2. TASKS FOR THIS BRIEF:
You need to read and respond to 3 different texts
1. An essay (Rowan Williams ‘Why we need Fairy Tales now more than ever’)
2. A press release for an Exhibition (Exhibition: Fairytale Fashion)
3. A Fairy Tale of your choice (or, there is one on Blackboard called ‘The Girl Without
Hands)
You need to read through this presentation and complete the tasks to help you
understand the different aspects of texts. We will look at ‘meaning’, ‘style’ and ‘context’.
You then need to fill out a question sheet for each text, writing in as much detail as you
can.
On slide 15 and 16, you are asked to ‘create a profile…’. You should use and fill in the
‘text in context sheet.
You can annotate directly onto the texts and you will need to hand these in, along with
your 3 question/ answer sheets. If you have any questions, please contact me over easter!
DO NOT WAIT until we get back. Hand in for this assignment is Wednesday 13th April. Can
I remind you that if you hand it in late and you have not met all the assessment criteria
listed on the question sheet, you will fail.
4. MEANING IN TEXTS
What does ‘meaning’ mean?
Texts can have meaning in different ways;
and
5. EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT
MEANING
Is where the meaning is
clearly and directly stated.
For example;
“The way we consume
fashion is unsustainable”
Is where meaning is
buried underneath. We
need to ‘read between the
lines’.
For example;
We consume fashion at a
fast pace and in a number
of different ways. This is
increasing year by year.
6. READ;
‘ROWAN WILLIAMS. WHY WE
NEED FAIRY TALES NOW MORE
THAN EVER’
Task 1;
Find examples of explicit meaning in the text. You can annotate straight on to the paper,
maybe you could use different colours for implicit and explicit.
Task 2;
Suggest what implicit meaning there might be in the text. Again, you can write directly onto
your paper.
7. WHAT IS A TEXTS PURPOSE?
To Describe... To Inform...
8. WHAT IS A TEXTS PURPOSE?
To Instruct... To Persuade...
9. INTERPRET:
‘ROWAN WILLIAMS. WHY WE
NEED FAIRY TALES NOW MORE
THAN EVER’
Task 3.
Decide what the purpose of the text is. Choose from the 4 given in the previous slide. It
may be more than one.
Task 4.
Underline 3 different parts of the text that support your choices.
11. BREAK-
GO AND FIND AND
PRINT A FAIRY TALE
OR FOLK TALE OF
YOUR CHOICE FROM
THE LIBRARY.
THERE MIGHT BE
FAIRY/ FOLK TALE
BOOKS THAT YOU
CAN PHOTOCOPY.
DON’T MAKE IT TOO
12. STYLE AND FORM
Writing style refers to the manner in which an author chooses to write to his or her
audience.
A style reveals both the writer's personality and voice, but it also shows how he or she
perceives the audience.
Language used; is
it suitable for the
audience? Is the
language
complicated?
Simple?
Verbs? Are there
lots of ‘doing’
words?
Adjectives- does
the writer
‘describe’ a lot.
We need
to refer
back to
the
purpose
Are words repeated
again and again to
make a point?
Are the sentences
long?
Or short and to the
point?
Is it written in the
first person? ‘I’
Do we hear the
writers voice?
Opinions?
Look at question 3 on your Q&A sheet
Does the writer
make us see
particular ‘images’
through their
language?
14. So what is context?
-When the text was written
-What the society was like at
the time the text was written
-What or who influenced the
writer
-What political or social
influences there would have
been
-When the text was written
and when it was set may also
have an important part to play
in what is written.
15. WORKING IN
PAIRS
Look at the ‘Text in Context’ sheet on
blackboard. Create a profile for the Rowan
Williams’ text to explore any social,
historical or cultural contexts that might
change the meaning of the text.
For example, might different audiences
read it differently? Is Rowan Williams
coming from a certain point of view?
16. NOW DO THE
SAME FOR
YOUR CHOICE
OF FAIRY TALE
Create a profile for your fairy/ folk tale so
that you can think about the social,
political and cultural context that it was
written in. Would the message from the
tale be different then?
Find out as much as you can in 15
minutes.
