews change the way you look at a movie, product, or
place?

9. Why do people read reviews?

10. What does the text conclude regarding reaction papers?

Discover
The Structure and Language of Critique
Critiques are an important rhetorical pattern in academic writing as they
present a balance view of things. Critiques, however, are based not only on personal
perspective but should be grounded on actual observations. Here are some tips in
developing your critique:

1. Remember that the critique should be accessible to the audience.

Therefore, providing background information for the readers will be
helpful. Including the central ideas of the book, the concept, the event,
or the movie to be critiqued is necessary

2. Relating you critique to greater realities will also help as you ground
your critique on the wider scheme of things. For instance, what
subject/theme does the movie, concept, book, or event address? Are
there questions that people constantly ask that this particular
subject/theme you are reviewing can answer?

In general, the critique should be organized in the following manner:

1. Introduction: The first part should provide readers a sense of the ideas
you want to tackle. (What are some problems people face in their daily
lives? What are some heatly debated topics discussed among groups
concerning the community?)

2. Thesis statement: The next part should provide a summary of the

concept.

3. Supporting details: Strengths and weaknesses should be part of the

critique. Remember that this is challenging and requires tact.

Some expressions such as the ones below will help.

Illustrating Strengths
Given its features, X may be the best among the
competition…
X does not only provide (enumerate common features found in other
counterparts) but also (enumerate unique features)…
Illustrating Weaknesses
However, X may not be a wise choice if you intend to…(Cite specific activities or
features needed by a specific user or audience.)

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In certain cases, X lacks some interesting points such as…(Cite specific features
or qualities.)
X may not appeal to certain users or audiences as it…(Cite specific features or
qualities.)
In certain cases, X may not be good investment of your time as it…(Cite specific
features or qualities.)
Though there are positive points for X, certain improvements can be made
4. Conclusion: The final section of the critique should include the final
recommendation of the author. For instance, is the movie, book,
gadget, event, or concept a good investment of time, effort, and money?
What background knowledge does one need to see or use them? Will
other activities help to appreciate these.

E x p l or e

H ere a re s ome en rich men t activ ities for y ou to w ork on to ma s ter

a n d s tren gth en th e bas ic con cepts y ou h a v e lea rn ed from th is
les s on .

Enrichment Activity 1: How Well Did You Understand the Concepts?

There is a need to be organized in presenting your ideas in writing a critique. Let us

try to accomplish this through practice writing.

What you need: A

sheet of paper
Pen

What you have to do:

The text on the next page is a review about the film “Heneral Luna.” Read and
understand it thoroughly and fill out the table below.

Review: ‘Heneral Luna’ Shows Human Side of Hero

(1) The Philippines has countless films about national hero, Jose Rizal, and in
recent years, movies about Andres Bonifacio have also started catching up in
number.

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 Heneral Luna as portrayed by John Arcilla in the movie “Heneral Luna”
https://images.app.goo.gl/z4L3tNhN5wPWmNuY7

(2) The problem with films, however, is that they tend to leave viewers confused
on whether the scenes showed on films happened in real life. Some directors also
tend to focus too much on artistic license, rather than on historical truth.

(3) Entered Jerrold Tarog and his film, “Heneral Luna”. If Tarog’s name sounds
familiar, its because he was named Best Director in Cinemalaya Director’s
Showcase in 2013 for his film, “Sana Dati.’ He is also known for two other films,
“Confessional” and “Mangatyanan,” which together with “Sana Dati”, completes his
Camera Trilogy.

(4) The film focuses on General Antonio Luna, the brother of the famous artist
Juan Luna. The younger Luna is known for his bad temper, an aspect of his
personality that was beautifully captured in “Heneral Luna.”

(5) Set during the Philippine-American war, “Heneral Luna” showed different
aspects of the country’s history that is rarely shown in other local films in this
genre. Tarog did not hesitate to show the flaws in Luna’s personality. Luna can be
heard spewing curse words all throughout the film as he tried to win against the
Americans.

(6) Interspersed with Luna’s tough personality is his determination to take back
the country’s independence to the point of pushing almost everyone against him.

(7) Although it is common knowledge that Luna died in the hands of fellow
Filipinos, seeing it in action and in the big screen will make the viewers feel bad for
Luna.

(8) Of course, any film will not be as successful without the acting prowess of its
actors. John Arcilla is perfect for his role as the short-tempered Luna. His acting is
complemented by Mon Confiado’s superb portrayal as Emilio Aguinaldo.

(9) Arcilla and Confiado are joint by Epy Quizon, Joem Bascon, Archie Alemania,
Aaron Villaflor, Nonie Buencamino, Ronnie Lazaro, Ketchup Eusebio, Paolo Arevalo,
and Mylene Dizon, among others.

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(10) As soon as the film starts, Tarog warns viewers that he used his artistic
license to alter the series of events depicted in the film. Despite this, the film stuck
at close possible to the historical facts, as seen in the details in the film.

(11) One of the most unforgettable scenes in the film is Luna’s death, which was
depicted as close to the actual event as possible. Watching what happened to Luna
may make one lose his or her faith in humanity, or in his or her fellow Filipinos, at
the least.

(12) Aside from his death, the film was also able to depict Luna as normal as
possible. He is a man who curses, a man who loses his temper, over small things, a
man who loves a brother, a son, a musician, and most importantly, a great leader
who was not afraid to use violence to get what he wants.

(13) Arcillas’s acting is also a big factor, enough to make one think that the film
may not be as effective had a different actor played the role. But then again, most of
the actors were trained in independent films where they are asked to go out of their
comfort zones..

(14) Brutal and tragic, yet eye-opening, “Heneral Luna” may well be one of the few
films that were able to combine both history and art, without sacrificing anything.

(15) The film does not aim to change one’s view of heroes, or to replace Rizal and
Bonifacio in the Filipino consciousness. Rather, its simple goal is to share a lesser
known hero’s story, and to make Filipinos realize that heroes are human too.
From: ABS-CBNews.com
Posted at 09/06/15 5:12 PM / Updates as of 09/07/15 1:12 AM

Assessment 1
Directions: Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers. Fill out the
n eed ed in form ation in th e ta ble bas ed on th e review th a t you h ave read.
S tren gth s (C ite even ts or ob s erva tion s ) Wea k n es s es (C ite p a rticu la r s c en es or
obs erva tion s )

Wou ld you recom m en d th is m ovie to oth er au dien ces ? Wh y or wh y n ot?

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 2: Critique of a Visual Art
need:
Paper and pen

What you have to do:

1. Study the painting of Fernando Amorsolo below.
2. Read and understand the interpretation of the painting.

Dalagang Bukid by Amorsolo. Photo of the artwork courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fernando Amorsolo, the first National Artist, is celebrated for having created
in the collective psyche an idyllic and idealized vision of the Philippines. Amorsolo's
bright and colorful pastoral representations are unmistakable for being suffused
with a golden glow, reflecting the sweet disposition, charm, and whole some beauty
of the dalagang bukid, or Philippine provincial lass - widely recognized to be the
maestros most iconic subject matter. Surrounded by verdant foliage dappled with
sunlight, she is the picture of a longed-for, bygone era - the epitome of everything
that is good about the motherland. The banga or clay jar that the young lady carries,
a vessel for carrying water, is seen as a symbol of fragility and innocence, and is a
reference to the song made famous by National Artist Atang de la Rama in the1919
sarswela Dalagang Bukid: "May isang dalagang nagsalok ng tubig. Kinis ng ganda
nya'y hubog sa nilatik..."Luminism is the appropriate term in describing the idyllic
scenes that Amorsolo captures in his most prolific works of rural Edens unto the
canvas. American art historian John I. H. Baur (1909-1987) who first described
Luminism, as that of works with a natural representation of light and its
atmosphere, that were first seen on American landscape painting between 1850 to
1875 that later engrained the ideas and colors of the Impressionists into their work.
The Luminists like Sorolla, Zuloaga and their contemporaries including Amorsolo
emulated through the spontaneity of the moment, which unfolded before their very
eyes and imbued it with the emotional charge that they experienced at that time. In
an interview published in the broadsheet Manila Nueva dated the 6th of March

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Enrichment Activity
What you
1920, he commented on the trend of the Luminists and his admiration of their
works: “Of the moderns, I like first Zuloaga then Sorolla, who in each in his own
style, are two figures of the first magnitude.” This was the main artistic style
Amorsolo brought back into the colonial setting of the Philippines, by rendering light
into his grandiose idyllic scenes of rural pastures as represented by this work of the
Dalagang Bukid painted in 1927.For Amorsolo, the Dalagang Bukid was his muse of
ideal Filipina beauty foregoing the Maria Clara-typed wallflower who presents herself
as a smiling and cheerful lady, inspite of the labor beckoned in the agricultural
plain. She is depicted sporting in the national costume of the baro’t saya with her
hair firmly held by flowing bandanato shield her, from the brightness of the
afternoon sun. Amorsolo was careful in the details of the eyes, face and other
features of the young maiden’s own garments especially the baro’t saya. The saya of
the young maiden is painted quite delicately though it gives an effect of translucence
that her arms and neckline can be seen through the slim layer of textile,
complimenting her radiant beauty that Amorsolo admired dearly.
Aside from Nena Belo and his commissioned paintings, Amorsolo has a recurring
subject in most of his works: the dalagang bukid.

It’s no secret that Amorsolo is fond of scenes rooted in the Filipino tradition. We can
instantly infer this from his large-scale works that tackle everyday life in the country
—from scenes in Intramuros to Fruit Pickers Harvesting Under The Mango Tree. It
is, however, unknown to many that he implemented the same stance when it comes
to portraying women in paintings, which is mostly his wife.

According to his daughter Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo, Amorsolo usually depicted his wife
Salud Tolentino Jorge often dressed as “a typical Filipina—with a bandana and a
bunch of fruits or flowers; also, as a mother carrying a child in the countryside.”

He has always been in favor of uplifting Filipino ideals. In the biography Fernando C.
Amorsolo: Drawings, the artist is quoted saying that he has always “rejected Western
ideals of beauty.”

“The ideal Filipina beauty should not necessarily be white complexioned, nor of the
dark brown color of the typical Malayan, but of the clear skin or fresh colored type
which we often witness when we met a blushing girl,” he was quoted saying.

Assessment 2
Directions: Reflect on the painting more deeply and answer the following questions
on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Did the image catch your attention, and why?
2. How would you describe the image?
3. What are gained by his use of color?
4. Why do you think Amorsolo titled his painting “Dalagang Bukid?” Would it have
made a different impact if it had been given a different title?
5. Explain how the painting represents our culture.
3: Outlining Your Ideas
need
A sheet of paper
Pen

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What you have to do
Read and understand the text. React to the text using an outline.

The Digital Divide: The Challenge of Technology and Equity

(1) Information technology is influence the way many of us live and work today.
We use the internet to look and apply for jobs, shop, conduct research, make airline
reservations, and explore areas of interest. We use Email and internet to
communicate instantaneously with friends and business associates around the
world. Computers are commonplace in homes and the workplace.

(2) Although the number of internet users is growing exponentially each year,
most of the world’s population does not have access to computers of the internet.
Only 6 percent of the population in the developing countries are connected to
telephones. Although more than 94 percent of U.S households have telephones, only
56 percent have personal computers at home and 50 percent have internet access.
The lack of what most of us would consider a basic communication necessity -the
telephonedoes not occur just in developing nations. On some Native American
reservations only 60 percent of the residents have a telephone. The move to wireless
connectivity may eliminate the need for telephone lines, but it does not remove the
barrier to equipment costs.

(3) Who has internet access? The digital divide between the populations who
have access to the internet and information technology tools and those who don’t is
based on income, race, education, household type, and geographic location, but the
gap between groups is narrowing. Eighty-five percent of households with an income
over $75,000 have internet access, compared with less than 20 percent of the
households with income under $15,000. Over 80 percent of college graduates use
the internet as compared with 40 percent of high school completers and 13 percent
of high school dropouts. Seventy-two percent of household with two parents have
internet access; 40 percent of female, single parent households do. Differences are
also found among households and families from different racial and ethnic groups.
Fifty-five percent of white households, 31 percent of black households, 32 percent of
Latino households, 68 percent of Asian or Pacific Islander households, and 39
percent of American Indian, Eskimos, or Aleut households have access to the
internet. The number of internet users who are children under nine years old and
persons over fifty has more than triple since 1997. Households in inner cities are
less likely to have computers and internet access than those in urban and rural
areas, but the differences are no more than 6 percent.
(4) Another problem that exacerbates these disparities is that African-American,
Latinos, and Native Americans hold few of the jobs in information technology.
Women about 20 percent of these jobs and receiving fewer than 30 percent of the
Bachelor’s degrees in computer and information science. The result is that women
and members of the most oppressed ethnic group are not eligible for the jobs with
the highest salaries at graduation. Baccalaureate candidates with degree in
computer science were offered the highest salaries of all new college graduates.

(5) Do similar disparities exist in schools? Ninety-eight percent of schools in the

country are wired with at least one internet connection. The number of classrooms

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Enrichment Activity
What you
with internet connection differs by the income level of students. Using the
percentage of students who are eligible for free lunches at a school to determine
income level, we see that the higher percentage of the schools with more affluent
students have wired classrooms than those with high concentrations of low-income
students.

(6) Access to computers and the internet will be important in reducing disparities
between groups. It will require higher equality across diverse groups whose members
develop knowledge and skills in computer and information technologies. The field
today is overrepresented by white males. If computers and the internet are to be
used to promote equality, they have to become accessible to schools cannot
currently afford the equipment which needs to be updated regularly every three
years or so. However, access alone is not enough; Students will have to be
interacting with the technology in authentic settings. As technology has become a
tool for learning in almost all courses taken by students, it will be seen as a means
to an end rather than an end in itself. If it is used in culturally relevant ways, all
students can benefit from its power.

Assessment 3
Directions: Draft the parts of a reaction paper by completing the sentences below.
Use a separate sheet for your answers.
1. Introduction
Information Technology is “influencing the way many people live and work
today. Computers are ___________________________________________________________.
2. Thesis Statement
Access to information technology affects ___________________________________.
3. Supporting details
(1) Despite the growing number of computers…
(2) Only 6 percent of the third world countries…
(3) In the USA, except for the native Americans with few telephones…
(4) Income. race, education…
(5) Ethnic minorities…
(6) The schools of the rich children…
4. Conclusion
Equal or greater access to computers and the internet…
4: Stop, Look, Listen, React!
need:
A sheet of paper
Pen
Cellphone, laptop etc.

What you have to do:

(1) Get to know about Jaime Cardinal Sin through a video or an audio that
your teacher will provide you.
(2) Read and understand the excerpt from the homily of Jaime Cardinal
Sin.

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 Ang Bayan Muna Bago ang Sarili (Excerpts from the Homily of Jaime Cardinal
Sin at the mass celebrating the 5th death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino)

(1) Five years later, we might ask ourselves; has Ninoy’s dream been fulfilled?
Have we succeeded in building a new nation, by “transcending our petty selves,” by
setting aside our differences by working together in a spirit of true self-giving, loving
our country first, above our own interest? Bayan muna, bago and sarili. It is a
question we must ask ourselves, as we remember Ninoy’s gift.

(2) It has been said that the truest motto of our people is “K.K.K”. No, not
Katipunan, shaping unity out of our diversity. How we wish that were our authentic
name! But rather:
Kanya-Kanya’ng Katwiran,
Kanya-Kanya’ng Kagustuhan,
Kanya-Kanya’ng Kabig (or worse) Kanya-
Kanya’ng Kurakot…
or whatever else each one “specializes” in!
(3) Cynics among us say that K.K.K is the definition of our national character,
the predominant strain in our national culture. It’s what we are when we are “most
natural”, most ourselves. “Bayan muna, Bago and Sarili” is an abstract,
nonoperative ideal, good for speeches, good for posters, goo for classroom rhetoric
but not for real, not for real life. For real is K.K.K.

(4) Kanya-Kanyang Katwiran, Kanya-Kanyang kagustuhan. We all remember the

three monkeys; See no Evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Sometimes one wonders, if it
has become a national pastime, to see and hear and speak nothing, but evil against
our fellow-citizens. Talk can be a great service in a free nation: Talk is space for free
discussion, for intelligent debate, the exchange of information and perception, the
clash of views.

(5) Ninoy himself said: “We must criticize in order to be free, because we are free
only when we criticized.” We may not, at our own peril, forget that. But we must
remind ourselves that criticism is not an end in itself; it is not the absolute. It is
meant to help us to become free, but if it becomes the all-encompassing output of
our days, a way of life... so it takes up most of our energy, most of our time, when
we begin to take delight in tearing down, demoralizing, destabilizing; when we are at
each other’s throats all day long, then we really are engaged in self-destruction, and
the destruction of hope, the creation of despair, especially among the poor who
continue to suffer in our midst.

(6) There is a Latin saying: “Unicuique suum, non praevalebunt.” “Every man for
himself: That’s the formula for disaster.” When Ninoy spoke of “the quest for that
elusive national unity which is imperative for the nation’s survival”-he said
“survival”. He meant “survival”. How can we survive, as a nation and as a people, if
we have made the name of our national game as anarchic free-for-all in a “basket of
crabs?”

(7) K.K.K also means, we are told, Kanya Kanyang Kabig, Kanya-Kanyang
Kurakot. Surely I don’t need to dwell on this theme this morning. For weeks, the

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Enrichment Activity
What you
papers, radios, TV, have shouted nothing else. It is the talk of the marketplace. I
myself have spoken, often enough, of the 40 big thieves left behind in our midst, and
many many smaller ones which might include . . . even ourselves? Who among us
did not re-echo the sentiments and the work of the beloved Chino Roces when he
asked for a renewed moral order in government and society? It is a problem which
must be addressed, and addressed vigorously and unrelentingly.

(8) I am sure this will be increasingly done by our president, by consistent

personal example she has set a pattern for others to follow. I know she is bent on
pursuing the battle against corruption with ever more forceful and energetic action.
But we know, we know that she and those around her cannot do this all by
themselves. As citizens, we must go “into an action mode ourselves.” The task
cannot be done without us.

(9) We must begin, rather, where we can begin, with ourselves we must ask:
What can we do about it? What in our own heart, in our own attitudes, in our own
practices, must be changed? What sacrifices must we ourselves do to make a
positive contribution of deeds, to put under control this chronic illness in our
society, and in our culture?

(10) If all we do is talk and talk, and throw dirt at each other forgetting to mind
the ship and its engines, and steer it in mine-filled waters why, we will still be taking
and quarrelling when our ship goes down into the sea!

(11) If everyone in this church this morning, in Ninoy’s memory, pledge before the
Lord that for one year, “Bayan Muna, Bago ang Sarili”, would really be made an
operative guideline, could it not mark at least a beginning? If for one year, just to get
going, we would make the principle govern our deeds, our conduct in society, would
that not be smart already? How can we “dream the impossible dream” and promise
to follow the stars” if we have become too calloused to do even this?

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Assessment 4
Directions: React critically to the essay by answering the guide questions about the
text that you have read. Use a separate sheet for your answers.

Guide Questions Responses

Of the four versions of K.K.K., which do
you think, is most applicable to our
people and government today? Why?
In what ways is the motto, “Bayan
muna, bago ang sarili” a non-operative
ideal even today?
Would you agree with the Cardinal that
the saying, “Every man for himself” is a
“formula for disaster?
Who is Chino Roces? Is his call for a
moral order in 1988 still applicable
today?
Why must we begin change with
ourselves?
Given our socio-political problems
today, do you think “Bayan muna,
bago ang sarili” would be the best
motto that we can adopt to make us
transcend our selfish ways, our social
and political problems?

Deepen

At this point, you may use appropriate critical writing a critique. The scoring rubric
on the next page will be used in assessing your outputs.

What you need Paper

and pen
Notebook on 21st Century Literature for reference

What you have to do

1. Read the notes on critical approaches in writing a critique.
2. Understand what you are reading.
3. Choose one from the following articles that you have read in this module.
a. Review: ‘Heneral Luna’ Shows Human Side of Hero
b. “Dalagang Bukid” by Fernando Amorsolo
c. The Digital Divide: The Challenge of Technology and Equity

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 d. “Ang Bayan Muna Bago ang Sarili” Excerpts from the Homily of
Jaime Cardinal Sin at the mass celebrating the 5th death
anniversary of Ninoy Aquino)
4. Choose an approach which can be applied to your chosen article and
write a reaction paper.

Critical Approaches In Writing a Critique:

In your Literature subject, you have learned the literary approaches to criticism.
There are various ways or standpoints by which you can analyze or critique a certain
material. You can critique a material based on its technical aspects, its approach to
gender, your reaction as the audience, or through its portrayal of class struggle and
social structure. Let us learn more about these approaches which can be used in
writing a reaction paper, review or critique.

1. Formalism claims that literary works contain intrinsic properties and treats each
work as a distinct work of art. In short, it posits that the key to understanding a
text is through the text itself; the historical context, the author, or any other
external contexts are not necessary in interpreting the meaning. Following are
the common aspects looked into formalism:
a. author’s techniques in resolving contradiction within the work
b. central passage that sums up the entirety of the work
c. contribution of parts and the work as a whole to its aesthetic quality
d. relationship of the form and the content
e. use of imagery to develop the symbols in the work
f. interconnectedness of the various parts of the work
g. paradox, ambiguity, and irony in the work; unity in the work Questions
to answer when using the formalist approach:
• Who is the protagonist?
• What conflicts does the protagonist experience?
• What is the climax of the story?
• What is the protagonist’s role in the climax  How is the setting relevant for
this particular story?
• What is the theme of the story?
• How do character, plot and setting develop the story?
2. Feminism focuses on how literature presents women as subjects of socio
political, psychological and economic oppression. It also reveals how aspects of
our culture are patriarchal, i.e., how our culture views men as superior and
women as inferior. The common aspects looked into when using feminism are as
follows:
a. how culture determines gender
b. how gender equality (or lack of it) is presented in the text
c. how gender issues are presented in literary works and other aspects of
human production and daily life
d. how women are socially, politically, psychologically, and economically
oppressed by patriarchy
e. how patriarchal ideology is an overpowering presence
Questions to answer when using the feminist approach:

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 • What is the protagonist’s attitude to male and female characters?
• How is this evident?
• How does this affect your response to the characters?
• How are women represented in the text?
• What roles do men and women play within family, work situations, etc. (hero,
breadwinner, helper, cook, sex object)?
• What were the social and historical conditions for women in this period that
might help us understand their roles in the text?
• How do women exercise their power in the text?
• If you were to rewrite the text’s ending, what would happen to the female
protagonist? The male protagonist?
• How and to what degree are the women’s lives limited or restricted in this
text?
3. Reader - Response Criticism is concerned with the reviewers’ reaction as an
audience of a work. This approach claims that the reader’s role cannot be
separated from the understanding of the work; a text does not have meaning
until the reader reads it and interprets it. Readers are therefore not passive and
distant, but are active consumers of the materials presented to them. The
common aspects looked into when using reader-response criticism are as
follows:
a. interaction between the reader and the text in creating meaning
b. the impact of the reader’s delivery of sounds and visuals on enhancing and
changing meaning

Questions to answer when using the reader-response approach:

• How do you feel about this text? Why did you like/dislike it?
• Explain how the text connects to an experience you have had.
• Why do you think the characters acted as they did?
• In a similar situation, how would you have behaved?
• Who do you think is the intended reader for this selection?
• Create a poem, collage or letter to one of the characters in the text with whom
you most identify. Explain in your piece why you identify with this character

4. Marxist Criticism- is concerned with differences between economic classes and

implications of a capitalist system, such as the continuing conflicts between the
working class and the elite. Hence, it attempts to reveal that the ultimate source
of people’s experience is the socioeconomic system. The common aspects looked
into when using Marxist criticism are as follows:
a. social class as represented in the work
b. social class of the writer/ creator
c. social class of the characters
d. conflicts and interactions between economic classes
Questions to answer when using the Marxist approach:
• What or whose ideological values structure the text? How are these evident?
• Who has power (and of what sorts) in the texts? How does this power operate
and change as the text progresses?

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• What “master” or dominant social narratives are perpetuated or critiqued and
disrupted in the text? (e.g. the American Dream, whereby, with hard work
and individual effort, a poor person can achieve success)
• To what degree does the protagonist or other characters believe in and live by
the prevailing social order?
• At what point do characters recognize the oppressiveness of the prevailing
social order?
• How do they respond? What affects their options for changing things?
• How is social objectification evident and how does it operate in the text?
• What are the social forces that affect the author’s writing or the text’s
marketing and reception?

I am sure you have already chosen your article!

Enjoy writing! Good luck!

Reaction Paper: Rubric

Poor 1 Fair 2 Good 3 Excellent
point points points
4 points

Content Does not Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates

demonstrate limited comprehension mastery of core
comprehension comprehension of core content content in
of content in of content in in reading/video
reading/video reading/video reading/video and/ offers
and/or offers and/or offers and/ offers thoughtful
irrelevant superficial complete responses to
responses to responses to responses to reaction
reaction reaction reaction questions
questions questions questions

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 Format & Few Relationships Relationships Writer
Organization relationships among ideas among ideas expresses
between ideas are sometimes are assisted by relationships
are presented. clear, but transitions and among ideas;
conveyed logical careful and
inconsistently. progression of subtle
ideas. organization
enhances
effectiveness of
communication

Grammar, Errors in Errors in A small number Mastery of

Punctuation & grammar, grammar, of errors in grammar,
Spelling spelling, spelling, grammar, spelling,
mechanics mechanics spelling and mechanics
cause reader to distract or mechanics do enhances the
frequently stop interfere with not distract effectiveness of
reading. understanding. from the overall communication.
effectiveness of
the paper.

Total Points Earned: _______/12

Gauge
A. Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer from the box. Use a separate
sheet of paper for your answers.

A. Feminism C. Reader-response
B. Formalism D. Marxism

1. This criticism examines how women characters are portrayed, exposing the
patriarchal ideology implicit in the so-called classics, and demonstrating that
attitudes and traditions reinforcing systematic masculine dominance are
inscribed in the literary canon.

2. This criticism seeks to be objective in analysis, focusing on the work itself and
eschewing external considerations. It pays particular attention to literary devices
used in the work and the patterns these devices establish.
3. This criticism views literary works as a product of work and economics in
broadly historical terms.

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4. Which of the following critical approaches attempts to describe what happens in
the reader’s mind while interpreting a text?

5. Which of the following critical approaches emphasizes the role of class and
ideology as they reflect, propagate and even challenge the prevailing social
order?

6. Which of the following critical approaches views that no text provides

selfcontained meaning?

7. Identify the critical approach as reflected by the following question: How do the
characters fare against economic and political odds?

8. Identify the critical approach as reflected by the following question: What roles
do men and women assume and perform and with what consequences?

9. The audience reaction is very important with this type of literary criticism
approach?

10. In this approach in critiquing, the text is an independent entity.

B. Directions: Decide whether which of the approaches in literary criticism can be
applied in the following articles that you have previously analyzed in this module.
Enumerate at least two reasons why such critical approach is applicable to write a
critique about the said article. Fill out the table below. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Title of Article Critical Approach Reasons

1. Review: ‘Heneral 1.
Luna’ Shows Human Side 2.
of Hero
1.
2. “Dalagang Bukid” by
2.
Fernando Amorsolo

3. The Digital Divide: The 1.

Challenge of 2.
Technology and Equity
4. “Ang Bayan Muna 1.
Bago ang Sarili” Excerpts 2.
from the Homily of Jaime
Cardinal Sin at the mass
celebrating the 5th death
anniversary of Ninoy
Aquino)

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References
Printed Materials
Department of Education. (2016). Chapter 2: English for the Globalized Classroom
Series: English for Academic and Professional Purposes, (pp. 45-80). Pasig
City, Philippines

Department of Education. (2016). Unit 3: English for Academic and Professional

Purposes, English 11 Reader’s Guide (pp. 46-49). Pasig City, Philippines

Department of Education. (2016). Chapter 2: English for Academic and Professional

Purposes, English 11 Teacher’s Guide (pp. 26-61). Pasig City, Philippines

Saquoten, Grace M. et al. (2016). English for Academic and Professional Purposes.
Manila, Philippines: Rex Bookstore, Inc.

Website:
Dalagang Bukid.docx.-Dalagang Bukid 1958 Fernando Amorsolo: Retrieved May
17, 2019 from
https://www.coursehero.com/file/54750794/DalagangBukiddocx/

Jason Erni. (2015, June 2). Literary criticism: Retrieved January 6, 2020 from
https://www.slideshare.net/jaysonerni/literary-criticism-powerpoint

Literature Flashcards, Diagram, and Study Guides: Retrieved April 29, 2020 from
https://quizlet.com/topic/arts-and-humanities/english/literature/

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