Linguistic analysis

[Snow Lau]

Should children’s TV programmes be taken off air?

1. Nearly every household in Britain has the familiar television set. Almost every boy and girl has watched a programme specially designed for children. However, the question of whether children’s TV programmes are beneficial is open to debate. In this essay, the educational, social and economic factors relating to children’s TV programmes are considered.

2. First, television has been an endless source of education for both young and old. Sesame Street, which is for younger children, has helped many of them to acquire general knowledge skills such as using the alphabet and solving basic maths problems. It has also increased the variety of vocabulary that they use.

3. From a social perspective, however, children’s TV can be seen as exerting a negative influence. The programme, Grange Hill, for example, features swearing and stealing and the violent scenes it depicts could make children think it is necessary and normal to fight. Fighting could lead to accidents.

4. In addition, children can become addicted to television causing them to lead an unhealthy lifestyle in which they develop a lazy attitude to life. It can also be argued that an excess of TV viewing blocks children’s imagination.

5. On the other hand, shared viewing of television programmes can generate conversation among those who have watched the same programmes. Strong opinions and stimulating discussion may result.

6. An important economic factor that needs to be considered when assessing the benefits of children’s TV is the fact that it is a source of employment. It provides work for adults and children alike. In addition children can improve their acting skills by featuring on programmes.

7. Finally, another strong argument in favour of children’s TV programmes is that their absence could lead to children watching unsuitable adult TV which may show considerable swearing and violence.

In conclusion, it is clear that although there are several social resons for assessing children’s TV as having a negative influence, there are many more educational and economic arguments for why children’s TV should be maintained.


Can you help me to solve the following problems?
1. what is the genre of the above text?
2. what is the social purpose of genre of the above text?
3. Can you tell me the register analysis of the above text-- field, tenor , and mode, and also give the linguistic evidence.