#flowerdew

(vía Taza ''Crimson red dew' de ponted)

“John Swales's approach to pedagogy in Genre Analysis: A perspective from 25 years on”

Flowerdew discusses Swales’ book, Genre Analysis: English in academic and research setting and the application of genre theory for language teaching.

Swales focuses on pedagogy, specifically teaching language and English composition in his book.

Views on Pedagogy

(Flowerdew’s objective summary of Swales’ theory)

Swales “rests on a pragmatic concern to help people, both non-native and native speakers, to develop their academic communicative competence”

Swales frames genre analysis on discourse community, genre, and task

Task can be applied to pedagogy, especially for ESL students

Swales had students write request-for-paper letters

By focusing on a genre-centered task, the students were able to learn English compositions more efficiently

Possible Developments of Swales’ Approach

Vygotskyan theory - KP

zone of proximal development” (ZPD) “cognitive gap between what a child can do without any assistance and what the child can do with the assistance of a parent, sibling, teacher or other more skilled person” (105)

Term is called “scaffolding” - “ the support provided by the more expert person in the process of learning”

Can either be teacher or tools for learning

Can be applied to Swales’ approach to pedagogy - the instructor and the tools used by ESL students aid the process of learning

Example of theory: “The Sydney School model of learning involves learners working with texts of gradually increasing complexity.”

“deconstruction” (where a text is analyzed by the teacher and students)

“joint construction” (class and instructor create a text modelled from the text in the deconstruction stage)

“independent construction” (the students create individual texts based on previous stages)

Question: Has anyone engaged with the Sydney School method? What was successful/not successful?

Relations between genres - MB

1. MICASE- Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English- Project where Swales studied spoken genres and compare and contrasted written and spoken academic language - sparked Swales interest in genre relations

A. Swales used term ‘constellation’ to refer to systems according to which genres interrelate

B. 4 Systems:

- genre hierarchy: how genres are ranked one against each other and in terms of their perceived qualitative differences

- genre chain: refers to the chronological ordering of genres

- genre set: the grouping of genres that an individual or class of individuals engages in as part of their normal occupational or institutional practice

- genre network: “the totality of genres available for a particular sector (such as the research world) as seen from any chosen synchronic moment

C. Constellation Concepts

- Ex: a tool for course design “The different systems could beinter-related in the selection, sequencing and inter-relating of a genre-based course” (107).

- starting point is network- within network, genres can be selected according to set

- genres are then prioritized by hierarchy

- genre sequencing happens according to chain

D. Application in terms of Classroom Pedagogy

- writing fosters intertextuality

- poses question ‘is it possible to guide students intertextual practices

-example: 1) students draw from their own words in notes that they write as a way to build awareness of intertextual acts in which they already engage, and 2) build strategies for drawing on their own language as they articulate thoughts and ideas

- intertextuality may also present danger for student- Ex: plagiarism

- writers are expected to use appropriate language that is disciplined and professional, but at the same time must not copy from published sources

Corpus-informed pedagogy - MB

A. Interest in application of corpus linguistics has grown immensely

B. TALC- the first conference devoted to teaching and language corpora (1994)

- Taken place 11 times

- Swales has involved himself in some of the most groundbreaking applications of corpus linguistics to this date

- Was one of 14 participants to be included in Viana, Zyngier and Barnbrook’s 2011 Perspectives on corpus linguistics (a collection of interviews with world leading linguists)

C. Swales is known in this field because his involvement lead to MICASE (see above) and MICUSP- Michigan corpus of upper level student papers

- Also discussed experimental application approach with Lee where the use of corpa is used for the teaching and learning of advanced academic English (Data Driven Learning)

D. Phraseology: linguistic means of the accomplishment of rhetorical action

- Swales states that phraseology is something EAP teachers can rarely avoid which is why corpora can play important role

English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) - KP

“any use of English among speakers of different first languages for whom English is the communicative medium of choice, and often the only option” (109)

More common now due to globalization - Swales couldn't factor this change in when Genre Analysis was published in 1990 but he would be writing about ELF today

The new academic genre incorporates wikis, blogs, and other forms of social media for students to engage with

Within these formats, along with published scholarly journals, more authors are using “non-canonical” grammatical forms because of the rise in ELF students (110)