Task

Task 1: Getting to Know Analytical Exposition Texts (M1 LA3 Part 1)

Instructions
In this activity, you will have to read two analytical exposition texts. Make necessary notes of their key features. It
may facilitate you in doing the other tasks. Enjoy it.

Text 1

In Australia there are three levels of government, federal government, state governments, and the local
governments. All of these levels of government are necessary. This is so for a number of reasons.

First, the federal government is necessary for big things. They keep the economy in order and look after things
like defense. International affairs are also important to handle. For example, they carry out mutual collaboration
with other nations in the world.

Similarly, the state governments look after the middle sized things. For example, they look after law and order,
preventing things like vadalism in schools. Crimes occurring in a particular state need quick and instant solution.
This will take long time if they are handled by the federal government.

Finally, the local governments look after the small things and daily matters. They look after things like collecting
rubbish, otherwise everyone would have diseases.

Thus, for the reasons above we can conclude that the three levels of government are necessary.

(Adapted from (Gerot, L., & Wignell, P. (1994). Making Sense of Functional Grammar).

Text 2.
Learning from Television
Traditionally, educators have perceived television as not particularly beneficial to literacy development. Concerns
were fueled by findings suggesting that with the introduction of television people spend less time reading books
and reading scores decline. As our society is striving to make adjustments to the decline in literacy skills, new
ways of learning and teaching are being explored, educators are becoming interested in exploring the educational
potential of television. Therefore, the interest in television as an educational medium has increased for several
reasons.

First, existing educational television programs that were developed to enhance the literacy development of both
children and adults have been quite successful in achieving their intended outcomes. This has been reported in
several researches dealing with such things such as television supported distance learning programs from the
Open University in Great Britain.

Second, because television is a very accessible medium, it has the potential to reach learners that have not been
able to participate in traditional adult literacy programs. Television is accessible both in terms of its technology
and in terms of its content. By 1985, 99% of all US households had a least one television set. Moreover, viewers
are intimately familiar with the content of television and tend to associate it with pleasurable experience because
of its power to entertain

Finally, the development of new visual technologies makes it possible to provide users with more control and
interactivity and thus to adapt televised instruction to the needs of a variety of learners and learning styles.

To conclude, many teachers in UK are recently becoming aware to benefit the potential of television programs
to support the teaching processes.
 (Adapted from https://dcmp.org/learn/static-assets/nadh175.pdf).

Answer

Definition:
Analytical Exposition is a text that elaborates the writer’s idea about the phenomenon surrounding.
Social Function:
● To persuade the readers that idea is important matter.
● To persuade the readers or listeners that there is something that, certainly, needs to get attention
● To analyze a topic and to persuade the reader that this opinion is correct and supported by arguments

Generic Structures:
1. Thesis (Introduction): Introducing the topic and indicating the writer’s position / point of view.
● Text 1 and 2: First paragraph
2. Arguments (Body): Explaining the arguments to support the writer’s position. The number of arguments may
vary, but each argument must be supported by evidence and explanation (elaboration)
● Text 1: Paragraph 2 – 4
● Text 2: Paragraph 2 - 5
3. Reiteration (Conclusion): Restating the writer’s position / point of view to strengthen the thesis.
● Text 1: Thus, for the reasons above we can conclude that the three levels of government are necessary.
● Text 2: To conclude, many teachers in UK are recently becoming aware to benefit the potential of television
programs to support the teaching processes.

Significant Lexicogrammatical features:

1. Using internal conjunction: Elaborating and itemizing steps in an argument (First, Firstly, second, secondly, next,
similarly, moreover, thus, finally)
2. Using evaluative language: necessary, important, significant, valuable
3. Using general and abstract noun: television, government
4. Using simple present tense
5. Focusing on generic human and non-human participants, e.g.: car, pollution, leaded petrol car