A Cognitive Meta-Linguistic Approach to Teaching L2 Learners Reading and Writing Skills
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract: This paper discusses a cognitive meta-linguistic approach to the teaching of reading and writing skills to L2 learners of intermediate level and above. This approach involves knowledge of English information structure being explicitly given to L2 learners on the assumption that the learners can use it for their skill development. Three issues need to be addressed concerning the application of this approach in language teaching: the adoption of Bachman (1990)’s framework of communicative language ability in terms of its pedagogical implications in the field of language teaching and testing; the position of information structure knowledge and its relationship with skill development in communicative language ability; and the necessity of giving L2 learners meta-knowledge of English information structure in developing their skills. Also presented in the paper are the specifications of the approach including its theoretical models, teaching principles, targeted knowledge and skills, and classroom tasks and activities. The teaching approach can be applied in many kinds of English language teaching institutions inVietnamand in some other Asian countries. Discussions about empirical research that justifies the applicability of the approach does not fall within the scope of this paper.
Keywords: Cognitive, meta-linguistic, information structure, skills development, communicative language ability.Article Details
References
[1] Bachman, L. (1990). Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. OUP.
[2] Bachman, L., and Palmer, A. (1996). Language Testing in Practice. OUP.
[3] Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. OUP.
[4] Halliday, M. A. K., and Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. Longman.
[5] Austin, J. L. (1962). How to Do Things with Words? Clarendon Press.
[6] Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. CUP.
[7] Halliday, M. A. K. (1973). Relevant Models of Language In M. A. K. Halliday (Eds.), Explorations in the Functions of Language. Elsevier North-Holland.
[8] Halliday, M. A. K. (1976). The Form of a Functional Grammar. In G. Kress (Eds.), Halliday: System and Function in Language. OUP.
[9] Tuan, H.A. (2013a). Fundamental Sentential Level Issues of English Information Structure. Journal of Foreign Studies-VNU Journal of Science, 29, 4, 45-62.
[10] Tuan, H.A. (2013b). Fundamental issues of English information structure at discourse level. Journal of Foreign Studies-VNU Journal of Science, 29, 5.
[11] Canagarajah, A. S. (2002). Critical Academic Writing and Multilingual Students. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
[12] Silva, T. (1993). Toward an understanding of the distinct nature of L2 writing:The ESL research and its implications. TESOL Quarterly, 27, 4, 657-678.
[13] Johns, A. M. (1990). L1 composition theories: implications for developing theories of L2 composition. In B. Kroll (Eds.), Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom. Cambridge: CUP, 24-36.
[14] Meyer, B. J. F. (1977). The structure of prose: Effects on learning and implications for educational practice. In R. C. Anderson, and Spiro, R.J., and Montague, W.E. (Eds.), Schooling and the acquisition of knowledge. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 197-208.
[15] Singer, H. (1984). Friendly texts. In E. K. Dishner, Bean,T.W., Readance, J.E., and Moore, D.W. (Eds.), Content and reading: Improving classroom instruction. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt, 114-127.
[16] Hinds, J. (1987). Reader vs. writer responsibility: A new topology. In U. Connor, & Kaplan, R.B. (Eds.), Writing across languages: Analysis of L2 text. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 141-152.
[17] Bialystok, E. (1982). On the Relationship between Knowing and Using Linguistic Forms. Applied Linguistics 3, 3, 181-206.
[18] Widdowson, H. G. (1990). Aspects of Language Teaching. OUP.
[19] McCarthy, M., and Carter, R. (1994). Language as Discourse: Perspectives for Language Teaching. London and New York: Longman.
[20] Littlewood, W. T. (1984). Foreign and Second Language Learning: Language-acquisition Research and its Implications for the Classroom. CUP.
[21] Mohan, B. A., and Lo, W.A.-Y. (1985). Academic writing and Chinese students: transfer and development factors. TESOL Quarterly, 19, 515-534.
[22] Spack, R. (1997). The Rhetorical Construction of Multilingual Students. TESOL Quarterly, 31, 4, 765-774.
[23] Kubota, R. (1999). Japanese Culture Constructed by Discourses: Implications for Applied Linguistics Research and English Language Teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33, 9-35.
[24] Li, C. N., and Thompson, S.A. (1976). Subject and Topic: A New Typology of Language. In C. N. Li (Eds.), Subject and Topic. Academic Press, 457-61.
[25] Thompson, L. C. (1987). A Vietnamese Reference Grammar. University of Hawaii Press.
[26] Duffield, N. (2007). "Vietnamese Online Grammar." Retrieved 22-08, 2007, from http://vietnamese-grammar.group.shef.ac.uk/grammar
[27] Hao, C. X. (1991). Tiếng Việt sơ thảo ngữ pháp chức năng (Vietnamese: An Introduction to Functional Grammar). Social Sciences Publisher.
[28] Giap, N. T. (2000). Dụng học Việt ngữ (Vietnamese Pragmatics). Hanoi National University Publisher.
[29] Con, N. H. (2008). Cấu trúc cú pháp của câu tiếng Việt: Chủ-Vị hay Đề- Thuyết (Syntactic Structure of Vietnamese Sentence: Subject-Predicate or Theme- Rheme?) Scientific Conference of Vietnamese Studies.
[30] Connor, U. (1996). Contrastive Rhetoric: Cross-cultural Aspects of Second Language Writing. CUP.
[31] Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural Thought Patterns in Intercultural Education. Language Learning, 16, 1-20.
[32] Kaplan, R. B. (1987). Cultural Thought Patterns Revisited. In U. Connor, and Kaplan, R.B. (Eds.), Writing Across Languages: Analysis of L2 Texts. Addison-Wesley.
[33] Hinds, J. (1990). Inductive, Deductive, Quasi-inductive: Expository Writing in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai. In U. Connor, and Johns, A.M. (Eds.), Coherence in Writing - Research and Pedagogical Perspectives. TESOL, 97-109.
[34] Clyne, M. (1994). Inter-cultural Communication at Work. CUP.
[35] Hinds, J. (1987). Reader vs. Writer Responsibility: A New Topology. In U. Connor, & Kaplan, R.B. (Eds.), Writing across Languages: Analysis of L2 Text. Addison-Wesley, 141-152.
[36] Cam, N. (1991). Barriers to Communication between Vietnamese and Non-Vietnamese. Journal of Vietnamese Studies, 1, 4, 40-45.
[37] Kachru, B.B. (2005). Asian Englishes: Beyond the canon. Hong Kong University Prerss.
[38] Kachru, Y. (2000). Culture, Context and Writing. In E. Hinkel (Eds.), Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. CUP, 75-89.
[39] Scollon, R. (1997). Contrastive Rhetoric, Contrastive Poetics, or Perhaps Something Else? TESOL Quarterly, 31, 2, 352-358.
[40] Clyne, M. (1987). Cultural Differences in the Organization of Academic Texts. Journal of Pragmatics, 11, 211-247.
[41] Mauranen, A. (1993). Contrastive ESP Rhetoric: Metacontext in Finnish-English Economics Texts. English for Specific Purposes, 12, 3-22.
[42] Ventola, E. (1992). Writing Scientific English: Overcoming Cultural Problems. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2, 2, 191-220.
[43] Ventola, E., and Mauranen, A., and Ed. (Eds.) (1996). Academic Writing: Intercultural and Textual issues, John Benjamins.
[44] Grabe, W., and Kaplan, R.B. (1996). Theory and Practice of Writing. Longman.
[45] Anderson, J. R. (1983). The Architecture of Cognition. Havard University Press.
[46] Anderson, J. R. (1985). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. W.H. Freeman and Company.
[47] Anderson, J. R. (1990). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. W.H. Freeman and Company.
[48] Anderson, J. R. (1995). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. W.H. Freeman and Company.
[49] Johnson, K. (1996). Language Teaching and Skill Learning. Blackwell.
[50] McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers. CUP.
[51] Crombie, W. (1985a). Process and Relation in Discourse and Language Teaching OUP.
[52] Crombie, W. (1985b). Discourse and Language Learning: A Relational Approach to Syllabus Design OUP.
[53] Quirk, R., et al. (1972). A Grammar of Contemporary English. Longman.
[54] Hoey, M. (1983). On the Surface of Discourse. George Allen and Unwin.
[55] Hoey, M. (1991). Patterns of Lexis in Text. OUP.
[56] Hoey, M. (1994). Signalling in Discourse: A Functional Analysis of a Common Discourse Pattern in Written and Spoken English. In M. Coulthard (Eds.), Advances in Written Text Analysis. Routledge, 26-45.
[57] Hoey, M. (2001). Textual Interaction. Routledge.
[58] Swales, J. M. (1981). Aspects of Article Introductions. University of Aston, Language Studies Unit.
[59] Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. CUP.
[60] Swales, J. M., and Feak, C.B. (1994). Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills-A Course for Non-native Speakers of English. University of Michigan.
[61] Quirk, R., et al. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
[62] Hewings, M., and McCarthy, M.J. (1988). An Alternative Approach to the Analysis of Text. Praxis des Neusprachlichen Unterrichts, 1, 3-10.
[2] Bachman, L., and Palmer, A. (1996). Language Testing in Practice. OUP.
[3] Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. OUP.
[4] Halliday, M. A. K., and Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. Longman.
[5] Austin, J. L. (1962). How to Do Things with Words? Clarendon Press.
[6] Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. CUP.
[7] Halliday, M. A. K. (1973). Relevant Models of Language In M. A. K. Halliday (Eds.), Explorations in the Functions of Language. Elsevier North-Holland.
[8] Halliday, M. A. K. (1976). The Form of a Functional Grammar. In G. Kress (Eds.), Halliday: System and Function in Language. OUP.
[9] Tuan, H.A. (2013a). Fundamental Sentential Level Issues of English Information Structure. Journal of Foreign Studies-VNU Journal of Science, 29, 4, 45-62.
[10] Tuan, H.A. (2013b). Fundamental issues of English information structure at discourse level. Journal of Foreign Studies-VNU Journal of Science, 29, 5.
[11] Canagarajah, A. S. (2002). Critical Academic Writing and Multilingual Students. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
[12] Silva, T. (1993). Toward an understanding of the distinct nature of L2 writing:The ESL research and its implications. TESOL Quarterly, 27, 4, 657-678.
[13] Johns, A. M. (1990). L1 composition theories: implications for developing theories of L2 composition. In B. Kroll (Eds.), Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom. Cambridge: CUP, 24-36.
[14] Meyer, B. J. F. (1977). The structure of prose: Effects on learning and implications for educational practice. In R. C. Anderson, and Spiro, R.J., and Montague, W.E. (Eds.), Schooling and the acquisition of knowledge. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 197-208.
[15] Singer, H. (1984). Friendly texts. In E. K. Dishner, Bean,T.W., Readance, J.E., and Moore, D.W. (Eds.), Content and reading: Improving classroom instruction. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt, 114-127.
[16] Hinds, J. (1987). Reader vs. writer responsibility: A new topology. In U. Connor, & Kaplan, R.B. (Eds.), Writing across languages: Analysis of L2 text. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 141-152.
[17] Bialystok, E. (1982). On the Relationship between Knowing and Using Linguistic Forms. Applied Linguistics 3, 3, 181-206.
[18] Widdowson, H. G. (1990). Aspects of Language Teaching. OUP.
[19] McCarthy, M., and Carter, R. (1994). Language as Discourse: Perspectives for Language Teaching. London and New York: Longman.
[20] Littlewood, W. T. (1984). Foreign and Second Language Learning: Language-acquisition Research and its Implications for the Classroom. CUP.
[21] Mohan, B. A., and Lo, W.A.-Y. (1985). Academic writing and Chinese students: transfer and development factors. TESOL Quarterly, 19, 515-534.
[22] Spack, R. (1997). The Rhetorical Construction of Multilingual Students. TESOL Quarterly, 31, 4, 765-774.
[23] Kubota, R. (1999). Japanese Culture Constructed by Discourses: Implications for Applied Linguistics Research and English Language Teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33, 9-35.
[24] Li, C. N., and Thompson, S.A. (1976). Subject and Topic: A New Typology of Language. In C. N. Li (Eds.), Subject and Topic. Academic Press, 457-61.
[25] Thompson, L. C. (1987). A Vietnamese Reference Grammar. University of Hawaii Press.
[26] Duffield, N. (2007). "Vietnamese Online Grammar." Retrieved 22-08, 2007, from http://vietnamese-grammar.group.shef.ac.uk/grammar
[27] Hao, C. X. (1991). Tiếng Việt sơ thảo ngữ pháp chức năng (Vietnamese: An Introduction to Functional Grammar). Social Sciences Publisher.
[28] Giap, N. T. (2000). Dụng học Việt ngữ (Vietnamese Pragmatics). Hanoi National University Publisher.
[29] Con, N. H. (2008). Cấu trúc cú pháp của câu tiếng Việt: Chủ-Vị hay Đề- Thuyết (Syntactic Structure of Vietnamese Sentence: Subject-Predicate or Theme- Rheme?) Scientific Conference of Vietnamese Studies.
[30] Connor, U. (1996). Contrastive Rhetoric: Cross-cultural Aspects of Second Language Writing. CUP.
[31] Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural Thought Patterns in Intercultural Education. Language Learning, 16, 1-20.
[32] Kaplan, R. B. (1987). Cultural Thought Patterns Revisited. In U. Connor, and Kaplan, R.B. (Eds.), Writing Across Languages: Analysis of L2 Texts. Addison-Wesley.
[33] Hinds, J. (1990). Inductive, Deductive, Quasi-inductive: Expository Writing in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai. In U. Connor, and Johns, A.M. (Eds.), Coherence in Writing - Research and Pedagogical Perspectives. TESOL, 97-109.
[34] Clyne, M. (1994). Inter-cultural Communication at Work. CUP.
[35] Hinds, J. (1987). Reader vs. Writer Responsibility: A New Topology. In U. Connor, & Kaplan, R.B. (Eds.), Writing across Languages: Analysis of L2 Text. Addison-Wesley, 141-152.
[36] Cam, N. (1991). Barriers to Communication between Vietnamese and Non-Vietnamese. Journal of Vietnamese Studies, 1, 4, 40-45.
[37] Kachru, B.B. (2005). Asian Englishes: Beyond the canon. Hong Kong University Prerss.
[38] Kachru, Y. (2000). Culture, Context and Writing. In E. Hinkel (Eds.), Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. CUP, 75-89.
[39] Scollon, R. (1997). Contrastive Rhetoric, Contrastive Poetics, or Perhaps Something Else? TESOL Quarterly, 31, 2, 352-358.
[40] Clyne, M. (1987). Cultural Differences in the Organization of Academic Texts. Journal of Pragmatics, 11, 211-247.
[41] Mauranen, A. (1993). Contrastive ESP Rhetoric: Metacontext in Finnish-English Economics Texts. English for Specific Purposes, 12, 3-22.
[42] Ventola, E. (1992). Writing Scientific English: Overcoming Cultural Problems. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2, 2, 191-220.
[43] Ventola, E., and Mauranen, A., and Ed. (Eds.) (1996). Academic Writing: Intercultural and Textual issues, John Benjamins.
[44] Grabe, W., and Kaplan, R.B. (1996). Theory and Practice of Writing. Longman.
[45] Anderson, J. R. (1983). The Architecture of Cognition. Havard University Press.
[46] Anderson, J. R. (1985). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. W.H. Freeman and Company.
[47] Anderson, J. R. (1990). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. W.H. Freeman and Company.
[48] Anderson, J. R. (1995). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. W.H. Freeman and Company.
[49] Johnson, K. (1996). Language Teaching and Skill Learning. Blackwell.
[50] McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers. CUP.
[51] Crombie, W. (1985a). Process and Relation in Discourse and Language Teaching OUP.
[52] Crombie, W. (1985b). Discourse and Language Learning: A Relational Approach to Syllabus Design OUP.
[53] Quirk, R., et al. (1972). A Grammar of Contemporary English. Longman.
[54] Hoey, M. (1983). On the Surface of Discourse. George Allen and Unwin.
[55] Hoey, M. (1991). Patterns of Lexis in Text. OUP.
[56] Hoey, M. (1994). Signalling in Discourse: A Functional Analysis of a Common Discourse Pattern in Written and Spoken English. In M. Coulthard (Eds.), Advances in Written Text Analysis. Routledge, 26-45.
[57] Hoey, M. (2001). Textual Interaction. Routledge.
[58] Swales, J. M. (1981). Aspects of Article Introductions. University of Aston, Language Studies Unit.
[59] Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. CUP.
[60] Swales, J. M., and Feak, C.B. (1994). Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills-A Course for Non-native Speakers of English. University of Michigan.
[61] Quirk, R., et al. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
[62] Hewings, M., and McCarthy, M.J. (1988). An Alternative Approach to the Analysis of Text. Praxis des Neusprachlichen Unterrichts, 1, 3-10.