Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009...

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Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in Learning

Transcript of Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009...

Page 1: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Inna Gvozdenko, PhDPatricia Ciuffetelli

TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES

TO NEW ARRIVALS

ESL Conference 2009Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in Learning

Page 2: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Outline of the Presentation

• Context• Student profiles• Focus on various genres (Why?)• Teaching cycle (What ?& How?)• Key activities• Use of ICT (When?)• Learning outcomes• Reflection (So what?)

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Page 3: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

• NPELS is a P – 10 Victorian Government school. It has two campuses

• 314 students: 127 primary and 187 secondary

• Gender: males – 166, females – 146

• Intensive English language program for newly arrived refugees and

migrants

• Minimum of two terms tuition for students with age equivalent

education

• Up to 4 terms tuition for students

at risk or with disrupted schooling

Teaching Context

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Page 4: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

• 57% of our students and their families have previously lived in refugee camps. Some have attended schools there.

• Many have experienced trauma, seen war and lost family members.

• Students come from 32 countries

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Page 5: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Country/Refugee camp

VictoriaIntensive

ESL programNPELS

MainstreamSchool

TAFE/AMES

Australian Community

work

Multiple Transition for new arrivals

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Page 6: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Why Focus on Written Genres?• NPELS aims “to improve student learning outcomes in the area of

literacy and to further develop the curriculum focus on student oral and written text production across the school” (NPELS, Annual Implementation Plan, 2009 p. 2).

• Interview data with the exited ESL students and their current ESL teachers has revealed that NPELS students benefit from being exposed to and explicitly taught about a range of writing genres at their early stage of English language learning (Gvozdenko, I. 2008, Mainstream school visit report).

• Text types are culturally determined, therefore ESL learners are less likely to be familiar with the features of the text types favoured in our culture.

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Page 7: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

What is the Genre Approach

• Explicit teaching about text types:

1) social purpose

2) overall organisational structure

3) linguistic features

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Page 8: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

The Curriculum Cycle

• Stage 1: Building Knowledge of the Topic

• Stage 2: Modeling the Text

• Stage 3: Joint Construction of the Text • Stage 4: Independent Writing

Gibbons, P. (2002). Derewianka, B.(1991).

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Page 9: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

The genre-based Curriculum Cycle(Hammond, J., 2001)

Building the field Teacher assumes leadership in developing relevant curriculum knowledge, understanding and language. Activities focus on curriculum, knowledge, language relevant to that curriculum knowledge, reading and learning how to read.

ModellingTeacher introduces a specific genre, guides students through explicit talk, demonstration, text deconstruction

Joint ConstructionTeacher shares responsibility with students for writing in the genre through rehearsals, co-constructions, reconstructions.

Independent constructionTeacher withdraws support as far as possible as student exercises control over the focus genre

Opportunities for further reflection on the significance of the genre, and for critical analysis

Page 10: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Key Activities

Week Learning activities/experiences

1 Planning for learning , letters and invitations delivered

2 Meet buddies, play “The Cat in the Hat”, shared reading in small groups songs performed by students

3 Book report writing, information reports, excursions

4 View the movie “The Cat in the Hat”Writing a comparative essay and a persuasive letter to the editor, information reports

5 Formal oral presentations

6 Incursion “Snake busters”, games session

7 Make muffins, morning tea session

8 Make posters about students’ learning experiences (Part 1)

9 Make posters about students’ learning experiences (Part 2)

10 Prepare “Thank you” cards and presentations of the term activities 10

Page 11: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Text Types Targeted in 10 Week Teaching Cycle

Written texts Oral texts

Primary Secondary Primary Secondary

•Recount

• Information Report

• Procedure

•Transactional Texts (e.g. Letter writing, invitations)

•Recount

• Information Report

• Procedure

•Transactional Texts

• Book report

• Comparative essay

•Information Report (Oral presentation on reptiles)

• Procedure (How to play …)

• Recount

• Narrative

•Information Report

• Procedure

•Transactional texts

• Delivery of letters

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Page 12: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Selection of Text Types- Justification

Primary • Curriculum expectation• Text type linked to topic• Student interest • Age appropriateness

Secondary • Curriculum expectation• Text type linked to topic• Negotiated curriculum approach• Use of ICT

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Page 13: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

A Negotiated Approach in the ESL Classroom (Breen, M. & Littlejohn, A.,2000)

Issues opened for negotiation:General enquiry: How do you feel in a new class? What are your values?

Purposes: What are your short/long term goals? What are your expectations of the class?

Teacher/student role expectations: What is your role in class? What do you think the teacher’s role is?

Content: What topics would you like to study? What skills do you want to develop?

Learning to learn: Do you know your learning style? How do you learn best? What strategies do you use in learning English? What activities do you like/dislike? Where would you like to go on excursions?

Evaluation: How would you like to be assessed? What could be the outcome of the work? What have you learned? Have you achieved your personal goals?

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Page 14: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Outcomes of the negotiation process AREAS OF INTEREST

Australia

Customs of different countries

Love and funny books

Celebration

Social skills

Technology

Grammar: Present, Past and Future tenses

Punctuation

Passive voice

Paragraph writing

EXPECTATIONS

Improve speaking and listening

Extracurricular activities

Learn new words

Learn about the world

Get a good position in class

Be brave and don’t be afraid of people

ACTIVITIES

Quiz , excursions

Word search

Watching news & movies

Using ICT

Typing stories

Grammar exercises

Group work, drama

Drawing, cooking

Listening to music

Playing games

Project work

Singing songs

Reading books

ASSESSMENT

Grammar worksheets & tests

Rubrics

Story writing Letter writing

Debating

Dictation

Spelling test

Listening test

Oral presentations

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Page 15: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Text type: Information ReportBuilding background knowledge •Read books about topics•Explicit vocab building •Watched DVDs•Independent research•Incursion/excursion

ModellingDeconstruction of exemplar information report(e.g. cloze activities)

Joint ConstructionCollaborative writing of information report (model the writing process)

Independent/small group construction

•Students independently construct text with minimum teacher support (Planning, drafting, editing, revising and publishing)

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Page 16: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Text Deconstruction Activities at the Modelling Stage

Crocodiles Crocodiles are reptiles.

Crocodiles have hard scales and sharp teeth.

Crocodiles eat small animals.

Some crocodiles live in fresh water.

Crocodiles are dangerous.

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Page 17: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Text Deconstruction Activities at the Modelling Stage

What are crocodiles?

How do you feel about crocodiles?

What do crocodiles look like?

Title:

Page 18: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Text Deconstruction Activities at the Modelling Stage

Crocodiles

Crocodiles are reptiles.

Crocodiles have _______ scales and _______ teeth.

Crocodiles eat _______ animals. 

Crocodiles are dangerous.

 

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small hard sharp

Page 19: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Use of ICT

• Software– Word – Publisher – Power Point Presentation – Movie Maker

• Interactive White Board

• A set of laptops and class computers

• Emails

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Page 20: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Students’ Learning Outcomes

• Magazine “16 A+”• Two articles for the “Voices” magazine “”• Poster: “Learning about writing genres: Fun with

16 A and PT7”, displayed in the library• Using a Movie Maker “Our learning journey”• Dioramas about reptiles and oral presentations• Power Point Presentations “Marine Life”, “Snake

busters”, “Werribee Zoo” and “City Landmarks”• Class displays in Room 28 and PT7

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Page 21: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Students’ FeedbackPRIMARY STUDENTS

• Fatah: “I liked learning about snakes and writing about snakes”.• Adila: “I tried my best to do a beautiful writing in my letter”.

SECONDARY STUDENTS

• Fahmida: “I learned how to write with good manners and respect, have good points and then present the information in Power Point”.

• Mohammad: “The writing of essays is good because I improve my English.”

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Genres I am confident I am very confident

Information report 8 7

Letter and invitation 7 8

Comparative essay 8 7

Page 22: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Teachers’ Reflections on Teaching Genres

• High level student interest in and motivation towards learning about different written genres

• The importance of not making assumptions about students’ background knowledge of particular genres

• The importance of building knowledge of targeted written genres (i.e. social purpose of different texts, audience, organisational structure, language features)

• Building understanding of the writing process (i.e. planning, drafting, editing, publication / presentation)

• Curriculum Cycle – the need to provide scaffolding through modelling, text deconstruction before expecting students to create targeted texts independently

• While many genres were covered during the 10 week teaching cycle, the following issues emerged for us:

- How much knowledge of each text type exposed and explicitly taught did the students retain?

- How many text types should be covered in an 10 week program for secondary and 6 month program for primary?

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Page 23: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Making a giant poster

“I learned how to plan and design a poster. All students were interested in making posters. Primary students gave us some advice. I liked to make posters because they made me happy and showed what we had done.”

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Page 24: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

ReferencesBreen, M.P. & Littlejohn, A .(2000). (Eds.) Classroom-decision making: negotiation and process syllabuses in practice. Cambridge University Press.Derewianka, Beverly.(1990). Exploring How Texts Work. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.Gibbons, Pauline. (2002). Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning. Teaching Second Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.Gvozdenko, I. (2008). Exit students’ and their ESL teachers ‘reflection on learning English at NPELS. Mainstream school visits.Hammond, J. (2001). Scaffolding and language in Hammond, J. (ed.) Scaffolding teaching and learning and literacy education. NSW: primary English teaching Association. Smith,A., Elley, N, Croft,D & Ciuffetelli, P. First Edition (2007). PM Writing Teachers' Guide Books (1, 2 &3 ), Cengage Learning ,South Melbourne.

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Page 25: Inna Gvozdenko, PhD Patricia Ciuffetelli TEACHING WRITTEN GENRES TO NEW ARRIVALS ESL Conference 2009 Transforming ESL pedagogy: Educating for Success in.

Thank you!

Comments and questions

Contact: [email protected]

[email protected]

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