Synopses & Reviews
This text explores fundamental issues relating to student literacies and instructor roles and practices within academic contexts. It offers a brief history of literacy theories and argues for "socioliterate" approaches to teaching and learning in which texts are viewed as primarily socially constructed. Central to socioliteracy, the concepts "genre" and "discourse community," are presented in detail. The author argues for roles for literacy practitioners in which they and their students conduct research and are involved in joint pedagogical endeavors. The final chapters are devoted to outlining how the views presented can be applied to a variety of classroom texts. Core curricular design principles are outlined, and three types of portfolio-based academic literacy classrooms are described.
Synopsis
This volume uses the concept of academic literacyto offer a fresh perspective on the teaching of English for academic purposes. The author argues for a socioliterateapproach to teaching in which students learn the rules, norms, conventions, and genres of a particular discourse community. The author then recommends that language teachers join with their students and regular faculty in a collaborative examination of the interaction between different texts, roles, and contexts. The approach can be applied to a variety of classroom contexts.
Synopsis
to the teaching of English for academic purposes.
Table of Contents
1. Literacy and pedagogy: three views; 2. Genre knowledge and socioliteracies: what readers and writers may share; 3. Genres and social forces: homely and academic texts; 4. Discourse communities/communities of practice: membership, conflict and diversity; 5. Our special roles: literacy practitioners as campus mediators and researchers; 6. Students as researchers: investigating texts, processes and contexts; 7. The socioliterate classroom: basic tenets and goals; 8. Putting tenets and goals into practice: using portfolios in literacy classrooms; 9. Conclusion.