Bridging Text and Context:
What it IS and what it is NOT
Bridging Text and Context is one of
the seven Key Components that are
to be integrated in the teaching of
each unit of literature.
Aims of Bridging Text and Context:
• Students will learn about the historical, social
and cultural contexts of the text and its author
and how these are reflected in the text or how
they have influenced the writing of the text.
This will deepen the students’ understanding
and enjoyment of the text.
• What can this include?
Historical contexts:
Factual information which is necessary for
furthering understanding about the text
regarding:
• the time period and country in which the
literature is set.
• the time period and country in which the
author lived.
Social and cultural contexts:
Information about the social or cultural
aspects, as reflected in the text, especially
those that are different from one's own social
milieu and or culture context.
Examples:
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Communism
Colonialism
Cultural norms of a specific society
Holidays that may be included in the text
Icons from the culture
Experiences of specific segments of society or
minorities
Author's background as it
influenced the writing of the text
• The social and/or cultural background in which the
author lived (grew up)
• The personal experiences of the author as they are
reflected in a specific piece of literature
• The political ideas of the author expressed either in
non-fictional writings (e.g. a quote from an essay or
interview) or activities that are reflected in the text
• The historical events that triggered the writing of the
specific piece of literature
What “Bridging” is NOT:
Bridging is NOT an activity that aims to:
• connect between themes. You can NOT use
the song “Viva la Vida" by Coldplay as a
Bridging Text and Context activity for
“Ozymandias".
• You COULD use it as a pre-reading activity, a
post-reading activity (to be discussed in detail
in a later session) or to enhance analysis and
interpretation.
Bridging is NOT an activity that
aims to:
• connect between the text and literary terms.
For example, you can NOT research the
literary technique of irony in order to Bridge
Text and Context with Percy Bysshe Shelley’s
“Ozymandias".
Bridging is NOT an activity that
aims to:
• connect between psychological issues and the
text. You cannot use an article about "Does
Telling White Lies Make You a Bad Person?" as
a Bridging Text and Context activity for "Mr.
Know All“.
Bridging is NOT an activity that
aims to:
• connect between two poems on the same
subject or by the same poet. For example,
"Stopping by Woods" cannot be used to
Bridge Text and Context for teaching "The
Road Not Taken".
• They can be used for excellent post-reading
tasks.
• All of the creative activities mentioned here
(and many more) can still be used successfully
in your literature lessons, but we need to
place them in the appropriate category among
the Key Components.