Year 7 Comparing Texts

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Compare the text structures and language features of multimodal texts, explaining how
they combine to influence audiences (ACELY1724)
Activity 1 Stepping into the Muggle World
Students will read the article TXT Spelling: The end of formal education then watch Text-speak: language
evolution or just laziness? Students create a Venn-diagram poster identifying the similarities and differences on
what the video and article is about, discuss what language features and texts structures these sources used to
influence the audience. Students will then create a Cartoon story about how these language features and
sources were used to influence the intended audience.

Activity 2 Hermione and Ron: true love or destruction?
You are a reporter for the Muggle news Channel 9. You have just received the following news that J K
Rowling regrets marring Hermione Granger to Ron Weasley, that in fact Hermione should have married Harry
Potter. The producers at Channel 9 are unsure whether to agree with J K Rowlings update or dispute that
the romantic final of Harry, Ginny, Hermoine and Ron, as originally stated in the novels, will always be true.
In two groups you have been asked by the producers to create a news segment on the iPads, one agreeing
with Rowling, the other disagreeing. You must record your news report using supporting language, imagery
and body language to successfully persuade the viewers on your given argument. Based on these reports, the
producers will select the most persuasive segment to run as the feature story tonight!

Activity 3 Letters to Dumbledore
Students will read two articles each reporting on a 15-year-old girl who tragically lost her family in a shooting,
and quoted her favourite Harry Potter book at their funerals. The two provided articles were sourced from a
mothers blog site and from the Washington Post Online. Students are required to analyse the language and
text features visible in each text and discuss why and how each text has been written for different audiences.
Definitions
Text Structures is the organisation of information by authors to enable readers to recognise the meaning of the
text. Every text type has a specific structure depending on the purpose of the text. Meaning is created
through the use of chapter headings, titles, introductory and concluding paragraphs, indexes and sequencing.
Language Features: A major function of language is to enable interaction. Through language we construct
particular roles and relationships. This type of language is referred to as the interpersonal function of language.
Interpersonal function of language is how language is used to create and maintain relationships, develop identities,
express opinions and engage the views of others. Students are to be able to use language effectively to interact
with a range of people.
Multimodal texts are texts which combine 2 or more semiotic systems. These systems include:
1. Linguistic features such as oral and written language;
2. Visual features such as colours, still and moving images;
3. Audio features such as music, sound effects, pitch and volume;
4. Gestural features such as facial and body expression, and;
5. Spacial features such as position, layout and organisation of objects (Anstey & Bull, 2010).