Genre: Exploring Ideas in Literature - Entry #7

Exploring literature can help people think about the important questions in life, and there is a variety of genres of literature.

Fiction Stories about made-up events and characters. It should guarantee a thrilling plot, a vivid setting and compelling characters. They might have themes, too. • Short story = often focuses on a single event or invident • Novel = is longer and explores different events, srotylines and characters.  • Novella = longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. It has a limited number of characters.       Academic vocabulary Plot – conflict – character – setting – theme – narrator – point of view

Nonfiction Texts which describe real events, people and places. Informational nonfiction are those sources you consult for information.  • Autobiography/biography=the true story of a person's life. Written in first-person point of view (autobiography) or from third-person point of view (biography) • Essay = focuses on a single subject. It could be reflective, persuasive or descriptive. Might be written in formal style with an academic tone or informal style with a conversational tone. •Speech = oral presentation with the intention of sharing ideas, beliefs or proposals.  • News/feature articles = intent to inform or entertain, should be objective and fair.  • Functional documents = serve the purpose of inform a specific audience (manuals, workplace documents) Academic vocabulary Purpose – text features – argument - persuasion

Poetry Words are chosen and arranged to create certain sounds and meanings in order to produce specific effects. It should be ear-chatching and unforgettable. Poems are made up of lines arranged into groups called stanzas which may or may not follow a recognizable form.  • odes, sonnets, narrative poems, lyric poems, haikus. Academic vocabulary Form – line – stanza – speaker – rhyme – rhythm – sound – devices - imagery

Drama It is written to be performed on stage; characters and conflicts are developed through dialogue and action whereas stage directions are written in italics throughout the play. It should have all the elements of a good fiction but it is usually divided into scenes which are grouped into acts. • comedies, radio plays, historical dramas. Academic vocabulary Plot – character – act – scene – stage directions - dialogue

Media It is also included since it refers to forms of communication involving large numbers of people. Media messages influence people's beliefs and actions and that is why it is important to become media literate and know how to read all types of media messages.  • Feature films = motion pictures that use narrative elements to tell stories with the purpose of entertaining and making money • News media = Designed to inform and entertain viewers presented in many forms such as magazines, newspapers, television, the radio and the Web. • TV shows = programs broadcast on television which are sponsored by advertisers. They could be dramas, sitcoms, talk shows, documentaries and reality shows. • Advertising = is designed to persuade a target audience to but a product, use a service or agree with an idea. • Web sites = Present information through text, graphics, audio, video, animation and interactive features. Most web sites are not checked for credibility. Academic vocabulary Medium – message – purpose – target audience