Curriculum Development in the Sixth Form: The Potential for Changes in Approaches to Writing Skills at Tertiary Level.

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Implications of changes in the Hong Kong secondary school curriculum are examined, focusing on the syllabus leading to a new school-leaving examination in English literature. The new curriculum, based on developments in composition theory and practice and departing from the traditional, narrowly-focused syllabus, emphasizes the process of writing and requires student diary-writing and a project. “these changes imply more active participation in learning, small-group interaction, and individual work by students. The teacher’s role will change from that of information-provider to counselor, supervisor, and facilitator of student work. Guidelines for teachers, currently in development, will emphasize new methods of classroom management to implement the curriculum. It is also suggested that students will have to come to higher education with a new set of study skills and learning strategies. These skills are likely to be in line with the process approach to writing and will also affect the professor’s relationship with the student, removing much of the traditional prescriptive role. A 33-item bibliography is included. (MSE Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

HONGKONG PAPERS W UNGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE TEA,WING 14 (VIM ISSN 1015-2060 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE SIXTH FORM: THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGES IN APPROACHES TO WRITING SKILLS AT TERTIARY LEVEL Peter Falvey University of Hong Kong Introduction Hong Kong is currently undergoing a series of examination and curriculum innovations which could have far-reaching effects on the practice of teaching in upper secondary forms. In 1994 the new series of Advanced Supplementary (A/S) examinations will be introduced. These examinations, designed to provide a broader sixth form curriculum (Grade 12) than the existing narrow one, will be available in a wide range of subjects. Two major innovations will be the introduction of Liberal Studies and Chinese Language and Culture. Liberal Studies has been introduced in order to broaden the outlook of Hong Kong students. The introduction of Chinese Language and Culture is intended to enable students to appreciate their cultural and linguistic heritage. It is eventually hoped that Liberal Studies, Chinese Language and Culture and the Use of English examinations will become compulsory subjects for all prospective entrants to tertiary education. The Use of English examination is already compulsory for University entrance. some view it as unfortunate that a successful rearguard action has been fought by the traditional ‘hard’ disciplines in the tertiary institutions those with already overcrowded curricula (Medicine and Engineering). They have managed to conv:nce the authorities to make Liberal Studies and Chinese Language and Culture optional, not compulsory, subjects. Undoubtedly, these attitudes will soften in the next few years. In this paper the syllabus for the new A/S English Literature option will be considered.

The curriculum innovations in this option and the changes in teacher practice which will result from those innovations may have beneficial results for the tertiary institutions which admit the students who take the option. Composition Theory and Practice The last decade has seen much discussion and a growing amount of research into the issue of how writers compose text. Early work by Emig (1971), responding to a call by Braddock, Lloyd-Jones and Schoer (1963) for research into Li (First Language) writing processes and subsequent work by Pert (1978), Pianko (1979) and Faigley and Witte (1981, 1984) into the composing processes of first language writers revealed that writing is not linear, that it is recursive, and that substantial rewriting and revision takes place. Such pioneering work with first language writers wao followed by research into the composing processes of second language writers by 1*. reseurchers such as Chelala (1981), Zamel (1982, 1983), Jones (1982, 1985), Raimes (1985), Brooks (198), Rorchach (1986), and Martin-Betancourt (1986). Studies involving Chinese writers have been V.) conducted by Lay (1982), Arndt (1987) and Friedlander (1990). Some of the major findings of this research are that: 0 q lack of competence comes more from lack of composing O competence than from lack of linguistic competence (Jones 1982, Zamel 1982, Raimes 1985) u S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Office at Educat.onat Research and improvement …) MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL ESOURCES IC INFORMATION CRENTER IERt ._._1′. OM: r\I i …_-, 1 89 kfihrS document has Peon reproduced as recented from the person or OrQamtat.nn pricpnating 0 r MnO’ t changes have Peen made to trnprove reproduction duality TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOI1RCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 4,1 PcantS 01 vie* or op.mons stated tntntsdocu t ment do not necessartly represent toe OERI postlron of policy HONGKONG PAPERS IN LINGIASTPCS ANC lANGUAGE TEACHING 14 (19Q1) the composing processes of ‘unskilled’ L2 writers and ‘unskilled’ L1 writers are similar (lame! 1983). competent L1 writers use common strategies. Out of this research came changes in the theory and practice of composition teaching to first language writers and, subsequently, to second language writers. In first language writing one can trace the development of the ‘process approach’ over the past decade (see table below and subsequent text developed from Johns 1990: 25-31). Table: Process Approaches EXPRESSIVISTS COGNITIVISTS WRITER AS WRITER AS SOCIAL CREATOR INTERACTANT CONSTRUCTIONIST VIEW The ‘Expressivists’ were characterised by an approach which emphasised the power of the student as writer providing opportunities for the individual and uninhibited expression of honest and personal thought. Journal writing was a typical technique used in this approach which still has powerful adherents (Elbow 1973, 1981a, 1981b). Tha ‘Cognitivists’ are characterised by an approach which treats writing as a problem solving activity. This approach has had a great effect on L2 research, theory and practice. It emphasises the importance of the concepts of THINKING and PROCESS. ‘Writer as Creator’ -Flower (1989) and Hayes and Flower (1983) look at the writer as a creator -one who plans extensively and ‘defines the rhetorical problem’. Techniques used include group work in planning and writing, the creation of several drafts, and paper revision at the macro level (not merely ‘polishing’ text at the syntactic or morphological level but altering it in the areas of ideation, rhetoric and coherence). Writer as Interactant Bakhtin (1973) stressed the need for the writer to interact with the audience. The notion that writing in English should be ‘writer responsible’ has now become part of current L2 writing theory and practice. ‘Writer responsibility’ can be defined as the acceptance by the writer that it is his/her responsibility for communicating with the reader; providing clear arguments, demonstrating opinions and their organization; and revealing the form of the text and the content in a manner accessible to the reader. Social Constructionist View -This view considers writing as a social act that can take place only within and for a specific context and audience. This approach stresses the importance of using the appropriate genre, knowing who the audience is, and writing for and within a ‘discourse community’. This is the most recent trend within the cognitivist view of process in writing and is documented in the work on genre of Swales (1990), Dudley-Evans (1987), Martin (1985) and Berry(1989).