Text types and writing a personal blog entry

What types of texts are there? What category does the personal blog belong to?

Types of texts and writing a personal blog

step-by-step

Types of texts

Characteristics of a personal blog

Personal blog draft

Types of texts

Article (newspaper, magazine) Blog Brochure, leaflet, pamphlet Diary (private) / journal Email / letter Essay Interview News report Opinion column / letter to the editor Personal statement / cover letter Proposal Report (official) Review Set of instructions, guidelines Social media posting / online forums Speech, presentation, debate

1. Personal texts

Personal texts are shared by the person creating the message and an audience who may be family members, friends or groups with a common interest; a personal text may also be directed to oneself. Personal texts tend to be characterized by attention to the everyday interests or the affective needs of individuals rather than the analysis of information. Personal texts have a variety of functions, including but not limited to: describing, narrating, entertaining, recommending, persuading. The level of formality in the register of these texts will vary according to linguistic and socio-cultural norms of the target language.

2. Professional texts

Professional texts are created for an intended audience in contexts where no personal relationship is assumed between the producer of the text and the recipient(s); however, the producer of the text can assume that the recipient(s) will have an interest in receiving and understanding the message.Professional texts tend to be characterized by attention to the cognitive needs of individuals, the transfer of knowledge and the logical presentation of information; thus, these texts employ clear, factual language and a formal register. Professional texts have a variety of functions, including but not limited to: informing, instructing, explaining, analysing, convincing, interpreting, evaluating.

3. Mass media texts

Mass media texts are created for distribution to a large audience that is targeted because of an interest that, at least initially, lies primarily with the producer of thetext, since the person or entity responsible for a mass media text has no way of knowing exactly who will take the time and interest to understand the message or possibly ignore it. Mass media texts tend to be characterized by the need of the producer of the text to project authority, desirability or exclusivity, and the conscious choice of a particular medium or technology that is appropriate to reach the targeted audience. The level of formality in the register of these texts will vary according to linguistic and socio-cultural norms of the target language.

A blog entry

What category does a blog entry belong to?

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Blog entry types

Nombre Apellido

Nombre Apellido

Nombre Apellido

Nombre Apellido

Nombre Apellido

Nombre Apellido

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Your audience

Your target audience will be those people who share your interests or ideas. When you write your blog, you should address your audience directly and ask your readers to respond to your ideas. The blog will appear on the Internet and is therefore public. You will have to use more formal language than you would use in a diary, but keep it personal nonetheless. Your voice should be dominant.

Tone and style

Normally you would write a narrative-driven blog using the past tense. It is also a good idea to join your sentences using time connectives. You can be quite chatty and informal in your use of language. It is useful to include descriptive detail of events and write some thoughts and reflections. To achieve this, you need to use imaginative language. When writing about conversations, you can use reported speech. A thesis-driven blog is still likely more subjective and contains more descriptive detail than an essay; it is a more personal form of writing in which you can offer your reflections and describe your reactions in a fairly informal manner.

Blog entry sample

Look at the sample

In the previous blog entry sample, find the following elements

• Adressing the audience
• Ensuring the blog is personal
• Providing background information to set the scene
• Reflection that is applied
• Maintaining awareness of the audience through the use od the second-person pronoun, maintaining the personal aspect through the use of "I".
• Clarify the type of the blog (give more details)
• Explaining the disadvantages
• Explaining the advantages
• Emphasizing point of view

Writing a blog entry (EVALUATION activity)

You will write the blog entry in couples. In class, you will have to do the folowing steps:

• Brainstorming
• Planning
• Drafting

Brainstorming

1. Choose a focal point that you want to explore in your blog. Will you write a narrative-driven or a thesis-driven blog?2. Generate ideas to be used in your blog. 3. Organize your ideas by theme or topic. 4. Choose a stance and approach to take in your blog.

Planning

• Decide how you will grab your audience’s attention. What should appear in your introduction? What is your conclusion? Connect your introduction and conclusion to the stance and approach you have chosen.• Decide the tone and style of your blog. Do you know who your audience is? What is the best way to address this audience? • Decide how you are going to order your subtopics. Which should go first? Which should appear last? What should appear in the middle? Does your chosen order ensure that your ideas will be coherent and your writing will flow smoothly? The topic of your blog entry should be connected to your previous project research (a migration case study)

Drafting

Write your personal blog entry in the same groups you were working in on your previous project. Write between 300 and 400 words. When finished the draft, check it out with this list of questions.

• Does it make sense?
• Add your introduction and your conclusion to the body
• Re-read what you have written
• Do the transitions make sense?
• Are your paragraphs well connected?
• How interesting is your blog?
• Did you maintain a connection with your audience?
• Is your blog personal?
• Write an eye-catching title to invite people to read your blog entry.

• Re-read the complete draft of your blog entry for the last time.
• Make any necessary changes.

Evaluation rubrics When you finish the activity, upload it on instagram (Group Instagram account is to be created