Use of SFL to map the role of language (form and function) in learning History in Australian Secondary schools. Consciousness raising- both staff and students. Included ethnographic interviews to identify approx. 100 successful texts for analysis. Genre -purpose -staging. Teaching -learning cycle (deconstruction - work on genre- grammar-lexis - students' writing improved - particularly text structure and organisation.
A research study which used the tools of functional linguistics to illuminate the writing requirements of the history curriculum in the context of Australian secondary schools. It shows how the resulting linguistic description was integrated into a sequence of teaching and learning activities through collaboration between linguist specialists and content/pedagogic specialists. These activities were designed to facilitate students’ writing skills whilst simultaneously developing their historical knowledge.
Wingate deals with development of induction program for all students at Kings, something not well addressed previously in UK.
Recommends discipline-specific genre-based approach using exemplar materials drawn from student work.
Outlines application of deconstruction/joint construction/individual construction (Martin & Rose, Rothery) procedure through small group work with prepared guidance and commentaries. Suggestive of dialogic teaching, though this not directly explored.
Notes student preference for authentic essays; and subject tutors reluctance to engage.
Small scale and early reported - tentative.
Model of pedagogical practices around various scaffolding strategies to support ESL learners in learning content and developing language in mainstream curricula.