"Drugs or Guns"

The article focuses on the rising issue in South Africa that is drugs or guns. The government didn't know the priority between to buy the guns or drugs that can save their peoples.
The South Africa government faces two legal cases challenging its priorities. However, the government does not show their effort in preventing HIV positive among pregnant women in South Africa. The government invest a lot of money for weapons but not on medication.
Then, the article comes from the Times magazine on December 10, 2001 by Hawthorne Peter, pages 54-55. This article also designed to inform the public about two legal cases that might affects the public and makes the government faces huge lost profits of the country itself.
Apart from that, the writer stance is negative and condemn the government and also describe the issue specifically to the two legal cases that had been faced by South African government.In this article, it is clearly shown by the fact that the government misused the power that been given by the citizen by using that money in illegal way and involved corruption and forget about the welfare of their citizen.
Then, the writer also describe the government as those who take advantages with the citizen trust by using their money to buy weapons using the public money for their own benefits. Lastly, the impact of the article was very effective and people will know about the current issue. the audience also will aware after been warn in the article.

DIETING..

The article of “Dieting” is about the diet that wants to be practice by the modern people. To be precise, this article covers a wide range of current issue relating to the phenomenon of weight control.

This issue also relating to the physical and mental health, as well as the part played by commercial providers of weight loss products. In this article, the writer also stated the myths of overweight that was totally ineffective. Then, the writer want to inform and also want to warn to readers that they should not believe the claims made by commercially- driven product providers.

There are many side effects if the people try to practice dieting in a wrong way such as bulimia, depression and etc. The writer also stated some advice to the overweight such as eating only when hungry and fitness vs. fatness. Apart from that, the writer stance for this article is highly critical. The consumers are cast as victims, unable to resist the pressure to be dissatisfied with their own bodies. Peoples should accept our natural weight and need to practice healthy lifestyle. Lastly, this article is very good by educate people about dieting. In fact, dieting doesn’t work, and maybe ad for health.

Reading 5.4 “Metaphor.”

Reading 5.4 “Metaphor.” In this topic, the writer focuses more on explaining the relationship between the writer’s choice of metaphor and how these choices may influence the readers. Before that, the meaning of metaphor is a description of something as if it were something else with which it shares some common qualities.
In the presentation also, the presenter explained that the framework Lee develops includes the roles of metaphor in language, the effect of metaphor on the reader and the interests and motivations that leads to the use of certain metaphor.
Other than that, he points illustrated using a range of texts, including a detailed analysis of the role of metaphor in the discourse associated with nuclear weapons or ‘nukespeak’. Apart from that, the presenter also able to come out with relevant examples and told to the audience that the metaphor we choose, however are reflections of both our personal and cultural perspectives. Thus, the choice of metaphorical language in a text can help us understand the writer’s perspective and ideology. Lastly, overall, the presentation was good and the slides were effective.

Reading 5.3 “Types of Exposition: Persuading that and Persuading to”

Reading 5.3 “Types of Exposition: Persuading that and Persuading to”. In this chapter, the writer, Martin focuses on a type of text he terms ‘exposition’. The characteristic feature of these texts is that they attempt to justify something to provide reasons to support some thesis. In the presentation also, the presenter told about the two types of exposition based on differences in the purposes they achieve. The two types of exposition are ‘analytical’ and ‘hortatory’ expositions.
Other than that, the presenter explained that the former attempt to persuade the recipient that something is true while the letter try to persuade the recipient to do something. Then, the presenter told the audience about what are analytical and hortatory expositions.
Analytical expositions are often associated with academic speaking and writing, while hortatory expositions include texts such as political speeches, letters to editor and office memos designed to change employee behavior. In this chapter also, the writer include about reasoning, personality and metaphor. Lastly, the presentation was quite good but the presenters not come out with the relevant examples to relate with this topic.

Reading 4.5 “Crooked and Fallacious Thinking.”

Reading 4.5 “Crooked and Fallacious Thinking.” This chapter argues that crooked and fallacious thinking is not only evidence of illogical mental processes and poor communication skill but is also a manipulative tool in the hands of the writer wishing to influence and affects the judgments of their readers. In this topic also, the presenter explained the subtopic that covers the topic, which are transfer device, circular arguments, false analogy, equivocation and either or assumption. Then, the presenter also told how this topic could relate with critical literacy. Crooked and fallacious thinking can be lead to misunderstand between writer and readers. Other than that, it is important to be able to interrogate the logic contained in the arguments in a text. Lastly, overall, the presentation was quite good and the presenter was come out with relevant examples.

Reading 4.4 “Statistic.”

Reading 4.4 “Statistic.” This chapter is concerned with the use and misuse of statistics and intended to caution readers into a more informed response to texts that link figures. The presenter also explained about the four common statistical slips, which are unqualified averages, fallacious sampling, percentages unaccompanied by actual numbers and misleading presentation. In the presentation, the presenter also stated about the important of statistics. The important of statistics in human affairs is obvious from our tendency to associate facts closely with figures. Lastly, using statistics is more efficient and will make the audience or the readers more understand about the topic rather than use long complex sentences. Overall, the presentation quite good but presenters were too shy to present.

Reading 4.3 “What is the Evidence.”

Reading 4.3 “What is the Evidence.” This chapter is concerned with the issue of evidence. It begins with the famous case of the kidnapping of the infant son of Charles Lindbergh and examines the evidence, wholly circumstantial, that led to the conviction and execution of Bruno Hauptmann. From the presentation, the presenter explained that there have two types of evidence, which are circumstantial, and testimonial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is about some particular case does not have any eye witnessed and the evidence just based on findings. While testimonials evidence is when there was any alibi for some particular moment of the case. Although there have any some arguments but if we have the evidence, there are no arguments anymore. The probabilities depend upon and not demand absolute certainty. Lastly, the presentation was good and the presenters manage to make their audience understand what they want to say.

Reading 3.4 “Speech and Speaker: the formation of individuals in discourse and genre”.

Reading 3.4 “Speech and Speaker: the formation of individuals in discourse and genre”. According to this chapter, the writer, Kress shows how texts construct particular identities for their readers through a process called positioning. Other than that, the presenter also explained about how the writer illustrates how texts induct readers into particular value system, as well as certain norms and modes of behaviors. Then, the presentation also was included about “ideal reader”, “subject position”, “reading position” and “construction”. Actually, according to Kress, genres similarly to construct reading position and each genre constructs positions or roles which the participants in the genres occupy. Lastly, the presentation was quite good and they manage to come out with relevant examples.

Reading 3.3 “A Linguistic Perspective”

Reading 3.3 “A Linguistic Perspective”. The chapter is all about the linguistic tools that readers need to enable to recognize certain global or key elements of a text. These elements also have technical names such as “genre”, “field”, “tenor” and “ideology”. Other than that, according to this chapter, the writer, Wignell’s aims is to discover as much as he can about the elements of the language. So that, it is means that we can dig out the ideology that exist or may be exist behind the text. The presenter also show the example that the writer use which is sample text are passages from school text book used by students doing junior secondary commerce courses. Lastly, overall the presentation was quite good.

Reading 2.3 “Text and Textualities”.

Reading 2.3 “Text and Textualities”. The central idea of this chapter is that the texts are always socially constructed to have certain meanings. Apart from that, the presenter also explains about that we can learn a great deal about a society by examining its customs as well as its verbal and visuals texts. For example, by analyzing the choices and pattern in a text, we can uncover attitudes and beliefs that motivate social actions. The presenter chooses Dunhill advertisement as an example. To analyze a text like this one, we have to move between a text’s paradigmatic and syntagmatig. Other than that, the presentation also included about the myths. Myths and values are never ultimately fixed in meaning. Lastly, overall the presentation was good and the group manages to cover all the subtopic although they have no slide provided.

Reading 2.2 “Language, Perspective, Ideology”.

Reading 2.2 “Language, Perspective, Ideology”. According to the presentation, the writer of this article explains a set of key terms, including the perspective and ideology. The presenters also give the meaning of ideology which is the belief of system and outlook of a particular group of people. Secondary, they show how these notions are connected to the choices made by the writers in the construction of text. By clarifying these connections, he aims to show how the careful reading of text can reveal the ideology assumption which informs their production. Other than that, the presenters also show the comparison between the two newspapers which took events in South Africa. The comparison shows the language that they use and their perspective. Then, the ideology also relating to the way and for example, language has developed over time. Lastly, the presentation was quite good but need to improve their skill of presentation.

Reading 1.3 “Rules and Regulations”.

Reading 1.3 “Rules and Regulations”. In this chapter, Roger Fowler and Gunther Kress show how common and apparently benign text can serve regulatory function. In other words, they can control and manipulate readers in their belief and actions. Then, the presenters also tell about the rules, the ways that they are written, enable those who frame them to control those to whom they are directed. In the presentation also, they tell about the argument that by understanding how texts can exert control over our lives, we can better defend our interests against their influence. Lastly, what can I conclude in this presentation, they manage to make the audience understand this topic. They also come out with relevant and good explanations and examples.

Reading 1.2 "Stories and Facts"

Reading 1.2 “Stories and Facts” was explores the relationship between the function and form of different types of writing. According to the presentation, what can I conclude is, the chapter was focuses more on forms of factual writing like description, recount, procedure, and report in writing for and buy children in order to illustrate the link between for and purpose. There are also some procedures of writing such as procedures often contain instructions and procedures writing is the closest type of factual writing to narrative. In the presentation also, they tell about the sexism and factual writing. Lastly, overall the presentation was good but they need provide more examples to make the audience understand more about the topic.

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL LITERACY

The introduction unit was introducing about the whole new way of approaching a text critically. The focus of this unit is on the text as a product that is produced by someone, for someone else and for a particular purpose. The most important elements in critical literacy are being able to frame a text according to some elements such as topic, content, source, audience, rhetorical function, purpose, perspective, positioning, impact and visual literacy. All the elements were very important to make the particular context can be easily understand. For an example, in the article, “Convicted Killer”, the students need to recognize the article according to the elements. This means, the students able to put a frame around a piece of writing and recognize that it has been produced in a particular context and has been motivated by particular needs. Lastly, there are more advantages to know all the elements of critical literacy because we can know more about the article.