Job Discussion Forums

[txmsk]

Hi all,

Well I have to do my last observed teaching lesson, and I would like to do Discourse for the background essay as well as for the focus of the lesson.

The main issue I am having is that my Delta tutors are not really supportive of me doing discourse - they say it is "tricky".

Well, if it is so tricky, then why has Cambridge ESOL even bothered to include it? That said, I would like a concise definition of discourse. My view is that pragmatics and discourse are related, and that pragmatics, and specifically speech acts (such as apologizing, expressing regret, etc.) can be viewed as part of discourse.

Anyway, I could really use some guidance on this, specifically insight from anyone who has done a discourse lesson (whatever the focus) for the Delta.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I really need some advice before the 10th of September...

[the_thinker]

It's a huge area, there's no one definition of what discourse is, and even if there was, I don't think it would be useful for what you want to do.

I don't agree that discourse is that tricky, though, and it's extremely important for writing. I'd recommend looking at text patterns, general-specific, problem-solution, claim-counterclaim etc. You can focus on this in both a reading or writing skills lesson, or ��maybe best�� a combination of the two.

[Linguist]

If your tutors are advising you against it, then it's better to stay away from it. You can tackle discourse analysis for an MA thesis, but my advice is to avoid it for an observed teaching lesson.

Let us know how it goes.

[mmcmorrow]

Hi,

I'm a DELTA tutor and assessor based in New Zealand. I usually include a couple of input sessions in the discourse area in the courses I'm involved on - I've had teachers who've chosen aspects of discourse as topics in their assessed lessons. I agree with the previous posters that you need to think strategically about which areas would be easiest for you to focus on for your observed lessons, taking into account your students, the context you're working in, your own interests and expertise as well as the support / input from your tutors.

Anyway, here are a couple of defintions / explanations of discourse, taken from the last handout I prepared on the topic last year:

...............................................................................

�The study of discourse is the study of language independently of the notion of the sentence. This usually involves studying longer (spoken and written) texts, but, above all, it involves examining the relationship between a text and the situation in which it occurs.� (McCarthy, 2001, p. 4

Discourse .. �takes into account the fact that linguistic patterns exist across stretches of text. These patterns of language extend beyond the words, clauses and sentences which have been the traditional concern of language teaching.� (Carter & McCarthy, 1994, p. 1)

McCarthy, M. (2001). Discourse. In R. Carter, & D. Nunan (Eds), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 48-55). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press

Carter, R. & McCarthy, M. (1994). Language as discourse: Perspectives for language teaching. London, England: Longman

The best introductory books I've come across are as follows - the Paltridge one probably isn't widely available outside this region, but the other three ought to be obtainable:

Cook, G. (1989). Discourse. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press

McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse analysis for language teachers. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press

Paltridge, B. (2000). Making sense of discourse analysis. Gold Coast, QLD: AEE

Thornbury, S. (2005). Beyond the sentence: Introducing discourse analysis. Oxford, England: Macmillan


Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand

[Cardinal Synn]

I have just completed the intensive Delta 2 month course. It's important that your focus for your assignment is narrow enough so that you can cover it in enough depth in your analysis, not to mention problems and solutions. 2500 words on discourse (because it's such a broad topic), means you've really got to focus on one particular area. If you go to wide, then you'll find it very difficult to cover it sufficiently to meet the criteria.

Is it a receptive skills or productive skills lesson?

I'm guessing from your mention of speech that you might be doing a speaking skills lesson, in which case you could focus on turn taking or back channeling or the like.