Module 5: Working with written and visual texts

Reading 1:

readers need to know about the structures, codes and conventions of texts
also need to know that texts are social
need to study texts in context and as social artefacts
need to be aware of intertextuality and increasingly hybrid nature of texts as technology impacts on the production and consumption of texts

whatever purpose (personal, political, economic, entertainment, etc etc) texts are deliberately created to be used
influenced by cultural, social, structural and linguistic conventions, and creator consciously chooses how to apply elements of these influences to suit the purpose
texts may be further influenced by other factors involved in publication (eg constraints of online publishing, processes of print publishing, marketing etc)
may use techniques to manipulate reader experience such as omission of information, bias, visual trickery

readers actively build meaning as they interact with text
personal background knowledge, culture, language and current context are influences
different readers thus have a different experience of the same text
lack of necessary prior knowledge, culture, language etc may exclude some readers from understanding texts

parody, visual structure, mixing recognisable characteristics of various texts
for the reader to make the intended meaning from a text they need to be able to understand the references to other texts whether it is through style, language, visual or audio allusion (eg the Jaws DA-dum means nothing to someone who has never heard of the scary shark movie – it is just a silly noise with no connotations of fear)

dependent upon how the author constructs the text, and the interpretation brought by the reader

make meanings “using codes and conventions of oral, written and multimedia texts”
may rely upon codes such as auditory, gestural, linguistic, spatial, visual
hypertext, multimedia or context-dependent texts may require use of multiple codes at the same time

texts may require use of several modes of communication at the same time eg listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing – for instance a blog may host pictures, videos, podcasts as well as text, and invite reader commentary
may be able to be used in a non-sequential, non-linear way (Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books; onlien hypertext)

texts will change as social conventions and available technology change
readers will need to be increasingly flexible to deal with changes
print-based literacy will not die, but will need to be applied as part of a fluid toolkit

Intertextuality – something I encounter a lot when working with picture books; many writers are influenced by traditional tales or genre conventions

that the environmental context is sometimes necessary to understand a text. Working in a library I forget that signage, plaques outside display areas, PA announcements are all examples of texts that make more sense in a particular physical environment

ways in which we can leverage the diversity of cultural and linguistic backgrounds in our classes to enrich our students’ experiences of reading – especially in my role of helping students to read for pleasure and to read for information-finding.