The Eighth International Literacy & Education Research Network Conference on

SPETSES, GREECE
4-8 July 2001

Abstract

In this paper, I will present work that has been undertaken with 11 and 12 year old students in relation to language and behaviour. Many students 'in trouble' feel that they are misconstrued by their peers and by a range of adults they have contact with. Their reaction to having their meanings misunderstood is often physical. Rather than focusing on psychological aspects, the teacher explored the role that language plays in behaviour. The question being considered by the teacher and his students was whether an explicit understanding of a range of grammatical resources (in English) was helpful in understanding what might be appropriate or not for particular contexts. Specifically, the teacher taught the relevant metalanguage from Systemic Functional Linguistics for congruent and metaphorical realisations of interpersonal meanings. A short video of the students talking about their work will be shown.

Bionote

John Polias is currently with the Department of Education in South Australia, responsible for professional development of teachers through the Language and Literacy Course: Classroom Applications of Functional Grammar. He is also involved in writing curriculum documents for English as a Second Language learners.

Presentation Type
30 min. Paper

Presentation Equipment and Other Requests
VCR(PAL)

Speaking Date/Time Restrictions

Country
Australia