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Standard English presents many difficulties to secondary English pupils through the range of associated terms and concepts that its effective and acceptable use demands. These terms and concepts manifest daily in secondary English classrooms they are at the heart of the New South Wales (NSW) English syllabus, which rests on the relationships between language and meaning. (Board of Studies NSW, 2001) By the end of secondary schooling in NSW an adequate understanding and skilful use of Standard English is expected. Three major areas that these expectations cover can be highly problematic for students. They include: the deconstruction of texts, poetry and film, writing- both creatively and critically, and the correct application of grammar. Each of these is a sustained element of the secondary syllabus. The expectation of students in these areas is very specific by the Higher School Certificate exam. Although the NSW syllabus is designed to facilitate a gradual acquisition of these characteristic features of Standard English, it remains particularly difficult for students to access and understand; especially when it is within a language they speak and write on a daily basis, applied within a specialised context. There are, however, solutions. Innovative and interactive activities and teaching strategies can help the students overcome some of these barriers. An effective English activity or strategy is one that facilitates the students development beyond the activity itself. My model for language development in students is that they learn to connect language use in the classroom, with that of the world outside the classroom. In a modern world, this means the real world and technology need to be valued and incorporated into English activities and teaching strategies. This is achievable through a variety of means, for each particular area of difficulty for students of secondary English.

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The deconstruction of texts is a skill that is taught in secondary English that is universally applicable. Students often do not understand this connection, so they find textual deconstruction problematic. Teaching activities and strategies need to emphasize that deconstruction and critical analysis are important skills for conscious, active citizens to possess. (Silverman & Rader, 2009) School studies in textual analysis are often abstract, removed from the importance of the skills in a wider context, due to the syllabus text requirement (ref-syllabus) being subject to school text availability. The Quality Teaching Models Significance dimension (Ladwig & Gore, 2009) emphasises the need for activities that show how the studies are relevant to the student and beyond the classroom. (Ladwig & Gore, 2009) A class trip to a metropolitan setting such as a shopping district or city centre, where students had to identify and deconstruct a set number of texts sources within an external environment to the school would be an innovative activity that would manifest the link between textual deconstruction in the classroom and critical awareness of media communication. As all texts are depictions of the real world, it would be possible to link this activity to whatever prescribed text was currently being studied in the classroom at the time. The activity specifies different text types so that the students have to exercise their skills in deconstructing texts with a variety of visual, written and multimedia elements. The appropriate teaching strategy for this activity could be described as student research (ref Killen). Student research helps students to see that many common experiences require us to use some of the skills that we need for formal research, (Killen, 2009, p. 279) and so the strategy exemplifies the link between the classroom and wider contexts. As a student research activity, there is a significant amount of student direction (Ladwig & Gore,

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2009) in this task, making the concept of textual deconstruction more accessible to students, especially those from diverse learning backgrounds. The activity gives opportunity for students to emphasise the visual techniques of texts, facilitating the inclusion and language development of ESL learners and those with diverse learning needs. Australias multiculturalism is particularly evident in our cities and shopping districts, and the activity worksheet (attached in appendix) does detail that one text with elements of another culture must be identified. This also makes the activity more accessible to a wider range of students, including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students who should be able to identify a text with elements of their own culture, depending on availability. The activity could be a component of a model for language development through its adaptable design, as it can be applied to a wide range of contexts and resource availability: rural students can access images of large cities online, or be shown a video. By using texts that the students already interact with outside of the classroom, this activity encourages further language development in students, as through this activity they are encouraged to associate advertising and popular texts with the language and skills of deconstruction. Difficulties that this strategy and activity might present include various factors that need to be taken into consideration, including the cost and organisation of the excursion and the fact that on arrival, texts would be subject to availability. These difficulties could be overcome by arranging this activity as an independent research project that the students conduct across a set period of time. This would enrich the experience and add diversity to the students opportunities to identify and deconstruct texts.

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The knowledge exercised in the effective deconstruction of texts is the same knowledge used in the skill of composition. The syllabus emphasises that students need to be able to compose a text that understands and uses the literary techniques. (Board of Studies NSW, 2001)This develops their control, of Standard English. Use and understanding of literary techniques are language skills common to reading and writing proficiency. As such the relationship between reading and writing affects academic success, so it is important to students. The knowledge actively contributes to the further language development of students, as they are able to apply it to the reading and writing of a wide range of text-types that they will read and write outside of the classroom. A strategy to implement that achieves this student development in writing skills would involve direct instruction on text-types and their rules. A supporting activity within this direct instruction could be a table of comparison between text-types, presented as a worksheet (see appendix) in which the students fill in the blanks for the names, purposes, features and examples of various text types. This activity is accessible to students of diverse needs, backgrounds and stages of language development, as it gives them the opportunity to provide examples they are familiar with. The knowledge learnt in this first activity is able to be consolidated through further composition activities. The Read Write Think website has a very useful resource for once such activity, the letter generator, available at this link: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/letter_generator/ This activity illustrates the rules and expectations of the letter as a text type and then gives the student the opportunity to make their own attempt, under specified guidance. In this way it encourages students to approach academic and specialised writing systematically. This activity allows the children to practice their technological literacy in accessing the website and using the interactive template to complete a letter. There is a link in the program to

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view a sample letter before they begin. For the students this is an exciting alternative to filling out a paper worksheet. Both of these activities support the students language development in Standard English and its written application, both in classroom and wider contexts. Essay format is one of the most important text type structures that students need to learn for their education, as it is a significant portion of not just the English Higher School Certificate, but also that of other school subjects. The structure of an essays basic elements will invariably be applied by the student in many contexts, and writing topics. The attached original worksheet provides a structured guide for essay writing that can be implemented through Killens writing and discussion teaching strategies.

Grammar and its academic applications are definitely problematic for English secondary students, particularly in a modern context where communication technologies have made a lot of grammatical rules and conventions redundant through misuse. Still, correct and sophisticated use of grammar is still expected in educational and professional contexts. Grammar is connected to the deconstruction of texts as well as the ability to write effectively. It is important that activities and strategies of English teaching take this into account and are aware of the implications this has for grammar instruction. Teaching grammar is about an extension of familiarising students with text-types and textual deconstruction, as the grammatical conventions behind texts determine what text type the reader can expect. The text type comparison worksheet and strategy referred to earlier is therefore also a useful activity for teaching grammar. To emphasise the grammatical features it could be modified to include a column of grammatical features for each of the text types.

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Students also need to learn how to construct and shape the English language to achieve particular types of expression. This can only be achieved through the effective use of grammar. The students need to understand how sentences function, the variety of sentence types, and understand the function of concepts such as voices, tenses and conditionals, even if research indicates that it is not helpful for them to be familiar with the terminology. (Murdick, 1996) This knowledge can be taught through the teaching strategy of direct instruction. (Killen, 2009) Teacher-centred learning of writing conventions and structures such as full stops, commas, paragraphing and spelling is effective. Other potential strategies could include group work and think/pair/share activities in which students can compare each others knowledge in order grammatical conventions is their inaccessibility to students through their popular misuse or disuse. The attached worksheet activities my invitation and my prologue for Romeo and Juliet provide an accessible, humorous activity for learning the parts of speech, with significant student direction over the result produced. There is a sheet to help the students with the terminology for the parts of speech included to make the task more accessible to students with various language backgrounds and needs. The task requires that they understand these terms in order to successfully produce a coherent story, so they both learn and immediately apply their knowledge. The second example is the prologue for Romeo and Juliet. I included this sample to show how, as an extension of grammar teaching, this activity can be used as a gateway to another problematic language area for students Shakespeare and his antiquated language. The strategy for implementing these worksheets would be their strategic placement within related units of work. The invitation activity would suit the unit of work on text types and the Romeo and Juliet prologue would suit a unit on Shakespeare and poetry.

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Each of these activities and strategies for overcoming common problems in Standard English acquisition has been unique in its approach. It is a diversity of approaches that I believe makes language and literacy learning possible as well as retainable to students. The English language is multi-lateral and dynamic, and so it needs to be approached and learnt in ways that reflect this. A variety of activities also will appeal to a wider range of students, allowing students from various language backgrounds and needs to demonstrate their strengths and improve their weaknesses. I believe the integration of technology into teaching strategies and activities is important for future language development. Allowing students to learn through English concepts through technology is extremely important in our modern world. The literacies of English inevitably interact with those of technology and the relationship between these literacies needs to be explored and recognised in the English classroom context. Integration of technology in an academic context will help students develop their language development in how they use it on and with technology. This is important as the more students use their technology as the most popular form of communication, the more they lessen their potential to recognise the distinction of this use from the academic and professional applications of technology. The strategy discussed for the deconstruction of texts the excursion into the city and the identification of texts gives students the opportunity to see how technology is used with language in texts, especially advertisements, for highly specialised uses. It also makes the equally important connection between the texts of the classroom and those of the outside world. The suggested activities for developing student writing literacy emphasise the connection between understanding the purposes and features of text type before attempting to
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compose them. In this way the strategy intends to both instruct and apply the knowledge. The grammar activities and strategies seek to make grammar appealing and accessible to students, as well as an integrated rather than isolated part of learning. They acknowledge that grammar is abstract but provide a solution to make it accessible to students and enhance their future language development. The purpose and English, and of all language development, is to give students their best chance to be literate, active citizens. The irony of that is that school is such a contained and abstract environment that it can be perceived by students as entirely separate from the rest of their life experience.

References Board of Studies NSW. (2001). English Years 7-10 Syllabus. (2003284). Sydney: Board of Studies NSW. Killen, Roy. (2009). Effective Teaching Strategies: Lessons from research and practice (5th ed.). Melbourne: Cenage Learning Australia. Ladwig, James, & Gore, Jennifer. (2009). Quality Teaching in NSW Public Schools: An Assessment Practice Guide. Sydney: Department of Education and Training. Murdick, William. (1996). What English Teachers Need to Know about Grammar. The English Journal, 85(7), 38-45. Silverman, Jonathan, & Rader, Dean. (2009). The world is a text : writing, reading and thinking about visual and popular culture (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

c3109550 Appendix Cover Sheet

A3 - Resources to Meet Student Literacy Needs (English)

1. The World is a Text Activity Worksheet (Carpenter, 2012b) 2. Text Types: A Comparison Worksheet (Department of Education and Communities, 2011) 3. Essay Writing Scaffold (Carpenter, 2012a) 4. Parts of Speech Help (Houghton Mifflin Company) 5. My Invitation Activity Worksheet (Houghton Mifflin Company) 6. My Romeo and Juliet Prologue Activity Worksheet (Brass, 2004-2012)

Pgs 1-2 Pgs 3-6

Pgs 7-8 Pgs 9-10 Pgs 11-12 Pgs 13-14

References Brass, T. (2004-2012). Romeo and Juliet: Prologue Retrieved 10th May, 2012, from http://www.madglibs.com/printglib.php?glibid=186 Carpenter, Sonia. (2012a). Essay Writing Scaffold. Carpenter, Sonia. (2012b). The World is A Text Worksheet. Department of Education and Communities. (2011). Text types (different types of writing) Retrieved 25th May, 2012, from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/.../4108.pdf Houghton Mifflin Company. Parts Of Speech Help Retrieved 20th May, 2012, from http://www.eduplace.com/tales/help.html Houghton Mifflin Company. Wacky Web Tales: An Invitation Retrieved 10th May, 2012

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The World is a Text

Identification and Deconstruction of real-world texts

In class we have been deconstructing the text__________. But texts are not just books - malls and cities have many texts of their own! While exploring the shopping centre/city today, fill in the back of this sheet with details about 10 texts that you can identify. Not all texts can be the same text type (see list below) and at least one of these texts must include elements of a culture/country that speaks a language other than English. Some text types you can choose from include: Visual and text advertisements on buildings on vehicles buses, taxis, cars, planes Newspapers Magazines Billboards Bus stops Event Announcements on entertainment venues/movie theatres Book Covers/Jackets News and notices

Write down where you saw the text, a brief description take a picture if you have a camera or camera phone, and write some brief comments that you can use later in class to deconstruct the text. These comments may include use of colour, shape and size of text important, combination of words and images reinforces message of text. Dont forget to include comments about the evidence of other cultures and languages in your text!

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My 10 Shopping Centre/City Texts

Location Description Comments for deconstruction

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Text Types: A Comparison Worksheet

The following table lists the names, purposes, features and examples of the different text types we use when writing for different reasons. Based on the information given, try to fill in the blank boxes with information of your own that describes the text type. The list of missing text type names: you decide where they belong! Some may be used twice! Discussion Response Description Explanation Literary Procedure Narrative

The missing purposes include:

gives reasons for a point of view to try and convince others of it

describes people, characters, places, events and things in an imaginative way

tells a story using a series of events

tells how something was made or done in time order and with accuracy

gives a personal opinion on a novel, play or fi lm, referring to parts within the passage

The Missing Features (They are not in any groups or order and you will have to make up some!):

begins with a general classification or definition describes the events in time order lists arguments for and against, giving evidence for different points of view

begins with background information, eg character, time, place ends with a concluding comment describes how features (eg characters, plot, language features, etc) may or may not appeal

explains how the items relate to each other and to the topic usually has a problem that is addressed begins with some background information leading to the issue

lists what did and did not appeal to you

describes items related to the topic in their right order lists materials needed in order of use lists a sequence of related information about the topic

describes the series of events in time order conclusion might sum up both sides or recommend one point of view

The missing examples are for you to decide, probably after you have filled in all the other information! 12

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Factual Texts inform or instruct by giving facts and information.

Name
factual ______________

Purpose
describes a place or thing using facts

Features
begins with an introductory statement systematically describes different aspects of the subject may end with a concluding statement begins with an background information who, when, where _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ gives a series of steps (instructions) in order each instruction begins with a verb in the present tense begins with a statement of what was made or done tells what was made in order written in the past tense _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

Examples
landscape descriptions event descriptions

Factual recount

retells events which have already happened in time order

Information report

classifies, describes and gives factual information about people, animals, or things

______________

gives instructions on how to make or do something

Recipes

Methods

Instructions Manual

procedural recount

_________________ ________________

Explains how or why something happens

the life cycle of a butterfly

how gears work 13

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A3 - Resources to Meet Student Literacy Needs (English) ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ may include visual images, e.g. flowcharts and diagrams, which support what is written in words written in the present tense

_______________ _____________ Cont.

labelled diagrams

Persuasive Texts - factual text types that give a point of view. They are used to influence or persuade others.

Name
exposition

Purpose

Features
begins with a sentence that gives a point of view on a topic lists the arguments giving reasons and evidence for them uses convincing language e.g. ________________ _____________________ _____________________

Examples

Debates _____________________ Essays, one ____________________________ topics like: ____________________________ Should cars be ____________________________ banned from _____________________ ____________________________ the inner city? ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Information drawn from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/.../4108.pdf _________________

gives different points of view in order to make an informed decision

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Literary Texts - entertain or elicit an emotional response by using language to create mental images.

Name
Literary _________________

Purpose

Features
describes characteristic features of the subject, e.g. physical appearance___________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ often forms part of other pieces of writing _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ describes how you feel about a novel, film, book or play lists________________ __________________________ may comment on some of the features of the writing _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

Examples

Literary _________________ cont.

recount

retells events from novels, plays, films and personal experiences to entertain others

A recount of a traditional story, e.g.

personal ______________

review

summarises, analyses and assesses the appeal of a novel, play or fi lm, to a broader audience

_________________

the scene is set in a time and Picture books, cartoons, mystery, place and characters are fantasy, adventure, introduced science fiction, usually___________ fairy tales, myths, ___________________________ legends, fables, ____________________________ ____________________________ plays ____________________________ Information drawn from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/.../4108.pdf
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Essay Writing Scaffold

This is a scaffold that you can easily fill out by answering the questions on the left. It helps you to successfully compose an essay. Sometimes you will fill out this worksheet and then change your paragraph topics, or their order. This diagram helps you to see what you need for a complete paragraph, so you may find that you do not have enough information for a whole paragraph, or your topic is too broad. That is ok! Essays always change many times before they are finished!

Introduction
General Opening Statement Point for Paragraph 1 Point for Paragraph 2 Point for Paragraph 3 Add as many rows like this you need, one for each paragraph you plan to write. Thesis, one sentence answer to question the point of whole essay

Paragraph 1: Topic ______________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence Explanation

Proof/Quote

Explanation of quote/relevance to paragraph argument Flow to next paragraph

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Paragraph 2: Topic ______________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence Explanation

Proof/Quote

Explanation of quote/relevance to paragraph argument Flow to next paragraph

Paragraph 3: Topic ______________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence Explanation

Proof/Quote

Explanation of quote/relevance to paragraph argument Add as many of these paragraph scaffolds as you need, but remember the last paragraph does not need the box for flow to next paragraph

Conclusion
answer to question, the point of whole essay Point made in first Paragraph Point made in second Paragraph Point made in third Paragraph General Closing Statement 17

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Parts of Speech Help

Nouns

A noun is a word that names a person, a place, or a thing. A noun that names only one person, place, or thing is called a singular noun. A noun that names more than one person, a place, or a thing is called a plural noun.

Person

Place

Thing

dentists (plural) New York (singular) pears (plural) sister (singular) Julio (singular) zoo (singular) towns (plural) fan (singular) notebook (singular) buses (plural)

children (plural) beaches (plural)

Adjectives

An adjective is a word that describes a noun. An adjective can tell what kind or how many. What Kind How Many Our dog has five puppies.

We have a large dog.

Our dog has tiny, brown spots. Many dogs love children.

Verbs

A verb is a word that can show action. When a verb tells what people or things do it is called an action verb.

A present tense verb shows action that is happening now. A past tense verb shows action that has already happened. A future tense verb shows action that will happen.

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Present Tense Bats hunt at night.

Past Tense

Future Tense

The bats hunted last night. The bats will hunt tonight. The bats will fly later.

The bats fly quickly. The bats flew overhead.

Adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes a verb. An adverb can tell how, when, or where.

How I read books quickly.

When I read books often.

Where I keep my books upstairs.

I read newspapers slowly. I always read the newspaper. I buy my newspaper there.

Exclamations

An exclamation can be a word, a phrase, or a sentence that shows strong feeling. It is followed by an exclamation point.

Word Wow!

Phrase Oh, no!

Sentence What a terrific song!

Yippee! No way! We won the championship!

From: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/help.html

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My Invitation
Female Date in the future Adjective Food (Plural) Food (Plural) Singular Noun Present Tense Verb Verb Ending with -ing Adjective Plural Noun Clothing (Plural) Body Part (Plural) Number Verb ending with -ing Adverb ending in -ly Exclamation Adjective Singular Noun [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

From: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_084.html

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__________s Invitation
Fill in the blanks with the words that you wrote on the previous sheet to make your Invitation! Follow the numbers, as some words are repeated! Please come to a surprise party for __________[1] on __________[2]. Lots of __________[3] __________ [4]and __________[5] will be served. Please come to the party hungry! There will be games, such as __________[6] races, and a contest to see who can __________[7] the fastest. We will play lots of songs, and there may even be some __________[8]. The theme of the party will be __________[9] __________[10]. During the party, everyone can make a hat decorated with __________[9] __________[10]. Be sure to wear __________[11] to protect your __________[12]. Since this is a surprise party, please be sure to arrive at least __________[13.] minutes early. Everyone will be __________[14] in the living room. When __________[1] arrives, we will jump up and __________[15] yell, __________[16]! Please don't talk about the party at school. It would be very __________[17] if __________[1] found out about her surprise party. We hope that you can make it to the party. Please bring a small __________[18] for __________[1]. See you on __________[2]!
From: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_084.html

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Romeo and Juliet: Prologue Words

NOUN (PLURAL) _______________________ VERB [7] [1]

_______________________

PLACE [2]

_______________________ NUMBER [8]

_______________________

NOUN [3]

_______________________ ADJECTIVE [9] _______________________

NOUN (PLURAL) BODY PART _______________________ [4] [10]

_______________________

NOUN [5]

_______________________ VERB [11]

_______________________

ADJECTIVE [6]

_______________________

NOTE: Some words may occur more than once. You need to put the words from the list into the story whenever you see the corresponding number.

From: http://www.madglibs.com/printglib.php?glibid=186

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________s Prologue for Romeo and Juliet

Two In fair From ancient

[1],

both alike in dignity, where we lay our scene,

[3]

[2],

break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross`d
[4]

take their life;

Whole misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their The fearful passage of their And the continuance of their parents` rage, Which, but their children`s end, nought could Is now the The which if you with What here shall
[11], [8] [7], [5]

bury their parents` strife.

[6]

love,

hours` traffic of our stage;

[9] [10]

attend,

our toil shall strive to mend.

http://www.madglibs.com/printglib.php?glibid=186

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