General Concept of a Text

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2.2 Review of Theoretical Background

This sub-title is related to the topic of discussion that consists of the general concept of text, general concept of descriptive text, general concept of writing, steps in writing, objectives of teaching English in junior high school, media in teaching language, the use of photograph as media, and the use of leaflet as media.

2.2.1 General Concept of a Text

What is a text? We live in a world of words. When these words are put together to communicate a meaning, a piece of text is created. When you speak or write to communicate a message, you are constructing a text. When you read, listen to, or view a piece of text you are interpreting its meaning Anderson, M. and K. Anderson, 1997: 1. Then, Derewianka 1990: 17 stated that a text is any meaningful stretch of language, oral or written. Nevertheless, of course, not all texts are the same, and a functional model of language tries to describe the ways in which they differ. Each text has its own characteristics and functions .A functional model of language tries to describe in what ways they differ. It is interested in what language choices are more likely to result in an effective text, which achieves its purposes. In addition, Macken 1991:8, said that texts are determined by genre and other semiotic systems which are part of the context of culture and register the meanings associated with the context situation- field, mode, and tenor. Field is the register variable focusing on what is going on the social activity, with 13 subject matters as a special instance when texts are describing rather than being part of these activities. It is the subject matter of the text. Then, Mode is the register variable focusing on how the language relates to its context: is the text monologic or dialogic and is it part of what is going on? e.g. the talk during football training, or constitutive of what is going on? e.g. a news story on the week-end’s fixtures it is the channel of communication being used; written or spoken. Moreover, tenor is the register variable focusing on interpersonal relationship: status relations, degree of familiarity and attitudes. It is the relationship between the participants: speakerlistener; writerreader. Furthermore, Halliday and Hasan 1984:6 states that text is language that functional, means language is doing job in some context. Thus, many instance of living language that is playing some part in context of situation we shall call a text.

2.2.2 General Concept of Descriptive Text