Reading and Writing Materials Critique and Design

1. Reading and Writing MaterialsCritique and Design Dr Sue Wharton

2. Issues to look at • Processes of (L2) reading and (L2) writing • Target texts and genres for reading and writing – in the context of the syllabus • Materials design

3. Three models of reading • Bottom-up model • Top-down model • Interactive model

4. Implications for materials design

5. Issues to consider when selecting reading texts Genre • Reading is not ‘genre-neutral’ • Choose mix of genres of text advisedly in keeping with specification for knowledge within the syllabus Intensive vs. extensive • The longer the text which the reader is given, the more the reader will engage in top-down processing as well as bottom-up processing. • A relentless menu of short reading passages will forever restrict readers to bottom-up processing strategies Text ‘authenticity’ • The more ‘authentic’ the text, the more the reader needs to exercise her contextual knowledge to make sense of the text.

6. Three classic approaches to writing Product writing • Primarily about linguistic knowledge, with attention focused on the appropriate use of vocabulary, syntax, and cohesive devices. Genre approaches • Focuses on • the audience • the purpose of the text • the organization of the text • salient language patterns of the text Process writing • Teacher primarily facilitates the learners‘ writing, responds to content at least as much as to language

7. Writing approach drives sequencing of elements of the materials

8. Hybrid approaches Process-genre approach (Badger and White, 2000) • Writing development happens: • by drawing out the learners' potential (as in process approaches) • by providing input to which the learners respond (as in product and genre approaches). Macro-strategies (Kumaravadivelu, 2003) • Stresses the need to holistically integrate language skills traditionally separated and sequenced as listening, speaking, reading and writing. • The separation of skills viewed as inadequate for developing integrated functional skills because “language skills are essentially interrelated and mutually reinforcing” (p. 228).

9. Towards an integrated approach? In ‘real life’ learners have to read about things before they write about them Is there any chance (minimally) of ‘hooking’ writing skills materials onto reading skills materials? Learners have a variety of approaches to learning; and various approaches to the skills hold different potentials for learners

10. Issues to consider when designing a writing task Communicative purpose • In relation to the overall aims and objectives of the curriculum Processes • Again in relation to curriculum aims and objectives • Also in relation to learning styles Genre or text type • In relation to the content of the syllabus Inspiration/ Stimulus • In relation to the personalities and lifestyles of your learners • In relation to the contexts of production/ reception of the genre

11. Reading materials critique task For discussion • What can you say about the source of the reading materials? • Do they connect with any particular angle on language description? • How do the tasks proposed fit with their original communicative purpose? • Do they suggest top down/ bottom up/ interactive models of reading? • What do the materials and tasks suggest about how people learn? • What social values do they – both texts and tasks - seem to convey?

12. Writing materials critique task For discussion • What is the stimulus for the writing task? • Do the materials suggest an affiliation with product/process/ genre/ integrated approaches? • In what senses can the task be considered ‘authentic’? • What do the materials and tasks suggest about how people learn? • What social values do they – both texts and tasks - seem to convey?

13. A reading/ writing task design process • Consideration of texts – for input and output • Consideration of tasks – what do you want learners to do and to what extent do you want to control this?

14. Texts: for reading, to stimulate writing, and to be written by learners • Where can I find source text(s)? • libraries • other textbooks • internet • What media will the texts (reception or production) be? • electronic • paper-based • print and /or visual • Is the text interesting (and motivating) for my learners? • Is the content relevant to the curriculum? • Is the text at the right level for my learners • To what extent does it contribute to authenticity?

15. Tasks: global and micro tasks • Are the task(s) engaging and challenging for the learners? • Will the task(s) enable meaningful communication to take place? • To what extent do they contribute to authenticity? • How will the task(s) enable the learners to develop the skills required by the curriculum specifications? • Can the task(s) be completed within the desired timeframe? • How do small-scale tasks fit in with larger tasks or projects?