Week 2

Types of Texts and Their Functions

Generally, for all the modules students study at university we want students to be able to read the texts with full understanding. The purpose of including the main textbook in a course is usually, as a first objective, informative in nature. This kind of text you usually have to study and know. We, therefore, want students to study and remember specific information about concepts, theories, etc. from such texts. Furthermore, an important outcome of all the courses at university, is that students should be able to apply the theory they have learnt in real-life situations. It is, therefore, crucial that you make sure that you understand (and know) the theory in order to apply it practically.    

Supplementary texts are other relevant texts (usually books and articles) that may be reserved in the library or put on eFundi, that you are expected to read for a specific purpose (often for additional information or another point of view on a specific issue) as the course progresses. Even though the study guide may sometimes state that you could read these sources if you want to attain a broader understanding of some or another issue, the more you read about specific issues in your field of study, the easier it would become to contextualise and understand new information you want to acquire. Basically, the more you know about your field of study, the stronger your background knowledge will become and the quicker you will be able to learn new things. 

Apart from reading and understanding specific types of texts, you need to keep in mind that you will also be required to produce (write) specific types of academic texts. For example, in tests and examinations, you will be asked to answer questions to see if you know the theory, but you will also be asked questions to see whether you can apply the theory to real-life situations. In assignments, the same issues will usually be tested in a more integrated manner. This means that we want to see whether you can apply concepts and theory but also whether you can find relevant additional information on a specific topic from other sources of information and integrate such information into a longer, written academic assignment that often takes the form of an argumentative text. The production of academic texts will be focused on and discussed in detail later in the module.

Basic Functions of a Text

The function of a text refers to that which the text aims to achieve. Different texts do different things. The type of texts therefore depends on their purpose, structure and language features (the text function).

There are six functions of texts:

Narration:  A narrative is a chronological breakdown of events. It answers the questions ‘What happened?’, ‘Where and when did this happen?’, ‘Who was involved?’ and ‘What was the cause?’.

 Description: The purpose of a description is to provide detailed and objective information. Emotionally charged language is avoided. Descriptions do not evaluate, interpret or argue, and often take the form of factual claims without involving theoretical insights.

Explanation: Explanations are used when more illustrative (explanatory) information is required, such as to do interpretations and analyses. Explanations often appear after descriptions. In many academic articles, the ‘Findings’ section is followed by a section called ‘Discussion’ or ‘Analysis of findings’, where the researcher attempts to explain what the data has revealed.

Discussion: A discussion is closely related to an explanation, and the two are often combined. A discussion differs from an explanation, however, in the sense that a discussion usually incorporates a value judgement based on a critical evaluation. Facts, evidence and reservations are logically set out.

Classification: When similar things are grouped together, the author is busy with classification. Classification is frequently presented in a table, although this is not always the case. Often, the way in which authors classify facts and information reveals an ideological or theoretical premise.

Comparison: Comparison entails that similarities and dissimilarities between people, things, actions, or states of affairs are identified.

Different types of texts

There are three types of articles that are important to know about:

• Research article: A research article presents the findings of original research done by an author/group of authors.

• Review article: A review article presents a summary of the recent findings on a subject and includes existing articles and studies instead of conducting a new study.

• Opinion article: An article presenting an academic perspective or opinion about a particular matter, based on research done. It is an informed opinion as it is based on research, but it does not have the status of an unbiased presentation of the facts and may be influenced by the author’s personal opinion on the matter (it can often be deduced from the title, which hints at a particular point of view). Opinion articles are often included as editorials in academic books or journals and are not always peer-reviewed.

Text structure

Regardless of the type of text you're writing – whether it's a narrative, an argument, a report, or even an email – there's a common underlying structure. This generally involves a beginning (introduction), a middle (development of ideas/ body), and an end (conclusion). Understanding text structure helps you not only write more effectively, but also read more critically, recognising how authors organise their thoughts.

Before you used to dive into an assignment and scribble away (some of us refer to this as "gorrel" - as in the Afrikaans word for gargle). In university it works very different.  Before you just start writing an assignment, you need to draw up a structured process for completing your assignment.  Why?  Because this will ensure that your output will adhere to academical standards.  The first thing you need to do is a "task analysis". Task analysis entails the process you need to follow to be sure of what exactly is expected of you as a student (in terms of both content and actions), when you complete assignments or answer questions. 

In other words, after completing a task analysis you should be able to answer the question "what is it that you must do".  Once you know and more importantly understand what it is that is expected of you, your ability to answer questions and complete assignments will improve.  Not only in content but also in action.