invisible structures of technical writing
TRANSCRIPT
The invisible structures of technical writing:
Pattern recognition for learner executive mode
Lawrie Hunter
http://lawriehunter.comhttp://slideshare.net/rolenzo
JACET ESP, Toyo University, December 19, 2015
The invisible structures of technical writing:Pattern recognition for learner executive modeA set of syllabus design tools for a non-grammar (pattern recognition) approach to the development of EFL technical writing skills: 1.Sentence-level information structures
-FRAMEWORK for an entry-level 'critical thinking' syllabus.-DEMO of application to syllabus/materials design.
2. Information organization structures -FOR CONTROL of rhetorical flow.
3. A 'processing' heuristic -FOR CREATING FERTILE VARIATION in language learning activities.
No need to write!
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Thanks to: Earl Stevick
Premise 1
The instructor
is the servant
of the learner
The instructor
is the witting servant
of the learner
Premise 1
The instructor
is the witting servant
of the witting learner
Premise 1
Premise 2
L2 learning
is best done
subliminally
Premise 2
L2 learning
is best done
when otherwise occupied
Premise 3
Humans think
with structures.
Premise 4
Grammar
is not a structure.
Premise 4
Grammar
is not a structure,
it’s a texture.
Premise 5
Information
has structure.
Premise 5
Information
has various structures.
だからどうした？
Arguably important direction
"Tomorrow's literacies...need to be
process and systems literacies.”
-John Thackara, In the Bubble: Designing in a complex world. MIT Press 2005.
Systems view of writing
Grammarstaging
Information orchestration Rhetoric, flow
Sentence levelPrescriptive order charts (linear);sentence diagrams
Knowledge structure maps
Topic/stress and subject-verb distance gizmos
Paragraph level Readability charts Knowledge structure maps
Old/new and topic/stress gizmos
Document level Readability outlines
Knowledge structure maps
Old/new and topic/stress gizmos
-don’t you have one?
1. Sentence-level information structures
-FRAMEWORK for an entry-level 'critical thinking' syllabus.
-DEMO of application to syllabus/materials design.
Structures invariant across languages
Classification Cause-effect Value
Description Sequence Choice
Mohan, B.A. (1986) Language and Content. Addison and Wesley.
Mohan's 'knowledge structures' Argument
Information organization
Information structures
Syntax structures
Grammar structures
Structures invariant across languages
Classification Cause-effect Value
Description Sequence Choice
Mohan's 'knowledge structures' Argument
Information organization
Information structures
Syntax structures
Grammar structures
Comparison Pro-Con
Classification Cause-effect
Description Sequence
Hunter’s ‘information structures'
Structures invariant across languages
Argument
Information organization
Information structures
Syntax structures
Grammar structures
Do humans have aGRAPHIC THOUGHT FACILITY?
Hunter: The knowledge structure map is a matrix (confluence) for the situated learner* and the situated mentor to confirm context and the nature of "stolen property."**
*Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1990). Situated Learning: Legitimate Periperal Participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
**Brown, J.S. & Duguid, P. (2000) The social life of information. Harvard Business School Press.
<$$$
!
Information structures based curriculum
Critical ThinkingAsahi Press 2001
A writing and presentation workbook,
6 units (6 genres) in 30 lessons
Say What You MeanKUT Press 2006A writing and mapping workbook,5 units (5 genres) in 30 lessons
Thinking in EnglishCengage 2007A writing and presentationmapping text/workbook,5 units (5 genres) in 30 lessons
The learning process used in this bookEach of the 6 units in this book follows the same teaching/learning pattern:
INPUT
USAGE PRACTICE
AUTHENTIC TASK
EXPRESSION
Learning process
- don’t you have one?
Critical ThinkingAsahi Press 2001
A writing and presentation workbook,
6 units (6 genres) in 30 lessons
Info-structure graphicsembody language features
In terms of language,this mapping symbolicallyconstrains link content to
DESCRIPTION CLASSIFICATION COMPARISON SEQUENCE CAUSE-EFFECT Pro-Con
is + ADJ is a kind of is ___er than then so Clause-whereas-clause
is used to can be classified as has more ___ than after that is a result of Arg 1 – That’s true
but – Counterarg 1
is made of is one type of has x% more ___ than finally leads to If – Premise 1 (past)
– Arg 1 (would)
etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
Hunter’s ‘information structures’ ... reflect information types (Mohan's (1986) knowledge structures)
rather than speech act types such as SFL's text types.
Classification Principle Evaluation
Description Process Choice
DescriptionClassificationComparisonSequenceCause-effect
+ inferencePro-con
Go to
TIE Tasks
ppt
2. Information organization structures
-FOR CONTROL of rhetorical flow.
2. Information organization structures G-S (general to specific)
SPSE (situation-problem-solution-evalution)
IMRAD
4-box
ARGUMENT
1. Sentence-level information structures 2. Information organization “structures”
IMRADSPSEG-S 4-box* ARGUMENT(Toulmin)
Description Comparison ClassificationSequence Cause-effect Inference
Pro-Con
* http://citizenjournalismworkshop.blogspot.jp/2008/03/four-boxes.html
1. Sentence-level information structures 2. Information organization “structures”
IMRADSPSEG-S 4-box* ARGUMENT(Toulmin)
Description Comparison ClassificationSequence Cause-effect Inference
Pro-Con
* http://citizenjournalismworkshop.blogspot.jp/2008/03/four-boxes.html
1. Sentence-level information structures 2. Information organization structures
IntroMethodResultsAnalysis
Discsussion
SituationProblem Solution
Evaluation
Anecdotal lead
Cosmic paragraph
Motley middle
Kicker
GroundsModality
CLAIMWarrantBacking
General
Specific
1. Sentence-level information structures 2. Information organization structures
IntroMethodResultsAnalysis
Discsussion
SituationProblem Solution
Evaluation
Anecdotal lead
Cosmic paragraph
Motley middle
Kicker
GroundsModality
CLAIMWarrantBacking
General
Specific Some other time!
3. A 'processing' heuristic
-FOR CREATING FERTILE VARIATION in language learning activities.
Go to
‘Processing’
ppt
Thank you for your kind attention.
Don’t hesitate to write to me.I share!
Lawrie Hunterlawriehunter.com
Bio Lawrie Hunter is currently working in the Center for Professional Communication at GRIPS in Roppongi. He was a member of the founding team of Kochi University of Technology, and before that he created the intercultural communication program for Kochi University. He has worked as a mathematics teacher and counsellor in Canadian high schools and as a mathematics teacher trainer in Papua New Guinea. His main research themes are document design for education; computer assisted language learning; information structures as a framework for EFL curricula; non-grammar approaches to academic writing; and concept/argument mapping for low text representation of complex ideas.Textbook publications: Critical Thinking (Asahi); Thinking in English (Cengage); How Academic Writing Works (Minaminokaze).Lawrie is now active in the Tokyo poetry scene.