Developing
academic
literacy and
grammatical
accuracy
through text
deconstruction
October 2
2013
Centre for English Language Communication
Workshop
Laetitia MONBEC
and Mark BROOKE
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
CONTENTS
SFL and genre-based pedagogy
Functional Grammar versus traditional grammar
Text analysis: rationale
Text analysis for lower levels
o Common academic features and the table of instantiation
o Implementation over a semester-long course
o Observations and link to accuracy work
o Focus on Individual features: clause complex analysis and cohesion
Text analysis for higher levels
o Stance and authorial endorsement
o Cohesion in texts
1
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
TABLE OF INSTANTIATION
Function
To express
complex thoughts
and their logical
links.
To refer
to/comment on
sources.
To show caution
and tentativeness
when presenting
arguments.
To create a less
personal or
emotional tone.
To discuss
abstract concepts
in precise and
economical ways.
To create texts
that flow logically
and are easy for a
reader to follow
(coherence and
cohesion)
2
Feature
1. Sentence structure (complex)
Sentences including subordinate clauses
(adverbial, relative, participle, noun clauses)
2. Reporting structures/verbs
The research report concludes [that + SV]
(Note the noun clause after the reporting
verb
As Jones (2010) argues,…
According to Zhang (2009), …
3. Hedging/Modality
Modals: may, might , could
Adverbs: perhaps, probably
Quantifiers: some
Verbs: appear to + V/ seem to + V/ tend to +
V
Other expressions : x is likely to + V/ there’s a
tendency for x to + V
4. Impersonal structures and the passive
voice
It is often believed that…
There is growing evidence that …
This result is often achieved …
5. Complex noun phrases (headnoun)
Continued exposure to such chemicals can
lead to reduced functioning of the autoimmune system
6. Cohesive features
Lexical chains (synonyms and substitution
words): Hong kong the SAR  The
territory the city.
Lexical sets (related words): computer
components, printers, CPUs, memory chips,
high tech equipment.
General nouns (used to structure a text):
problems, causes effect, impact, reasons,
issue…
Referencing (pronouns and other words)
Shopping centres they such places
Ellipsis (eliminating words) One solution is
to.. Another [x] is to…
Linkers: however, as a result, although…
Example from the text
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
SAMPLE EXPOSITORY TEXT FOR DECONSTRUCTION
INTODUCTION REMOVED
(1) As Isenberg and Jalongo (1993) point out, early childhood teachers have as great a responsibility
to foster the creative development of young children as they do to foster their physical, social and
emotional well-being. This perception reinforces that of Wright (1991), whose studies
unambiguously favour a move away from the concept of a ‘natural unfolding’ or non-interventionist
(5)approach to creative development in early childhood, towards a ‘guided learning’ approach
where the carer or teacher actively facilitates this development through every aspect of the early
childhood institutional setting. There can be no doubt that such an approach has far-reaching
implications for teachers and carers.
Firstly, as Isenberg and Jalongo clearly demonstrate (1993, p.255), the physical environment around
(10)children has a powerful influence on the quality of learning experiences generally. The findings
from their studies consistently suggest that specifics such as colour schemes, floor surfaces and
ceiling heights should be imaginatively used to create intimate or open spaces. Greenman’s research
(1988, p.107) proposes that strategies varying natural and reflected light are beneficial in sensitising
children to the aesthetics of their environment – a view which is strongly supported by Feeney,
(15)Christianson and Moravick (1991), who studied models of lighting suitable to a enjoyment of a
variety of creative experiences including drama, music movement and visual art. The safe and
effective division of large open areas into smaller, cosier and more functional spaces, using dividers
or furniture arrangements, has also been shown to be advantageous to children’s appreciation of
their environment (Greenman 1988, p.111).
(20)Secondly, extensive research into time management confirms that young children require long,
uninterrupted periods of time to fully explore the possibilities of the arts media (Feeney,
Christianson and Moravick, p.292). Although it is generally accepted that exposure to a variety of
play activities significantly develops children’s overall skill pool, Greenman ‘s 1988 studies provide
strong evidence that too much of this can ‘deprive children…of the security that comes with
(25)predictable routines’ (p.84)…
Although it might be argued that much of the above is already entrenched in ‘good practice’
childcare centres, recent evidence would appear to support findings to the contrary (Jackson 2001,
Martins 2000). These studies suggest that a high degree of attachment to the previous ‘laissez-faire’
approach to young children’s creative development remains amongst early childhood
(30)educators…and they recommend extensive changes to teacher and carer training.
CONCLUSION REMOVED
3
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
TABLE OF INSTANTIATION- TASK SHEET
Feature
1. Sentence structure (complex)
Sentences including subordinate clauses
(adverbial, relative, participle, noun clauses)
2. Reporting structures/verbs
The research report concludes [that + SV]
(Note the noun clause after the reporting verb
As Jones (2010) argues,…
According to Zhang (2009), …
3. Hedging/Modality
Modals: may, might , could
Adverbs: perhaps, probably
Quantifiers: some
Verbs: appear to + V/ seem to + V/ tend to + V
Other expressions : x is likely to + V/ there’s a
tendency for x to + V
4. Impersonal structures and the passive voice
It is often believed that…
There is growing evidence that …
This result is often achieved …
5. Complex noun phrases (headnoun)
Continued exposure to such chemicals can lead
to reduced functioning of the auto-immune
system
6. Cohesive features
Lexical chains (synonyms and substitution
words): Hong kong the SAR  The
territory the city.
Lexical sets (related words): computer
components, printers, CPUs, memory chips,
high tech equipment.
General nouns (used to structure a text):
problems, causes effect, impact, reasons,
issue…
Referencing (pronouns and other words)
Shopping centres they such places
Ellipsis (eliminating words) One solution is to..
Another [x] is to…
Linkers: however, as a result, although…
4
Write examples from the text below:
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
SAMPLE NEWS MAGAZINE ARTICLE FOR DECONSTRUCITON
REFORMING EDUCATION
The great schools revolution
Education remains the trickiest part of attempts to reform the public sector.
But as ever more countries embark on it, some vital lessons are beginning to
be learned
(1). FROM Toronto to Wroclaw, London to Rome, pupils and teachers have been returning to the
classroom after their summer break. But this September schools themselves are caught up in a
global battle of ideas. In many countries education is at the forefront of political debate, and
reformers desperate to improve their national performance are drawing examples of good practice
from all over the world.
(2).Why now? One answer is the sheer amount of data available on performance, not just within
countries but between them. In 2000 the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) at
the OECD, a rich-country club, began tracking academic attainment by the age of 15 in 32 countries.
Many were shocked by where they came in the rankings. (PISA’s latest figures appear in table 1.)
Other outfits, too, have been measuring how good or bad schools are. McKinsey, a consultancy, has
monitored which education systems have improved most in recent years.
(3).Technology has also made a difference. After a number of false starts, many people now believe
that the internet can make a real difference to educating children. Hence the success of institutions
like America’s Kahn Academy. Experimentation is also infectious; the more governments try things,
the more others examine, and copy, the results.
(4). Above all, though, there has been a change in the quality of the debate. In particular, what might
be called “the three great excuses” for bad schools have receded in importance. Teachers’ unions
have long maintained that failures in Western education could be blamed on skimpy government
spending, social class and cultures that did not value education. All these make a difference, but they
do not determine outcomes by themselves.
(5). The idea that good schooling is about spending money is the one that has been beaten back
hardest. Many of the 20 leading economic performers in the OECD doubled or tripled their
5
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
education spending in real terms between 1970 and 1994, yet outcomes in many countries
stagnated—or went backwards. Educational performance varies widely even among countries that
spend similar amounts per pupil. Such spending is highest in the United States—yet America lags
behind other developed countries on overall outcomes in secondary education. Andreas Schleicher,
head of analysis at PISA, thinks that only about 10% of the variation in pupil performance has
anything to do with money.
(6). Many still insist, though, that social class makes a difference. Martin Johnson, an education trade
unionist, points to Britain’s “inequality between classes, which is among the largest in the wealthiest
nations” as the main reason why its pupils underperform. A review of reforms over the past decade
by researchers at Oxford University supports him. “Despite rising attainment levels,” it concludes,
“there has been little narrowing of longstanding and sizeable attainment gaps. Those from
disadvantaged backgrounds remain at higher risks of poor outcomes.” American studies confirm the
point; Dan Goldhaber of the University of Washington claims that “non-school factors”, such as
family income, account for as much as 60% of a child’s performance in school.
(7). Yet the link is much more variable than education egalitarians suggest. Australia, for instance,
has wide discrepancies of income, but came a creditable ninth in the most recent PISA study. China,
rapidly developing into one of the world’s least equal societies, finished first.
(8). Culture is certainly a factor. Many Asian parents pay much more attention to their children’s test
results than Western ones do, and push their schools to succeed. Singapore, Hong Kong and South
Korea sit comfortably at the top of McKinsey’s rankings (see table 2). But not only do some Western
countries do fairly well; there are also huge differences within them. Even if you put to one side the
unusual Asians, as this briefing will now do, many Western systems could jump forward merely by
bringing their worst schools up to the standard of their best.
(9). So what are the secrets of success? Though there is no one template, four important themes
emerge: decentralisation (handing power back to schools); a focus on underachieving pupils; a
choice of different sorts of schools; and high standards for teachers. These themes can all be traced
in three places that did well in McKinsey’s league: Ontario, Poland and Saxony.
Abstract from: The Economist Newspaper Limited, London 917/09/2011). The whole text is available at:
http://www.economist.com/node/21529014
6
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
THEMATIC PROGRESSION ANALYSIS
Firstly, as Isenberg and Jalongo clearly demonstrate (1993, p.255), the physical environment around
children has a powerful influence on the quality of learning experiences generally. The findings from
their studies consistently suggest that specifics such as colour schemes, floor surfaces and ceiling
heights should be imaginatively used to create intimate or open spaces. Greenman’s research (1988,
p.107) proposes that strategies varying natural and reflected light are beneficial in sensitising
children to the aesthetics of their environment – a view which is strongly supported by Feeney,
Christianson and Moravick (1991), who studied models of lighting suitable to a enjoyment of a
variety of creative experiences including drama, music movement and visual art. The safe and
effective division of large open areas into smaller, cosier and more functional spaces, using dividers
or furniture arrangements, has also been shown to be advantageous to children’s appreciation of
their environment (Greenman 1988, p.111).
7
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
SIMPLE REWRITING
Firstly, as Isenberg and Jalongo clearly demonstrate (1993, p.255), the physical environment around
children (theme 1) has a powerful influence on the quality of learning experiences generally (rheme
1). The findings from their studies consistently suggest that specifics such as colour schemes, floor
surfaces and ceiling heights (theme 2) should be imaginatively used to create intimate or open
spaces (rheme 2). Greenman’s research (1988, p.107) proposes that strategies exploiting these three
phenomenon to vary natural and reflected light in open spaces (theme 3) are beneficial in sensitising
children to the aesthetics of their environment (rheme 3). This (theme 4) is also strongly supported
by Feeney, Christianson and Moravick (1991), who studied models of lighting in open spaces suitable
to an enjoyment of a variety of creative experiences including drama, music movement and visual
art (rheme 4). The safe and effective division of large open areas into smaller, cosier and more
functional spaces, using dividers or furniture arrangements (theme 5) has also been shown to be
advantageous to children’s appreciation of their environment (Greenman 1988, p.111) (rheme 5).
For example, Isenberg and Jalongo (1993) clearly demonstrate that quiet, intimate areas for
extensive reading (theme 6) can be more beneficial than open spaces (rheme 6). To sum up, the
research conducted has clearly demonstrated that these changes to the environment, particularly
with regard to the imaginative use of open or intimate spaces, (theme 7) can substantially improve
children’s learning experiences (rheme 7).
8
Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
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Developing academic literacy and grammatical accuracy through text deconstruction
CELC Seminar
Laetitia Monbec & Mark Brooke
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