Discourse type ( Genre) in Education

1.Narative

1.1 Purposes: To tell a story as a means of

making sense of events and happenings in

the world. It can be both entertaining and

informing

1.2 Generic struture (text organization)

Orientation: sets the scene and introduces

the participants

Evaluation: a stepping back to evaluate the

plight

Complication: a crisis arises

Resolution : the crisis is resolved, for better

or worse

Re-orientation: optional

1.3 Significant lexicogrammatical

fetures:

* atFocus on specific and usually individual-

ized participants

* Use of material processes (behavioral and

verbal processes)

* Use of relational processes and mental

processes

* Use of temporal conjunctions and temporal

circumstances

* Use of past tense

1.4 Narrative example:

Orientation: Once upon a time there lived a

little girl named Snow White. She lived with

her Aunt and Uncle because her parents were

dead

Major complication: One day she

heard her Uncle and Aunt talking about leaving Snow White in the castle because they both wanted to go to America and they

didn’t have enough money to take Snow

White.

Resolution : Snow White didn’t want her

Uncle and Aunt to do this so she decided it

would be best if she ran away. The next morning she ran away from home when he

Aunt and Uncle were having breakfast. She ran away into the woods

Complication: She was very tired and hungry

Resolution: Then she saw this little cottage.

She knocked but no one answered so she went

inside and fell asleep.

2. Recount genre

2.1 Social function: To tell events for the

purpose of informing or entertaining. Events

are usually arranged in a temporal sequence

2.2 Generic structure:

Orientation : provides the setting and

introduces participants

Events: tell what happened in what sequence

Re-orientation: optional-closure of events

2.3 Language features (Lexicogrammatical

features)

* Focus on individiual participants

* Use of past tense

* Focus on temporal sequence events

* Use of action clauses and processes

2.4 Recount example:

Orientation: I was driving along the cost

road when the car suddenly lurched to one

side

Event 1: At first I thought a tyre had gone

but then I saw telegraphs poles collapsing

like matchsticks

Event 2: The rocks came tubling across the

road and I had to abandon the car

Event 3: When I got back to town, well, as

I said there wasn’t much left.

Reorientation: I felf I was lucky, I was

saved in the accident

3. Report Genre

3.1 Social function: to describe the way things are, with

reference to a range of natural, man-

made and social phenomenon in our environ-

ment

3.2 Generic Structure:

General classification : tell what the phenomena

under discussion

Description: - parts (and their functions)

- qualities

- habits/behaviours or ‘uses’ if non

natural.

Language features:

- Focus on generic participants

- Use of simple present tense (unless extinct)

- No temporal sequence

- Use of ‘being’ and ‘having’ clause

3.3 Report Example

General Classification/technical classification:

Sea-lions are sea mammals and are warm- blooded

They breath air with their lungs. The scientific

name for the family they belong to Neophoca

Cinerea

Description:

Australian se-lions are about 250 cms long. Adult

males (called bulls) grow to about 3 metres and are

the largest Australian mammal (they no longer

breed in Australia). The female sea-lions are always

smaller than the bulls in length and weight. …..

4. Procedure Genre

4.1 Social funct ion: Factual text designed to

describe how something is accomplished

through a sequence of actions or steps

4.2 Generic structure:

Goal

Steps 1-n (ie. Goal followed by a series of steps

oriented to achieving the goal)

4.3 Language Features:

- Focus on genereliased human agents

- Use of simple present tense

- Use of mainly temporal conjunctive relations

- Use of mainly temporal conjunctive relations

- Use of mainly material (actions) clauses

4.4 Procedure Example

To make Stained Glass Figures

1. First you take a piece of cardboard and one

piece of chalk

2. Then you draw something on the cardboard

3. Next you cut it out where you want light to

go through

4. Then use a texta to trace around the thing

you drew

5.Stick different coloured cellophane paper

over the areas that have a hole

6. When you have finished this, slick it on

the window

STEPS

GOAL