Im english lit major, check the attached file.

· Task 1 (analyzing experiential meanings)

You should type the two texts (200-250 words) in your TMA.

In this task you should analyze the experiential meanings in the two texts as outlined in Book 3, Unit 13, section 4 using the SFL aspects and analytical methodology. You can also refer to Book 2, Unit 11and Book 4, Unit 20 for more information, illustration and practice that are relevant to this TMA.

· Task 2 (comparison of the 2 articles; 750-1000 word essay)

In this task you should write an essay (750-1000 words) in which you discuss, explain and compare the two media articles depending on the findings provided by the raw text analysis you performed in Task 2. You should suggest reasons for, and communicative effects of, the differences (i.e. differences in views and ideas of the same event/topic). You should illustrate your discussion/comparison with examples taken from the two texts you analyzed in Task 2.

Note: You can use tables, graphs and any other formats to do the tasks properly and make them convenient and easy to follow. You could also use appendices to tabulate the results of the 2 articles.

Text from United States

Facebook introduced a new featureon Tuesday that will allow people with visual impairments to hear descriptions of photos, aiming to make the company’s social media apps more useful and accessible. “We want to build technology that helps the blind community experience Facebook the same way others enjoy it,” the company said in a press release. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously said the new tool was part of the company’s goal of expanding social media access and making technology more helpful to people. The feature, called automatic alternative text, uses object recognition technology to describe a photo, listing the items, people and scenery that it might contain. Previously, Facebook said, someone using a screen reader could only hear the name of a person and that the person had shared a photo. Now, they can also hear what’s included in the image. The feature will be available across the company’s products, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. The company said it plans to expand the feature in other languages and platforms, but it is currently available in English and on iOS.

TIME INC. NETWORK. Katie Reilly   @katiemacreilly April 5, 2016

Text from Arab News

MENLO PARK, California: Facebook on Monday began using artificial intelligence to help people with visual impairments enjoy photos posted at the leading social network. Facebook introduced machine learning technology trained to recognize objects in pictures and then describe photos aloud. “As Facebook becomes an increasingly visual experience, we hope our new automatic alternative text technology will help the blind community experience Facebook the same way others enjoy it,” said accessibility specialist Matt King. “While this technology is still nascent, tapping its current capabilities to describe photos is a huge step toward providing our visually impaired community the same benefits and enjoyment that everyone else gets from photos,” King said. The Silicon Valley-based social network said that it was moving slowly with the feature to avoid potentially offensive or embarrassing gaffes when it comes to automatically describing what is in pictures. Words used in descriptions included those related to transportation, outdoors settings, sports, food, and people’s appearances. The Facebook technology made its debut less than a week after Microsoft enticed software developers with a suite of offerings that let them tap into the power of cloud computing, big data, and machine learning. The Cortana Intelligence Suite boasted the ability to let applications see, hear, speak, understand and interpret people’s needs. Microsoft said that a “Seeing AI” research project was underway to show how those capabilities could be woven into applications to help people who are visually impaired or blind better learn what is around them, say by scanning scenes with smart phone cameras or specially equipped eyewear. – AFP

Posted by  Kuwait Times  on 05/04/2016 Filed under Technology