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Genre in the L2 Writing Classroom

 Mai Pelayo

 


Genre in the L2 Writing Classroom

One of the most challenging tasks for an L2 educator is that of teaching writing. Such a challenge is rooted in this skill's complexity, the cognitive, linguistic, and social demands it poses to the writers (Schoonen & et al., 2009). In L2 writing classes, educators need to be aware of students' diverse backgrounds and apply best practices to improve and succeed in using their L2 writing skills. A step toward developing a successful writing course is to understand the genre and its role in the classroom. For this reason, this blog provides novice educators with information to understand the genre and its application in the L2 writing class. 

Genre and Its Function in the L2 Classroom

Genre is the way in which people utilize different written materials in society to communicate in a particular context for a specific purpose, e.g., a critique, a grant proposal, stories, emails, or news. Developing reading and writing connections facilitate the growth of students' knowledge and literacy practice (Ferris & Hedgcock, 2014). Consequently, educators should provide students with a variety of texts that enables them to produce, consume, and interact within a society.

Teaching about Genre allows "teachers to ground their courses in the texts that students will need to write in occupational, academic, or social contexts, they help guide learners to participate effectively in the world outside the ESL [L2] classroom" (Hyland, 2007). Therefore, the introduction of various genres allows learners to understand how the L2 is applied in social contexts in the real world, which could be different from the experience learners have encountered in their first language. This is because genre practices can differ from one social group to another. 

Benefits of Genre-based Writing Instruction in L2 Learners

Genre-based pedagogies in the classroom empower learners by scaffolding and promoting social/peer interaction while assisting students to reach a more advanced level of performance (Hyland, 2003; Martin, 2009). However, it is vital to understand that the success of genre pedagogy relies on the educator since it requires a high level of content knowledge on the instructor's part. For novice teachers this can present challenges at the beginning (Worden, 2018); nevertheless, as the class advance educators gain experience, and this practice becomes easier to implement. Additionally, explicit teaching is valuable in genre-based writing, as learners should have a clear understanding of what they are learning, how, and why.

Examples of Genre 

On a daily basis, people may find an array of genres that educators will find worthwhile exploring in the L2 writing classroom, depending on students' language and academic level. Here are some suggestions:

Genres for Different Purposes

______________________________________________________________________________

Journal                           Entry newspaper article              Personal letter/Apology
Greeting card                 Political campaign posters          Letter to the Editor 
Poetry                            Autobiographical essay               Blog posting
Business proposal         TED Talk                                      Critique of a published source
Speech or Debate          Commentary                                Biographical summary
Short story                     Brochure/Newsletter                   News program story/Announcement
_____________________________________________________________________________

Figure 1 Examples of Genres.  Adapted from Buck (2020).

 

Some Academic Genres

_______________________________________________________________

Research articles                           Book reviews

Conference abstracts                     PhD dissertations

Grant proposals                             Textbooks

Undergraduate essays                   Reprint requests

Submission letters                         Editor response letters

_____________________________________________________________

Figure 2 Written Genres.  Source: Hyland (2009, p. 27).

 

Selecting Instructional Material

The selection of the material could be overwhelming with the amount of accessible information nowadays. The following list provides alternatives that can ease the process: 

  • Implement authentic unabridged examples: this material exposes learners to information they will find in the real world (Ferris and Hedgcock, 2014).
  • Consider students' literacy and linguistic needs: provide students with material accessible to their understanding, which would not create frustration (Craig, 2012).
  • Establish the audience and purpose: this will give students a better understanding of vocabulary and writing structure to use (Johns, 1997).

Developing an effective L2 writing course that could benefit students in writing and improving their second language skills requires planning and attention to the most essential elements. Hence, implementing a variety of genre and understanding students' needs create a tailored course that maximizes the learning experience.  


References

Buck, D. (2020, July 01). Essentials for English 121. Retrieved November 08, 2020, from https://pressbooks.howardcc.edu/essentials/chapter/examples-of-genres/

Craig, J. L. (2012). Integrating writing strategies in EFL/ESL university contexts: A writing-across-the-curriculum approach. Routledge.

Cho, M. (2019). The effects of prompts on L2 writing performance and engagement. Foreign Language Annals, 52(3), 576-594. doi:10.1111/flan.12411

Schoonen, R., Snellings, P., Stevenson, M., & Gelderen, A. V. (2009). Chapter 3. Towards a Blueprint of the Foreign Language Writer: The Linguistic and Cognitive Demands of Foreign Language Writing. Writing in Foreign Language Contexts, 77-101. doi:10.21832/9781847691859-007

Martin, J. R. (2009). Genre and language learning: A social semiotic perspective. Linguistics and Education, 20(1), 10–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2009.01.003.

Hyland, K. (2003). Genre-based pedagogies: A social response to process. Journal of second language writing, 12(1), 17-29.

Hyland, K. (2007). Genre pedagogy: Language, literacy and L2 writing instruction. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16(3), 148-164. doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2007.07.005

Hyland, K. (2009). Academic discourses English in a global context. London: Continuum.

Johns, A. M. (1997). Text, role, and context: Developing academic literacies. New York, 

            NY: Cambridge University Press.

Kroll, B., & Reid, J. (1994). Guidelines for designing writing prompts: Clarifications, caveats, and cautions. Journal of Second Language Writing, 3, 231–255.


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