Reading: Understanding Different Text Types & Genres: B2 Lesson 2: Understanding Essays, Short Stories, and Simpler Academic or Technical Texts

Reading: Understanding Different Text Types & Genres

B2 Lesson 2: Essays, Short Stories & Academic Texts

Listen to key concepts and vocabulary.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to differentiate between argumentative essays, short stories, and academic texts by analyzing their purpose, tone, and structure.

Before You Read 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

These are the core concepts for understanding B2-level texts.

Thesis Statement

| និក្ខេបបទ

The main argument or central idea of an essay. (Found in Essays)

Theme

| ប្រធានបទ

The underlying message, idea, or "big question" about life in a story. (Found in Short Stories)

Jargon

| ភាសាបច្ចេកទេស

Specialized words or expressions used by a particular profession or group. (Found in Academic/Technical Texts)

To Infer (Inference)

| ទាញសេចក្តីសន្និដ្ឋាន

To understand an idea that is not stated directly (to "read between the lines").

Identifying 3 Advanced Text Types

Building on Lesson 1, these three text types have very different goals. Recognizing them is the key to understanding them quickly.

The Essay (Argumentative)

Purpose: To persuade the reader to accept a specific viewpoint (the thesis statement).

• Tone: Subjective, persuasive, logical, confident.
• Key Feature: Has a clear thesis statement (main argument) in the introduction.
• Language: Uses evidence, supporting arguments, and sometimes addresses counter-arguments.

The Short Story (Narrative)

Purpose: To entertain, evoke emotion, and explore a theme.

• Tone: Varies (e.g., mysterious, funny, sad, tense).
• Key Feature: Follows a plot with characters and a setting.
• Language: Uses vivid descriptions, sensory details, and dialogue to show, not just tell.

The Academic/Technical Text

Purpose: To inform and explain a complex, specialized subject objectively.

• Tone: Objective, formal, precise, neutral, serious.
• Key Feature: Contains jargon (specialized vocabulary).
• Language: Often passive voice (e.g., "it was discovered..."), uses data, citations, and definitions.

Reading Excerpts

Read the following three short texts. Pay attention to the language, tone, and purpose of each one.

Excerpt 1:

While some argue that remote work harms company culture, this view is outdated. In fact, investing in robust remote work policies is the single most effective way to boost productivity. It allows companies to hire the best talent regardless of location, reduces operational costs, and, most importantly, fosters a culture of trust and autonomy, which is far more valuable than a shared office.

Excerpt 2:

The old market hummed with a life of its own. The air hung thick with the sweet scent of mangoes and the sharp, metallic smell of the fish stall. Srey Leak navigated the narrow, crowded pathway, her sandals slapping against the dusty concrete. An old woman, her face a map of wrinkles, smiled and held up a bright red chili, but Srey Leak just shook her head and hurried on.

Excerpt 3:

Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions that convert chemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The process begins with glycolysis in the cytoplasm, where glucose is broken down. Following this, the pyruvate molecules are transported into the mitochondria to undergo the citric acid cycle (or Krebs cycle) and oxidative phosphorylation, which generates the majority of the ATP.

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: Identify the Text Type & Purpose

Based on the three excerpts you just read, answer the following questions. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. Excerpt 1 (about remote work) is most likely a(n)...

• A) Argumentative Essay
• B) Short Story
• C) Academic Text

---

2. Excerpt 2 (about the market) is most likely a(n)...

• A) Argumentative Essay
• B) Short Story
• C) Academic Text

---

3. Excerpt 3 (about cellular respiration) is most likely a(n)...

• A) Argumentative Essay
• B) Short Story
• C) Academic Text

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

• Thesis Statement | និក្ខេបបទ
  The main argument or central idea of an essay. (Found in Essays)
• Theme | ប្រធានបទ
  The underlying message, idea, or "big question" about life in a story. (Found in Short Stories)
• Jargon | ភាសាបច្ចេកទេស
  Specialized words or expressions used by a particular profession or group. (Found in Academic/Technical Texts)
• To Infer (Inference) | ទាញសេចក្តីសន្និដ្ឋាន
  To understand an idea that is not stated directly (to "read between the lines").
• Expository | បរិយាយ
  Intended to explain or describe something.
• Narrative | និទានកថា
  A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.
• Argumentative | ការ​ជជែក​ដេញដោល
  Using logical reasoning to persuade someone of an opinion.

Your Reading Mission ⭐

The "Text Type" Hunt

Your mission is to find these text types in the real world.

1. Find one example of an argumentative essay online (e.g., an opinion piece on climate change, technology, or education).
2. Find one example of a simple academic or technical text (e.g., a Wikipedia page about a scientific topic like 'Photosynthesis' or 'Economics').
3. For the essay: Write down its thesis statement (the main argument).
4. For the academic text: Write down 3 examples of jargon (specialized words) you found.

This will train your brain to quickly categorize texts and know what to look for.