{"id":2822,"date":"2012-02-17T17:32:21","date_gmt":"2012-02-17T17:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltchat.com\/?p=2822"},"modified":"2012-02-17T17:32:21","modified_gmt":"2012-02-17T17:32:21","slug":"how-can-we-focus-language-teaching-more-at-discourse-level-rather-than-sentence-level-eltchat-summary-04012012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/2012\/02\/17\/how-can-we-focus-language-teaching-more-at-discourse-level-rather-than-sentence-level-eltchat-summary-04012012\/","title":{"rendered":"How can we focus language teaching more at discourse level rather than sentence level? #ELTchat Summary 04\/01\/2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somewhat delayed, this is a double-barrel summary where two different #ELTchatters contributed at different times. The first one was kindly contributed by Patrick Andrews alias @PatrickAndrews \u00a0and the second one by\u00a0David Pietre alias @tefkgeek on his blog TEFLGEEK<\/span><\/a>! Thanks Patrick and David!!!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Summary 1 by Patrick Andrews<\/span><\/h1>\n

The discussion started with definitions of discourse. \u00a0\u00a0@MarisaC stated that it was language at a text rather than a sentence level and @PatrickAndrews added that discourse also applies to patterns of spoken interaction (eg how you tell a story, structure a presentation)@esolcourses suggested that Scott Thornbury\u2019s book provides a useful definition.<\/p>\n

Then the discussion moved to problems and @dreadnought001 raised the issue of how learners can communicate if they lack sufficient vocabulary and also pointed out the need to know more than 90% of the lexis to be able to understand a text. \u00a0@MarisaC suggested that perhaps too much focus on form could prevent a focus on discourse and added that some grammar books and course books only presented language in short chunks. @esolcourses mentioned the problem of some tests and @barbsaka agreed that many tests did not focus enough on language in context.<\/p>\n

@PatrickAndrews argued that discourse plays a big role in EAP teaching and also suggested that CAE might have a discourse element in what it tests. \u00a0@Yohimar thought that digital coursebooks could help and @harrisonmike suggested the use of authentic materials. \u00a0@MarisaC emphasised the role of reading for recognition of discourse patterns and gave the link http:\/\/t.co\/vwAtVxUS<\/a> for ideas and also http:\/\/t.co\/jIvqPf47<\/a> for ideas on teaching politeness from a discourse perspective.
\nIt was agreed that students do not necessarily need a conscious knowledge of discourse but that teachers do. \u00a0Recommendations were made for good books and these included Cook, McCarthy, Pople and Thornbury.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Summary 2 by David Pietre<\/span><\/h1>\n

How can we focus language teaching more at discourse level rather than sentence level?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The first #eltchat of 2012 attempted to answer this question!\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t actually there and didn\u2019t take part in the chat and I\u2019m still not quite sure how I\u2019ve ended up writing the summary except that Marisa_C possesses remarkable powers of persuasion and as someone who teaches higher levels this is an area of interest!\u00a0 Hopefully, this captures the key points, but I\u2019m not a \u201cdiscourse specialist\u201d, so feel free to point out any errors or omissions.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t cited individual contributors, but the\u00a0transcript is available<\/a>\u00a0if you\u2019d like to know who said what.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeacher, what mean \u201cdiscourse\u201d?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The initial question makes the assumption that discourse works at a higher level than merely the sentence thought the\u00a0Wikipedia entry<\/a>\u00a0relating discourse analysis to \u201capproaches to analyzing written, spoken . signed language use or any significant semiotic event\u201d \u2013 which I interpret broadly as meaning \u201cif something attempts to convey meaning, it can be analysed to see how it does so\u201d.\u00a0 A\u00a0more accessible overview of discourse<\/a>\u00a0suggests that discourse analysts are concerned with \u201cthe construction of meaning throughout a text\u201d.\u00a0 (it should be pointed out here that the word \u201ctext\u201d is used more to mean a linguistic event than a written document).<\/p>\n

Thus discourse can apply to patterns of interaction, \u201ctext\u201d structures, communication events, language within a text \u2013 usually occurring within a context of authentic language use.\u00a0 There are no set \u201crules\u201d of discourse per se, because discourse examines everything and the rules change depending on the context.<\/p>\n

Stuck at the Sentence?\u00a0 Problems with discourse:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Receptively, learners simply may not know enough vocabulary to access texts effectively \u2013 to fully understand a text learners need to be able to recognize 95% of the vocabulary used in the text (Laufer, 1989).\u00a0 Additionally, the mechanics of textual cohesion devices like referencing, linking expressions and paragraphing need to be understood.<\/p>\n

Receptive knowledge of these devices also form part of language tests, like FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS (etc), and within fields like EAP.\u00a0 Often these tests also require learners to demonstrate productive knowledge of these devices in structured, genre specific writing tasks.\u00a0 While genre is an aspect of discourse, genre familiarity is a separate issue for learners to grapple with.<\/p>\n

Where learners are preparing for a language test, classes tend to become very test focused, very accuracy focused and very form focused \u2013 developing a test dependency that can be difficult to move away from.\u00a0 This may account for the amount of language teaching conducted at the sentence level within test preparation classes, though this is not ideal.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t helped by the general trend within published ELT materials for decontextualized, fragmented, sentence based language presentations.\u00a0 Grammar teaching in particular tends to be conducted at the level of the sentence and examine items in isolation and without reference to a wider context.\u00a0 The natural fluidity of language would seem to predicate against this.<\/p>\n

Problem?\u00a0 Solution! \u2013 what a bunch of Hoey!<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

(Bonus points to those who got the\u00a0discourse analysis joke<\/a>\u00a0there\u2026.)<\/p>\n

The simplest responses to the issue of isolated sentence based grammar teaching would appear to be just to teach grammar in a wider context and by making learners aware of functional aspects of language and their use \u2013 aspects of Speech Act study (which is only possible in context).\u00a0 This could be facilitated by more use of authentic materials or by use of digital coursebooks (this latter point wasn\u2019t fully expanded upon \u2013 I\u2019m intrigued and would welcome comments!).<\/p>\n

The other key suggestion is to move learners from receptive awareness of discourse patterns, for example making them aware of such patterns as they occur in listening and reading tasks, through to productive acts that feature and practice the target discourse structures.\u00a0 This would seem to favour a\u00a0product approach to writing<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the exposure of learners to a model text before asking them to produce something based on that model.\u00a0 There is often a reluctance amongst learners to \u201cdo writing\u201d in class, but while instruction could take place in class, the actual practice of the writing skill need not.<\/p>\n

(An authorial aside \u2013 just from reading through the tweets as they related to discourse and testing, in particular the learners desire just to \u201cget through the test\u201d, I think it\u2019s worth pointing out to learners that often with testing, there is no \u201cquick fix\u201d.\u00a0 Discourse features occur in many language tests precisely because they are skills to be developed and rather than something that can be sidestepped.\u00a0 There are task strategies than can help fine tune learner performance, but if the underlying skills aren\u2019t there, neither will exam performance be! )<\/p>\n

In conclusion \u2013 Do Learners need Discourse Analysis?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

A good question \u2013 do learners really need discourse analysis skills or is it just the teachers who do?\u00a0 There was a general consensus that the main goal is to have learners working and using \u201creal language\u201d, which would seem to take us back to using authentic materials as part of the input process, both to serve for language development and provision of exponents, but also to raise awareness of discourse structures and patterns as they arise in the target texts.<\/p>\n

Teachers therefore need training in discourse analysis so that they can effectively instruct the learners, and be able to evaluate published materials more critically.\u00a0 Thus they can help the learners to not only look at language performance but also to reflect on the language they encounter, to think about aspects of discourse such as audience and purpose \u2013 to be aware of the patterns rather than actually conduct a discourse analysis.<\/p>\n

Further Reading, References and links from the chat:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

(Links given where possible)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n