Reading: Understanding Different Text Types & Genres: B1 Lesson 1: Reading Graded Readers, Simple News Articles, Blog Posts, Reviews, Personal Letters/Emails

Reading: Understanding Different Text Types

B1 Lesson 1: Identifying Common Text Types

Listen to key vocabulary and examples.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify the purpose and key features of five common text types: graded readers, news articles, blog posts, reviews, and emails.

Before You Read 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn three important ideas for this lesson.

Text Type

| ប្រភេទនៃអត្ថបទ

The category of a text, based on its purpose and features (e.g., a news article, a poem, a recipe).

Purpose

| គោលបំណង

The reason *why* the author wrote the text (e.g., to inform, to persuade, to entertain).

Register (Formal/Informal)

| កម្រិត (ផ្លូវការ/មិនផ្លូវការ)

The style of language. Formal is serious (like a news report). Informal is relaxed (like a text to a friend).

Identifying 5 Common Text Types

When you start reading, first ask yourself: "What am I reading?" Look for these clues.

1. Simple News Article

Purpose: To inform you about recent events.

• Clues: Has a headline (big title), reports facts (who, what, where, when), has a formal or neutral tone.

2. Blog Post

Purpose: To share opinions, teach, or entertain.

• Clues: Has a title, often uses "I" or "you", shares personal experiences, has an informal or casual tone.

3. Product/Service Review

Purpose: To persuade you (or warn you) based on an opinion.

• Clues: Often has star ratings (⭐️), uses strong adjectives (e.g., "amazing," "terrible"), gives pros (good points) and cons (bad points).

4. Personal Email / Letter

Purpose: To socialize and share personal news.

• Clues: Starts with a greeting (e.g., "Dear Vanna," "Hi Mom,"), uses informal language, shares feelings, has a closing (e.g., "Best regards," "Love,").

5. Graded Reader (Book)

Purpose: To practice reading for pleasure at your level.

• Clues: It's a story (fiction or non-fiction), language is simplified for your level (A2, B1, B2), often has a vocabulary list.

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: What Text Type Is This?

Read the short examples below and choose the correct text type. Click "Check Answers" when you're done.

1. "I give this phone ⭐️⭐️ out of 5. The camera is great, but the battery life is terrible. I do not recommend it."

• A) News Article
• B) Review
• C) Blog Post

---

2. "Hi Dara, Just writing to let you know I'll be in Siem Reap next weekend. Are you free to meet for coffee? Talk soon, Vanna"

• A) Personal Email
• B) Blog Post
• C) Graded Reader

---

3. "Today, I want to talk about my top 5 favorite places to eat in Phnom Penh. I think the best place for noodles is..."

• A) Review
• B) News Article
• C) Blog Post

---

4. "The Ministry of Education announced today that the new school year will begin on November 1st. Officials stated that all schools are prepared."

• A) News Article
• B) Personal Email
• C) Review

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

• Text Type | ប្រភេទនៃអត្ថបទ
  The category of a text, based on its purpose (e.g., news article, review).
• Purpose | គោលបំណង
  The reason the author wrote the text (e.g., to inform, to persuade).
• Register | កម្រិត (ផ្លូវការ/មិនផ្លូវការ)
  The style of language (formal or informal).
• Formal | ផ្លូវការ
  Serious, professional, or academic language. (e.g., "Officials stated...")
• Informal | មិនផ្លូវការ
  Relaxed, casual language used with friends or family. (e.g., "Are you free?")
• Skim | អានត្រួសៗ
  To read quickly to find the main idea.
• Scan | អានរកព័ត៌មាន
  To read quickly to find a specific piece of information (like a name, date, or number).

Your Reading Mission ⭐

Become a Text Type Detective

This week, find one example of a news article (from a site like VOA or BBC) and one blog post (from any blog you like).

For each one, answer these two questions:

1. What is the author's main purpose? (To inform, persuade, or entertain?)
2. Is the register formal or informal? How do you know?