ELT Concept #8 – Genre Model
Cruz Dwyer – 2 July 2021
What is it?
The genre model strives to improve students’ writing ability via the use of specific written text types. Such examples include poems and information reports. Students are instructed to examine the features of each text type for features familiar to that text. The genre model engages students with real-life texts from which they can model their writing. The genre model is based on the systemic functional linguistics model first developed by Michael Halliday. This model emphasizes how grammar and vocabulary choices influence the authorial intent of a text.
Why is it important?
Writing is an extremely complex skill to master. This is because many considerations need to be examined when doing any form of writing. Punctuation is one such consideration. As speaking does not contain any real punctuation identifiers, it is not unexpected that students would make punctuation errors in their writing.
Text types have different conventions on formality and the verb types used. Authorial intent and how relations are established with the reader are also key factors to consider.
While the overlap between text types may exist, they are different. As an example, expository texts present information with little personal narrative account. This is different from a persuasive text which operates on personal opinions. Expository texts, for example, can be broken even further: a science report will be written differently from a news report.
Students being taught these numerous writing conventions can improve their writing capability with grammar and vocabulary acquisition. It also helps them to be better readers. They can identify a text type, and this makes it easier to engage with the text.
My Reflection
As a student of Systemic Functional Linguistics, I believe the genre approach to be a very effective tool. It is not just limited to writing. I have incorporated elements of this approach into conversation classes, too. I feel this approach allows students to categorise various writing types both physically and mentally. Each text expresses a specific purpose for a specific audience and will use specific writing conventions. Narrative texts and expository texts do not fulfil the same functions. And even within these categories there are more specific subdivisions with their unique peculiarities.
As input for language, reading is vital for language acquisition. Having students understand how different writing genres work will elevate their reading and understanding to a metacognitive level. They will be able to monitor what they read and better evaluate their understanding.
Additionally, they will also begin to recognise how different vocabulary and grammar are used. This can allow students to critically analyse authorial intent, which would be a marker of high-proficiency language use.
ELT Concept #7 – Extensive Reading
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