Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Explanation (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To explain the processes involved in the formation or workings of natural or sociocultural phenomena.
Generic Structure
  • A general statement to position the reader.
  • A sequenced explanation of why or how something occurs.
Significant
Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Focus on generic, non - human participants.
  • Use mainly of material and relational processes.
  • Use mainly of temporal and causal circumstances and conjunctions.
  • Some use of passive voice to get theme right.
Example
Read the text below attentively.
Where Does Rain Come From?
Rain always comes from clouds. But where do clouds come from? How does all that water get into the sky?
Think about your bathroom. There is hot water in your bath. Steam goes up from the hot water. The steam makes small clouds in the bathroom. These warm clouds meet the cold walls and windows, and then we see small drops of water on the walls and windows.
The world is like your bathroom. The water in the oceans is warm when the sun shines on it. Some of this water goes up into the sky and makes clouds. The wind carries the clouds for hundreds of kilometers. Then the clouds meet cold air in the sky, and we see drops of water. The drops of water are rain.
The rain falls and runs into rivers.Rivers run into oceans. And the water from oceans makes clouds and more rain. So water is always moving from oceans to clouds to rain to rivers to oceans. So the rain on your head was on other heads before! The water in your garden was in other gardens in other countries.

Adapted from Junior Comprehension 1, 1999

Monday, December 30, 2013

Anecdote (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To share with others an account of an unusual or amusing incident.
Generic Structure
  • Abstract: signals the retelling of an unusual incident.
  • Orientation: set the scene.
  • Crisis: provide details of the unusual incident.
  • Reaction: reaction to crisis.
  • Coda: optional - reflection on or evaluation of the incident.
Significant
Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Use the exclamations, rhetorical questions and intensifiers (really, very, quite, etc.) to point up the significance of the events.
  • Use of material processes to tell what happened.
  • Use of temporal conjunction.
Example
Read the text below attentively.
Snake in the Bath
How would you like to find a snake in your bath? A nasty one too!
We had just moved into a new house, which had been empty for so long that everything was in a terrible mess. Anna and I decided that we would clean the bath first, so we set to, and turned on the tap.
Suddenly to my horror, a snake's head appeared in the plug-hole. Then out slithered the rest of his long thin body. He twisted and turned on the slippery bottom of the bath, spitting and hissing at us.
For an instant I stood there quite paralyzed. Then I yelled for my husband, who luckily came running and killed the snake with the handle of a broom. Anna, who was only three at the time, was quite interested in the whole business. Indeed I had to pull her out of the way or she'd probably had lent over the bath to get a better look!
Ever since then I've always put the plug in firmly before running the bath water.

Tryout 1 - English National Exam

Level: English for Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Simulation test 1, which is specialized for the students of senior high school,  is designed to measure the students' readiness to take English National Exam. The content of this test is arranged in accordance with the passing standard determined by the department of education and culture of Indonesia.

The test consists of 50 questions which are divided into three skills of English, listening, reading and writing. All the questions are in the form of multiple choice and the students must complete this test for 90 minutes. The passing grade of this test is 8.00. If the students achieve the target score, they will be able to take the next simulation.

To join this test, just click the link below.

Requirement:
Students can take this tryout if they join the course for eight meetings without being absent or asking for permission.

Note:
This simulation test is protected with user ID and password. You can contact the administrator to get them if you want to take this test seriously. Test Code: S121330.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

News Item (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To inform readers, listeners, or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.
Generic Structure
  • Newsworthy Event(s): recounts the event in summary form.
  • Background Events: elaborate what happened, to whom, in what circumstances.
  • Sources: comments by participants in, witnesses to and authorities expert on the event.
Significant Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline.
  • Use of Material Processes to retell the event (in the text below, many of the Material Processes are nominalised.
  • Use of projecting Verbal Processes in Sources stage.
  • Focus on Circumstances (e.g. mostly within Qualifiers).
Example
Read the text below attentively.
Seven Killed in Accident on Jalan Sultan

Seven people were killed in a collision between a bus, a car and a truck at 10:35 p.m. on Jalan Sultan last night.
The dead were all passengers in the car. Police believe the car may have been trying to overtake the  bus when it was struck by a truck coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the car may not have been using his lights, as the truck driver said he did not see the car approaching.
The police said the car should not have been trying to pass the bus, since overtaking is not allowed on Jalan Sultan. In addition, the police reported that the car - a small Japanese car - should not have been carrying more than five people. The names of the victims are not yet known.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Report Text (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Junior and Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To describe the way things are, with reference to a range of natural, man-made and social phenomena in our environment.
Generic Structure
  • General Classification: tells what the phenomenon under discussion is.
  • Description: tells what the phenomenon under discussion is like in term of (1) parts, (2) qualities, (3) habits or behaviors, if living; uses, if non-natural.
Significant
Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Focus on Generic Participants.
  • Use of Relational Processes to state what is and that which it is.
  • Use of Simple Present Tense (unless extinct)
  • No temporal sequence.
Example
Read the text below attentively.
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is an animal found only in Australia, although it has a smaller relative, called wallaby, which lives on the Australian island of Tasmania and also in New Guinea.
Kangaroos eat grass and plants. They have short front legs, but very long, and very strong back legs and a tail. These are used for sitting up and for jumping. Kangaroos have been known to make forward jumps of over eight meters, and leap across fences more than three meters high. They can also run at speeds of over 45 kilometers per hour.
The largest kangaroos are the Great Grey Kangaroo and the Red Kangaroo. Adult grow to a length of 1.60 meters and weigh over 90 kilos.
Kangaroos are marsupials. This means that the female kangaroo has an external pouch on the front pf her body. A baby kangaroo is very tiny when it is born, and it crawls at once into this pouch where it spends its first five months of life.
Taken from: Peter Haddock Ltd. Ref. 083

Friday, December 27, 2013

Recount Text (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Junior and Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining.
Generic Structure
  • Orientation: provides the setting and introduces participants.
  • Events: tell what happened, in what sequence.
  • Reorientation: optional - closure of events.
Significant
Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Focus on specific participants.
  • Use of Material Processes.
  • Circumstances of time and place.
  • Use of past tense.
  • Focus on temporal sequence.
Example
Read the text below attentively.
The Clever Servant
 This is an old story. It was first told long ago. A rich man wanted to make a journey to another town. He was a businessman. He wanted to take things to sell. He also wanted to take gold to buy things with. He decided to take ten servants with him. They would carry the things to sell and the gold, and also food to eat on the journey.
He was a kind man. He said to one of his servants, "You are the smallest, the thinnest and the weakest of all my servants. You cannot carry a heavy load. You must choose the lightest load to carry."
The servant thanked his master for his kindness. He pointed to the biggest load. This was bread to eat on the journey.
His master said, "You are foolish. That is the biggest and heaviest load." But the servant picked up the load cheerfully and the journey began. They walked for four hours. Then, they stopped for a rest. They all ate some of the bread. There was less bread for the servant to carry. The servant's load grew smaller and lighter every day. At the end of the journey, the servant had nothing to carry.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Label

A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. Label has many uses: product identification, name tags, advertising, warnings, and other communication.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Label)

The following are the examples of labels.
Example 1
Label on food
(Source: http://www.diabetescare.net/content_detail.asp?id=820)

Example 2
Label on cloth
(Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/10/29/clothes-tag-get-braille)

Example 3
Label on notebook
(Source: http://www.zkarlo.com/blog/how-to-find-your-toshiba-laptop-model-number)

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Announcement

An announcement is a statement addressed to public to provide information that something has happened or is going to happen. This text is commonly found in the public places or media, respectively, such as at school (on an announcement board), a newspaper, magazine, a window of a shop, a city park, etc.

Announcement commonly has the following features:
  1. The sentences are written concisely.
  2. The information is written completely and clearly, so that the readers can understand it quickly and easily.
  3. It contains type of event, date and time, place, and contact person or address.
The following are the examples of announcement.
Example 1
School Announcement


Example 2
Wedding Announcement


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Tryout 1 - First Semester Test

Level: English for Junior High School
Grade/Semester: 7 / 1
24-hours online learning.

This tryout, which is specialized for the students of junior high school, is designed to prepare the students to face the semester test which is held once in six months. The tested materials are arranged in accordance with the materials taught in that semester.

The test consists of 45 questions in the form of multiple choice. The students are given 90 minutes to accomplishes it. The passing grade of the test is 80. If the students achieve the target score, they will be recommended to take the next package of the test.

To join the test, just click the link below.

Requirement:
Students can take this tryout if they join the course for eight meetings without being absent or asking for permission.

Note:
This semester test tryout is protected with user ID and password. You can contact the administrator to get them if you want to take this tryout seriously. Test Code: N111322.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Movie: The Big Cat

1949 | 77 min.
Title: The Big Cat
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Director: Phil Karlson
Writers: Morton Grant (screenplay), Dorothy Yost (screenplay)
Stars: Lon McCallister, Peggy Ann Garner, Preston Foster

Synopsis:
In 1932, in the drought-scorched mountains of Utah, Tom Eggers tracks a cougar which has killed a number of cattle belonging to nearby ranchers. Suddenly, Tom comes upon Danny Turner, a Philadelphian trying to reach the cabin where his uncle, Gil Hawks, lives with his sons Wid and Jim. Tom directs Danny toward the cabin, but when Danny arrives, Gil, Wid and Jim, who recognize him, are rude to him and refuse to take him in. Before long, mail carrier Matt Cooper arrives in his wagon and offers to give Danny a lift to another cabin, which Danny says belongs to a friend of his recently deceased mother. After a few miles, Matt learns that Danny's mother was Lucy Hawks, and his manner immediately and inexplicably changes. He demands that Danny get out of the wagon, forcing him to walk the rest of the way to the cabin. Soon after, Tom arrives and is surprised to find Danny waiting on his front step. Danny then realizes that Tom is his mother's friend and apologizes for his apparently unexpected arrival, explaining that he sent a telegram to announce his visit. Tom finds the telegram among the day's delivery, and, after reading it, inquires about Danny's mother. Danny sadly breaks the news of her death, saying that he wanted to visit her birthplace. The next day, after a church service in which the worshipers pray for rain, Gil, who has had a change of heart, invites Danny to come to his cabin. Danny is unforgiving, however, and refuses the invitation. He then returns home with Tom, who reveals that Lucy ran away to Philadelphia after Gil refused to allowed her to marry Tom. Later, Gil and his sons tell Tom that the cougar has killed one of their best mares. After Gil offers him $150 to kill the cougar, Tom asks Danny to fetch his rifle. When Danny returns with a small .22 caliber rifle, instead of the more appropriate 30-30 caliber variety, Wid and Jim howl with laughter. Later, Danny and Tom hunt for the cougar, but shoot a deer instead. They take it home, and after Tom hangs the carcass outside to drain, the hungry cougar approaches. When Tom again asks Danny to get his rifle, Danny realizes that they left it on the ground where the deer had fallen. In a desperate attempt to save Tom, Danny begins shooting at the cougar with the inadequate .22. After the cougar kills Tom, Danny follows the animal back to its den. Gil sees Danny and decides to track him with his dog, Spike. Inside the den, the cougar readies to attack, but Spike bravely fights the huge cat, allowing Danny an opportunity to shoot it at close range. For killing the cougar Danny receives his reward from Gil, and some time later, moves into Tom's cabin, which Tom left to him in his will. Later, the whole town celebrates the end of the drought as the first few drops of rain begin to fall.

Just click the link below to watch the full movie.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Procedure Text (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Junior and Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To describe how something is accomplished through a sequence of actions or steps.
Generic Structure
  • Goal.
  • Materials (not required for all Procedural texts.)
  • Steps 1 - n (i.e., Goal followed by a series of steps oriented to achieving the Goal).
Significant
Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Focus on generalized human agents.
  • Use of simple present tense, often Imperative.
  • Use mainly of temporal conjunctions (or numbering to indicate sequence).
  • Use mainly of Material Processes.
Example
Read the text below attentively.
Tempe Fritters
What we need:
  1. 150 g tempe.
  2. 2 tablespoons fried shallots.
  3. 3 kaffir lime fruits.
  4. 1 tablespoon flour.
  5. 1 egg.
  6. 1 cup vegetable oil for frying.
Spice paste.
  • 3 large chilies, seeds removed
  • 3 small chilies
  • 2 red shallots
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped galangal
  • 1 candle nut
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon shrimp paste
 Steps:
  1. Mash the tempe with a fork or place in a bowl of a food processor and blend until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
  2. Grind the spices in a mortar and pestle or place in the bowl of a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
  3. Put the mashed tempe in a bowl and mix with the spice paste, fried shallots and lime leaves. Stir in the flour, followed by the egg.
  4. Shape the tempe into fritters the size of a golf ball a flatten a little with a fork.
  5. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, drop the fritters into the oil, five or six at a time.
  6. Fry until golden brown on both sides, drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with rice.
Taken from The Jakarta Post, May 2, 2004

Movie: Day of Vengeance

USA | 2008 | 90 min.
Language available: EN
Original title: Day of Vengeance
Genre: Crime and Gangster, Western
Director: Isaac Pingree
Cast: David Fine, Kevin Copps, Phil Austin, Stu Klitsner, Tony Kitchin

Synopsis:
In a failed robbery that resulted in a bloody disaster, which took place around 15 years back in Covelo, California, Jake Reid's father had died. The loot from the robbery, however, was never discovered. In order to get back the money from the loot and also uncover the events of the past, Jake comes to this small town located in the west but ends up knowing much more than what he had imagined. He becomes aware of the circumstances of the death of his father. He also seeks help from the daughter of a man who was killed by his father and drives away the cruel sheriff. But we soon learn that he is not the only one planning to dig deep to get money. The partner of Jake's father, who had survived the disaster, has escaped from the prison and comes to the town to claim his due. Now, it's a flight among the girl, the sheriff, the convict and the locals and Jake has to decide which side to take.

Just click the link below to watch the full movie.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories

Title: A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories
Written by Louisa May Alcott
To all of which remarks Nan gave her assent; though the hop-pole took the likeness of a tall figure she had seen in the porch, the sage-bed, curiously enough, suggested a strawberry ditto, the lettuce vividly reminded her of certain vegetable productions a basket had brought, and the bob-o-link only sung in his cheeriest voice, "Go home, go home! He is there."

Download
Just click the link below to download this book.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Descriptive Text (Concept - Example)

Level: English for Junior and Senior High School
24-hours online learning.

Explanation
Social Function
  • To describe a particular person, place, or thing.
Generic Structure
  • Identification: identifies phenomenon to be described.
  • Description: describes parts, qualities, characteristics.
Significant
Lexicogrammatical Features
  • Focus on specific participants.
  • Use of attributive and identifying processes.
  • Frequent use of ephitets and classifiers in nominal groups.
  • Use of simple present tense.
Example
Read the text below attentively.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a famous area of waterfalls. It is one of the most beautiful natural wonders of North America. It is on the Niagara River, about halfway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Niagara River forms part of the border between Canada and the United States. At Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is on one side of the river, and the U.S state of New York is on the other side.
Niagara Falls really has two waterfalls. The Horseshoe Falls are in Canada, and the American Falls are in the United States.
The Niagara River drops into a steep gorge or canyon, at the falls. Most of the river flows over the Horseshoe Falls. They are not as high as the American Falls, but they are 2,600 feet (792 meters) wide - about 0.5 mile (0,8 kilometer).
The American Falls are about 1,000 feet (305 meters) wide. Beyond the falls are the Whirlpool Rapids. There, the powerful swirling water has carved a bowl out of the rock.
At night, colored light shines on the thundering falls. About 10 million people visit Niagara Falls each year.

Taken from The World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia, 2006.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Invitation Card

The invitation card is a written paper or electronic image that is sent to people for different occasions. The message informs a receiver about an event to which he is invited. Invitation cards can be costumized (different sizes, colors, themes, materials, fonts, and folding designs) and made of multiple materials (paper, tissue, textile, plastic).

An invitation card contains information about a special event that will take place in the near future, the place and the date of the event, the name of the person (s) who will host it, a special message to express the importance of the event, etc.

The invitation cards are sent with different occasions: wedding, baby shower, bridal shower, birthday party, celebrations and anniversaries.

The following are the examples of invitation cards.
Example 1
Wedding Invitation
(Source: http://www.thecheapweddinginvitations.info/wedding-invitation-wording-sample)

Example 2
Birthday Invitation
(Source: http://www.invitationtemplatesword.com/free-birthday-party-invitations-printable)



Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Notice

Notice is defined as advanced notification or warning. People usually use notice to give information, instruction, or warning. That's why people use simple words with simple font which is written in a placard or a notice board.

Notice can be in the form of command, caution, information, prohibition and warning. The following are the examples.
Example 1
Notice as command

Example 2
Notice as caution

Example 3
Notice as information

Example 4
Notice as prohibition

Example 5
Notice as warning