TEXT 1-

Recipe of the week

Sunday Telegraph Magazine Section/

Body & Soul, 1st November 2009
Recipe of the week
EGG & VEGETABLE CURRY
Serves: 4 , Preparation & Cooking : 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons peanut oil

1 brown onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 ½ tbs (table spoons) mild curry powder
2 x 400 cans Italian cherry tomatoes in tomato juice
1 x 500g packet broccoli and cauliflower mix
2 eggs
90g (1/4 cup) fruit chutney
100g snow peas trimmed
70g (1/4 cup) low fat natural yoghurt
Steamed rice to serve

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.

2. Cook onion, stirring , for 3 minutes or
until soft.
3. Add garlic and currypowder and….
4. Cook for 30 minutes or until aromatic.
5. Add tomato saucepan
6. Add tomato and vegetables cover.
7. Cook for 5 minute or until vegetables are soft and sauce thickens
8. Meantime, bring eggs to the boil in a small saucepan of water over high heat.
9. Cook for 7 minutes.
10. Drain.
11. Refresh under cold running water.
12. Peel each egg and cut into wedges.
13. Stir chutney and snow peas into curry.
15. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until snow peas green and tender crisp..
16. Season to taste
17. Divide curry among serving bowls and top with egg and yoghurt.
18. Serve with rice.

Note: The EGG & VEGETABLE CURRY (non-meat) recipe would be of particular interest
to small families, couples and individuals who may be vegans, or those who monitor their
intake of energy-dense carbohydrate foods. It appears easy, quick to prepare and serve –
within 15 minutes and moreover because it is enough to serve four people. The recipe for the
week was one of regular features of the The Woolworths Good Taste Magazine’s tasty
recipes and healthy meat ideas featured in the Sunday Sunday Telegraph’s Body + Soul
Magazine Section.

Social Purpose
This text, as a recipe, is a procedure text that explains how to prepare
an Egg & Vegetable Curry by giving a number of simple directions to follow.
The language which is used in this text is mostly in the imperative mood, (commands)
(simple orders, sequences and steps to follow).
This text was obtained from the Sunday Telegraph’s Body + Soul Magazine Section and a
web-page. The text mainly targets at the general public, couples, small families and
particularly health conscious eaters and gourmet diners.
1. The reasons for choosing the text:

My class is a group of CALD adult Australian residents / citizens in a English language

program to improve their skills in reading writing and speaking for vocational and career
purposes. The lady-dominated class I’m teaching mostly from S. East Asian backgrounds
would easily also identify with this recipe. Moreover the text will also be useful for
vocational English purposes for those who intend want to be a cooks or venture into the
hospitality trades.

Today recipes abound in daily press, Sunday papers and week-end magazines and through
this lesson I will encourage my students to obtain samples of more easy-to- follow-and-
prepare dishes, cakes and desserts to read and discuss in class, for reading, listening and
pronunciation drills and exercises.

Most are keen to read the daily papers as these can be had at low cost, read at leisure, on all
forms of public transport and are at readily available at public places like waiting rooms and
food places

Firstly, the text has a number of processes and circumstances which afford good opportunity
to analyse some of the grammatical features. Secondly, the text is related to an every day life
situation of simplicity since preparing a 15 minute meal has appeal in part of our busy life
engagement.

Register of the text:

a) Field: The field of the text is about certain instructions about how to prepare a 15
minute healthy meal that serves 4 people
b) Tenor: The tenor of the text is impersonal. This is evident because the speaker uses
imperative commands typical of a the distance between writer/speaker and the reader
being addressed.
c) Mode: It is a written text, and the Recipe magazine is referenced.
Set in recipe book, it is also available off the web and can be printed off electronically
Identifying Textual and Experiential meanings:
The beginning of a clause to signal relationship between ideas can be used to make
connections between parts of a text explicit. These are called textual themes and also come
before the experiential theme. The two types of textual theme are text connectives and
conjunctions. Most commonly used conjunctions are ‘and/or’ in the text.
As for experiential meaning, the writer uses 18 action verbs to set up experiential meanings.

Identifying the textual, the experiential meanings and the imperative/ Command
(order) clauses:
(Textual theme: Bold italics)
(Experiential theme: Blue)
(Imperative/ order: underlined)
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook onion, stirring , for 3 minutes or
until soft.
3. Add garlic and currypowder and….
4. Cook for 30 minutes or until aromatic.
5. Add tomato saucepan
6. Add tomato and vegetables.
7. Cover.
8. Cook for 5 minute or until vegetables are soft and sauce thickens
9. Meantime, bring eggs to the boil in a small saucepan of water over high heat.
10. Cook for 7 minutes.
11. Drain.
12. Refresh under cold running water.
13. Peel each egg and cut into wedges.
14. Stir chutney and snow peas into curry.
15. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until snow peas green and tender crisp..
16. Season to taste
17. Divide curry among serving bowls and top with egg and yoghurt.
18. Serve with rice.
Samples of adverbials (manner, place)

Refresh under cold running water.

Verb gr Adverbial
Action: Material/ Circumstance: Place
Process

Divide among serving and top with egg and yoghurt

bowls
Verb gr ng adverbial
Action: material/ Goal Circumstance: manner /place
process

Verb groups express many different kinds of meaning.

Experiential meanings are achieved through action verbs in the text. Action verbs and events
usually involve people or things. Action verbs (commanding) play a significant role in
developing the sequence of instructions in the text.

Notes on text
Identifying Interpersonal Meaning:
I will show how, in the text the composer uses sequential record of the methods or steps/
activities. The writer uses some eighteen imperative/ order clause structures. The overall aim
of the text is to teach and instruct how to make prepare a quick meal. Hence, mainly actions
verbs have been used as imperative/order such as heat, cook, cover, refresh, and stir. As in
every procedure text, in this text, there is a clear interaction between the speaker and the
listener. These are always interesting texts that may appear not only in a text /recipe books,
but also a newspaper/magazines, and may appear on increasingly popular reality TV- cook
and recipe programs.

Clause Instances of clauses Part of speech Instances of

connectives and
 conjunctions
Imperative/order Heat oil in saucepan Conjunctions > in saucepan over
over medium heat. medium heat

Imperative/order Meantime, bring eggs Conjunctions > in a small saucepan

to the boil of water over high
heat.
Imperative/order Refresh under cold Conjunctions > Under cold
running water running water
Imperative/order Cook for 1-2 minutes Conjunctions > or until snow -peas
green and tender
crisp..

How can we use the text on our teaching situation?

We will brainstorm a few ideas why an ‘EGG & VEGETABLE CURRY’ would be interesting
to prepare and cook. Health benefits, time factors and easiness of preparation would be
features of the discussion topic, given the background of my students and the average size of
their families.
(4-5 people)
3. Sequence of teaching and learning
How we will use this text on our teaching situation
NOTE:

In all the lesson units we will endeavour to achieve all or most of the
CISWE skills and related outcomes in Listening, reading, speaking and
writing, as well its related sub-skills ilke pronunciation, spelling and
punctuation etc…

This text, as a recipe, is a procedure text, easy to read, follow and explain.
My class is a group CALD adult Australian residents /citizens program to improve their skills
in this English grammar and speaking for vocational and career purposes.
Reading and Listening - for pronunciation

Firstly, we will start the lesson by reading the text for listening, pronunciation and reading
skills. We will progress to the definition of a procedure text and its social purpose. Secondly,
we would revise and read again, note and list all words, both known and unseen vocabulary
and particularly those that would hold meaning for the students.
Thirdly, we would progress with a classroom activity related to the topic. I would ask
students whether they know how to cook something in a hurry. Depending on the response I
would ask one volunteer to tell the class about making an easy to prepare-quick dish. Noting
the words used in his /her speech, I would ask class to note new words and terms and check
their understanding of words in context. After this activity, I would again reinforce and
explain what a procedure text is and discuss its social purpose, structure and key grammatical
features. In relation to key grammatical features, I would touch upon use of action verbs,
conjunctions/ adverbials…etc. and how we would use it in other similar scenarios.

Reading and Writing

Once students have acquired the features I would give a sample procedure text and ask them
to highlight the main grammatical features in the text. At the end of the lesson, students are
asked to write a sample procedures eg recipe, sequence or experiment- texts by themselves,
and compare their own texts with those of other classmates.

------------------------ooo000ooo--------------------------

Text 2- RESPONSE: Book Review

Ray Martin Article
Sunday Telegraph, 1 November 2009
Book review

“Martin is truly a Ray of Sunshine”

Lucy Clark, Journalist

The lovely thing about a well written autobiography is that

when you start to read, you hear the author’s voice;
it lends a certain intimacy.

Ray martin, smooth, well modulated voice is well known to

Australians. And although it’s (been) some years since Martin seemed
to be everywhere on our screens, it takes only a couple of pages
of Ray: Stories of MY Life (William Heinemann, $49.95)
to remember why his appeal was so broad and enduring .
Given that Martin has been on our screens since 1965, there’s an
idea that we the audience know him like a mate. And in any way,
we do, but not in depth.

Now we learn more about Martin, and guess what?

Scratch the surface of Mr Nice guy and you’ll find more Mr Nice Guy.
You’ll also find a great raconteur. This book is jam packed
with amusing anecdotes , bringing many laugh-out-loud moments….

What he describes as a sad and painful childhood with an alcoholic

father who beat his wife and dragged the family from hovel to housing
commission property until Martin’s mum fled with Ray and his three sisters. Remarkably he
spins his difficult childhood yarn with a thread of sweet optimism that says much about the
women in his life and his own character……

Later in the book Martin gives vent to his strong ideas about journalism and television. He
settles a few scores and tells his side of the some controversial issues…

…And over all of this is a self-deprecating wit and a fine feel for a well-paced yarn. Every
chapter will leave you smiling.

“Martin is truly a Ray of Sunshine” Lucy Clark, Journalist

Sunday Telegraph, 1 November 2009,

Identification of language features

Green: present and past tense verbs Pink: Pronouns
 Gray: Modality Yellow: Time expressions

Red: Conjunctions
Sunday Telegraph, 1 November 2009
*********************************
1. The reasons for choosing the text:
My class is a group of CALD adult Australian residents / citizens in a English language
program to improve their skills in reading writing and speaking for vocational and career
purposes. They are keen to read the daily papers as these can be had at low cost, read at
leisure, on all forms of public transport and are at readily available at public places like
waiting rooms and food places. Ray Martin would be known by most or everyone who are
keen TV viewers and newscast followers.
The reason for selecting this text is because the article has grammatical features of interest
that be taught in class such as present and past tense verbs, conjunctions, time related
expressions, descriptive and qualitative adjectives, as well pronouns and noun groups. It will
also be useful for students who are interested in enriching their skills and strategies in how to
read, evaluate and criticise book reviews as well as the knowledge and ability to review
books and literary scripts themselves.

Social Purpose: Response (Book review)

The social purpose of the text is to inform readers in a summary form, about a book written
by or of a person/writer. Responses are used to summarise, respond, analyse or criticise
books or literary texts. They may be a personal response or a review.
In our article, Telegraph Journalist reporter Lucy Clark looks objectively at a
(book) review in the form of an autobiography by a suave and popular TV personality and
news cast reader, Ray Martin.

Structure: Personal Response

General Features of Response /
• Context –
“Martin is truly a Ray of sunshine”
Ray’s character and personality is easy to describe as he is a popular TV personality and
news-cast reader well known to all Australians and hardly needs introduction. His type of
work, life setting may seem apparent, but what she does well, is let us into a subtle bit of
“Mr Nice’s private and personal life in her brief synopsis. With a play on words, her title
draws and captivate our attention and encourages us to read into her review about his
autobiography.
In background information about the text, she informs us that he writes openly and intimately
about both his sad and painful childhood years as well as his strongest sentiments in the form
of his enduring and successful marriage to Dianne, his wife of more than 40 years and his joy
with his two, now grown up children Jenna and Luke.……..

• Opinion/Reaction –
She reviews with warmth the qualities and effectiveness of the book positively and
intimately, expressing positive personal feelings.
.
• Text description —The reviewer writes as an equal , (of the writer) in an easy and
flowing style, almost intimately personal, describing the main character as he
describes himself in his book. She also lets us into some anecdotes and key incidents
in his life, giving us limited insight about other, hitherto unknown characters in the
author’s interesting life. The theme of the text suggests intimacy, getting closer to the
author and this all serve to entice us to get the book and read more about Ray.
• Judgement —
In her final judgement of the book, again, she is very brief, concise and compelling.
She evaluates the work by giving her opinion and making a convincing
recommendation … “over all of this…... there is..wit and a fine feel for a well-paced
yarn. Every chapter will leave you smiling”….

Stages:
The text comprises some four to five stages:
 Paragraph 1-. This paragraph suggest how a well written biography sounds the voice of
the writer as you read, more so if that biographer is a well known TV personality and
newscast- reader like suave Ray Martin. It lets us into the closeness of the writer, brining
us as readers, on board, all the while stimulating our imaginations which further lends a
certain intimacy.
Paragraph 2- Gives an idea about how Australians may think they know their TV
personalities but suggests that there is more to famous and popular personalities than
meets the eye and ear.
Paragraph 4- Provides details about his early years at ABC radio, his entry into media
journalism and the Radio and TV personalities he was about to meet and work with in his
career in radio and television
Paragraphs 5-6-7 - Explains the reasons for the irregular chronology in his writing,
justifying the ‘flashbacks’ he employs to outline to his interesting, if not ironic childhood
years. Describing it as a yarn that he spins the writer/reviewer claims it serves to
juxtapose the often sad and painful childhood years with the strong sweet sentiments of
his successful and happy marriage to Dianne, his lovely wife of 40 years, and his pride,
his two, now grown up children Jenna and Luke.

2. Language features:
Key Grammatical features:
Common patterns in this review text include:

• Action verbs present and /past tense (in green ) were used to refer to the
events in the text:
Examples: (start to) read, lends, learn, hear, was enduring, remember, made,
was, enduring, describes, spins, …etc.
• Types of time connectives or conjunctions and time related expressions were
used throughout the text
eg: since 1965, now (we learn) more, early days, later, returns, …etc.
• Relational functions such as the use of pronouns were used throughout the
text:
eg: he, him, his, our, others….etc.
 • There are not many instances of modalities in the text
Example: would (medium modality), might (low modality). Modal clauses and
phrases are often used to make texts seem more objective and difficult to argue
against.
Register of the text:
• The field of the text is about informing readers about a popular TV personality
Ray Martin’s autobiography, Story of my Life. This is evident as the events are
described in both present and past tense and the text identifies who is writing,
about whom, as well as those involved, where and when.
• The tenor is of the text is personal and some intimate words and language is
employed eg. Mr Nice, like a mate, and guess what? More Mr Nice Guy
The mode of the text is written. This is because the text is well-organised and
well-recounted. Persuasive language used in judgement
encourages reader to read the book as ..every chapter will
leave you smiling;

Transitivity structure and the mood:

He settles a few scores and tells his side of the some controversial issues…

He settles a few scores and tells his side of the

some
controversial
issues
Noun Verb Noun gr conjunction Verb Noun gr
gr group gr
Actor Process: Circumstance/ Actor
action
Subject Finite finite
 3. Sequence of teaching and learning:
How can we will use the text on our teaching, learning experience.

Response (Book review)

My class, a group of adult Australian residents /citizens from migrant backgrounds is in this
program to improve their skills in this English grammar and speaking for vocational and
career purposes.

Reading, Listening and Speaking- for pronunciation

This type of reading is both easy, interesting and light. It is of special interest because Ray
Martin is a TV personality whom everyone has inevitably seen on free-to-air TV.

Firstly, we will start the lesson by reading the text for listening, pronunciation and reading
skills. We will progress to the definition of a Response, (Book review) and its social
purpose. Secondly, we would again read, note and list all words in the vocabulary, both
known and unseen vocabulary and particularly those that would hold meaning for the
students.

.What can be achieved through “scaffolding”

It will also be useful for students who are interested in enriching their skills and strategies
in critical reading, evaluating and criticising book reviews as well as the knowledge and
ability to review books and literary scripts themselves later, at a more advanced level.

Secondly, we would progress to the structural elements of the text. Regarding the
grammatical features of the text, the main focus will be on the descriptive language
employed through adjectives and noun groups, past tense and present tense verb groups
used, time related expressions and modalities and how the reviewer would recount
significant events in the subject’s life in a sequential and chronological order. I would also
ask students to watch out for writing techniques that work for this genre in the form of
repetition, inferences, descriptive language and milestone markers…etc..
I will also ask students to highlight the above mentioned grammatical features, and
whilst they are occupied with this activity, I will walk around, observe and monitor,
identifying the weaker students in order to assist them.
Listening, reading, speaking and writing
Employing these features in writing styles and strategies, I would also ask students to
compose their own personal short book reviews using books from our class or centre
library. At the end of the lesson, I would ask one of the students to read his/her own
short book review to the class.
Students would be encouraged to comment on and criticise others’
work samples whilst noting worthwhile changes and writing
personal responses. Students should have a wide range of
experiences with a variety of text types including formal and
informal, on book covers as well as those independent one in
magazines and journals. With a wealth of these often readily
available resources at little or no cost, this form of ‘prior
knowledge’ provides opportunities for teachers to compare and
contrast elements of texts read, and encourage student to
investigate and use common themes and issues.
Students should be encouraged to evaluate critically in their
responses, rather than simply provide an opinion. All this, I believe
will augment their development of critical literacy skills through
understanding text structure and how language and visual imagery
get together in context. Furthermore to ‘create’, understand, and form
opinions about characters is important in discussions about texts. This will help form
the basis of critical and interpretive responses in later stages.
Reading and discussion:
During shared and guided reading and discussion sessions, students should be given
the opportunity to read reviews written by others, eg: newspaper - book or film
reviews, their own subjective views, of films they have seen, and discuss how writers
and journalists can or may influence readers’ perceptions.
----------------------ooo000ooo--------------------------
TEXT 3 Exposition / News Report

“Plane people outstrip boats” from the Sunday Telegraph 1st Nov 09
by Claire Harvey

B for the Beta sign

Every day, at least 13 asylum seekers enter Australia through airports, [[representing
30 times the number of boat people that are supposedly “flooding” across our
maritime borders.]]

A total of 4768 “plane people”- [[more than 96 per cent of applicants for refugee status]] –
arrived by aircraft in 2008 on legitimate tourist, business and other visas
[[compared with 161 who arrived by boat during the same period]].

And plane people are much less likely than boat people
to be genuine refugees, // B with only 40-60 granted protection visas,
compared with 85-90 per cent of boat people
[[who are found to be genuine refugees.]]
In 2007-08, 3987 claims were received//
// B and 1930 of these were approved.]]

But whereas boat people are detained on Christmas Island

[[while their claims are processed,]] plane people live in community
[[and they are allowed to work]]
[[under policy changes introduced by the Rudd government]]……..
Politicians’ “expedient obsession” with boat people is clouding the truth about Australia’s
refugee flows, according to migration law expert Professor Mary Crock, of Sydney
University Law School.
It’s a great mystery //why people get upset about boats-
//and it’s disappointing that our Prime Minister is playing to old politics,”
Professor Crock said.
“We have a small number of arrivals
and [[the ones arriving by boat]]
are nearly all always refugees.”…..

“Plane people outstrip boats”

Sunday Telegraph 1st Nov 09, by Claire Harvey
______________________________________
Related article: Front Page :Headline “:I’d STOP the BOATS,”
Sunday Telegraph 8th Nov 09 by John Howard

Social Purpose and text type

The text is an Exposition / News Report expressing a subjective view on a current issue.
“Plane people outstrip boats”
This is a persuasive text which argues the case of a particular point of view, of concern in
Australia today. As Australia is by and large, a diverse migrant society it would of special
interest to most students as the journalist reporter persuades readers to think in a certain way
by accepting his theory or position (eg there seems, discriminately to be a bias against
people (refugees) arriving by boat as compared to the people arriving by plane at Australia’s
modern airports.

1. The reasons for choosing the text:

My class is a group of adult Australian residents / citizens from diverse migrant backgrounds
themselves and would readily identify and empathise with the plight of refugees, asylum-
seekers and general migrants, who more than often, would spend life-long savings to be
afforded the opportunity to enter Australia in an normal manner and though the legal
processes and political requirements. Although some may find the case scenarios painful and
sadly reminiscent of their own experiences they would nevertheless be able to identify with
all the words, terminology and bureaucratic ‘jargon’ used in the article. As most of them are
in the Centrelink-sponsored AMES English language program to improve their skills in
reading writing and speaking for vocational and career purposes they would find the article
both interesting and captivating.

3. Sequence of teaching and learning.

As this is a more advanced class our approach would be along the lines of Textual
analysis and we would focus on the grammatical language features for this specific
genre’

Listening for pronunciation, critical reading and independent thinking

Nowadays feature articles, daily press headlines and electronic media issues would revolve
around this topic as it has once again become a ‘hot’ political football. For this reason and
through this lesson I will encourage my students to obtain samples of relevant articles of their
choice, from daily newspapers and magazines to read and discuss in class. In this way I
would encourage them to read for comment, read more critically, noting new words and
terminology associated with the issue at hand and moreover with this specific text type. In
reading-out-aloud in class for listening and pronunciation drills and exercises student can
work in groups and compare notes.
I would ask my students to model this type of writing found in press articles and attempt
their own expositions of past and current issues of interest or those which they would deem
important.
Reflective Thinking
In reasoning for selecting this text we would extract aforementioned grammatical features
which can be taught in class such as past tense verbs, conjunctions, time related expressions,
pronouns and modalities etc.
All along we would deliberate and question writers’ and journalist’s perspectives, monitor
and identify subtle biases if any, and comment on and voice our own opinions as in as far as
whether we are in agreement with what is stated or not.
Instances of Nominalisation (highlighted)

e) Connectives
Text connectives: Indicating time,, Clarifying , Showing cause Condition/and reason

Every day, : Indicating time

a total, Indicating number
more than, Clarifying / Indicating number
nearly all Indicating number
representing, Clarifying
according to, Claryfying
compared, Claryfying
why, Indicating reason
…etc.
Conjunctions
with, and, but, whereas

Lexical cohesion : Classification:

Class and Subclass

Migrants

Asylum seekers (genuine) Refugees others..?

Sub Class
Plane people boat people legitimate tourists

RuddGovernment

Prime Minister
Immigration Dept. spokesman

Politicians

VISA Applicants
*

Legitimate Business
tourist Refugee Status and ………… Other…..

Contrast :

Community Christmas Island

40-60 per cent 85 -90 per cent
Aircraft Boats

Synonyms :

Asylum seekers : Refugees (refugee intake)

Approved claims : Genuine refugees
Humanitarian program : (genuine) refugee intake
Legitimate tourist visa : business visa
Arrivals : Refugee flows
Repetition:

Boat People, Plane People, migration, refugee visas refugee intake, arrivals
figures Percentages increased

Expectancy:

airports, maritime borders, applicants, visas, boat/ plane people, arrivals, refugee
intake, immigration records, immigration laws…government, politicians .etc.

Collocation:

Asylum seekers, refugees. Immigration Department spokesman, migration law expert,

figures, records, policy changes, “old politics”…etc…

‘Plane people’ outstrip boats’

by Claire Harvey
Every day, at least 13 asylum seekers enter Australia through airports, // representing 30
times the number of boat people that are supposedly “flooding” across our maritime borders.

A total of 4768 “plane people”- [[more than 96 per cent of applicants for refugees]] –arrived
by aircraft in 2008 on legitimate tourist, business and other visas [[compared with
161 who arrived by boat during the same period]].
And plane people are much less likely than boat people to be genuine refugees, / with only
40-60 granted protection visas, compared with 85-90 per cent of boat people [[who are found
to be genuine refugees.]]
In 2007-08, 3987 claims were received
and 1930 of these were approved.
But whereas boat people are detained on Christmas Island
[[while their claims are processed,]]
plane people live in community
and they are allowed to work
under policy changes introduced by the Rudd government……..
Politicians’ “expedient obsession” with boat people is clouding the truth about Australia’s
refugees flows according to migration law expert Professor Mary Crock, of Sydney
University Law School.

It’s a great mystery why people get upset about boats-

and it’s disappointing that our Prime Minister is playing to old politics,”
Professor Crock said.
“We have a small number of arrivals
and [[the ones arriving by boat]] are nearly all always refugees.”…..

As this is an mid- to advanced intermediate class I would also venture into analysing the
clauses along the lines of Theme and Rheme

Theme and Rheme:

` Every day, at least 13 asylum seekers enter Australia

through airports, that are supposedly
“flooding” across our maritime borders
Theme Rheme
Topical

representing 30 times the number of boat that are supposedly “flooding” across our
people maritime borders
Theme Rheme
Textual
A total of 4768 “plane people [[more than 96 per cent of applicants for
refugees]] –arrived by aircraft in 2008 on
legitimate tourist, business and other visas

Theme Rheme

Topical

[[compared with 161 who arrived by boat

[[during the same period]].
Theme Rheme
Topical
And plane people are much less likely than boat people to be
genuine refugees,
Theme Rheme
Topical

with only compared with 85-90 per cent of boat people

40-60 percent granted protection visas,
Theme Rheme
Topical

to be genuine refugees
Theme Rheme
Topical

In 2007-08, 3987 claims were received

.
Theme Rheme
Topical

and [[1930 of these]] were approved

Theme Rheme
Topical

But whereas boat people are detained on Christmas Island

[[while their claims are processed,]]

Theme Rheme
Textual

plane people live in community

Theme Rheme
Topical
and they are allowed to work

Theme Rheme
Topical

are allowed to work under policy changes government

[[introduced by the Rudd government……]]..
Theme Rheme
Textual

Politicians’ “expedient obsession” with boat is clouding the truth about Australia’s
refugees flows [[according to migration law
people
expert Professor Mary Crock, of Sydney
University Law School]].
Theme Rheme
Topical

It’s a great mystery

Theme Rheme
Topical

why people get upset about boats-

Theme Rheme
Textual

and it’s disappointing is “playing to old politics,”

[[ that our Prime Minister]]
Theme Rheme
Textual

Professor Crock Said.

Theme Rheme
Topical

“We have a small number of arrivals

Theme Rheme
Topical

and [[the ones arriving by boat]] are nearly all always refugees.”…..

Theme Rheme
Topical

------------------------ooo000ooo--------------------------

TEXT 4 : The Vikings

The Vikings or Norsemen came from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The name
Vikings means adventurer, In the 8th century, many ‘Viking’ bands began to sail to
Britain or Europe to seek for wealth. Sometimes they traded to obtain goods, but they
raided villages and killed and robbed the people.
Vikings were expert shipbuilders and sailors. They sailed further on their voyages than
anyone had gone before. Some Vikings even found their way to North America. Vikings
ships were about 20 metres long and they carried 90. They had a sail and oars. They
rowed when there was no wind.

Vikings didn’t like to fight big battles. They attacked lonely villages. After stealing the
harvest or treasures from monasteries, they took people with them as slaves. When the
Vikings returned home, they held big feasts. Bards told long, exciting stories called
sagas about daring Vikings deeds.
Some Vikings didn’t return home. They stayed and made homes in their new countries.
In France, the area known as Normandy was settled by Norsemen or Vikings
Burgess T, (1997) Comprehension Made Easy , Published by Nightingale Press,
Warner’s Bay, NSW

Green: past tense verbs Pink: Pronouns

Yellow: Time expressions Red: Conjunctions

Text 4-
.
Social Purpose:
The type of the text is a historical recount. Factual and historical recounts tell us ‘
what happened’ by documenting a series of events The social purpose of the text is to
inform readers about a famous medieval warriors who were called Vikings or
Norsemen.

The reasons for choosing the text:

The reason for selecting this text is to highlight and inform the class of typical
grammatical features associated with texts in this genre. These will be dealt with in
lesson unit- components highlighting for example, present and past tense verbs,
conjunctions, time related expressions, pronouns and modalities. Given the amount of
‘cartoons’ in weekend papers concerning the valour and endurance of Vikings
warriors, lesson units will enhance students’ knowledge about the history of the North
European sailor-travelers who plundered and raided surrounding countries in
medieval times

Stages: Structure
The text includes three to four stages:
Orientation:
Paragraph 1- Gives information about where these seafarers came from, where they
sailed, and for which reasons they sailed to distant lands. These paragraphs suggests a
 Narrative approach to an historical Recount, by placing the reader in the midst of the
action or story events, assuming that the reader is acquainted with the location of near
polar Northern European countries, to involve the reader and stimulate imagination, in
that they sojourned as far North America etc

Record of events
Paragraph 2- explains the nature and size of their boats, their expertise and advanced
skills in boat building for that time and makes the point that they sailed further than
anyone had gone before.

Paragraph 3- provides details about their plundering style and some strategies they
employed in their raid, attack and retreat fighting styles with an aversion for long big
battles.

Re-orientation ‘rounds-off’ the sequence of events by resetting the events in time.

Paragraph 4- Explains the display of fighting ambitions, their national pride, the big
parties and the feasting they indulged in, on return to their countries with the harvests,
spoils of war and treasures they had gained in their conquests.

Language features:
I would endeavour to explain and teach the class of the specific use of the following
features in this type of Text There is the use of particular nouns (and pronouns) to name
people, places and events. The record of events are recounted in chronological order.
• Action verbs / past tense (in green ) were used to refer to the events in
the text:
Example: came (from), began to sail, traded, raided, found, rowed attacked,
returned, held etc...
• Types of time connectives or conjunctions and time related expressions were
used throughout the text
Example: In the 8th century, sometimes, after, …etc.
• Relational functions such as the use of pronouns were used throughout the
text:
 Eg : they, them, anyone etc...
Lexical cohesion is maintained by the use of repetition, synonyms and
collocation: adventurers, sail, seek, traded, killed, robbed, attacked,
shipbuilders, sailors, ship, sail, oars, wind, , harvest, treasurers,
stories, sagas,

Register of the text:

• The field of the text is about informing readers about a famous/notorious
warriors person who were called Vikings or Norsemen. This is evident as the
events are described in past tense and the text identifies the groups of subjects
who were involved, when and where.
• The tenor is of the text is impersonal.
• The mode of the text is written. This is because the text is progressively
structured, well-organised and well-recounted.

Green: past tense verbs Pink: Pronouns

Gray: Modality Yellow: Time expressions

Red: Conjunctions

.3. Sequence of teaching and learning

How we will use this text on our teaching situation?
How can we use the text on our teaching situation?

Firstly, we will begin the lesson by reading the text for listening, pronunciation and reading
skills. We will progress to the definition of an historical recount and its social purpose.
Secondly, we would read, note and list all words in the vocabulary both known, unseen and
particularly those that hold new meaning for the students

Then we will progress to the definition of an historical recount and further explain
its social purpose. Secondly, we would read, note and list all words in the vocabulary
 both known and unseen and particularly those who hold new meanings for the
students.

I would pass on to the structural elements of the text. Regarding the grammatical
features of the text, the main focus will be on past tense verbs, time related
expressions etc. I will ask students to highlight the above mentioned grammatical
features. While students are highlighting the grammatical features of the text I will
monitor and help them. Given them the options of choice and their own preferences
in the historical time- line, I would also ask students to compose their own imaginary
historical recounts.
At the end of the lesson, I would ask one of the students to retell his/her own
imaginary recount.

Typical Class exercises:

Discussions and further reading
What favourite famous cartoons in weekly papers depict the adventures of
Vikings of old..??
Does it give a true reflection of the type of ships they may have used…why..??
Which English King and society is always depicted in caricatures of the Vikings. ?

Practical in-class activities, exercises and workshops will include : Exercises:

• Detecting the sequence of the discovery of Laser light technology and its
application in modern apparatus
• Getting the facts…
• What happens in this process and how is it brought about..?
• Working with words…matching the definitions and explanations with the
technical
terms and terminology
• Identifying inferences
• How do we use the dictionary to look up words…?

Text 5- How Lasers Work

 by Theresa Burgess
You have probably seen a light show and you may know that the spectacular effects are
created by laser light. Perhaps you have been astonished by holograms and wondered how
these are produced by lasers. But do you know exactly what lasers are and how they work ?
Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation’. Laser light is
extremely bright, pure and energy-packed. It is also quite different to ordinary light.
Ordinary light is made up of a number of different colours or wavelengths. These waves
move against each other and lose energy in the process. Laser light has only one colour or
wavelength. The waves all travel in the same direction and build up energy instead of losing
it. This energy is emitted in one narrow beam of intense power.
Laser light was discovered in 1960 when Thomas Maiman built a ruby laser. This type of
laser, which is the most powerful, is still used in science and industry. A ruby laser is a rod of
artificial ruby crystal. Each end of the rod is of silver material. This material acts as a mirror.
A bright light from a flash light is shone into the rod. This light makes the atoms in the ruby
move around very rapidly. This builds up extra energy and some of this energy is given off
as radiation. This, in turn, stimulates other atoms to give off radiation. The constantly
increasing radiation is reflected backwards and forwards by the mirrors. Eventually it is
strong enough to pass through one end of the rod as a beam of very bright and pure light. The
main disadvantage of the ruby laser is that it provides light in short bursts. For this reason,
gas lasers and semi-conductor lasers are used in situations where a continuous laser beam is
necessary
Burgess T., (1997 p54,) Comprehension Made Easy 5, Published by Nightingale Press
Warner’s Bay, Sydney

Pink Pink Conjunctions

Yellow Yellow: In finite verbs
Green Green : Pronouns

The reason why I have chosen this text:

The reason for choosing this text is that it includes expanded meaning of clauses. As a
teacher, it is important to identify the type of clause during our teaching. This technique is
useful since it shows how such clauses are structured to make meaning within texts. The text
is also characterized by use of three kinds of processes. This will lead to comprehend the
experiential meaning of the clauses. It is indeed an interesting topic, seldom explored and
relevant to the things around us- that all too often taken for granted and overlooked. Of the
many things, gadgets, equipment and facilities brought about by scientific and technological
advances that benefit, comfort and facilitate our daily lives are, eg Micro-ovens, x-rays,
energy saving neon lights, radiation and nuclear medicine…etc.

What is the type of the text?

Explanation:

Explanations mean to explain scientifically how technological and natural phenomena come
into being, how or why things occur. Sequential explanations are concerned with the
sequence or phases of a process.- how a process occurs (how laser beams came about and are
used)
Causal explanations outline causes of events-why a process occurs (eg the results of
amplification of Laser light beams and its benefits, as it stands today) The article
progressively gives an explanation sequence- a temporal sequence of the main phases of the
Laser process and the cause and effect sequence of events - since its discovery by Thomas
Maiman in 1960

Register of the text:

Field: The field of the text is about the discovery of laser beams of light. This is evident in
the use of scientific technical non human nouns such as holograms and lasers and
wavelengths etc. It also includes action verbs such as emitted, produce, travel, build up
discovered, shone, stimulates, reflected, pass through….etc..

Tenor: The tenor is personal. This is obvious because the text includes a personal pronoun
“you and ….do you know..??”

Mode: The mode of the text is written. This is because the clauses are structurally complex.
For example, “You have probably seen a light show and you may know that the spectacular
effects are created by laser light”.
 This text was obtained from a “Comprehension Made Easy 5”. This text can also be helpful
for students who understand the miracle of light in our modern lives. Such texts generally
interest and benefit the public, who need to have some knowledge of technological and
scientific facts..

Key grammatical features

Some of these points would make up interesting themes for lesson units which can be spread
over a week or longer .

Features of language-use which help the text make its meaning:

• Use of general, abstract, technical non-human nouns
eg: holograms, lasers and wavelengths
• Factual and classifying adjectivals to describe the phenomenon:
Eg: spectacular, extremely, pure, energy-packed, most powerful, intense

• Action verbs in simple tense to express events; relating verbs to do with cause and
effect eg: seen, created, move, built, shone, move, build-up…

• Use of causal conjunctions, causal connectives and causal adverbials in this causal
explanation eg: and wondered, and how, also quite different, and build up, which for
this reason, where
• Use of passive voice to foreground the object undergoing the process
eg: was discovered, are created, are produced, is made up of, is still used is shone..etc
• Use of nominalisation to summarise events and name abstract phenomena:
eg Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
Laser light, ordinary light, extra energy build-up, radiation, short bursts,
continuous laser beam
This text includes three types of processes; action, sensing and relating. The action verb
‘‘move” in “This light makes the atoms in the ruby move around very rapidly” indicates that
“Scientists are doing something through… the “emission a light into a rod and amplifying
the build up of extra energy, given off as radiation. Whereas, the verb “astonished” indicates
that the writer or characters reflect upon and evaluate what has happened by expressing
thoughts and feelings. Relating processes define two elements. In identifying clauses, one
element will be the Value- “seen” and the other will be the Token -“know” as in “have
probably seen a light show and you may know that the…

1. Social Purpose of the The purpose of this text is to organize and present
text: information about lasers through explanation. It gives a
general outline of the discovery, nature and use of lasers
in our lives.

2. Genre of the text: Explanation (reports) are used to give generalised

3. Grammatical features:
information and explanation of things and phenomenon.
Three aspects of grammatical features.
a. Generalizations abstracts and non-human terms,
specific nouns
b. technical language has been used in the text
c. compound and complex sentences have been
used throughout the text–

4 Stages of the text: The structure of the text:

Paragraph 1- Clear introduction, background
information and General Classification.
Paragraph 2- Identifying what the term Laser
stands for.
Paragraph 3- Background about the nature of light,
ordinary light etc
Paragraph 4- Information ..about discovery by
Thomas Maiman in 1960
Paragraph4-5- Outlining the advantages and
disadvantages of types of laser beams...

5. Register of the text: a) The field of this text is to organize and present
information about lasers. It gives a general outline of
a. Field it’s types and uses.
b. Tenor
c. Mode b) The tenor of the text is impersonal with scientific
technical non human nouns eg
holograms, lasers wavelengths

c) The mode of the text is in explanation/report /

 written format

Action verbs:
Example for discussion
“This light, makes the atoms in the ruby move around very rapidly.”

This light makes the atoms move around

in the ruby very rapidly

Noun group Verbal group Noun adverbial

group
Actor Process: action Goal Circumstance:
manner

3. Sequence of teaching and learning

How we will use this text on our teaching situation?
How can we use the text on our teaching situation?

Firstly, I will begin the lesson by reading the text for listening, pronunciation and reading
skills. We will progress to the definition of an information report and its social purpose.
Secondly, we would read, note and list all words in the vocabulary both known and unseen
and particularly those that hold new meaning for the students.
The overall purpose is to cover adverbs, simple tense, pronouns, complex and compound
sentence, modality and sequence of simple tense and material processes.
Later on, I pass on to the grammatical features of a report and cover the features.
I will go through material, verbal and mental processes in the text as well.
I also ask my students to highlight main language features of the text which have been
mentioned above. We can encourage and allow group work for more involved topics and
issues that may need further research and study as it reinforces individual skills and
strategies. I can also ask them (groups) to compose a sample explanation or /information
report of their own to present to the class.
With all the scientific and technological advancement in and our very busy lives, as it stands
today, I will ask my class to brainstorm and further discuss topical or controversial issues
pertaining to the complex use of the following equipment in the modern world.
Eg: Micro-ovens, x-rays, energy saving neon lights, mobile phones, radiation and nuclear
medicine etc
Practical in-class activities, exercises and workshops will include : Exercises:
• Detecting the sequence of the discovery of Laser light technology and its
application in modern apparatus
• Getting the facts…
• What happens in this process and how is it brought about..?
• Working with words…matching the definitions and explanations with the
technical
terms and terminology
• Identifying inferences
• How do we use the dictionary to look up words…?

After writing their own explanations, students are asked to compare their own sample reports
with colleagues in pairs in groups

References:

Burgess, T. (1997 p54,) Comprehension Made Easy 5, Published by Nightingale Press

Warner’s Bay, Sydney

Droga, L. and Humphrey, S. (2005) Grammar and Meaning. An Introduction for Primary
Teachers. Target Texts, Berry, NSW, Australia.

Weekend Sunday Telegraph 1st Nov, 2009, Body + Soul Magazine (Recipe)
News items (Refugee Article)

Weekend Sunday Telegraph 8th Nov, 2009, Front page Headline News (Refugee Article)

___________ooo000ooo_____________