Answer to Question #210295 in English for bunny

Question

Carson (1993:88) states that, “the text itself . . . is incomplete; it needs a reader's experience to make it understood.”

2.1Explain what is meant by transactionalism and justify its role and influence in reading comprehension. (10)

2.2 The reader-response theory gives authority to the reader. Briefly explain the views of this theory and evaluate its implications on the reader. (10)

Answer 1

2.1Transactionalism is a philosophical approach that perceives social exchange as a fundamental concept of human existence. It asserts that human beings shape and are shaped by their environment, always thinking of themselves as embedded within and constituted by their situations in a specific time and place.

In a learning environment, transactional approach holds that learning happens through interaction with people and experiences. Instructors plan experiences that can help their students learn and work with them to foster understanding. In reading comprehension, transactionalism signifies that both the reader and the text play important roles in formation and meaning. Meaning is established through continuous transaction between the reader and the text, employing the reader's experiential reservoir and the meaning potential of the text.

2.2The reader-response theory focuses attention primarily on the author or content and form of the work. It recognizes the reader as an active agent who imparts real existence to the work and completes its meaning through interpretation. It argues that literature should be viewed as a performing art in which each reader creates their own text-related performance. According to the theory, reading is determined by textual and cultural constraints. It opposes the formalism and new criticism theories, where the reader's role in recreating literary works is ignored.

Under this theory, learners can express their emotional reactions, to elicit their responses, to further their interpretation, to corroborate their interpretation and share their experiences for building a social relationship.