Module 3-Approaches in

Literary Criticism
I. Performance Task
Activity 3. Say it properly
Since you have learned that it is important to use appropriate language, you can already express
your ideas appropriately. Let us try to use appropriate language and manner in raising our
contrary views about the issue on “Teenage Pregnancy.”

Target Audience: Students aged 13-19

Purpose: State your views about the issue

Language: Formal and Simple so that the target audience can easily understand it

Write your stand about the issue and consider the given information. Use terms that are familiar
to students like you.
 Let’s Prevent Teenage Pregnancy!
Teenage is a crucial growth phase in the life of any individual fraught with physiological
changes and often, psychological conflicts. Teenage pregnancies and teenage motherhood are a
cause for concern worldwide. From a historical point of view, teenage pregnancies are nothing
new. Nowadays, however, the prevention of teenage pregnancies and teenage motherhood is a
priority for public health in nearly all developed and increasingly in developing countries.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 16 million girls aging between 15
and 19 years and about one million girls younger than 15 years give birth every year. Teenage
pregnancies were seen as a special problem because adverse health consequences of teenage
pregnancies were solely attributed to the young maternal age for a long time. This issue raises
the question of what can be done to prevent and lower the rates of teenage pregnancy.

As a teenager, I want to empowered young people and their guardians to make informed
choices when it comes to their sexual and reproductive health. Many girls, including myself,
have dreams that we want to achieve. I’ve always wanted to be a successful business owner
ever since I was a child, but to achieve these dreams we need to be equipped. In order to be
equipped, we need to be more aware when it comes to the things that might bring us in the
wrong path. By raising our awareness on teenage pregnancy, we can help ourselves to become
responsible and productive women. I strongly believe that educated girls can change the world.
As sexual development sets in, teenagers are hounded by curiosity to explore their bodies. Due
to a lack of awareness regarding sex, they often engage in unsafe sex, eventually becoming
teenage parents.

From my perspective, for us to prevent teenage pregnancy, teenagers need to have a

comprehensive understanding of abstinence, contraceptive techniques, and consequences.
Although there are many ways to prevent a teenage girl from becoming pregnant, the only one
that is absolutely effective is sexual abstinence. Abstinence is 100% effective in preventing
pregnancy if you practice it consistently, yet the perspective of abstinent young women is not
well understood. For those people who don’t know what abstinence is, abstinence
is the simplest form of birth control . It is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of
sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, financial, philosophical, moral, or
religious reasons. In my view, abstinence courses in schools are a sure way to get teens to
realize the responsibility that comes with becoming sexually active, and to get them thinking
about choosing to remain abstinent. The more information teenagers are given on the subject,
the higher the chances that they will make this decision. For this reason, it is important that
teenagers be taught the health benefits of choosing to remain abstinent.

Another form of teenage pregnancy prevention that is being taught in schools is various
contraceptive techniques. Although abstinence remains the best way to prevent pregnancy
among teens, it is a fact that there are still a large number of them who will be involved in
sexual relations. For this reason, it is important that teens be provided with broad information
on how to do so responsibly using various contraceptive techniques. effective contraception
provides both health and social benefits to mothers and their children. The use of contraception
can significantly lower your chances of becoming pregnant. According to the world health
organization (WHO), Philippines has about 50% of all pregnancies that are not planned. Of
these unintended pregnancies, about 42% end in abortion. The problem that rises from this is
that teenagers are not being exposed to extensive information on the various forms of birth
control, condoms, and other methods of prevention that are available. Jocelyn Elders has also
advocated school-based health clinics nationwide with the purpose of reducing teen pregnancy
with the availability of contraceptives.

I would say, the real consequences of having a child at such a young age are unknown.
Teens need to be aware of the harsh reality of raising a baby and the negative effects that an
unplanned pregnancy can cause in both the mother and the child's lives. We must be aware of
the tremendous effect their offspring will have on society in the future, and the high risk of the
cycle repeating once this child becomes a teen. must also be aware of the fact that an unplanned
pregnancy will take a toll on other aspects of their lives. I believe when we are exposed to such
information about the results of an unplanned pregnancy, teens are forced to analyze whether
sex is worth the risk of forever changing their lives, and those of their future children.

As a 17-year-old girl, it seems to me that it is the job of parents and schools to teach teens
about the negative effects of teenage pregnancy. The parents can strongly influence their
children's decisions by taking the time to be involved when the issue of sex arises. The schools
can also do their part by providing the necessary information on preventing pregnancies and by
encouraging teens to make responsible choices when having sex. Therefore, the responsibility
of adults is to provide teens with a thorough understanding of abstinence, contraceptive
techniques, and the consequences of sexual activity. We should care about teenage pregnancy.
Awareness is really a big help for each and everyone. A teen birth can disrupt our educational
and career goals, affecting earning potential and future family finances. We should be
knowledgeable enough to the things that might trigger our future. I believe that knowledge is
power. When we are educated and knowledgeable enough, we can control ourselves and know
our limits. In that way, in enhances our decision making in life and brings us a successful life.
In my opinion, having the courage to stop and prevent teenage pregnancy was really a big help
in our world. In that way, we can just not educate and protect ourselves, but we can also save
other teenagers for having an unplanned life. Together, we can prevent teenage pregnancy.
II. Written Task
A. Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct, and FALSE if otherwise.
1. Opinions are your own views of certain issues or concerns. TRUE
2. You are entitled to your own opinions, but these opinions must be based on facts so
that you will not be biased. TRUE
3. Reaction paper, review or critique are mainly written to communicate a fair
assessment of situations, people, events, literary and artistic works and performances.
TRUE
4. When you express your views, it is also important to use appropriate language for a
specific discipline. TRUE
5. When your audience is the general public, you need to use the language they know
and do not use those that are not common to them. TRUE
B. Directions: Identify what is being referred to:

6. This critical approach is focused on how human behavior is determined by social,

cultural and psychological structures. Structuralism
7. This approach takes as a fundamental tenet that “literature” exists not as an artifact
upon a printed page but as a transaction between the physical text and the mind of the
reader. Reader-Response Criticism
8. This approach “examines how sexual identity influences the creation and reception of
literary works.” Gender Criticism
9. This approach “seeks to understand a literary work by investigating the social,
cultural, and intellectual context that produced it-a context that necessarily includes
the artist’s biography and milieu. Historical Criticism
10.This approach regards literature as a “unique form of human knowledge that needs to
be examined on its own terms.” Formalist Criticism

C. Directions: Give at least five (5) phrases that you can use when expressing your opinion
(11-15).

11.I believe…
12.It seems to me that
13.From my perspective
14.In my opinion…
15.From my point of view