FROM GENERIC WRITING TO WRITING GENRES Developments in Genre-Based L2 Writing Pedagogy Nigel A. Caplan Assistant Professor University of Delaware English Language Institute

Generic models of instruction

Source: “The Writing Process Colossal Concept Poster” http://catalog.mcdonaldpublishingcatalog.com Source: Reid, The Process of Composition (2000)

“You cannot not mean genres” (Martin, 1999)

What is a genre? Genre refers to abstract, socially recognised ways of using language. It is based on the idea that members of a community usually have little difficulty in recognising similarities in the texts they use frequently and are able to draw on their repeated experiences with such texts to read, understand, and perhaps write them relatively easily. (Hyland, 2007)

Genre-Based Pedagogies • One size does not fit all: not everything is an argument • Writing is a social activity • Genres are how we get things done in language • Genres vary widely across disciplines • Explicit instruction: “we’ve let them in on a secret” (Brisk &

Zisselberger, 2010) • Process writing focuses on strategies without expanding

linguistic repertoire (Hyland, 2007) There is no such thing as the generic academic essay. It’s a “mutt genre” (Wardle, 2009)

What do students actually write? • Essay • Short-answer exam • Lab report • Critique • Explanation • Case study • Exercise • Design specification • Proposal • Narrative recount • Book review

• Ethnographies • Research report • Problem question • Reflections • Literature survey • Journal • Discussion board

(Melzer, 2009; Nesi & Gardner, 2012)

6 (count ‘em) essay genres (Nesi & Gardner, 2012)

Genre Purpose Staging Exposition Argue for a claim or thesis Thesis ^ evidence ^ restate

thesis Discussion Entertain alternative

positions before reaching a position

Issue ^ Alternative arguments ^ final position

Challenge Disagree with a given theory and propose an alternative

Challenge ^ evidence ^ thesis

Factorial Present factors and/or effects and interpret them.

State ^ contributory factors ^ summary thesis

Consequential State ^ ensuing factors ^ summary thesis

Commentary Analysis or close reading of texts, rather than argument

Introduce text(s) ^ comments ^ summary

From Process to Genre

Process Writing

• Meaning is already in the writer

• Starts with learner’s current knowledge

• Write then fix model (remediation)

Genre-Based Pedagogy

• Meaning is socially constructed

• Starts with the target language and genre

• Scaffolded instruction towards mastery

(Rose, 2012)

Teaching/Learning Cycle

Martin, 2009; adapted from Rothery, 1996

Collaborative Writing • Example from Jenny Bixby and Nigel Caplan, Inside

Writing 2 (Oxford, forthcoming Spring 2014). • Omitted from this online version for copyright reasons. • Inside Writing will be a 5-level genre-based writing series

that also covers the entire Academic Word List. • For more information, contact me or your Oxford

University Press representative.

Teaching for Genre Transfer • How is a product review similar to an argument, a

description, a comparison, etc.? • How is it different from an argument, a narrative, etc.?

Expand “genre awareness” (Johns, 2002)

Genre in your classroom • For each writing assignment, ask yourself:

• What is the genre? • Who writes texts like these? • Why are they written? • How are they written?

• Try the Teaching/Learning Cycle • Analyze exemplars with your students • Study the staging • Expand linguistic resources • Write the genre together • Assign independent writing when students are ready • Continue to use writing processes through this stage • Connect to other genres

Further reading Caplan, N.A. (2013, October). From generic writing to writing genres: developments in genre-based l2 writing pedagogy. SLW News. Retrieved from http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolslwis/issues/2013-10-07/8.html Coffin, C., Curry, M. J., Goodman, S., Hewings, A., Lillis, T. M., & Swann, J. (2003). Teaching academic writing: A toolkit for higher education. London: Routledge. Hyland, K. (2004). Genre and second language writing. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. Melzer, D. (2009). Writing assignments across the curriculum: A national study of college writing. College Composition and Communication, 61(2), 240–261. Nesi, H., & Gardner, S. (2012). Genres across the disciplines: Student writing in higher education. New York: Cambridge University Press. Rose, D., & Martin, J. R. (2012). Learning to write, reading to learn: Genre, knowledge and pedagogy in the Sydney School. London: Equinox. Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. (2012). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills (3rd ed.). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. And … Inside Writing (5-level genre-based writing series), Oxford, coming 2014

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolslwis/issues/2013-10-07/8.html

Nigel A. Caplan Assistant Professor University of Delaware English Language Institute nacaplan@udel.edu This PowerPoint is available from: http://nigelteacher.wordpress.com

mailto:nacaplan@udel.eduhttp://nigelteacher.wordpress.com/

From Generic Writing �to Writing GenresGeneric models of instruction“You cannot not mean genres” �(Martin, 1999)What is a genre?Genre-Based PedagogiesWhat do students actually write? 6 (count ‘em) essay genres�(Nesi & Gardner, 2012)From Process to GenreTeaching/Learning CycleCollaborative WritingTeaching for Genre TransferGenre in your classroomFurther readingSlide Number 14