Abstract
The studies presented in this chapter highlight promising ways to foster inservice teachers and teacher candidates’ knowledge of the complexities of academic English using systemic functional linguistics (SFL). This linguistic understanding is required in order to successfully teach writing in multilingual classrooms that include native speakers of English, where English is the medium of instruction. Findings indicate inservice teachers’ newfound linguistic knowledge enacted changes to writing pedagogy. Specifically, teachers’ writing instruction with elementary students emphasized genre, language, and tenor. Moreover, the teachers used a greater repertoire of teaching strategies to teach content, such as deconstruction and joint construction of text. Similarly, changes to teacher candidates’ proposed writing instruction resulted in an increased focus on genre and language. The building of the inservice teachers and teacher candidates’ comprehension of academic English emerged through ongoing professional development and coursework. This learning was facilitated using SFL. This theory of language provided the theoretical lens to examine texts and the metalanguage to discuss genre and language. Developing inservice teachers and teacher candidates’ linguistic knowledge required a significant amount of time and commitment. Educators’ developed comprehension of language appears to promote robust classroom instruction that more effectively develops pupils into proficient and purposeful writers.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Achugar, M., Schleppegrell, M., & Oteiza, T. (2007). Engaging teachers in language analysis: A functional linguistic approach to reflective literacy. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 6(2), 8–24.
Aguirre-Munoz, Z., Park, J., Amabisca, A., & Boscardin, C. K. (2008). Developing teacher capacity for serving ELLs’ writing instructional needs: A case for systemic functional linguistics. Bilingual Research Journal, 31(1), 295–322.
Brisk, E. M., & Zisselsberger, M. (2011). We’ve let them in on the secret: Using SFL theory to improve the teacher of writing to bilingual learners. In T. Lucas (Ed.), Teacher preparation for linguistically diverse classrooms: A resource for teacher educators. New York: Routledge.
Brisk, M. E., Hodgson-Drysdale, T., & O’Connor, C. (2011). A study of a collaborative instructional project informed by systemic functional linguistic theory: Report writing in elementary grades. Journal of Education, 191, 1–12.
Butt, D., Fahey, R., Feez, S., Spinks, S., & Yallop, C. (2000). Using functional grammar: An explorer’s guide. Sydney: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research.
Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. In N. L. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 509–535). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Christie, F. (1999). Genre theory and ESL teaching: A systemic functional perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 33(4), 759–763.
Christie, F., & Derewianka, B. (2008). School discourse: Learning to write across the years of schooling. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Culter, L., & Graham, S. (2008). Primary grade instruction: A national survey. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(4), 907–919.
Daniello, F. (2012). Systemic functional linguistics theory in practice. A longitudinal study of a school-university partnership reforming writing instruction in an urban elementary school. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. (UMI No. 3503397).
Derewianka, B. (1990). Exploring how texts work. Australia: Primary English Teaching Association.
Dewsbury, A. (1994). Writing resource book. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Droga, L., & Humphrey, S. (2003). Grammar and meaning: An introduction for primary teachers. Australia: Target Texts.
Eggins, S. (1994). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. London: Pinter Publishers.
Fang, Z., Schleppegrell, M. J., & Cox, B. E. (2006). Understanding the language demands of schooling: Nouns in academic registers. Journal of Literacy Research, 38(3), 247–273.
Fillmore, L., & Snow, C. (2000). What teachers need to know about language. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics.
Gebhard, M. (2010). Teacher education in changing times: A systemic functional linguistic (SFL) perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 44(4), 797–803.
Gebhard, M., & Martin, R. J. (2011). Grammar and literacy learning. In D. Lapp & D. Fisher (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching the English language arts (3rd ed., pp. 297–304). New York: Routledge.
Gebhard, M., Harman, R., & Seger, W. (2007). Reclaiming recess: Learning the language of persuasion. Language Arts, 84(5), 419.
Gebhard, M., Willett, J., Caicedo, J. P. J., & Piedra, A. (2011). Systemic functional linguistics, teachers ‘professional development, and ELLs’ academic literacy practices. In T. Lucas (Ed.), Teacher preparation for linguistically diverse classrooms: A resource for teacher educators. New York: Routledge.
Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays. New York: Basic Books.
Gilbert, J., & Graham, S. (2010). Teaching writing to elementary students in grades 4–6: A national survey. The Elementary School Journal, 110(4), 494–518.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. Baltimore: University Park Press.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An introduction to functional grammar. New York: Routledge/Chapman and Hall, Inc.
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1989). Language, context, and text: Aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Martin, J. R. (2009). Genre and language learning: A social semiotic perspective. Linguistics and Education, 20, 10–21.
Martin, J. R., & Rose, D. (2008). Genre relations: Mapping culture. Oakville: Equinox Publishing.
Martin, J., & Rothery, J. (1986). What a functional approach to the writing task can show teachers about ‘good writing’. In B. Couture (Ed.), Functional approaches to writing: Research perspectives. Norwoood: Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Matthiessen, C. M. I. M., Teruya, K., & Lam, M. (2010). Key terms in systemic functional linguistics. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
National Commission on Writing. (2003). The neglected R: The need for a writing revolution. www.collegeboard.com. Accessed 12 March 2011.
National Commission on Writing. (2004). Writing: A ticket to work…or a ticket out. A survey of business leaders. www.collegeboard.com. Accessed 12 March 2011.
National Commission on Writing. (2006). Writing and school reform. www.collegeboard.com. Accessed 12 March 2011.
Patel Stevens, L. (2008). Educational policy and linguistic diversity: A critical analysis of teacher certification requirements. In M. E. Brisk (Ed.), Language, culture, and community in teacher education (pp. 315–330). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associate (for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education).
Rose, D., & Martin, J. R. (2012). Learning to write, reading to learn: Genre, knowledge and pedagogy in the Sydney school. Bristol: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Rothery, J. (1996). Making changes: Developing an educational linguistics. In R. Hasan & G. Williams (Eds.), Literacy in society (pp. 86–123). New York: Addison Wesley Longman.
Schleppegrell, M. J. (2004). The language of schooling: A functional linguistics perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Schleppegrell, M., & Achugar, M. (2003). Learning language and learning history: A functional linguistics approach. TESOL Journal, 12(2), 21–27.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Daniello, F., Turgut, G., Brisk, M. (2014). Applying Systemic Functional Linguistics to Build Educators’ Knowledge of Academic English for the Teaching of Writing. In: Mahboob, A., Barratt, L. (eds) Englishes in Multilingual Contexts. Multilingual Education, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8869-4_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8869-4_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8868-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8869-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)