Building Field Knowledge of the NSW 7-10 English Syllabus.

Having read the foreign languages syllabuses numerous times over the years, it was interesting to note the differences and similarities between the English curriculum and the 100 hour Stage 4 LOTE course. I have been teaching and programming on this course for 5 years.

Positives

• Clear explanations of the outcomes for stages 4 and 5. (pg 13)
• Inclusion of the ESL scales (pg 15)
• Life Skills guidelines (pgs 5-6)
• Continuum of Outcomes in English from Stage 3 to Stage 6. (pgs 46- 53)
• Choosing assessment strategies (pg 64-66)
• Emphasis for reading and writing for pleasure.

Minus

• Eleven outcomes!! Eeek! So much to teach!

Interesting

• Same cross curriculum content..Phew!
• Objectives (pg 12)

I look forward to working with the National English Curriculum once it comes out in the future.

Poststructuralism by Ray Misson

This is Caroline Archer's commentary on Poststructuralism

Misson gives a helpful summary of poststructuralism, recalling the key contributions of that famed triumvirate, Derrida, Barthes and Foucault. The posstructuralists held that meaning is entirely comprised of and contingent on text. Reading does not involve a straightforward transmission of meaning but a dynamic interplay, in which the text is informed by the meanings brought to it by both composer and reader, who are themselves nothing more than composite products of previously digested texts. As Derrida memorably declared, ‘there is nothing outside text’. Foucault contributed a focus on the inherently political nature of ‘discourses’, set ways of speaking/acting within certain social groups/contexts. From this perspective, language is inherently value laden, demonstrating and perpetuating power relations within various groups. Finally, Barthes’ notion of the ‘death of the author’ rejected the concept of the author ‘as a determinative, validating presence behind the text’ (at p 71).

The poststructuralist discourse arguably has its own underpinning normative values, such as the implicit denial of anything beyond the material, which the spiritually inclined might find dismaying. Misson notes that poststructuralism attracts ‘a good deal of suspicion because it challenges a lot of beliefs that people live by, beliefs such as the determinacy of language and the existence of a core self outside of society and language’(at p 75). The important point of Chapter 8 however is that poststructuralism informs ‘most of the major innovations and new insights we find occurring in English teaching today.’ (at p 75) The relationship between posstructuralism and our curriculum start to become clearer when one looks closer at the outcomes driving the curriculum.

Misson demonstrates the application of poststructural approaches to language by deconstructing a poem that celebrates a farmer’s love of the land. He identifies possible alternate underlying discourses connected with sexual and environmental exploitation. Strategic tailoring to reflect these new discourses produces a radically different poem of equivalent integrity to the original. Deconstruction does not negate the original but rather enabled appreciation of both poems according to their respective discourses. The exercise demonstrates deconstruction and subversion of text as an insight-building, positive, creative experience.

A posstructuralist starting point makes all this possible: if the text is not sacrosanct, there is no need for readers to be intimidated by or negative about the text. Rather, deconstruction allows for collaborative, insightful appreciation of the text and the freedom to engage with it, understand it and even see it metamorphose into new texts. In short, it allows key elements of the curriculum outcomes to be realised. The DVD teaching scenarios further highlight this. The freedom and playfulness made possible by deconstructive approaches foster student engagement, confident analysis, innovation and creativity. For example, in one exercise students identified key elements of the gothic genre, then rewrote a newspaper article they’d been given into that genre.

When the death of the author is extended to the English class, it also implies the death of the teacher, in the traditional sense of a single intimidating conduit of knowledge, dispensing wisdom to the essentially passive class. At my school, we were sometimes told there was no one right answer, but noone believed it. It was a bit easier to believe after watching the DVDs, in which teachers collaborate to empower groups of students to form and articulate their responses to texts.

I wish I could sound as technically competent as Caroline does. Does this mean that I won't be a very good English teacher? I am not sure if I want to answer that question...

Do I need to practise my grammar?

Grammar Spot 1
In certain areas, YES!! I am lucky enough to be a good speller. I never did work out why? Is it because I have always enjoyed reading books? Is it because it was important of my competitive nature to be towards the top in the class for spelling? At the time, I felt that spelling was the only thing I was good at. (EEEK!! I have finished my sentence with a preposition!! Sorry Annie!) Ahem, I meant to write that, at the time, I felt that there were very few things that I was competent and confident to deal with in my youth. I have since discovered other areas that I can be proud of and happy to acknowledge my expertise. My knowledge of other languages helps me to identify roots of words and therefore, work out their meaning. If only I was the type of person who could write so fluidly with concise comprehension that it becomes a musical joy to read my words on the page...SIGH! I guess that is someting that I have to work harder at and perhaps, think less about.

Reading 1.2 Jack Thomson

Yeah, yeah...I know. I am really late with my readings for this course. While I read all of these very clever commentaries posted by other students on the forums, I wonder how in the world will I be able to sound like I should be one of them. To put it quite simply, I don't feel that I am clever enough in order to become an astute and articulate commenter as my peers in this course. However, that is not going to stop me from continuing on with my studies as I believe that I will improve as time (and extra effort from myself) goes by.

I can't tell you how interesting it is to be involved in tertiary studies again after being a teacher for 20 years. I believe that I will be a much better teacher after I have completed this course, (note that I did NOT say pass this course) and I am looking forward to using my new found knowledge into routine classroom practices.

Now, onto my musings about Jack Thomson, which I regret to inform you, is NOT the hunky all Aussie bloke with a drawl as wide as his ever endearing smile. (As a side note, I recently saw the that Jack Thompson's nude shoot for a women's magazine eons ago...Risque for even modern times, let alone in the 70's!!)

It is interesting to note in his preliminary notes on page 5 that Thomson discusses the Australian government's aim to follow a business style model of education by introducing school league tables, as has happened with the introduction of the MySchool website last year. Since then, teachers are now teaching to the NAPLAN test, whereas before, we deliberately did not teach to the test as the results were tied to our funding for lower ability kids. We would prefer to have extra help in our classrooms in the way of teacher's aides or smaller classes perhaps..But Nooooo!! We now struggle to teach our ever reluctant learners without extra help and usually to the detriment of other students' education. Good teachers are also proud of their school and their students and do not want the school to be seen in a bad light in the way of poor literacy and numeracy levels. Once again, we are between a rock and a hard place in ensuring our students are taught well with the bare minimum of financial help from the government. RANT OVER...for the time being anyway.

Lots of the points discussed by Thomson were familiar to me in that he was talking about the teaching of language, as a language. This fits very neatly into my area of expertise as a language teacher. "...we learn by using language"(pg 7) sounds fairly straight forward to me. I also heartily agreed with his comments in the fifth section; Learning about language: the contribution of linguistics, where he states that "language difference is not a language deficit" (pg 8). Naturellement M. Thomson.

His references to textuality had me constantly singing that word to the refrains of k.d. lang's sultry song, Sexuality, one of my faves. But I digress (again!). Imagine if students were able to analyse and deconstrct a poem by John Milton  and the lyrics and music of Elton John, side by side, to analyse the language features and style of each, which is exactly what we have in the Stage 6 syllabus for the HSC. In fact, having that possibility is why I started this foray into mature age tertiary studies in the first place!

Thomson goes on to say that students need to be taught to understand and analyse all forms of text forms and not just to adher to a select, elite canon of literature. As teacher's, we need to be able to give students the tools for understanding the values that are implicit in the choices and judgements they make when they are confronted by modern day propaganda from multi national companies that do not have their health as their first priorioty. These faceless, greed driven executives are only interested in the emptying of our students' pockets.

That's enough for now. Reading 1.3 on its way!!

Wayne Sawyer. 'Knowledge about language' and grammar

I really enjoyed reading this chapter as it made a lot of sense to me. I totally agree that it is more important to focus on your content, audience purpose and the organisation of your writing before you consider which areas of grammar you will concentrate on.
However, I do see the other side of the argument as well. I used to have a very learned colleague who was taught grammar in the traditional way. She was able to show me how to improve my writing and was always correcting my word expression. I learnt alot from her as well.

Hi to my good friend Annie! Thank you for teaching me about split infinitives!

I especially enjoyed Sawyers analogy of speech with the abilities to drive a car. That was quite illuminating.

Ultimately, his two questions regarding the kind of knowledge of grammar that would be of most use and best deployed to benefit secondary students were the most relevant issues that are occurring in high school classroms everywhere.

Beginning Module 1

What are some of the important facets of an English teacher's role?
To teach kids how to read for enjoyment and then for learning. My kids can read, but it wasn't until they had brilliant English teachers that they started to read for the pure pleasure of escaping into another world and happily discovering new ideas. I love reading, but I was not able to pass that love to my kids. I want to know how my colleagues did it!

List my qualities and abilities that will be strengths in my English teaching role.

• I love high school kids and I love being around them. I love their vibe and their sassiness. I love hearing their opinions and listening to what they have to say.
• I seem to be able to get on with the lower ability kids quite well. I want to be able to strengthen that bond by teaching them as well.
• I enjoy being part of their world, so I like to listen to (most) of their music and watch what they are watching on their phones, on youtube, on tv and their ipods.
• I have an immature sense of humour that they can relate to and they appreciate my honesty when it is given with respect.
• I love being a teacher and it keeps me young!

List the knowledge and skills that I expect to learn from this subject.

• I expect to learn how to teach the lower ability kids to read and spell correctly. I will provide the stimulation and engagement.
• I expect to learn a whole lot more about my native tongue, despite being a foreign languge teacher.
• I want to know how to UNDERSTAND COMPLEX POETRY!! I am awful at that!
• I want to know how to get words to flow effortlessly from my head to the page.

Next...Sawyer et al.