Reading and Writing

• Context


  There is always an inspiration behind the writing of a text, and often, it leaves clues about the situation or the reality that served as the backdrop of the text. This backdrop, this situation, this reality is known as the context of the text.
• Context in non-fiction writing

  • Stick to the facts
  • Portray reality as it is
  • Conduct extensive research using scholarly references
  • Represent several perspectives by citing different sources
• Context in fiction writing

  • Integrate context into the tale
  • Make the tale relevant to human and worldly reality
• Hypertext


  According to K. Amaral (2010), hypertextuality is simply a non-linear way of presenting information. Rather than reading or learning about things in the order that an author, or editor, or publisher sets out for us, readers of hypertext may follow their own path, create their own order their own meaning out the material.
• Intertextuality techniques

  • Retell
  • Allusion
  • Quotation
  • Acknowledge
• Browsing


  Retrieve information by association/links/backtracks
• Searching


  Retrieve information by content
• URL

  Uniform Resource Locator, the address of a resource that can be accessed
• Hypertext 


  This is accomplished by creating “links” between information. These links are provided so that readers may “jump” to further information about a specific topic being discussed (which may have more links, leading each reader off into a different direction).
• Hypertext 


  -“a loose web of free association” (general link) Michael Riffaterre
• Intertext 


  Building a “structured network” (specific connection) to keep the reader on tract towards the correct interpretation. (Riffaterre M, 2010)
• Intertext

  from latin word intertexto which means “to intermingle while weaving”
• Text

  Biographical context, Societal context, Historical context, Psychological context, Political context, Cultural context
• Links


  -are gateway to connect or associate information not limited to text or documents( may also incorporate forms other multimedia-shapes, of pictures, sounds, and videos-HYPERMEDIA
• 3 main Benefits of hypertext

  1. Promotes dialogue 2. Can be constructed as a collaborative medium. 3. Can be used in computer- facilitated instruction.
• Thus, in reading with hypertext, you are given more flexibility and personalization because you get to select the order in which you read the text focus on information that is relevant to your background and interests.
• 2 Key Elements of Hypertext

  a. Browsing -retrieve information by association/links/backtracks. b. Searching - retrieve information by content. • Construct indexes of URLs

  • Search by keywords /description of page
• URLs


  Uniform Resource Locator(the address) -Resource is something that can accessed (file, media, blog/site,etc.)
• Reasoning 


  an act of giving statements for justification and explanation. It is the ability of someone to defend something by giving out reasons.
• Critical Reading 


  is a technique for discovering information and ideas within a text. Refers to a careful, active, reflective, analytic reading. In actual practice, critical reading and critical thinking work together. Can be defined as the process of understanding, questioning, and evaluating a text, which is carried out actively and consciously, in order to well assess the accuracy and validity of a writer’s ideas.
• Counterclaim is the opposition you make about the claim of a writer.
• A hedge is a word or phrase that minimizes negative impact of a criticism.
• Hedges could come in different forms such as:

  • Modals – may, could, would, etc. • Frequency adverbs – usually, generally, commonly • Probability adverbs – probably, possibly, presumably
• The following are the characteristics of good evidence:

  • unified; • relevant to the central point; • specific and concrete; • accurate; and • representative or typical.
• Evidence can include the following:

  • facts and statistics (objectively validated information on your subject); • opinion from experts (leading authorities on a topic, like researchers or academics); and • personal anecdotes (generalizable, relevant, and objectively considered).