Contextualization

Introduction

In our daily lives, we are constantly immersed in different types of texts: newspapers, novels, reports, advertisements, among many others. When working with Language, specifically in the Portuguese language discipline, an essential topic for discussion is the differentiation between Literary and Non-Literary Text. But after all, what is a literary text? And a non-literary one? Is there a clear line that separates the two?

A literary text is one that, through the use of language, seeks to express the author's feelings, emotions, and ideas, prioritizing the aesthetic form of presentation. The author of a literary text, when creating his text, is not limited to the exposition of objective events, employing imaginative and symbolic resources to transmit his message. In other words, literary texts have expressiveness and symbolism as their main characteristic.

A non-literary text, also known as an informative or utilitarian text, is one that is concerned with transmitting information in a clear and objective way. They are generally associated with journalistic, didactic, scientific texts, among others. In these texts, the clarity of the information surpasses the search for aesthetics.

Why is this important?

In our daily lives, we come across an infinite number of texts, each with its defined purpose. From the novels we read for entertainment to the informative texts we consume in newspapers and magazines, all are important and have their role in human communication.

Understanding the difference between literary and non-literary text is fundamental for us to become critical and conscious readers, capable of correctly interpreting the information we receive. Furthermore, this understanding can help us improve our own writing, allowing us to choose the most adequate way to express our ideas.

Practical Activity

Activity Title:"Literary and Informative Journey"

Project Objective

The main objective of this activity is that students are able to distinguish and compare literary and non-literary texts, in addition to developing research skills, content analysis, teamwork, and presentation of results.

Detailed Project Description

Students will be grouped into teams of 3 to 5 participants. Each team will be responsible for creating a "Literary and Informative Journey", where they will delve into the world of literary and non-literary texts, investigating their characteristics, purposes, authors, and contexts. Teams will research, select, and analyze examples of both types of texts and present their findings in an oral presentation and a written report.

Required Materials

1. Books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, news websites, etc. (for text research and analysis)
2. Paper and pen or word processing software (for notes and report preparation)
3. Presentation software (eg PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.) to prepare the oral presentation
4. Internet access for online research and fact checking

Detailed Step-by-Step to Carry Out the Activity

1. Team Formation: Students will be divided into teams of 3 to 5 people. Team formation should be heterogeneous, seeking a diversity of opinions and experiences.

2. Research and Selection of Texts: Each team should research and select five examples of literary texts and five examples of non-literary texts for analysis. The selection should include a variety of sources (books, newspapers, blogs, etc.) and styles (novel, poetry, opinion article, news, etc.).

3. Text Analysis: Teams should analyze each selected text considering their characteristics, purposes, authors, and contexts. For each text, the group must explain whether it is literary or non-literary and justify the choice based on its characteristics.

4. Report Preparation: After the analysis, each team should prepare a written report. In the report, students should present the definitions of literary and non-literary text, describe the characteristics of the analyzed texts, and discuss the results of their analyses. The report should follow the structure: Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Bibliography.

5. Presentation Preparation: Each team must prepare an oral presentation of the results of their analysis. The presentation should be clear and concise, presenting the main points of the report and including examples of the selected texts.

6. Project Presentation: Finally, each team will make an oral presentation to the class, followed by a question and answer session to deepen the discussion.

Project Deliverables

At the end of the project, students must present the following deliverables:

1. Written Report: This document should contain the definition of the concepts of literary and non-literary text, the description of the methodology used in the work, the analysis of the results, and the conclusions. It should follow the structure of Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Bibliography.

2. Oral Presentation: A slide presentation summarizing the group's main findings, including demonstrations of selected literary and non-literary texts, and a brief discussion of the differences and similarities between them.