What are the implications for teaching a functional model of language?
(Ewing, 2001).
1. Valuing the diversity of language backgrounds
If you adopt this model, you will need to value the different ways of talking and different orientations to language and literacy that children will bring to your classroom. It is important however that slang is not appropriate for formal and written contexts. This model has a social justice element and is concerned with helping students from non-mainstream backgrounds to acquire the skills genres demand that are very prominent in most areas of schools.
2. Introduce a range of texts
Provide students with a wide range of whole texts both written and oral and examine the different purposes which they are created. Give students time and set tasks that enable them to explore different texts independently. Typical features of text types MUST be discussed in the early years of schooling.
3. Choose a range of real experiences
Use school events, media happenings, factual texts and students’ personal experiences as platforms for meaningful language activities across the curriculum. Provide lots of opportunities for students to talk explicitly about differences in text form and help them record the differences.
4. Written & oral language
Build students understandings of the differences between spoken and written texts. Readers’ theatre is very useful because it allows students to create scripts from literature for group storytelling and explore differences in the process
5. Share your own language expertise
By modelling and engaging in joint construction with your students about their talking and writing, it will help
them feel supported in negotiating different sorts of texts.
6. Learning a language to talk about language
Talking about language features and grammatical structures of text types will enable you to talk directly to your students about their writing.
(Ewing, 2001).
1. Valuing the diversity of language backgrounds
If you adopt this model, you will need to value the different ways of talking and different orientations to language and literacy that children will bring to your classroom. It is important however that slang is not appropriate for formal and written contexts. This model has a social justice element and is concerned with helping students from non-mainstream backgrounds to acquire the skills genres demand that are very prominent in most areas of schools.
2. Introduce a range of texts
Provide students with a wide range of whole texts both written and oral and examine the different purposes which they are created. Give students time and set tasks that enable them to explore different texts independently. Typical features of text types MUST be discussed in the early years of schooling.
3. Choose a range of real experiences
Use school events, media happenings, factual texts and students’ personal experiences as platforms for meaningful language activities across the curriculum. Provide lots of opportunities for students to talk explicitly about differences in text form and help them record the differences.
4. Written & oral language
Build students understandings of the differences between spoken and written texts. Readers’ theatre is very useful because it allows students to create scripts from literature for group storytelling and explore differences in the process
5. Share your own language expertise
By modelling and engaging in joint construction with your students about their talking and writing, it will help
them feel supported in negotiating different sorts of texts.
6. Learning a language to talk about language
Talking about language features and grammatical structures of text types will enable you to talk directly to your students about their writing.