Speaker
Description
Abstract: Despite the fact that research indicates that reading and writing are interconnected skills, they are often taught separately. In the Japanese context, students often spend extensive time on intensive reading and grammar instruction without looking at the social and functional properties of texts. Much of the research into the social aspects of writing has been focused on English for academic purposes, which might not be appropriate for low-proficiency students who are not majoring in English. I created a proposal for a class that will address these gaps by teaching genre from a systemic-functional perspective based on Feez’s (1998) model. It utilizes the theme of consumerism, which is appropriate for non-academic settings. Students will analyze models such as product-reviews, advertisements, and professional emails to develop analytical reading and writing skills within the genre. I will discuss the methods and effectiveness of this instruction, as well as its use in future research.
Bio: Elizabeth Arikuni has taught in various contexts ranging from kindergarten to adults and is currently teaching in a bilingual kindergarten. She expects to complete her master’s in education from Temple University, Japan in summer 2024. Her research interests include young learners, pragmatics, and genre-instruction and their effects on learner psychology.
