Week 3 Genre-based approach

As Paltridge (2001) points out that a genre is more than just rhetorical structure and patterns of grammar and vocabulary, and a genre is influenced by socio-cultural context of production, interpretation of text, expectations of the discourse community, relationship with other texts.

Moreover, Hyland (2003) adds the point that "genre knowledge is important to studetns" understaning of their L2 environments, and crucial to their life chances in those environments.

I was so impressed by both Paltridge and Hyland's point as L2 learners, in fact, have difficulties of writing and speaking apporpriately in a real situation. For example, the one common thing happens among Korean students ( I think most of students from Asian-culture background), is when writing an e-mail, their main purpose is always at the last part of an e-mail. Since they have been learnt that saying their point directly is too rude, therefore, their e-mails always start from greetings, mentioning about the weather..then, the main point comes at the bottom. Moreover, studetns have no ideas og the forms of letter or e-mails (such as writing "regards" at the bottom). This ill-formed letter or e-mail makes learners seem rude, in fact.

However, those are not second languag learners' intention, but they just do no know how to write appropriately.

Genre approach has some positive aspects such as it enables students make sense of the world around them and participate in it, and gives security to students by offering models. However, it has negative aspects such as leading studetns to a lack of creativity and a text-centred approach rather than student-centred.

References

Hyland, K. (2003). Genre-based pedagodies: A social response to process. Journal of Second language writing. 12, 17-29. Doi: 10.1016/S1060-3743(02)00124-8.

Paltridge, B. (2001). Genre and the language learning classroom. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press.