Tech6_A-Text Modes and Passage Rating.pdf

Brief Definitions of Text Modes

Orientation Mode (Main Ideas): Level 1 texts contain short, discrete, simple (occasionally compound) sentences, whose vocabulary and structure are simple and whose ordering of information may prove quite loose. Often re-ordering is possible, both within sentences and within paragraphs.

Moreover, information is not tightly packed and consequently words may be deleted without drastically altering meaning. Passages at this level may still be supported by context.

Instructive Mode (Main Ideas + Supporting Facts, Details): Level 2 texts contain complex sentences, verbal times other than the present, and, in news articles, densely packed information. Vocabulary grows more topic-specific, and organization begins to reflect target language types. Often less obvious, but more pervasive, is shaping—the subtle choosing of material, of ordering, and of interpretative comment on the author’s part. Author assumes some shared target language culture as background.

Evaluative Mode: (Main Ideas, Supporting Facts, Details & Inferences):

Level 3 texts often treat the abstract, and the language itself reflects this through abstract formulations. Texts may present author-intended inference, hypothesis, and suasion, with the author often intending that the reader evaluate the material presented. At this level information-packing may yield to stylistics, inference and occasionally emotional aspects of the author’s message. Shaping is evident as the target-language orderings, which may deviate markedly from those of America English expository prose. The author assumes that readers share much target culture as background.

Projective Mode (The Above Often Expressed Through Unpredictable Turns of Thought): Level 4 texts demonstrate the author’s virtuosity with language, often mixing registers (formal and informal, etc.), achieving subtlety and nuance, frequently evincing tone (irony, humor, etc.), cogently persuading and generally challenging the reader to follow unpredictable turns of thought. Language achieves a high level of abstraction, and author’s shaping and organization are clearly evident. Author assumes reader shares target language culture at a high level. Choice of vocabulary, idioms, and structure proves so highly appropriate that attempts at substitution produce nuances not intended by the author.

Addendum to Child’s Text Modes

Child’s four-level (ILR Levels1-4) hierarchy of text modes operates with a ladder that ranges from socialization to individuation. Factoring in Clifford &

Lowe’s (Level 0+) and Clifford’s (Level 5) additions: at the lowest levels, Level

0+ (Clifford’s Formulaic/Lowe’s Enumerative Mode) and Level 1 (Child’s

Orientation Mode), one is not interested in who the author is. These are signs and news notes that provide general information for society as a whole. Even at Level

2 (Instructive Mode), the author is usually unknown, and the identity of the author is often not important to the reader. Occasionally, an Instructive piece carries a byline. By Level 3 (the Evaluative Mode), individuation begins to play a role.

Many Level 3 texts carry bylines; that is, we want to know who the author is, who organized this information, who shaped the whole, who brought the specific focus to bear on this piece. At Level 4 (the Projective Mode), the author is obviously present. In fact, many/most texts at this level start in such a way that it is at least initially impossible to state the topic, because its introduction is not straightforward. At Level 5 (Clifford’s Special Purpose Mode), texts are clearly highly individuated. Other designations for this level are “highly individuated,”

“highly esthetic,” “highly original.” The author’s hand is obviously evident.