Promoting ESL Students' Critical Thinking Skills through a Transitivity Analysis of Authentic Materials

Autor/in	Velasco, Ender
Titel	Promoting ESL Students' Critical Thinking Skills through a Transitivity Analysis of Authentic Materials
Quelle	In: TESL Canada Journal, 38 (2022) 1, S.81-95 (15 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0826-435X
Schlagwörter	English (Second Language); Second Language Instruction; Thinking Skills; Critical Thinking; Language Teachers; Adult Students; Newspapers; Instructional Materials; Cultural Influences; Language Usage; Grammar; Interpersonal Communication + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Denkfähigkeit; Kritisches Denken; Language teacher; Sprachunterricht; Adult; Adults; Student; Students; Erwachsenenalter; Studentin; Schüler; Schülerin; Newspaper; Zeitung; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Sprachgebrauch; Grammatik; Interpersonale Kommunikation
Abstract	Using authentic materials in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom can develop students' critical thinking (CT) skills, expose them to more realistic English, and support their motivation. Carrying out text analyses of authentic materials in the ESL classroom can also help students become more critical in their approach to reading. Grounded in systemic functional linguistics (SFL) concepts, this paper puts forward a series of text analysis tasks, so ESL teachers can introduce their adult students to the concepts of transitivity and intentionality found in opposing newspaper articles dealing with conflict. Overall, these analyses show how the active voice can highlight the semantic value of intentionality via material processes, and how writers use strategies such as passivization and fronting of items in clauses to emphasize the responsibility for wrongdoing when reporting news. The analyses also show that context is important in determining degrees of intentionality, and intentionality can be attributed to the material processes of human actors portrayed as non-human actors. Understanding these concepts can help adult ESL students become better critical readers/thinkers. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	TESL Canada Federation. 408-4370 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 4L7, Canada. Tel: 604-298-0312; Fax: 604-298-0372; e-mail: admin@tesl.ca; Web site: http://www.tesl.ca
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01