teaching persuasion: writing with authority ipswich and...

©L&EWilliamsHoldingsPtyLtd,2010 1

Teaching Persuasion: Writing with Authority

Ipswich and Brisbane

November and December 2010 PresentedbyLindsayWilliams

Aims Toclarifythegenreofpersuasion Todiscusssomeofthefeaturesofahortatoryexposition Toexploretheissueofwriter’sroleandaudience Toinvestigatetheimportanceofthegettingtheinterpersonalsright Toexperiencesomelearningactivitiesthatcouldbeadaptedforusewith

students

Outline 1. Anticipatoryset2. Workshopobjectivesandoutline3. AdviceonNAPLAN20114. Writer’sroleandaudience5. Theoral‐literatecontinuum6. Thebasicstructureofexposition:Wholetextstructure;paragraph

structure(P.E.E.L.);movingbeyondgenericrecipes7. Respondingtothestimulus:T‐charts,conceptmapsandFuturesWheels8. SamplestimulussheetforNAPLAN20119. Examininglanguage(PartOne),withcloseattentionto:Usingthe

inclusivefirstperson;Theme/Rhemeprogression;Nominalisation;Cohesion;Usingcolonsandsemi‐colons

10. Examininglanguage(PartTwo),withcloseattentionto:Mood,ModalityandAppraisal

11. Teachingstrategiesreviewed12. Wheretofromhere?


Anticipatory set Activity1:Hereisachildtryingtoconvincehisparentstogivehimmoremoney.Whichapproachwouldmorelikelybesuccessful?Why?

‘Infact,youabsolutelyneedtotalktomeaboutyourobligationtopaymemorepocketmoney.Otherwise,I’llhateyouforever.'

'Perhapswecouldtalksometimeaboutthepossibilityofmorepocket

money?Thatwouldmakemereallyreallyhappy.'

Advice on NAPLAN 2011 Q:Whatischanginginthe2011NAPLANWritingtest?

A:Inthe2011NAPLANWritingtest,studentsinYears3,5,7and9willwriteapersuasivetextinsteadofanarrative.

Q:Whatispersuasivewriting?

A:Persuasivewritingiswritinginwhichthewriterneedstoconvincethereaderofhisorherpointofvieworopinion.Forexample,astudentmaybeaskedwhetherreadingbooksorwatchingTVisbetter.Thestudent’sanswerwouldpresenthisorheropiniononthistopicandwouldincludereasonsforthatopinion.Inwritingthetext,thestudentisattemptingtopersuadethereadertoagreewithhisorheropinion.

Q:Areallstudentsexpectedtodothesamepersuasivewritingtask?

A:Yes.ThetaskandtopicwillbethesameforallstudentsinYears3,5,7and9.Olderstudentswilladdressthetopicatahigherlevel.Fromhttp://www.naplan.edu.au/faqs/writing_2011_faqs.html#WhatischangingSeealso:

Forgeneralinformation:http://www.naplan.edu.au/writing_2011_‐_domains.html.

ForacomparisonoftheNAPLANcriteriaformarkingnarrativeandpersuasion:http://www.naplan.edu.au/verve/_resources/NAPLAN_Writing_description_compare_2011.pdf.

Forasamplestimulussheet:http://www.naplan.edu.au/verve/_resources/persuasive_prompt.pdf.

Forafactsheetonthe2011Writingtask:http://www.naplan.edu.au/verve/_resources/NAPLAN_2011_Writing_Fact_Sheet.pdf.


The Oral-Literate Continuum

Example FeaturesMost

spoken–oral

language1

VisigothsengagedinthesackingofRome.

Actiononly

2 WhattwoVisigothssaidtoeachotherintheheatofbattle:“HeyWaldemar,here’saneatstatue.Let’sbustit.”

Languageembeddedintheaction:exophoricretrieval(i.e.outsideofthetext),specificreference,presenttense,individualparticipants,vocatives,imperative&declarativemood(commandsandstatements).

3 ARomanwatchingthebattle&tellinghisblindgrandmotherwhatwashappening:“WellGran,there’sawholebunchofVisigothsdownthere,bigblondguys,hornsontheirhatsandthey’rebustingallthestatuesandstuff.

Languageconstructingtheaction:exophoricretrieval,specificreference,presenttense,individualparticipants,vocatives,declarativemood(statements).

4 AgroupofVisigothsreminiscingaroundthecampfirethenightafterthebattle:“Man,youshouldhaveseenWaldemarwhenhebustedthestatue.Hetotallytrashedit.WhenitsheadflewoffitnearlywastedEric.”

Languagereconstructingtheaction:specificreference,pasttense,individualparticipants,vocatives,declarativemood.

5 Areportofthesackinginthenextday’snewspaper:“AlmosttheentirecitywasdevastatedintheraidbymaraudingVisigothsonThursday.”

Languagereconstructingtheaction,butfromagreatersemioticdistancethan4:genericreference,pasttense,collectiveparticipants,declarativemood.

6 AnexplanationofwhyRomefell:“ThefallofRomecanbeattributedtoanumberoffactors.”

Languageinterpretingtheaction:non‐human(nominalized)participants,presenttense,passivevoice,declarativemood.

Mostwritten–literatelanguage

7

AworkonimperialismusingRomeasanexample:“Whileimperialismisanenduringideology,thetendencyisforempiresnottoendure.Forexample,Rome...”

Languageinterpretingtheaction,butfromagreatersemioticdistance:abstract(nominalized)participants,genericreference,presenttense,declarativemood.

AdaptedfromadiagrambyGarryCollins(originalsourceunknown)


Sample Hortatory Exposition (Persuasion) SampleA:LettertoschoolprincipalDearMrWatsonAsyouknow,weareveryluckytohaveapatchofnativeeucalyptusforestinourschoolgrounds.Thesetrees,acrucialpartofthelocalecosystem,arecurrentlyunderthreatduetoplanstoexpandtheoval.Ibelievestronglythatthedestructionofthisforestmustnothappen.Firstly,bykeepingthepatchofforestwewillmakeourowncontributiontothefightagainstglobalwarming.Secondly,theforestisahavenforlocalwildlife,especiallythelocalkoalapopulation.Finally,theforestisaplacestudentscouldgotoescapethehotsummersun.Firstly,wehavetheopportunitytoputintoactionamessagethatweareoftentaughtatschool:thinkgloballyandactlocally.Bystoppingtheclearingoftreesinourownschoolyard,wewillmakeagenuinecontributiontosolvingglobalwarming,aseriousproblemthatfacestheworld.Oneofthecausesofthisproblemiswidespreaddeforestation.Asyouprobablyknow,treesactlikesponges,absorbingthecarbonbelchedoutbycars,electricitygenerationandtheproductionofconsumergoods.However,didyouknowthatscientificstudiesrevealthatastaggering50‐footballfieldsworthoftreesandbushlandisdestroyedeveryhour!So,whatcanwedo?Wemustkeeptheeucalyptusforestinourownschool.Furthermore,helpingtostopglobalwarmingisonlyoneoftheenvironmentalbenefitsofkeepingthispatchoftrees.Secondly,then,Koalasandotherwildlifethatliveinourareacanbeprotectedbythisaction.AsmorepeoplefloodintoSouthEastQueensland,morelandisclearedforroadsandhouses.Thisurbanexpansionisputtingseriouspressureonthefragilehabitatofourwildlife.Asweallknow,alargeexpanseofeucalyptusforestadjoiningthelocalkoalasanctuarywasdestroyedafewyearsagotomakewayforanewhousingestate.Thedevelopersmadelittleattempttoprotectvulnerablewildlifebyprovidingsufficientcorridorsthroughwhichkoalasandotheranimalscouldroaminsafety.Wehavetheopportunitytoavoidmakingthesamemistake.Wemustkeepourpatchofeucalyptustreesasasafehavenforwildlife.Furthermore,thesavingoftheforestwillhelpalsohelpstudentswhoattendtheschoolnow.Insummer,thetreesprovideacool,shadyplacewherestudentscanescapefromthehot,blisteringsun.Unprotectedexposuretothesuncancausepotentiallydeadlyhealthproblemsincludingheatstroke,burningandskincancer.Expansionoftheovalanddestructionoftheforestwouldresultinavastreductionintheshadeavailabletostudents.Ontheotherhand,withsomeclearingofforestlitter,andthecreationofpathsandseating,theschoolwillhaveasafeplaceforstudentstoshelterfromtheheatandthedangersofcancer‐creatingUVrays.Inconclusion,IhopeIhaveconvincedyouthatkeepingtheeucalyptustreesinourschoolgroundswillbenefitthehealthofbothstudentslikemyselfandthe


environment.Thesetreesarevitaltothefightagainstglobalwarming.Theyarevitalintheprotectionoflocalwildlife,includingmuch‐lovedAustraliananimalssuchasthekoala.Finally,theyarevitalfortheirshadethatprovidesmuch‐neededsunprotectionforstudentsandhelpsensurethatwegrowuphealthyandstrong.Itshouldbeclearthattheplanneddestructionofourforestwouldbeaterribleideaandshouldnotoccur.PleasestoptheP&Cgoingaheadwithitscurrentplans.YourssincerelyBronwynFieldingSampleB:LettertotheeditorofalocalnewspaperDearSir/MadamTheDennisRoadStateSchoolP&C’splanstodestroyapatchofnativeeucalyptusforest‐avitalpartofourlocalenvironment‐mustbeopposedvigorously.Oneofthesignificantcausesofglobalwarmingiswidespreaddeforestation.Treesactlikesponges,absorbingthecarbonbelchedoutbycars,electricitygenerationandmanufacturing.However,aroundtheworldastaggering50‐footballfieldsworthoftreesandbushlandisclearedeveryhour!Bykeepingourpatchofforest,wemakealocalcontributiontoaseriousglobalproblem.Furthermore,aspeoplefloodintoSouthEastQueensland,moreandmoreforestisclearedforroadsandhouses,puttingseriouspressureonthehabitatofourmostpreciouswildlife.Retentionoftheschool’spatchofforestisavitalstepinprotectinglocalpopulationsofkoalas,possumsandwallabies.Unprotectedexposuretothesuncausespotentiallydeadlyhealthproblemsincludingheatstroke,burningandskincancer.Theforestprovidesstudentswithmuch‐neededshadeandprotectionfromtheharmfuleffectsofthesun.Concernedlocalresidents:calltheschoolnowandregisteryouroppositiontothisterribleproposal.YourssincerelyBronwynFielding

SampleCoverpage…/


SampleC:LettertotheeditorofalocalnewspaperDearSir/MadamEverymorningmydaughterandIwalktoschool.Weenterthroughtheforestgateandstrollthroughthegumtrees,enjoyingdappledshade.Wespotkoalashighinthebranchesnibblingoneucalyptusleavesandwallabieshopacrossthetrackinfrontofus.However,allofthisisnowunderthreat:theschool’sP&Cplanstodestroythispatchofsuburbanparadisetomakewayforextensionstotheschooloval,includinganewcarpark.Wildlifewillbedrivenout.Shadyescapesfromthesearingsummersunwilldisappear.YetanotherpatchofAustralianbushwillbegoneforever.Isthiswhatwewantforourchildren,ourcommunity,ourenvironment?Helpstopthisdestructionbeforeit’stoolate.CallDennisRoadStateSchoolnowandregisteryouroppositiontothisterribleproposal.YourssincerelyDerekSampsonThe Basic Structure of Exposition (a) Whole text structure SeeAppendixOne,page30.(b) Paragraph structure Acronym Fullname ExampleP Point Firstly,wehavetheopportunitytoputintoactiona

messagethatweareoftentaughtatschool:thinkgloballyandactlocally.

E Elaboration Bystoppingtheclearingoftreesinourownschoolyard,wewillmakeagenuinecontributiontosolvingglobalwarming,aseriousproblemthatfacestheworld.

E Example Oneofthecausesofthisproblemiswidespreaddeforestation.Asyouprobablyknow,treesactlikesponges,absorbingthecarbonbelchedoutbycars,electricitygenerationandtheproductionofconsumergoods.However,didyouknowthatscientificstudiesrevealthatastaggering50‐footballfieldsworthoftreesandbushlandisdestroyedeveryhour!So,whatcanwedo?Wemustkeeptheeucalyptusforestinourownschool.

L Link Furthermore,helpingtostopglobalwarmingisonlyoneoftheenvironmentalbenefitsofkeepingthispatchoftrees.


Activity2:IdentifytheP.E.E.L.structureinthefollowingparagraph.Seepage4forthefulltext.Secondly,then,Koalasandotherwildlifethatliveinourareacanbeprotectedbythisaction.AsmorepeoplefloodintoSouthEastQueensland,morelandisclearedforroadsandhouses.Thisurbanexpansionisputtingseriouspressureonthefragilehabitatofourwildlife.Asweallknow,alargeexpanseofeucalyptusforestadjoiningthelocalkoalasanctuarywasdestroyedafewyearsagotomakewayforanewhousingestate.Thedevelopersmadelittleattempttoprotectvulnerablewildlifebyprovidingsufficientcorridorsthroughwhichkoalasandotheranimalscouldroaminsafety.Wehavetheopportunitytoavoidmakingthesamemistake.Wemustkeepourpatchofeucalyptustreesasasafehavenforwildlife.Furthermore,thesavingoftheforestwillhelpalsohelpstudentswhoattendtheschoolnow.(c) The Writing Plan (Axford, Harders and Wise 2009) Authortext WritingPlan TextpatterningThewriter’slanguage Whatthewriter’s

languagedoes:Havingagoatwritinganewessayonyourowntopic

Asyouknow,weareveryluckytohavepatchofnativeeucalyptusforestinourschoolgrounds.

Connectswiththereaderandprovidesbackgroundtotheissuebytellingthereaderaboutthecurrentsituation(positive)and

Thesetrees,acrucialpartofthelocalecosystem,arecurrentlyunderthreatduetoplanstoexpandtheoval.

Providesfurtherbackgroundbycontrastingthecurrentsituationwithapotentialproblem

Ibelievestronglythatthedestructionofthisforestmustnothappen.

Stateswhatshebelievesabouttheissue

Firstly,bykeepingthepatchofforestwewillmakeourowncontributionwilltothefightagainstglobalwarming.

Providesareasonforbelievingthis

Secondly,theforestisahavenforlocalwildlife,especiallythelocalkoalapopulation.

Providesanotherreasonforbelievingthis

Finally,theforestisaplacestudentscouldgotoescapethehotsummersun.

Providesathirdreasonforbelievingthis


Authortext WritingPlan TextpatterningThewriter’slanguage Whatthewriter’s

languagedoes:Havingagoatwritinganewessayonyourowntopic

Oneofthesignificantcausesofglobalwarmingiswidespreaddeforestation.

StatefirstargumentinaTopicsentence

Treesactlikesponges,absorbingthecarbonbelchedoutbycars,electricitygenerationandmanufacturing.

Elaborateonargument

However,aroundtheworldastaggering50footballfieldsworthoftreesandbushlandisclearedeveryhour!

Exemplifytheargument(e.g.bycontrastingtheidealsituationwiththeactualsituation)

Bykeepingourpatchofforest,wemakealocalcontributiontoaseriousglobalproblem.

Linkbacktothesisandsummariseargument

Activity3:Haveagoatwritinganewexpositionbyusingthewritingguide.Responding to the Stimulus (a) T-charts and prioritising

Topic:

ArgumentsFor ArgumentsAgainst


Now,prioritise:

(b) Concept webs

Best

Thirdbest

Secondbest

Yourpointofviewonthe

topic

Argument1

Example

Example

Argument2

Example

Example


(c) Futures Wheel

Activity 4: Haveagoatbrainstormingideasforanexposition(basedonthesamplestimulus)andusingoneoftheframeworksabove. Examining the Language of Exposition (Part One) (a) Cohesion and Sentence combining Sentencecombiningisanalternativeapproachtomoretraditionalgrammarinstruction.Sentence‐combininginstructioninvolvesteachingstudentstoconstructmorecomplexandsophisticatedsentencesthroughexercisesinwhichtwoormorebasicsentencesarecombinedintoasinglesentence.Inoneapproach,studentsathigherandlowerwritinglevelsarepairedtoreceivesixlessonsthatteach(a)combiningsmallerrelatedsentencesintoacompoundsentenceusingtheconnectorsand,but,andbecause;(b)embeddinganadjectiveoradverbfromonesentenceintoanother;(c)creatingcomplexsentencesbyembeddinganadverbialandadjectivalclausefromonesentenceintoanother;and(d)makingmultipleembeddingsinvolvingadjectives,adverbs,adverbialclauses,andadjectivalclauses.Theinstructorprovidessupportandmodelingandthestudentpairsworkcollaborativelytoapplytheskillstaught.(p18)Graham,S.andPerin,D.(2007)


Decombining:Lotsoftreesarechoppeddownoverawidearea.Thisactivitycausesglobalwarminginasignificantway.Original:Oneofthesignificantcausesofglobalwarmingiswidespreaddeforestation.Whichsoundsbetter?Immersestudentsinandstudymentorsentences Decombine Combine EvaluateActivity(a)Trywritingasentencesimilartotheexampleabove:Asignificantcauseof…is….(b)Findthreewaystocombinethefollowingtwosimplesentencesintooneandbepreparedtoexplainwhatyoudid.

Thebirdflewthroughtheair.Thebirdsawaworm.Andsomuchbetterwithspecificknowledgeofcohesion(makingconnectionswithotherthingsyouaresayingorwriting).

(b) NominalisationNote:Presupposesknowledgeofhowtopackinformationintoextendednoungroups.Fromverbtonoun(nominalizationproper)Manyverbscanbechangedintonounsa.bychangingtheendingoftheverbform:discussdiscussion;identifyidentity;arrangearrangementb.byusingtheverbformverb+ing:heracting,anoldsayingSomeverbscanbeusedwithoutanychange,e.g.thecause,avisit,astruggle.FromconjunctiontonounNounscanalsobeusedtorepresentrelationshipstypicallyexpressedbyconjunctions:a.Expressingcause:Thecustomerleftbecausethefoodwascold.(conjunction)Thecustomer’sreasonforleavingwasthecoldsoup.(noun)b.Expressingcomparison:RoebourneisasmalltownwhereasKarrathaislarge.(conjunction)OnedifferencebetweenRoebourneandKarrathaistheirsize.(noun)FromadjectivetonounAdjectivescanalsobenominalizedandturnedintoanoun,forexample:expensiveexpense;unstableinstability;tensetension.FromclausetonominalgroupNoungroupscontainingnominalizationsareoftenusedtocondensemeaningsthatwouldotherwisebespreadacrossanumberofclauses,forexample:Iamgoingtodevelopmyideasinalogicalwaybecausethathelpsmestructuremyessay.Thelogicaldevelopmentofideascontributestothestructureofanessay.AdaptedslightlyfromDroga,L.&Humphrey,S.(2003)


Usefulsuffixes ‐tion(receivereception;conceiveconception)–also–sion,‐cion ‐ation(visitvisitation;inviteinvitation;accommodateaccommodation) ‐ization(civilizecivilization;realizerealization;nominalize

nominalization) ‐ance(performperformance) ‐ment(enhanceenhancement;enchantenchantment) ‐ing(snorkelsnorkelling;rustlerustling) ‐y(discoverdiscovery) ‐er(killkiller;hunthunter;eateater) ‐ism(keepingthingsthesameconservatism;protectingtheenvironment

environmentalism)SampleteachermodellingfornominalisationStep1:Chooseabasesentence:‘ThecarnivoreisclassifiedscientificallyasAustralovenatorwintonesis.Ithasbeendubbed“Banjo”afterBanjoPatterson,whocomposedWaltzingMatildainWintonin1885.’Step2:Nominaliseasignificantverbgroup:‘ThecarnivoreisclassifiedscientificallyasAustralovenatorwintonesis’:isclassifiedclassificationStep3:Turntheadverbintoanepithet:‘ThecarnivoreisclassifiedscientificallyasAustralovenatorwintonesis’:scientificallyScientificclassificationStep4:Turntheremainingwordsintoanoungroup:ThecarnivorewhichhasthescientificclassificationofAustralovenatorwintonesis…Note:‘it’inthesecondsentencerefersto‘carnivore’,sothere’saclearsignalthatthismustbetakeThingpositioninthenoungroup.Step5:Insertthisintothebasesentence.Inthiscase,justreplace‘it’:ThecarnivorewhichhasthescientificclassificationofAustralovenatorwintonesishasbeendubbed“Banjo”afterBanjoPatterson,whocomposedWaltzingMatildainWintonin1885.Activity5:FindexamplesofnominalisationinSampleTextB,page5. (c) Organising information flow: Theme/Rheme progression Theme:thegrammaticalelementthatcomesfirstinaclause/sentenceRheme:therestoftheclause/sentenceAdaptedfromSampleAonpage4Firstly,wehavetheopportunitytoputintoactionamessagethatweareoftentaughtat

school:thinkgloballyandactlocally.Bystoppingtheclearingoftreesinourown

schoolyard,wewillmakeagenuinecontributiontosolvingaseriousproblemthatfaces


theworld:globalwarming.Oneofthecausesofthisproblemiswidespread

deforestation.Treesactlikesponges,absorbingthecarbonbelchedoutbycars,

electricitygenerationandtheproductionofconsumergoods.Astaggering50football

fieldsworthoftreesandbushlandisdestroyedeveryhour!Wemustkeepthe

eucalyptusforestinourownschool.However,helpingtostopglobalwarmingisonly

oneoftheenvironmentalbenefitsofkeepingthispatchoftrees.

Secondly,then,Koalasandotherwildlifethatliveinourareacanbeprotectedby

thisaction.

Activity6:Thefollowingisapersuasiveexposition.Ingroups,trymappingthepatternofThemes(underlined).Note:ThisissimplifiedwithThemesbeingidentifiedbysentence. Dear Sir/Madam The Dennis Road State School P&C’s plans to destroy a patch of native eucalyptus forest - a vital part of our local environment - must be opposed vigorously. One of the significant causes of global warming is widespread deforestation. Trees act like sponges, absorbing the carbon belched out by cars, electricity generation and manufacturing. However, around the world a staggering 50-football fields worth of trees and bushland is cleared every hour! By keeping our patch of forest, we make a local contribution to a serious global problem. Furthermore, as people flood into South East Queensland, more and more forest is cleared for roads and houses, putting serious pressure on the habitat of our most precious wildlife. Retention of the school’s patch of forest is a vital step in protecting local populations of koalas, possums and wallabies. Unprotected exposure to the sun causes potentially deadly health problems including heat stroke, burning and skin cancer. The forest provides students with much-needed shade and protection from the harmful effects of the sun. Concerned local residents: call the school now and register your opposition to this terrible proposal. Yours sincerely Bronwyn Fielding


Examining the Language of Exposition (Part Two)

(a) Taking a stand with Mood: Modifying status (power) Peoplecanuselanguageto:

makeastatement,e.g.There'sachairinthere. askaquestion,e.g.Isthereachairinthere? deliveracommand,e.g.Sitdown! orexclaimwithsurprise,makeanemphaticstatement,e.g.Howstrange!

Whatidiots!Fromthispointon,wewillbeconcernedmainlywiththefirstthree.Ingrammaticalterms,thesefunctionsareachievedthroughparticulargrammaticalMoods:Function GrammaticalMoodStatement DeclarativeQuestion InterrogativeCommand ImperativeHowwillthishelpwithpersuasion?Thegrammaticalmoodweusecaninfluencetherolesspeakersandwritersadoptandtherelationshipstheydevelopwiththeirreader/listener.Ifweestablishappropriaterolesandrelationships,wearemorelikelytoachieveourgoals,e.g.topersuadesomeoneelsetodosomething.Typically,selectionofmoodcanhavethefollowingimpactinatext:Mood Writer/speaker Reader/listenerDeclarative Primaryknowerand,

therefore,thepersonwithmorepowerandauthority

Secondaryknowerand,therefore,thepersonwithlesspowerandauthority

Interrogative Lessknowledgeablepersonseekinginformationfromsomeonewithmoreknowledge

Moreknowledgeableand,therefore,potentiallymorepowerfulperson

Imperative Personincontrol;thepersonwithauthorityandpower

Personwhoisexpectedtoobeyand,therefore,isassumedtohavelessauthorityandpower

Ofcourse,theuseofmoodcanbemanipulatedinallsortsofways,thuschangingparticularrolesandrelationships.Forexample,teachersoftenaskstudentsquestionstowhichtheyalreadyknowtheanswer.


Moreover,eachofthefunctionscanbeachievedthroughlesstypical(incongruent)choices.So,forexample,imagineyouneedtocommandsomeonetotellyoutheirname.Youcouldsayanyofthefollowing:

Ineedtoknowyourname,please.(declarative) Yournameis...(declarativetruncated) Whatisyourname?(interrogative) Tellmeyourname.(imperative)

Activity7:Readthisbriefexchangeand,insmallgroups,discusswhatishappeninghereintermsoftheuseofmoodandthenegotiationofrolesandrelationshipsbetweenmotherandson.Mother: Sam,whodoyouthinkI'vejustbeentalkingto?Sam: (Wasit)grandma?Mother: No,I'vejusthadacallfromyourteacher.Isthereanythingyou

wanttotellme?Sam: Idon'tthinkso.Mother: So,nothinghappenedatschooltoday.Sam: Why?WhatdidMrsAndersontellyou?Activity8:Situation:Youareinaroomthatisverycold.Thisiscausedbyanopenwindowthroughwhichabreezeisblowing.Youneedtosomeonetoclosethewindow.Yourtask:Insmallgroups,writethreecommandsusingdifferentgrammaticalmoods:declarative,interrogative,imperative.Discusshoweachmightworkeffectivelydependingontherelationshipyouhavewiththeothersintheroom.Activity9:ReadSampleA(p2).Identifythepredominantgrammaticalmoodsandcommentontherolesandrelationshipsbeingestablishedinthetext.Inparticular,considerifthemoodhelpsestablishrolesandrelationshipsthatarebothappropriateandeffective.


(b) Taking a Stand with Modality Imaginethefollowingconversationbetweentwofriends:

F1:Itisgoingtorain.F2:Itisnot.F1:Itwilldefinitelyrain.F2:Absolutelynot.F1:Well,itmightraintomorrow.F2:Italwaysrainsontheweekend,soitprobablywill!

Eachspeakerisassertinganidea(proposition);thatis,theyarestatingsomeinformationwhichisthenavailableforagreementordisagreementbytheotherspeaker.Furthermore,eachspeakeristakingastandontheirproposition,fromverypositivethroughtoverynegative.

F1:Itisgoingtorain.(moderatelypositiveprobabilityitwillrain)F2:Itisnot.(moderatelynegativeprobabilityitwillrain)F1:Itwilldefinitelyrain.(highlypositiveprobabilityitwillrain)F2:Absolutelynot.(highlynegativeprobabilityitwillrain)F1:Well,itmightraintomorrowforthestartoftheweekend.(lowprobabilityitwillraintomorrow)F2:Italwaysrainsontheweekend,soitprobablywill!(moderatelyhighprobabilityitwillrain)

Inotherwords,eachspeakeristakingastanceontheirpropositioninordertopersuadetheotherperson.Thisismodality.Inadditiontotheprobabilitysomethingwillhappen,thesecondspeakeralsoindicateshowusualitisforittorainontheweekend.

F2:Italwaysrainsontheweekend,soitprobablywill!Extendingthisfurther,usingtheresourcesprovidedbymodality,aspeakercanexpressdegreesof:

Probability(Howprobableorlikelyisitthatsomeeventwillhappen?) Obligation(Howobligatedarewetodosomething?) Usuality(Howusualisitforsomethingtohappen?) Inclination(Howinclinedarewetodosomething?) Capability(Howcapablearewetodosomething?)


Thefollowingtableprovidesasummaryofsomecommonwaysthatspeakersandwritersexpressmodality(buttherearemore,bothdirectandindirect). Highmodality Medium

modalityLowmodality

Modalverbs(auxiliaryorhelpingverbs)

must,oughtto,need(to),hasto,haveto,requiredto

isto,wasto,will,would,shall,should,supposedto

can,may,couldmight

Modaladverbs certainly,definitely,always,never,absolutely,surely,infact

probably,usually,generally,likely

possibly,perhaps,maybe,sometimes,seldom

Modaladjectives certain,definite,absolute,necessary,obligatory

probable,usual Possible,rare

Modalnouns certainty,necessity,requirement,obigation

probability possibility

Modalclausesandphrases(interpersonalmetaphors)

Ibelieve(that)…Itisobvious(that)…Everyoneknows(that)…Researchersagree(that)…

Ithink(that)…Inmyopinion,It’slikely(that)…Itisn’tlikely(that)…If…,then…Forthemostpart

Iguess(that)…

Themodalclausesandphrasesarelessdirectwaysofexpressingmodalityandareoftenusedtomaketextsseemmoreobjectiveanddifficulttoargueagainst.Here’sanotherlist,thistimeorganizedaccordingtotypeofmodality:Usuality(howfrequent):usually,always,often,regularly,never,sometimes,seldom,rarely,everProbability(howlikely):itseems,Ihearthat,it’ssaidthat,theevidencesuggests,may,must,havebeen,probably,possibly,certainly,perhaps,maybeObligation(howobliged):hadto,definitely,must,absolutely,should,could,atallcosts,byallmeans,mightInclination(howinclined):willingly,readily,gladly,certainly,easilyCapacity(howcapable):iscapableof,cangiveThechoiceofmodalityinvolvesmakingjudgementsaboutpersonalrelationshipsandhowtointeractwithothersinappropriateways.Forexample,itwould(inalllikelihood)beconsideredinappropriateforastudenttosaytoaprincipal:‘Youdefinitelyneedtofindoutthefullstorybeforeyoupunishme!’Instead,beinginapositionofless(institutional)power,thestudentismorelikelytosay


somethingalongthelinesof:‘Maybeyoucouldfindoutthefullstorybeforeyoupunishme?’Activity10:Readthestudenttextbelowandthencompletethetablethatfollows.Version 1: School violence There are a number of possible reasons for school violence. Perhaps children who have problems at school or home feel frustrated because they cannot solve their problems. They may not be able to talk to their teachers or parents and may sometimes feel that they have no friends. This frustration could possibly turn to anger and they may take it out on other people. Children who watch a lot of violent TV shows may think that violence is the best way to solve problems. Adults may need to help these children to express their feelings in a peaceful way. Expression Typeofmodality Degreeof

modalityGrammaticalstructure

Possible Probability Low Modal adjectival Perhaps Cannot Maynot May Sometimes Could Possibly Activity11:Readthesealternativeversions.Whatdoyounotice?Aretheybetterthantheoriginal?Whyorwhynot?Version 2: School violence There are a number of definite reasons for school violence. Certainly children who have problems at school or home feel frustrated because they absolutely cannot solve their problems. In fact, they never talk to their teachers or parents and always feel that they have no friends. This frustration must turn to anger and they are certain to take it out on other people. Children who watch a lot of violent TV shows will surely think that violence is always the best way to solve problems. Adults must help these children to express their feelings in a peaceful way. Version 3: School violence There are a number of reasons for school violence. Children who have problems at school or home feel frustrated because they cannot solve their problems. They don’t talk to their teachers or parents and feel that


they have no friends. This frustration turns to anger and they take it out on other people. Children who watch a lot of violent TV shows think that violence is the best way to solve problems. Adults should help these children to express their feelings in a peaceful way. Activity12:Identifytheuseofmodalityinthefollowingtext,alettertotheeditor(basedonSampleC,page4).Isthattheonlyuseofpersuasivelanguageyoucanidentify?Haveagoatre‐writingthetext,makingitstronger.Dear Sir/Madam My daughter and I occasionally walk to school. Sometimes, we enter through the forest gate and stroll through the gum trees, enjoying dappled shade. If we’re lucky, we could spot koalas high in the branches nibbling on eucalyptus leaves. If we’re really lucky, a wallaby might hop across the track in front of us. However, all of this may be under threat: the school’s P&C could destroy this patch of suburban paradise to make way for possible extensions to the school oval, including a new carpark for the principal. Wildlife might be driven out. Shady escapes from the searing summer sun might disappear. Yet another patch of Australian bush could disappear forever. Is this perhaps what we might want for our children, for our local community? I guess that maybe you could help stop this destruction before it’s too late. Perhaps call Dennis Road State School and register your opposition to this terrible possibility. Yours sincerely Derek Sampson (c) Taking a stance with Appraisal: Swaying the reader’s opinion Thematerialonthefollowingpageshasbeenadaptedfromvarioussources,includingtheworkofJimMartin,PeterWhite,RayMcGuire,MichaelHallidayandSallyHumphrey.ItprovidesaverybasicsummaryofaspectsoftheAppraisalSystemwhichispartofhowweestablishandmaintainrolesandrelationships.Inotherwords,itfallsundertheinterpersonalmetafunctioninSystemicFunctionalGrammar.TheuseofAppraisal(orthelanguageofevaluation)isanessentialresourceforwritersseekingtopositionreadersandencouragingthemtotakeupaparticularpositiononanissue,person,idea,objectetc.Inotherwords,itisabouthowwritersandspeakerstrytopersuadetheiraudience.


Attitude (Is something or someone good or bad?) (a)Emotions(Affect)

happy/unhappy secure/insecure satisfaction/dissatisfaction

(b)Judgement(ofpeopleandtheirbehaviours/character)(positive negative)

normality capacity tenacity resolve truthfulness ethics

(c)Appreciation(ofobjects,artefacts,humanperformances,people’sappearance,natureetc)(positive negative)

reaction composition valuation

(d)Gradingthemeaning(‘turningthevolumeupordown’ontheattitude) updown implicit,explicitNote:Inadditiontointensifiers(suchasvery,really),writerscommonlyusesimileandmetaphorto‘turnthevolumeup’onattitudes.Swearingcanalsoservethispurpose(notrecommendedforNAPLAN,ofcourse).

AsummaryofEngagement,anotheraspectofAppraisal,canbefoundonthefollowingpages.


EngagementThisreferstothesourcingofattitudesandtheplayofvoicesaroundopinions;inparticulardoesthewriter/speakerallowoneormorevoicesintotheirtext.

Type Subtype ExamplesBareassertionApropositionisdeclaredabsolutelyandpresentedasselfevident,agreedupon–thereisnoacknowledgementofalternativeopinions/ideasandnorecognitionthattheyoperatewithinacontinuingdebate

Xispreposterous

Deny–anopinion/ideaisusedtodenysomecontraryopinion/idea.Analternativepositionisacknowledgedandengagedwith,thenrejected

There’snothingwrongwithX,butwhatabout…?,itisareview/reportetcwhichdoesn’tconsider…,Xwillnotsolvetheproblem,Xnevermeantthis

DisclaimThe‘textualvoice’positionsitselfasatoddswith,orrejecting,somecontraryopinion/idea

Counter–anopinion/ideaisusedtocountersomecontraryposition;aviewisreferredto,concededandtherejected

Whatissurprisingis…,Xhasstated,but,yet,despite,surprisingly,amazingly,although,however,andinmanyusesofonly,just,even,alreadyandstill

Concur Naturally,ofcourse,obviously,admittedly,predictably,undeniably,certainly,sometypesofrhetoricalquestions

Pronounce Icontend,thetruthofthematteris,therecanbenodoubtthat,wecanonlyconcludethat,youmustagreethat,itisabsolutelyclearthat

ProclaimByrepresentinganopinionorideaastrue,compelling,valid,plausible,well‐founded,generallyagreed,reliable,fairetc,the‘textualvoice’setsitselfagainst,suppressesorrulesoutalternativeopinions/ideas

Endorse Xhasdemonstratedthat,Xhasarguedcompellinglythat,Xshows,Xconvincinglyargued,Xcompellinglypropounded,Xsuccessfullyexplained


EntertainThetextualvoicerepresentstheopinionorideaasbutoneofarangeofpossiblepositions–ittherebyentertainsorinvokesthesealternatives

Usuality(howfrequent):usually,always,often,regularly,never,sometimes,seldom,rarely,everProbability(howlikely):itseems,Ihearthat,it’ssaidthat,theevidencesuggests,may,must,havebeen,probably,possibly,certainly,perhaps,maybeObligation(howobliged):hadto,definitely,must,absolutely,should,could,atallcosts,byallmeans,mightInclination(howinclined):willingly,readily,gladly,certainly,easilyCapacity(howcapable):iscapableof,cangive

Acknowledge Xsaid,Xbelieves,accordingtoX,inX’sview,itstates…,informedsourcesreport,Xargues

AttributeThe‘textualvoice’representstheopinionorideaasbutoneofarangeofpossiblepositions–ittherebyentertainsorinvokesthesealternatives

Distance Xclaimsthat,themyththat,it’srumouredthat,Xwentasfartosuggestthat…

From A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket Inthefollowingextract,Appraisalelementshavebeenbolded.Thesearecategorisedonpages15and17.TheBaudelaireyoungsterslookedaroundandsawthatnotonlyhadCountOlafvanished,buthisaccomplices‐thewartfacedman,thebaldmanwiththelongnose,theenormouspersonwholookedlikeneitheramannorawoman,andthetwowhitefacedwomen‐hadvanishedalongwithhim."Theymusthaverunoutside,"Klaussaid,"whileitwasstilldark."MrPoeledthewayoutside,andJusticeStraussandthechildrenfollowed.Way,waydowntheblock,theycouldseealongblackcardrivingawayintothenight.MaybeitcontainedCountOlafandhisassociates.Maybeitdidn't.Butinanycase,itturnedacorneranddisappearedintothedarkcityasthechildrenwatchedwithoutaword."Blastit,"MrPoesaid."They'regone.Butdon'tworry,children,we'llcatchthem.I'mgoingtogocallthepoliceimmediately."Violet,Klausand,Sunnylookedatoneanotherandknewthatitwasn'tassimpleasMr.Poesaid.CountOlafwouldtakecaretostayoutofsightashe


plannedhisnextmove.HewasfartooclevertobecapturedbythelikesofMr.Poe."Well,let'sgohome,children,"JusticeStrausssaid."Wecanworryaboutthisinthemorning,whenI'vefixedyouagoodbreakfast."Mr.Poecoughed."Waitaminute,"hesaid,lookingdownatthefloor."I'msorrytotellyouthischildren,butIcannotallowyoutoberaisedbysomeonewhoisnotarelative."What?"Violetcried."AfterallJusticeStrausshasdoneforus?""WeneverwouldhavefiguredoutCountOlaf'splanwithoutherandherlibrary,"Klaussaid."WithoutJusticeStrauss,wewouldhavelostourlives.""Thatmaybeso,"Mr.Poesaid,"andIthankJusticeStraussforhergenerosity,butyourparents'willisveryspecific.Youmustbeadoptedbyarelative.Tonightyouwillstaywithmeinmyhome,andtomorrowIshallgotothebankandfigureoutwhattodowithyou.I'msorry,butthatisthewayitis."ThechildrenlookedatJusticeStrauss,whosighedheavilyandhuggedeachoftheBaudelaireyoungstersinturn."Mr.Poeisright,"shesaidsadly."Hemustrespectyourparents'wishes.Don'tyouwanttodowhatyourparentswanted,children?"Violet,Klaus,andSunnypicturedtheirlovingparents,andwishedmorethaneverthatthefirehadnotoccurred.Never,neverhadtheyfeltsoalone.Theywantedverybadlytolivewiththiskindandgenerouswoman,buttheyknewthatitsimplycouldnotbedone."Iguessyou'reright,JusticeStrauss,"Violetsaidfinally."Wewillmissyouverymuch.""Iwillmissyou,too,"shesaid,andhereyesfilledwithtearsoncemore.Appraisal Analysis: More Detail Onthefollowingpage,wetaketheSeriesofUnfortunateEventsextractandexplorehowtheevaluative(orattitudinal)languageisbeingusedto‘influenceanaudienceaudience’(fromp23DraftEnglishCurriculum,ACARA).ThisworkalsorelatestootherYear6contentdescriptors(seethenextpage).Youwillfindrelevantstatementsatotheryearlevelsaswell.


ExtractfromYear6AustralianCurriculum(draft)Language Literature Literacy Rhetoricaldevicescanbeusedtopersuadeothers

Modalitycanbeusedtoincreaseordecreasethedegreeofcertaintyorobligation

Comparepersonalopinionsaboutliterarytextswiththoseofothers

Begintoappreciatewhatitisthatdefinesanauthor’sindividualliterarystyle

Evaluatetextstructure,languagefeaturesandgrammaticaltechniquesusedtoinfluenceanaudienceincludingpersuasivetechniquesandthelanguageofargument

Makeinferencesaboutattitudes,beliefsandvaluesbydrawinguponpreviouslearningandexperiencesandattendingtolanguageandselectionofdetail

Createdetailed…written…textsfor…persuasivepurposesusingavarietyofsentencestructures,effectivevocabularyandpunctuation

AnalysisofAppraisalinASeriesofUnfortunateEventsPhase Text(withAppraisalincluding

Modalityhighlighted)What’shappeninginterpersonally?

‘solution(andproblem)’

TheBaudelaireyoungsterslookedaroundandsawthatnotonlyhadCountOlafvanished,buthisaccomplices‐thewartfacedman,thebaldmanwiththelongnose,theenormouspersonwholookedlikeneitheramannorawoman,andthetwowhitefacedwomen‐hadvanishedalongwithhim.

CountOlafandassociates: Accomplices:Judgement:

negativeethics wartfaced,baldthrough

towhitefacedetc:Appreciation:negativecomposition

lookedlikeneitheramannorawoman:Judgement:negativenormality

‘reflection’ "Theymusthaverunoutside,"Klaussaid,"whileitwasstilldark."

highprobablility

‘eventsandcomment’

MrPoeledthewayoutside,andJusticeStraussandthechildrenfollowed.Way,waydowntheblock,theycouldseealongblackcardrivingawayintothenight.MaybeitcontainedCountOlafandhisassociates.Maybeitdidn't.Butinanycase,itturnedacorneranddisappearedintothedarkcityasthechildrenwatchedwithoutaword.

Could,maybe:lowprobability

But:Disclaim:counter Dark:Appreciation:

negativecomposition

‘reaction’ "Blastit,"MrPoesaid."They'regone.Butdon'tworry,children,we'llcatchthem.I'mgoingtogocallthepoliceimmediately."

Blastit:Emotions:dissatisfaction

But:Disclaim:counter Will,am:medium

probability

continuednextpage…/


Phase Text(withAppraisalincluding


‘reflection’ Violet,Klausand,Sunnylookedatoneanotherandknewthatitwasn'tassimpleasMr.Poesaid.CountOlafwouldtakecaretostayoutofsightasheplannedhisnextmove.HewasfartooclevertobecapturedbythelikesofMr.Poe.

Wasn’t:mediumnegativeprobability

Fartooclever(Olaf):Judgement:verypositivecapacity

Thelikesof:Judgement:negativecapacity

‘solution’ "Well,let'sgohome,children,"JusticeStrausssaid."Wecanworryaboutthisinthemorning,whenI'vefixedyouagoodbreakfast."

Can:lowprobability Have:highprobability

‘problem’ Mr.Poecoughed."Waitaminute,"hesaid,lookingdownatthefloor."I'msorrytotellyouthischildren,butIcannotallowyoutoberaisedbysomeonewhoisnotarelative.

Looking...floor,amsorry:Emotions:unhappy

But:Disclaim:counter Cannot:high(?)

probability"What?"Violetcried."AfterallJusticeStrausshasdoneforus?"

Cried:Emotions:unhappy

"WeneverwouldhavefiguredoutCountOlaf'splanwithoutherandherlibrary,"Klaussaid."WithoutJusticeStrauss,wewouldhavelostourlives."

highnegativeprobabilityandthenmediumpositiveprobability

‘reaction’

"Thatmaybeso,"Mr.Poesaid,"andIthankJusticeStraussforhergenerosity,butyourparents'willisveryspecific.Youmustbeadoptedbyarelative.Tonightyouwillstaywithmeinmyhome,andtomorrowIshallgotothebankandfigureoutwhattodowithyou.I'msorry,butthatisthewayitis."

May:lowprobability Thank:emotions:

satisfaction But(x2):Disclaim:

counter will:mediumprobability shall:highprobability amsorry:Emotions:

unhappy ThechildrenlookedatJusticeStrauss,who

sighedheavilyandhuggedeachoftheBaudelaireyoungstersinturn."Mr.Poeisright,"shesaidsadly."Hemustrespectyourparents'wishes.Don'tyouwanttodowhatyourparentswanted,children?"

sighed,sadly:Emotions:unhappy

heavily:explicitgradingup

right:Judgement:positivetruthfulness

must,donot:highprobability

continuednextpage…/


Phase Text(withAppraisalincluding


Violet,Klaus,andSunnypicturedtheirlovingparents,andwishedmorethaneverthatthefirehadnotoccurred.Never,neverhadtheyfeltsoalone.Theywantedverybadlytolivewiththiskindandgenerouswoman,buttheyknewthatitsimplycouldnotbedone."Iguessyou'reright,JusticeStrauss,"Violetsaidfinally."Wewillmissyouverymuch."

loving:Judgement:positiveethics

never,never:highusualityandexplicitgradingupthroughrepetition

soalone:Emotions:insecure

andexplicitgradingupby‘so’

verybadly:explicitgradingupofthe‘wanting’

kind,generous:Emotions:satisfaction(?)ormaybeJudgement:positiveethics(?)

But:Disclaim:counter Simplycouldnotbe:

highnegativeprobability

Iguess:lowprobability right:Judgement:

positivetruthfulness miss:Emotions:

unhappiness will:medium

probability verymuch:explicit

gradingupof‘miss’

‘reaction’

"Iwillmissyou,too,"shesaid,andhereyesfilledwithtearsoncemore.

miss:Emotions:unhappiness

will:mediumprobability

hereyesfilledwithtears:Emotions:unhappiness;thisalsoturnsupthevolumeonhowmuchshe’llmissthechildren

Activity13:Re‐readSampleExpositionAonpage2.HighlightandthencommentontheuseofAppraisallanguage.


Activity14:Cleverclozetothinkaboutevaluativeandemotivelanguage Readthroughtheparagraphbelow.Atvariouspoints,youaregivenchoices.Whateffectsdoyounoticebymakingdifferentchoicesfromthosemadebytheoriginalauthor?Wouldyoumakeotherchanges?Why?

Aremnantofnativeeucalyptus

foreststandsinonecornerofour

schoolgrounds.However,these

trees,a[crucial;necessary;trivial]

partofthelocalecosystem,are

[threatened;putatrisk;guarded]by

plansforanexpansionoftheoval.

The[massacre;destruction;

restoration]oftheforest[must;

should;perhapsshould]not

proceed.Instead,we[needto;

should;shouldnot]thinkglobally

andactlocally:retentionofthepatchofforest[will;might;possiblycould]

contributetothe[fightagainst;scrimmageagainst;surrenderto]global

warming.Moreover,theforestcanbeleftasa[haven;retreat;asylum]forlocal

wildlife,especiallythe[iconic;likeable;noepithet/adjective–leaveitblank]

koala.Finally,theforestis[asanctuary;shelter;protection]forstudentsneeding

to[escape;retreatfrom;stayin]the[blistering;intense;hot]summersun.


Improving a student expositionThefollowingisacompletetextwrittenbyaprimarystudent.Thebodyisreproducedasitwasoriginallypublished(includingasasingleparagraph)inDroga,L.andHumphrey,S.(2003).Grammarandmeaning:Anintroductionforprimaryteachers.Berry,NSW:TargetTexts.P60.Activity15:Readthestudenttextbelow(orgobacktooneoftheearlierexamples)anddecidehowyoucouldhelpthisstudent:

Areasoffocus Possiblestrategies.

StudenttextIbelievethatAustraliamustacceptmorerefugeesintothecountry.Wehave

learnedthatrecentlytherearemanypeoplewhohavehadtoleavetheircountry

becauseofwarortheirbeliefs.Theycouldnotwaittogetvisasorstayincamps

formanyyearssotheyriskedtheirlivestocometoAustralia.Theywouldnotdo

thisiftheydidnothaveto.Thesepeopleneedhomes.Wemusthelpthemto

settleintothecountry,notsendthemaway.Pleasechangeyourpoliciesabout

refugeesbeforeitistoolate.

Key Teaching Strategies (for the genre) (a) The Unsworth Model

ImplementationstepsStrategiesReading Writing

ModelledpracticeGuidedpracticeIndependentpractice

Orientationtothetext Readingthetext Workingwiththetext Reviewingthereading

Orientationtothetext Writingthetext Reviewingwriting Publishingwriting

FromUnsworth,L.(2001)Modelling(Showinghow)

Exposuretoexamples:differentversionsofthegenrefordifferentaudiences

Identifyingfeaturesoflanguage,structureandcontent,e.g.throughTextMarking,‘games’,modalityclines,clozeexercises,juxtapositionandsummaries

Thinkaloudwritingbytheteacher


GuidedPractice(Doittogether) Jointwriting(teacherandstudents) Collaborativewriting(studentsworkingtogetherwithscaffoldingand

teacherassistanceasneeded) Collaborativefeedback

IndependentPractice(Haveagobyyourself) Withexplicitscaffolding Withreducedscaffolding Withnoscaffolding

(b) Scaffolding Literacy Model (Axford, Harders and Wise 2009)

ReferencesAxford,B.,Harders,P.andWise,F.(2009),ScaffoldingLiteracy:AnIntegratedandSequentialApproachtoTeachingReading,SpellingandWriting,ACERPress,Victoria.

Butt,D.,Fahey,R.,Feez,S.,Spinks,S,Yallop,C.(2000),UsingFunctionalGrammar:AnExplorer’sGuide,2ndedn,MacquarieUniversity,Sydney.

Derewianka,B.(1998),AGrammarCompanionforPrimaryTeachers,PrimaryEnglishTeachingAssociation,NSW.

Droga,L.&Humphrey,S.(2003),GrammarandMeaning:AnIntroductionforPrimaryTeachers,TargetTexts,Berry(NSW).

Graham,S.andPerin,D.(2007).Writingnext:effectivestrategiestoimprovewritingofadolescentsinmiddleandhighschools.NewYork,NewYork:CarnegieCorporationofNewYork.

Halliday,M.A.K.(1985),AnIntroductiontoFunctionalGrammar,EdwardArnold,London.

Halliday,M.A.K.&Mathiessen,C.(2004),AnIntroductiontoFunctionalGrammar,3rdedn,Arnold,GreatBritain.

Martin,J.andWhite,P.(2005).Thelanguageofevaluation:AppraisalinEnglish.Houndsmill,Basingstoke,Hampshire:PalgraveMacMillan.

Unsworth,L.(2001),TeachingMultiliteraciesAcrosstheCurriculum:ChangingContextsofTextandImageinClassroomPractice,OpenUniversityPress,Buckingham.

ForAppraisal,alsosee:http://www.grammatics.com/appraisal/.

ScaffoldedReading

• Textselection• Textorientation• Auralorienation• Languageorientation• Fluentreading

JointAnlysisofSentence&WordConstructions

• Transformations:Aanalysingsentencesconstructionsandmeaning(4sub‐steps)• Scaffoldedspelling:Analysingwordcconstructions(4sub‐steps)

ScaffoldedWriting

• PreparingtheWritingPlan• Reconstructingtheauthortext• GeneratingnewtextusingTextPatterning• Providingconstructivefeedback


Appendix One: Three-column summary of key

features of a basic hortatory expositionStages Text LanguagefeaturesGreeting DearSir/MadamStatementofproblemandwriter’sposition(thesis)

TheDennisRoadStateSchoolP&C’splanstodestroyapatchofnativeeucalyptusforest‐avitalpartofourlocalenvironment‐mustbeopposedvigorously.

Firstargumenttosupportbelief

Oneofthesignificantcausesofglobalwarmingiswidespreaddeforestation.Treesactlikesponges,absorbingthecarbonbelchedoutbycars,electricitygenerationandmanufacturing.However,aroundtheworldastaggering50‐footballfieldsworthoftreesandbushlandisclearedeveryhour!Bykeepingourpatchofforest,wemakealocalcontributiontoaseriousglobalproblem.

Secondargumenttosupportbelief

Furthermore,aspeoplefloodintoSouthEastQueensland,moreandmoreforestisclearedforroadsandhouses,puttingseriouspressureonthehabitatofourmostpreciouswildlife.Retentionoftheschool’spatchofforestisavitalstepinprotectinglocalpopulationsofkoalas,possumsandwallabies.

Thirdargumenttosupportbelief

Finally,unprotectedexposuretothesuncausespotentiallydeadlyhealthproblemsincludingheatstroke,burningandskincancer.Theforestprovidesstudentswithmuch‐neededshadeandprotectionfromtheharmfuleffectsofthesun.

Calltoaction Concernedlocalresidents:calltheschoolnowandregisteryouroppositiontothisterribleproposal.

Complimentaryclose

YourssincerelyBronwynFielding

Cohesion Pronounreference,e.g.‘our’,

‘we’ Useofcontrastingwords,e.g.

‘however’,‘yet’,‘but’Vocabulary Wordsassociatedwithforests

andtheenvironment Stronglyemotionalwords,e.g.

‘vitalpart’,‘opposedvigorously’,‘seriouspressure’,‘mostpreciouswildlife’,‘peopleflood’,‘potentiallydeadlyhealthproblems’,‘muchneededshade’,‘terribleproposal’

Grammar Presenttense Definitehelpingverbs,e.g.

‘must’,‘is’ Thirdandinclusivefirstperson Mainlystatements;commands

in‘CalltoAction’ Nominalisations,e.g.causes,

deforestation,electricitygeneration,contribution,protection,opposition

Frequentlongnoungroups,e.g.‘apatchofnativeeucalyptusforest‐avitalpartofourlocalenvironment‘;‘astaggering50footballfieldsworthoftreesandbushland’

Punctuationandparagraphing Conventionalpunctuation,

includingcolons,dashes,questionmarksandapostrophes

Eachnewargumentinanewparagraph

Fullblockbusinessletterlayout

Spelling Conventional.Payspecial

attentionto–tionwords

teaching persuasion: writing with authority ipswich and...

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