English and the Curriculum

Food for thought

1. What is literacy?  Traditional notions of literacy (functional literacy) refer to grammatically correct reading and writing, usually involving print-based media and the rote learning of grammar. Students need to be taught the 'basics', or basic skills that operate at the level of sentence and below. But, look at the advertisement below. Does the literate person need to do more than decode the words or grammar to make meaning of this text?

After examining this text we could plausibly claim that the practice of decoding the image is as important as the practice of decoding and comprehending the written words. Combining these two practices aids us to fully understand this text, its messages and how it operates. We could also claim that being able to understand how the corporate interests behind this text shape the text's construction is an important part of decoding or reading the whole text. What, then, does it mean to read? Is reading decoding words, comprehending ideas from words, or critically appraising a text's context and construction? The fact that these questions can be asked of reading must lead us to assume that far from being a natural or neutral practice, reading is something that is learned socially.

What are the institutionally sanctioned ways of reading found in the English classroom? What ways of reading support individual 'empowerment'?

2. Watch the definition of literacy below from Qwiki:

3. Language is just one symbolic system for making and communicating meaning. Language and its use is shaped by the context within which it is used. These may be cultural, institutional and interpersonal contexts. Language and its use is also shaped by the function it is meant to serve, for example, to persuade, to inform, to evaluate or to instruct. Being literate encompasses understanding this relationship between context and text, including how language is embedded with values, power, points of view and purposes, and how language shapes how we see, think and act.

4. Genres are the rules that shape how language is used in particular contexts. Genres are patterns of language use that shape the way people construct and communicate meaning. reports, instructions, recipes, political speeches, science reports, history essays, analytical essay, story and feature articles are all genres. These have particular functions, that may include persuading, arguing, informing, explaining, etc. These overlap too - politicians use the language of scientists to persuade or justify their actions. 

5. Reading today. Students need to learn to:

• construct and communicate meaning using a range of genres;
  
• construct and communicate meaning using a range of media; 
  
• recognise and criticise the contextual, ideological and knowledge dimension of language, texts and meaning-making;
  
• develop a language to talk about language, texts, images and meaning-making practices (meta-language).
  

6. The notion of multiliteracies is recognition of the fact that what it means to be literate, that is the kind of knowledge and practices that make one literate, changes according to social, cultural, political and technological contexts. Importantly, teachers need to be aware that schooling involves certain kinds of literacy that are distinct from those found in many students' homes or out of school experiences. This means that teachers need to teach students the specific literacies expected of learners across school disciplines (eg. the literacies of English, the literacies of Science), and capitalise on, or use, the literacies that students bring from home (eg. proficiency in using ICT, mastery over computer games, etc.).

7. For more information on literacy, see www.digitallearner.com.au/what-is-literacy?

8. Below is the Four Resources Model developed by Freebody and Luke. This model argues that a competent, literate reader undertakes four roles (below) when reading. Click HERE for a short description. Therefore, teachers must seek to develop the repertoire of resources/strategies/practices that make up these four roles. Write a definition of the four roles/resources.

9. Learning to read. Reading is not a naturally developed phenomena. Learning to read requires explicit instruction in order for young people to "acquire and master the various types of knowledge, skills and strategies involved in reading" (Westwood, p. 86). 

Using Westwood's chapter, describe the 'top down', 'bottom up' and 'balanced' perspectives of the processes of reading.

Westwood encourages teachers to:

• allocate sufficient time to the teaching and practices of reading;
  
• provide quality and appropriate instruction that actively engage students, models and describes the practices of reading, and scaffolds students;
  
• use instructional resources that are age/ability-appropriate, stimulating and relevant;
  
• and provide adequate individual support for learning.
  

In the home, parents/carers need to:

• demonstrate support for their child's literacy development;
  
• provide materials and experiences that promote reading;
  
• establish a home and bedroom environment that is conducive to studying and reading; reduce child stress and illness;
  
• and disrupt the negative perception of reading and literacy often produced by peer pressure. 

Other factors influencing reading reside within the learner. These include:

• lack of general cognitive ability;
  
• poor aural and oral language skill;
  
• weaknesses in areas of attention, memory, auditory perception and visual perception;
  
• and the existence of psycho-emotional states such as anxiety, depression and poor self-efficacy (which may be produced by poor reading ability).
  

• Asking questions (e.g. Who is involved? What are they doing? Why? Who is telling the story?);
  
• Making connections (e.g. I wonder why..., What caused.. I think... This is similar to... What I find confusing is... I can relate to this because...);
  
• Predicting (e.g. What will happen next? Why do you think that? What effect will that have on...?);
  
• Summarizing (e.g. What happened? What was the outcome? Who was involved? Why did this happen? Is that essential information?);
  
• Clarifying (Read ahead, ask questions, re-read what you are unsure of, identify what you don't know);
  
• Synthesizing (e.g. Three important points are..., These are important because... We are encouraged to think... This means that... Overall I think...).
  

11. School Literacies.  What are these? Read this ARTICLE.