A genre-based pedagogy that exploits the connections between reading and writing is likely to improve aforementioned skills, and genre knowledge and awareness. This is tested by randomly assigning 12 grade 10 classes to either column or news article lesson series and subsequently assess reading and writing skills in both genres.
A genre-based pedagogy combining explicit teaching of genre knowledge and development of genre awareness can be the ideal framework to connect reading and writing skills in secondary education. These language skills are highly interconnected (Clark, 1996; Conrad & Biber, 2001; Fitzgerald & Shanahan, 2000) and research shows that combining reading and writing instruction can improve student performance in both skills (Graham et al., 2018). Yet, reading and writing are rarely addressed in a connected way in educational contexts.
Explicit teaching of genre characteristics, discussion of ways in which these contribute to the meaning and effects of texts, and discussion of genre boundaries (Bawarshi & Reiff, 2010; Swales, 2009) are common elements in different genre approaches that can be exploited in combined reading and writing instruction. Accordingly, the aim of my research is to test whether a genre-based pedagogy that exploits the connections between reading and writing improves the aforementioned skills, and genre knowledge and awareness.
For this purpose two genre-based lesson series focussing on news articles and columns respectively were implemented in Dutch secondary schools. The 12 participating classes (grade 10) were randomly assigned to the two genre conditions, and pre- and post-tests and questionnaires will be administered to assess students' reading and writing abilities in both genres, their genre knowledge and genre awareness.
In both lesson series genre characteristics were taught explicitly. In the reading and writing assignments students are motivated to use metalanguage to generalize specific genre knowledge and to experience the connection between reading and writing skills. This is further induced by the collaborative nature of the assignments in which students write texts, analyze and discuss genre related choices.
At AILA 2021 I will discuss in which way these explicitly taught genre characteristics manifest themselves in student texts.
