1.
Introduction to the
Language Teaching Situation in My University
I taught in Hebei
University of
Trade & Economy before I came to NIE for PGDELT course. My University is a third class one in China and
provides students with only two years of formal English learning in
their four-year
university life. There are
17 weeks of teaching each term, and four English classes each week. After the
two-year compulsory English learning, students may select English as a
Selective course if they like. During the first three terms of English teaching
the teacher has to try his/her best to finish the books appointed by the
university and therefore there is no time for the teacher to teach English
writing ( no writing class in the syllabus). In the last term the English
teacher is asked to teach writing once two weeks in six week’s time to prepare
the students for CET Band 4. Each time the writing class lasts 100 minutes.
2.
A Profile of the students I teach and their language learning needs
The students My University enrols in are
not very competent in study. Their English is not good and most of them are of
the lower intermediate level. Before they finish the study in the university
they must pass the College English Test Band 4 for the non-English
majors, otherwise, they will be deprived of the chance of graduation. My
students are asked to sit for the CET Band 4 when they are in the end of their
college English study. Though they have studied college English for two years
they still cannot write a readable text because they are never trained to.
3.Major
language learning problem
The composition the students
write in CET Band 4 is normally of genre Discussion. The
students are asked to write a Discussion text of 120 to 150 words in 30
minutes. Their problems in writing are: (1)
they cannot provide sufficient detail in a Discussion; (2) they cannot write a Discussion text with properly chosen information, i.e. they either concentrate on one side then there is neither time nor space to write the other side of the Discussion or
simply have nothing to say about the other side. After having classes
here almost a term, I get some ideas to teach my students to write a balanced Discussion text.
I’ll
adopt Student Centred strategy to teach my students to write balanced
Discussion texts. In the teaching process teacher’s role is not only an
informer but also a helper, an assistance, a friend, a co-adventurer, etc. With
the assistance, or rather, the “accompany” of the teacher the students
“discover” the main features of the texts of genre Discussion and begin to
imitate them. The Process Genre approach will be used while I teach in the
two-hour-once-two-week English writing class. According to Halliday(Halliday, 1978; Halliday & Hassan, 1989;
Hammond, Burns, Joyce, Brosnan, & Gerot, 1992), the forms of language are
shaped by the features of the surrounding social context. He defined them as
field (the activity going on), tenor (the relationship between participants)
and mode (the channel of communication). These three elements together
determine the register of language. Reflecting Halliday’s concern for linking
form, function, and social context, Martin and some of his colleagues (Martin,
Christie, & Rothery, 1987) define genres as staged, goal-oriented social
processes, structural forms that cultures use in certain contexts to achieve
various purposes. Genre approaches acknowledge that writing takes place in a social
situation, and is a reflection of a particular purpose, and understand that
learning can happen consciously through imitation and analysis. They regard
writing as pre-dominantly linguistic and emphasize that writing varies with the
social context in which it is produced. Genre approaches see writing as
essentially concerned with knowledge of language, and as being tied closely to
a social purpose, while the development of writing is largely viewed as the
analysis and imitation of input in the form of texts provided by the teacher.
However,
Genre approaches undervalue the skills needed to produce a text and see
learners as largely passive. While the process
approaches understand the
importance of the skills involved in writing, and recognize that what learners
bring to the writing classroom contributes to the development of writing
ability. In process approaches, the teacher primarily facilitates the learner’s
writing and draw out the learner’s potential, and providing input or stimulus
is considered to be less important. But process approaches often regard all
writing as being produced by the same set of processes; they give insufficient
importance to the kind of texts writers produce and why such texts are
produced; and they offer learners insufficient input, particularly in terms of
linguistic knowledge, to write successfully.
Process approaches have a somewhat
monolithic view of writing. They see writing primarily as the exercise of
linguistic skills, and writing development as an unconscious process, which
happens when teachers facilitate the exercise of writing skills.
In light of both the advantages and disadvantages of the two
kinds of approaches I choose the process genre approach to teach my students by
combining and adapting them and take advantage of the two.
Therefore my writing class can recognize that
writing involves knowledge about language, knowledge of the context in which
writing happens and especially the purpose for the writing, and skills in using
language; writing development happens by drawing out my students’ potential and
by providing input to which my students respond.
c. An overview of the Package and its Components
During the six-week teaching I will teach
my students to write balanced texts of genre Discussion. The writing class
takes place once two weeks and each time the class lasts 100 minutes. Therefore
I will review my writing Curriculum Package by the unit of two-week.
First two-week:
Language
focus: Information
Class: 2nd year non-English majors
Number of students: 50
Time: 100 minutes
Objectives: After two periods of writing class,
students are able to
1. Understand the purpose for which
the genre of Discussion is used in the society
2. Familiarize themselves with the structural
and linguistic features of Discussion
3.
Generate and select ideas for a Discussion “On TV”
Activities: See the detailed lesson plan
Materials: Handouts (Appendix A, B, C)
Second two-week:
Language focus: Organization
Class:
2nd year non-English majors
Number of students: 50
Time:
100 minutes
Objectives: After
two periods of writing class, students are able to
Activities:
Third two-week:
Language focus: content
Class: 2nd year
non-English majors
Number of students:
50
Time: 100 minutes
Objectives:
After two periods of writing class, students are able to
1. Evaluate the draft and Conference with peers to
improve the draft
2. Check context, connections and divisions
3. Proof-read, correct and edit the text
Activities:
1. Developing criteria for evaluation by asking
students to work in groups through a text, asking them to mark places where
they think the writing is unclear, incomprehensible or capable of being
improved
2. Asking students to read a text with a checking list
to test logical links, cohesive links and divisions
3. Peer conference to improve the draft
4. Self-evaluate the draft
5. Teacher response to students self-evaluation
6. Teacher deals with trouble spots
7. Students proof-read and edit their own text
8. Hand in the final draft for marking
d. A detailed lesson
plan (a lesson plan for
first two-week)
Language focus: Information
Class: 2nd year non-English majors
Number of students: 50
Time: 100 minutes
Objectives: After two periods of writing class,
students are able to
1.
Understand the
purpose for which the genre of Discussion is used in the society
2.
Familiarize
themselves with the structural and linguistic features of Discussion
3.
Generate and
select ideas for a Discussion
1*
lesson steps 2* estimated time for each step 3* interaction: C=class, G=groups
of five students, I=individual, T=teacher
|
|
1* |
2* |
Teacher
activities |
Students
activities |
3* |
Purpose |
Material |
|
1 |
5 minutes |
Teacher informs students of the general aim and
objectives of the lesson |
Students listen to the teacher |
T to S |
To enable students to find out the purpose, possible audience and features of a new genre,
Discussion |
A
Discussion text with a list of questions- Appendix
A Blackboard and
chalks |
|
|
2 |
15 minutes |
Teacher
gives students a Discussion text with a list of questions (Appendix A) to read and
discuss the questions in the group |
Read the text and discuss those questions with group members |
G |
|||
|
3 |
8 minutes |
Teacher calls on
two group representatives to report their Discussions to the class. |
Listen to the
two representa- tives to present |
C |
|||
|
4 |
10 minutes |
Teacher deconstructs
the Discussion text and highlight the features and purpose |
Respond to the teacher |
T to C |
|||
|
5 |
5 minutes |
Teacher summarises the basic features, purpose and structure |
Listen to the teacher |
T to C |
To enhance the learning |
||
|
Stage
two |
6 |
15 minutes |
Teacher hands out another Discussion text (appendix B) for students to deconstruct |
Deconstruct the text |
G |
To check how well the students understand the
features of the genre |
Appendix
B |
|
7 |
8 minutes |
Teacher asks
the 2 representatives from two groups to present their result(s) and give feedback |
Present or listen to the two
representa-tives |
I
& C |
Blackboard
and chalks |
||
|
Stage
3 |
8 |
8 minutes minutes |
Teacher gives the topic “on TV” and some questions (appendix C) to
students for brainstorming, but before
doing that, asks them to think about who are the possible audience |
Each student thinks about the possible audience and then brainstorm under the guidance of the questions |
I |
Brainstorm the ideas for the
Discussion |
Appendix C,
paper and pen |
|
9 |
8 minutes |
Teacher
asks students in the same group to pool
their brainstorming result and discuss |
Pool
their ideas and discuss them |
I
&G |
Put
ideas together for next step –idea-selecting |
Paper
and pen |
|
|
10 |
8 minutes |
Teacher
asks each group to send a representative to write
down their ideas on the blackboard |
Write down their ideas on the blackboard |
I&G |
Have
lots of students’ ideas on the topic on the
blackboard |
Blackboard
and chalks |
|
|
11 |
7 minutes |
Teacher works with
students to select three strong ideas for each guiding question by asking
questions: In view of my
purpose, is there any particular important, significant or interesting idea
which I need to get across? Can I see how all my other ideas related to this
key idea? |
Negotiate with teacher |
T & C |
Enable students
to know how to select and
reject ideas |
Paper and pen |
|
|
Home work |
3 minutes |
Ask students to
outline a discussion with the ideas chosen after class |
|||||
4.
A proposal of how I
would evaluate the effectiveness of my package
My Package is Skill-based planning which emphasize on the mastery of skills rather than the grasping of concepts and the learning of knowledge. Therefore when evaluate my Package I believe the following should be considered:
Choice of skills. The first step must be to list the skills. They require thoughtful analysis. In the
case of teaching writing to prepare my students for the CET Band 4, only the skill
of writing a balanced discussion text is chosen because of the need and the
time constrain.
Match with students. There are some pre-skills (such as reading skills)
that must be taught or brought back into use before students can reasonably be
expected to utilise the target skill---writing a balanced Discussion text.
Content. In this case I choose one of the most controversial
topics “On TV” for students to discuss and apply the target skill to.
Resources. “The choice of skills often determines what equipment
will be needed.”( Barnes, 1982) In the class of teaching writing a balanced
Discussion text, the collection of model texts and leading questions are
suitable for the practice of the target skill.
Presentation and
feedback. It is essential in
a skill-based unit that learners be provided with a clear model of each skill,
so that they know what they are aiming at. If they are to evaluate their own
performance in order progressively to modify and improve it, they will need to
appropriate criteria. Therefore I provide the activity for students to develop
criteria and self-evaluate their drafts.
Using skills. In planning patterns of practice and feedback it
is first necessary to know which skill is to be mastered, and which the
students need only be familiar with because it is only necessary to ensure
mastery. Therefore I arrange the activities to get students familiar with the
features of the genre Discussion and practice to grasp the skill of writing a
Discussion text.
From the analysis above, I believe that my package is very effective in teaching my students writing a balanced Discussion text.
Bibliography:
Badger, R., and G.
White, (2000). A process genre approach to teaching writing. ELT Journal
Volume 54 (2) April 2000. Oxford University Press 2000.
Barnes, D. (1982). Practical
Curriculum Study. Routledge &Kegan Paul Ltd.
Christie, F. (1991).
Genres as social process. In Working with genre: papers from the 1989 LERN
conference .Leichhardt, Australia: Common Ground.
Cope, Bill and Mary,
K(eds.) (1993). The powers of Literacy: a genre approach to teaching
writing. London: Falmer Press.
Derewianka, B.
(1996). Exploring the Writing of genres. Minibook Series No. 8, United
Kingdom Reading Association.
Hagan, P., Hood, S.,
Jackson, E., Jones, M., Joyce, H., & Manidis, M. (1993). Certificates in
spoken and written English (2nd ed.). Sydney, Australia: New
South Wales Adult Migrant English Service & National Centre for English
Language Teaching and Research.
Halliday, M. A.
K.(1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language
and meaning. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K.,
and Hasan, R. (1989). Language, context, and text: Aspects of language in a
social-semiotic perspective (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Hammond, J. (1987).
An overview of the genre-based approach to the teaching of writing in
Australia. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics.
Hammond, J., Burns,
A., Joyce, H., & Gerot, L. (1992). English for social purpose: A
handbook for teachers of adult literacy. Sydney, Australia: National centre
for English Language Teaching and Research.
Hyon, S. (1996). Genre
in three Traditions: Implications for ESL. TESOL QUARTERLY. Vol. 30, No. 4,
Winter 1996.
Martin, J. R.,
Christie, F., & Rothery, J. (1987). Social process in Education: A reply to
Sawyer and Watson (and others). In I. Reid (ed.), The place of genre in
learning: Current debate. Geelong, Australia: Deakin University press.
Reid, Joy, M.
(1993). Teaching ESL writing. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
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White, R. & V.
Arndt. (1995). Process Writing. London: Longman.
Should a person own a car? This is an important
question. In a large urban area, there are some good reasons for owning a car.
First, a car allows a person to move around freely. With a car, there is no
need to check a bus schedule or wait for a train. Second, a car is a
comfortable way to travel, spatially in the wintertime. In bad weather, the
driver stays warm and dry, while the poor bus or train rider might have to
stand in rain. Finally, a driver is usually safe in a car at night. The rider
might need to walk down a dark street to get to a stop, or wait on a dark
corner.
There are, on the other hand, many good
reasons against owning a car. First, it can be very expensive. The price of
fuel continues to rise and car insurance can cost three or four hundred dollars
a year. In addition, it is expensive to maintain and repair a car. A simple
tune-up can cost 50 dollars. In an urban area, it might also be expensive to
park the car. Second, owning a car can cause worry and stress. It is exhausting
to drive in rush-hour traffic, or to drive around and around looking for a
parking space. If you leave your car on the street, it might get stolen. That
is something else to worry about. Finally, everyone needs to think about
pollution and energy problems. Air pollution and noise pollution increase as
more cars also burn more and more fuel. At present, drivers may have to wait in
long lines at filling stations in order to buy a couple of gallons of gasoline.
Should a person in an urban area own a
car? In order to answer the question, a person must weigh both sides. On the
one hand, there is freedom of movement, comfort, and safety. On the other hand,
there is expense, worry, and concern for the quality of life. For many people
in large cities, the reasons against owning a car outweigh the reasons for
owning a car. Therefore, the answer is negative: A person in an urban area
should not own a car.
Questions:
1. What is the purpose of this text? Is it to persuade, describe or entert
2. Who are the audience?
3. Can the text be divided
into different parts? Can you describe the function of each part within the
text as a whole?
4. Are all the parts
compulsory? Can there be other stages that are not evident in the text?
5.Can you identify some language features that characterise or
define the text -type that you have? Which words in the text signal the
different part of the text that you identified early
Dogs
are very much in the news at the moment because of the frequent attacks on many
people. Why is this happening?
Dogs
such as Rottweilers and Retrievers cause many of the attacks because of bad
handling. That is why a fine must be made so that these attacks can be stopped.
For some of the dogs that made these attacks, the only thing was for them to be
putdown or euthanasia.
There
are many good reasons for keeping a dog. Firstly, they are lovable pets to keep
and take care of. They are good if you like going for long walks everyday.
Secondly, dogs can have great friendship with old and young people and they can
make their owners very proud by doing and winning dog shows.
There
are also many reasons against keeping dogs. They make mess on streets and in
parks where young children might be playing which could cause illness. Some
dogs such as Rottweilers and Retrievers are big fierce dogs that attack people
when they get bored.
In
conclusion, I think what should be done is that dogs like Rottweilers and
Retrievers should be muzzled when out in public. And if they do attack, a heavy
fine should be laid on to stop them.
Questions:
1. What are the
advantages of watching TV?
2. What are the disadvantages of watching
TV?
3. What’s your opinion on watching TV? Why?