What are text connections? A text connection indicates the reasons why you selected a passage and it reveals the depth of your critical thinking. A well-chosen text connection can help you develop a unique insightful understanding of the literary work. Here are three types of text connections:

Text to World

This is a connection you can make between the text and the world. Text to world connections most often reference significant moments in history, current events, sports etc. ...

Text to World connections help a reader place a text in a context. For example, A Farewell to Arms  by Hemingway is set in Italy during the first world war. Understanding something about war and WWI and Italy can help a reader interpret  A Farewell to Arms in an in-depth manner.

Text to Self

 This is a connection you can make between the text and your own personal experiences.

As John Kieran once said, " I am a part of all I have read." This is true. When a reader begins a book, she/he doesn't forget all of her life experiences. These experiences influence a reader's interpretation of a book - positively and negatively. For this reason, readers must be aware of this  connection and its influence.                       

Text to Text 

This is a connection you can make between the text and another book, short story or film. It can also indicate a connection you can make between one part of the book to another part of the of the same book.

Text to Text connections help a reader compare one "text" to another. In doing so, the reader can use the connection to help him/her develop an in-depth understanding of the text. These connections can also help the reader predict the direction of the text, or alter his/her reading strategy.