Transcript belonging and not belonging…

HOW TO SUMMARISE A TEXT IN
ENGLISH…
The smart way…
W H E R E TO S TA R T ? ?
• Don’t waste your time on aspects of the text that are not
relevant to the “topic” or module you’re doing
• You should look for evidence from each of your texts which
fit with the ideas and focus of your “topic” or module.
• Your summary / research / analysis of a text is as simple
as 1, 2, 3!
1 = locate
2 = select
3 = organise
FOR EXAMPLE – IMAGINE THAT YOUR TOPIC IN ENGLISH IS CALLED
“PERCEPTIONS OF POWER AND AUTHORITY”
• You will “study” (not just read) the set-text to find all the different ways that
“POWER AND AUTHORITY” is shown in:
 THE CHARACTERS – who is powerful? Who is powerless?
 THE EVENTS – which show power over powerlessness?
 THE SETTING – how does the setting(s) cause the powerful groups
to stay powerful? Does the setting keep group powerless?
 THE OPINIONS OF THE COMPOSER - about those in power and those
who are powerless?
 THE RESPONSES FROM THE RESPONDER – how do you (and others)
in different times and places feel about the perceptions of “power
and authority” shown in the set text?
*Perception = insight – view – opinion – attitude – awareness
LOCATE
1. Get some post-it notes
2. Copy each of the main ideas about your topic onto separate
post-it notes
• The characters – who is powerful? Who is
powerless?
• The events – which show power over
powerlessness?
• The setting – how does the setting(s) cause
the powerful groups to stay powerful? Does
the setting keep group powerless?
• The opinions of the composer - about those
in power and those who are powerless?
• The responses from the responder – how do
you (and others) in different times and places
feel about the perceptions of “power and
authority” shown in the set text?
LOCATE
1. As you study / explore your text… locate the best-matched
quotation (in your text) to fit your different post-its
2. “post” each post-it note on the evidence you have located – in the
text itself.
Your English novels, poetry, nonfiction and even your visual texts
should be filled with post it notes!
SELECT
How are the character’s
perceptions about Power
and Authority shown?
Pg ____
“…………………………………
…………………………………
…………………………………
………”
SELECT
• The following pages have some examples
(from the English Syllabus) which could be
written as headings (statements) for each
of your post-it notes.
• There are many more headings
(statements) that you could use–
depending on the focus of your task / topic
/ module.
SELECT
• The SELECT step is the tricky bit!
• You have to decide which are the best
“headings” you need on your post-its
• You choose your “post-it” headings – depending
on your assessment task question.
• Don’t over-do the headings – too many headings
will mean too many chances to miss the whole
point of your assessment task
• Just stick to the ideas that you need – the right
“headings” will match the ideas in your
assessment task – and you will succeed!
• HOW ARE DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS
ABOUT POWER AND AUTHORITY
SHOWN IN THE TEXT?
You will look for…
•
•
•
•
Personal context – identity / being / individuality /
appearance / hobbies
Cultural context – customs / leisure activities / work ethic
Historical context – time and place / political era / war:peace
/ pre:post colonial
Social context – rich : poor / educated : uneducated / social
status / manners / language style / leisure activities /
appearance
• HOW DOES YOUR TEXT SHOW ATTITUDES
ABOUT POWER AND AUTHORITY GROWING
FROM DIFFERENT GROUPS IN SOCIETY:
You will look for close
and/or distant
relationships among:
• People
• Places
• Groups
• Communities
• The larger world
• DOES YOUR TEXT EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY
OF THOSE IN POWER AND AUTHORITY
IMPROVING A COMMUNITY OR GROUP?
DOES IT SHOW THE IDEA THAT THOSE IN
POWER BREAK-DOWN A COMMUNITY OR
GROUP?
• DOES YOUR TEXT EXPLORE THE
OPPORTUNITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO
CHALLENGE (AND OPPOSE) THE POWERFUL
COMMUNITY OR GROUP?
DO DIFFERENT NARRATIVE VOICES
(CHARACTERS) REVEAL DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES ABOUT POWER AND AUTHORITY
IN DIFFERENT PLACES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
DOES YOUR TEXT REPRESENT:
•
AN INDIVIDUAL’S CHOICE NOT TO BE IN A
POSITION OF POWER OR AUTHORITY?
•
BARRIERS WHICH PREVENT AN
INDIVIDUAL’S CHOICE TO BE IN A POSITION
OF POWER OR AUTHORITY?
• HOW DOES YOUR TEXT SHOW THAT VIEWS OF
POWER AND AUTHORITY CAN BE CREATED
THROUGH A VARIETY OF:
LANGUAGE MODES – written /spoken/visual
FORMS – free-verse / autobiographical / fiction
FEATURES – metaphors / imagery / etc…
STRUCTURES – verse / prose /
• THE RESPONDER EXPERIENCES AND
UNDERSTANDS THE IDEAS ABOUT POWER AND
AUTHORITY BY:
•
•
•
•
relating to the text
being separated from the text
understanding the world that the text
represents
having no understanding of the world that the
text represents
• RESPONSES TO YOUR TEXT ARE PREJUDICED
(biased) BY THE WAYS DIFFERENT
VIEWPOINTS ABOUT POWER AND AUTHORITY
ARE:
• given a voice, or
• absent from the text
EXAMPLE – Wild Cat Falling* By Mudrooroo
HOW DOES Wild Cat Falling* SHOW ATTITUDES ABOUT
POWER AND AUTHORITY IN DIFFERENT GROUPS IN
SOCIETY:
Mudrooroo uses hyperbole, sarcasm
and imagery in “…pay good cash to
see the glorious fakery of blown up
life from the United States of
Utopia…” to show the persona’s
cynical attitude towards the
powerful influence of the US culture
in contemporary Australia.
2
1
3
EXAMPLE – Wild Cat
Falling* By Mudrooroo
“…pay good cash to see the glorious
fakery of blown up life from the United
States of Utopia…” (Wild Cat Falling,
HOW DOES Wild Cat
Falling* SHOW
ATTITUDES ABOUT
•
Hyperbole / Sarcasm / Imagery /
personal context
good cash to see the glorious fakery
•
Mocks the stereotype that in the
USA – everything is bigger and
better!
of blown up life from the United
IN DIFFERENT GROUPS
IN SOCIETY:
•
Mudrooroo)
POWER AND AUTHORITY
The persona’s cynical attitude
positions the audience to challenge
(oppose) the powerful influence of
US culture in Australia
Mudrooroo uses hyperbole,
sarcasm and imagery in “…pay
States of Utopia…” to show the
persona’s cynical attitude towards
the powerful influence of the US
culture in contemporary Australia.