Curt's entry

Ken Hyland discusses in Chapter 9 his research on writing and writers in his book Second Language Writing (2003) where he problematizes the dichotomy between practical teaching and theoretical research. Hyland states his case in the following: “I have argued that the most effective teachers are those able to make informed classroom choices from an awareness of current perspectives on second language writing….But teachers are not simply consumers of others’ research. They tend to be curious about their students and their subject; they actively experiment with different tasks and materials; and they reflect on their approaches and decisions” (Hyland, 2003: 245). Hyland presents teachers as scholars who add to the pedagogical research and the discourses about that research. Hyland presents teachers as researchers. How does the teacher as researcher model open up new opportunities for reexamining second language learning. Hyland begins his approach to examining teacher as researcher in what he describes as action research, which he defines as collection and analysis of data with the specific goal of improving classroom teaching practices (Hyland, 2003: 246). I have used this action type of research as part of a teaching practice that is based upon a concept of continuous improvement in educational delivery within the classroom. I had found this to be a useful approach, but Hyland provides caution in the following: “But although this is a very accessible type of research, not all teacher studies are problem driven and change oriented. Research arises from a need to understand what people do in certain situations, and this may arise as much from a simple interest as to achieve a practical payoff” (Hyland, 2003: 246). This cautionary explanation gives pause to the teacher researcher that studies are very situational and must not always be focused upon a “problem” that needs to be changed. I have had to struggle with moving beyond that mode of thinking myself. I still hold that problem solving techniques have great and even versatile value, but hold this type of orientation is problematic in the sense that by seeing everything as a problem to be solved causes us as teachers to focus on learning problems rather than learner needs. I have found that second language learner needs vary according to situational needs including that involved with second language usages. As discussed in 345 TESOL Methods this past Tuesday, “I have found that when I was teaching in rural Alaska, the educational needs of Native Alaskans were different because their needs were different. Not only is the physical environment different than say Illinois, but more importantly, the economic environment is drastically different” (Curt, 345 13 Nov. 2012). I find that by remaining open to what the actual learning needs of the students are, and orientating my focus there, I have begun in a direction that is learner centered. In this way, research becomes practical and teaching becomes theoretical.

Lyudmila's entry on genre analysis and writing research

Genre analysis is definitely a necessary activity to include in L2 classroom for promoting students’ ability to describe typical features of text collections and, consequently, to write certain genres more accurately and effectively. Certainly, genre analysis adds to a model of language use by reflecting on social, cultural, and institutional contexts in which this or that model emerged. This way both teachers and students learn “ways to handle conventionalized aspects of texts” (Genre Book 195). Clearly, if students engage in the analysis of the moves or functional stages of various genre texts, features that characterize those texts, and their communicative purposes, this will help to identify the key features of the texts and to gain knowledge how these texts express particular functions. Moreover, seeing the social, cultural, and psychological contexts in which a text was created, understanding the writer in terms of getting acquainted with his or her demographic background, social status, and sex, and seeing how the genre relates to the writer’s activities, will help writing students uncover features outside the text and see how these features influenced the way the text was written (GB 197). Awareness that all texts are influenced by the community and the situation in which they emerge remind us that writing is a social practice. Such knowledge of social and cultural practices to which a certain genre relates will make it easier for students to process and write a certain genre and also will make the texts more accessible for them. I believe genre analysis should be introduced to both L1 and L2 students as both struggle with the writing process, and raising awareness of “ how a genre is written and responded to in different situations” will help both in terms of “demystifying forms and patterns of texts that otherwise would be seen as arbitrary and conventional” ( GB 208). Therein, a genre-based pedagogy is a powerful tool for helping students get control over the texts, understand how texts are constructed and what the underlying motives for creating a certain text were. This fairly young discipline is much needed to be incorporated in both ESL classroom and mainstream classroom as knowledge of how language works in human interaction and, more importantly, how to apply this knowledge in writing is still something that students have to figure out on their own, and providing them with this knowledge has become a responsibility of a teacher as we are far beyond the composition theory, cognitive psychology, and traditional grammars. As for the research on writing, when reading about ethical issues that a research may involve I thought about a longitudinal research on feedback provision on grammar and vocabulary in terms of its effectiveness on L2 writing. I realized that it may be a very difficult experiment to put into life due to the fact that it is unethical not to provide a feedback to the control group for a long period of time. This is why, there hasn’t been a longitudinal study conducted yet, and the debate between Truscott and Ferris remains open. I felt like a pioneer that can tackle this issue, but now I see the difficulties that will inevitably come with a longitudinal study on that issue, and to tell the truth, I am stuck because I am not sure how I would address it. I can see that it is unethical not to provide a feedback for a long period of time as I can see students may become aggravated and demotivated and even lose interest in the study of English. Thus, so far, this debate remains open, and so far, Truscott wins.