As a tutor and as a student, I think it is safe to say that text analysis is my least favorite English 101 assignment. However, it is also more useful than it appears at first glance. Speaking as someone who spent many years in the workforce prior to returning to college, I can say that if I had possessed the skills achieved by formulating a successful text analysis back then, it would have served me well.
Instructors assign text analysis for a variety of reasons. However, one of the most important is to assess students’ ability to truly comprehend the message that is being delivered. This goes beyond the ability to look at an advertisement and know what the company is trying to sell, or the ability look an article and accurately summarizing its contents. It is a dissection of language and images that inevitably tells us more than we could possibly glean from a simple summary.
Generally, I suggest that my clients approach analysis as a mechanic might. I recommend that they examine the text as though it is a motor that can be taken apart and examined piece by piece, then put back together to comprise a whole, working machine. Examining each portion of the text gives the student an in depth understanding of why the author used certain words or images, and how those individual components contribute to the success or failure of the piece as a whole.
Not only does this approach serve as method of creating a successful text analysis for an instructor, it provides the student with tools that will serve him or her in a business setting. An understanding of text analysis can lay the groundwork for better communication in the workplace.
Though it will rarely be a favorite assignment, text analysis will inevitably strengthen a student's skill as a writer. Successful completion of this assignment can strengthen a writer’s confidence and improve his or her reading comprehension in preparation for further collegiate endeavors, as well as undertakings beyond the world of academia.
